Category: New Japan News

El Desperado taking leave of absence from NJPW to undergo meniscus surgery

Posted on by Bryan Rose

El Desperado is taking time off.

NJPW announced on Monday that Desperado would be taking a leave of absence to undergo surgery to repair a medial meniscus injury that has affected him for the past six months.

According to NJPW’s website, Desperado made the announcement on his YouTube channel. He felt that between his match with Chris Brookes in DDT on Sunday and the G1 Climax tournament starting, now was the best time to take time off and focus on regaining the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. 

The website wrote:

Desperado stated that with the G1 Climax seeing heavyweights take center stage, everything aligned for him to take time off after wrestling Chris Brookes. Desperado stated that he still gave it all he had in the first half of the year and was satisfied with his performance, but with a view to continuing to operate at ‘over 100%’ the time had come to take surgery and take an indefinite leave before returning ‘to take the title back, win next year’s Best of the Super Jr. and do more things to inspire’.

Desperado had won this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament and defeated SHO to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title at NJPW Soul on June 16. However, he lost the title in his first defense against DOUKI in a match that took place on July 5.

G1 Climax 34 night two results & updated standings

Posted on by Ian Carey

G1 Climax 34 continued on Sunday in Osaka.

Both A and B Blocks were in action on today’s show, which was headlined by Yota Tsuji defeating David Finlay. Zack Sabre Jr. also defeated IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito in the semi-main event. Naito has now lost his opening two round-robin matches.

Nine matches took place on Sunday’s card with Jeff Cobb and Konosuke Takeshita having the night off.

G1 Climax 34 results from July 20, 2024 —

  • A Block: SANADA defeated Callum Newman
  • B Block: HENARE defeated Oleg Boltin
  • A Block: Gabe Kidd defeated Great-O-Khan
  • B Block: Ren Narita defeated El Phantasmo
  • A Block: EVIL defeated Jake Lee
  • B Block: Yuya Uemura defeated Hirooki Goto
  • A Block: Shota Umino defeated Shingo Takagi
  • B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito
  • A Block: Yota Tsuji defeated David Finlay

Our live coverage of today’s event is available here. 

The following are updated A Block & B Block standings for the NJPW G1 Climax 34 tournament following today’s event.

A Block —

  • Zack Sabre Jr. (2-0) 4 points
  • EVIL (2-0) 4 points
  • Jake Lee (1-1) 2 points
  • Callum Newman (1-1) 2 points
  • Shingo Takagi (1-1) 2 points
  • Gabe Kidd (1-1) 2 points
  • SANADA (1-1) 2 points
  • Shota Umino (1-1) 2 points
  • Tetsuya Naito (0-2) 0 points
  • Great-O-Khan (0-2) 0 points

B Block —

  • Yuya Uemura (2-0) 4 points
  • HENARE (2-0) 4 points
  • Konosuke Takeshita (1-0) 2 points
  • Jeff Cobb (1-0) 2 points
  • Oleg Boltin (1-1) 2 points
  • Ren Narita (1-1) 2 points
  • Yota Tsuji (1-1) 2 points
  • El Phantasmo (0-2) 0 points
  • Hirooki Goto (0-2) 0 points
  • David Finlay (0-2) 0 points

The tournament continues on Tuesday in Hiroshima with six round-robin matches.

G1 Climax 34 night three lineup for July 23, 2024 —

  • Shoma Kato, Tomoaki Honma, & Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuya Murashi, Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin
  • Jado & El Phantasmo vs. Bushi & Yota Tsuji
  • Francesco Akira & HENARE vs. Gedo & David Finlay
  • B Block: Jeff Cobb vs. Konosuke Takeshita
  • A Block: Callum Newman vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • A Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Great-O-Khan
  • A Block: Shota Umino vs. Gabe Kidd
  • A Block: SANADA vs. EVIL
  • A Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Jake Lee

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night two results: Tsuji vs. Finlay

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Nine tournament matches are set for night two of NJPW’s G1 Climax 34.

In the main event, Los Ingobernables de Japon’s Yota Tsuji will face Bullet Club’s David Finlay in a B Block matchup.

Tsuji and Finlay have squared off once before in singles competition in their careers, with Finlay scoring the victory.

18 of 20 competitors will be in action on tonight’s card, with B Block’s Konosuke Takeshita and Jeff Cobb the only tournament wrestlers not taking part in today’s show. As with yesterday, every bout in today’s lineup is a tournament match.

The full card for Sunday’s show:

  • B Block: Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay
  • A Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • A Block: Shota Umino vs. Shingo Takagi
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Yuya Uemura
  • A Block: Jake Lee vs. EVIL
  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. Ren Narita
  • A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Gabe Kidd
  • B Block: Oleg Boltin vs. HENARE
  • A Block: SANADA vs. Callum Newman

**********

Recommended Matches
HENARE vs. Oleg Boltin – This was a rad hoss match. I really can’t get enough of Oleg.

Yuya Uemura vs. Hirooki Goto – This is probably the match with best executed narrative of the tournament so far. It also seems as if Uemura is also finding his footing again, so that’s exciting.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tetsuya Naito – This is one of the better Naito matches as of late. It’s exactly the kind of match he needs to be working. It’s filled with slick sequences and felt like it could end any moment.

Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay – If you enjoy main event New Japan, this is for you. It built to a crescendo filled with reversals and potential finishes.

SANADA defeated Callum Newman

SANADA worked a somewhat meaner match here tonight than usual, building on his shocking sub-five-minute loss from last night. The match itself was a fine little thing. I would say it outperformed my expectations.

Newman and SANADA opened the match with a basic feeling-out process until a dropkick sent SANADA to the floor. Newman attempted a dive in follow-up but missed, allowing SANADA to answer with a magic screw. He then dropped Newman on the barricade before bringing the match back to the ring.

In the ring, Newman connected with a stomp to the back that opened SANADA up to a bit of offense. It only lasted a moment, though, as SANADA cut him off with a magic screw, bringing the match back into the hands of the former World’s champion.

SANADA hit a shining wizard but missed the rounding body press, leaving Newman free to answer with a sudden knee strike. Newman followed up with a quick dropkick in the corner, but the double stomp follow-up whiffed. SANADA tried to reply with a shining wizard, but that missed, too. After Newman overshot another kick, SANDA managed to lock in skull end, but Newman reversed into a cutter. Newman attempted to close with the OsCutter, but SANADA cut him off, landed Deadfall, and pinned him.

