Tag: new japan

NJPW Strong results: Brody King vs. Bateman

Posted on by Justin Knipper

Tonight’s show opened with promos from both Brody King and Batemen, who were set to square off in the main event, a qualifying match for the New Japan Cup USA 2021 tournament. Bateman explained how this win could change his life. He also promised that tonight’s match between him and King would get physical. King talked about coming up short in last year’s Cup, and that this year, we would see a different version of Brody King.

Jeff Cobb defeated Alex Coughlin

The newly mustachioed Alex Coughlin held his own against Jeff Cobb early on. This is one of Cobb’s first appearances on Strong as a member of the United Empire alongside Great O-Khan, Will Ospreay and Bea Priestley. We saw a meaner, oilier Cobb here tonight, who quickly cut off Coughlin’s attempts at offense with serious power. He ragdolled Coughlin a bit, but the young lion hung in there and continuously fired back at Cobb with strikes of his own to no avail.

Next, Cobb locked in an old school bear hug submission. When Coughlin went for a spear, Cobb side-stepped out of the way and guided Coughlin face-first into the mat. At around five minutes in, Coughlin drained most of his energy on trying to bodyslam Cobb. He eventually pulled it off, but Cobb answered back later, catching him with a spinning back suplex and later a vicious Tour of the Islands powerslam for the pin. 

Cobb looked killer here. When he works with someone like Coughlin, someone who can take a serious physical beating, Cobb is allowed to show more “follow-through” in the ring on offense; the chops, lariats, and suplexes all had greater impact tonight as opposed what we’ve seen from the former Olympian in the past. It’s more clear than ever that Cobb is a heel now, and it’s great. And kudos to Coughlin, as well, who has lost pretty much all of his matches so far this year but looked excellent in every loss.

Ren Narita defeated Misterioso to qualify for the NJPW Cup USA 2021 tournament

Both were hesitant at the start as the two felt each other out. We saw a nice monkey flip from Narita early. Narita muscled Misterioso down to the mat with headlock, but Misterioso slipped out of his grasp and sprang to his feet. Narita then bullied Misterioso into the corner and wailed away with strikes.

Misterioso later went for a triangle moonsault but caught himself on the top rope. Luckily, the momentum from the dive carried him all the way down to the floor so it didn’t look too bad. It could have been a lot worse.

Back in the ring, Misterioso stuck a flying lariat and followed it with a powerslam. He used a Guerrero Special from the top for two. Narita wouldn’t stop fighting back, answering Misterioso’s offense with more submissions as opposed to strikes. Before he landed a pretty German suplex for a two-count, Narita put Misterioso away with his modified Cloverleaf finish for the win in just over ten minutes. This was decent, but Misterioso’s slight botches were also hard to unsee.

Brody King defeated Bateman to qualify for the NJPW Cup USA 2021 tournament

The Riegel Twins accompanied Brody King to the ring tonight.

Slow start until both started trading hard forearms. Bateman feigned another forearm shot but poked King in the eyes instead. He then tripped King who was coming off the ropes, and King landed face-first onto the mat.

King seemed not to like any of Bateman’s foul play and quickly turned the tides, locking in a seated abdominal stretch while peppering Bateman with huge forearms to the chest, King growling with each shot.

Bateman went back to the eyes. Loud chops from both. After catching King with two big elbows in the corner, he took off his elbow pads and threw him at King’s head with contempt. King didn’t seem to like that either and responded by using an exploder suplex into the corner on Batemen, then launched himself at a prone Batemen with a running cannonball.

Both were out for a while. Bateman came back to his feet and was able to lay in a few more elbows. Bateman later tried using a German suplex into the corner on King, but King’s head missed the post, so I guess it was just a regular German suplex. He used a face wash on King next. King couldn’t make a proper comeback at this point because of his injured knee. The Riegels encouraged King from the outside the ring. King was able to deliver a snap German suplex, a huge running lariat, and finally a Gonzo Bomb to finally put Bateman away. Good stuff from both here.

