Welcome to our results of NJPW G1 Climax 29 Day 8. New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s 29th G1 Climax tournament continues today and will run until Day 19 on August 12.

Twenty wrestlers, divided into two blocks of ten, compete against every other member of their block. They gain 2 points for a victory and 1 point for a draw. The wrestler with the most points in each block will move on to a final match, with the winner getting an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome in January 2020.

View the full tournament schedule here.

Watch this event on NJPW World with commentary in either English or Japanese.

Day 8 Undercard

Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens) defeated Will Ospreay, Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura
Yujiro Takahashi pinned Yuya Uemura with the Pimp Juice DDT at 9:20. Will Ospreay faces Bad Luck Fale in the A Block on July 27.

Suzukigun (Zack Sabre Jr., Lance Archer & Minoru Suzuki) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI)
Minoru Suzuki pinned BUSHI after a Gotch style piledriver at 8:09. Suzuki’s frustration at being excluded from the G1 reared its head after the match, as he attacked young lions and ripped up barricades. Zack Sabre Jr. dared EVIL to confront him in the ring, but bailed out when EVIL took the bait. A Block matches on July 27 include EVIL vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shota Umino defeated Kota Ibushi & Ren Narita
With unique and entertaining interactions between young lions and elite NJPW wrestlers, this was definitely the undercard match to watch if one had to be chosen. Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Ren Narita after a Sling Blade at 7:45. Tanahashi and Ibushi compete against SANADA and Lance Archer, respectively, on G129 Day 9.

Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI & Toa Henare defeated KENTA, Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks)
The interactions between Okada and KENTA alone make this match also worth watching, with the two of them acting condescendingly towards each other, as well as Okada diverting his attention multiple times to attack KENTA even when he wasn’t the legal man. YOSHI-HASHI submitted Clark Connors with the Butterfly Lock at 8:51. The main event of G1 Climax 29 Day 9 is Kazuchika Okada versus KENTA.

Day 8 Tournament Matches

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Juice Robinson defeated Toru Yano
This match revolved around Juice being onto Yano’s tricks, including catching himself on the slingshot into the exposed turnbuckle, noticing the roll of tape in Yano’s tights, and avoiding the low blow. He was too clever for Yano throughout the match and dispatched the trickster with relative speed. Juice Robinson defeated Toru Yano by pinfall after a Pulp Friction at 4:28. Juice 6 points, Yano 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Taichi defeated Hirooki Goto
After Taichi stole a young lion’s “LA Dojo” shirt and stomped on it in the ring, Goto fought like he had vengeance to claim, while Taichi used underhanded tactics before eventually letting his wrestling do the talking, after soon understanding the levity of his opponent. The longer the match went, the more Taichi realized he was outmatched and would have to win by any means necessary. Taichi defeated Hirooki Goto by pinfall with a Gedo Clutch after a low blow at 12:11. Goto 2 points, Taichi 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Jon Moxley defeated Shingo Takagi
Shingo and Moxley wasted no time breaking into a raw slugfest, but Moxley turned the match in a different direction, attacking Shingo’s left leg to slow down the explosive junior heavyweight. Shingo struggled for the rest of the match on a bad limb and it hindered everything he did, with only short bursts of energy before fading again. Jon Moxley defeated Shingo Takagi by submission with a Texas cloverleaf at 14:45. Moxley 8 points, Shingo 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Jay White defeated Jeff Cobb
White immediately was trying to take every advantage that he could on Cobb, for fear that he would be outgunned in a fair fight. Gedo was a thorn in Cobb’s side throughout the match, so Cobb hit him with what was apparently the most excruciating body slam of all time. Jay White defeated Jeff Cobb by pinfall with the Blade Runner at 15:50. It was not a clean victory and was by the skin of his teeth, but White is finally on the board. 2 points Cobb, 2 points White.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Tetsuya Naito defeated Tomohiro Ishii
Naito was incredibly over from the outset, on account of this event taking place in Hiroshima, the home of his favorite baseball team. Naito focused on the head and neck (or lack thereof) of the stone pitbull with DDTs, ranas, and neckbreakers. Eventually, this devolved into an all-out war of attrition with a molten hot crowd. Tetsuya Naito defeated Tomohiro Ishii by pinfall after a Destino in 18:58. Ishii 4 points, Naito 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 Standings

Welcome to our results of NJPW G1 Climax 29 Day 6. New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s 29th G1 Climax tournament continues today and will run until Day 19 on August 12.

Twenty wrestlers compete in blocks of ten against every other wrestler in their block. They gain 2 points for a victory and 1 point for a draw. The wrestler with the most points in each block will move on to a final match, with the winner getting an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome in January 2020.

View the full tournament schedule here.

Watch this event on NJPW World with commentary in either English or Japanese.

G1 Climax 29 Day 6 Undercard

Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens) defeated (Zack Sabre Jr. & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Bad Luck Fale pinned Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 4:40 after a Grenade. After the match, Zack Sabre Jr. tried to sneak attack Fale and choke him out, but Fale caught him and laid him out with the Grenade. Bad Luck Fale vs. Zack Sabre Jr. is scheduled for tomorrow in the A Block.

Suzukigun (Lance Archer & Minoru Suzuki) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomoaki Honma
Archer’s shoulder was heavily taped up, likely due to KENTA’s Game Over submission yesterday. Lance Archer pinned Tomoaki Honma with the EBD Claw at 9:48. He refused to release the claw on Honma after the match ended, then used the claw on Tanahashi as well. Archer and Tanahashi clash in the A Block tomorrow.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI) defeated Kota Ibushi, KENTA & Clark Connors
BUSHI pinned Clark Connors at 9:02 with the MX. Following the match, Ibushi and SANADA stared each other down in the ring and appealed to the crowd for cheers. Neither wrestler seemed to be getting more cheers than the other. EVIL vs. KENTA and SANADA vs. Ibushi both take place tomorrow.

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated Will Ospreay & Toa Henare
YOSHI-HASHI pinned Toa Henare at 8:46 with the Kumagoroshi suplex. Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay is the main event of tomorrow’s A Block show.

