News, results & more from Japanese Pro Wrestling & Sumo
Apparently being a Stone Pitbull and the toughest two dollar steak doesn’t make you impervious to injury. Neither does All Elite Wrestling. New Japan has announced that, in part due to that, Tomohiro Ishii is headed to the sidelines. Dislocated right shoulder suffered on 10/22 in AEW. Out indefinitely. It’s not yet known how long he will be out but given he’s not in the World Tag League it may be most of the rest of the year.
More as it becomes available.
New Japan held their latest Tokyo Dome press conference earlier today, here are some notable items coming out of it. The full presser can be watched on demand FOR FREE on New Japan World (no account/paid subscription required) and YouTube.
2 new matches are official: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. IWGP Global Champion Yota Tsuji for the titles and IWGP Women’s Champion Sturi vs. STRONG Women’s Champion Saya Kamitani for the titles (but not the World Of Stardom Championship also held by Kamitani).
The previously announced Aaron Wolf vs. EVIL match, the debut match for the former, will now be for the NEVER Openweight Championship held by EVIL. Originally it was not going to be. EVIL used a can of spray paint to paint the title belt gold at the presser…which for the most part it already was.
Hiroshi Tanahashi announced that the number of sold tickets so far for 1/4 is 31,548. If the Dome is used at full capacity (usually for baseball) that’s about halfway yo a legit sellout as the Dome can hold 65,000. At worst, it’s on pace to only be out-drawn worldwide by WWE WrestleMania. Fitting as I consider 1/4 to be the biggest pro wrestling event annually outside of WrestleMania.
Tanahashi was asked about a potential final opponent following backstage comments at the last event where he talked to Gedo about it. Gedo is also the head booker for New Japan. This led US websites to start rumors about it being former New Japan wrestler and longtime rival Shinsuke Nakamura, but one reason I doubt it happens-he’a in WWE. New Japan has a working partnership with All Elite Wrestling, WWE’s biggest rival. I think that makes more recent rival and torchbearer-to-be Kazuchika Okada more likely. A foreign wrestler was also hinted at.
The broadcast plans are also set for the event, beginning on 1/3 at 11 PM PT/2 AM ET (1/4 at 4 PM Japan time):
INSIDE JAPAN ONLY: TV Asahi live and exclusive broadcast
OUTSIDE JAPAN ONLY: New Japan World live and on demand. NOT AVAILABLE IN JAPAN (at least until several days latrr)
New Japan returned to Gifu today for a Hiroshi Tanahashi hometown event, the final time the face of the promotion would compete in front of his hometown fans before retiring in 2 months.
Today’s event was held at Gifu Memorial Center First Gym in Gifu and can be watched on demand OUTSIDE JAPAN ONLY on New Japan World. This event aired as part of WORLD PRO WRESTLING LIVE 2025 exclusively on TV Asahi in Japan.
The announced paid attendance was 3742, a legit advance sellout.
Match 1: Tatsuya Matsumoto, Shoma Kato & Boltin Oleg beat Zane Jay, Masatora Yasuda & Katsuya Murashima. Oleg pinned Jay after Burdict.
Match 2: Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles beat Daiki Nagai, Gedo & Hiromu Takahashi. Jackson pinned Nagai after Death Valley Bomb.
Match 3: Yuki Yoshioka (Dragon Gate), KUSHIDA, Dradon Dia (Dragon Gate) & Ryusuke Taguchi beat YAMATO (Dragon Gate), Tiger Mask, KUUKAI & El Desperado. Taguchi pined TM 4 with Kido Clutch.
Match 4: Dick Togo, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita & EVIL beat Master Wato, Yoh, Toru Yano, Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino. Togo pinned Wato, Afterwards, EVIL issued a NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championship challenge and beat down Yano until Aaron Wolf appeared and made the save. Wolf makes his debut against EVIL at Tokyo Dome. And so the build begins.
Match 5: Clark Connors, OSKAR (The Grouch), Yuto Ice (Ice Baby) & Shingo Takagi beat Jacob Austin Young, Templario, Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan. Ice pinned Young after Cruella.
Match 6: Super Junior Tag League Finals: Sho & DOUKI beat Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori to win the tournament. DOUKI pinned Ishimori. The current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions protect-normally tournament winners get a respective title shot but this won’t be the case, at least not right away for X & Ishimori.
Match 7: IWGP Global Champion Yota Tsuji beat Hiroshi Tanahashi to retain the title. V1 for Tsuji. This was probably the last chance for Tanahashi to go into his finale at Tokyo Dome as a champion. This may be the proverbial passing of the torch to the next generation and perhaps anointing Tsuji as their leader. Afterwards, Yuto Ice (Ice Baby) came out and challenged Tanahashi to a match on 11/8.
