Tag: shingo takagi

NJPW G1 Climax 31 night one results: Shingo vs. Ishii

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The G1 Climax 31 tournament kicked off today in Osaka with A Block action. 

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and Tomohiro Ishii squared off in the main event, while Tetsuya Naito took on Zack Sabre Jr. in the semi-main. 

Here are results and a report from today’s show. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
  • Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Report —

SHO defeated Ryohei Oiwa (6:08)

Great intensity from both guys in this quick opener. 

Oiwa fired off a series of strikes right away. SHO quickly cut him off and dropped him with a forearm. SHO took the fight to the floor and whipped Oiwa into the barricade. 

SHO stayed on offense as the fight returned to the ring. Oiwa made a fiery comeback and ht a series of strikes and a slam. SHO avoided a crab, then hit a lariat to halt Oiwa’s momentum.

SHO used the Snake Bite and Oiwa tapped out. 

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Yujiro Takahashi (w/Pieter) defeated Kota Ibushi (11:31)

So the story they’re telling is that Ibushi has yet to fully recover from pneumonia and is vulnerable. Still, this was a pretty shocking result. 

Ibushi hit one dropkick early, but this was pretty much all Yujiro. Yujiro hit stomps. Yujiro kicked Ibushi off the top rope to the floor as he tried a springboard attack. Yujiro used his walking stick to hit Ibushi. Yujiro hit some stomps. 

Ibushi made a comeback with a mid kick, a striking combination and a standing moonsault. Ibushi hit a snap rana and sent Yujiro to the floor. Yujiro blocked the Golden Triangle moonsault off the post and sent Ibushi crashing to the floor. Yujiro hit a reverse DDT on the floor. 

Back in, Yujiro used a boot and a fisherman buster for a near fall. Yujiro ducked a high kick and hit an Angle slam for another two count. Ibushi fought off two Miami Shine attempts and hit a high kick and a last ride for a near fall. 

Yujiro blocked Kamigoye. Ibushi blocked Pimp Juice and hit a v-trigger. Yujiro used the threat of a ref bump to hit a low blow and Pimp Juice for a two count. 

Yujiro hit a Big Juice implant DDT and got the pin. 

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Great-O-Khan defeated Tanga Loa (w/Jado) (17:45)

Booking these guys to go more than ten minutes with each other is promotional malpractice, but this is also the same company that booked Chase Owens and Toru Yano to go nearly half an hour two weeks ago. 

They began with a long collar and elbow, ending in a stalemate. O-Khan rolled outside and Jado threatened to get involved, but stayed away from O-Khan at this point. 

Loa took over after a spear. Loa took the ref and threw O-Khan outside. Jado chopped O-Khan and hit him with a kendo stick. Loa hit a suplex on the floor for a countout tease. 

O-Khan made a comeback with an inverted suplex and some of his unconventional offense. They traded strikes. Loa got a two count off a lariat. Jado took the ref for some reason as Loa locked on the OJK. The interference didn’t lead to anything. O-Khan forced a rope break.

Loa got a two count after a blue thunder bomb. They traded strikes, then O-Khan used a standing choke. Jado hobbled into the ring and O-Khan bumped him. Loa avoided an Eliminator and hit a powerbomb for a two count. 

O-Khan avoided a Michinoku Driver and hit the Eliminator to end this. 

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Toru Yano defeated KENTA (11:07)

Yano G1 matches are a wrestling comedy artform. You have to learn to love them, or else you’ll just be miserable all month. 

KENTA gave the ring announcer a sheet of accomplishments to read off to match the length of Yano’s introduction. 

The referee confiscated a roll of athletic tape from each man before the bell. 

KENTA stalled for the first minute. Yano then followed suit and rolled outside. They did some comedy. KENTA sprayed Yano in the eyes with hand sanitizer. They fought on the ramp and the stage. 

KENTA stashed two rolls of tape on the entrance stage. Yano threw one away, but KENTA used the other to tape Yano to the entrance truss. Yano freed himself and beat the count back in. 

Yano exposed a turnbuckle and hit a slingshot on KENTA into it. Yano used a schoolboy for two. KENTA sent Yano into the exposed steel and hit a Shibata dropkick. KENTA hit a double stomp off the top for two. 

Yano avoided a GTS. They pulled each other’s hair. They fought to the outside. KENTA bumped Yano into the ref. KENTA taped Yano’s wrists together and threw him under the ring, then revived the ref. Yano beat the count back in and hit a low blow and a schoolboy for a near fall. 

Yano used another low blow and cradled KENTA for the pin. 

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito (27:05)

This was excellent. These two don’t always have the best matches with each other for some reason, but the psychology here was perfect. Naito always goes after the neck, Sabre went after Naito’s knees, Naito gave out first. 

They opened with some chain wrestling. Each won one of the two opening exchanges. Sabre used a neck crank to send Naito outside. Back in, Sabre used Naito’s own arms to choke him. Naito would try to reverse, but Sabre kept working back to the same position. 

Naito made a comeback ten minutes in with a dropkick and his combinacion cabron in the corner. Sabre cut Naito off again with an ankle pick and a PK. Sabre laid in some uppercut forearms. 

Sabre blocked a swing DDT and a flying forearm, then used Naito’s momentum to hit a dragon suplex for a two count. Naito then connected with a DDT and began to target Sabre’s neck to soften it up for Destino. 

Naito hit Esperanza. Sabre caught Naito coming in and used a heel hook with a body scissors, but Naito fought to the ropes to force a break. Sabre tried a knee breaker, but Naito blocked and hit a spike DDT. 

Naito went for a top rope frankensteiner, but Sabre blocked and used an octopus on the top rope. Sabre hit a sunset bomb off the top for a two count. Sabre used another heel hook, Naito forced another break. 

Sabre kicked at Naito’s legs. Naito hit Destino, but could not follow with a cover. They traded strikes. Naito blocked a Zack Driver and hit Valentia. Sabre blocked Destino and used a clutch for a two count. 

Sabre hit a dropkick to the legs and a leg sweep. Sabre hit a double stomp to the knees. Sabre tried a Zack Driver, but Naito countered into a clunky Destino. 

Sabre used a double wristlock with a body scissors on the mat, almost a modified octopus hold from a seated position, he calls it YES! I AM A LONG WAY FROM HOME. After a ref stoppage tease, Naito tapped out. 

Naito continued to sell his knees as he was helped to the back after the match.

G1 Climax 31 A Block: Shingo Takagi defeated Tomohiro Ishii (27:56)

This was everything you would expect from these two. Hard-hitting and a great match with insane pacing that flew by. Big, meaty men slapping meat. 