G1 Climax 29 Day 6 Tournament Matches

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Shingo Takagi defeated Taichi
After a brief period where Taichi tried to use underhanded tactics and weapons on the outside of the ring, this turned into a hard-hitting battle of lariats and kicks. Shingo Takagi pinned Taichi with the Last of the Dragon at 14:40. Takagi 4 points, Taichi 2 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Jeff Cobb defeated Juice Robinson
This was a more slower-paced encounter than the previous one, with Juice trying to apply his usual offense but being overtaken by Cobb’s great weight and strength. Jeff Cobb pinned Juice Robinson at 13:21 with the Tour of the Islands for his first win of the G1. Cobb 2 points, Juice 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Toru Yano defeated Jay White
This was a brief match with a very high density of cheating. Jay White thought he had Yano figured out, such as avoiding the slingshot into the exposed turnbuckle, but that was not the case. Toru Yano hit a low blow using brass knuckles while the referee was distracted and pinned Jay White with a roll up at 3:04. Yano 4 points, White 0 points. Notably, all three of White’s matches so far were against members of CHAOS, the faction he betrayed last year, and they all got their revenge.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Tetsuya Naito defeated Hirooki Goto
Goto came after Naito right out of the gate and had most of his moves scouted, but Naito used his greater quickness to get in fast attacks and counter Goto’s moves. Tetsuya Naito pinned Hirooki Goto with the Destino at 16:01. Naito 2 points, Goto 2 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Jon Moxley defeated Tomohiro Ishii
This was a brutal battle to end all battles, with Moxley’s penchant for violence fighting against Ishii’s inhuman resilience. Tables and chairs were used, stiff shots were thrown, and Moxley was pushed to his very limit for the first time in NJPW, but it was not enough. Jon Moxley pinned Tomohiro Ishii after a Death Rider at 20:36. Moxley 6 points, Ishii 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 Standings

Welcome to our ongoing Live Results of NJPW G1 Climax 29 Day 4. This will be updated with results and new points standings throughout the event.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s 29th G1 Climax tournament continued today and will run until Day 19 on August 12. Twenty wrestlers compete in blocks of ten against every other wrestler in their block. They gain 2 points for a victory and 1 point for a draw. The most dominant wrestler in each block will move on to a final match, with winner getting an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome in January 2020.

One can watch this event on NJPW World with commentary in either English or Japanese.

Kota Ibushi & Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Shota Umino & Yota Tsuji
Jushin Thunder Liger’s entrance got a great reaction from the crowd, as expected since this is likely Liger’s last match ever in Hokkaido Prefecture. The match began with Liger stretching Umino out in the mat, then transitioned into Ibushi and Tsuji trading hard hits and slaps. Tsuji breaking up Liger’s Romero Special on Umino got heavy boos from the audience. Tsuji got a lot of offence in on Ibushi, including a turning body slam and a spear, then attempted to put him in the Boston crab only to get it broken by slaps. Kota Ibushi submitted Yota Tsuji with a single-leg Boston crab at 8:19. Liger then cut a promo stating that, since he’s retiring in six months, this is his last match in Hokkaido, but he hopes that all the fans will support him wherever he goes.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI) def. Tomoaki Honma, Toa Henare & Ren Narita
EVIL entered without his scythe. He was probably not allowed to bring it with him on the flight from Tokyo to Sapporo. Toa Henare hit a stalling suplex on SANADA and he hit a double Kokeshi on BUSHI with Tomoaki Honma. This was a short encounter. after the match, EVIL stared down SANADA, his stable mate who he has as his next G1 Climax match. BUSHI pinned Ren Narita after an M-X at 7:18. He then tried to hit SANADA with the EVIL, but SANADA reversed it into the Skull End, then they broke apart.

Suzukigun (Zack Sabre Jr., Lance Archer, Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, KENTA, Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks
Suzukigun attacked Tanahashi, KENTA, and the LA Dojo young lions before the bell, with Lance Archer going after KENTA and Sabre Jr. going after Tanahashi. Karl Fredericks managed to floor Minoru Suzuki with a shoulder tackle, only to get caught in a rope-hung armbar, and then get pulled out of the ring and be pummeled with chairs and sections of the ring barricade. Lance Archer briefly joined the English commentary team. Tanahashi and Zack Sabre Jr. went after each other with dueling cobra twists. Clark Connors put Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a Boston crab and Suzuki kicked him in the face to break the hold, but he held it and bravely asked for more. Yoshinobu Kanemaru pinned Clark Connors after a Deep Impact at 11:32.