Main Event: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita beat Hirooki Goto to retain the title. V1 for Takeshita. Next up: Unless plans unexpectedly change, Tokyo Dome. The challenger: Possibly Tsuji. Double Double Title? Perhaps…
The next event is NEW JAPAN ROAD in ANJO Saturday at Tosho Arena Anjo in AIchi, continuing the annual what was a Kazuchika Okada hometown event although Okada is now in All Elite Wrestling. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at midnight PT/3 AM ET.
On a side note, despite New Japan teasing every remaining event until Tokyo Dome being live & on demand, the current schedule suggests no broadcast for an 11/16 event in Yamaguchi. Also, after Saturday the next two events around that one are PPVs.
New Japan wrapped up the Super Junior Tag League today with the final day of Block B.
Today’s event was held at Osaka Prefectural Gym 2 in Osaka and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 977, a legit sellout. Reduced capacity though, Osaka has been holding events like this with smaller crowds since the pandemic.
Match 1: Masatora Yasuda & Shoma Kato beat Zane Jay & Tatsuya Matsumoto. Kato pinned Matsumoto.
Match 2: Dragon Dia (Dragon Gate), Ryusuke Taguchi, Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano beat Daiki Nagai, Clark Connors, OSKAR (The Grtouch) & Yuto Ice (Ice Baby). Oleg pinned Nagai.
Match 3: Yujiro Takahashi, Sho & DOUKI beat Callum Newman, Jacob Austin Young & Templario. Takahashi pinned Young after Big Juice.
Match 4: Gedo, Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi beat Katsuya Murashima, Master Wato & Yoh. Takashi pinned Murashima after War Special.
Super Junior Tag League Block B:
Match 5: YAMATO (Dragon Gate) & Tiger Mask beat Dick Togo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru by ref stoppage (technical submission). YAMATO beat Togo.
Match 6: KUUKAI & El Desperado beat Yuki Yoshioka (Dragon Gate) & KUSHIDA. Desperado pinned Yoshioka after Pinche Loco.
Main Event: Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori beat Kosei FUjita & Robbie Eagles. Ishimori pinned Tagles after Bloody Cross. As a result, X & Ishimori win Block B on tiebreakers. (Yoshioka/KUSHIDA were eliminated by their loss).
The Finals will be X & Ishimori vs. Sho & DOUKI. That match will happen tomorrow.
The next event is tomorrow at Gifu Memorial Center First Gym in Gifu for a Hiroshi Tanahashi hometown event, the final time Tanahashi will compete in his hometown before retiring at Tokyo Dome. The event is a legit advance sellout. Live streaming on New Japan World OUTSIDE JAPAN ONLY will begin at-a little wacky due to the US time change overnight-1 AM PT/3 AM ET. This will be a live & exclusive TV Asahi broadcast in Japan.
New Japan continued the Super Junior Tag League today with the last day of Block A.
Today’s event was held at Fukui Industrial Hall Building 1 Exhibition Hall in Fukui and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 701.
Match 1: Masatora Yasuda & Boltin Oleg beat Zane Jay & Tatsuya Matsunoto. Oleg pinned Matsumoto.
Match 2: Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru beat Shoma Kato, YAMATO (Dragon Gate) & Tiger Mask. Takahashi pinned Kato after Pimp Juice.
Match 3: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuki Yoshioka (Dragon Gate) & KUSHIDA beat Katsuya Murashima, KUUKAI & El Depserado. Tanahashi pinned Murashima after High Fly Flow.
Match 4: OSKAR (The Grouch), Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori beat Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles. OSKAR beat Javkson with a body sleeper.
Super Junior Tag League Block A:
Match 5: Jacob Austin Young & Templario beat Daiki Nagai & Clark Connors. Uoung pinned Nagai after Jacobs Ladder.
Match 6: Dragon Dia (Dragon Gate) & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Gedo & Hiromu Takahashi. Dia pinned Gedo.
Main Event: Sho & DOUKI beat Master Wato & Yoh. DOUKI pinned Wato. As a result, Sho & DOUKI win Block A and advance to the Finals and send the Fukui fans home very unhappy…and really put the “Fuk-u” in Fukui. They will face the Block B winners.
The next event is Saturday at Osaka Prefectural Gym 2 in Osaka with the end of Block B. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2 AM PT/5 AM ET.
New Japan continued the Super Junior Tag League today with the penultimate day of Block B and the end of a 3-day Niigata stretch.
Today’s event was held at Sun Village Shibata in Niigata and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 1001, a full house/near sellout.
Match 1: Daiki Nagai & Clark Connors beat Zane Jay & Tatsuya Matsumoto. Connors pinned Jay.
Match 2; Jacob Austin Young, Callum Newman & Templario beat Masatora Yasuda, Shoma Kato & Boltin Oleg. Young pinned Yasuda after Jacobs Ladder.