They began at a crazy pace, firing off shoulder tackle attempts and trading forearms. Shingo scored the first knockdown. They fought to the floor, where Ishii hit a powerslam on the floor to establish the early advantage. 

Back in, Shingo hammered away with forearms. Shingo dodged a headbutt and hit a DDT to win back control of the match. Shingo hit a series of strikes and a senton. Shingo hit some taunting kicks, so Ishii fired up and began to no-sell Shingo’s strikes. Ishii dropped Shingo with a forearm. 

Ishii continued to fire off chops and forearms in the corner. Shingo fired back and dropped Ishii with a forearm. Shingo then began hammering away with strikes in the corner. Shingo hit a diving back elbow off the top for a two count. 

Ishii avoided a sliding lariat, but Shingo hit a vertical suplex. Ishii answered with his own vertical suplex. Each no-sold two suplexes from the other. Shingo hit a sliding lariat on his second attempt. 

Shingo hit a top rope superplex for a two count. Shingo hit a lariat. Ishii stumbled. Ishii fired off a lariat and dropped Shingo. Ishii ducked a lariat and hit another lariat. Ishii dropped Shingo as he tried a superplex. They realized what was happening as Ishii was losing his grip and Shingo was able to land safely. 

Ishii hit the superplex on a second attempt. Shingo answered with a clothesline. They traded short forearm strikes. Shingo hit Made in Japan for a two count. Shingo hit a short clothesline to the back of the neck. Ishii hit a German. Shingo popped up and hit another lariat for a two count. 

Ishii reversed Last of the Dragon into a crucifix bomb for a two count. They hit simultaneous lariats. Ishii hit an enzuigiri and bumped Shingo into the referee., but Red Shoes popped right back up. Ishii hit a powerbomb with a stack cover for a two count. Ishii hit a sliding lariat for another near fall. 

Ishii blocked the Vertical Drop Brainbuster and hit a death valley driver. Ishii hit a half-and-half suplex and another lariat for another two count. Shingo blocked another brainbuster attempt and hit a dragon suplex. 

Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber, Ishii kicked out at two. Ishii hit a series of chops. They traded headbutts. 

Shingo blocked a forearm shot and lifted Ishii for Last of the Dragon and pinned him. 

**********

Here is the lineup for tomorrow: 

G1 Climax 31 night two, Sunday, September 19, 1 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • B Block: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
  • B Block: Hirooki Goto vs. Taichi
  • B Block: SANADA vs. Tama Tonga
  • B Block: Jeff Cobb vs. Chase Owens
  • B Block: YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL
  • SHO vs. Kosei Fujita

Daily Update: Mick Foley, Vince McMahon, Shingo Takagi

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WON NEWSLETTER: September 6, 2021 Observer Newsletter: All Out preview, more on NXT changes

It is largely predicted, due to C.M. Punk’s first pro wrestling match in seven-and-a-half years, that AEW’s All Out show on 9/5 in Chicago, that All Out will be the biggest PPV event in AEW history.

If that’s the case, it will be the biggest non-WWE pro wrestling PPV show since November 21, 1999, the WCW Mayhem show, which did 200,000 buys. AEW’s prior High Point was Revolution on 3/7 doing approximately 145,000 buys.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • PWInsider reported that Vince McMahon was not backstage at Raw last night. While he wasn’t there, he was involved with giving feedback and making changes to the show.
  • John Cena is being advertised locally teaming with The Street Profits to take on Roman Reigns and The Usos at the Madison Square Garden SmackDown Supershow on Friday.
  • Damian Priest was interviewed by Metro and talked about joking with Triple H about facing him at WrestleMania. “I make jokes from time to time. Like, hey, Mania – Hunter didn’t have a match, and that was the first time all these legends, none of them [on the show]. I was like, “I mean, did you bring your gear? Because you can have a match, I’m right here!” He started laughing and said, “You’re on a list of people that have asked me that”. I was like, I bet, I can imagine – he gets it all the time by guys being like, “Hey you wanna work? You wanna wrestle?” ‘
  • F9, the latest in the Fast and Furious franchise that stars John Cena, has been released for streaming and digital services today.
  • SummerSlam will be released on DVD on September 21, the same day as A&E’s release of the WWE Biography series from earlier this year. Extreme Rules 2021 will be released on November 2.
  • Vince Russo wrote on Twitter that he worked with WWE this past Friday for a project for Peacock.
  • Matches added to WWE’s YouTube page today include Carlito vs. Ric Flair from Unforgiven 2006, Batista and Kane vs. Great Khali and Finlay from the September 7, 2007 edition of SmackDown, and Victoria vs. Molly Holly from WrestleMania XX.
  • Molly Holly turns 44 today.

Other Wrestling

  • AEW’s Road to Dynamite for this week, which highlights moments from All Out including Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Lucha Bros., and Ruby Soho.
  • The Countdown to All Out special that aired on TNT following Rampage scored 361,000 viewers, with a 0.18 in the 18-49 demo.
  • Mick Foley released a video titled “WWE, We’ve Got a Problem”, where he talked about AEW’s success in attracting younger talent while seeing WWE’s problems with bringing up people once they are called up from NXT, citing Karrion Kross as an example. “If I was an aspiring talent now, big league talent w/ the major decision to make, I am not sure I would trust WWE creative to do the right thing w/ my career,” he said. “You guys did wonders with me back in the day. That was a different time, different place. If it was today, I am not sure I would trust the powers to be with my career in their hands. Until that changes WWE, you’ve got a problem.”
  • Shingo Takagi, in a post-match interview after retaining the IWGP World Heavyweight title at Wrestle Grand Slam, talked about his body while recovering from COVID-19. “I didn’t wrestle for three weeks, and dropped four kilos in ten days,” he said. “That had me sweating for a while, and then I put five kilos back on. Man, I’ve been in combat sports since I started judo around sixth grade, 25 years plus, and I don’t think my body’s been through anything like a fortnight span like I just had. It just goes to show what the human body is capable of dealing with even though I’m sure mine is complaining about it. It surprised even me, what a wrestler can do.”
  • Mas Lucha reported that Vangellys is the latest to depart from CMLL.
  • Pro Wrestling NOAH has launched an English Twitter account.
  • Gangrel told Cultaholic that doctors have told him that he will need total knee replacement surgery and was thinking of getting it done in December.
  • Defy Wrestling has announced three upcoming dates: Seattle, Washington on September 25, Dangerous on October 9 in Portland, Oregon at the Kliever Armory, and Hell Bent on October 14 in Los Angeles, CA at The Lodge Room. Eddie Kingston will be on all three cards. Tickets go on sale on September 10 at 10 am PT at www.defywrestling.com.
  • Vice TV will air a sneak peek for Dark Side of the Ring’s second half of their third season starting Thursday at 9 pm ET.
  • Bryan Alvarez has an article for Sports Illustrated sharing thoughts on All Out weekend and AEW’s current momentum.
  • Sammy Guevara’s latest vlog, including footage backstage from All Out.
  • ZERO-ONE announced today that they have ceased their working relationship with GLEAT over alleged contract tampering in relation to Hayato Tamura. As a result, GLEAT’s El Lindaman has been stripped of the ZERO1 International Junior Championship and ZERO1 World Junior Heavyweight title.
  • Rok-C talked to Jim Varsallone about the ROH Women’s title tournament.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: WWE Unforgiven 2008

