Tag: New Japan

At their traditional post-blowout event press conference today in Tokyo, New Japan announced the full 8 match card for KING OF PRO WRESTLING 2025, the likely last such event of the year, on 10/13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan. As expected, the main event will be IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the title as Takeshita is doing a Sabre from last year and cashing in his G1 CLIMAX winning prize of a title shot at Tokyo Dome early. It paid off for Sabre, will it happen again? The winner is all but going into 1/4 as champion.

Match 7 will be IWGP Global Champion Gabriel Kidd vs. Yota Tsuji for the title. History actually favors Tsuji slightly as he has an 11-10-2 record against Kidd in single matches.

Match 6 will be NEW IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions OSKAR & Yuto Ice (Ice Baby) vs. Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino for the titles. The history here is when Yuto debuted in 2021 as Yuto Nakashima, his debut match against Uemura barely lasted a minute before he suffered an elbow injury that cost him most of his rookie year. I remember watching that match live on New Japan World, so devastating but an incredible comeback nonetheless.

Match 5 will be MEVER Openweight Champion Boltin Oleg vs. EVIL for the title. Because he is EVIL (…*bad sync-dubbing* INDEEEEEEEED!) and never far from those NEVER titles and will try to become a 4-tome champion.

Match 4 will be NJPW WORLD TV Champion El Phantasmo vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the title. This is a 20th Anniversary match for Phantasmo and probably Tanahashi’s last chance at a title before retirement at Tokyo Dome.

The first 3 matches in order are Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & Titan vs. David Finlay, Taiji Ishimori & Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney vs. SANADA and Yoh, YOSHI-HASHI & the returning Hirooki Goto vs. Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita.

The event will be available live and on demand OUTSIDE JAPAN ONLY on New Japan World beginning on 10/13 at midnight PT/3 AM ET. It will be a live & exclusive TV Asahi broadcast in Japan.

DESTRUCTION, New Japan’s annual September Kobe blowout event, is now in the books.

Today’s event was held at Kobe World Hall in Kobe and can be watched on demand OUTSIDE JAPAN ONLY on New Japan World. This event aired live in Japan as part of WORLD PRO WRESTLING LIVE 2025 exclusively on TV Asahi.

The announced paid attendance was 4672.

Match 1: Yoh, YOSHI-HASHI, El Desperado, YUya Uemura & Shota Umino beat Sho, DOUKI, SANADA, Dick Togo & EVIL. Uemura pinned Togo after a Frankensteiner.

Match 2: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Great-O-Khan. Afterwards, Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Kaito Kiyomiya appeared and asked Tanahashi to make one last appearance there before retirement, namely at their 10/11 event at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

Match 3: NEVER Openweight Champion Boltin Oleg beat Don Fale to retain the title. V2 for Oleg. Next up: EVIL.

Match 4: OSKAR & Yuto Ice beat IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii to win the titles. OSKAR & Ice become the 111th IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Ice pinned Taichi after K.O.B. Next up: Umino & Uemura. And we’d better get Ice coming out to “Ice Ice Baby” at least once.

Match 5: GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi beat Taiji Ishimori to retain the title. V1 for Takahashi. Afterwards, Eita appeared and attacked Takahashi. Eita gets the next title shot in NOAH on 10/11, which was announced before this match came together last week. It was originally against Takahashi but had Ishimori won he would have defended against Eita on that date.

Match 6: Yota Tsuji beat David Finlay.

Match 7: IWGP Global Champion Gabriel Kidd beat Shingo Takagi to retain the title. V2 for Kidd Next up: Tsuji.

Main Event: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. beat Ren Narita to retain the title. V2 for Sabre. Next up: As previously announced, Konosuke Takeshita on 10/13 at Ryogoku Kokugikan. And given the rest of the year after that will be the annual fall/winter tag team tournaments (Super Junior Tag League and World Tag League) and some other special events, it’s all but guaranteed the 10/13 winner is going to Tokyo Dome as champion.

The next event is Saturday at Tokei Security Hiratsuka General Gym in Kanagawa to start the Road To KING OF PRO WRESTLING 2025 Tour. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1 AM PT/4 AM ET. All 4 tour events are scheduled for live and on demand broadcasts.

At today’s New Japan press conference ahead of DESTRUCTION tomorrow, Hirooki Goto appeared and announced that he will return on 10/13 at KING OF PRO WRESTLING at Ryogoku Kokugikan. He has been out the last few months due to injury that also forced him to miss the G1 CLIMAX 35. As far as a return match, details TBA. Goto was also away for a time filming the new “Street Fighter” movie in which he will play E. Honda alongside fellow wrestlers Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns from WWE.

More as it becomes available.

New Japan wrapped up their fall Hokkaido tour today with the final event of the series.

Today’s event was held at Kita Gas Arena Sapporo 46 in Hokkaido and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 2038.

Pre-show match: Zane Jay & Masatora Yasuda beat Tatsuya Matsunoto & Katsuya Murashima. Yasuda pinned Matsumoto.

Match 1: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Master Wato.

Match 2: Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano & Togo Malabe beat Shoma Kato, Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask. Makabe pinned Kato.

