Big Audio Nightmare: Power Struggle preview, Ospreay-Bailey

The Big Audio Nightmare is back to talk about everything happening in the very busy world of Japanese professional wrestling.

This week’s topics include:

  • Adam’s live perspective on the Will Ospreay – Mike Bailey classic at Bound for Glory
  • Thoughts on Stardom’s Halloween-themed PPV
  • A preview of NJPW’s Power Struggle event this weekend
  • How Bryan Danielson’s latest injury may impact WrestleKingdom
  • Katsuhiko Nakajima invades AJPW
  • The (merciful?) end of Jake Lee’s GHC Title reign

All that and more for f4wonline.com subscribers!

Right Click Save as

Big Audio Nightmare: Stardom injuries, NJPW Royal Quest, AJPW

The Big Audio Nightmare is back to talk about everything happening in the very busy world of Japanese professional wrestling.

This week’s topics include:

  • The concerning rash of injuries in Stardom, how they are navigating them, and what, if anything, needs to change going forward
  • Reviews of the two most recent Stardom PPVs
  • The utter GREATNESS of Shingo vs. Ishii and Ospreay vs. ZSJ from NJPW’s Royal Quest event in England
  • A discussion on the return of Yuya Uemura and how it compares to others in NJPW
  • Thoughts on great recent matches in AJPW and TJPW
  • The brutal classic between Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura

All that and more for f4wonline.com subscribers!

Right Click Save as to listen

Big Audio Nightmare: AJPW & NOAH show reviews, Forbidden Door, STARDOM

This week’s two-hour Big Audio Nightmare is back to talk about everything happening in the world of Japanese professional wrestling and more.

This week’s topics include:

  • An in-person perspective on AEW’s debut episode of Collision
  • A preview for Forbidden Door and why the underwhelming title matches are nothing to worry about
  • The contrast between AJPW and Pro Wrestling NOAH as seen by their major shows last weekend
  • A potentially surprising choice for first half Japanese wrestling MVP
  • Thoughts on recent STARDOM matches and upcoming PPVs
  • A look at the NJPW Strong in Japan cards

Right Click Save as

All Together Again live results: NJPW/AJPW/NOAH crossover

NJPW, AJPW, and NOAH join forces today for All Together Again in Ryogoku Sumo Hall. 

The undercard primarily consists of tag matches pitting companies against one another, while the top two bouts will feature teams with a representative from each promotion on either side. 

The lineup: 

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kento Miyahara & Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Kazuchika Okada, Yuma Aoyagi & Kenoh
  • Amasuka, Atsuki Aoyagi & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Master Wato, Rising Hayato & Hayata
  • SANADA, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & TAKA Michinoku vs. Jake Lee, YO-HEY & Tadasuke
  • Tetsuya Natio, Shingo Takagi, and BUSHI vs. Yuji Nagata, Suwama, and Yuma Anzai
  • Francesco Akira, TJP, Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb vs. Jun Saito, Rei Saito, Ryuki Honda, Hikaru Sato & Dan Tamura
  • Ren Narita, El Desperado & Minoru Suzuki vs. Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura & Junta Miyawaki
  • Hokuto Omori & Shuji Ishikawa vs. Go Shiozaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima
  • Shota Umino vs. Yoshitatsu
  • Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Chris Ridgeway & Sean Legacy
  • Tomohiro Isihi, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba & Yoshiki Inamura
  • Pre-show match: Ryusuke Taguchi, YOH, Black Menso-re & Ryo Inoue vs. Atushi Kotoge, Seki Yoshioka, Alejandro & Super Crazy

Our live coverage begins at 4:30 a.m. Eastern time. 

**********

Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (CHAOS/NJPW) defeated Masa Kitamiya, Yoshiki Inamura, & Daiki Inaba (NOAH)

The match opened with a brawl that left CHAOS with an early lead. The NOAH squad began to fight back into the match as the trio worked to isolate YH.

A tag to Ishii turned the match into a hoss fight. Ishii worked to fight off Inamura and Masa, eventually forcing a double tag. Inaba and Goto traded moves, leading to a YH save. Bishamon hit Inaba with Naraku leading into the pin, and the CHOAS win.

