Tag: njpw

New Japan 6/16 Results

New Japan kicked off the New Japan Road tour today, which in recent years was known as KIZUNA ROAD, a reference to one of the many card games that owner Bushiroad Corporation has published in Japan. The name change is a likely return to original names as part of the ongoing 50th Anniversary Celebration. SANADA continues his return from injury after coming back at DOMINION this past weekend.

Today’s event was held at Tochigi Cultural Center in Tochigi and was a non-televised event. The event will not be available on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 421.

Match 1: TAKA Michinoku beat Ryohei Oiwa by submission.

Match 2: Tiger Mask & Tomoaki Honma beat Kosei Fujita & Clark Connors. Honma pinned Fujita after Kokeshi.

Match 3: Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru beat Yuto Nakashima & Tomohiro Ishii. Suzuki pinned Nakashima after a Gotch-style piledriver.

Match 4: Yoh, Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Dick Togo, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL. Yoh pinned Togo after Direct Drive.

Match 5: Aaron Henare, Francesco Akira & TJP beat Jado, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato. Henare pinned Jado after Ultima.

Match 6: BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi beat Gedo & Taiji Ishimori. Takahashi pinned Gedo after D.

Main Event: SANADA, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe & Kazuchika Okada. SANADA pinned Tenzan with O’Connor Bridge.
For those wondering about notable names missing, many of them appeared in All Elite Wrestling in the US last night to help promote the Forbidden Door PPV on 6/26.

The next event is Saturday at Esforta Arena Hachioji in Tokyo. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2 AM PT/5 AM ET.

In other news, the September tour, “Burning Spirit”, has been announced. The current schedule is as follows:
9/2-Yokohama Budokan, Yokohama
9/3-Nagoya Congress Center, Nagoya
9/5-Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
9/6-Korakuen Hall
9/7-Lily Arena MITO, Ibaraki
9/9-Fujisan Messe, Shizuoka
9/10-G Messe Gunma, Gunma
9/11-Togane Arena, Chiba
9/13-Towa Pharmaceutical Dome Sub-Arena, Osaka
9/15-Kirin Beverage Shunan Sports Center, Yamaguchi
9/17-Ichiki Kushikino City General Gym, Kagoshima
9/18-Beppu Beacon Plaza, Oita
9/20-Acros Fukuoka, Fukuoka
9/21-Grand Messe Kumamoto, Kumamoto
9/23-Takamatsu City General Gymnasium Stadium 1, Kagawa
9/25-Kobe World Hall, Kobe (likely a major event)

New Japan Free Match Monday 6/13/22

It’s a very special New Japan Free Match Monday as today, on the 13th anniversary of his tragic death, the legacy of the legendary Mitsuharu Misawa, the founder of Pro Wrestling NOAH and one of the top stars of puroresu before that, is remembered by New Japan in this match against Masahiro Chono from 5/2/2002 at the Tokyo Dome.
Mitsuharu Misawa, ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS!

https://youtu.be/VYjF9Gh4-Zo

BREAKING: IWGP US Title Vacant

BREAKING: The IWGP US Heavyweight Championship is now VACANT. Previous champion Juice Robinson has been stripped of the title due to refusing to compete Sunday at DOMINION, claiming he had acute appendicitis and needed surgery but had already agreed to defend the title. He was to have defended the title against SANADA & Will Ospreay in a 3-way. It will now be SANADA vs. Ospreay for the vacant title.

RUMOR: Robinson Off DOMINION?

On New Japan’s official YouTube channels (Japanese and English), IWGP US Heavyweight Champion Juice Robinson posted a video in English stating he will not be at DOMINION on Sunday due to acute appendicitis. Robinson is still listed on the card as he is to defend the title against SANADA & Will Ospreay in a 3-way. Robinson has proposed it be made a next challenger match between Sanada & Ospreay.

More as it becomes available. New Japan broke the story on their website but you can watch the clip below (in English):

Developing: New Japan KOPW Stip for Sunday Set

Following a press conference earlier this week to propose the stip for the KOPW 2022 trophy rematch this Sunday at DOMINION, when Shingo Takagi defends against Taichi, the results of fan voting to determine the stip were just revealed. With just under 30,000 total votes cast on Twitter over 48 hours (shorter than usual), Takagi’s proposal wins so it’s a 10 minute Unlimited Pinfall Count Match. There are no 3 count pinfalls or submissions, whoever gets the most cumulative pinfall counts (total time presumably) in 10 minutes wins. Taichi proposed a 10 count Limited Finish match, where the first to get a 10 count using just one move-Gedo Clutch for Taichi, Ground Cobra Twist for Takagi-wins.

BREAKING: New Japan Introduces New Tag Team Title

BREAKING: New Japan has just announced a tag team championship for NJPW STRONG. The new STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship will be awarded to the winners of an 8-team single elimination tournament to be held over the next two tapings on 6/19 in Hollywood, CA (Quarterfinals & Semifinals) and 7/24 in Charlotte, NC (Finals). Teams and brackets TBA.

More as it becomes available.

New Japan-Stardom Joint Event Late 2022

At a press conference in Japan earlier today, Bushiroad Corporation-the current owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling and Stardom-announced that as part of its 15th Anniversary celebration, a joint NJPW-Stardom event will be held on November 20 at the new Ariake Arena in Tokyo. Hiroshi Tanahashi represented NJPW while Mayu Iwatani & Starlight Kid represented Stardom. More details are forthcoming but Tanahashi hinted at possibly a mixed/intergender tag team match at the event.