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens)
YOSHI-HASHI spent most of the match getting beaten up by Chase Owens and Bad Luck Fale, until he hit a dropkick to Fale’s knee to enable the hot tag to Kazuchika Okada. Okada’s running shoulder tackle did not knock Fale down, but his body slam did. Owens nearly hit a package piledriver on Okada, but Okada reversed it as YOSHI-HASHI hit a big lariat on Fale that sent both of them tumbling out of the ring. Okada pinned Chase Owens with a Rainmaker at 8:43.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Shingo Takagi [2] defeated Toru Yano [2]
Shingo Takagi urged Toru Yano to remove his t-shirt for this bout. He did so, only for Takagi to attack him in the process. He then tried to put his shirt on Takagi’s head and roll him up, but failed. Yano left the ring and baited Takagi into coming out to attack him, only to run back to the ring and put a table and barricades in his way, but he still made it back before he could be counted out. Toru Yano went for his trademark red chair and threw it at Takagi, making it look as if Takagi had used it, but the referee did not believe him. BUSHI came out to distract the referee. Shingo Takagi pinned Toru Yano after a Pumping Bomber at 6:16. Shingo Takagi 2 points, Toru Yano 2 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Juice Robinson [4] defeated Hirooki Goto [2]
Goto really does look much leaner after his vacation to the LA Dojo. After Juice managed to reverse the Ushigoroshi, they traded simultaneous lariats until Goto managed to get him down, then land the Ushigoroshi successfully. Goto went for the GTR but Juice broke it with strikes to the head. Juice went for his left hand-punch, but Goto headbutted his fist to block it, then Goto went for a punch of his own and Juice responded in kind. After a hard-hitting fight, Juice Robinson pinned Hirooki Goto after a Pulp Friction at 12:23.
Hirooki Goto 2 points, Juice Robinson 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Jon Moxley [4] defeated Jeff Cobb [0]
Moxley went after Cobb’s arms early to try and reduce his strength advantage, but his chops to the chest that followed seemed to have little effect on Cobb. Moxley looked under the ring for a table, but either changed his mind or couldn’t find one. After a diving elbow drop to a standing Cobb, Moxley went for the Death Rider but was unable to get Cobb off his feet. After a running knee to the head, Jon Moxley pinned Jeff Cobb after a rope-hung Death Rider at 8:54. Jeff Cobb 0 points, Jon Moxley 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Tomohiro Ishii [4] defeated Jay White [0]
When the match began, White went to the outside and taunted Cobb to come out with him. Ishii left the ring and then threatened to attack Gedo, which provoked White into finally retaliating. At one point, White landed a DDT on Ishii that landed him right on top of his head. When they had a battle of forearms, Ishii managed to knock him down. White would get the upper hand only for Ishii to come back and ask to be hit harder. The crowd very hot for Ishii to win. White went for the Blade Runner, but Ishii reversed it into a Complete Shot, followed by a sliding lariat and a brainbuster to pin Jay White at 19:13. Jay White 0 points, Tomohiro Ishii 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 B Block Match: Taichi [2] defeated Tetsuya Naito [0]
To start the match, Naito laid down in the center of the ring, telling Taichi to pin him. Taichi went for the pin only for Naito to roll him up for a 2-count.A back and forth period transpired with Naito’s quick and precise offence against Taichi’s hard kicks. Taichi teased using the retired Takashi Iizuka’s Iron Finger from Hell, but Naito managed to knock it away from him. Naito went for the Destino but Taichi countered it and floored him with a high kick and then a Ganso bomb. After a pop-up low blow that the referee didn’t see, Naito went for a Destino but Taichi reversed it into Black Mephisto. Taichi finally managed to hit Naito with the Iron Finger From Hell into a Last Ride powerbomb for the win at 21:01. Tetsuya Naito 0 points, Taichi 2 points.

G1 Climax 29 Standings

A Block

• Lance Archer – 4
• KENTA – 4
• Kazuchika Okada – 4
• Bad Luck Fale – 2
• SANADA – 2
• Will Ospreay – 2
• EVIL – 2
• Kota Ibushi – 0
• Zack Sabre Jr. – 0
• Hiroshi Tanahashi – 0

B Block

• Tomohiro Ishii – 4
• Jon Moxley – 4
• Juice Robinson – 4
• Hirooki Goto – 2
• Shingo Takagi – 2
• Taichi – 2
• Toru Yano – 2
• Jeff Cobb – 0
• Tetsuya Naito – 0
• Jay White – 0

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is currently on their ‘Road To Dontaku’ tour, post-G1 Supercard. This hasn’t stopped them from hyping their upcoming G1 Climax 29 event, which takes place from July 6th. The big difference from this year’s tournament compared to previous iterations is in the companies continued international intent, with the G1 kicking off from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

With their Royal Quest show taking place in London later this year, and the G1 Climax beginning in the United States, New Japan are clearly still aggressively pushing into Western markets.

The company has now revealed four wrestlers who will be in Dallas on the first day of the G1 tournament.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada, IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Kota Ibushi, Tetsuya Naito, and Jay White, will all be present for the show in Texas. The tweet added that they will be announcing the full list of tournament entrants at a later date.

G1 Supercard Fallout

All of the announced talents recently wrestled at the historic ROH/NJPW co-promoted G1 Supercard show.

The event took place last Saturday from Madison Square Garden in New York. It was during this event that both Okada and Ibushi would emerge victorious as newly crowned champions, defeating Jay White and Tetsuya Naito, respectively.

New Japan’s annual Tokyo Dome show is now underway. The stacked card could end up being one of NJPW’s best ever and we’ve got the results as and when they happen.

Tetsuya Naito defeated Chris Jericho in the co-main event of the card. Naito is now once again the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, dethroning Y2J. This bout was changed to a No DQ contest when Jericho attacked Naito at the Fan Fest earlier this week. The match featured some hellacious kendo stick attacks from Jericho, the GOAT vowing to end Naito’s illustrious career. Naito also got some nasty looking strikes in late in the match, a huge welt appearing on Jericho’s chest. The finish came when Naito hit Destino on Jericho for the pinfall win.

You can follow all of our coverage for this historic event here

Here’s the full card for the event:

• NEVER Openweight Championship Match – Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay
• IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) (c) vs. Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
• RPW British Heavyweight Championship Match – Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zac Sabre Jr.
• IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
• IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match – Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson
• IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match – KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
• Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada
• IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship No Disqualification Match – Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
• IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match – Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Chris Jericho attacked Tetsuya Naito during the contract signing for their Wrestle Kingdom 13 match, which was also officially made a No DQ bout. The contract signing took place today during the New Japan Pro Wrestling Festival at the Studio Coast venue in Tokyo.

During the angle, Naito taunted Jericho, who promised to retire Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Jericho also asked for the no DQ stipulation. Naito first mocked Jericho for demanding that all of his NJPW matches be no DQ, but agreed to the request, and signed the contract.

Jericho then attacked Naito, stabbing at him with a pen.  He then power-bombed his upcoming opponent through a table.

【無料配信中🔴 】大プロレス祭り2019！！
第8試合ダブルメインイベントⅠ IWGPインターコンチネンタル選手権試合@IAmJericho vs @s_d_naito ！急遽、インターコンチの公開調印式が実現！
視聴無料▷https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP #njpw #njwk13 #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/GTHcV9LTW9

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 3, 2019

Chris Jericho vs Tetsuya Naito – Wrestle Kingdom 13

Jericho vs. Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship will be the semi-main event at Wrestle Kingdom 13. Jericho originally won the title from Naito at Dominion in June. He has defended the championship only once since then, defeating EVIL at Power Struggle in Osaka back in November.