NJPW is up in the first match of the night.

Chris Ridgeway & Sean Legacy (NOAH) defeated Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr. (TMDK/NJPW)

This was a fantastic match.

Ridgeway and ZSJ opened the match with a slick sequence teasing what was to come. Legacy and Fujita tried their best to match the energy after tagging in.

Unsurprisingly, the NOAH pair worked to isolate Fujita, gaining the upper hand early on. Even after receiving the tag, Legacy was able to maintain control for his team.

ZSJ and Ridgeway picked up with another grappling sequence as soon as the pair was in the ring together again. ZSJ set Fujita up for success before tagging him back in, leading to a period of extended TMDK control.

Ultimately, ZSJ had to save Fujita from an ankle lock, prompting a slap fight. Legacy cleared the ring of ZSJ, leaving Ridgeway free to land a kick and turn his focus back to Fujita’s ankle. Fujita tried hanging on, but in the end, he tapped to Ridgeway’s anklelock.

Shota Umino (NJPW) defeated Yoshitatsu (AJPW)

Yoshitatsu opened the match by rushing Shota, gaining a lead early. Shota’s first rally was met with solid resistance from Yoshitatsu, who taunted the youngling with demeaning offense.

Out of nowhere, Shota bounced back with a neckbreaker which he followed with a Deathrider. Shota then pinned Yoshitatsu and left the ring as fast as possible.

Go Shiozaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima (AXIZ/NOAH) defeated Hokuto Omori (AJPW) & Satoshi Kojima (NJPW)

This was another great match. Omori stood out in a match full of stars, which was an accomplishment, no doubt.

Omori decided to start the match by throwing his own partner to the floor and going toe-to-toe with Go. Axiz, unsurprisingly, took quick control, beating their defiant junior in and out of the ring.

Once Kojima tagged in he managed to gain some footing, but the Axiz pairing was able to keep him on the back foot. Go tried for a lariat, but Kojima reversed, landing a cutter and setting Omori up for the tag.

Omori stood tall against Nakajima, landing a pair of suplexes for a believable nearfall. When Kojima interrupted Omori’s flow in an attempt to double-team, Nakajima retook the lead, landing multiple kicks and a brainbuster for the pinfall victory.

El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita (Strong Style/NJPW) defeated Junta Miyawaki, Naomichi Marufuji & Takashi Sugiura (NOAH)

Suzuki and Marufuji opened the match with a strike battle. Ren then challenged Suguria and held his own reasonably well. Once the tags started coming, the NOAH trio was able to isolate Ren and establish control of the match.

Suzuki and Sugiura traded strikes in the middle of the ring, creating a reset. Miyawaki hit the ring with speed but found himself on the receiving end of strong Suzuki strikes. Desperado and Miyawaki then traded momentum before all of Strong Style hit the ring to cement control.

The NOAH trio hit the ring to save Miyawaki from sure doom. This led to a brawl on the outside, leaving Desperado and Miyawaki alone in the ring. Desperado hit Pinche Loco and pinned Miyawaki for another New Japan win.

Aaron Henare, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & TJP (United Empire/NJPW) defeated Jun Saito, Rei Saito, Dan Tamura, Hikaru Sato & Ryuki Honda (AJPW)

This was pretty bad, which is a shame because it was loaded with guys I really like. An Evolution vs. O-Khan and Cobb tag could have been amazing, but instead, we had this silly little thing.

This match degenerated as soon as it started, with VDM taking the fight to the floor. The Saito brothers singled out Akira in the middle of the ring, prompting the rest of UE to make the save.

The UE control segment was also pretty silly, with O-Khan using a thumb in the butt to top things off. The Saito brothers then attacked their own partner so they could beat down Akira, which they did.

A tag to TJP led into a UE rally. After a multi-finisher spot, the AJPW squad hit the ring to make the save. The match then broke down completely, with every guy hitting the ring. Through all of the chaos, Akira was able to hit his finish to win the match.