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NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam live results: Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Shingo Takagi defends the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against EVIL in the main event of night two of Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome.

The match will mark Shingo’s return to the ring after being out of action after a positive COVID-19 test announced on August 17.

In the semi-main, Robbie Eagles will try for his first defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. He faces Hiromu Takahashi, who has just returned to NJPW after missing six months with a torn pectoral. 

The IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship will be on the line as Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. defend against Tetsuya Naito and SANADA, plus Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI in a three-way. 

The first of four title matches on the evening, Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against Super Junior Tag League 2021 winners El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. 

In the main card opener, Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii will face Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan. Cobb defeated Okada on yesterday’s Wrestle Grand Slam show. 

On the pre-show, winners of yesterday’s STARDOM showcase match Momo Watanabe and Saya Kamitani will take on Giulia in Syuri in today’s showcase. 

Our live coverage begins with the pre-show at 1:30 a.m. Eastern time. 

**********

Pre-show STARDOM match: Giulia & Syuri defeated Momo Watanabe & Saya Kamitani (11:31)

This was a more complex match than last night’s STARDOM showcase. I think last night’s was just slightly better, but this had more star power and was very good as well. 

Giulia and Momo began with a brief bit of chain wrestling, then quickly tagged out. Same pattern as the match last night. Syuri and Kamitani tagged in. Kamitani was quickly cut off. 

Syuri and Giulia used quick tags and went to work on Kamitani. Momo jumped in for an illegal double team save. Kamitani connected with a one-legged dropkick to Giulia. Momo then got a tag and continued working on Giulia. 

Giulia made her own comeback and hit a missile dropkick. Syuri tagged in for a shotgun dropkick and a near fall on Momo. Momo hit a uranage for a two count, then tagged Kamitani. 

Kamitani and Syuri traded strikes. Kamitani hit a pump kick for a two count. Syuri and Giulia doubled up on Kamitani. Syuri used a shining wizard for a two count. Kamitani hit a frankensteiner and a springboard crossody from the top rope to the floor. 

Kamitani hit a northern lights suplex for a two count, then hit Star Crusher. She went to the top for a phoenix splash, but Giulia cut her off from the apron. 

Syuri used an arm capture superplex for a near fall, then used a kimura to set up a stretch muffler. Momo saved, but Giulia hit her with a northern lights bomb to clear the deck for Syuri and Kamitani. 

Syuri hit a series of kicks. Kamitani hit a poison rana. Syuri hit a high kick for a two count. Giulia and Syuri hit a tandem slam. 

Syuri then used a Byakko stretch muffler to submit Kamitani. 

**********

Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan defeated Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii (12:45)

This was a solid opener with some impressive work from Cobb and some cool dropkicks from Okada.

This quickly broke down into a brawl around ringside. Cobb hit Okada with a release belly-to-belly on the floor. Cobb and O-Khan worked Okada over in the ring. Okada came back with an air raid crash neckbreaker to Cobb and tagged out. 

Cobb and Ishii traded power moves. Ishii hit a vertical suplex. Cobb then hit Ishii with a release belly-to-belly. Ishii was cut off and isolated in United Empire’s half of the ring. Okada entered to even the odds and hit a flapjack to Cobb. 

Ishii and O-Khan traded strikes in the ring as Cobb and Okada rolled to the floor. Cobb and O-Khan used tandem offense on Ishii, but Okada broke up a pin attempt. Cobb plucked Okada out of the air as he jumped for a dropkick. Okada escaped a Tour of the Islands and hit dropkicks to both Cobb and O-Khan. 

Ishii escaped an Eliminator from O-Khan, but O-Khan got it on his second attempt and pinned Ishii as Cobb held Okada on the floor. 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo to win the titles (20:28)

This division really needs some new blood. These guys have traded the titles and almost exclusively wrestled each other for a year now. This was good but they have had a few better matches this year. 

Bullet Club overcame a Suzuki-gun jumpstart before the bell. ELP used a springboard crossbody and a quebrada on Kanemaru. Kanemaru came back with kicks to ELP’s left leg. ELP took a bump on his head off a dropkick to the knee. 

Kanemaru and Desperado went to work on ELP’s left leg. Desperado used an Indian deathlock. ELP and Ishimori came back on Desperado and used their comedy back rake offense and crotch stomps in the corner with Desperado in the tree of woe. Kanemaru tried to save and ended up getting crotch stomped as well. 

Desperado hit a spinebuster to ELP, but Ishimori pulled Kanemaru off the apron to prevent a tag. Ishimori hit a sliding German to Desperado for a near fall. Desperado managed a tag. Kanemaru cradled Ishimori for a two count. ELP hit a senton to Kanemaru out of an Ishimori codebreaker. 

Kanemaru caught ELP in a figure four. ELP forced  a rope break. Kanemaru and Desperado continued to attack ELP’s left leg. Desperado used Numero Dos on ELP while Kanemaru used a camel clutch on Ishimori. ELP forced another rope break. 

ELP rolled up Desperado while holding the tights for a near fall. ELP and Desperado traded strikes. ELP loaded his boot and hit Desperado with two kicks. ELP hit Desperado with his own Pinche Loco for a two count. 

Ishimori hit the Cipher Utaki to Desperado. ELP followed with Thunder Kiss 86 for a near fall with Kanemaru saving. Ishimori hit a moonsault to the floor to take out Kanemaru. ELP took off his loaded boot. Desperado ducked the boot. Ishimori bumped the referee. 

Kanemaru hit Ishimori with a whiskey bottle. Desperado hit ELP with the loaded boot. Desperado then hit Pinche Loco and pinned ELP.