Brody King with the Riegel Twins appeared after the match, celebrating backstage. Before departing, King stated: “Last year I came up short, but this year I’m taking the whole thing” in reference to the NJPW Cup USA tournament.

Final thoughts:

The main event was the standout on tonight’s episode. Bateman is a refreshing personality in the mix, and his style and size help spice up the show without compromising any of the show’s usual quality. King has been very good in these main event spotsl. His singles matches are usually the highlights of those particular shows, and tonight’s performance provides more evidence of this.

Chris Dickinson vs. Blake Christian and Clark Connors vs. TJP are in action next week. Both are New Japan Cup USA qualifying matches.

NJPW Strong results: Lio Rush vs. Rocky Romero

Posted on by Justin Knipper

Tonight’s episode started off with both Lio Rush and Rocky Romero’s pre-taped selfie promos hyping their main event later in the show. Their match was one of two New Japan Cup USA qualifying matches that aired tonight. The Cup will host eight entrants in total once all competitors are qualified.  We’d know the first two participants of the tourney by the end of the show.

Karl Fredericks and Alex Coughlin defeated Clark Connors and Kevin Knight

The Young Lions were back in the ring with each other for the first time in months. Coughlin suffered a neck injury last year, so this was the first time we got to see him on the show this year. He recently appeared at both of Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport events before making his return appearance on Strong this week.

Even before the bell sounded, all four were talking trash with each other, all audible, for the most part. Connors seems to have a uniquely dynamic chemistry with both Fredericks and Coughlin.

The first match kicked off with Coughlin and a more recent Young Lion, Kevin Knight, and the two looked sharp together from the beginning, cycling through holds and submission attempts without hesitating. Coughlin was keen on proving that his neck injury was healed, making it a point to use holds that put pressure on his own neck, ones that forced him to bridge.

No matter what, this always felt like a competitive contest. There was never a doubt in my mind that what I was watching was ‘sport’ and not something else. The way all four come across in the ring, their intensity plus the crazy athleticism among each of them is notable, and it made me pay closer attention.

I forgot how high Fredericks could jump. He showed off a high leapfrog while in the ring with Connors, and it’s always impressive because of how tall Fredericks is. There looked to be a bit of miscommunication between the two on a powerslam spot, but it didn’t ruin the momentum of the match, fortunately.

Knight took a beating from both Fredericks and Coughlin by the time this was half-way through. Knight would sometimes explode with a return attack, like once when he used a diving shoulder tackle to a seat Coughlin—something I’d never seen before—plus, later, he landed a dropkick where Knight had to be close to six-feet in the air Keep an eye on Knight this year, as he’s sure to blow up once NJPW gives him the nod.

Towards the end of the match, Coughlin used a double gutwrench suplex on both Connors and Knight. Eat your heart out, Daisuke Sekimoto. Knight later locked on a Boston Crab on Fredericks until he grabbed the ropes for the break. The finish saw Fredericks locking in a sleeperhold to put Knight down, then hoisted him up for Manifest Destiny, Frederick’s impaler DDT finisher, and picked up the win for him and Coughlin.

Afterwards, the two cut a good promo that featured a fired-up Coughlin, who expressed his desire to get back into the ring after being out of commission for more than half a year.

“Filthy” Tom Lawlor defeated The DKC to qualify for the New Japan USA Cup 2021

Filthy” Tom brought a long Indian club with him into the ring and swung it over his head a few times before the match. It’s the same piece of exercise equipment greats like Karl Gotch and the Iron Sheik used in their training, 

One of the best things about this match was how it started: Instead of tying up, Lawlor kicked the DKC flush in the chest. I immediately thought to myself, “Why haven’t more wrestlers started their matches this way?”

Lawlor then boasted in the ring and asked for Kevin Kelly, who was on commentary. The momentary lapse allowed the DKC enough time to recover and get revenge on Lawlor for his “filthy” tactics. He landed a nice dropkick before the fight spilled out onto the floor.

Later, back in the ring, Lawlor took control on offense and it stayed that way for much of the match; the DKC would often try exploding back with bursts of offense, but the more experienced Lawlor was able to shut down anything DKC threw his way.