Even once the match was over, the brawling continued. Sato pulled O-Khan’s trunks off at one point, but thankfully, he recovered them. Once things calmed down, UE celebrated their win in the ring. 

Suwama, Yuji Nagata & Yuma Anzai (AJPW) defeated BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito (LIJ/NJPW)

The match opened with Anzai a strike and a dropkick to Naito to set the pace early. LIJ was quick to help Naito fight back, working to isolate Anzai from this point on.

Nagata and Shingo tagged in and traded momentum for some time. Suwama and Shingo then came to blows, with both men landing significant offense.

Shingo was forced to tag out, but BUSHI was able to hold his own against Suwama. This led to a match breakdown, with all men in the ring. The fight left Suwama and BUSHI alone in the ring again, but this time, Suwama landed a powerbomb to win the match.

Jake Lee, Tadasuke & YO-HEY (GLG/NOAH) defeated SANADA, TAKA Michinoku & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (J5G/NJPW)

The match opened with the juniors trading advantage for some time before a double tag left both heavyweight champions alone in the ring. SANADA was the first to strike, landing a dropkick and a dive to establish control. Lee fought back, dropping SANADA and attempting a disrespectful pin.

SANADA landed another dropkick, leading into an extended back-and-forth before the NJPW juniors tagged back in. Lee fought off both juniors before hitting TAKA with a big boot in the corner to win the match. The GHC champion has (indirectly) defeated the IWGP champion.

AMAKUSA (NOAH), Atsuki Aoyagi (AJPW) & Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW) defeated HAYATA (NOAH), Master Wato (NJPW) & Rising HAYATO (AJPW)

This match opened slowly with a feeling-out process between Wato and Aoyagi. Hiromu and HAYATO picked up the pace a little, but it didn’t take long for the HAYTO team to establish themselves as heels, working to isolate Hiromu from his corner.

A tag to AMAKUSA led to an acrobatic comeback sequence where he got his team back in the match. Wato and Aoyagi then re-entered the match, this time with more intensity. HAYATO then hit the ring, scoring a nearfall with a driver before Hiromu hit the ring to make the save. AMAKUSA then hit an incredible dive to leave HAYATO and Aoyagi alone in the ring.

HAYATO and Aoyagi climbed to the top rope, where Aoyagi hit a Spanish fly. After HAYATO kicked out, Aoyagi climbed to the top and hit a 450 to win the match for his team.

After the match, all three junior champs stood in the ring, holding their belts high.

Kazuchika Okada (NJPW), Kenoh (NOAH) & Yuma Aoyagi (AJPW) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW), Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH) & Kento Miyahara (AJPW)

I’ve been covering matches for F4W for over three years. This was easily my favorite. This was one of the best matches I’ve ever seen, an absolute masterclass and nothing short of an instant classic.

The entrances alone made this match feel huge.

Before the match could begin, Kenoh and Tanahashi had an intense staredown while Kaito starred a hole in Okada.

Tanahashi and Kenoh opened the match after a brief but fierce shove fight. Tanahashi was able to get a leg up on Kenoh early before both men tagged out.

Kento and Okada were next to square off. In a bit of a surprise, Kento was showered in cheers during before the pair began to grapple. Okada played into this, landing a cheap shot in an attempt to gain the lead. Kento answered with a headbutt, so Okada swung with a rainmaker that Kento avoided. Both men were on equal footing.

During the pause, Okada knocked Kaito off of the apron but fled to the floor. This left Yuma free to swing at Kaito, but Kaito ignored him, instead targeting Okada with a dropkick and a brutal attack on the floor.

After Yuma gained the advantage in the ring, Okada responded with a floor-based attack of his own.

In the ring the other guys tried to have a normal match, but tensions continued to rise. Kenoh brutalized Tanahashi with a kick to the back. Tanahashi fired back with dragonscrew before tagging Kaito back in the match.

