Tag: NJPW news

First two teams advance to NJPW World Tag League 2025 semifinals

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The A Block representatives in the World Tag League 2025 semifinals were determined on Monday with Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHi and Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd advancing out of block action.

Entering the last night of A Block matches, there was a logjam at the top of the standings with four teams tied with eight points. Goto & YOSHI-HASHI and Tsuji & Kidd emerged as the only teams to reach the 10-point mark. Because they defeated Tsuji & Kidd earlier in the tournament, Goto & YOSHI-HASHI earned first place in the block while Tsuji & Kidd are the second-place finishers.

Here are the quick results from today:

  • A Block: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney
  • A Block: Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin defeated EVIL & Don Fale
  • A Block: Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd defeated Taichi & Satoshi Kojima
  • A Block: El Desperado & Shuji Ishikawa defeated Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • OSKAR, Yuto-Ice & Daiki Nagai defeated Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura & Shoma Kato
  • Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young defeated David Finlay, Hiromu Takahashi & Gedo
  • Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson defeated Lance Archer, Alex Zayne & Zane Jay
  • Ren Narita, SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Phantasmo & Katsuya Murashima

After B Block has its final night tomorrow, the semifinals will take place this Wednesday (December 10) and Friday (December 12). The finals will then be held on Sunday (December 14). Goto & YOSHI-HASHI will face the second-place team from B Block, and Tsuji & Kidd will meet the B Block winners.

The winning team will be in line to challenge for the IWGP Tag Team titles, which are currently held by OSKAR & Yuto-Ice.

NJPW World Tag League 2025 standings —

A Block:

  • First place — Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (5-2): 10 points
  • Second place — Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd (5-2): 10 points
  • Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney (4-3): 8 points
  • El Desperado & Shuji Ishikawa (4-3): 8 points
  • Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin (4-3): 8 points
  • EVIL & Don Fale (4-3): 8 points
  • Taichi & Satoshi Kojima (1-6): 2 points
  • Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens (1-6): 2 points

B Block:

  • Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman (4-2): 8 points
  • Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura (4-2): 8 points
  • SANADA & Ren Narita (3-3): 6 points
  • OSKAR & Yuto-Ice (3-3): 6 points
  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa (3-3): 6 points
  • Lance Archer & Alex Zayne (3-3): 6 points
  • David Finlay & Hiromu Takahashi (2-4): 4 points
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & El Phantasmo (2-4): 4 points

NJPW World Tag League 2025 night 11 results, updated standings

Posted on by F4W Staff

As World Tag League 2025 winds down, there isn’t a ton of clarity at the top of the A Block standings.

Four teams are tied for the A Block lead after Friday’s show in Osaka. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI, Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd, Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney, and EVIL & Don Fale all have eight points. Behind them, two more teams are still technically alive in the tournament with six points but would need tiebreakers to shake out in their favor.

Here are the quick results from today:

  • A Block match: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd
  • A Block match: Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney defeated Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin
  • A Block match: EVIL & Don Fale defeated El Desperado & Shuji Ishikawa
  • A Block match: Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens defeated Taichi & Satoshi Kojima
  • Ren Narita, SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura & Shoma Kato
  • Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson defeated David Finlay, Hiromu Takahashi & Gedo
  • OSKAR, Yuto-Ice & Daiki Nagai defeated Lance Archer, Alex Zayne & Zane Jay
  • Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Phantasmo & Katsuya Murashima

The final night of A Block action is set for December 8 and will decide which teams from this block earn places in the semifinals. There are two more B Block shows left on December 7 and December 9.

After that, the semifinals will be held from December 10-12 to determine who advances to the December 14 finals. The winning team will be in line for an IWGP Tag Team Championship shot, if champions OSKAR & Yuto-Ice do not win the tournament themselves.