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (w/Miho Abe) defeated Tetsuya Naito & SANADA & Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI to retain the titles (26:43)

This was a lot of fun. 

The rules for the match were that only two guys could be legal at a time. This proved to be more of a suggestion than a rule as this was pure chaos. It was nearly impossible to tell who was legal at any given time. Just move, move, move, move, move.

SANADA used a paradise lock. Sabre used a Euro clutch for a near fall. Naito used a jackknife cradle for a near fall. YH hit a powerbomb for a near fall. Taichi hit an axe bomber. SANADA used an O’Connor roll for a near fall. 

It appeared to come down to SANADA and YH. Goto hit a plancha to both Sabre and Taichi to take them out. YH hit a meteora to SANADA for a near fall. SANADA avoided Kharma. YH avoided Skull End and hit a lariat. 

SANADA blocked a butterfly lock attempt from YH. Naito saved. SANADA hit a TKO to YH for a near fall with Goto saving. SANADA hit a back suplex to YH for a near fall. Sabre and Taichi got back in. Naito hit a swing DDT and took out both Sabre and Taichi. 

YH broke out of Skull End and cradled SANADA for two. YH broke the hold again and used another cradle for two. SANADA used Skull End with a body scissors. He gave up the hold to try a moonsault, but Taichi blind-tagged himself in. 

Sabre caught Naito in an octopus as he tried to save YH. Taichi then hit Black Mephisto and pinned YH. 

**********

G1 Climax 31 announcement —

Block finals will be on October 20, with A Block and B Block winners facing off on October 21. Here is the field of 20:

A Block

  • Kota Ibushi
  • Tetsuya Naito
  • Shingo Takagi
  • Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Toru Yano
  • Tomohiro Ishii
  • Yujiro Takahashi
  • Tanga Loa
  • KENTA
  • Great-O-Khan

B Block

  • SANADA
  • Taichi
  • YOSHI-HASHI
  • Hirooki Goto
  • Jeff Cobb
  • EVIL
  • Tama Tonga
  • Chase Owens
  • Kazuchika Okada
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi

**********

*****Intermission*****

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles defeated Hiromu Takahashi to retain the title (24:07)

This was excellent. The leg work from last night’s tag match came into play, so you were rewarded for paying attention. This is easily the biggest win of Robbie’s career and Hiromu is such a star that he wasn’t hurt by the loss. 

It should not come as a shock to you that they began with a lightning-quick series of counters and reversals. Eagles hit a stomp to Hiromu’s left leg to soften it up for the Ron Miller Special. Eagles hit a flip dive to the floor and they crashed into the barricade. 

Eagles brought the action back inside the ring at the five minute mark. He stomped at both of Hiromu’s legs. Hiromu got a brief flurry of offense, but Eagles went back after the legs. He hit a 619 to the legs and a springboard dropkick to the left leg. 

Eagles used the Ron Miller Special. Hiromu crawled to the ropes to force a break. Hiromu blocked turbo backpack and hit a DVD into the buckle. Hiromu followed up with a sunset bomb. 

Eagles beat the count back in after the sunset bomb at 19. Hiromu hit a lariat for a near fall just past 15 minutes. Eagles blocked a pop-up powerbomb, but Hiromu hit two thrust kicks and victory royale for a two count. 

Eagles grabbed two quick cradles for near falls. Hiromu hit Dynamite Plunger for a near fall. Hiromu was bleeding from the mouth. Hiromu hit a lariat, then an inverted DDT. They fought to the top rope. Eagles escaped the corner and hit a dropkick to Hiromu’s left leg as he was prone on the top rope. 

Eagles hit turbo backpack off the top rope, but only got a two count. Eagles hit two thrust kicks and a 450 splash to the legs. Eagles used the Ron Miller Special again. This time it was enough, as Hiromu tapped out. 

**********

Desperado came to the ring after the match He said he wants a rematch, but not just a rematch, a rematch with the Junior Tag titles on the line as well. 

I’m not sure if this is a pair of matches with Desperado and Kanemaru against Eagles and Tiger Mask, or if they’re talking about a singles match. 

Hopefully we’ll get some clarity when the match is officially announced.

**********

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi defeated EVIL (w/Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo) to retain the title (30:20)

The Bullet Club interference and ref bumps are beyond parody at this point. This was a mess of interference, ref bumps, run-ins, ejections, returns after ejections, weapon shots, ring announcer bumps and everything else. 

SHO jumped on the apron with a chair right off the bat. Shingo was distracted, allowing EVIL to attack. Shingo grabbed a side headlock, but EVIL powered him down. They traded chops. Shingo hit a shoulder tackle. 

Shingo hit a suplex for a near fall. EVIL rolled outside. Shingo whipped him into the barricade. Togo provided a distraction. EVIL bumped Shingo into the barricade and the ring announcer. They did the spot again and the ring announcer went flying. 

EVIL hit a baseball swing chair shot. Yujiro exposed a buckle. EVIL whipped Shingo into the exposed steel. EVIL threw Shingo outside. EVIL took the ref as Togo, Yujiro and SHO tripled up on Shingo on the floor. Red Shoes refused to count the pin as Shingo was thrown back inside. 

EVIL used an abdominal stretch. Togo interfered to provide more leverage. SHO and Yujiro got involved as well. Red Shoes kicked at EVIL’s arm to break up the human centipede. 

EVIL hit a vertical suplex for two. Shingo made a comeback with a series of chops and a DDT. Yujiro, SHO and Togo interfered again on the floor. They took the referee. Shingo set EVIL and Togo up at the ring announcer’s table, then bumped SHO and Yujiro into them. 

Red Shoes finally ejected Togo, Yujiro and SHO. 

Shingo hit noshigami, a wheelbarrow suplex and a sliding lariat. EVIL used Red Shoes for a Magic Killer. EVIL hit a top rope superplex. EVIL used a scorpion deathlock, but Shingo forced a rope break. 

EVIL hit Darkness Falls for a two count. Shingo blocked two Everything is EVIL attempts and got shot into the exposed buckle. Shingo flew out of the corner for a lariat into a double down. 

Togo made his way back to the ring. Shingo hit Made in Japan, but Togo pulled Red Shoes out of the ring before the three count. Togo choked Shingo with his ligature. Shingo broke free, but Yujiro ran back in and hit Shingo with Pimp Juice. EVIL made a cover, but Shingo kicked out and threw EVIL into Red Shoes for yet another ref bump. 

