News, results & more from Japanese Pro Wrestling & Sumo
All-Japan has announced that, following NEW All-Japan World Jr. Heavyweight Champion Naruki Doi advocating for it, the promotion will be holding a tag tournament dubbed Jr. TAG BATTLE OF GLORY 2023. It will be a round-robin format tournament held at all 4 April events, with the top 2 teams advancing to the Finals on 5/5.
All participants and teams are TBA but already entered are Doi & TBA as a team and Atsuki Aoyagi & Rising Hayato as the second team.
More as it becomes available.
Impact Wrestling has their monthly PPV coming up tonight, “No Surrender”, which is a PPV-quality event at a fan-friendly price. There are 7 matches set so far for the main card with 4 title matches featured, plus a live “Busted Open” segment is also scheduled as host Dave LaGreca tries to play “moderator” to co-hosts Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer, who you can usually hear together Thursdays on SiriusXM Channel 156 from 9 AM-Noon ET. As for the title matches, the main event is Impact World Champion Josh Alexander defending the title against Rich Swann. If The Walking Weapon succeeds in retaining, New Japan superstar KENTA will be waiting for him tomorrow in a match that will happen regardless of the outcome. Also on tap is Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James defending against Masha Slamovich, Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champions Death Dollz vs. The Hex for the titles and Impact Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry vs. Moose in a Dot Combat Match for the title. A FREE pre-show airs before the PPV, don’t miss that because it has a show-stealer scheduled in Jonathan Gresham vs. Mike Bailey. This kicks off a 3-day Vegas weekend for Impact as this will be followed by 2 events with fallout & TV tapings tomorrow & Sunday.
Today’s event will be held at Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas, NV (I almost went to this event but I had to leave Vegas yesterday) and can be watched LIVE on Impact+ (subscription required), YouTube (Ultimate Insider subscription required) and FITE ($9.99). Impact+ is $7.99/month or $71.99/year, YouTube Ultimate Insider is $4.99/month and has most if not all of the same content as Impact+. The FITE PPV also includes unlimited on demand replays with purchase. The pre-show will air FREE on YouTube. This should be a standard-length PPV so with the pre-show plan on about 3 1/2 hours of action.
Today’s current lineup:
Pre-Show:
Deonna Purrazzo vs. Gisele Shaw
Mike Bailey vs. Jonathan Gresham
PPV:
Kon vs. Frankie Kazarian
Steve Maclin vs. Brian Myers, Heath & PCO in a 4-way for the #1 contender to the Impact World Championship
Busted Open LIVE with Dave LaGreca, Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer
Time Machine (KUSHIDA & Motor City Machine Guns) vs. Bullet Club (Ace Austin, Chris Bey, KENTA)
Impact Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry vs. Moose for the title
Impact Knockouts Champions Death Dollz (some combo of Taya Valkyrie, Jessicka Havok, Rosemary) vs. The Hex (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle) for the titles
Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James vs. Masha Slamovich for the title
Impact World Champion Josh Alexander vs. Rich Swann for the title
Refresh this page occasionally for the latest results.
Updates below will begin at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT. You can watch the pre-show below when it begins (scroll further down below the video for updates and results):
Live updates will begin here at start time.
4:30 PM PT UPDATE: Live updates begin now.
We are LIVE from Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas, NV. Your hosts are Thom Hannifan & Matt Rehwoldt.
Pre-show:
Match 1: Gisele Shaw vs. Deonna Purrazzo
Result: Gisele Shaw beat Deonna Purrazzo. Savannah Evans interference set it up.
Rich Swann/Josh Alexander promo.
Match 2: Jonathan Gresham vs. Mike Bailey
Result: Jonathan Gresham beat Mike Bailey. Bailey may have hurt his lower leg on a top-rope 450 attempt at the end when he landed on his feet slightly awkwardly after Gresham dodged.
End Pre-Show.
