Tag: NJPW news

NOAH title to be defended at NJPW Destruction in Kobe

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Junior Heavyweight Championship will be on the line this weekend at an NJPW event.

NJPW star Hiromu Takahashi became the new GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion earlier this month. He’s now set to make his first defense at NJPW Destruction in Kobe this Sunday, where he will face off against Taiji Ishimori. The match was made after Ishimori scored the fall over Takahashi in a six-man tag on NJPW’s Road to Destruction tour.

“The bout represents the first time the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship has been defended in an NJPW ring since April 27, 2004, when then champion Jushin Thunder Liger defended against Kotaro Suzuki in Hiroshima,” NJPW wrote.

“Hiromu already had a first defense scheduled against NOAH’s Eita for the promotion’s October 11 Ryogoku card. Addressing the impromptu title bout, Hiromu said that the winner of himself and Ishimori would be the one to face Eita, yet Ishimori has accepted this title match on the condition that should he win, he will only defend the belt in New Japan. Hiromu’s capturing of the gold was already controversial, and his unilateral actions have drawn sharp criticism from the NOAH roster online.”

Ishimori, a star for NOAH before he joined NJPW, has held the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship three times. His most recent reign took place in 2017.

As far as NJPW’s Junior Heavyweight title is concerned, DOUKI has set his sights on a future match against champion El Desperado. They will meet in 10-man tag team action at Destruction in Kobe.

Destruction in Kobe will stream live on NJPW World starting at 3 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday. Here is the updated card

NJPW Destruction in Kobe (Sunday, September 28) —

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Ren Narita
  • IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Gabe Kidd defends against Shingo Takagi
  • Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay
  • GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi defends against Taiji Ishimori
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi defend against OSKAR & Yuto-Ice
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Oleg Boltin defends against Don Fale
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Great-O-Khan
  • El Desperado, YOH, Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura & YOSHI-HASHI vs. DOUKI, SHO, EVIL, SANADA & Dick Togo

Finn Balor thanks NJPW’s Hiroshi Tanahashi: ‘You’ve had an incredible career’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

In an interview with Tokyo Sports, Finn Balor expressed huge gratitude toward his former NJPW colleague Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Tanahashi — one of the greatest wrestlers in NJPW history — will retire from the ring at the Tokyo Dome in January 2026. Balor told Tokyo Sports that he would love to face Tanahashi one more time, though he does not expect to be Tanahashi’s final opponent.

“That would be awesome, but I’m not that lucky,” Balor said about potentially facing Tanahashi in his retirement match.

“But I want to take this opportunity to say something to Mr. Tanahashi. You’ve had an incredible career. Thank you for being so good to the foreign wrestlers in New Japan. Mr. [Takashi] Iizuka, Mr. [Jushin Thunder] Liger, Mr. [Yuji] Nagata — everyone was so warm. Having teammates like family supporting me helped me adapt quickly to the ring’s harshness. Living in a distant country where you don’t speak the language is scary. But New Japan welcomed me with open arms. I’ll always be grateful.”

Balor rose to international prominence while competing for NJPW as Prince Devitt in the 2000s and 2010s. He is looking forward to heading back to Japan next month for two WWE house shows.

“Performing in Japan is always a joy and an honor. Japanese pro wrestling fans are the best in the world. They show respect, are well-studied, and passionate,” Balor said. “Plus, you can’t fool Japanese fans. They spot a bad wrestler immediately. I feel my age now, and my style is different from my NJPW days. But I want to show the high level of skill I had during my time in Japan. I want to deliver the same passion and energy.”

The WWE live events are being held at Sumo Hall in Tokyo on Friday, October 17 and Saturday, October 18.

As president of NJPW, Tanahashi will remain a key figure behind the scenes after his in-ring retirement. He was first appointed to that role in December 2023.

NJPW wrestler misses third consecutive event

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On Thursday, Yota Tsuji missed his third consecutive NJPW event.

Tsuji was supposed to compete on NJPW’s Road to Destruction tour this week, but he missed shows on both Monday and Wednesday due to illness. He was then pulled from his scheduled six-man tag match on Thursday with NJPW apologizing for the change.

“Due to poor health, Yota Tsuji will be unable to participate in the NJPW Battle Line Hokkaido ~Road to Destruction~ event scheduled for September 18th (Thursday) at the Hokkaido Prefectural Kitami Sports Center,” NJPW announced.