Lawlor spent time during the match working on the DKC’s arm. DKC answered back late with a Northern Lights suplex for two. DKC would continue to fight off submission attempts from Lawlor, and at points he’d come close to nearfalls via cradles or roll-up pins, but after Lawlor broke out the reverse bodyslam, the path to the finish was clear. He put the DKC down into a sitting position after locking him in a sleeper, then blasted him with a penalty kick for the win in a relatively short match, but a good one with a good story.

Lio Rush defeated Rocky Romero to qualify for the New Japan Cup USA 2021

Rush has had only a handful of matches with NJPW but already feels like a halfway seasoned regular of the show. His style really seems to suit the show so far.

The beginning of the match was similar to Rush’s match against El Phantasmo a few weeks back in that both matches started at a much slower pace than anticipated. The first five minutes of that match and tonight’s match with Rush and Romero were similarly paced, methodical and measured but with bursts of athleticism peppered throughout. Rush showed lots of flare and flash in his wrestling, but it never felt out of place or overdone.He and Romero complemented each other well tonight.

Romero looked to be in control of things. He targeted Rush’s arm throughout, tenderizing it with a hard dropkick from the second rope at one point, then later applying an arm lock on the same arm. Towards the end, when Romero went for his repeated forever clotheslines in the corner, Rush was able to withstand the blows, hop to the second rope and dive into Romero with a flying clothesline of his own. When Rush called for his finish, Romero was able to block it and turn Rush inside out with sliced bread for two. Romero cradled Rush for two, then Rush rolled back over, reversing the cradle and pinning Romero for three. Lio Rush wins and advances to the first round of the New Japan Cup USA 2021.

Final thoughts:

Everything on tonight’s show was great, but the first match had the most intensity and a lot of unanticipated excitement. I look forward to seeing more “Filthy” Tom in NJPW, too. Lio Rush seems like he’ll be appearing more for New Japan of America as well, as he too is slated for more appearances starting with the Cup shows.

Next week features Fred Rosser vs. JR Kratos in another New Japan Cup USA qualifying match.

Marty Scurll out of New Japan plans, Strong appearance scrapped

Posted on by Josh Nason

Marty Scurll will not be featured on any New Japan Strong episodes nor is he expected to be part of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s plans anytime soon.

The news was first reported by the Super J-Cast podcast and confirmed by Dave Meltzer.

News broke last week that Scurll was part of the January 22nd taping in California and was rumored to be involved in a post-match angle with Rocky Romero. That led to a backlash on social media due to a 2015 encounter with a then-16-year-old female who said he sexually assaulted her — the story of which came out during last summer’s #SpeakingOut movement.

He admitted to the encounter, but said it was both consensual and legal due to the UK age of consent. He later released another statement, saying that while he didn’t “become aware of her age until after the encounter, the reality of the age disparity is not lost on me.”

At the time of the allegations, he was part of Ring of Honor as a wrestler and member of the booking committee. The company said they were launching an investigation into any such claims against their talent and while never releasing the result of that investigation, the two sides parted ways in January. He had worked extensively for New Japan in the past and last worked for them as part of the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

The 32-year-old has been ouf of action since February 2020.

Marty Scurll part of recent New Japan Strong tapings

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: NJPW

On Wednesday’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed that Marty Scurll worked at the recent New Japan Strong tapings in California.

He didn’t verify the story that Scurrl was involved in an post-match angle with Rocky Romero as was reported by Fanbyte’s Emily Pratt. Due to non-disclosure agreements, information has been hard to verify. Fightful first reported his involvement with Pratt reporting he was at the January 22nd day of taping. It’s unknown how many shows he will appear on as part of the tapings and when they will air.

From Pratt:

“The source said that while everyone working on NJPW Strong signs an NDA about the content of the tapings, there was no extra secrecy about Scurll’s involvement: “They weren’t trying to hide him.” The source says they were surprised by Scurll’s involvement, saying “I thought we were going to be the company that wasn’t booking these guys to get some buzz. They’re going to get buzz alright, but probably not the kind they’re looking for. And it just reeks of letting things slide because these people are all friends or whatever.” They added that “I really just think fans should know his involvement beforehand, so they can choose to tune in or not.”