Kaito unloaded on Kenoh, prompting Okada to hit the ring. Kaito dropped Okada and Kenoh with dropkicks. After Kenoh held on, he dropped Kaito with a dragon suplex and tagged in Yuma. Yuma landed a crossbody, but Kaito fired back with a flying arm. This allowed Kaito to tag in Kento, who had no problem beating down Yuma.

Yuma escaped by tagging in Okada. Okada, beyond frustrated, kicked Kento in the head over and over before dropping him with an air raid crash. Okada then landed a top rope elbow drop and hit the rainmaker pose. Kento reversed the rainmaker attempt with a beautiful knee, which he followed with a second for a nearfall.

Kento failed to hit his suplex finish, allowing Okada to secure the money clip. A double lariat led to a Tanahashi tag who cleared the ring. Tanahashi, Kaito, and Kento hit Okada with a triple dropkick followed by a sling blade for a nearfall.

Tanahashi tried for High Fly Flow, but Okada extended his knee into Tanahashi’s injured ribs. This led to a forearm exchange in the middle of the ring that ended with an Okada landslide. Tanahashi avoided the rainmaker, leading to every man rushing to the ring.

Okada, Yuma, and Kenoh were able to focus on Tanahashi. Kenoh hit a penalty kick and Yuma an elbow drop, but Tanahashi’s team made the save. Okada then focused on Tanahashi and landed a dropkick, an emerald flowsion, and a rainmaker before pinning Tanahashi.

After the final bell, all three rosters walked to the ring. Okada cut the show-ending promo where he thanked the fans for sticking with them through the pandemic. Okada then welcomed Inoki’s family to the ring for an “Ich Ni Son DA!” sendoff.

Fantastic show all round.

Full card set for NJPW/AJPW/NOAH All Together Again

The full card has been finalized for the Friday, June 9 NJPW/AJPW/NOAH All Together Again pay-per-view.

Newly added to the lineup, NJPW’s SANADA, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & TAKA Michinoku will team against NOAH’s Jake Lee, YO-HEY & Tadasuke in a trios bout. 

A pre-show kickoff match has also been added to the card, with NJPW’s Ryusuke Taguchi & YOH teaming with AJPW’s Black Menso-re & Ryo Inoue against NOAH’s Atushi Kotoge, Seki Yoshioka, Alejandro & Super Crazy.

The pre-show will begin at 4:30 a.m. Eastern time, with the main card kicking off at 5 a.m. Eastern time. The show will air on NJPW World pay-per-view. 

The updated card:

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kento Miyahara & Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Kazuchika Okada, Yuma Aoyagi & Kenoh
  • Amasuka, Atsuki Aoyagi & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Master Wato, Rising Hayato & Hayata 
  • SANADA, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & TAKA Michinoku vs. Jake Lee, YO-HEY & Tadasuke
  • Tetsuya Natio, Shingo Takagi, and BUSHI vs. Yuji Nagata, Suwama, and Yuma Anzai
  • Francesco Akira, TJP, Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb vs. Jun Saito, Rei Saito, Ryuki Honda, Hikaru Sato & Dan Tamura
  • Ren Narita, El Desperado & Minoru Suzuki vs. Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura & Junta Miyawaki
  • Hokuto Omori & Shuji Ishikawa vs. Go Shiozaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima
  • Shota Umino vs. Yoshitatsu
  • Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Chris Ridgeway & Sean Legacy
  • Tomohiro Isihi, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba & Yoshiki Inamura
  • Pre-show match: Ryusuke Taguchi, YOH, Black Menso-re & Ryo Inoue vs. Atushi Kotoge, Seki Yoshioka, Alejandro & Super Crazy

Matches added to NJPW/AJPW/NOAH All Together Again card

More matches have been added to next weekend’s All Together Again card.

A battle of the junior heavyweight wrestlers will take place on June 9 at Sumo Hall. NOAH’s Amasuka, AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion Atsuki Aoyagi, and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi will face Master Wato of NJPW, Rising Hayato of AJPW, and Hayata, the GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion. Amasuka and Takahashi battled at Keiji Muto’s retirement show in February, with Takahashi scoring the win.