“We sincerely apologize to everyone who was looking forward to Tsuji’s match.”

Tsuji was scheduled to team with Shingo Takagi & Daiki Nagai against David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & Gedo. It was changed to a tag match where Finlay & Kidd defeated Takagi & Nagai.

NJPW’s Destruction in Kobe event on September 28 is scheduled to feature a Tsuji vs. Finlay singles match. In a promo earlier this week, Finlay mocked Tsuji for missing a show because of a “tummy ache” and warned him not to show up in Kobe.

The most recent match Tsuji competed in took place on September 13 during the Road to Destruction tour. He’s a former IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion for NJPW.

NJPW’s Francesco Akira out of action, will undergo surgery

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW junior heavyweight star Francesco Akira has been forced out of action with an injury that will require surgery.

The injury is a right wrist fracture that happened at Revolution Pro Wrestling’s Global Wars UK event in London last Friday. In the opening match of the show, Akira lost to TNA’s Leon Slater.

“On August 22, while competing at RevPro’s Anniversary Event in the UK, Francesco Akira sustained a fracture to his right wrist, and will be missing action to allow the injury to heal,” NJPW announced. 

“We apologize for any concern caused and appreciate your understanding. NJPW joins fans in wishing Akira a speedy, full recovery.”

Akira confirmed that he will need surgery to repair the injury, apologizing to the fans and thanking them for their support. He promised to come back stronger when he’s ready to return but did not provide a timeline for how long he’ll be out of action.

“Last Friday, I suffered an injury during a match in England and will require surgery,” he tweeted. “I will be taking some time off. I apologize for this sudden announcement, but thank you for your constant warm support. I will absolutely not let this defeat me and will return even stronger!”

Akira is from Italy and has been featured in NJPW as a member of the United Empire. From 2022-2024, he and TJP had three reigns with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles. Akira also worked several matches for CMLL in Mexico earlier this summer.

NJPW G1 Climax 35 semifinals set

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Following Thursday’s show at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, NJPW G1 Climax 35 is down to its final four competitors.

Yota Tsuji and Konosuke Takeshita secured their semifinal spots with respective victories over Shota Umino and David Finlay as the G1 playoffs began. Both semifinal matches will go down this Saturday with EVIL vs. Tsuji and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Takeshita determining which two competitors advance to the finals.

EVIL and Sabre earned byes to the semifinals by finishing atop A and B Block during round-robin competition. The semifinal bouts are both rematches from earlier in the tournament, where EVIL defeated Tsuji and Sabre defeated Takeshita.

Ariake Arena in Tokyo is hosting the semifinals on Saturday with the finals then happening at the same venue the next day.

Along with bragging rights, the G1 winner receives an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot that is traditionally used at NJPW’s annual Wrestle Kingdom spectacular at the Tokyo Dome in January. Sabre is the current champion, having defeated Hirooki Goto to regain the belt back in June. Sabre could choose his Wrestle Kingdom challenger if he wins the G1.

NJPW G1 Climax 35 remaining schedule —

Saturday, August 16:

  • Semifinal match: EVIL vs. Yota Tsuji
  • Semifinal match: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Sunday, August 17:

  • Tournament finals

NJPW G1 Climax A Block standings: Two wrestlers eliminated

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Two wrestlers were eliminated from A Block contention on Thursday as NJPW G1 Climax 2025 enters its final stretch.

Taichi and SANADA are both out of contention following their losses on today’s show. A defeat to Callum Newman ended Taichi’s hopes, while SANADA was mathematically eliminated by a loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi.

The A Block standings now have Yuya Uemura and EVIL leading the way with 10 points. Behind them, there is a logjam with six wrestlers still in contention at eight points. Three wrestlers from the block will advance to the playoffs pending the results of the final night of A Block action this Sunday.

Here are the current A Block standings:

A Block standings —

  • Yuya Uemura: 10 points (5 wins, 3 losses)
  • EVIL: 10 points (5 wins, 3 losses)
  • Ryohei Oiwa: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • David Finlay: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Yota Tsuji: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Oleg Boltin: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Callum Newman: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Taichi: 6 points (3 wins, 5 losses)
  • SANADA: 6 points (3 wins, 5 losses)

In the B Block, eight wrestlers are still in contention. El Phantasmo and Gabe Kidd have officially been eliminated, while Shingo Takagi still has a very slim mathematical path to the playoffs despite only having six points.