Scurrl has worked for New Japan extensively in the past, last competing in the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors tournament. A presence in Ring of Honor since 2016, he re-upped with the company in January 2020 in a wrestling/booking role.

During last summer’s #SpeakingOut movement, he was accused of a 2015 sexual assault by a woman who was 16 at the time. He admitted to the encounter but said it was consensual, and legal due to the age of consent in the UK. He later released a second statement that was more contrite, saying that while he didn’t “become aware of her age until after the encounter, the reality of the age disparity is not lost on me.”

In June 2020, ROH announced an investigation into accusations made against their contracted talent. While never making the findings of those investigations public, several wrestlers were quietly removed from their roster page including Scurll. In January, they announced a mutual parting of the ways.

The 32-year-old’s last match was in February 2020 at Gateway to Honor in a six-man tag.

AEW & New Japan’s Danny Limelight reveals positive COVID-19 test

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW and New Japan’s Danny Limelight revealed on Twitter Wednesday that he has COVID-19.

He didn’t give any details, but said he was “on the road to getting better now.” He later tweeted, “If you’re lying about your covid tests so you don’t lose a booking/opportunity and you’re risking everyone else’s health you’re the worst kind of person.”

The 29-year-old’s next appearance is on this Friday’s New Japan Strong as he will team with Chris Dickinson against TJP and Ren Narita in a match that was already taped.

He has been a regular on AEW Dark, Strong, and Championship Wrestling of Hollywood where he’s one half of their tag team champions. He was last seen on the February 2nd edition of Dark, teaming with RYZIN in a losing effort to The Acclaimed in a match that was taped last week. Tuesday’s episode of Dark was the first he hasn’t been on since he debuted in October.

Limelight debuted on Strong last August and recently picked up singles wins on AEW Dark over Fuego del Sol and Sean Maluta, respectively.

NJPW’s Roku Channel debut to feature Wrestle Kingdom 14 action

Posted on by Josh Nason

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Thursday debut on The Roku Channel will begin with a ten hour marathon featuring action from 2020’s Wrestle Kingdom 14.

Last week, NJPW announced their new deal with Roku for a weekly show available in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada via The Roku Channel, accessible with nearly any kind of device. Starting with this marathon, the weekly show will air at 5 PM Eastern with the content available on demand after each initial airing.

The ten episodes of “New Japan Pro-Wrestling” will feature the following matches, all from Wrestle Kingdom 14:

  • Jay White vs. Tetsuya Naito
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Kota Ibushi
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito
  • Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi; Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Guerrillas of Destiny
  • Jushin Thunder Liger retirement matches
  • Jon Moxley vs. Lance Archer; Jon Moxley vs. Juice Robinson
  • Kota Ibushi vs. Jay White; Bullet Club vs. Roppongi 3K
  • KENTA vs. Hirooki Goto; CHAOS vs. Bullet Club
  • Zack Sabre Jr. vs SANADA; Suzuki-gun vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon
  • NEVER Openweight 6-man Tag Championship gauntlet match

NJPW Strong results: Jay White vs. Flip Gordon

Posted on by Justin Knipper

Tonight’s episode of New Japan Strong marked the first night of NJPW’s “Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2020” tour.

Alex Zayne and Fred Rosser defeated The DKC and Clark Connors

The DKC and Zayne in first for their teams. They had obvious chemistry together. DKC overall shows great energy that shines through onscreen.

Tonight was Fred Rosser’s NJPW debut. He and Clark Connors were good together. It’s easy to forget how big Rosser is, and he looked to be twice Connor’s size when they stood face to face.

The finish saw Zayne do a crazy double-jump springboard Asai moonsault to the floor, which allowed Rosser to score the pinfall in his debut after taking out the DKC with a fireman’s carry-to-double-knees gutbuster.

Karl Fredericks defeated Misterioso

Fredericks and Misterioso got into it on last week’s episode of NJPW Strong, which led to tonight’s bout.