Here are the updated standings:

NJPW World Tag League 2025 standings:

A Block:

  • Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (4-2): 8 points
  • Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd (4-2): 8 points
  • Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney (4-2): 8 points
  • EVIL & Don Fale (4-2): 8 points
  • El Desperado & Shuji Ishikawa (3-3): 6 points
  • Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin (3-3): 6 points
  • Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens (1-5): 2 points
  • Taichi & Satoshi Kojima (1-5): 2 points

B Block:

  • SANADA & Ren Narita (3-2): 6 points
  • Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman (3-2): 6 points
  • Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura (3-2): 6 points
  • OSKAR & Yuto-Ice (3-2): 6 points
  • Lance Archer & Alex Zayne (2-3): 4 points
  • David Finlay & Hiromu Takahashi (2-3): 4 points
  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa (2-3): 4 points
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & El Phantasmo (2-3): 4 points

Kazuchika Okada: ‘Everything about the Rainmaker’ started with Hiroshi Tanahashi

Posted on by Joseph Currier

By serving as Hiroshi Tanahashi’s final opponent, Kazuchika Okada feels like he’s repaying his former NJPW rival for all the ways Tanahashi helped him over the years.

Tanahashi will close out his legendary in-ring career on January 4 when he faces off against Okada at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20. Okada — who is now contracted to AEW — is returning home to Japan for this special moment at the Tokyo Dome.

In an interview posted to NJPW’s English-language website, Okada said it hasn’t fully set in for him that Tanahashi is retiring, but he’s happy that he gets to play a role in the end of Tanahashi’s career.

“It doesn’t quite feel like he’s retiring. I think I won’t know for sure until the day itself,” Okada said. “If I was in NJPW all this time, perhaps I might get a sense that retirement was looming, but I’ve been over in America; I never really gave it thought. I think it’ll be at the end of the year, when I’m finished with the AEW schedule, and next is the Tokyo Dome, that’s when I’ll be able to give it more thought.

“But everything about the Rainmaker started with Tanahashi, so it makes sense to end Tanahashi’s career.. Talking about it that way sounds a little self centered [laughs] but in the end, I feel this is a repayment in a way.”

Okada vs. Tanahashi is one of the most legendary wrestling rivalries of the past few decades. When Okada first won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in 2012, Tanahashi was the person he won the title from.

“If it wasn’t for that first Osaka match, or if it wasn’t Tanahashi in that match then the Rainmaker wouldn’t have become what the Rainmaker was,” Okada told NJPW. “Everybody would always say those matches were great. I do think in the end if you talk about the Rainmaker without mentioning Tanahashi, there would be a big hole there. He’s essential to everything about what the Rainmaker has been.”

Okada said Tanahashi has been a lot of things to him in life: a rival, a friend, and a mentor. Even after he retires from the ring, Tanahashi will remain a key figure in NJPW behind the scenes as the president of the company.

In AEW, Okada — the current Unified Champion — is competing in the Gold League of the Continental Classic tournament. He’s 1-1 so far with a win over PAC and a loss to Kyle Fletcher.

New title match booked for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The card for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 officially has a new addition.

NJPW has confirmed that NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions YOH, Master Wato & Toru Yano will defend their titles in a multi-team ranbo at the January 4 Tokyo Dome show. The match was set up this week with an angle where YOH staged a protest at an NJPW show, demanding that his team get a spot on Wrestle Kingdom. YOH said they would take on any number of challengers.

The ranbo match has a tornado stipulation where there are no tags and eliminations can occur via pinfall, submission, or being thrown over the top rope. Once one member from a team is out, the whole team is eliminated.

“The NEVER Openweight 6 man Champions were created at Wrestle Kingdom 10, and their tenth anniversary is being marked in this first time ever team ranbo,” NJPW wrote. “In the match, an as yet unknown number of teams will make their entrances at one minute intervals. Tornado rules mean there are no tags, and when one member of a team is pinned, submitted or thrown over the top rope, that entire team is eliminated, with the last trio standing the NEVER 6 Man Champions. Who will be victorious in this new twist on a Ranbo Tokyo Dome tradition?”

In another Tokyo Dome announcement, NJPW has confirmed that Kaisei Takechi of DDT Pro Wrestling and pop group The Rampage will be competing at Wrestle Kingdom. It’s not been announced which match he’ll be wrestling in.