Togo choked Shingo again. BUSHI ran in for the save. SHO hit a German to BUSHI. SHO hit a chair shot to Shingo’s head. SHO went for Shock Arrow, but Naito and SANADA ran in for the save. 

Togo apparently bladed somewhere here, as he popped up with a bloody face and hit a belt shot to Naito. EVIL hit Shingo with a low blow. Shingo and EVI fought over the belt. The referee came to just as Shingo was about to use the belt. 

Shingo blocked a low blow and hit a lariat to EVIL. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber at 30 minutes, then connected with Last of the Dragon and got the pin. 

**********

Hiromu limped to the ring after the match. Shingo cut a promo and talked about having COVID and his tough last few weeks. He put over Hiromu and put over his LIJ teammates. 

LIJ celebrated in the ring to close the show. 

Shingo Takagi, BUSHI cleared to return at NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam

Posted on by Ethan Renner

After testing positive for COVID-19, Shingo Takagi and BUSHI have been medically cleared to appear at NJPW’s Wrestle Grand Slam.

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo will return at NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome on Sunday, according to Tokyo Sports. BUSHI’s return has been announced for a tag team match on night one on Saturday.  

Shingo and BUSHI were pulled from a Summer Struggle show on August 15 after presenting with fevers. Both would undergo PCR tests. NJPW announced on August 18 that both had tested positive for COVID-19. They missed the rest of the Summer Struggle tour. 

Six wrestlers who were identified as close contacts with Shingo and BUSHI worked the show on August 15, but were then pulled from the remainder of the tour. The six close contacts were Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL, Gedo, Dick Togo and Yujiro Takahashi.

Of those wrestlers, EVIL, Tetsuya Naito and SANADA are all still listed for the Sunday Wrestle Grand Slam show, although no specific announcement has been made regarding their status. 

Here are the lineups for both nights at MetLife Dome: 

NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome night one, Saturday, September 4, 4 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • IWGP United States Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
  • Provisional KOPW 2021 No DQ, I Quit match: Chase Owens (c) vs. Toru Yano
  • SHO vs. YOH
  • Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
  • Pre-show: STARDOM exhibition match TBA

NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome night two, Sunday, September 5, 2 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. EVIL
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
  • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo (c) vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
  • Pre-show: STARDOM exhibition match TBA

Shingo Takagi, BUSHI test positive for COVID-19

Posted on by Bryan Rose

NJPW confirmed this evening that Shingo Takagi and BUSHI have both tested positive for COVID-19.

The company further said that their conditions are not becoming worse and are undergoing the appropriate treatment.

“Two wrestlers, Shingo Takagi and BUSHI, who presented with a fever and missed their match on the day of the August 15 event were immediately tested in accordance with COVID protocols, with the tests returning positive,” New Japan’s statement reads. “Their fevers went down and their conditions are not becoming worse. According to protocols and under medical advice, they are isolating and receiving appropriate treatment.”

Takagi and BUSHI were removed from the Summer Struggle tour on Sunday after both were suffering from high fevers. In the days since, six other wrestlers have been removed from the Summer Struggle tour due to COVID-19 contact tracing: Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo, and Dick Togo. Takagi, the current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, is set to defend the title against EVIL at Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome on September 5.

Stardom, who is under the same parent company as NJPW, has canceled several shows in the last two weeks due to COVID-19 contact tracing that led to some in their roster having to quarantine.

Shingo Takagi and BUSHI pulled from NJPW event due to fevers

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW has pulled IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and BUSHI from today’s Summer Struggle event due to both having a fever. 

NJPW announced that the two would be undergoing PCR tests and would be absent from the show. They were scheduled to take part in an eight-man tag main event on the untelevised event in Shizuoka. 

Shingo and BUSHI are currently also scheduled to take part in eight-man tags at Monday and Tuesday’s Summer Struggle events in Korakuen Hall. No announcement has been made regarding their status for those shows. 

Both appeared on Saturday’s untelevised show in Nagano. They teamed with Tetsuya Naito and SANADA in the main event, defeating EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo and Dick Togo.

Shingo is still currently scheduled to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against EVIL in the main event of night two of Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome in Saitama on Sunday, September 5. 

NJPW Summer Struggle results: Jeff Cobb attacks Kazuchika Okada

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The NJPW Summer Struggle tour continued today in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

The only notable angle on the show came after Kazuchika Okada was victorious in a six-man tag. His Tokyo Dome opponent from this past Sunday, Jeff Cobb, appeared and laid Okada out with his Tour of the Islands finisher. That program will likely continue until the September 4 and September 5 Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome events. 

After EVIL and  Dick Togo attacked IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi at Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, Shingo teamed with BUSHI to face EVIL and Togo in today’s main event.

Shingo will defend the IWGP World title against EVIL in the main event of Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome on Sunday, September 5. 

After two days off, NJPW returns Friday, Saturday and Sunday with three shows. All of the events will also be held at Korakuen Hall and will begin at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time. 

Below are results from today’s show. 

**********

Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata defeated Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Yota Tsuji (10:34)

Kojima pinned Tsuji after hitting a lariat.

Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado defeated Robbie Eagles, Tiger Mask & Yuya Uemura (12:13)

Ishimori pinned Uemura after hitting a Bloody Cross.

Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano defeated Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi & Gedo (12:10)

Okada submitted Gedo with the Money Clip. 

After the match, Jeff Cobb appeared and laid out Okada with a Tour of the Islands. 

Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, SHO & YOH (18:06)

Taichi used the Seitei Jujiro stretch plum to submit YOH.

EVIL & Dick Togo defeated Shingo Takagi & BUSHI (14:01)

EVIL pinned BUSHI after hitting Everything is EVIL.

**********

Here are the lineups for the next three days:

NJPW Summer Struggle, Friday, July 30, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • Elimination match: Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
  • Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Robbie Eagles vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki & DOUKI
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano vs. Chase Owens & Gedo
  • Kazuchika Okada, SHO & YOH vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
  • Togi Makabe, Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura vs. Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask

NJPW Summer Struggle, Saturday, July 31, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • Elimination match: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, SHO & YOH vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo & Dick Togo
  • Kazuchika Okada, Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano & Yuya Uemura vs. Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
  • Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Yuji Nagata & Yota Tsuji

NJPW Summer Struggle, Sunday, August 1, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (c) vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Minoru Suzuki
  • Shingo Takagi, SANADA & BUSHI vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo
  • Toru Yano, SHO & YOH vs. Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
  • Yota Tsuji farewell match: Tetsuya Naito vs. Yota Tsuji
  • Yuya Uemura farewell match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Yuya Uemura

NJPW’s EVIL to challenge for IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

Posted on by Ethan Renner

A familiar face appeared to issue a challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at the conclusion of today’s NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo event. 