SANADA secures his first win of the tournament, putting him at 2 points.

HENARE defeats Oleg Boltin

This match was great. It was super simple, to the point, and fantastically executed.

A powerful collar-and-elbow opened this match. Once that proved insufficient, they moved to trading strikes. Once that wasn’t enough, they moved to tackles. Oleg’s tackle was enough to knock HENARE to the floor, securing the first lead of the match.

HENARE answered Oleg’s lead with high leg kicks. Once Oleg fell to his knees, HENARE took off his head with a kick to the jaw. HENARE then placed Oleg in the corner and unloaded with more strikes. Oleg answered with a powerful slam, which forced HENARE into the corner.

Oleg threw HENARE across the ring before attempting his finish, but HENARE slipped free. HENARE then landed a kick from the rope, knocking Oleg to the mat. HENARE followed up with a disgusting knee strike that rattled Oleg’s jaw.

With the finish in sight, HENARE waited in the corner, but somehow, Oleg cut him off with a dropkick. Oleg responded with a kamikaze, scoring a convincing nearfall. To my knowledge, this was the first time someone has kicked out of that move.

Having survived Oleg’s finish, HENARE slipped free of the second attempt, leading to a struggle for control. HENARE tried for a submission but couldn’t get it; instead, a back-and-forth strike battle followed. HENARE won out with a strong kick and a flying headbutt. He then landed Streets of Rage and pinned Oleg to win the match.

HENARE now leads B Block with 4 points.

Gabe Kidd defeated Great-O-Khan

I almost enjoyed this match, but it had too many issues in the end to look past. O-Khan’s performance was above average, and Kidd was decent. The structure of the match really hurt it, though. There was just far too much going on.

Kidd dared O-Khan to wrestle as the match opened but caught him with a few strikes as soon as there was an opening. O-Khan answered Kidd’s cuteness with a throw, a suplex, and a lariat that knocked Kidd to the floor. O-Khan then drove Kidd into the barricade, daring Kidd to a brawl instead of a match classic, to which Kidd accepted.

Kidd and O-Khan brawled from one side of the crowd to the other. By the time they emerged, Kidd had control. He then led O-Khan back to the ring, where he drove O-Khan into the post before calling out Hiromu Takahashi.

As soon as the match returned to the ring, O-Khan dumped Kidd to the floor. O-Khan landed a plancha, securing a lead before throwing Kidd into a barricade and a sea of chairs. O-Khan then tied up Kidd with chairs before dragging him back to the ring.

Back in the ring, a suplex attempt led to both men falling over the top rope and crashing over the top rope back to the floor. As the count began to climb, the men started trading strikes, meandering away from the ring. Once the count hit 19, they sprinted together to beat the referee.

Back inside, they traded strikes and German suplexes before O-Khan hit a GFO to establish a lead. He then tried for the eliminator but failed, leading to a scramble for control. In the end, Kidd won out with a massive lariat that won him the match.

Kidd is on the board with 2 points.

Ren Narita defeated El Phantasmo

ELP has lost all his friends, and he is sad. That is the story of his G1.

A quick boot from Narita opened this match, catching the depressed ELP off guard. He managed to rebound with a dropkick to reset the match in his favor.

After knocking Narita to the mat and landing a plancha, ELP started trying for more and more dives. Eventually, ELP missed, opening the door back up for Narita. Narita whipped ELP into the barricade and hit him with a chair after distracting the referee.

Back in the ring, Narita began to brutalize ELP’s leg. As ELP fought back through the attack, he continued to use acrobatic offense while attempting to sell the damage done to his limb (until he fired up and began jumping on it).

After stomping on Narita in the corner, ELP grabbed Narita’s pushup bar. Narita dared him to use it. After thinking about it, he decided not to. Narita tried to follow up with the Double Cross, but ELP reversed. Narita still maintained control, though with a quick guillotine.

Narita climbed to the top rope, where ELP cut him off with a rana. ELP followed up with a Thunderkiss 86 for a nearfall. Before he could follow up, the referee was shoved to the ground. Narita then hit Double Cross and won the match.

Ren Narita has slipped his first 2 points.

EVIL defeated Jake Lee

Ah, this is what I’ve come to expect from Jake Lee and EVIL. This match was slow, tedious, and filled with cheap cheating. This was horrible.

Before the action could begin, EVIL offered Lee a “Too Sweet” in traditional Bullet Club fashion. It looked like Lee would accept, but instead, he poked EVIL and Dick Togo in the eyes, Three Stooges style. He then threw EVIL to the floor and threatened to stomp Togo below the belt before letting him go.

Once the match officially began, Lee choked EVIL against the rope, leading to him fleeing almost imidatly. When Lee followed him, EVIL whipped him into the barricade and choked him with cables. Back in the ring, EVIL maintained his lead by distracting the referee and utilizing Togo.

After minutes on the back foot, Lee fought back with a Boston crab. This led to a fake bell ring, a ref bump, and Togo hitting the ring. Lee managed to fight through the interference as the referee recovered, leading to a chokeslam for a nearfall. During the scuffle, EVIL managed to rake Lee’s eyes, leading to him missing the Face Break Shot. Once he missed his finish, Togo threw powder in his eyes, EVIL landed Everything is Evil and pinned Lee to win the match.

EVIL is now the A Block leader with 4 points.

Yuya Uemura defeated Hirooki Goto

This was a rock-solid generational gap match. Goto tried his best to learn Uemura, but failed.

Goto wrestled Uemura to the ground as the match began, but Uemura held his own in the opening scramble. Goto then tried to ground Uemura with a shoulder tackle, but Uemura fired back with a dropkick. Uemura then placed Goto in the corner, where he unloaded with strikes that forced the referee to become involved. This unsportsmanlike behavior upset Goto, leading to a fiery response filled with harsh strikes.

Goto continued his act of discipline by locking in a Bostin crab in the middle of the ring. Once Uemura escaped, he landed an arm drag and a dropkick to reset the match. Uemura flew too close to the sun again when he climbed to the top rope; Goto avoided his dive and responded with a quick Ushigoroshi to regain his footing once more.