Match 3: Yuya Uemura, Shota Umino & Boltin Oleg beat Dick Togo, EVIL & Don Fale. Unino pinned Togo after a Frankensteiner.

Match 4: TAKA Michinoku, Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii beat Gedo, OSKAR & Yuto Ice. Taichi pinned Gedo after Tensho Cross Fang.

Matxh 5: Taiji Ishimori, David Finlay & Gabrie Kidd beat Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi. Ishimori pinned Takahashi with Gedo Clutch. This could lead to a potential GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship match as Takahashi is the champion but that partly is up to Pro Wrestling NOAH.

Match 6: Yujiro Takahashi, SANADA & Ren Narita beat Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. by DQ. Jackson DQ’d. Guitar shot fake out by SANADA.

Match 7: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions DOUKI & Sho beat Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles to retain the titles. DOUKI pinned Fujita. V2 for the champs.

Main Event: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado beat Yoh to retain the title. V8 for Desperado. Next up: Possibly DOUKI, who lost the title to Desperado due to injury.

The next event is DESTRUCTION, the annual September blowout event, Sunday at Kobe World Hall in Kobe. Live streaming on New Japan World OUTSIDE JAPAN ONLY will begin at midnight PT/3 AM ET. This will be a live & exclusive TV Asahi broadcast in Japan.

UPDATE: Takahashi-Ishimori for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship has been added to DESTRUCTION. The winner will defend vs. Eita in Pro Wrestling NOAH next month as previously announced.

UPDATE 2: Pro Wrestling NOAH has confirmed the above GHC title matches including the winner facing Eita on 10/11.

New Japan continued their Hokkaido fall tour today with another non-televised event.

Today’s event was held at Kitami Sports Center in Hokkaido. There is/was no live or on demand broadcast.

The announced paid attendance was 771.

There were last-minute changes due to Yota Tsuji being removed from the card again. The always-vague poor health.

Match 1: Masatora Yasuda beat Zane Jay.

Match 2: Shoma Kato & Tiger Mask beat Tatsuya Matsunoto & Katsuya Murashima. Kato pinned Matsumoto.

Match 3: Dick Togo, EVIL & Don Fale beat Tomoaki Honma, Shota Umino & Boltin Oleg. EVIL pinned Honma after Magic Killer.

Match 4: David Finlay & Gabriel Kidd beat Daiki Nagai & Shingo Takagi. Finlay pinned Magai after Into Oblivion.

Match 5: Taiji Ishimori, OSKAR & Yuto Ice beat TAKA Michinoku, Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii. Ice pinned TAKA after K.O.B.

Match 6: Ryusuke Taguchi, Yuya Uemura, Hiroshi Tanahashi & El Desperado beat Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Master Wato & Yoh. Uemura pinned Makabe after a Frankensteiner.

Main Event: Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. beat DOUKI, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, SANADA & Ren Narita. Oiwa pinned Takahashi after The Grip.

The next event is Saturday at Yakumo City Gym. There will be bo live or on demand broadcast

New Japan continued their fall Hokkaido tour today with the first of several non-televised events.

Today’s event was held at Asahikawa Gym in Hokkaido. There is/was no live or on demand broadcast.

The announced paid attendance was 1052.

Match 1: Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Zane Jay went to a 10 minute time limit draw.

Match 2: Shoma Kato & Tiger Mask beat Masatora Yasuda & Katsuya Murashima. Kato pinned Yasuda.

Match 3: Dick Togo, EVIL & Don Fale beat Tomoaki Honma, Yuya Uemura & Boltin Oleg. EVIL pinned Honma after EVIL.

Match 4: David Finlay & Gabriel Kidd beat Daiki Nagai & Shingo Takagi. Finlay pinned Nagai.

Match 5: Taiji Ishimori, OSKAR & Yuto Ice beat TAKA Mivhinoku, Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii. OSKAR pinned TAKA after K.O.B.

Match 6: Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Rl Desperado beat Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Master Wato & Yoh. Umino pinned Makabe after Second Chapter.

Main Event: Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hartley Javkson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. beat DOUKI, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, SANADA & Ren Narita. Sabre pinned Takahashi after Sabre Driver.

The next event is tomorrow at Kitami sports Center. There will be no live or on demand broadcast.

New Japan began their fall Hokkaido tour today as the second half of the Road To DESTRUCTION Tour.

Today’s event was held at Nippon Engineering College Hokkaido College Gym Arena in Hokkaido and can be watched on demand on New Japan World

The announced paid attendance was 1012.

There was a last-minute change to the card, specifically match 2, due to Yota Tsuji being a late removal from the event. The always-vague poor health.

Match 1: Shota Umino won a 14 man battle royal, last eliminating Dick Togo.

Match 2: David Finlay & Gabriel Kidd beat Daiki Nagai & Shingo Takagi. Finlay pinned Nagai after a powerbomb.

Match 3: Taiji Ishimori, OSKAR & Yuto Ice beat TAKA Michinoku, Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii. Ice pinned TAKA after K.O.B.

