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News: United Japan Pro Wrestling Industry Group Formed

Just after Mitsuharu Misawa formed Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2000, he would spearhead the creation of an alliance to attempt to better facilitate cooperation between Japanese promotions. Today a new such alliance was formed to modernize those efforts-the United Japan Pro Wrestling Industry Group.

The initial membership will consist of the following promotions: New Japan Pro Wrestling, All-Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling NOAH, Dragon Gate Pro Wrestling, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, DDT Pro Wrestling and its affiliated sub-brands (Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling & Ganbare Pro Wrestling) and Stardom. Seiji Sakaguchi is the founding chairman with the executive offices based at New Japan Pro Wrestling HQ and New Japan Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi serving as executive chief.

The biggest thing for fans to get excited about here is a joint event scheduled for 5/6/24 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo under the United Japan Pro Wrestling banner. More details forthcoming.

New Japan’s English website has posted a press release with much more about this new alliance, read the full statement here:

https://www.njpw1972.com/166568

Tokyo Joshi Pro 12/14/23 Results (Updated)

COMBAT PRINCESS USA, Tokyo Joshi Pro’s US return co-promoted with Prestige Wrestling, is now in the books.

Today’s event was held at the Vermont Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA and cam be watched on demand as a PPV on WRESTLE UNIVERSE in English (additional purchase required, around $20 US). There were technical issues during the live broadcast so it may be unavailable while a better quality replacement is put up.

The paid attendance has not yet been announced. (UPDATE: The announced paid attendance was 400, a super full house/very near sellout)

Match 1: Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku beat Rika Tatsumi & Amira. Harajuku pinned Amira after Wasteland War Justis.

Match 2: Trish Adora beat Moka Miyamoto.

Match 3: Mizuki beat Sandra Moon.

Match 4: Miu Watanabe beat Hyan.

Match 5: Princess Tag Team Champions Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta beat Janai Kai & Shazza McKenzie to retain the titles. Noa pinned McKenzie with a blizzard suplex hold. V3 for the champs.

Match 6: Taya Valkyrie beat Shoko Nakajima.

Main Event: Masha Slamovich & Killer Kelly beat Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh. Slamovich pinned Yamashita after a jumping piledriver.

The next event is Sunday at Kasukabe Fureai Cube in Saitama. All the matches were determined by fan lottery at a recent event, thefe will be 11 matches with a 7 minute time limit for each. Yamashita, Mizuki & Tatsumi will miss this event due to remaining overseas while Kakuta will moss the event due to scheduling conflicts. There will be no live broadcast.

Obituary: New Japan Original Member Passes Away

New Japan is saddened to report the passing of former wrestler Osamu Kido, who died Monday. He was 72.

Kido made his debut in the Japan Wrestling Association (JWA) in early 1969 before competing on New Japan’s first event in March 1972 before an excursion to the US. He moved to the original UWF in 1984 before returning to NJPW in 1985, and became IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Akira Maeda on August 5, 1986.

That title match is one of 3 Kido matches New Japan World is making available for viewing for free, along with a 10-man elimination tag match from 3/26/1986 and his 30th Anniversary Match from 2/5/1999.

I join New Japan in expressing my condolences to the family, friends and fans of Osamu Kido.

AEW Dynamite 12/13/23 Results

Here are the quick results from tonight’s AEW Dynamite in Arlington, TX:

Samoa Joe comes out right away to start. No opening video, pyros, etc. He calls out Adam Page, who comes out. Tensions interrupted by Roderick Strong who comes out and claims MJF is the devil. Page cuts him off with a forearm shot just before a referee comes out. Joe leaves and Strong ambushes Page from behind to lead to…
Match 1: Roderick Strong vs. Adam Page
Result: Adam Page beat Roderick Strong

Match 2: Continental Classic Blue Block: Brrody King vs. Andrade El Idolo
Result: Andrade El Idolo beat Brody Kiong
Andrade is 3-0, 9 points. King is 2-1, 6 points. Because of his win in their earlier match, Andrade has the presumptive tiebreaker over Bryan Danielson, who is also at 6 points.

Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega promo. They call out and get Ricky Starks & Big Bill. This all leads to Jericho & Omega cashing in their guaranteed AEW Tag Team Championship shot for Worlds End on 12/30.

Toni Storm joins commentary for the next match.

Match 3: Ruby Soho vs. Riho
Result: Riho beat Ruby Soho

Wardlow promo.

Match 4: Continental Classic Gold Block: Rush vs. Jay Lethal. Rush must win to stay in contention
Result; Rush beat Jay Lethal by submission
Rush is 2-2, 6 points. Lethal is 0-4, 0 points.

Match 5: Continental Classic Gold Block: Jay White vs. Mark Briscoe. White must win to stay in contention
Result: Jay White beat Mark Briscoe
White is 3-1, 9 points. Briscoe is 0-4, 0 points.

Main Event: Continental Classic Gold Block: Swerve Strickland vs. Jon Moxley
Result: Jon Moxley beat Swerve Strickland
Moxley is 4-0, 12 points. Strickland is 3-1, 9 points. Moxley will win the block unless he loses to Jay White in his last match and a lot of other crazy stuff happens.

Adam Page beatdown outside by the masked attackers. The Devil appears out of a car before Page is slammed onto the hood of the car. They blew past their allowed 5 minute overrun here and abruptly cut away.

Not a great show again despite Tony Khan’s social media promises, but another good show. The Von Erichs appeared but their spot was wasted by Orange Cassidy & Danhausen interrupting even though it sets up the Von Erichs to appear on Rampage Friday. All the tournament matches were good as usual but a slight step down from prior matches. The first and last matches are must-see.

Friday on Rampage: TBA.

Saturday on Collision: Blue Block matches-Andrade vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia and King vs. Bryan Danielson.

BREAKING: New Japan Star Back To US

In a social media post moments ago, Impact/TNA Wrestling announced New Japan Jr. Heavyweight KUSHIDA has signed with TNA. He has been a semi-regular in Impact over the last few years.

More as it becomes available.

DEVELOPING: Tokyo Sports Awards Winners Announced

The Japanese newspaper/website Tokyo Sports announced the winners of their annual Year-End Awards, which are a very big deal in Japanese pro wrestling. The promotions have begun congratulating their winners, for convenience here is a full list of the major winners courtesy of Samurai! TV and New Japan World personality:commentator Miki Motoi:

The award winners:
MVP-Tetsuya Naito (New Japan)
Match Of The Year-The Great Muta vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (NOAH, 1/1)
Tag Team-Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (New Japan)
Outstanding Performance: Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan)
Fighting Spirit-Kenoh (NOAH)
Technique-Yuma Aoyagi (All-Japan)
Rookie Of The Year-Jun & Rei Saito (All-Japan)
Women’s MVP-Tam Nakano (Stardom)

News: Major TV Crossover Event in Early 2024

According to news items from both All-Japan and Pro Wrestling NOAH, both promotions are set to participate in a special February 2024 event to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Japanese TV station Nippon TV (NTV), which at one time or another was a broadcast partner for both (I remember NOAH events in the early days airing on NTV’s G+ network). The event, called (loosely translated from Japanese) “70 Years of Pro Wrestling Broadcast THE Nippon TV Pro Wrestling”, will be held on 2/9 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Tickets are now on sale ranging from around $60 US up to around $650 (Correction: Earlier versions of this post said $6500, which was incorrect as that’s around 1 million yen where these tickets actually are 100,000 yen) for front row VIP seats that come with commemorative goods, a special photo opportunity and more. All-Japan has announced Masanobu Fuchi will appear at the event while NOAH Vice President Naomichi Marufuji issued a statement about the event but didn’t do any name drops.