B Block standings —

  • Konosuke Takeshita: 10 points (5 wins, 2 losses)
  • Ren Narita: 10 points (5 wins, 2 losses)
  • Zack Sabre Jr.: 10 points (5 wins, 2 losses)
  • Shota Umino: 8 points (4 wins, 3 losses)
  • Drilla Moloney: 8 points (4 wins, 3 losses)
  • YOSHI-HASHI: 8 points (4 wins, 3 losses)
  • Great-O-Khan: 8 points (4 wins, 4 losses)
  • Shingo Takagi: 6 points (3 wins, 4 losses)
  • El Phantasmo: 6 points (3 wins, 5 losses)
  • Gabe Kidd: 0 points (withdrew from tournament due to injury)

There are now only six shows remaining in the tournament, which will conclude at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on August 17. The winner receives an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot that is traditionally used at Wrestle Kingdom.

The remaining G1 schedule can be seen below:

Friday, August 8 in Kanagawa

  • B Block: El Phantasmo vs. YOSHI-HASHI
  • B Block: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Drilla Moloney
  • B Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Ren Narita
  • B Block: Shota Umino vs. Konosuke Takeshita

Sunday, August 10 in Gunma

  • A Block: Yuya Uemura vs. David Finlay
  • A Block: Taichi vs. Oleg Boltin
  • A Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
  • A Block: Yota Tsuji vs. Callum Newman
  • A Block: Ryohei Oiwa vs. SANADA

Wednesday, August 13 in Shizuoka

  • B Block: Shota Umino vs. Great-O-Khan
  • B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • B Block: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ren Narita
  • B Block: Shingo Takagi vs. Drilla Moloney

Thursday, August 14 in Tokyo (Korakuen Hall)

  • 2nd Place A Block vs. 3rd Place B Block
  • 2nd Place B Block vs. 3rd Place A Block

Saturday, August 16 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • A Block Winner vs. Winner of 2nd Place B Block vs. 3rd Place A Block
  • B Block Winner vs. Winner of 2nd Place A Block vs. 3rd Place B Block

Sunday, August 17 in Tokyo (Ariake Arena)

  • Tournament finals

NJPW holds ceremony honoring Hulk Hogan

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Shortly after WWE’s tribute to Hulk Hogan on SmackDown, another promotion on the other side of the world honored him with their own 10-bell salute.

NJPW — where Hogan was a superstar in the 1980s along with the success he had in the United States — held a memorial ceremony for Hogan prior to the start of Saturday’s G1 Climax event in Tokyo. Company president Hiroshi Tanahashi and former referee Tiger Hattori stood in the ring with a picture honoring Hogan. The roster surrounded them at ringside for a 10-bell salute.

Backstage, Hattori spoke about his history with Hogan — which dates back to before Hogan even entered the wrestling business.

“Personally, I can’t believe it. It was too soon, to be honest,” Hattori said about Hogan’s death. “Before he became a professional wrestler, I lived in Tampa, Florida for 17 years, and Hogan’s mother happened to live near my house. So I was about 17 when I first met him. I was in my second year of high school or something like that.

“So I was teaching amateur wrestling at Hiro Matsuda’s gym. He came there as a student, but after about six months he broke his leg. I thought he had disappeared, but then he started coming back. After a while he went to Georgia to make his debut, and then he came back to his hometown of Tampa.”

Hattori remembered Hogan as a wrestler he had a lot of respect for.

“He was definitely outstanding, more than your average wrestler. He was big in size, but I don’t know, I think he was just a little different,” Hattori said. “He had such great success so it’s sad that he passed away so early, but I have a lot of respect for him as a professional wrestler.

“I bet he’s up there again wrestling in heaven. We’ve lost a truly wonderful person. I hope we’ll see another wrestler like him. I want to say thank you for all the great times we had.”

Hogan first wrestled for NJPW in 1980 and competed for the promotion until 1985 before returning in the early 1990s. He returned again in 2003 for his final NJPW match, facing Masahiro Chono.

The 71-year-old Hogan died on July 24 of cardiac arrest after weeks of complications stemming from a neck fusion surgery.

NJPW star withdraws from G1 Climax due to injury

Posted on by Joseph Currier

One of NJPW’s top wrestlers has been forced to withdraw from the G1 Climax due to injury.