Match 3: OSKAR (The Grouch), Yuto Ice (Ice Baby), Gedo & Hiromu Takahashi beat Katsuya Murashima, Toru Yano, Dragon Dia (Dragon Gate) & Ryusuke Taguchi by ref stoppage (technical submission). OSKAR beat Murashima.
Match 4: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Master Wato & Yoh beat Yujiro Takahashi, Sho & DOUKI. Tanahashi pinned Takahashi after High Fly Flow.
Super Junior Tag League Block B:
Match 5: Yuki Yoshioka (Dragon Gate) & KUSHIDA beat Dick Togo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru. KUSHIDA beat Togo with a Texas cloverleaf.
Match 6: Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles beat YAMATO (Dragon Gate) & Tiger Mask. Eagles beat YAMATO with Ron Miller Special.
Main Event: Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori beat KUUKAI & El Desperado. X pinned KUUKAI after X Express.
Standings (Block B):
1-Eagles/Fujita, 4-0, 8 pts
2-KUSHIDA/Yoshioka, 3-1, 6 pts
3-X/Ishimori, 3-1, 6 pts
4-Desperado/KUUKAI, 1-3, 2 pts (OUT)
5-Togo/Kanemaru, 1-3, 2 pts (OUT)
6-YAMATO/TM 4, 0-4, 0 pts (OUT)
Only the winners advance to the Finals. The final outcome will be simple or complex. The simple-Eagles/Fujita advance if they win their last match or it’s a draw. The complex-if X/Ishimori win, they advance if KUSHIDA/Yoshioka also lose or draw. If both win, it’s complex because KUSHIDA/Yoshioka have the tiebreaker over X/Ishimori due to a forfeit but they lost to Eagles/Fujita while X/Ishimori will have beaten Eagles/Fujita but lost to KUSHIDA/Yoshioka…I think it would have to be a 3-way to settle it.
The next event is tomorrow at Fukui Industrial Hall Building 1 Exhibition Hall in Fukui to finish Block A. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2:30 AM PT/5:30 AM ET.
New Japan continued the Super Junior Tag League today with the penultimate day of Block A, the second of a 3-day Niigata stretch.
Today’s event was held at Sado City General Gym in Niigata and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 589.
Match 1: Zane Jay & Shoma Kato beat Tatsuya Matsumoto & Masatora Yasuda. Kato beat Matsumoto.
Match 2: OSKAR (The Grouch), Yuto Ice (Ice Baby), Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori beat Katsuya Murashima, KUUKAI, Toru Yano & El Desperado. Ice pinned Murashima after Ice High.
Match 3: Boltin Oleg, YAMATO (Dragon Gate) & Tiger Mask beat Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles. Oleg pinned Jackson after Kamikaze.
Match 4: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuki Yoshioka (Dragon Gate) & KUSHIDA beat Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Tanahashi pinned Takahashi after High Fly Flow.
Super Junior Tag League Block A:
Match 5: Dragon Dia (Dragon Gate) & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Jacob Austin Young & Templario. Taguchi pinned Templario.
Match 6: Sho & DOUKI beat Daiki Nagai & Clark Connors. DOUKI pinned Nagai.
Main Event: Master Wato & Yoh beat Gedo & Hiromu Takahashi. Wato pinned Gedo after a falcon blow.
Standings (Block A):
1-Wato/Yoh, 4-0, 8 pts
2-Sho/DOUKI, 4-0, 8 pts
3-Dia/Taguchi, 2-2, 4 pts (OUT)
4-Young/Templario, 1-3, 2 pts (OUT)
5-Gedo/Takahashi, 1-3, 2 pts (OUT)
6-Nagai/Connors, 0-4, 0 pts (OUT)
Only the winners advance to the Finals. It’s as simple as can be for the final day of the block-the Wato/Yoh-Sho/DOUKI winner advances. If it’s a draw, they’ll have to do it again.
The next event is tomorrow at Sun Village Shibata. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2:30 AM PT/5:30 AM ET.
In other news, the promotion announced that a special event commemorating the 10th anniversary of the retirement of Geni’chiro Tenryu, to likely feature Shingo Takagi & Zack Sabre Jr. based on promo graphics, will be streamed LIVE on New Japan World on 11/3 beginning at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET and available for all paid monthly subscribers (it’s not a PPV). It will be in Japanese only. The event will be held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
New Japan continued the Super Junior Tag League today with the halfway point of Block A.
Today’s event was held at Kumagaya City Civic Gym in Saitama and can be watched on demand on New Japan World. This was a live Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.
The announced paid attendance was 1093.
There were last-minute changes to the card due to Taiji Ishimori being pulled off the event again. The always vague poor health again.
Match 1: Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano beat Zane Jay & Tatsuya Matsumoto. Oleg pinned Matsumoto after Kamikaze.