After a strike exchange, Goto hit a GTW for a nearfall. When Goto tried following up with a knee strike, Uemura caught him and answered with a headbutt. He tried for the deadbolt suplex, but Goto reversed, leading to a quick back and forth with both men slipping in and out of each other’s finish. In the end, it was Uemura who was able to hit the deadbolt suplex, which won him the match.

Uemura keeps the pace with 4 points.

Shota Umino defeated Shingo Takagi

I didn’t love this. The mid-match pacing felt sluggish, and it picked up at the end. This was the second-longest match of the tournament so far, and I felt every second.

This match was all Shingo until the final stretch. The narrative was that Umino refused to quit, but Shingo outclassed him in every way.

Umino rushed Shingo as the match began, hitting him with a dropkick and a flurry of forearms in the corner in an attempt to gain an early advantage. Shingo fired back with forearms of his own to fight out of the corner. From here, the pair fought to the apron, where Shingo dropped Umino on his back before whipping him into the barricade.

Back in the ring, Shingo utilized basic holds to wear down Umino. Umino answered with a sudden DDT to the apron. When Umino attempted to follow up, Shingo suplexed him into the corner, retaking control. He then used slightly more impactful offense to stay ahead until Umino landed an exploder suplex from the top rope.

As soon it looked like Shota had a chance, Shingo landed a lariat to retake the lead. This time, he landed a superplex, a sliding lariat, and a senton, all in quick succession. A quick DDT from Umino allowed him another moment to breathe, but again, Shingo responded by driving him into the corner moments later. The pumping bomber that followed was the icing on the cake.

Knowing that the end was in sight, Shingo landed another pumping bomber. He then hit Made in Japan, but Umino kicked out. When he tried for Last of the Dragon but, Umino wiggled free. Umino then managed to hit another DDT to buy even more time.

Shingo managed to hit another partial pumping bomber, but Umino fired back with a half-dragon suplex. Umino then landed Blaze Blade for a nearfall of his own. When Umino tried for Death Rider, Shingo blocked, leading to a quick back and forth. Shingo then ran at Umino; Umino caught him and landed the Death Rider, leaving him with the win.

Umino has earned his first 2 points.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito

This was a match that managed to cover Naito’s growing weaknesses exceptionally well. The sequences were slick and smart, and it felt like it could end at any moment. Great stuff.

ZSJ offered Naito a LIJ salute to open the match; Naito responded by spitting in ZSJ’s face. ZSJ then clobbered Naito with some elbows before Naito tried for a quick pin. This led to a sequence of rapid pin attempts from both men, any of which could’ve believably ended the match.

An exchange on the mat that initially favored Naito eventually left ZSJ in control. ZSJ then leveled Naito with uppercuts before returning to some methodical grappling. When Naito tried to challenge ZSJ’s control, ZSJ tied him up in the rope and dragged him to the floor to continue his assault.

A quick hangman’s neckbreaker to the floor put Naito in control for the first time in this match. Naito then turned to the neck, as you would expect. But just as Naito found his groove, he paused, allowing ZSJ to catch him and bring him to the mat.

ZSJ worked over Naito until he was able to land PK. ZSJ tried to follow up with the Zack Driver, but Naito reversed into Destino. This took so much out of both men that it effectively reset the match.

From a standing position, both men began trading strikes. This lasted until Naito dropped ZSJ with elbows to the neck. Two quick pin attempts followed. Once that didn’t work, another short strike exchange happened. Then ZSJ trapped Naito in a pin and won the match.

After the match, ZSJ posed Naito’s belt before he walked to the back.

ZSJ is still undefeated, having defeated the reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and earning his 4th point in A Block.

Yota Tsuji defeated David Finlay

Tonight’s main event opened Tsuji, landing a rana that sent Finlay to the floor and a follow-up rana. Tsuji then whipped Finlay into the barricade to establish a strong lead, which he maintained by locking in a Boston crab.

Finlay spat in Tsuji’s face to buy some separation, which he used to drive Tsuji to the top of the ring post. He then tossed Tsuji across the ring before landing some knee strikes to Tsuji’s midsection. A stomp from Tsuji in the corner seemingly stopped Finlay’s offense, but he quickly responded by shoving Tsuji to the ground. On the outside, Finlay shoved Tsuji into the barricades and threw him into the ring post. Back in the ring, Finlay landed a Dominator for a two-count.

When Finlay tried for Oblivion, Tsuji reversed into a suplex. He then delivered a second stomp. When two stomps proved insufficient, Tsuji tried a third. A brutal knee and a power drive from Tsuji seemingly furthered this lead by setting up the Gene Blast.

When Tsuji attempted tried for his Gene Blast spear, Finlay rolled through and hit Oblivion; Tsuji kicked out. Finlay followed up with three powerbombs, setting up Overkill. When he tried for the Overkill, Tsuji rolled him up, nearly stealing a win. Finlay answered with a lariat.

After five forearms from Finlay, Tsuji threw a headbutt that rocked Finlay. This opened the door for a sudden Gene Blast, but Finlay rolled onto his stomach. Tsuji didn’t waste time, though; he followed his spear with his rope-assisted stomp Malo Crash and pinned Finlay, winning the match.

Tsuji ends the night by getting points on the board. He sits at 2 points.

A Block Standings

EVIL – 4 Points
Zack Sabre Jr. – 4 Points
SANADA – 2 Points
Callum Newman – 2 Points
Gabe Kidd – 2 Points
Jake Lee – 2 Points
Shota Umino – 2 Points
Shingo Takagi – 2 Points
Great-O-Khan – 0 Points
Tetsuya Naito – 0 Points

B Block Standings

HENARE – 4 Points
Yuya Uemura – 4 Points
Oleg Boltin – 2 Points
Ren Narita – 2 Points
Yota Tsuji – 2 Points
Jeff Cobb – 2 Points
Konosuke Takeshita – 2 Points
David Finlay – 0 Points
Hirooki Goto – 0 Points
El Phantasmo – 0 Points

Updated NJPW G1 Climax 34 standings

Posted on by F4W Staff

G1 Climax 34 kicked off today in Osaka.

Both the A and B Blocks were in action on Saturday. Results from today’s show are available below.