PPV:
Director Of Authority Santino Marella comes out first. With microphone. He greets the crowd then heads to commentary for…
Match 1: Kon vs. Frankie Kazarian
Result: Frankie Kazarian beat Kon. Sami Callahan went for a chair shot outside on Kazarian late but it backfired and Kon took the chair shot.
Brian Myers interviewed backstage.
James Mitchell promo from last week’s (not yesterday) Impact setting up the Knockouts Tag Team Title match tonight. And it’s now…
Match 2: Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champions Death Dollz (Taya Valkyrie & Jessicka with Rosemary) vs. The Hex (Allysin Kay & Marti Belle) for the titles
Result: Impact Knockouts Tag Team Champions Death Dollz beat The Hex to retain the titles. Jessicka pinned Belle. As a result, Death Dollz will become the longest reigning champions (they were tied for the record coming into today).
Match 3: Impact Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry vs. Moose in a Dot Combat Match for the title. Dot Combat means hardcore with tech/digital themed weapons available, no countouts, no DQs, win by pinfall or submission only.
Result: Impact Digital Media Champion Joe Hendry beat Moose to retain the title. Largely a comedy hardcore match with a lot of humor from commentary.
Mickie James interviewed backstage.
Video package for the Busted Open cast drama recently.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWELCOME…TO BUSTED…OPEN! LIVE on Impact Wrestling! Dave LaGreca (host and creator) comes out as host and moderator-to-be to co-hosts Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer. As Tommy comes out we see Lars Fr(o)edriksen in the crowd, also known for being at All Elite Wrestling events sometimes. (His band Rancid wrote/performed the song AEW’s Ruby Soho uses as her entrance theme) Both have a minute to talk uninterrupted, Bully goes first because he won a Beat The Clock Challenge on last night’s Impact. He says nothing. Then after a minute-plus he finally says “I’m Sorry” and that’s it. Tommy makes full use of his minute and isn’t buying it. Bully then responds, still trying to play the sympathy card then says it’s over. Tommy fell for it as Bully threw coffee in his face then shoved LaGreca aside and took his stool to Dreamer. Bully taunted Dreamer and wrecked the set to end the segment. DEEEEEEEEEESTROY!
Match 4: Steve Maclin vs. Brian Myers, Heath & PCO in a 4-way for the #1 contender to the Impact World Championship and a likely title shot at Rebellion in April
Result: Steve Maclin beat Brian Myers, Heath & PCO in a 4-way by pinning Heath. As a result, Maclin will get an Impact World Championship shot at Rebellion. PCO was going to win until Eddie Edwards interfered and attacked PCO with a shovel. (This was No DQs)
As refs checked on PCO Trey Miguel came out. With microphone. He is EN FUEGO because he’s the X Champion and isn’t on the card tonight but after name-dropping and complaining he walked close enough to PCO to get laid out by the French-Canadian Frankenstein.
Match 5: Time Machine (KUSHIDA & Motor City Machine Guns) vs. Bullet Club (Ace Austin, Chris Bey, KENTA)
Result: Bullet Club beat Time Machine. Ace Austin pinned Chris Sabin.
Mickie James-Jordynne Grace promo. The rematch is expected as Grace has the right as former champion. But first that depends on…
Match 6: Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James vs. Masha Slamovich for the title
Result: Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James beat Masha Slamovich to retain the title.
Main Event: Impact World Champion Josh Alexander vs. Rich Swann for the title
Result: Impact World Champion Josh Alexander beat Rich Swann to retain the title. That means Alexander-KENTA tomorrow as part of the fallout TV tapings is for the title.
End Show.
New Japan ran Day 3 of CMLL FANTASTICAMANIA 2023 today, running the first half of a 4-team mini-tag team tournament as the featured attraction.
Today’s event was held at Osaka Municipal Central Gym Sub-Arena in Osaka and can be watched on demand on New Japan World. All these events are available in Japanese AND Spanish…puroresu in espanol? Bueno!