Here is where the Wrestle Kingdom card stands with more than a month to go:

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 (Sunday, January 4, 2026 on NJPW World) —

  • Winner-takes-all match: IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita vs. IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
  • NEVER Openweight Champion EVIL defends against Aaron Wolf
  • Winner-takes-all match: IWGP Women’s Champion Syuri vs. NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Saya Kamitani
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight title number one contender’s match: El Desperado vs. SHO vs. Kosei Fujita vs. Taiji Ishiimori
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions YOH, Master Wato & Toru Yano defend in a multi-team ranbo
  • Kaisei Takechi in action

Daily Update: Bianca Belair, YOH NJPW angle, Big Event NY

Posted on by Joseph Currier

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  • Tay Melo reacted to her and Anna Jay losing to Marina Shafir & Megan Bayne in AEW’s Women’s Tag Team title tournament:
    • Tonight was hard.
    • When the world shut down during Covid, Anna and I used to talk about one day competing for these tag belts. Five years later, that dream finally became real… and losing in the first round hurts in a way that’s hard to explain.
    • We believed in this moment so much. We poured so much of ourselves into this team, into growing together, into giving everything every time we stepped in the ring.
    • Sometimes things don’t go the way you hoped ,even when your heart is all in.
    • It is what it is.
    • But I’m grateful for everyone who’s been on this journey with us and for all the love you’ve shown.
    • Thank you for caring as much as we did.
    • I love you @annajay____
  • The New York Post spoke with Kris Statlander ahead of Full Gear.
  • Kevin Knight was a guest on the Full Gear preview edition of AEW Unrestricted.
  • Alicia Atout and MJF have adopted a new dog named KUMA:
    • It looks like we adopted an eight-year-old Akita!
    • Meet KUMA — the second we saw him, we completely fell in love. He’s chill, silly, loving, and absolutely huge.
    • Welcome home, buddy. We’re so happy that this gentle giant is now a part of The Friedman Family.
  • At the opening night of World Tag League 2025 today, NJPW ran a show-long angle where YOH demanded that he, Master Wato & Toru Yano be able to defend their NEVER Six-Man Tag Team titles at Wrestle Kingdom 20. The request was finally granted by NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi after a protest by YOH. Opponents for the match have not been announced yet.
  • NJPW has opened up additional tickets for the January 4 Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome.
  • TNA Wrestling named BDE, Mila Moore, and Tessa Blanchard as All Star award winners from its events in Orlando at Full Sail University:
    • @itsbrandonde showed incredible heart and courage holding his own against @AJFrancis410 in BDE’s first TNA singles match, proving how far he’s come in the early stages of his wrestling career.
    • @itsmilamoore stepped up on short notice to compete in a high-stakes, high-profile Knockouts World Tag Team Title match – making a memorable impact in her first TNA+ live special event.
    • Tessa Blanchard continues to show incredible dedication and readiness to help others, both in the ring and behind the scenes.
  • While in El Paso, Texas, TNA World Champion Frankie Kazarian visited an Eddie Guerrero mural: “Eddie Guerrero is what every professional wrestler should aspire to be. Heart, athleticism, authenticity, drive and passion. Honored to be representing @ThisIsTNA as World Champion in El Paso paying my respects to one of the very best to ever do it.”
  • Denise Salcedo interviewed Lacey Lane (former WWE wrestler Kayden Carter).
  • Impractical Jokers star Sal Vulcano appeared on a new episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet.
  • Juggalo Championship Wrestling is giving out free Thanksgiving turkeys at its TV taping in Detroit this Saturday.

NJPW announces details for Fantasticamania 2026

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW has announced the schedule for Fantasticamania 2026, along with the CMLL wrestlers that will be appearing.