The event will be broadcast on Japanese TV but it’s not yet known if it will be live or taped, and at this time it’s not known when/if it may be available on AJPW.TV and/or WRESTLE UNIVERSE. Check out a promo graphic for the event below:

New Japan News: Post-WTL Press Conference Notes

New Japan held their traditional post-major event/tournament press conference today in Tokyo, which cowered post-World Tag League and more news for Tokyo Dome:

First up, it’s now official-IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions & World Tag League winners YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto vs. STRONG Tag Team Champions El Phantasmo & Hikuleo for both titles is set for 1/4.

Second, following reports it was going to happen, the IWGP Global Championship was unveiled today, which will replace the IWGP US/UK Championship. This essentially combines and replaces the titles and puts to rest any rumors of reviving the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, surely to the dismay of one Tetsuya Naito, and os meant to be a truly international title. What had been a 3-way between IWGP US Champion Will Ospreay, Jon Moxley & David Finlay on 1/4 for the title will now be to crown the inaugural Global Champion.

The cards for Road To Tokyo Dome on 12/21 & 12/22 at Korakuen Hall were also announced, and 12/22 will be the monthly FREE EVENT on New Japan World. 12/21 has 2 title matches: KOPW 2023 Champion Taichi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru for the title in the final KOPW match of the year, with stips TBA, and NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Champions Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada vs. HENARE, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb for the titles. 12/22 is the final event of the year and the last build to Tokyo Dome.

Dragon Gate 12/10/23 Results

Dragon Gate continued the Fantastic Gate 223 Your today with an event in Kyoto, and aso announced the full 12/24 card.

Today’s event was held at Kyoto KBS Hall in Kyoto and can be watched on demand on DRAGONGATE NETWORK.

The announced paid attendance was 445, a super full house/very near sellout.

Match 1: Don Fujii, Dragon Kid, Genki Horigichi & Takashi Yodhida beat Kzy, BIGBOSS Shimizu, Jason Lee & JACKY “FUNKY” KAMEI. Horiguchi pinned Kzy after Backslide Times.

Match 2: Masaaki Mochizuki, Susumu Mochizuki & Yasushi Kanda beat Ultimo Dragon, Kaito Nagano & Problem Dragon. Kanda pinned Nagano after Ryu’s.

Match 3: YAMATO beat Yoshiki Kato by DQ. Z-Brats interference.

Match 4: Hyo & Luis Mante beat Kota Minoura & Ben-K. Hyo pinned Minoura after Samson Driver.

Main Event: Shun Skywalker, KAI & ISHIN beat Madoka Kikuta, Yuki Yoshioka & Dragon Dia. Skywalker pinned Yoshioka after SSW.

The next event is Saturday at Fukuyama Big Rose in Hiroshima. There will be no live or on demand broadcast.

Here is the full card for THE FINAL GATE 2023, the last blowout event of the year, on 12/24 at Fukuoka International Center in Fukuoka:
Jason Lee, U-T & JACKY “FUNKY” KAMEI vs. Ryoya Tanaka, Kaito Nagano & Daiki Yanagiuchi
Open The Brave Gate Champion Hyo vs. Genki Horiguchi for the title
Masaaki Mochizuki, Susumu Mochizuki & Yasushi Kanda vs. Ultimo Dragon, Don Fujii & Kagetora
8-Man Tag with the following: Kzy, BIGBOSS Shimizu, Strong Machine J, Kota Minoura, Ben-K, BxB Hulk, Naruki Doi, Shuji Kondo. Teams TBA on 12/23 via lottery
Open The Triangle Gate Champions TAMATO, Dragon Kid & Punch Tominaga vs. KAI, ISHIN & Yoshiki Kato for the titles
Open The Twin Gate Champions Yuki Yoshioka & Dragon Dia vs. Kaito Kiyomiya & Alejandro (Pro Wrestling NOAH) for the titles
Open The Dream Gate Champion Madoka Kikuta vs. Shun Skywalker & Luis Mante in a 3-way for the title