The announced paid attendance was 962, which reportedly was a legit advance sellout.
Match 1: Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask beat Gedo, Taiji Ishimori & Hijo Del Villano 3. Wato beat Gedo with Vendeval.
Match 2: Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito beat Yoh & Capitan Suicida. Takahashi pinned Suicida with Unnamed Hiromu Roll.
Match 3: Sho, Barbaro Cavernario & Templario beat Kosei Fujita, OKUMURA & Hiroshi Tanahashi. Sho pinned Fujita after a cross-arm piledriver (that sounds an awful lot like Shock Arrow).
Match 4: El Desperado, Soberano Jr. & Mistico beat DOUKI, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Hechicero. Soberano Jr. pinned Kanemaru after a moonsault.
Match 5: Interfaction Tag Team Tournament: BUSHI & Titan beatRey Cometa & Dulce Gardenia. BUSHI pinned Gardenia after Angel Immortal.
Main Event: Interfaction Tag Team Tournament: Atlantis Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero beat Magia Blanco & Volador Jr. Guerrero pinned Blanco after Guerrero Special. As a result, BUSHI/Titan will face Atlantis Jr./Guerrero in the Final.
The next event is Sunday at Makuhari Messe International Conference Hall 11 in Chiba. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET.
GLEAT ran their latest G PROWRESTLING event yesterday, the 45th as they headed to Nagoya for a house show.
Yesterday’s event was held at Naka (not Nakamura as they noted on Twitter) Sports Center in Nagoya and will be available on demand on YouTube tomorrow at 3 AM PT/6 AM ET. There was no live broadcast.
You can watch the video below once the premiere begins at the specified time above (keep scrolling down for results):
The announced paid attendance was 295, a legit sellout.
Match 1: Takanori Ito, Seito Kamino & Yusuke Kodama beat Tetsuya Izuchi, Jun Tonsho & Shinya Ishida. Kodama pinned Tonsho after Sky Drop.
Match 2: Michiko Myagi beat Yukari Hosokawa.
Match 3: Yu Iizuka beat Issei Onitsuka.
Match 4: Check Shimatani & Galeno Del Mar beat Shigehiro Irie & Oji Shiiba (All-Japan) by ref stoppage. Del Mar beat Shiiba with a cannonball to the corner.
Match 5: T-Hawk & El Lindaman beat Hayato Tamura & KAZMA SAKAMOTO. Lindaman pinned Tamura with a German suplex hold.
Main Event: In a 3 Falls Match, Kaz Hayashi, Minoru Tanaka, CIMA & Soma Watanabe beat Kaito Ishida, Kotaro Suzuki (Pro Wrestling NOAH), Hartley Jackson & Yutani 2-1.
Fall 1: CIMA beat Suzuki.
Fall 2: Jackson beat Watanabe.
Fall 3: Watanabe beat Yutani.
Afterwards, following up on an announcement at the last event, El Lindaman chose Watanabe as his partner for his upcoming G-INFINITY Championship match on 3/21. Lindaman had previously said his choice would not be someone within #STRONGHEARTS, which ruled out CIMA, T-Hawk & Takehiro Yamamura.
The next event is LIDET UWF Ver. 3 on 3/7 at Shinjuku Face in Tokyo, featuring 7 fights including the Semifinals & Finals of a tournament to crown an inaugural LIDET UWF Champion. There are 3 non-tournament fights scheduled-one women’s fight (Maya Fukuda vs. Yura Suzuki), one single fight (Seichi Ikemoto vs. Hideki Sekine) and one double fight (tag team-Kaz Hayashi & Rionne Fujiwara vs. Tatsuaki Nakano & Daichi Hashimoto). Broadcast plans TBA.
New Japan ran Day 2 of CMLL FANTASTICAMANIA 2023 today as the series continues its tour of Japan.
Today’s event was held at Kyoto KBS Hall on Kyoto and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 765, a legit sellout. Back to full capacity at the venue.