Despite his uneventful reign, Jericho now places fifth both in most days spent as IWGP Intercontinental champion.

Recently, Naito took part in an interview with NJPW1972.com and said NJPW management kisses up to Jericho. They do this, Naito says, to appease their international fan base.

“I know that New Japan wants to use his name for overseas expansion, but I want them to stop kissing up to him,” Naito said. “That’ll happen once I take back that title. I’ve said this many times before, but they should focus on showing the pure New Japan style to the world, instead of altering it.”

Tetsuya Naito believes that New Japan Pro Wrestling management is going out of their way to cater to IWPG Intercontinental Champion, Chris Jericho. He made the comments recently in an interview with NJPW1972.com.

“I know that New Japan wants to use his name for overseas expansion, but I want them to stop kissing up to him,” Naito said in regards to Jericho. “That’ll happen once I take back that title. I’ve said this many times before, but they should focus on showing the pure New Japan style to the world, instead of altering it.”

Jericho vs Naito II will take place inside the Tokyo Dome on January 4th at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Chris Jericho vs Tetsuya Naito II

Earlier in the interview, Naito said he understands why NJPW caters to Jericho.

“I can see why New Japan kisses his ass because he’s a good marketer,” Naito continued. “Actually, that all works in my favor because it sets a bigger stage for me to kicks his ass on.”

Naito also responded to Jericho’s comments that Naito is not a star. Jericho said that he didn’t believe Naito was a star because he doesn’t see anyone selling Naito ice-cream bars.

“I read that. It made me laugh, a little,” Naito responded. “Even though I’m extremely popular, he’s right, I don’t have an ice cream bar. He probably knows a lot about ice cream, that’s why his physique has changed so much since his Junior days.”

You can read the full interview here.

Tetsuya Naito Vows To Retire Chris Jericho (Video)

The rivalry between Chris Jericho and Tetsuya Naito has been brewing for quite some time now. It all stemmed from last year at Wrestle Kingdom 12 when Jericho claimed his match with Kenny Omega was the real main event of the show. However, Naito faced Kazuchika Okada in the main event for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

Jericho went on to defeat Naito for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Dominion back in June. “Y2J” then successfully defended his title against EVIL at Power Struggle 2018. Now, he’ll rematch Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in January with his title on the line. Last week, Jericho said he was going to end Naito’s career when they step into the ring again.

In a recent video from Naito on New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) YouTube channel, Naito has promised the same in return:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxEMUiBKbio&feature=youtu.be

Another WWE Star Gets Married (Photo)

A lot of WWE stars have been getting married recently. The Riott Squad’s Sarah Logan tied the knot with NXT star Raymond Rowe in a Viking-themed wedding. Then, RAW star Lio Rush married his longtime girlfriend Sarah Green last week as well. Now, 205 Live star Akira Tozawa has also gotten married. The ceremony took place this past Saturday on December 22nd:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrzrPT3gyYO/?utm_source=ig_embed

Thank you ? ?#titusworldwide https://t.co/jcBshe9R95

— Akira Tozawa (@TozawaAkira) December 25, 2018

Chris Jericho recently posted a video message to his Wrestle Kingdom 13 opponent, Tetsuya Naito. In the video, Jericho promises that January 4th inside the Tokyo Dome will be the last match of Naito’s career.

Jericho posted the following to his social media channels:

My message to @s_d_naito …#WrestleKingdom13 will be the LAST MATCH of your great career! @njpwworld @njpw1972 pic.twitter.com/n6w3qaxvT5

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) December 21, 2018

“It felt good yesterday Naito,” Jericho begins his video. “At Korakuen Hall, after you spit in my face in the New Japan office, I beat the hell out of you with a chair in Korakuen Hall.”

Jericho was in Japan last weekend for a Wrestle Kingdom press conference. He also made an appearance in Korakuen Hall on the 2nd night of the Road to Wrestle Kingdom, attacking Naito.

“It’s going to be the last night of your career at Wrestle Kingdom 13 Naito,” he continued. “All of your fans, thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of fans all around the world, will be crying as soon as our match is finished. I’ll still be the IWGP Intercontinental Champion and you will be finished.”

Chris Jericho vs Tetsuya Naito – IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 13

The Jericho and Naito rivalry goes back to Wrestle Kingdom 12 when Jericho began claiming that his match with Kenny Omega was the real main event. Naito, who wrestled Kazuchika Okada to close the show, took exception to this.

Jericho defeated Naito for the Intercontinental Championship at Dominion on June 9th. He then successfully defended the title against EVIL at Power Struggle 2018.

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s YouTube account has uploaded a rebuttal from Chris Jericho addressing Naito’s recent promo. The leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon would insult the current IWGP Intercontinental champion, condescendingly mocking him as he referred to Jericho as an “international superstar.”

In his response, Jericho (sans makeup) snipes back, introducing himself as “[…] the guy who stole your t-shirt design to make some cash” before showing off that he “made a lot of cash from that, so I thank you.”

“You know it’s funny,” he mused, “you say no one’s talking about me, but everyone’s talking about you, Naito. Everyone is talking about how Chris Jericho kicked your ass at Dominion. How Chris Jericho left you laying and became the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, and I know that’s driving you crazy,” he goaded. “People [are] talking behind your back. Ever since [Dominion], you’ve done nothing of merit.”

“You’re right, Naito. I’m an international superstar. But what does it matter?” he asked. What does it matter where I’ve been, what I’ve done, what legends I’ve beaten? All that matters is that I’ve beat you. And it bothers you.”

Closing out his response, Jericho promises that he’s “going to shut you up for good. Your sarcastic, arrogant, little b**** self. Remember I’m not tranquilo, Naito. I’m f****** crazy.”

Tokyo Sports has named Hiroshi Tanahashi as the MVP Of The Year.

The publication released the names of the winners of their annual Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards where Tanahashi won the MVP Award with eighteen votes. Kazuchika Okada was second in place with twelve votes and Kenny Omega in the third place with three votes.