This was good. Misterioso took most of the offense throughout this. He did a tope con giro to the floor, then landed a diving crossbody block for two inside the ring. Fredericks mounted a comeback halfway through the match, at one point blasting Misterioso in the face with his own version of the Shibata dropkick in the corner.

Misterioso tried using a back cracker on Fredericks–the move that put him away in last week’s tag team match–but Fredericks blocked it, then used the Manifest Destiny (high-angle implant DDT) for the win.

Hikuleo defeated Brody King

They exploded on each other right from the bell. King laid Hikuleo out early with a running cross body block.

The match spilled to the floor soon after. We had a true hoss brawl on our hands. Hikuleo looks much different from when he debuted in New Japan. Kevin Kelly talked about his recent excursion to England. It’s clear he hasn’t just improved, but is already finding his swagger and comfort zone in the ring.

King planted Hikuleo with a jumping piledriver late in the match and scored a two count. King went for a Gonzo Bomb but Hikuleo powered out, and later used a deadlift flatliner on King to pin him clean and pick up what some may consider an upset victory. Really good stuff from both here. 

Before he left the ring, Hikuleo yelled “I’m not a Young Boy anymore!” at King.

Jay White defeated Flip Gordon

White rolled to the floor as the bell sounded. When he came back to the ring, White took the reins. He kept Gordon glued to the mat with side headlocks and other plodding offense for the first half of this, basically until Gordon landed a dropkick to stun White. He scored a nearfall after taking White out with a springboard spear.

The finish saw White shove the referee into Gordon. White threw a sucker-punch but Gordon dodged out of the way, then planted White with a Falcon Arrow for another close nearfall.

Things heated up at around ten minutes into this. They traded close falls, but White took the win after a Bladebuster and later the Bladerunner for the win over Gordon. Really good stuff from both here. 

Afterwards, White cut a promo explaining how that was just a warm-up, and that this was still “his” New Japan.

Final thoughts:

Great show this week, and maybe one of the best so far. The main event was as good as the recent KENTA vs. Jeff Cobb match, though that’s not to take away from the really impressive hoss brawl between Brody King and Hikuoleo. Fredericks continues to be impressive.

Fred Rosser will be an interesting character to keep an eye on; aside from a somewhat botched legdrop spot in his match, he clearly could hang with the younger guys. His size adds a freshness to the show, which tends to be heavier on junior heavyweight matches. Overall, it was yet another solid hour of Friday night pro wrestling with two exceptional matches.

NJPW Lion’s Break Collision results: Tom Lawlor vs. Rocky Romero

Posted on by Justin Knipper

Clips from TJP vs. Danny Limelight aired from last week’s episode. Limelight lost to TJP in his NJPW debut.

Karl Fredericks and Clark Connors defeated The DKC and Misterioso

This was Misterioso’s Lion’s Break Collision debut.

Good match. Fredericks and DKC started things off for their teams. The two pummeled themselves into the ropes for a break. Fredericks slapped DKC hard, then tagged out to Connors. DKC landed a high kick and tagged out to Misterioso, who tore through a series of high flying moves, finishing with an Asai Moonsault to the floor.

Connors countered later with a powerslam and followed up with some loud chops. The small studio setting for this show really shines in that it lets the audience hear a lot more of the details coming from the ring.

DKC fired up and at one point took out both Connors and Fredericks. He landed his version of La Mistica on Fredericks for a submission attempt, but couldn’t put Fredericks away.

Fredericks eventually got the win by locking in a sleeper, then planted DKC with an implant DDT. 

When he and Connors were celebrating their win, Jeff Cobb ran out and planted Fredericks with a German suplex, a little revenge for what happened in the first episode.

Cobb then cut a backstage promo on Fredericks explaining his actions. He showed a lot more energy here than usual.

Fredericks and Connors were next up for promos. Karl walked off without saying anything. Connors said he didn’t have anything to do with what happened just now, referring to Fredericks and Cobb.

Tom Lawlor defeated Rocky Romero

Good technical matches like this actually benefit from no audience. There was a lot of hold-for-hold grappling in the beginning, lots of hard low kicks exchanged. Romero locked in a cobra twist midway through.