NJPW’s United Empire (Francesco Akira, TJP, Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb) will battle against members of the AJPW roster which include Jun Saito, Rei Saito, Hikaru Sato, and Dan Tamura. NJPW’s preview of the new matches noted that Akira, who was in AJPW before jumping to NJPW, had a history with Sato and Tamura in AJPW.

A singles match was also added, with NJPW’s Shota Umino taking off against Yoshitatsu, who graduated from the NJPW Dojo in 2002. After being released by WWE, Yoshitatsu rejoined NJPW in 2014 before eventually debuting for AJPW in November of 2017, where he’s remained since.

Some of NOAH’s most well-known wrestlers will also be in action. Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima will team to take on Hokuto Omori and Shuji Ishikawa, while Naomichi Marufuji will team with Takashi Sugiura and Junta Miyawaki to take on NJPW’s Ren Narita, Minoru Suzuki, and El Desperado.

Here is the updated card for All Together Again, which will air on NJPW World’s PPV service:

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kento Miyahara, and Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Kazuchika Okada, Yuma Aoyagi, and Kenoh
  • Tetsuya Natio, Shingo Takagi, and BUSHI vs. Yuji Nagata, Suwama, and Yuma Anzai
  • Tomohiro Isihi, Hirooki Goto, and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba, and Yoshiki Inamura
  • Amasuka (NOAH), Atsuki Aoyagi (AJPW), and Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW) vs. Master Wato (NJPW), Rising Hayato (AJPW), and Hayata (NOAH)

  • NJPW’s Kosei Fujita and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. NOAH’s Chris Ridgeway and Sean Legacy

  • United Empire (NJPW’s Francesco Akira, TJP, Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb) vs. AJPW’s Jun Saito, Rei Saito, Ryuki Honda, Hikaru Sato, and Dan Tamura

  • Shota Umino (NJPW) vs. Yoshitatsu (AJPW)

  • AJPW’s Hokuto Omori and Shuji Ishikawa vs. NOAH’s Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima

  • Ren Narita, El Desperado, and Minoru Suzuki vs. NOAH’s Naomichi Marufuji, Takashi Sugiura, and Junta Miyawaki

Big Audio Nightmare: Golden Week, NJPW Best of the Super Juniors begins

The Big Audio Nightmare is back to talk about everything happening in the world of Japanese professional wrestling.

This week’s topics include:

  • A crazy Golden Week of major shows across Japan
  • The return of Yota Tsuji and a final word on Dontaku
  • NJPW Best of the Super Juniors opening night thoughts
  • Stardom in Fukuoka review and Flashing Champions preview
  • Thoughts on big matches in Dragon Gate, NOAH, All Japan, and Big Japan
  • All Together Again matches announced

Listen here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts by searching “Big Audio Nightmare.”

Click Here To Listen for free

First matches set for NJPW/AJPW/NOAH All Together Again

The first three matches for the joint NJPW/AJPW/NOAH All Together Again event have been announced.

The matches announced on Tuesday morning are all interpromotional tag team matches, similar to the All Together cards that took place in the 2010s. The first match set to take place on June 9 will have NOAH’s Kaito Kiyomiya, AJPW’s Kento Miyahara, and NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi teaming together to take on NJPW’s Kazuchika Okada, AJPW’s Yuma Aoyagi, and NOAH’s Kenoh. Earlier this year, Okada defeated Kiyomiya in a singles match at Keiji Muto’s retirement show at the Tokyo Dome.

A second bout will have members of Los Ingobernables de Japon take on All Japan stars. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, and BUSHI will take on Yuji Nagata, Suwama, and Yuma Anzai. Although Nagata is still under contract to NJPW, he is currently wrestling in AJPW and is the current Triple Crown Champion.

The third match will pit members of NJPW’s CHAOS stable against Pro Wrestling NOAH. Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, and Tomohiro Ishii will take on NOAH’s Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba, and Yoshiki Inamura.