G1 Climax 34 results from July 20, 2024 —

  • B Block: Oleg Boltin defeated Ren Narita 
  • A Block: Callum Newman defeated Shota Umino
  • B Block: HENARE defeated El Phantasmo
  • A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan
  • B Block: Jeff Cobb defeated Hirooki Goto
  • A Block: Jake Lee defeated SANADA
  • B Block: Yuya Uemura defeated David Finlay
  • A Block: EVIL defeated Gabe Kidd
  • B Block: Konosuke Takeshita defeated Yota Tsuji
  • A Block: Shingo Takagi defeated Tetsuya Naito 

Our live coverage of today’s event is available here.

The following are updated A Block & B Block standings for the NJPW G1 Climax 34 tournament following today’s event.

A Block —

  • Jake Lee (1-0) 2 points
  • Callum Newman (1-0) 2 points
  • Shingo Takagi (1-0) 2 points
  • Zack Sabre Jr. (1-0) 2 points
  • EVIL (1-0) 2 points
  • Gabe Kidd (0-1) 0 points
  • SANADA (0-1) 0 points
  • Great-O-Khan (0-1) 0 points
  • Shota Umino (0-1) 0 points
  • Tetsuya Naito (0-1) 0 points

B Block —

  • Oleg Boltin (1-0) 2 points
  • Yuya Uemura (1-0) 2 points
  • Jeff Cobb (1-0) 2 points
  • HENARE (1-0) 2 points
  • Konosuke Takeshita (1-0) 2 points
  • El Phantasmo (0-1) 0 points
  • Ren Narita (0-1) 0 points
  • Hirooki Goto (0-1) 0 points
  • Yota Tsuji (0-1) 0 points
  • David Finlay (0-1) 0 points

The tournament continues on Sunday with another show from Osaka with both A and B Block matches scheduled.

Sunday, July 21 G1 Climax 34 lineup —

  • A Block: SANADA vs. Callum Newman
  • B Block: Oleg Boltin vs. HENARE
  • A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Gabe Kidd
  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. Ren Narita
  • A Block: Jake Lee vs. EVIL
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Yuya Uemura
  • A Block: Shota Umino vs. Shingo Takagi
  • B Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • A Block: Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay

NJPW G1 Climax 34 night one live results: Naito vs. Shingo

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW’s G1 Climax 34 tournament kicks off today with 10 tournament matches in Osaka.

Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemates Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi will square off in the main event in an A Block battle.

The meeting is just the second career singles bout between Naito, the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, and Shingo, a former IWGP World title holder. Naito won their first and only meeting in the G1 back in 2019.

Every match in Saturday’s lineup is a G1 tournament bout.

Saturday’s full card:

  • A Block: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shingo Takagi
  • B Block: Yota Tsuji vs. Konosuke Takeshita
  • A Block: Gabe Kidd vs. EVIL
  • B Block: Yuya Uemura vs. David Finlay
  • A Block: SANADA vs. Jake Lee
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Jeff Cobb
  • A Block: Great-O-Khan vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. HENARE
  • A Block: Shota Umino vs. Callum Newman
  • B Block: Oleg Boltin vs. Ren Narita

***********

Oleg Boltin defeated Ren Narita

This match was a blast. The shenanigans from Narita made Oleg look super sympathetic. The structure worked very well. Good stuff.

Oleg came to the ring wearing new gear, showing off Kazak colors. It’s no longer a question; Oleg is no young lion.

The match began with Narita jumping Oleg. Oleg tried his best to fight off Narita but was cut off with a chair attack. From there, Narita started to work the arm, targeting it with objects and general offense.

Oleg eventually fired back with a dropkick. This slowed Narita’s somewhat, but an armbar put Oleg back on the defensive. Oleg powered through the armbar and landed a verdict. He followed up with the kamikaze to win the match.

Oleg is on the board with two points.

Callum Newman defeated Shota Umino

This was a fairly breezy call-and-response match.

This match opened with a striking battle. From there, both men ran at each other before Umino dropped Newman with a kick. Newman fired back with a Boston crab. Once Umino slipped free, he landed another dropkick before locking in a dropkick to slow down this fast start.

After Umino landed another dropkick, Newman responded with a quick kick. From here, both men traded quick strikes until Umino managed to land a cutter. Newman answered with a couple of quick pin attempts before landing a Spanish fly for a nearfall.

A dropkick to the back of Umino left him prone to a stomp to the back. Newman followed up with an OsCutter and pinned Umino to win the match.

In a bit of a surprise, Newman earns his first two points in the opening round.

HENARE defeated El Phantasmo

HENARE forced ELP into the corner after the opening bell. ELP fired back by sending HENARE to the floor, where he landed a tope. Back in the ring, the pair traded strikes, allowing HENARE to establish control for the first time.

HENARE attempted to land a lariat, but ELP reversed into one of his own. When ELP tried to follow up, he was cut off with a knee and a bezerker. The pair then traded strikes again, leading to an intense back and forth.

A sudden Sudden Death from ELP scored him a nearfall. He followed up with a burning hammer and a splash for another.

HENARE fired back a drop and a tackle for a nearfall of his own and a reset in his favor. He then landed Streets of Rage and pinned ELP, winning the match.

HENARE starts off strong with two points.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan

This was one of the best O-Khan performances in ages. The opening of this match was off the wall, and the rest of it held up quite well. Another solid watch.

A quick scramble opened the match before O-Khan dumped ZSJ to the floor. On the outside, O-Khan challenged ZSJ, which led to some exciting grappling. O-Khan escaped ZSJ’s hold by slamming him into the barricade, leading to a brawl in the crowd as the referee’s count climbed. O-Khan dropped ZSJ with a body shot, nearly forcing the cutout.

Back in the ring, ZSJ managed to reverse momentum with some of his signature offense. O-Khan fired back with a bit of wrestling of his own, utilizing throws to ground ZSJ. A hook to the throat of ZSJ floored him, and the follow-up German only cemented O-Khan’s lead.

ZSJ tried catching O-Khan in a hold, only for O-Khan to reverse into a powerbomb. O-Khan managed to lock in his claw to set up the eliminator. When he attempted the move, ZSJ reversed into the DDT. He then landed the Zack Driver, winning the match in mere moments.

ZSJ’s G1 begins with a win and two points.

Jeff Cobb defeated Hirooki Goto

This was a good big-man sprint.

Both men traded strikes to open the match. A short clothesline from Cobb left him ahead of Goto, which he used to land more substantive offense. Goto fired back by clubbing Cobb with more strikes, eventually dropping Cobb with a clothesline of his own.