Gabe Kidd’s tournament run began on July 19 with a loss to Konosuke Takeshita on the opening night. Since then, Kidd has had to forfeit his scheduled B Block matches with a right knee injury preventing him from competing. It’s now been officially confirmed that Kidd is out of the remainder of the G1. He shared the news with fans during an appearance at Friday’s NJPW show in Tokyo.

“I was really hopeful that I could come back and power through this and continue in this G1 Climax, but I’ve spoke to the doctors and there is no way I can be cleared, so I have no other choice [but] to withdraw from the G1 Climax,” Kidd announced. “And this is sh*t, man. It really f*cking sucks. It’s been a mental battle these past few days since I found out this information.”

Further details about the injury and when Kidd will be able to return have not been provided. Kidd promised that, when he is able to come back, he will be the best version of himself fans have ever seen.

“A positive note is that I’ve received hundreds of messages from these people — the fans — and they’ve said they want me to rest and come back stronger,” he said. “And I can only promise you one thing, is that when I am back fighting on this blue mat that it is going to be the best version of Gabe Kidd that you’ve ever f*cking seen.”

NJPW also has not announced if Kidd will be vacating the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. He won the title from Yota Tsuji in June and made his first defense against Hiroshi Tanahashi earlier this month.

TNA Wrestling, NJPW honor Hulk Hogan following his death

Posted on by Joseph Currier

TNA Wrestling and NJPW are honoring Hulk Hogan for the contributions he made to their respective promotions.

– Following Hogan’s passing at 71 years old, TNA presented a live episode of Impact from Kingston, Rhode Island on Thursday night. The broadcast was dedicated to Hogan with TNA taking a moment to remember him.

“Earlier today the world learned of the passing of the biggest icon in the history of professional wrestling, Hulk Hogan. His contributions to this company and the entirety of this industry will never be forgotten,” commentator Tom Hannifan said. “TNA Wrestling is deeply saddened by this news, and we send our condolences to the fans, friends, and family of Hulk Hogan.”

TNA is where Hogan ended his in-ring career, having his final match in 2012 on a TNA tour of the United Kingdom. He was with TNA from 2009-2013 as an on-screen performer as well as significantly influencing the company behind the scenes.

– NJPW, where Hogan found early success alongside his American stardom, posted the following remembrance on the company’s website:

New Japan Pro-Wrestling is saddened to learn of the passing of Terry Bollea, known to wrestling fans as Hulk Hogan, on July 24. He was 71.

While Hogan’s status as a blockbuster attraction and pop culture icon in the US is well documented, he also left a significant mark on Japanese and New Japan Pro-Wrestling history. Trained by Hiro Matsuda, Hogan first came to Japan in 1980, participating in the third MSG (Madison Square Garden) League that brought names from America to battle NJPW’s top stars. 

In late spring of 1983, the International Wrestling Grand Prix League saw the IWGP letters known today first used in NJPW competition. A league tournament brought wrestlers from across the world from various member promotions to determine an IWGP Champion that would then defend their status in the next year’s tournament. The league boiled down to Hogan and Antonio Inoki in the final, and to massive shock, Hogan would upset Inoki, landing his Ax Bomber lariat to send Inoki off the apron and to count out defeat to be the first IWGP League winner. Later that year, Inoki teamed with Hogan, and the two won the MSG Tag League together.

Hogan continued to compete in NJPW until 1985, and then returned to Japan in the early 1990s for the Genichiro Tenryu operated SWS. In 1993, Hogan created a stir when he targeted IWGP Heavyweight Champion Great Muta at Wrestling Dontaku while still carrying the WWF Championship; Hogan would defeat Muta in a non title bout in Fukuoka that May, and faced Tatsumi Fujinami the following January 4 in the Tokyo Dome before transitioning to WCW Stateside. Hogan’s last match in Japan came at Ultimate Crush in October 2003 with a victory over Masahiro Chono. 

 The thoughts and sympathies of all at New Japan Pro-Wrestling go to Hogan’s family, friends and fans. 

Final two wrestlers qualify for NJPW G1 Climax 2025

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The full 20-competitor field for the 2025 NJPW G1 Climax is now set.

With victories at Friday’s New Japan Soul event, Ryohei Oiwa and YOSHI-HASHI became the final two wrestlers to qualify for the tournament. Oiwa defeated Satoshi Kojima to earn the last spot in A Block, while YOSHI-HASHI took the final B Block spot by defeating Chase Owens.