Match 1: DOUKI & Yoshinobu Kanemaru beat Yuto Nakashima & Rey Cometa. Kanemaru pinned Cometa with a rollup.
Match 2: Gedo & Taiji Ishimori beat Ryohei Ouwa & Capitan Suicida. Ishimori beat Oiwa with Yes Lock.
Match 3: Hijo Del Villano 3, OKUMURA & Barbaro Cavernario beat Master Wato, Tiger Mask & Dulce Gardenia. 3 pinned TM 4 with an inside cradle.
Match 4: BUSHI, Hiromu Takahasho, Tetsuya Naito & Titan beat Kosei Fujita, Sho, Ryusuke Taguchi & Soberano Jr. Titan pinned Fujita after a springboard double stomp.
Match 5: El Desperado, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ultimo Guerrero beat Sho, Magia Blanca & Hechicero. Tanahashi pinned Hechicero after High Fly Flow.
Main Event: Templario & Atlantis Jr. beat Volador Jr. & Mistico. Templario pinned Volador after El Templo.
The next event is tomorrow at Osaka Municipal Central Gym Sub Arena in Osaka. It is a legit advance sellout. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET.
As a special promo for this weekend’s major event, DDT has made the full video of the 2/18 Nagoya event available FOR FREE on YouTube. You can watch below but don’t wait-it’s only available until Monday at 5 AM PT/8 AM ET then the only way to watch the replay is to subscribe to WRESTLE UNIVERSE.
Ganbare Pro ran a tripleheader today, repeating an effort they first did last month as each event had a different theme.
Today’s events were all held at Oji Basement MON*STAR in Tokyo and will be available on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE at a later date. There was no live broadcast.
Event 1:
The announced paid attendance was 68.
Match 1: Ken Ohka beat Sotatsu Nakamura.
Match 2: Takao Soma & YuuRI beat Shota & Yoshiko Hasegawa. YuuRI pinned Hasegawa.
Match 3: Yasu Urano beat Tyson Maeguchi.
Main Event: In an Elimination Match, Keisuke Ishii, Shinichiro Tominaga & Yumehito Imanari beat Mizuki Watase, Shuichiro Kawamatsu & Takuya Wada. Tominaga was the only winning team member left.
Event 2:
The announced paid attendance was 66.
Match 1: Yasu Urano beat Sotatsu Nakamura.
Match 2: Rina Amikura beat YuuRI.
Match 3: In a Secret Captains Fall Elimination Match, Mizuki Watase, Yumehito Imanari & HARUKAZE beat Ken Ohka, Shinichiro Tominaga & Moeka Haruhi. Watase & Tominaga were captains and the last two left, when Watase beat Tominaga by ref stoppage (TKO).
Main Event: Keisuke Ishii & Takao Soma beat Shota & Shuichiro Katsumura. Soma pinned Shota after Authorized Endless Waltz.
Event 3 (Players Produced Event):
The announced paid attendance was 89.
Match 1: Yumehito Imanari & HARUKAZE beat Kentaru Hachisu & Moeka Haruhi. Imanari pinned Havhisu after a Thesz Press.
Match 2: It was to have been YuuRI vs. Yoshiko Hasegawa & Hong Kong International Policeman in a 3-way but things changed. Which led to…
Match 2: Hong Kong International Women’s Police and Hong Kong Domestic Policewoman beat Hong Kong International Policemman in a 3-way by double pinfall. Comedy match.
Match 3: Keisuke Ishii & Shinichiro Tominaga vs. Ken Ohka & Shota went to a double countout. Which led to…
Keisuke Ishii & Shinichiro Tominaga vs. Ken Ohka & Shota went to a Double KO. Draw.
Main Event: Mizuki Watase, Takuya Wada & Yuki Kanzaki beat Shuichiro Katsumura, Tyson Maeguchi & Sotatsu Nakamura. Watase pinned Nakamura after a vertical drop brainbuster.