Tanahashi gave the following statement after being selected as the winner of the MVP Award:

“It is I, 2018’s MVP Hiroshi Tanahashi. Since the final of the G1 Climax, I realized that I have once again become the center of the Wrestling world, whether it was during my fight over the challenger rights contracts or in the lead-up to WK13. I’ve been continually thinking about how to appeal to people who have never seen professional wrestling. In the past, Pro-Wrestling was more broadly known in Japanese culture. The broadcast of “World Pro-Wrestling” every Friday at 8.00pm gave the public the chance to see legends such as Mr. Inoki, Mr. Choshu and Mr. Fujinami come to local gymnasiums and has made Pro-Wrestling more famous as a result. Since I first became champion in 2006, I’ve often said the mic after headlining the main event “Thank you very much for today” or “I love you!” and performed air guitar. There have been some fans, however who have felt “Why is he saying things like that?” but I’ve always tried to reply “I will be f-ing famous!” by demonstrating my in-ring ability. This year, I think, was the first year I actually achieved that goal. Although it is still only half-way through it’s run, movie I starred in has exceeded 100 promotional events and 1,000 media spotlights. It showed the passion of professional wrestling and was able to connect with the general public nationwide. From influencers in the business world to famous people, I’ve spoken to numerous people now who have felt that “Pro-Wrestling is really fun!” I’ve always strived to achieve my goal of “It would be great if I could be famous!” I didn’t expect to win the MVP award, so I’m pleasant surprised. Thank you very much.”

Tanahashi has won the award three times before, first in 2009, then in 2011 and in 2014.

Mr. Okamoto of Tokyo Sports explained that the reason for selection of Tanahashi as the winner was his G1 Climax tournament victory, which served as a deciding factor. Another reason cited was the fact that Tanahashi is helping aleviate the image of professional wrestling in Japan by starring in movies and TV shows.

This is also the sixth straight year a wrestler from New Japan Pro-Wrestling has won the award.

Additionally, the Kazuchika Okada vs Kenny Omega match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-Jo Hall was awarded the Best Bout Award.

“Thank you. Since I have won the this award many times, please enter me into the Hall of Fame,” said Kazuchika Okada on his match winning the prize.

“We’ve done it for the second consecutive year. Even though there is a feeling that the story of Okada and I has ended after having four matches in a year and a half, I want to do it again someday,” Kenny Omega. “These matches have pushed me to the best physical condition of my life and wee were able to accomplish special things together. I’ve been able to combine that classic New Japan style with unpredictable newness. With the upcoming ideological clash at Wrestle Kingdom, we will prove that there is a home for every type of wrestling.”

Here is the list of all the awards and their recipients:

• MVP Award
  Hiroshi Tanahashi (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
• Best Bout Award
  Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega
  (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
• Outstanding Performance Award
  Naomichi Marufuji (Pro Wrestling Noah)
• Fighting Spirit Award
  Kaito Kiyomiya (Pro Wrestling Noah)
• Technique Award
  Tetsuya Naito (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
• Best Tag Team Award
  Shuji Ishikawa and Suwama (All Japan Pro Wrestling)
• Newcomer Award
  Utami Hayashishita (World Wonder Ring Stardom)
• Joshi Puroresu Grand Prize
  Tsukasa Fujimoto (Ice Ribbon)

New Japan Pro Wrestling has released a new video via their YouTube channel. The video features the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon, Tetsuya Naito, addressing his Wrestle Kingdom 13 opponent, Chris Jericho.

The two will clash for Jericho’s IWGP Intercontinental Championship at NJPW’s January 4th super show.

Over the course of the video, Naito (who sports face paint similar to what Jericho has been wearing in recent months) mocks his opponent, jabbing at what he considers to be Jericho’s inflated sense of ego by condescendingly referring to him as an “international superstar.”

“He Wouldn’t Do Anything That Cheap, Would He?”

Naito proceeds to poke fun at Jericho’s recent use of make-up, stating, “An international superstar wouldn’t put this lame make-up on his face, would he? If he used make-up, he would do it cooler, wouldn’t he?”

The LIJ leader then suggests in an off-hand way that Jericho has purposely stolen t-shirt ideas in order to profit off a popular design.

“[…] he wouldn’t rip-off someone else’s t-shirt design to make a little cash,” Naito said. “He wouldn’t do anything that cheap, would he? After all, he’s an international superstar, right?”

While addressing how Jericho is looked on within the NJPW locker room, the former IWGP Heavyweight champion admitted that “[…] nobody really talks about you. Is it perhaps the nobody’s really that interested in you? The self-proclaimed international superstar, Mr. Chris Jericho.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2d5J5pjjtY

What did you think of this promo? Do you think Naito vs Jericho could steal the show at Wrestle Kingdom 13?

As we reported recently, Tetsuya Naito was approached by WWE around the time of this year’s Dominion event. WWE approached Naito with a view to bringing the Japanese star Stateside. Naito, being the (astute?) business man he is turned down the offer and opted to stay with New Japan. The Los Ingobernables leader stated in a recent interview with Tokyo Sports that “I didn’t even give it thought. This New Japan ring is already the world’s No. 1 stage. The fans know this. That’s why I think we should focus on our home crowd before looking international.” There have since been humorous reports of how Naito left the restaurant and left WWE officials with the bill, but these are not yet confirmed.
Speculation

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter recently made some interesting comments on WWE’s current stance of NJPW talent. As well as Naito, WWE are reportedly looking at two other stars to bring over. There are no names given, but Dave Meltzer claims that “one would be a huge surprise and the other would be a great worker who I didn’t see flourishing in the WWE system. But [they] also probably wouldn’t have any reservations about moving to the U.S. like many of the Japanese might.”

Again, we have nothing concrete but the descriptions given lead to three names in my mind. When you look at the phrase “a great worker who I didn’t see flourishing in the WWE system” I instantly think of Tomohiro Ishii. Tomohiro is one of the most well respected and tenured stars in Japanese wrestling currently, a bastion of ‘strong style.’ It’s long since been part of the general consensus that whilst Ishii is a top star in Japan he probably wouldn’t be suited to a WWE schedule or in-ring style. Ishii is also no stranger to performing abroad however, the Rev Pro British Heavyweight Champion appears regularly for Rev Pro in the UK and OTT in Ireland.