Match 2: Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru beat Masatora Yasuda, KUUKAI & El Depserado. Takahashi pinned Yasuda after Pimp Juice.
Match 3: OSKAR (The Grouch), Yuto Ice (Ice Baby) & Robbie X beat Shoma Kato, YAMATO (Dragon Gate) & Tiger Mask. Ice pinned Kato after Ice High.
Match 4: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuki Yoshioka (Dragon Gate) & KUSHIDA beat Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles. Tanahashi pinned Jackson after High Fly Flow.
Super Junior Tag League Block A:
Match 5: Dragon Dia (Dragon Gate) & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Daiki Nagai & Clark Connors. Dia pinned Nagai after DDDDT.
Match 6: Master Wato & Yoh beat Jacob Austin Young & Templario. Yoh pinned Young after a falcon blow.
Main Event: Sho & DOUKI beat Gedo & Hiromu Takahashi. DOUKI pinned Gedo.
Standings (Block A):
1-Sho/DOUKI, 3-0, 6 pts
2-Wato/Yoh, 3-0, 6 pts
3-Gedo/Takahashi, 1-2, 2 pts
4-Dia/Taguchi, 1-2, 2 pts
5-Young/Templario, 1-2, 2 pts
6-Nagai/Connors, 0-3, 0 pts (OUT)
Only the winner of each block advances to the Finals. It’s already pretty much down to the top 2, who face off on the last day on 10/30. Block B, which has completed 2 matches, continues next but what could happen will depend partly on the status of Ishimori.
The next event is tomorrow at Uonuma City Horinouchi Gym in Niigata with the halfway point of Block B. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin TONIGHT at 11 PM PT/2 AM ET.
New Japan ran Day 2 of the Super Junior Tag League today in Tokyo.
Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World. This was also a live Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.
The announced paid attendance was 1058.
There were last-minute changes to the event due to Taiji Ishimori being pulled off the card. The always-vague poor health. Everything except the main event was changed in some form. Ishimori’s league match was a forfeit win for KUSHIDA & Yuki Yoshioka as a result.
Match 1: KUSHIDA beat Zane Jay.
Match 2: Robbie X, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji beat Shoma Kato, Yuki Yoshioka (Dragon Gate) & Hiroshi Tanahashi. X pinned Kato after X Express.
Super Junior Tag League:
Match 3: Block B: Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles beat Dick Togo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Fujita pinned Togo after Neshin Special.
Match 4: Block A: Master Wato & Yoh beat Daiki Nagai & Clark Connors. Yoh pinned Nagai after a falcon blow.
Match 5: Block B: KUUKAI & El Desperado beat YAMATO (Dragon Gate) & Tiger Mask. Desperado pinned TM 4 after El Es Clero.
Match 6: Block A: Jacob Austin Young & Templario beat Gedo & Hiromu Takahashi. Young pinned Gedo after Jacobs Ladder.
Main Event: Block A: Sho & DOUKI beat Dragon Dia (Dragon Gate & Ryusuke Taguchi. DOUKI pinned Taguchi.
Block B: KUSHIDA & Yuki Yoshioka beat Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori by forfeit.
The next event is tomorrow at Kumagaya City Civic Gym in Saitama with only Block A matches. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1 AM PT/4 AM ET. This will also be another live Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.
New Japan kicked off the 2025 Super Junior Tag League today, the first of their 2 annual fall/winter tag team tournaments with this one being for the Junior Heavyweights.
Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 1056.
There was a last-minute change to the first match due to Katsuya Murashima being pulled off the event. The always-vague poor health. Zane Jay was the replacement.
Match 1: Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji beat Zane Jay & Hiroshi Tanahashi. Taksgi pinned Jay after WAR Special.
Super Junior Tag League:
Match 2: Block A: Sho & DOUKI beat Jacob Austin Young & Templario. DOUKI pinned Templario.
Match 3: Block B: Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori beat Dick Togo & Yoshinobu Kanemaru. X pinned Togo after X Express.
Match 4: Block A: Gedo & Hiromu Takahashi beat Daiki Nagai & Clark Connors. Takahashi pinned Nagai with Gedo Clutch.
Match 5: Block B: Yuki Yoshioka (Dragon Gate) & KUSHIDA beat YAMATO (Dragon Gate) & Tiger Mask. KUSHIDA pinned TM 4.
Match 6: Master Wato & Yoh beat Dragon Dia (Dragon Gate) & Ryusuke Taguchi. Wato pinned Dia after a falcon blow.
Main Event: Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles beat KUUKAI & El Desperado. Eagles pinned KUUKAI after The Interceptor.
The next event is tomorrow. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2:30 AM PT/5:30 AM ET. This will be a live Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.
In other news, it was announced on social media that the House Of Torture Produced event on 11/19 will be a PPV on New Japan World. It is available for pre-order for 3500 yen in Japan and for $22.99 in the US.