Here is the current lineup for All Together Again, which will air on pay-per-view via NJPW World:

  •  Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kento Miyahara, Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Kazuchika Okada, Yuma Aoyagi, and Kenoh
  • Tetsuya Natio, Shingo Takagi, and BUSHI vs. Yuji Nagata, Suwama, and Yuma Anzai
  • Tomohiro Isihi, Hirooki Goto, and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba, and Yoshiki Inamura

NJPW, AJPW, NOAH announce All Together Again joint event for June

The return of All Together, a joint event between All Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and New Japan Pro Wrestling, has been announced for June.

The three promotions on Wednesday morning announced All Together Again, which will take place June 9 at Ryogoku Sumo Hall. English and Japanese commentary will be available, and will air live on New Japan World as a pay-per-view event for 3,980 yen. A portion of the proceeds will go to charity, with details to follow. Tickets will go on sale April 23.

At the press conference, NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi, AJPW’s Kento Miyahara, and NOAH’s Kaito Kiyomiya all made comments regarding the crossover event.

All Together was the name of a series of shows that took place in 2011 and 2012 that featured all three promotions. The proceeds from the 2011 show, which totaled over 58 million yen, went to those affected by the 9.1 earthquake that struck Japan earlier that year.

The 2011 show featured Go Shiozaki, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Suwama defeat Kenso, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Takashi Suigura in the main event. The following year Hiroshi Tanahashi, Suwama, and Takeshi Morishima defeated Go Shiozaki, Seiya Sanada (SANADA), and Tetsuya Naito in the main event.

NJPW, AJPW & NOAH tease April 12 announcement

NJPW, AJPW, and Pro Wrestling NOAH are set to make an announcement soon.

On social media Saturday night, the three promotions uploaded the same video to their social media accounts. The video, which only lasts fifteen seconds, shows the words “restart” and “unite everyone’s power again and again”. It ended with the message “announcement coming up in 3 days,”. The video gave the date of April 12 at 18:00 JST, or 5 am EST.

In recent months, all three promotions have participated in interpromotional cards. NJPW worked with Pro Wrestling NOAH for a joint Wrestle Kingdom event that took place in January, as well as The Great Muta’s retirement show. Both All Japan and New Japan had representation the following month at Keiji Muto’s retirement event at the Tokyo Dome, which was a NOAH event.

NJPW held their Sakura Genesis event on Saturday morning. All Japan on Saturday kicked off their annual Champion Carnival tournament, which will run through May 7.

Big Audio Nightmare: Stardom Cinderella tournament, NJPW Sakura Genesis preview

The Big Audio Nightmare is back to talk about everything happening in the world of Japanese professional wrestling.

This week’s topics include:

  • A full review of Stardom’s New Blood Premium and Cinderella Tournament PPVs
  • A final recap and analysis of the New Japan Cup
  • A preview of NJPW Sakura Genesis
  • Thoughts on recent AJPW and Pro Wrestling NOAH major shows…and much more.

Listen at the link below or wherever you get your favorite podcasts by searching ‘Big Audio Nightmare.’

Click Here To Listen (for free)

Big Audio Nightmare: All Star Junior Festival, Muto retirement show, Stardom

The Big Audio Nightmare is back to talk about everything happening in the world of Japanese professional wrestling.

This week’s topics include:

  • A full review of the All Star Junior Festival
  • Thoughts on the interpromotional spirit in Japan and whether it will last
  • The final word on the Muto retirement show
  • Where does Kiyomiya go after the loss to Okada
  • Nagata’s AJPW Triple Crown win
  • Stardom thoughts and PPV preview

Listen at the link below or wherever you get your favorite podcasts by searching for “Big Audio Nightmare.”

Click Here to Listen for free

Yuji Nagata wins AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship

Yuji Nagata is the new Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion. 

The 54-year-old defeated Kento Miyahara at AJPW Pro-Wrestling Day MANIAx on Sunday from Korakuen Hall. Nagata becomes the 69th champion in the title’s lineage and the 30th wrestler to hold the belt. 

Miyahara’s sixth title reign ends after 154 days and 4 title defenses. He holds the all-time record for most combined Triple Crown Championship defenses with 28.