The next event is Saturday at Takashimadaira Community Center in Tokyo with a Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Championship match of Watase vs. Tominaga for the title. There will be no live broadcast.
DDT held another of their special one-match events today, this one in a most unlikely place-a burlesque club. As a male I’d be all for such, more given I love Japanese girls, although this is yet another “only DDT” wacky idea.
Today’s event was held at Burlesque Tokyo in Tokyo and can be watched on demand as a PPV via PIA STREAM for a limited time for about $20 US.
The announced paid attendance was 102, a legit advance sellout.
Match result: In a Falls Count Anywhere Match, KO-D Tag Team Champions MAO & Shunma Katsumata beat Sanshiro Takagi & Fuminori Abe to retain the titles. Katsumata pinned Takagi after Burlesque Sauna Splash. V2 for the champs. The match went 30 minutes Next up: Yukio Sakaguchi & Hikaru Machida. That match will happen Sunday. After all this, Takagi floated an idea of recruiting all the dancers and creating Burlesque Joshi Pro Wrestling. Only in DDT but I’m all for it! Anyway, Moving On…
The next event is Sunday at Korakuen Hall for the monthly major event. Live streaming on WRESTLE UNIVERSE will begin Saturday at 9:30 PM ET/6:30 PM PT. And they will also stream all but the last two matches FOR FREE on YouTube.
In other news, you may recall that DDT Universal Champion Naruki Doi asked for Tetsuya Endo as his next challenger recently but Endo was absent from the event due to illness, so GM Imabayashi said he would consider the match. It’s now official. That match will happen on 3/21 at Korakuen Hall.
New Japan launched the return of CMLL FANTASTICAMANIA today, this 2023 edition marking the series’ return after a 3-year pandemic-induced hiatus. A crossover showcasing New Japan’s partnership with the Mexico-based lucha libre promotion, many of the top luchadors made the trip back to Japan for a week of these special events.
Today’s event was held at Takamatsu City General Gym 2 in Kagawa and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 768.
Match 1: Gedo & Taiji Isbimori beat Yuto Nakashima & Capitan Suicida. Ishimori beat Nakashima with Yes Lock.
Match 2: DOUKI & Yoshinobu Kanemaru beat Ryohei Oiwa & Magia Blanca. Kanemaru beat Oiwa with a Figure 4.
Match 3: Hijo De Villano 3, OKUMURA & Barbaro Cavernario beat Yoh, Tiger Mask & Dulce Gardenia. OKUNURA pinned Gardenia after OKUMURA backbreaker.
Match 4: BUSHI, Titan, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito beat Kosei Fujita, Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi & Soberano Jr. Totan beat Fujita with Muta Lock.
Match 5: Sho, Templario & Hechicero beat Rey Cometa, El Desperado & Volador Jr. Hechicero pinned Cometa after Embrujo.
Main Event: Atlantis Jr. & Ultimo Guerrero beat Hiroshi Tanahashi & Mistico. Jr. pinned Mistico after Atlantida. On the CMLL side of things, that’s significant.
The next event is tomorrow at Kyoto KBS Hall in Kyoto. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at midnight PT/3 AM ET.
It was the end of an era today in Japan as The Living Legend, Keiji Muto, took his final curtain call and retired after nearly 40 years in wrestling. If there was a major accomplishment to be won in Japan, he probably won it and more since coming out of the New Japan Dojo in 1984 as part of the famed 3 Musketeers with Masa Chono and the late Shinya Hashimoto. The puroresu world came together today under the Pro Wrestling NOAH banner to wish Muto a fond farewell.
Today’s event was held at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo and can be watched on demand as a PPV ONLY on WRESTLE UNIVERSE. You have one week to watch. No word on when/if a non-paywall version will be available. But you can also watch the first 5 matches FOR FREE on YouTube.
The announced paid attendance was 30,096.