Following Shingo Takagi’s successful defense of the IWGP title over Hiroshi Tanahashi, EVIL asserted himself as the next challenger.

As Shingo addressed the crowd following his win, he was interrupted by a promo by EVIL and Dick Togo on the video wall. EVIL stated that regardless of who had won the match, he was stepping up as the next challenger. 

After the video, EVIL and Togo appeared in the ring. EVIL attacked Shingo with his Everything is EVIL STO and laid the champion out. EVIL posed over Shingo with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship as the show concluded. 

EVIL is a former IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental double champion, beating Tetsuya Naito to win both titles at NJPW Dominion in July 2020. His reign with the titles lasted 48 days, as he dropped the belts back to Naito at Summer Struggle in Jingu in August 2020. 

In addition to his double IWGP title reign, EVIL’s career accolades include two IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team title reigns, a NEVER Openweight title reign, four reigns with the NEVER Openweight Six-Man titles, two World Tag League wins, plus the 2020 New Japan Cup victory. 

NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome live results: IWGP title match

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW takes to the Tokyo Dome today for Wrestle Grand Slam. 

In the main event, Shingo Takagi will defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi is serving as a replacement for Kota Ibushi, who was officially pulled from the show just hours ago due to pneumonia. 

The only prior singles meeting between Shingo and Tana came on January 30 of this year, a NEVER Openweight Championship match won by Tana. Dave Meltzer gave the match a ***** rating. 

In the semi-main, Tetsuya Naito and SANADA will try for their first defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. They defend against Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.). 

In a special singles match, Kazuchika Okada takes on Jeff Cobb of the United Empire. 

The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship will be defended, with El Desperado facing Robbie Eagles. Eagles pinned the champ in a tag match in the opening match of yesterday’s show. 

In the main card opener, Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship against Ryusuke Taguchi and Rocky Romero. 

A New Japan Ranbo for the provisional KOPW 2021 title will take place on the pre-show. An unspecified number of participants will enter at 60-second intervals in a match where eliminations occur by pinfall, submission, disqualification, or by being handcuffed.

Our live coverage begins with the pre-show at 3 a.m. Eastern time. 

**********

Chase Owens won a pre-show New Japan Ranbo for the provisional KOPW 2021 (35:36)

This was a worst match of the year contender. It went absolutely forever. No one worked especially hard because it was a pre-show battle royal. Most of the veterans got in and out quickly. The sparse crowd was dead for it. 

For the final elimination, Yujiro hit Yano with his pimp cane. Owens threw powder in Yano’s eyes and rolled him up for two. Owens hit a jewel heist for a nearfall, then hit a package piledriver for the pin.

Order of entrance —

  1. Chase Owens
  2. Great-O-Khan
  3. Tomoaki Honma
  4. Togi Makabe
  5. DOUKI 
  6. Tiger Mask
  7. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  8. Minoru Suzuki
  9. SHO
  10. YOH
  11. Yuji Nagata
  12. Satoshi Kojima
  13. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
  14. BUSHI
  15. Master Wato
  16. Dick Togo
  17. Tomohiro Ishii
  18. Yujiro Takahashi
  19. YOSHI-HASHI
  20. Hirooki Goto
  21. KENTA
  22. Toru Yano

Order of elimination —

  1. Makabe (top rope)
  2. Honma (handcuffs)
  3. Suzuki (top rope)
  4. Kanemaru (top rope)
  5. SHO (top rope)
  6. YOH (top rope)
  7. Tenzan (top rope)
  8. Kojima (top rope)
  9. BUSHI (handcuffs)
  10. Tiger Mask (handcuffs)
  11. Wato (pinfall)
  12. DOUKI (pinfall)
  13. Ishii (top rope)
  14. Togo (top rope)
  15. Goto (top rope)
  16. Nagata (handcuffs)
  17. O-Khan (handcuffs)
  18. KENTA (handcuffs)
  19. YOSHI-HASHI (handcuffs)
  20. Yujiro (top rope)
  21. Yano (pinfall)

**********

Hiromu Takahashi opened the show with a promo. He said he’s challenging the winner of the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title match. 

**********

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo defeated Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi to retain the titles (20:56)

This was a very good opener. Both teams pulled out all the stops. 

After some back-and-forth comedy offense, Ishimori and ELP cut Romero off. 

ELP hit Romero with a springboard senton and quebrada for a near fall. Romero reversed a CR II attempt into a rana for a two count. Romero kicked out of a Styles Clash. ELP hit a v-trigger. Romero reversed a One-Winged Angel into a cross armbreaker. Ishimori saved. 

ELP hit Sudden Death to Romero’s midsection. Romero managed a tag to Taguchi. ELP tagged Ishimori. Romero hit a doomsday device poison rana to Ishimori. Taguchi hit Ishimori with a bumaye for a two count. 

Romero and Taguchi ran through a litany of finishers from their previous teams. Ishimori hit a code red and a golden triangle moonsault to the floor. 

ELP hit a spectacular moonsault from the top rope over the barricade and wiped everyone out. ELP sold his ankle after landing. ELP hit a UFO to Taguchi for a two count. ELP hit Thunder Kiss 86 for a two count as Romero saved. ELP hit Romero with Sudden Death.

Taguchi threw ELP’s Sudden Death into Ishimori. Taguchi hit a blue thunder bomb for a near fall, then used an ankle lock. 

Taguchi ripped ELP’s loaded boot off and showed it to the ref. Ishimori took the ref. ELP hit a low blow and CR II to Taguchi for the pin. 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Robbie Eagles defeated El Desperado to win the title (19:56)

This was another good match. The story of the match was both went after the other’s left leg. The crowd really got into it and bought the upset possibility as the match went on.

Desperado immediately went after the left leg of Eagles. He had worked on it in their tag match yesterday as well, so they had a built-in story. 

Eagles fired back with some strikes, but Desperado continued to work the left leg with dragon screws. Desperado used a deathlock on the left knee. Eagles forced a break. Eagles stumbled off a Desperado whip and they briefly teased a ref stoppage. 

Desperado sent Eagles to the floor and into the ring frame. Eagles sent Desperado into the ring frame and hit a 619. Desperado went flying over the barricade. Desperado beat the count back in.

Eagles hit a springboard dropkick to the left leg of Desperado. Eagles used the Ron Miller Special, but Desperado forced a rope break. Eagles used a knee crusher. Desperado blocked turbo backpack with a face rake, then hit a back suplex. 