Ishii in WWE?

Would and could Ishii move over to the US to perform for WWE? He has the credentials and legitimacy that would fit alongside the likes of Kassius Ohno, Keith Lee and Matt Riddle. Should Ishii move to WWE if the opportunity arose? In my opinion no. Ishii has a specific and ‘stiff’ style that has lit up New Japan over the past decade, the ‘Stone Pitbull’ is one of those performers who doesn’t sit at the top of the card but he can easily be brought up and used if the need arose, kind of like a ‘strong style’ Dolph Ziggler.

“One Huge Surprise”

When Meltzer claims that “one would be a huge surprise” I turn to Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi. These two men are New Japan through and through but would have very different motivations for leaving. Okada is only 31 years old, tall and has charisma in droves, if WWE aren’t looking at him as a potential signee down the road then there is something drastically wrong. The ‘Rainmaker’ however is as previously mentioned a full bore ‘company guy,’ his last stint in the United States for TNA Wrestling may well have left a sour taste in his mouth and could have skewed any potential move to North America. Should Okada go to WWE? Not yet…but if WWE are looking to truly expand globally with the likes of NXT UK and potentially NXT Germany taking off soon then for your Japanese based product you MUST have Okada.

The ‘Ace’ of WWE?

So, we move on to Hiroshi Tanahashi, the ‘Ace’ of New Japan. Tanahashi is 41 years old and has had a long, knee injury stricken career. If you look at WWE’s top tier main event talent then Tanahashi isn’t even that old, but could he cope with a WWE schedule including house shows? Possibly not. Again I look at the phrase “huge surprise” and can’t help but think of what the ‘Ace’ could bring to WWE…Shinsuke Nakamura has had an interesting stop-start career in NXT and WWE, but Nakamura has seen some incredible success; Royal Rumble winner, United States Champion and NXT Champion just part of his WWE resume. Should Tanahashi go to WWE? Yes, yes he should.

There are probably New Japan diehards reaching for their pitchforks right now. “Hiroshi Tanahashi in WWE!? They will misuse him! He’ll be jobbing in no time!” That might be the case, or WWE could position Tanahashi as a top tier main event star alongside the likes of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan et al on Smackdown. Staying in Japan for your entire career is by no means a detriment, but if the biggest stage in the world is available to you and you have the charisma and starpower of Tanahashi why wouldn’t you take the chance? Nakamura took the chance and it worked, you can’t convince me otherwise.

Tokyo Sports published a report this week stating Tetsuya Naito received an offer from WWE back in June. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, Naito is one of three NJPW stars to have been sent feelers from WWE. He is the only one to have turned down the offer outright, however.

“Naito would be one of the three (at least) Japanese top guys feelers have been sent to,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “The other two that we’re aware of didn’t turn the offers down without thought although one would be a huge surprise and the other would be a great worker who I didn’t see flourishing in the WWE system, but also probably wouldn’t have any reservations about moving to the U.S. like many of the Japanese might.”

For clarification purposes, this “offer” was not a firm contract sent but rather “feelers” from the organization to see if they might be interested in jumping ship.

Who Is WWE Interested In?

Judging by the report, it appears at least two NJPW stars have contacted Dave Meltzer to say they have been sent feelers from WWE. He specifically mentions they are Japanese top guys as well, indicating it is not members of the Elite (as has previously been the case).

The NJPW star that “would be a huge surprise” could be anyone from Okada, Tanahashi and down. The other NJPW star “wouldn’t have any reservations about moving to the U.S” could be just about anyone as well. An important note regarding this, however, is that most NJPW stars are under 1-year contracts which end following Wrestle Kingdom.

Tetsuya Naito says he has no interest in going to WWE. According to a recent report from Tokyo Sports, Naito turned down a WWE offer back in June after NJPW Dominion. The translated quotes come courtesy of NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton.

“I didn’t even give it thought,” Naito said. “This New Japan ring is already the world’s number 1 stage. The fans know this. That’s why I think we should focus on our home crowd before looking international.”

Naito would then turn the focus of the conversation to his rival and pending Wrestle Kingdom opponent, Chris Jericho.

“You should understand that I have no interest in ‘WWE Superstar’ Chris Jericho ring,” Naito continued. “What I want to do is get revenge for what happened in a New Japan ring, in a New Japan ring.”

Normally LIJ members have a contentious relationship with Tokyo Sports. Frequently in the past, Naito and other LIJ members have left the media outlet alone at the table to pay for their meals after an interview.

• Related: WWE Making Big Money Offers to NJPW Talent

Tetsuya Naito Vs Chris Jericho – Wrestle Kingdom 13

Chris Jericho turned down Tetsuya Naito’s challenge for an Intercontinental Championship match after Power Struggle on Saturday. Despite this, NJPW officially announced the match during yesterday’s press conference.

Jericho then took to social media to remind NJPW he did not accept Naito’s challenge.

Hey @njpw1972, just because you “announce” a match, doesn’t mean I have to accept it. NOT APPROVED. @s_d_naito pic.twitter.com/LCkwjn4TTI

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) November 5, 2018

Chris Jericho returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Power Struggle event in Osaka, Japan. The IWGP Intercontinental Champion defended successfully against EVIL after locking him in a Walls of Jericho that transitioned into a Liontamer.

When Jericho would not release the submission Tetsuya Naito appeared and forced Jericho to retreat to the back. Naito then issued a direct challenge to Y2J for the Intercontinental Championship.

Backstage Footage

NJPW recently released the backstage footage of Jericho after the bout. Y2J made some interesting comments regarding his opponent EVIL. Jericho said to the NJPW reporters “you see that? That’s what is called a ‘classic match.’ The first classic match that EVIL has ever had, and that’s just number 257 for me. Classic, after classic, after classic. They don’t call me the GOAT for nothing. If you don’t understand that because you’re Japanese it’s Greatest of All Time. It’s not a tag line, it’s not a catchphrase, it’s the truth. Find me somebody ANYWHERE in the world, in the history of the business that’s had more Intercontinental Championships than I have. Tell me one, can you do it? No. I know you all speak perfect English, but you can’t speak English now, you “can’t remember.”