Fantasticamania is an annual collaboration between CMLL and NJPW that brings some of the top stars from Mexico to Japan. The 2026 tour begins on February 18 and will feature seven events:

  • February 18 in Tokyo at Yoyogi Stadium second hall
  • February 21 in Kochi at CHRES Seliz
  • February 22 in Osaka at ATC Hall
  • February 23 in Aichi at Prefectural Budokan
  • Febraury 24 in Osaka at EDION Osaka B
  • February 26 in Tokyo at Korakuen Hall
  • February 27 in Tokyo at Korakuen Hall

The following talent from CMLL will be competing on the tour:

  • Mistico 
  • Mascara Dorada
  • Titan 
  • Atlantis 
  • Atlantis Jr. 
  • Templario
  • Stigma 
  • Ultimo Guerrero 
  • Hechicero 
  • Averno
  • Soberano Jr.
  • Okumura 
  • Magnus
  • Futuro
  • Valiente Jr.
  • Hijo de Stuka Jr.

Ring announcer Ivan Salguero from CMLL will also be making the trip to Japan to perform his duties at Fantasticamania.

CMLL is one of NJPW’s most important international partnerships, with the two promotions also working closely together with AEW in the United States and Revolution Pro Wrestling in the United Kingdom.

NJPW World Tag League 2025 night one results

Posted on by F4W Staff

The road to Wrestle Kingdom continued on Thursday with the start of a new tournament.

NJPW World Tag League 2025 kicked off at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall with the A Block in action. Here are the quick results:

  • A Block match: Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney defeated Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd
  • A Block match: Taichi & Satoshi Kojima defeated Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
  • A Block match: EVIL & Don Fale defeated Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • A Block match: Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin defeated El Desperado & Shuji Ishikawa
  • David Finlay, Hiromu Takahashi & Gedo defeated OSKAR, Yuto-Ice & Daiki Nagai
  • Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura & Shoma Kato defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, El Phantasmo & Katsuya Murashima
  • Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson defeated Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young
  • Ren Narita, SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Lance Archer, Alex Zayne & Zane Jay

The next show on the tour is happening this Saturday, with the card featuring the first B Block matches of World Tag League. The tournament will continue until December 14 when the winners are crowned. At stake is the World Tag League 2025 trophy and an IWGP Tag Team title shot against OSKAR & Yuto-Ice (assuming the champions do not win the tournament).

NJPW World Tag League 2025 standings —

A Block:

  • Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney (1-0): 2 points
  • Taichi & Satoshi Kojima (1-0): 2 points
  • EVIL & Don Fale (1-0): 2 points
  • Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin (1-0): 2 points
  • El Desperado & Shuji Ishikawa (0-1): 0 points
  • Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens (0-1): 0 points
  • Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (0-1): 0 points
  • Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd (0-1): 0 points

B Block:

  • OSKAR & Yuto-Ice
  • David Finlay & Hiromu Takahashi
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & El Phantasmo
  • Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura
  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa
  • Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman
  • Lance Archer & Alex Zayne
  • SANADA & Ren Narita

MVP says he ‘invented’ idea for NJPW World

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Before New Japan World came into existence, MVP was pushing for NJPW to cater to its English-speaking fans more.

MVP spent two years with NJPW from 2011-2013, wrestling for the company in the early stages of its resurgence. That period saw NJPW start to gain more fans internationally as it became easier to watch the product. NJPW first started to stream pay-per-views and other events on Ustream before launching NJPW World in 2014.

On a new episode of his Marking Out podcast, MVP detailed a meeting he had with NJPW officials where he urged them to find ways to make the product more accessible to fans outside of Japan. MVP felt like NJPW was leaving a lot of money on the table by not having easy ways for international fans to buy merchandise or watch shows.

“Here’s something that is factual. This is an absolute fact — the idea for New Japan World, I pitched to President [Naoki] Sugabayashi long before it became a reality,” MVP said. “I had a meeting with Sugabayashi. He was the president back then. Jado, Gedo, Red Shoes, and Tiger Hattori. And I was telling them, ‘You guys are missing out on a lot of f*cking money. You have a huge English-speaking audience in the United States, in England, in Australia. You’re not marketing to them.’ I said, ‘You guys need a website that has an English translation. You’re not thinking about your audience outside of Japan.’ I said, ‘You need to make your product accessible to English-speaking fans outside the country.’