They traded forearm shots, then exchanged kicks to their respective bad legs. Eagles hit a thrust kick, then missed an enzuigiri. Desperado hit a heavy forearm strike and Guitarra de Angel for a near fall. 

Eagles reversed Pinche Loco into a cradle for a two count. Desperado reversed the Ron Miller Special into Numero Dos. Eagles got another cradle or two. Desperaodo used an inside cradle. Eagles reversed into another cradle as they traded quick near falls. 

Desperado reversed a sliced bread attempt into El Es Culero for a two count. Desperado used the threat of a ref bump to set up a right hand, but Eagles blocked with a high kick into a double knockdown. 

Eagles hit turbo backpack for a two count. Eagles went up top and hit a 450 to the leg. Eagles went back to the Ron Miller Special. After a long struggle, Desperado tapped out for the upset. 

Eagles had a staredown with Hiromu after the match. 

Kazuchika Okada defeated Jeff Cobb (w/Great-O-Khan) (19:23)

Another excellent match. I can’t wait to see them run this back, maybe in the G1. 

Cobb broke cleanly after locking up and backing Okada into the ropes. Okada backed Cobb into the ropes. Cobb tried a kick on the break, but Okada avoided it and established early control. Okada hit a basement dropkick and a neckbreaker. 

Okada tried a suplex out of the corner, but Cobb placed him on the middle rope and hit a dropkick to send Okada to the floor. Cobb chose to target Okada’s bad back as he sent him into the ring frame. Cobb stood on the back. Cobb got back in and taunted Okada. 

Back inside, Cobb hit a series of chops. They traded forearm strikes. Cobb dropped Okada. Okada hit a flapjack, back elbow and DDT for a two count. Okada dropkicked Cobb to the floor off the second rope, returning serve from earlier. 

Okada sent Cobb over the barricade, then hit a draping DDT off the barricade to the ring platform. Back in, Cobb avoided an air raid crash. Okada locked on the Money Clip. Cobb backed Okada into the corner to break it. 

Cobb teased a suplex off the second rope to the floor. Okada blocked. Cobb caught an attempted plancha and hit a vertical suplex on the floor. Cobb made it back in first, while Okada just beat the count at 19. 

Cobb hit a running powerslam and a standing moonsault for a pair of near falls. Cobb blocked a kick and hit a spin cycle for another close near fall. 

Cobb hit a release German. Okada blocked a Tour of the Islands with a shotgun dropkick, then hit a standard dropkick. Cobb blocked a tombstone. Okada used a backslide to set up a pair of short lariats. Cobb ducked a Rainmaker and tried his own tombstone. Okada tried a spinning Rainmaker, Cobb blocked with a lariat. 

They traded heavy strikes. Cobb hit a doctor bomb for a near fall. Okada blocked Tour of the Islands. Cobb hit a headbutt. 

They traded Rainmaker attempts. Okada ducked Cobb’s Rainmaker and sat down into a cradle for the flash pin. 

***** Intermission *****

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (w/Miho Abe) defeated Tetsuya Naito & SANADA to win the titles (37:58)

This was a war of attrition. Very long, but very good match.

Naito and Sabre began with a mat wrestling sequence. They grappled to a stalemate, then tagged out. 

SANADA and Taichi entered. SANADA tried to instigate a pec popping battle, but Taichi refused to engage. SANADA grabbed a hammerlock, Taichi forced an immediate rope break. Taichi choked SANADA and the match broke down into a brawl on the floor. 

Sabre went after Naito, while Taichi choked SANADA with a camera cable. SANADA ended up isolated in the Tekkers corner. Naito hopped in for a double team and attacked Sabre’s leg. SANADA wedged Sabre’s leg over the barricade and kicked at it. 

Naito tagged in and continued to work on Sabre’s leg. Naito hit the combinacion cabron to the left knee. Naito and SANADA traded quick tags and continued their assault on the leg. Naito used a figure four and a knee breaker. 

Sabre hit a neck crank to Naito and tagged out. Taichi missed an axe bomber. Naito hit a neckbreaker at the 15 minute call. SANADA tagged in for an atomic drop and a paradise lock. He hit a high cross for a near fall. 

SANADA and Taichi had a lengthy striking battle. All four guys jumped in at the 20 minute call. All four ended up down. Taichi was up first and the trousers came off. SANADA hit a feint kick to set up Skull End. Taichi slid out and hit a high kick. 

Sabre got a tag and hit a kick to SANADA, then a running boot to knock Naito off the apron. SANADA and Sabre traded cradles. Sabre used a backslide to set up a jackknife cradle for a two count. Sabre and SANADA ended up in a double pin situation, but both kicked out. SANADA escaped a cobra twist and hit a dragon screw. 

Naito tagged in and hammered Sabre’s leg with kicks. Naito hit a pair of neckbreakers. Sabre blocked Gloria, blocked a flying forearm, then caught Naito in an octopus hold. Naito slid out and tried a swing DDT. Sabre escaped and Taichi came in for a double team. Sabre hit a swing DDT for a two count. 

SANADA saved Naito from Zack Mephisto. SANADA and Naito used some impressive tandem offense to set up a Naito jackknife cradle for a near fall. Naito caught Sabre in a cross kneelock. SANADA slapped a figure four on Taichi. Both forced breaks 30 minutes in.

Naito hit esperanza to Sabre for a two count as SANADA took out Taichi with a plancha. Sabre caught Naito in a triangle choke on landing after a frankensteiner. SANADA jumped in to save, but Taichi locked SANADA in a stretch plum. SANADA escaped, blocked a chokeslam and hit a dropkick. 

SANADA hit a moonsault on Sabre to break the hold. Taichi hit Black Mephisto on SANADA. Naito hit Taichi with Destino. Sabre hit a Zack Driver to Naito but could not follow up. 

Exhausted, Naito and Sabre threw strikes at each other on the mat. They climbed to their feet and continued to trade. Taichi and SANADA jumped in. Taichi hit a backdrop suplex to SANADA. Taichi hit the forearm out of a three point stance to Naito. Sabre hit a PK for a two count. 

Naito hit Valentia. Sabre escaped a Destino attempt and caught Naito in a Euro Clutch and escaped with the pin. 

**********

Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI came to the ring after the match to stake their claim as the next challengers. Naito and SANADA did not take kindly to this and argued with YH and Goto. This will be sorted out on the next leg of the Summer Struggle tour. 