Shuji Ishikawa confronted Nagata after the match. 

The AJPW Junior Heavyweight title also changed hands on the show. Naruki Doi defeated Atsuki Aoyagi to win the belt. 

AJPW Excite Series Night 2: Pro-Wrestling Day MANIAx took place Sunday, February 19, 2023, from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Full results from the show are below:

  • Rising HAYATO, Kotaro Suzuki, & Ryo Inoue defeated Dan Tamura, Oji Shiiba, & Hikaru Sato
  • Ryusuke Taguchi, Master Wato & Yoshitatsu defeated Shotaro Ashino, Ryuki Honda, & Masao Hanabatake
  • Oskar Leube, Ren Ayabe, & Shuji Ishikawa defeated Toru Yano, Takao Omori, & Black Menso-re
  • Rei Saito, Suwama, & Jun Saito defeated Yuto Nakashima, Ryohei Oiwa, & Kosei Fujita
  • Shingo Takagi defeated Yuma Anzai
  • Yuma Aoyagi & Naoya Nomura defeated Minoru Suzuki & Hokuto Omori
  • Naruki Doi defeated Atsuki Aoyagi to win the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
  • Yuji Nagata defeated Kento Miyahara to win the Triple Crown Championship

Big Audio Nightmare: NOSAWA out of NOAH, Ibushi-NJPW drama

Mike Sempervive and I talk all the happenings in a crazy week of Japanese wrestling news on this 90+ minute edition of the Big Audio Nightmare.

Topics include:

  • NOSAWA Rongai’s departure from Pro Wrestling NOAH
  • Kendo Kashin’s prospects as NOAH’s new booker
  • The still unfolding Kota Ibushi/NJPW saga and where this could all end up
  • A Best of the Super Juniors preview
  • A whip around the Japanese wrestling scene at large.

All this and much more on the original alternate: The Adam and Mike Big Audio Nightmare!

Right Click Save as

Daily Update: AJPW Champion Carnival, Bron Breakker, Tony Khan

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: COVID strikes pro wrestling again, Warner Bros. Discovery & AEW

  • The new issue of the Observer has these stories:
  • Major players from five companies test positive for COVID causing changes in television or major shows.
  • Sunday’s Fukuoka Dome show and a look back at the previous pro wrestling events in the building that featured some of the biggest American stars of all-time.
  • The Discovery/Warner merger, what was said at the earnings call about cutbacks, and the different ways this can go for AEW
  • Streaming vs. television and the realities of the numbers
  • Wrestling on television in every category, who is up, who is down, factoring out cable losses, and reasons behind the ups and downs.
  • WWE & AEW shows coming up between now and August ticket sales, interest in the secondary market, how many seats WWE is setting up for the stadium shows
  • WrestleMania Backlash card update and business update
  • Saturday’s UFC report
  • New wrestling history television show series being filmed and who is behind it
  • Karl Lauer and the growth of the Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Ratings of all the television shows of the past week
  • Death of Toro Bill Jr.
  • Preview of TripleMania
  • Unique statement by L.A. Park about TripleMania
  • All Japan, Dragon Gate, NOAH and other Japanese events
  • This week’s PWG show
  • MLW answers the WWE’s attempt to get the lawsuit by MLW thrown out
  • Personnel changes in Impact
  • AEW injury notes
  • AEW’s Double or Nothing show
  • Updates on ticket sales for WWE & AEW shows
  • Promotion gets major television deal with Amazon Prime
  • Tyson Fury on Drew McIntyre and Francis Ngannou
  • Peacock business update
  • WWE survey sent to fans about what they want
  • Biggest streaming numbers from the week

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter: March 21, 2005 Observer Newsletter: Raw leaving Spike TV, TNA Destination X review

Ordering Info: Order the print Wrestling Observer right now and get it delivered via mail, by sending your name, address, Visa or Master Card number and an expiration date to [email protected] or by going to www.paypal.com directing funds to [email protected].

Rates in the United States are $14.50 for 4 issues, $35.50 for 12, $70 for 24, $116 for 40 and $149.50 for 52.