“I said, ‘You know, what you can do is set up like a YouTube page, you know, but in English, aimed at American fans.’ I said, ‘Pick three matches a week that you want to highlight, put it on the YouTube channel. I’ll help you get two Americans to do the voiceover in English for that match and start feeding your English audience.'”

MVP said he even asked fans on Twitter to let NJPW know how much they wanted more accessibility. There was a strong response from fans who agreed with him.

“So yes, true story. I invented New Japan World,” MVP said. “I pitched that idea to them before it existed. And I don’t know how long it took from the time we talked about it until it actually came to fruition, but I’m the one that suggested that they do that.”

Wrestling for NJPW was a dream for MVP, who left WWE so that he could compete in Japan. He later returned to WWE and is now with AEW, where he recently signed a new contract. He is part of The Hurt Syndicate with Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin.

First team advances to NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2025 finals

Posted on by Joseph Currier

DOUKI & SHO have booked their spot in the NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2025 finals.

A matchup of undefeated teams headlined night seven of Super Junior Tag League on Thursday. It was DOUKI & SHO who were able to maintain their perfect record, defeating YOH & Master Wato for the right to represent A Block in the November 2 tournament final.

Here are the full results from Thursday:

  • A Block: DOUKI & SHO defeated YOH & Master Wato
  • A Block: Ryusuke Taguchi & Dragon Dia defeated Hiromu Takahashi & Gedo
  • A Block: Templario & Jakob Austin Young defeated Clark Connors & Daiki Nagai
  • Taiji Ishimori, Robbie X & OSKAR defeated Robbie Eagles, Kosei Fujita & Hartley Jackson
  • KUSHIDA, Yuki Yoshioka & Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated El Desperado, KUUKAI & Katsuya Murashima
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Dick Togo & Yujiro Takahashi defeated Tiger Mask, YAMATO & Shoma Kato
  • Oleg Boltin & Masatora Yasuda defeated Tatsuya Matsumoto & Zane Jay

The last B Block show of the tournament takes place on Saturday leading into Sunday’s finals. Three teams are still alive in B Block, with Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita having the clearest path to the finals with a win or draw against Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X. A victory would put Ishimori & Robbie X in position to advance — but the possibility of a three-way tie still exists if KUSHIDA & Yuki Yoshioka were to also win their last match.

DOUKI & SHO are the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. If they lose in the finals, the winning team should earn a shot at their belts.

NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2025 standings —

A Block:

  • DOUKI & SHO (5-0): 10 points
  • YOH & Master Wato (4-1): 8 points
  • Ryusuke Taguchi & Dragon Dia (3-2): 6 points
  • Templario & Jakob Austin Young (2-3): 4 points
  • Hiromu Takahashi & Gedo (1-4): 2 points
  • Clark Connors & Daiki Nagai (0-5): 0 points

B Block:

  • Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita (4-0): 8 points
  • Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X (3-1): 6 points
  • KUSHIDA & Yuki Yoshioka (3-1): 6 points
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Dick Togo (1-3): 2 points
  • El Desperado & KUUKAI (1-3): 2 points
  • Tiger Mask & YAMATO (0-4): 0 points

NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2025 night two results, updated standings

Posted on by F4W Staff

NJPW was back at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on Friday with a slate of Super Junior Tag League matches.

The second night of Super Junior Tag League 2025 saw four teams improve their record to 2-0. Three did so with victories in the ring, while another picked up a win by forfeit. Taiji Ishimori had to miss the show due to illness, meaning he and Robbie X needed to forfeit their scheduled match against KUSHIDA & Yuki Yoshioka.

Here are the full results:

  • A Block: DOUKI & SHO defeated Ryusuke Taguchi & Dragon Dia
  • A Block: Templario & Jakob Austin Young defeated Hiromu Takahashi & Gedo
  • B Block: El Desperado & KUUKAI defeated Tiger Mask & YAMATO
  • A Block: YOH & Master Wato defeated Clark Connors & Daiki Nagai
  • B Block: Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Dick Togo
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuki Yoshioka & Shoma Kato defeated Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & Robbie X
  • KUSHIDA defeated Zane Jay

Next up for Super Junior Tag League is an A Block show on Saturday and then a B Block show on Sunday. The tournament runs through November 2 and should determine challengers for IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions DOUKI & SHO.