Goto landed an ushigoroshi for a two-count. Cobb then blocked the GTR attempt but failed to follow up, leading to a scramble for control filled with quick pins and failed moves. From the chaos, Cobb managed to land Tour of the Islands, winning him the match.

Cobb earns his two points.

Jake Lee defeated SANADA

As an outspoken SANADA skeptic and Jake Lee naysayer, I can’t say I hated this. In fact, I’d say I really liked it. It was bold and left me wanting more.

This match opened up with basic wrestling that Lee ended with a choke slam. SANADA fired back with a magic screw and a rounding body press, effectively taking control of the match.

Lee cut off SANADA’s Shining Wizard attempt and barely escaped the follow-up pin attempt. Lee then hit Face Break Shot, his kick in the corner, and pinned SANADA.

In under five minutes, Jake Lee pinned SANADA to earn two points.

Yuya Uemura defeated David Finlay

Compared to everything else on the card so far, this match felt the most like a classic New Japan match.

Uemura opened the match by taking Finlay to the mat. When he tried standing up, Finlay fired back, throwing Uemura to the floor and slamming him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Finlay maintained his lead, picking apart Uemura with focused offense.

Uemura eventually landed a dropkick to reset the match. He then hit a bulldog before dragging Finlay to the top rope only for Finlay to reverse into a superplex. Finlay then hit a backbreaker running at Uemura, opening the door for a reversal.

Uemura landed a dive to the floor once Finlay attempted to retreat. A chop from the top rope and a follow-up backdrop scored Uemura a two-count. Uemura kept up the pressure with a crossbody and a range before attempting another pin.

Finlay landed a sudden powerbomb for a nearfall. He followed up with a Dominator, which resulted in a convincing nearfall. Uemura responded with a pair of suplex, each scoring a nearfall of his own.

With the end in sight, both men began trading blows. Finlay then hoisted Uemura up and hit him with two turnbuckle powerbombs. When Finlay attempted a third, Uemura reversed into a hurricanrana pin, from which Finlay couldn’t escape.

In another slight surprise, Uemurea wins his first-round match, earning two points.

EVIL defeated Gabe Kidd

This was one of the best EVIL matches in years. It was probably the best match he’d had since joining BULLET CLUB. Fantastic. Even the interference felt intentional and earned. Color me impressed.

Before the match could even begin, Kidd landed a tope con hilo to the floor, taking out Togo and EVIL. He then focused on EVIL, landing andother dive before throwing him into the barricade and grabbing chairs.

EVIL managed to take advantage of Kidd’s chairs, slamming one into Kidd’s face before taking his head off with the other. He then entered the ring, marking the official start of the match.

In the ring, EVIL whipped Kidd into an exposed corner, but Kidd fired back with a head butt and an intense flurry. EVIL answered with a fisherman suplex, keeping Kid on the backfoot.

EVIL landed a massive lariat, only for Kidd to kick out at one. He followed up with a backdrop for a two-count. EVIL tried for a referee assist, but Kidd resisted, landing another lariat for another two-count. A frustrated Kidd threw the referee to the floor, opening the door for HoT interference.

With Kidd in the lead, Togo hit the ring and began to choke him with a wire. EVIL then landed a magic killer with aid from Togo. Once the referee re-entered the ring, EVIL hit Everything is Evil and won the match.

EVIL is on the board with two points.

Konosuke Takeshita defeated Yota Tsuji

No doubt the world will be raving about this one. It was exactly what you expect from these two: an action-packed sprint.

The match opened with some basic grappling and strikes before Takeshita landed a tope to the floor to establish a lead for the first time. He then slammed Tsuji into the barricade before returning to the ring, where he kept up the pressure with more intense offense.

Tsuji cut off Takesthia’s lead with a rana, which led to a dive of his own. Back in the ring, Tsuji returned the favor, hitting Takeshita with a variety of high-impact offenses.

Once Takesthia had a moment to respond, he caught Tsuji with a brainbuster. The follow-up knee and suplex scored Takeshita, which scored him a convincing nearfall.

The pair eventually worked their way to the top rope. On the top, Takeshita fell to the mat twice. Tsuji then hit Takesthia with a Spanish Fly from the top for a nearfall. Tsuji tried to follow up with the Gene Blast, but Takeshita reversed it into another suplex and a poison-rana. Tsuji answered with a pump kick and a sit-out powerbomb for a match reset.

A striking battle at the fifteen-minute mark ended with a sudden roll-up attempt from Tsuji. Once Takesthia kicked out, he landed a headbutt and a stomp for another nearfall. Tsuji tried to get Gene to blast again but was cut off by a Takesthia knee. Takesthia then hit a Blue Thunder Bomb and Raging Fire before pinning Tsuji to win the match.

Takeshita starts his G1 career off strong with two points.

Shingo Takagi defeated Tetsuya Naito

The opening feeling out process began before the opening bell sounded as Shingo rejected Naito’s LIJ salute. Once the match actually began, the two treaded lightly until Shingo sent Naito to the floor where he whipped him into the barricades, establishing a strong control over the IWGP champion. Back in the ring, Shingo maintained his lead with basic holds and deliberate strikes.

Naito dropped Shingo over his knee for a quick switch in momentum. From here, Naito began to focus on the neck, utilizing all of his typical moves.

After a substantial amount of time on the back foot, Shingo landed a DDT, which he followed with a sliding lariat and a powerbomb. This left Shingo ahead for a moment, but Naito fired back with more neck-based attacks as soon as there was an opening.

Shingo landed a massive STAY DREAM from the top rope after cutting off an overly ambitious Naito. Naito managed to survive, leading to a back-and-forth strike exchange. Shingo won out by dropping Naito with a Pumping Bomber. He followed this with Made and Japan, but Naito managed to kick out.

Shingo hoisted Naito onto his shoulders, only for Naito to slip into a Destino variation. Naito then placed Shingo on the top rope and tried for the Frankensteiner. After hitting it, Naito landed a follow-up tornado DDT before trying another Destino. An awkward back-and-forth followed as both men tried to close the match, ending with a Kawada Driver from Shingo. Naito kicked out. Shingo then hit Last of the Dragon to win the match.

Shingo not only earned two points with this win, but he also pinned the leader of his own faction and the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

NJPW reveals IWGP Committee members

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW has named five members to its IWGP Committee, a group that oversees championship matches and tournaments in the promotion.