In Canada and Mexico, the rates are $16 for 4, $27 for 8, $38.50 for 12, $76 for 24, $126 for 40 and $162.50 for 52.

For the rest of the world, rates are $18 for 4, $48.50 for 12, $93 for 24, $155 for 40 and $201.50 for 52.

If you order by mail with a check, cash or money order to P.O. Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228, you can get $1 off in every price range.

Wednesday News Update

WWE

  • WWE uploaded footage that took place following NXT Spring Breakin’ last night showing Bron Breakker being taken out by a steel chair by one of Joe Gacy’s “followers”. Two of them then placed Breakker on a stretcher and took him away to the back.
  • This week’s episode of The Bump, featuring Ezekiel, Liv Morgan, and Madcap Moss.
  • The Usos and Charlotte Flair will be guests on a WrestleMania Backlash edition of The Bump this Sunday.
  • WWE Evil, which aired after NXT last night and focused on the Stephanie McMahon character, averaged 362,000 viewers, up from last week’s 263,000 which focused on Hulk Hogan. Next week will feature the final scheduled episode of the series, which will focus on The Miz.
  • Matches taped for NXT Level Up this week include Ivy Nile and Tatum Paxley vs. Sarray and Erica Yan, Sloane Jacobs vs. Thea Hail, and Channing Lorenzo and Troy Donovan vs. Dante Chen and Javier Bernal.
  • Matches added to WWE’s YouTube page today include John Cena vs. Sami Zayn from the May 4, 2015 edition of Raw, Carmella vs. Charlotte Flair from WWE Backlash 2018, and AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, also from Backlash 2018.
  • Last night’s episode of Young Rock scored 2,138,000 viewers, with a 0.15 in adults 18-34.
  • Stephanie McMahon was named in Variety’s New York Women’s Impact Report.

AEW/ROH

  • Tony Khan on Twitter confirmed that the ROH sale is closed and today is his first day as Ring of Honor owner.
  • Brandon Thurston reported that a lawsuit has been filed against AEW for allegedly violating the American Disabilities Act. The plaintiff, Luigi Abreu, claims that aewshop.com isn’t accessible for visually-impaired people.
  • Former ROH COO Joe Koff recently wrote on Linkedin about his departure from Ring of Honor and the recent airing of the last episode of ROH TV on Sinclair Broadcasting stations: “As I look back on this amazing journey, there are so many people who joined this journey with me, our staff, our brilliant athletes that you will always know as Ring of Honor, our partners in production and distribution, our vendors and most importantly, you, our fans. I want to thank you personally for your continuous support, belief in me and our product, what we could do, what we would do, what we did! It was the journey of a lifetime and I thank you for sharing it with me.”
  • Colt Cabana guest starred on last night’s episode of Young Rock, playing The Brooklyn Brawler. The episode was based on The Rock’s tryout match with the WWE in 1996.
  • When confronted on Instagram about a leaked US Supreme Court opinion indicating that the court is set to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade opinion regarding abortion access, CM Punk replied on Instagram Stories (h/t WrestlingInc): “ A little bit, yeah. For my wife, my sisters, for mothers and women who are helplessly watching their rights over their own bodies stripped away by elite, rich, white, terrorist religious fascists. Being human means I cry when injustices masquerade as religious right. HER BODY, HER CHOICE.”
  • Khan noted on Twitter that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh would be in attendance at Dynamite tonight.
  • Max Caster has filed for the trademark “The Ace of America”.
  • This week’s Ethan Page vlog.

Other Wrestling

  • Yuma Aoyagi is the winner of this year’s AJPW Champion Carnival tournament, defeating Jake Lee in the finals. As a result, he will face current Triple Crown Champion Kento Miyahara in a future title match.
  • DEFY Wild Ones, which was headlined by Jon Moxley vs. Tom Lawlor, is now up for free on Defy’s on demand channel.
  • Deadline reported that State Street Pictures is developing a film based on the comic book ‘Assassin and Son’, which was written by Shad Gaspard and Marc Copani (Muhammad Hassan)