Never Lost in New Japan to The Japanese

Jericho also made some interesting points about his record in New Japan, stating “The Gaijin won. It’s just gonna continue. I’ve NEVER lost a match in New Japan against the Japanese, ever. And I never will. Like I said, EVIL you’re a great performer. What a great match that was, one of the best that I’ve had in a long time. But I won, just like I said I would. I made you famous like I said I would. Naito, I made you famous in June. I made you famous in Korakuen Hall in January. You wanna be famous again? Find somebody else. NO REMATCH for Naito, EVER.”

Chris Jericho returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling at the Power Struggle event in Osaka, Japan. The IWGP Intercontinental Champion defended successfully against EVIL after locking him in a Walls of Jericho that transitioned into a Liontamer.

When Jericho would not release the submission Tetsuya Naito appeared and forced Jericho to retreat to the back. Naito then issued a direct challenge to Y2J for the Intercontinental Championship.

Jericho appeared in a backstage interview following the win and declared that he would not face Tetsuya Naito. Chris Jericho stated that as he already beat Naito at Dominion earlier this year that there would be no rematch. Jericho even went as far to say that it definitely wouldn’t happen at “Wrestle Kingdom, Madison Square Garden or anywhere.”

Chris Jericho’s next appearance for New Japan could be some way off. With the Tag League usually dominating the December scheduling we could be waiting for January and the Wrestle Kingdom show. Whilst it is very likely that the bout will happen at Wrestle Kingdom an opportunity to bring the match to Madison Square Garden might be too good to miss. There is some uncertainty as to the star-power that ROH and New Japan will have come April 2019. There have been several rumors and reports that WWE will be looking to ‘poach’ the likes of the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega before the huge event in MSG. Having a marquee match with Y2J against Tetsuya Naito for one of NJPW’s top titles could be a big draw if the company decide to opt for an iPPV offering.

Tetsuya Naito has made some cryptic comments following the Destruction in Kobe event this past Sunday. Naito’s Los Ingobernables de Japon stable defeated Suzuki-gun at the event after EVIL hit the Everything is EVIL on TAKA Michinoku.

The show was main evented by Kazuchika Okada facing Hiroshi Tanahashi. The bout was contested for the January 4th Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight title shot. After the bout CHAOS member Jay White attacked Okada and essentially booted him from the group. Okada’s longtime manager Gedo also appeared and aligned himself with White.

Naito’s comments following Destruction in Kobe appear to be referring to the ‘Chaos in CHAOS.’ The leader of Los Ingobernables appeared on camera for a post-show interview segment and made the following comments:

“I don’t know if it will be a success or failure. But I believe if you want to make a change, you can’t be afraid to take a risk. This is the best timing for us, Los Ingobernables de Japon isn’t it? I will take the first step confidently. I will leave it to you guys to imagine the rest. But the answer is…of course…Tranquilo.”

This could be referring to the CHAOS stable being torn in half this past Sunday. The ‘stable-wars’ in NJPW have taken somewhat of a back seat over the past few years but could we be seeing a changing of the guard and CHAOS taking a backseat?

Irish based promotion Over The Top (OTT) Wrestling has confirmed one of the top New Japan factions for their 4 year Anniversary show.

Los Ingobernables de Japon members Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, Evil and SANADA will be appearing and taking on the team of Flamita, Bandido and Shane Strickland.

Minoru Suzuki will also be appearing at the show, he will be taking on Ringkampf stable member and wXw/PROGRESS star. Timothy Thatcher

The fourth anniversary show will be taking place Saturday October 13th from the National Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Tickets are available to purchase now via Eventbrite.

Over The Top Wrestling
Fourth Year Anniversary
Oct 13th, National Stadium Dublin
Limited tickets from https://t.co/niMmliVoz5#OTT #OnlyTheBest #?? #4Years?? pic.twitter.com/Ed3kM1jA1v

— OTT WRESTLING (@OTT_wrestling) September 17, 2018

Tetsuya Naito is set to face Minoru Suzuki September 17th in the main event of Destruction in Beppu. Interestingly, the leader of the Los Ingobernables de Japon stable has decided to call out the devastating Suzuki…even calling him a hypocrite of sorts.

Naito appeared on camera following his ‘Road To’ bout against the Suzuki-Gun stable alongside his Ingobernables team. Naito made the following comments; “2018…back on March 6th. After the match in Ota City Gymnasium. You still do remember what you said backstage don’t you? We fought for the Intercontinental Title in the semi-main event. The main event was a special singles match between Okada and Ospreay. On that day you were very upset, weren’t you? But in a couple of weeks, on September 17th in Beppu Plaza…there will be a title match that will once again be the semi-main event. The main event will be a special singles match. The NEVER title, which you once said was your treasure, is in the semi-main event. And the special singles match, which the King (Suzuki) will be featured in, is the main event.”

Naito went on to state: “Don’t you have anything to say about this? 6 months ago you were furious. Will you just stay silent because now you are in the main event? You only speak when it benefits you huh?”

Opinion: Naito is a very brave man

Check out more of our New Japan coverage here

You can check out the full interview below

Irish based promotion Over The Top (OTT) Wrestling has confirmed one of the top New Japan factions for their 4 year Anniversary show.

Los Ingobernables de Japon members Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, Evil and SANADA will be appearing alongside the following talents:

• Will Ospreay
• Shane Strickland
• Bandido
• Flamita
• Kings Of The North
• Angel Cruzers and many more TBA

The fourth anniversary show will be taking place Saturday October 13th from the National Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Tickets are available to purchase now via Eventbrite.

https://twitter.com/OTT_wrestling/status/1036962228593983488

New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to Long Beach on September 30th, 2018. Only 3 matches have been confirmed for the show thus far, however.