The restructured group was announced by NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi at the company’s pre-G1 Climax press conference. Tanahashi said that, while the committee has always been a vague concept to fans, he wants the audience to understand more about it. The committee will consist of the following five people:

  • Former IWGP Champion Yuji Nagata
  • NJPW legend Jushin Thunder Liger
  • Former referee Tiger Hattori
  • NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi
  • NJPW board member Hitoshi Matsumoto

Tanahashi said the committee members will work closely with NJPW’s wrestlers and referees. There is no committee president, but group members “will attend various events and be on hand whenever required for decisions in [the] future.”

In December of last year, Tanahashi was named the new president of NJPW. He still competes in the ring but isn’t part of NJPW’s G1 Climax this year, marking the first time he hasn’t been in the tournament since 2001. Tanahashi lost to Oleg Boltin in NJPW’s G1 qualifier tournament.

Shota Umino confirms NJPW G1 Climax 34 in-ring return

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Shota Umino is returning to action.

NJPW posted a video on social media Monday confirming that Shota Umino will be back for the start of the G1 Climax 34 tournament that begins this weekend. He had been out of action since June from back and hip injuries suffered in a match against Rocky Romero that took place last month on AEW Rampage.

“I’m announcing that I will return to the ring for the G1 Climax,” Umino said in the video. “A lot of people have given me their support for the last month. And I put all I had into rehabbing and treatment to be in the G1.”

He said this wasn’t a decision he has taken lightly, and will use this determination to help him win the upcoming tournament.

“I will come out on top of the A Block, win the G1, and then stand on the Tokyo Dome stage,” he finished.

Umino’s first match will take place on opening day, July 20, when he faces Callum Newman. The winner crowned on August 18 will earn a contract for an IWGP World Heavyweight title match that will take place at Wrestle Kingdom 19 on January 4.

Final two wrestlers qualify for NJPW G1 Climax

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Callum Newman and Oleg Boltin are both set to compete in their first-ever G1 Climax.

The finals of NJPW’s G1 qualifier tournament took place on Friday with Newman earning the last spot in A Block and Boltin earning the last B Block spot. In the tournament finals, Newman defeated YOSHI-HASHI and Boltin defeated Taichi.

The qualifier tournament proved to be a way for NJPW to add two fresh faces to the G1 while having some mainstays miss out. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano are among the veterans who lost in the tournament and will be missing the G1. This will be the first G1 without Tanahashi since 2001, the first without Ishii since 2012, and the first without Yano since 2006.

Newman won matches against YOSHI-HASHI, KENTA, and Yujiro Takahashi during the qualifier tournament. Boltin’s victories were against Taichi, Tanahashi, and Yano.

The G1 begins on July 20 and runs through August 18. Here is the full list of participants:

A Block:

  • Tetsuya Naito
  • Shota Umino
  • Shingo Takagi
  • SANADA
  • Great-O-Khan
  • Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Gabe Kidd
  • EVIL
  • Jake Lee
  • Callum Newman

B Block:

  • Hirooki Goto
  • El Phantasmo
  • Yota Tsuji
  • Yuya Uemura
  • Jeff Cobb
  • Henare
  • David Finlay
  • Ren Narita
  • Konosuke Takeshita
  • Oleg Boltin

New Japan Soul live results: Junior title match, G1 qualifier finals

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Today’s New Japan Soul tour finale features a Junior Heavyweight title bout, plus the finals of the G1 qualifier tournament.

In the main event, El Desperado defends the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against DOUKI. It will be the fifth career singles meeting between the two, with Desperado winning each of their first four meetings.

In the G1 qualifier tournament, Taichi will face Boltin Oleg with the winner qualifying for this year’s G1 Climax 34 B Block. YOSHI-HASHI will face Callum Newman with the final spot in A Block on the line.

An all-LIJ six-man will be in today’s semi-main event spot, with Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI & Shingo Takagi taking on Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & Titan.

Ryusuke Taguchi returns from injury on today’s show, teaming with Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma & Tiger Mask against House of Torture’s EVIL, SHO, Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru.

SANADA, Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku face Great-O-Khan, TJP & Francesco Akira in a trios match.

TMDK’s Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita face KENTA & Gedo in the opener.

**********

TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated BULLET CLUB (Gedo & KENTA)

This was fine enough, totally inoffensive filler.

This match opened with Bullet Club stealing momentum by attacking their opponents before the opening bell. This led to a period of isolation for Fujita before ZSJ made the save. The follow-up TMDK rally allowed Fujita to focus Gedo long enough to land Abandon Hope to win the match.

United Empire (Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan & TJP) defeated Just 5 Guys (SANADA, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura)

O-Khan and Uemura opened this match with some basic grappling. From here, UE established a lead, cutting Uemura off from his team.

Once SANADA tagged in, J5G regained some footing, but a back-and-forth between teams followed. After a prolonged scramble, Akira was able to pin TAKA, winning the match.

House Of Torture (EVIL, Ren Narita, SHO, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma & Yuji Nagata

This was an HoT “comedy” match with all the fixings. After fighting on the floor, distractions, false bell rings, low blows, and everything else you’d expect, Honma was hit with a pushup bar, and Everything is Evil to lose the match.

The legacy trio of Tanahashi, Nagata, and Honma almost made this tolerable but ultimately failed. That said, I’ve seen much worse from HoT.

G1 Climax Block A Qualifier Final: Callum Newman defeated YOSHI-HASHI

The match opened with chain wrestling. YH answered by dropping Newman with a tackle, but Newman responded with a boot seconds later.

On the floor, Newman whipped YH into the guardrail. YH bounced back, knocking Newman onto the padding. Back in the ring, YH maintained the pace by dropkicking Newman against the ropes. From here, YH continued to make advances, establishing a strong lead.

After a while on the back foot, Newman landed a stomp, which he used to launch a rally. YH ultimately cut him off with head hunter, setting up another stent of control.

YH continually unloaded on Newman, heading into his finish. With the end in sight, Newman trapped YH in a quick pin to win the match.

Newman advances to the G1 Climax.

G1 Climax Block B Qualifier Final: Oleg Boltin defeated Taichi

I didn’t love this match as a whole, but I loved the finishing stretch. I can not wait for Oleg’s G1.