Ariake Arena was built for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan and would have a maximum capacity of 15,000 for wrestling, slightly more than Ryogoku Kokugikan (around 14,000 for pro wrestling but closer to 15,000 for sumo) and would likely put it behind only the Tokyo Dome in terms of capacity for pro wrestling.

More as it becomes available.

6/5/22-6/11/22 Events Schedule

Here is next wee’s (6/5/22-6/11/22) events schedule, which is subject to change (all times PT):
6/5;
1 AM-Pro Wrestling NOAH SUNNY VOYAGE 2022, Aore Nagaoka, Niigata, Japan. Available on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE beginning 6/8 at 2 AM

4/7:
2:30 AM-Pro Wrestling NOAH STAR NAVIGATION 2022, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Live in Japan only on ABEMA. On demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE at a later date.
3 AM-Ganbare Pro Wrestling “Pumping Iron 2022”, Shin-Kiba 1st Ring, Tokyo, Japan. Live on WRESTLE UNIVERSE

6/8:
2:30 AM-Pro Wrestling NOAH STAR NAVIGATION 2022, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan. Live in Japan only on ABEMA. On demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE at a later date.
5 PM-All Elite Wrestling “AEW Dynamite”, Independence, MO. LIVE on TBS in US, New Japan World in Japan and FITE elsewhere.

6/10:
TBA-All Elite Wrestling “AEW Rampage”, Independence, MO. TAPED on TNT in US and FITE elsewhere. Start time dependent on NHL Western Conference Playoffs schedule.

6/11:
5 PM-NWA Alwayz Ready, Knoxville, TN. LIVE on FITE
9 PM-CyberFight Festival ’22, Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan. LIVE on WRESTLE UNIVERSE
10 PM-New Japan Pro Wrestling DOMINION, Osaka-jo Hall, Osaka, Japan. LIVE on New Japan World

New Japan 6/3/22 Results (BOSJ Finals)

New Japan wrapped up the Best Of The Super Junior 29 today with an event headlined by the Finals, where either Hiromu Takahashi would 3-peat as champion or El Desperado would vault right back into a shot at reclaiming the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.

Today’s event was held at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World in Japanese and English.

The announced paid attendance was 3520. Depending on layout and capacity limits, that represents 35-45% max capacity for the venue (varies from 8500-11000 for wrestling).

There were several last-second card changes because Juice Robinson was a late removal. Acute appendicitis.

Match 1: Tomoaki Honma beat Ryohei Oiwa. This was to have been Honma vs. Robinson as match 3.

Match 2: Alex Zayne, Ace Austin, Wheeler Yuta & El Lindaman beat Clark Connors, Titan, Yoh & Robbie Eagles. Zayne pinned Connors after Cinnamon Twist.

Match 3: Francesco Akira & TJP beat Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi. TJP beat Taguchi with Pinoy Stretch.

Match 4: Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Sho & EVIL. Sabre beat Sho with an armbar.

Match 5: El Phantasmo, Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale beat Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb. Phantasmo pinned Henare after CR 2. After the match, Austin joined Bullet Club, an angle likely to carry over into Impact Wrestling.

A message for the absent Robinson was delivered…SEE YOU NEXT TIME! SANADA is back! He will attempt to regain the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship when he returns on 6/12. He was forced to vacate the title due to injury (fractured orbital bone suffered during a New Japan Cup match against Will Ospreay).

Match 6: BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi beat DOUKI, TAKA Michinoku & Taichi. Takagi beat TAKA with a ground cobra twist.

Jay White appeared next with a surprise…FANG REVIVES AGAIN! KENTA is back! He has been out since January due to injuries suffered in a No DQ IWGP US Heavyweight Championship match against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Tokyo Dome.

Match 7: Jado, Tama Tonga, Toru Yano & Kazuchika Okada beat Gedo, Taiji Ishimori, Doc Gallows & Jay White. Tonga pinned Gedo after Gun Stun.

Special guest Tatsumi Fujinami is introduced as a witness for the final match. (For those unaware, Fujinami is finally retiring after a 50 year career with his final match set for 12/1. It will be a torch-passing of sorts because his final opponent is Hiroshi Tanahashi)

Main Event: Best Of The Super Junior Finals: Hiromu Takahashi beat El Desperado to win the tournament. It’s the 3rd straight BOSJ title for Takahashi and 4th overall. It also earns him a shot at Ishimori for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship, we don’t know when yet.

The next event is DOMINION, the annual June Osaka blowout event, on 6/12 at Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin on 6/12 at 1 AM ET/6/11 at 10 PM PT.

New Japan Free Match Monday-5/30/22

It’s Monday in Japan…which means once again it’s Free Match Monday! Every Monday New Japan digs into the New Japan World archive and makes one full classic match available to all FOR FREE on New Japan World and YouTube. This week, ahead of a must-win final match to keep his 3-peat bid alive, relive the Best Of The Super Junior 28 Final from December 2021 as Hiromu Takahashi went for the tournament title repeat against Yoh, who came back from the dead after an 0-4 start as part of a disastrous 2021 to make an epic comeback to reach the Finals and, despite coming up short, finish the year on a high note and build momentum for a turnaround in 2022.
https://youtu.be/bBg5bsw4qHk