The promotion has 3 big shows before Long Beach and will likely only announce more matches after the Destruction in Kobe event on the 23rd. In lieu of announcing more matches, NJPW has confirmed that several wrestlers will be apart of the show.

NJPW has just confirmed the following wrestlers for Fighting Spirit Unleashed on September 30th:

• Kota Ibushi
• Kenny Omega
• Evil
• Sanada
• Tetsuya Naito
• Tomohiro Ishii
• Kazuchika Okada
• Hiroshi Tanahashi

More Wrestlers Announced for Fighting Spirit Unleashed in Long Beach, CA!https://t.co/7OTwvRF4BM@tanahashi1_100 @rainmakerXokada @s_d_naito @KennyOmegamanX #njpw #njpwUSA pic.twitter.com/JHrWHopUpT

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) August 28, 2018

Fighting Spirit Unleashed Lineup

• IWGP United States Championship
  Juice Robinson (c) vs Cody

This will be Juice Robinson’s first defense of the title he won back in July. Following his title victory over Jay White, Juice only went 3-6 in the G1 Climax. He was sporting a broken hand during the tournament, however.

Robinson was trained by Cody’s father and often uses Dusty Rhodes’ trademark jabs during his matches. Cody defeated Juice at Wrestle Kingdom 11 on January 4th, 2017.

• IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
  The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) (c) vs The Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)

The Young Bucks won the IWGP Heavyweight Championships at Dominion in Osaka back in June. They then defended the titles against Evil and Sanada successfully at the G1 Special in San Fransico. Later that show, however, the Bucks were the victims of a beatdown at the hands of the Firing Squad.

The last time the Bucks were in the same ring as the Firing Squad, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa and Taiji Ishimori defeated them and Marty Scurll for the NEVER 6-Man titles.

• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Tournament (Semi-Final)
  Will Ospreay vs Marty Scurll

Hiromu Takahashi was forced to vacate “Mr. Belt”, his name for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Takahashi will be out of action for 9-12 months after sustaining a neck injury at the G1 Special in San Francisco.

The other semi-final match in the tournament will be between Bushi and Kushida on September 23rd.

Tetsuya Naito recently spoke to Tokyo Sports on the upcoming G1 Climax Tournament. Naito is one of the stars who will be taking part in the annual spectacular to determine a number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th.

Naito usually has some rather interesting points when talking to the Tokyo Sports publication in Japan and he appears to have outdone himself once again…he stated that “there’s a whole bunch of guys absolutely nobody would give a chance of winning to. Can you really call this “grade one?” If it was horse racing’s G-1, you’d have prelims to get in. Right now, you have Taichi bitching about YOSHI-HASHI getting in, because he’s out. Well, fine, let’s have that mean something. Put those two in a qualifying match. And at any rate, having 20 some entrants is too many.”

Do you agree with the leader of Los Ingobernables? Are you looking forward to the G1 tournament? Let us know in the comments.

*Credit to Chris Charlton @reasonjp for the translations

Naito on #g128 ‘there’s a whole bunch of guys absolutely nobody would give a chance of winning to. Can you really call this “grade one?” If it was horse racing’s G-1, you’d have prelims to get in.’ https://t.co/ffaplKir1J

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) July 5, 2018

Chris Jericho appeared in a pre-taped promo segment during New Japan’s Best of the Super Juniors directed towards his upcoming opponent for the June 9th Dominion show; Tetsuya Naito.

The IWGP Intercontinental Champion Naito had just competed in a bout alongside Los Ingobernables members SANADA, EVIL and Bushi before the lights went out in the arena and Jericho appeared on screen.

Jericho made several comments on his recent run with New Japan, particularly the fact that he believes that his match with Kenny Omega at this past Wrestle Kingdom was the ‘main event’ even though their match wasn’t actually the last on the card, that honor went to Naito and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada.

Jericho also alluded to Naito’s Wrestle Kingdom 8 bout where the NJPW fans ‘booted’ him out of the main event in favour of (ironically) an IWGP Intercontinental Title match between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura.

Naito had previously discussed his feud with Jericho via Tokyo Sports, stating that “Jericho lost at Wrestle Kingdom 12, attacked me unprovoked 1/5 (at New Year Dash). He’s not interested in the (Intercontinental) title, he’s interested in me. This can be a non title match.” He went on to state that “Even just the value of Naito transcends the belt, and Jericho is also world famous worldwide.”  

You can check out the full promo from Jericho via the tweet below. But be forewarned that there are some strong words from ‘Swearicho.’

Jericho continues to talk a big game to Naito, but the IC champ vows to shut him up at #njdominion June09‼︎ pic.twitter.com/zfLNflo1by

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) June 4, 2018

Naito Pulls Yet Another Dine-and-Dash on Tokyo Sports

Tetsuya Naito took BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi to a restaurant to celebrate his three year anniversary of joining Los Ingobernables. Tokyo Sports went along with them to conduct an interview. After the meal, Naito went outside the restaurant to hail a cab, but didn’t return. BUSHI and Takahashi went to check on him and they disappeared too, leaving Tokyo Sports with the tab.

LOS INGOBERNABLES de JAPON

27 de MAYO de 2015.
un día de destino.https://t.co/pAX8TreBnG pic.twitter.com/p4sB4wygwE

— ???? naito tetsuya (@s_d_naito) May 27, 2018

Table manners LIJ style pic.twitter.com/WUq2MAsMAd

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) May 28, 2018

This was a special LIJ anniversary lunch. Naito told his boys to order what they wanted, but at the end went to hail a cab for everyone and mysteriously vanished. BUSHI and Hiromu left to check on him leaving Tokyo Sports with the tab… again.

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) May 28, 2018

What Else Should The B-Team Do For A Victory Celebration?

WWE has put up a poll on their website asking fans what The B Team should do in their victory celebration next.
As of this writing here are the amount of votes that each option got:

• 22% Hit the ref with their signature move and count the pin on him
• 26% Take over commentary for the remainder of the show
• 19% Crash all subsequent backstage interviews
• 33% Declare themselves the new General Managers of Raw and attempt to take over the show

You can vote on the poll by clicking here.