The match opened with back-and-forth striking. From here, the match worked its way to the floor, where Taichi threw Oleg into the chairs. Back in the ring, Taichi maintained his lead, picking apart Oleg with simple strikes and holds.

After a long time on top, Taichi paused. This allowed Oleg to hit Kamikaze, resetting the match in his favor for the first time. Oleg managed to hit another to further his lead, but a Gedo clutch kept Taichi in the match.

A Dangerous Backdrop scored Taichi a nearfall. Oleg fired back by dumping Taichi on his ribs. Oleg then landed a knee to the ribs, a verdict à la Brock Lesnar, and another Kamikaze to win the match.

Oleg Boltin has qualified for the G1 Climax.

Time Limit Draw: Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi, Titan & Yota Tsuji)

This match went an excruciating 30 minutes. I’m sure some people will enjoy it, but it certainly wasn’t for me.

The match opened with a few quick showcases between understandable opponents: Titan and Bushi, Shingo and Tsuji, and Naito and Hiromu. Hiromu took his opportunity, taking Naito to the floor and upping the intensity of the match.

With help from his corner, Hiromu took control over Naito. They worked in unison to isolate the heavyweight champion, gaining a strong lead.

Shingo eventually hit the ring to buy Naito space. This led to a back-and-forth with Tsuji, leaving both men grounded.

Titan and Bushi tagged in next, leading to an acrobatic exchange. Titan hit a tope and a top rope stomp. Bushi responded with a backbreaker, forcing a double tag.

Naito dropped Hiromu with a DDT, but Hiromu responded with a Victory Royal for a nearfall. With the time limit drawing near, Hiromu landed a bomber for another. Naito then tried for Destino, but everyone hit the ring to prevent the finish. After everyone hit something, Naito landed Valencia. With 30 seconds on the clock, Hiromu answered with Timebomb.

Both men were laid out as the clock ticked down. Naito tried for a last-ditch pin, but the time limit expired, leaving no one with the win.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: DOUKI defeated El Desperado (c)

This match was almost all Desperado ahead of the finish. It was built around DOUKI selling his knee, which he did well enough.

The match opened slow, with some basic grappling that gradually escalated. On the floor, Douki hit a DDT to gain the first advantage of the match, but Desperado fired back with an attack on the knee. This led to a prolonged stent of control from the champion.

A sudden dive and DDT from Douki provided a moment of separation for the challenger. He followed up with the Douki-Chokie, which Desperado escaped by finding the ropes. Desperado then locked in the cloverleaf, retaking his lead.

A stray kick from Douki initiated a striking battle. Desperado answered the strikes with a German, and Douki answered the German with a lariat. Douki then hit Suplex de La Luna and won the match.

For the first time in his career, Douki is the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.

Finals set for NJPW G1 Climax qualifier tournament

Posted on by Joseph Currier

A pair of NJPW’s most popular veterans won’t be taking part in this year’s G1 Climax.

NJPW is holding a qualifier tournament to decide the final A Block participant and final B Block participant for the G1. On Wednesday, the semifinals were held at Korakuen Hall. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii were among those eliminated from contention.

YOSHI-HASHI defeated Ishii and Callum Newman defeated KENTA in the A Block semifinals. The B Block semifinals saw Boltin Oleg defeat Tanahashi and Taichi defeat TJP.

The qualifier tournament finals are taking place this Friday (July 5). It will be YOSHI-HASHI vs. Newman for the last A Block spot and Oleg vs. Taichi for the last B Block spot.

This will be the first G1 without Tanahashi since 2001 and the first G1 without Ishii since 2012. In addition to still competing in the ring, Tanahashi was named president of NJPW last December.

The G1 begins on July 20 and runs through August 18. Here’s the list of competitors for both blocks:

A Block:

  • Tetsuya Naito
  • Shota Umino
  • Shingo Takagi
  • SANADA
  • Great-O-Khan
  • Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Gabe Kidd
  • EVIL
  • Jake Lee
  • YOSHI-HASHI or Callum Newman

B Block:

  • Hirooki Goto
  • El Phantasmo
  • Yota Tsuji
  • Yuya Uemura
  • Jeff Cobb
  • Henare
  • David Finlay
  • Ren Narita
  • Konosuke Takeshita
  • Boltin Oleg or Taichi

NJPW & Stardom reveal Wrestle Kingdom Week schedule for January 2025

Posted on by Bryan Rose

NJPW has revealed its slate of events for Wrestle Kingdom Week.

During a press conference on Monday, NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi and Stardom President Taro Okada revealed details on the slate of events both promotions will hold leading to Wrestle Kingdom 19 on January 4. Tanahashi said the key point of the week was to “bring fans together across Japan, and around the world.”

The week begins with Stardom’s traditional year-end card on December 29. The first Stardom event of 2025 will be held on January 3 with the New Year Dream event at the Tokyo Garden Theatre. Pro-Wrestling Matsuri, NJPW’s fan festival, will be held on January 2 at the Bellesalle Haneda. The following day, a Wrestle Kingdom 19 kickoff event will be held, with future details to follow.

Wrestle Kingdom 19 will be held on Janaury 4 at the Tokyo Dome. The following day, Wrestle Dynasty will take place at the same venue, featuring representation from NJPW, AEW, CMLL, ROH, and Stardom. The final event on the schedule is NJPW’s mystery card event New Year Dash on January 6 at Ota-ku Gymnasium.

Here is the entire Wrestle Kingdom Week schedule:

  • Sunday, December 29: Stardom at Ryogoku Sumo Hall
  • Thursday, January 2: Pro-Wrestling Matsuri fan festival, Bellesalle Haneda
  • Friday, January 3: Wrestle Kingdom 19 Kickoff, venue TBA
  • Friday, January 3: Stardom New Year Dream, Tokyo Garden Theatre
  • Saturday, January 4: Wrestle Kingdom 19 in Tokyo Dome
  • Sunday, January 5: Wrestle Dynasty in Tokyo Dome
  • Monday, January 6: New Year Dash, Ota-ku Gymnasium

NJPW Tamashii announces Oceania Cup tournament for Australia next month

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The Oceania Cup is returning.

NJPW announced on social media that the first-ever tournament for the Oceania Cup will take place on August 16 at the Metro Social in Sydney, Australia. Tickets will become available at 11 am this Thursday via Ticketsearch.

https://twitter.com/NJTamashii/status/1808305572502294885

“#njpwTAMASHII returns to Sydney on Friday August 16 with the NJPW OCEANIA CUP. A tournament featuring 8 of the top Heavyweights in the Oceania region with the winner receiving the first ever NJPW Oceania Cup!,” NJPW wrote.