Here are the standings through the first two nights:

NJPW Super Junior Tag League 2025 standings —

A Block:

  • DOUKI & SHO (2-0): 4 points
  • YOH & Master Wato (2-0): 4 points
  • Hiromu Takahashi & Gedo (1-1): 2 points
  • Templario & Jakob Austin Young (1-1): 2 points
  • Ryusuke Taguchi & Dragon Dia (0-2): 0 points
  • Clark Connors & Daiki Nagai (0-2): 0 points

B Block:

  • Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita (2-0): 4 points
  • KUSHIDA & Yuki Yoshioka (2-0): 4 points
  • El Desperado & KUUKAI (1-1): 2 points
  • Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X (1-1): 2 points
  • Tiger Mask & YAMATO (0-2): 0 points
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Dick Togo (0-2): 0 points

Konosuke Takeshita: I can be on any NJPW tour I’m called for

Posted on by Joseph Currier

New IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita plans to be in Japan whenever it’s necessary to fulfill his duties.

Takeshita — the 2025 G1 Climax winner — dethroned Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at King of Pro Wrestling earlier this week. Holding NJPW’s top prize might add some responsibilities to his plate, but Takeshita isn’t worried about handling them.

“I’m triple contracted, but not exclusive,” Takeshita said in his first press conference as champion. “We can move things around and I can be on any tour I’m called for.”

AEW, NJPW, and DDT Pro Wrestling are the three promotions that Takeshita has contracts with. His priority has been AEW since signing with the company three years ago. Representing NJPW as champion worldwide is something that Takeshita plans on doing during his reign.

“There are people worldwide, not just Japan, that want to see the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion,” Takeshita said.

At AEW WrestleDream this Saturday, Takeshita & Kazuchika Okada will challenge Bandido & Brody King for the AEW Tag Team titles. Takeshita looks to be in the middle of a storyline where he’s splitting away from the Don Callis Family.

The first IWGP World Heavyweight Championship defense for Takeshita will be against Hirooki Goto at an NJPW event on November 2.

Mercedes Mone hoping to return to Japan soon

Posted on by Joseph Currier

AEW star Mercedes Mone is hoping to be part of the card for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20.

In an Instagram live session with fans today, Mone said she misses Japan and is hoping to return for Wrestle Kingdom in January 2026. The show — which is NJPW’s biggest annual event — is held at the Tokyo Dome every year on January 4.

“I miss Japan. I really, really want to go back to Japan,” Mone said. “I’m definitely hoping for Wrestle Kingdom that I would be back for Japan.”

Mone made her Tokyo Dome in-ring debut in January 2025, defeating Mina Shirakawa at Wrestle Dynasty. That is Mone’s most recent time wrestling in the country. She recently had talks to compete for Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling, but the scheduling did not work out.

Tonight (October 10), Mone is in Demark as she looks to add another championship to her belt collection. She is the current AEW TBS Champion and CMLL Women’s World Champion, along with holding a growing number of indie titles worldwide.

Mone has a trip to Mexico coming up for a CMLL title defense against Persephone on October 17.

Stipulation added to NJPW King of Pro Wrestling match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On the road to King of Pro Wrestling, NJPW added a stipulation to one of the matches set for the event.

The grudge match between Drilla Moloney and SANADA at King of Pro Wrestling will be contested under a no DQ stipulation with no countouts. That was set up when the two faced off in tag action at a Road To event today — with SANADA walking out on the match and taking a countout loss.

It was Moloney & Clark Connors vs. SANADA & Yoshinobu Kanemaru in today’s tag bout. While the referee was down, SANADA went for a guitar shot but got hit with a low blow by Moloney. When Moloney tried to strike him with the guitar, SANADA bailed on the match and took a countout, walking out into the crowd as the official counted to 20.

Moloney then got on the microphone and said there will be nowhere for SANADA to run at King of Pro Wrestling. Moloney vowed that their match will be SANADA’s funeral, calling for there to be no DQs or countouts.