Match 1: Masa Kitamiya & Daiki Inaba beat Yoshiki Inamura & Yasutaka Yano. Kitamura pinned Yano after Saito Suplex.
Match 2: Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Provided Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Rika Tatsumi beat Mizuki, Maki Itoh, Miyu Watanabe & Yuki Arai. Sakazaki pinned Arai after Magical Girl Chicken Bastard. (For The Love Of God…)
Match 3: Jake Lee, Jack Morris & Anthony Greene beat Takashi Sugiura, Satoshi Kojima & Timothy Thatcher. Lee pinned Thatcher after a skewered front high kick.
Match 4: Yoshinari Ogawa, Eita, HAYATA, Chris Ridgeway & Daga beat Atsushi Kotoge, YO-HEY, Seiki Yoshioka, Alejandro & Junta Miyawaki. Ridgeway beat Miyawaki with a leg capture chicken wing. This marked the return of HAYATA from an injury that cost him the GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship last year in a match against Ninja Mack.
Match 5: DDT Provided Match: MAO, Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Ueno & Toui Kojima beat Tetsuya Endo, Hideki Okatani, Yuya Koroku & Takeshi Masada. Ueno pinned Masada after WR.
Match 6: Naomichi Marufuji, Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. & Ninja Mack beat Shun Skywalker, KAI & Diamante (Dragon Gate). Wagner pinned KAI after a moonsault press.
Match 7: Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima & Manabu Soya beat Kento Miyahara, Suwama & Yuma Aoyagi (All-Japan). Kenoh pinned Aoyagi after PFS.
Match 8: NOSAWA Rongai Retirement Match: Gedo & Taiji Ishimori (New Japan) beat NOSAWA Rongai & MAZADA. Ishimori pinned NOSAWA after Bloody Cross.
Match 9: Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan) beat AMAKUSA.
Match 10: Kazuchika Okada (New Japan) beat Kaito Kiyomiya. This was changed last-minute to No Time Limit. (It went about 16 1/2 minutes)
Main Event: Keiji Muto Retirement Match: Tetsuya Naito (New Japan) beat Keiji Muto. They went almost 30 minutes. Which led to…
Impromptu Special Match: Masa Chono beat Keiji Muto by submission in 97 seconds. Tiger Hattori was special referee. Proper sendoff, no better way than against his fellow Musketeer, still the coolest cat in the house after all these years.
Just as I was about to post this, GHC Heavyweight Champion Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Jake Lee for the title was announced for 3/19.
The next event is 3/9 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. This is currently scheduled to be an ABRMA-only live broadcast, so it should be available on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE immediately after the event.
UPDATE: Some notes from post-match comments:
Satoshi Kojima says he is now done on NOAH. Immediate future TBA.
Junta Miyawaki reportedly is returning to Mexico and will stay there indefinitely for further training and experience.
Lee made a GHC Heavyweight Championship challenge after Okada-Kiyomiya.
Some NOAH crossover matches were hinted at for the 2/27 All-Japan event, in particular with Kongo involvement. Possibly an All-Japan World Tag Team Title match involving Soya & Kenoh and maybe Miyahara-Nakajima, who have a lot of history from their days in Kensuke Office/Diamond Ring.
Muto says his retirement is definite and no in-ring comebacks. He plans to continue training for health reasons (he has two artificial knees and needs to keep his leg strength built up to be able to keep walking). Before his comments he received a ceremonial flower bouquet from SKE48 member Jurina Matsui, who occasionally is a guest commentator for events on ABEMA & WRESTLE UNIVERSE.
UPDATE 2: The Dragon Gate Official English Facebook Page reports Diamante suffered an elbow injury during his match. Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. expressed concern for Diamante in post-match comments. Out at least the rest of this week and off Dragon Gate events tomorrow and Saturday.
UPDATE 3: The 3/9 event will now be LIVE on WRESTLE UNIVERSE in English only. It’s an ABEMA-only stream in Japan.