The Oceania Cup was originally scheduled to take place last year in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. However, NJPW later announced that they would pull out of the tour, with TNA taking its place. Those shows took place on June 30 and July 1 and were headlined by Alex Shelley defeating Steve Maclin to retain the TNA World Championship and Deonna Purrazzo defeating Gisele Shaw to retain the TNA Knockouts title.

NJPW will also hold a Tamashii event in Rolleston, Christchurch, New Zealand on July 28 at Rolleston College.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door review: Swerve & Ospreay’s incredible night

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Image: AEW

Heading into the main event, AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door had been a pretty darn good show filled with plenty of good to great matches. 

By the end of the night, most people will only remember one match.

Will Ospreay and AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland ended up having a match of the year contender with some of the best work out of either man. Their timing was top notch, there were some absolutely crazy moves (that Swerve dive to the outside on Ospreay looked like it HURT) and the crowd, which had been hot and cold all night, came unglued for the final few moments. Those moments saw Ospreay kick out of everything but he eventually could not kick out any longer, giving Strickland a huge win.

Whenever you see an online troll yell into the ether that AEW matches are nothing but glorified spot fests, I feel matches like this make them look like idiots. Anyone can go out there and do the moves these two did. What makes matches like these special are the participants involved, how they do the moves, when to do the moves, what to do in between, and reading the crowd to know what to do next. It’s so hard to pull off something special like this, and these two not only succeeded, but left the match even bigger stars than they were when they walked in.

I do have to mention part of the finish involved Don Callis giving Ospreay the Kenny Omega screwdriver to use on Swerve. He rejected it, probably starting the course for their eventual separation. I guess that could keep him busy in July, leading to August or September where it seems like he and MJF are inevitable.

Here is the rest of Forbidden Door, which was another great pay-per-view from AEW:

  • Tetsuya Naito winning the IWGP title from Jon Moxley was surprisingly boring. For whatever reason, Naito didn’t feel like doing much and it felt like he was moving at a slow speed for the entire match. Most Moxley matches have a sense of intensity to them — something this one lacked. Their match at NJPW Windy City Riot earlier this year was way better. It didn’t help that the crowd fell asleep for this one.
  • Mercedes Mone is now a double champion, defeating Stephanie Vaquer for the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship. This was good, even though the crowd weirdly hated Mone by the end of the match. I guess they just decided she was to blame for the Celtics winning the NBA title or something. Vaquer has really made a name for herself in the last year when she faced Mone, so this was a cool full circle moment.
  • I did a poll during this match asking if the ladder match is used too much in pro wrestling. The answer is yes as after this ladder match, there will be two more next weekend and probably lots of other ones will take place before the year is over. With that said, I have to say the match to crown a new TNT Champion was absolutely wild. Mark Briscoe did some insane things that have to be seen to be believed. Jack Perry ended up winning the title, and probably will hold it for a while as all members of The Elite are now wearing gold.
  • Samoa Joe, Hook and Katsuyori Shibata defeated Chris Jericho, his redwood Big Bill, and Jeff Cobb. This was perfectly fine action, but it was hard to follow the other matches on the card. It mostly made me want to see Cobb and Joe have a match somewhere, hopefully sooner than later. Hook pinning Jericho clean with his own finish makes sense as the singles rematch is likely for Wembley.
  • I loved seeing Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Orange Cassidy. Sabre’s style of technical wrestling is always fun to watch and Cassidy kept up with him every step of the way. They had a Sabre-style technical bout and Cassidy kept up with him every step of the way. This was probably my favorite match of the show up to that point in the show.
  • Toni Storm retained the AEW Women’s title once more, defeating Stardom’s Mina Shirakawa. This was another great PPV performance by Storm who is finding the groove in having good matches while also keeping in line with her current gimmick. It helps that Shirakawa is very good and the crowd were invested in seeing these two wrestle. In the end, Mariah May didn’t have to choose either lady as everyone kissed and made up after the match, literally. Good for them.
  • Unsurprisingly, Bryan Danielson and Shingo Takagi had an excellent, heated match with Danielson scoring the win in an Owen Hart tournament match with a brutal-looking armbar. Danielson is telling the story that he is banged up and doesn’t have much time left, but can still pull off wins when they matter. I feel like it has to be him and Strickland for the title at Wembley.
  • The Elite taking on “Scissor Ace” Hiroshi Tanahashi was good, especially when Okada and Tanahashi were involved. It was like watching their greatest hits and that’s never a bad thing. I actually was expecting The Acclaimed to get a win here ahead of their title match against The Young Bucks, but it didn’t happen.
  • MJF defeating Hechicero in the opener was good while it lasted. It was mainly a match to put MJF over in his hometown area, and not much else.

Next up for AEW is what I believe is now their own version of WrestleMania: August’s All In from Wembley Stadium in London. The pieces are starting to come together, so hopefully they play out over the next couple of months. One of the things AEW needs to solve is making the TV just as engaging as the pay-per-views. They’ve struggled with that in recent months, but with their biggest show of the year coming up this might be the best time to really flesh out the stories they’ve been telling.

NJPW announces Forbidden Door-esque Wrestle Dynasty event with AEW, CMLL & ROH

Posted on by Josh Nason

Yet another door is opening up in pro wrestling as NJPW has announced their own version of Forbidden Door for this January.

During Sunday’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, a NJPW promo aired for Wrestle Dynasty on Sunday, January 5th — the day after their annual Wrestle Kingdom event at the Tokyo Dome where both events will now take place.

In the promo, AEW, Ring of Honor, CMLL and Stardom were featured in addition to shots of AEW stars like Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada.

In the clip, it was stated “The door finally opens on Japan.”

Announced in February 2020, Wrestle Dynasty was originally slated as a supershow to be held in 2021 at Madison Square Garden and was to be the company’s first-ever independently promoted event in the venue. However, the pandemic resulted in several delays and eventually the show’s cancellation.

NJPW has been no stranger to cross promotion through the years, proven by their third-such event with AEW at Forbidden Door and several Multiverse events with Impact Wrestling and their long-running Fantastica Mania events with CMLL.