The rivalry between Moloney and SANADA stems from when SANADA betrayed Bullet Club War Dogs and joined House of Torture.

King of Pro Wrestling — one of NJPW’s last major stops on the road to Wrestle Kingdom 20 — will take place at Sumo Hall in Tokyo on October 13 and stream live on NJPW World. Here is the updated card:

NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2025 (Monday, October 13) —

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Konosuke Takeshita
  • IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Gabe Kidd defends against Yota Tsuji
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions Yuto-Ice & OSKAR defend against Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Oleg Boltin defends against EVIL
  • NJPW World TV Champion El Phantasmo defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH vs. Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita
  • No DQ, no countout match: Drilla Moloney vs. SANADA
  • Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & Titan vs. David Finlay, Taiji Ishimori & Clark Connors

Hiroshi Tanahashi match official for Pro Wrestling NOAH

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On his retirement tour, Hiroshi Tanahashi will be competing at a big event for Pro Wrestling NOAH.

NOAH has confirmed that Tanahashi & Kaito Kiyomiya will be teaming up on October 11, facing off against Naomichi Marufuji & KENOH at Wrestle Odyssey. The match was set up at NJPW Destruction in Kobe when Kiyomiya showed up and invited Tanahashi to team with him.

Tanahashi — one of NJPW’s greatest-ever wrestlers — will conclude his in-ring career at Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4, 2026. NJPW has yet to name Tanahashi’s opponent for his retirement match.

Though he’s retiring from the ring, Tanahashi will still be heavily involve in NJPW with his behind-the-scenes role as company president.

NOAH Wrestle Odyssey 2025 is airing live on ABEMA in Japan. The card also includes two NXT wrestlers: Charlie Dempsey & Harlem Lewis. They will be facing Jack Morris & Sasaki Yuruka in a tag bout.

Pro Wrestling NOAH Wrestle Odyssey (Saturday, October 11) —

  • GHC Heavyweight Champion KENTA defends against Masa Kitamiya
  • GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi defends against Eita
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Naomichi Marufuji & KENOH
  • Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Minoru Suzuki
  • GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Dragon Bane & Alpha Wolf defend against Daga & Daiki Odashima
  • Takashi Sugiura & Shun Skywalker vs. Tetsuya Endo & Hayata
  • Jack Morris & Ulka Sasaki vs. Charlie Dempsey & Harlem Lewis
  • Galeno & Harutoki vs. Manabu Soya & Yuto Kikuchi
  • Junta Miyawaki vs. Kai Fujimura

Hiroshi Tanahashi gives update on final NJPW match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

At a press conference overnight, NJPW legend Hiroshi Tanahashi gave an update with his final match now just over three months away.

We still don’t know who Tanahashi will be facing in his final bout, which will take place at the Tokyo Dome when NJPW holds Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4, 2026. But Tanahashi did confirm that his last match will be a one-on-one bout.

“I like wrestling singles matches most of all, my debut was a singles match and I want my last to be a singles match,” he said. “Every January 4 I change my costume up, but this year January 4 will be my last… So it’ll be a new costume just for that one match.”

Tanahashi said he wants to come full-circle with his last opponent but stopped short of revealing their identity.

“I want there to be a connection,” he added. “I want to come full circle in a sense…. that’s all I’ll say!”

Tanahashi said his retirement tour has been a special experience, getting to face off against some past opponents while also looking ahead to the future. He wishes he could wrestle everyone, but there just isn’t enough time.

The press conference was to celebrate that Wrestle Kingdom 20 tickets go on sale worldwide this week. Along with Tanahashi, new NJPW signee Aaron Wolf — an Olympic gold medalist — spoke at the conference. Wolf is making his in-ring debut at Wrestle Kingdom 20, but it was said that he will not be Tanahashi’s retirement match opponent.

With eight World Championship reigns and countless classic matches, Tanahashi is among the greatest wrestlers in NJPW history. He serves as the company’s president behind the scenes and will be continuing in that role. Wolf said he looks forward to learning from Tanahashi in that capacity.