Lawlor caught Romero later in a choke sleeper. Rocky was able to break free and fight on for a few more minutes, but Lawlor went back to the sleeper one more time. He used Romero’s right arm to choke while grapevining his left. Romero had no choice but to tap out.

Lawlor masked up in the post-match interview, then explained how Rocky Romero was ”one of many” who thought they could hang in the ring with him. Lawlor said he’ll be the only survivor once this is all done because he’s the filthiest.

Final thoughts:

Another solid show. The opener was short, but good. The Karl Fredericks/Jeff Cobb build is working because of how simple and well executed it is. Both Romero and Lawlor looked excellent in the main event. I’m sure anyone who watched this will immediately start fantasy booking “Filthy” Tom against whomever is available from NJPW later this year. I can get behind that.

Next week Lion’s Break Collision: Tom Lawor vs. Alex Coughlin and Misterioso vs. Danny Limelight.

NJPW Lion’s Break Collision results: Fredericks-TJP vs. Cobb-Romero

Posted on by Justin Knipper

The show opened with an interview between Karl Fredericks and Kevin Kelly discussing Frederick’s new career chapter in NJPW. He is no longer a young lion.

The show opened with a slick opening graphic, and showcased a new production style for the new brand. The show’s ring announcing was in English, with Kevin Kelly, Chris Charlton, and Gino Gambino calling the action. The setup itself looks good. The ring is smaller than usual, but it works for television.

Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuyori Shibata did guest commentary for the Japanese language broadcast.

Clark Connors and Alex Coughlin went to a ten-minute draw

Really good. Lots of tight matwork at the top. Coughlin went after Connors’ arm early on. He looks bigger than before.

They exchanged huge chops and power moves midway through. Coughlin used a creative fall-away slam into a bridging pin for two; Connors responded with a picture-perfect powerslam.

More chops. Coughlin used a big side suplex on Connors for two. He locked in an armbar seconds before the bell, Connors didn’t tap, and the match ended in a draw. Good stuff from these two. They had an intense little exchange in the ring together afterwards.

Connors said in his post-match interview that wins and losses matter in NJPW. He said that he refused to be the last trainee to graduate from the LA Dojo.

Karl Fredericks and TJP defeated Jeff Cobb and Rocky Romero

The story here highlighted TJP and Rocky Romero, as they were a part of NJPW’s first dojo in Los Angeles. Karl Fredericks has a new haircut and red tights with tassels.

This was all action. TJP looked impressive here, especially when he and Rocky were in together. Good chemistry between the OGs.

Fredericks really looks like a superstar now. His exchange with Cobb toward the end of this was impressive, especially when he landed a crazy-looking kuru-kuru dropkick.

At around ten minutes in, TJP landed a slingshot dropkick to the apron, knocking Cobb back to the floor. Fredericks was able to keep Romero down for a three-count with a backslide pin for the upset win.

Fredericks and Cobb got into it right after the match, and it looked intense. In his post-match promo, Fredericks said that Rocky Romero isn’t a real LA Dojo guy anymore, that he’s CHAOS, and that he shouldn’t keep claiming he’s a part of his dojo.

Final thoughts:

This was an easy watch. Two solid matches that featured talent that probably wouldn’t get the proper look otherwise. Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors and especially Karl Fredericks will be important cogs in the NJPW machine going forward.

Next week on NJPW Young Lions Collision: DKC vs. Rust Taylor and Danny Limelight vs. TJP

WOL: NXT TakeOver preview, wrestling news from New Japan & GCW

Posted on by Mike Sempervive

Note: This show was recorded prior to NXT TakeOver.

Wrestling Observer Live with Mike Sempervive is back with a Sunday edition featuring tons to talk about including a preview of tonight’s NXT TakeOver: In Your House, plus news from around the world including New Japan and GCW on the comeback trail.

A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Left My Wallet: A talk with NJPW Young Lion Alex Coughlin

Posted on by Antonio Garza

Left My Wallet is back for a third show in just a few days, featuring a fun chat with NJPW Young Lion and rising star, Alex Coughlin!