Match 4: DOUKI, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, SANADA & Ren Narita beat Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. Narita beat Jackson with Hell’s Guillotine.

Main Event: A 3-part 3 Falls match went as follows:
1-Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe & Toru Yano beat Ryusuke Taguchi, El Desperado & Hiroshi Tanahashi. Yano pinned Taguchi.
2-El Desperado & Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Takashi Iizuka & Toru Yano by DQ. Iizuka DQ’d.
3-Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Yoru Yano. Tanahashi beats Yano 2-1.

The next event is Wednesday at Asahikawa Gym in Hokkaido. There will be no live or on demand broadcast.

New Japan finished up the first part of the Road To DESTRUCTION Tour 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 1492, a legit sellout.

Match 1: Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Zane Jay went to a 10 minute time limit draw.

Match 2: Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe beat Masatora Yasuda, Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato. Makabe pinned Yasuda after a lariat.

Match 3: Yuya Uemura, Shota Umino & Boltin Oleg beat Dick Togo, EVIL & Don Dale. Uemura pinned Togo.

Match 4: Gedo, Taiji Ishimori, David Finlay & Gabriel Kidd beat Daiki Nagai, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi. Kidd pinned Nagai after a leg trap piledriver.

Match 5: Clark Connors, OSKAR & Yuto Ice beat TAKA Michinoku, Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii. Ice pinned TAKA after K.O.B.

Match 6: DOUKI, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, SANADA & Ren Narita beat Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. Narita beat Jackson with Hell’s Guillotine.

Main Event: NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Champions Master Wato, Yoh & Toru Yano beat Ryusuke Taguchi, El Desperado & Hiroshi Tanahashi to retain the titles. Wato pinned Taguchi after Recientemente 2. V1 for the champs.

The next event is Monday at Japan Institute Of Technology Hokkaido College Gym Arena in Hokkaido for the second half of the tour, which is their annual fall Hokkaido tour. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at midnight PT/3 AM ET. After this there are no broadcasts until the tour-ender on 9/24 (5 non-televised events).

Shinnichi Champion, a variety show New Japan launched during the pandemic on New Japan World, celebrated its 5th anniversary today with a unique show-themed event. (The show also was renewed for a 6th year)

Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World as a PPV for $21.99 US.

The announced paid attendance was 1517, a legit advance sellout.

Match 1: Katsuya Murashima, YOSHI-HASHI & Yuji Nagata beat Shoma Kato, Toru Yano & Togi Makabe. YOSHI-HASHI beat Kato with Butterfly Lock. Satoshi Kojima & Tomoaki Honma were on commentary for this match.

Match 2: Hikaru Sato (All-Japan) won a Masked Battle Royal, where eliminations were by removing other wrestlers’ masks, last eliminating Great-O-Khan. As a result, Sato gets to produce a future episode of Shinnichi Champion.

Match 3: Master Wato, Boltin Oleg, El Desperado & Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Dick Togo, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Ren Narita & EVIL. Tanahashi beat Togo with a Texas Cloverleaf.

Match 4: Masatora Tasuda won a 7 man Handsome Battle Royal. Among the lovely ladies who were special guests for this matxh were popular Samurai! TV personality Miki Motoi and Pieter, Yujiro Takahashi’s “personal dancer” who makes occasional special appearances (she’s also a pro Brazilian samba dancer outside the ring as well as a personal trainer).

Main Event: Ryusuke Taguchi, Taichi, Tomohiro Ishii & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa, Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino. Ishii pinned Oiwa.

The next event is tomorrow to resume the Road To DESTRUCTION tour. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2:30 AM PT/5:30 AM ET.

New Japan continued the Road To DESTRUCTION tour today in Saitama.

Today’a event was held at Kuki City General Gym in Saitama. There is/was no live or on demand broadcast.

The announced paid attendance was 644.

Match 1: Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Zane Jay went to a 10 minute time limit draw.

Match 2: Katsuya Murashima beat Masatora Yasuda.

Match 3: Dick Togo, EVIL & Don Fale beat Shoma Kato, Shota Umino & Boltin Oleg. EVIL beat Kato with a scorpion deathlock.

Match 4: Clark Connors, OSKAR & Yuto Ice beat TAKA Michinoku, Tomoaki Honma & Taichi. Ice pinned Honma after K.O.B.

Match 5: Daiki Nagai, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi beat Gedo, Taiji Ishimori, David Finlay & Gabriel Kidd. Tsuji pinned Gedo after a curb stomp.

Match 6: Yuya Uemura, Ryusuke Taguchi, El Desperado & Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Togo Makabe, Master Wato, Yoh & Toru Yano. Uemura pinned Makabe after a Frankensteiner.

Main Event: Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. beat DOUKI, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, SANADA & Ren Narita. Sabre pinned Takahashi after Sabre Driver.

The next event is “Shinnochi Champion Presents-5th Anniversary Celebration” Friday at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. This is a celebration event of a TV/online variety show New Japan started during the early days of the pandemic. Live streaming on New Japan World as a PPV will begin at 2:30 AM PT/5:30 AM ET. The PPV is available for pre-order outside Japan for $21.99 US and will have Japanese commentary only.