Oiwa will be competing in his first-ever G1. He’s a member of TMDK (The Mighty Don’t Kneel) in NJPW, a faction led by current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr.

Bad Luck Fale was originally supposed to be Oiwa’s opponent for today’s play-in match, but Fale had to miss the show due to a death in his family.

An NJPW veteran, YOSHI-HASHI first competed in the G1 in 2016. He missed out on last year’s tournament after losing in the qualifying stages.

The G1 begins on July 19 and runs through August 17, with the winner traditionally receiving an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot at January’s Wrestle Kingdom event at the Tokyo Dome. Here is the complete list of entrants for the tournament:

NJPW G1 Climax 2025 participants —

A Block:

  • Hirooki Goto
  • Oleg Boltin
  • Yuya Uemura
  • Yota Tsuji
  • David Finlay
  • EVIL
  • SANADA
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • Callum Newman
  • Ryohei Oiwa

B Block:

  • El Phantasmo
  • Shota Umino
  • Shingo Takagi
  • Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Great-O-Khan
  • Gabe Kidd
  • Ren Narita
  • Konosuke Takeshita
  • Drilla Moloney
  • YOSHI-HASHI

April 21, 2025 Observer Newsletter: WWE WrestleMania 41 preview, major NJPW changes

Posted on by F4W Staff

Image: WWE

Subscribers can now read a special early edition of this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Dave Meltzer leads off with a full preview of this weekend’s WWE WrestleMania 41 which will see John Cena attempt to win a record 17th World title against Cody Rhodes in the weekend headliner.

He also goes into another wild week for NJPW which saw the promotion and Tetsuya Naito part ways in addition to Jeff Cobb leaving for WWE while still an IWGP Tag Team Champion.

Dave also looks at UFC media rights, TKO attempting to change the Ali Act, news from around the wrestling world and more.

Click here to read.

January 13, 2025 Observer Newsletter: WWE Raw debuts on Netflix, Wrestle Kingdom 19 & Wrestle Dynasty reviews

Posted on by F4W Staff

Image: WWE

Subscribers can now read this week’s brand-new Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The lead story is WWE’s debut on Netflix with a three-hour Raw that featured CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins, nostalgia, fans booing Hulk Hogan, and more.

Dave Meltzer also recaps last weekend’s double-dip of Tokyo Dome action with both Wrestle Kingdom 19 and Wrestle Dynasty.

Get that and all the rest of the wrestling news of the week.

Click here to read.

December 2, 2024 Observer Newsletter: Full Gear & the state of AEW, Ricky Starks situation, WWE Survivor Series preview

Posted on by F4W Staff

Image: AEW

Subscribers can now read this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The lead story is about AEW and a recap of last weekend’s Full Gear pay-per-view, one that Dave Meltzer said provided an “an interesting look at the current state” of the company.

He also looks on the fallout from the Conor McGregor civil case decision and leftover thoughts from the mega-event that was Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson.

He also looks ahead to this weekend’s WWE Survivor Series along with all the other news and thoughts on wrestling from the past two weeks.

Click here to read.

November 11, 2024 Observer Newsletter: WWE Crown Jewel recap, TKO financials, Wrestle Kingdom gets its main event

Posted on by F4W Staff

Image: WWE

Subscribers can now read this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter by our Dave Meltzer.

This week’s issue leads off with a look back at last Saturday’s WWE Crown Jewel that saw both Cody Rhodes and Liv Morgan leave as the inaugural Crown Jewel champions.

Dave also takes a deep dive into this week’s TKO Q3 financials including how both WWE and UFC did revenue-wise.

He also writes about the main event of this January’s Wrestle Kingdom — one he calls the “weakest” Tokyo Dome main event in recent history.

Get all this and more in this week’s newsletter. Click below to subscribe if you haven’t already.

September 2, 2024 Observer Newsletter: Sid Vicious passes away, AEW All In review

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Image: AEW

Subscribers can now read this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter which features a look at the life and wrestling times of the late Sid Vicious who passed away this past week in addition to a full recap of AEW All In from London’s Wembley Stadium and the RevPro show Bryan Alvarez and I attended.

I also look ahead to this weekend’s WWE Bash in Berlin, and the usual news from the wrestling world.

Click here to read.