Alex and I discussed coming up in the Los Angelan dojo, the differences between dojo training and traditional U.S. training, what he’s doing during the shutdown in L.A., and ways to stay in shape during this time. Alex also talks about his love for Mike Piazza as a kid on Long Island, training under Mikey Whipwreck, and his road to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

We share many of the same opinions on in ring style, training, and wrestling philosophy and this this conversation was one of my favorites in recent memory. Get to know one of the fastest rising stars in wrestling in this 30 minute episode.

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NJPW notes: London return planned for 2020, U.S. TV deal update

Posted on by Josh Nason

On Wednesday’s Wrestling Observer Radio (subscription needed), Dave Meltzer gave some updates on New Japan’s UK plans and their effort to get a new U.S. TV deal.

London

He said they are planning to hold a big show in London, England, later this year on a similar scale to last year’s Royal Quest event. Originally, the company was going to focus on shows solely in Japan and the U.S. for 2020, but have changed their plans. Meltzer speculated the show will again be at the Copper Box Arena.

U.S. TV Deal

Meltzer said the company is working on a U.S. TV deal, but would describe them as preliminary at best. AXS TV canceled their deal with New Japan a year early, leaving them without a U.S. TV outlet for the first time in five years. Meltzer said that New Japan chose not to sue AXS for breaking their contract while regional MMA group Legacy Fighting Alliance filed a lawsuit earlier this month.

Big Audio Nightmare: Stardom cancellations, NJPW preview, NOAH MOTY candidate

Posted on by Adam Summers

The Big Audio Nightmare is back this week with breaking news coverage of Stardom’s cancellation of their upcoming tour due to coronavirus concerns, as well as the precautions NJPW is taking.

In this week’s solo voyage, Adam Summers also takes you through the wrestling news in Japan, including an incredibly unique match of the year candidate from this past weekend’s NOAH show, a preview of this week’s NJPW shows, and the excitement about the AJPW Champion Carnival lineup.

Get all this and much more on the Big Audio Nightmare.

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Left My Wallet: Alex Zayne on Kobe, New Japan U.S. tour, and tacos

Posted on by Antonio Garza

Image: The 7th Scribe

Left My Wallet is back to kick off a busy Super Bowl weekend with maybe the fastest rising independent wrestler today, Alex Zayne.

Alex isn’t a sports fan, but we talk about the sudden death of Kobe Bryant, the lessons of motivation and work ethic Alex took from #24, and how Bryant transcended sports to become a pop culture icon.

We then talk about Alex’s love of tacos, his favorite Mexican food, and of course, his love of Taco Bell. We also delve into his favorite regional fast food, if he’s an In and Out or Whataburger guy, and his favorite fast food in his native Kentucky.

Finally, we talk about his rapid rise through the independents and working the current New Japan U.S. tour, learning from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, debuting for Ring of honor, and some big things coming up for the purple haired one.

Get to know the athletic and acrobatic Alex Zayne as he continues his rise to being one of the most entertaining performers in wrestling today. Grab a taco and enjoy!

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Kota Ibushi diagnosed with Mallory-Weiss syndrome

Posted on by Josh Nason

On Monday’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio (sub needed), Dave Meltzer reported that Koba Ibushi is suffering from Mallory-Weiss Syndrome and will remain off the remainder of the current New Japan Pro Wrestling U.S. tour.

The syndrome is an issue when there is a tear in the mucous membrane where the esophagus meets the stomach caused by trauma to the chest or stomach, violent vomiting due to food poisoning, or heavy lifting.

Meltzer said it’s not a long-term issue, but is rare for a male under 40 to suffer from it. Most tears will heal within ten days, but surgery is sometimes required for more serious Mallory-Weiss tears.

The 37-year-old is expected to make a full recovery. As of now, he is still scheduled for the February 9th Road To The New Beginning show in Osaka as part of an eight-man tag.

Originally, Ibushi was pulled from the tour due to what was believed to the flu. The tour ends this Saturday in Atlanta, GA.