**********

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to retain the title (37:26)

These guys are my wrestlers of the year. They’re now two for two in providing classic matches with each other in 2021. This was epic. 

Tana got the best of an early mat wrestling sequence. He tried for a second rope crossbody, but Shingo caught him and hit a pop-up death valley driver to take control. Shingo sent Tana outside and continued his assault on the floor. Tana rolled back in. 

Shingo used a lariat, a head and arm choke on the mat, then hit a DDT. Tana blocked a sliding lariat and hit a dropkick to the knee and a dragon screw at 10 minutes in. Tana took a whip into the buckle, but hit a flying forearm out of it. A somersault senton got him a two count. 

Tana teased slingblade, but hit a basement dropkick to the left leg instead. Tana tried for the Texas Clover Hold, but Shingo blocked by grabbing the ropes. They had an intense war of strikes in the corner. Tana hit a running dropkick in the corner and Shingo rolled outside. 

Tanahashi hit a standing High Fly Flow to the floor. Tanahashi hit a series of elbows in the corner and a Shibata dropkick at the 15 minute call. Tana hit three twist and shouts. Shingo blocked slingblade and hit noshigami. 

Shingo hit a wheelbarrow suplex and a sliding lariat for a two count. Tana caught a kick and hit another dropkick to the leg. Tana slid out of a fireman’s carry and hit a dragon screw. Tana hit another dragon screw in the corner, then an elevated dragon screw off the top rope. 

Tana got the Texas Clover Hold applied at 20 minutes. Shingo sold the hold for a long time, then finally fought to the ropes. Shingo rolled to the apron and hit a dragon screw in the ropes. He pulled Tana to the floor and continued to work on his right leg. 

Shingo hit a GTR off the guardrail. Tana barely beat the count back in. Shingo hit Made in Japan for a two count. Shingo connected with a Pumping Bomber for another near fall. Shingo hit an unanswered series of strikes and a headbutt. 

Tana reversed Last of the Dragon into a slingblade. Shingo hit a lariat. Tana hit a straightjacket German into a bridge for a two count, then hit another slingblade for another near fall. 

Tanahashi hit a standing High Fly Flow. Tana hit a Kamigoye, then another High Fly Flow. Shingo kicked out at the last possible instant for an awesome near fall at the 30 minute mark. 

Shingo blocked a dragon suplex attempt and hit Last of the Dragon, but could not follow up with a cover. 

They traded forearm strikes. Tana fired off a huge headbutt. Tana ducked a lariat and hit a dragon suplex. Shingo popped right up. Tana hit another dragon suplex into a bridge for a two count. 

Shingo cut Tana off on the top rope as he went up for High Fly Flow. Shingo hit four headbutts. Tana fired back with forearm strikes. Shingo hit a headbutt as both were on the top rope. Shingo hit Stay Dream off the second rope for a two count. They traded slaps to the face. Shingo hit a lariat. 

Shingo then hit Last of the Dragon and pinned Tanahashi to win an epic encounter. 

**********

Shingo cut a promo and put Tana over. He said Tana is The Ace, he’s great, and now they’re 1-1, so let’s have the rubber match someday. 

Shingo said Ibushi fought to be here, couldn’t quite make it, but he’ll be waiting for him with the title when he returns. 

He said despite all the challenges of limited attendance and the state of emergency, everyone showed up and watched in person or on TV to watch pro wrestling and everyone has his gratitude for that. 

He said he continues to lead the world of wrestling and the world of sports like a dragon. 

Shingo’s pyro was cut short. The lights went out. An EVIL and Dick Togo video played on the screen. EVIL said he’s next for the title. 

EVIL then appeared in the ring and laid out Shingo with Everything is EVIL. EVIL and Togo stood over Shingo and EVIL posed with the title. 

Tanahashi replacing Ibushi in NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam main event

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Due to illness, Kota Ibushi is out of the NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam main event.

NJPW announced tonight that Hiroshi Tanahashi is replacing Ibushi in the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestle Grand Slam. Tanahashi will challenge Shingo Takagi for the title.

Tanahashi defeated KENTA in the main event of Summer Struggle in Nagoya this morning. After the match, Tanahashi spoke to the crowd and said he was ready to replace Ibushi at Wrestle Grand Slam if needed.

“As previously reported, Kota Ibushi has been diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia, and as a result has missed the Summer Struggle tour. After careful monitoring of his recovery, Ibushi is unfortunately unable to compete at Wrestle Grand Slam where he was scheduled to face Shingo Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship,” NJPW announced.

“We apologise to fans who were looking forward to seeing Ibushi wrestle. We appreciate your understanding, and hope you join us in wishing Ibushi the best in his recovery.”

Tanahashi defeated Takagi when they faced off in the main event of The New Beginning in Nagoya this January.

Takagi won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Kazuchika Okada at Dominion last month. The title was vacant going into that match after Will Ospreay had to relinquish it due to injury.

This will be Takagi’s first title defense since becoming IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

Wrestle Grand Slam is taking place at the Tokyo Dome and will begin on New Japan World at 3 a.m. Eastern time overnight tonight. Here’s the updated card for the show:

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions Tetsuya Naito & SANADA defend against Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado defends against Robbie Eagles
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo defend against Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi
  • New Japan Ranbo for the provisional KOPW 2021 trophy

NJPW reveals full card for Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome

Posted on by Bryan Rose

New Japan Pro Wrestling has revealed the full card for Wrestle Grand Slam, which will take place at the Tokyo Dome on July 25.

Following the events of this weekend’s Summer Struggle events, new title matches have been added. A rematch for the IWGP Tag Team titles will take place, with former champions Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi taking on new champions Tetsuya Naito and SANADA. And after issuing a challenge, Robbie Eagles will get a shot at El Desperado’s Junior Heavyweight title.

Also added to the card is a singles match between Kazuchika Okada and Jeff Cobb. Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo will also defend the IWGP Junior Tag Team titles, as they will face Rocky Romero and Ryusuke Taguchi.

Matches already set for the show include Shingo Takagi defending the IWGP World Heavyweight title against Kota Ibushi and the New Japan Ranbo for the KOPW 2021 trophy.

Here is the full card for the show:

  • IWGP World Heavyweight title: Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi
  • IWGP Tag Team titles: Tetsuya Naito and SANADA vs. Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.)
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight title: El Desperado vs. Robbie Eagles
  • IWGP Junior Tag Team titles: Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo vs. Rocky Romero and Ryusuke Taguchi
  • New Japan Ranbo battle royal for the KOPW 2021 trophy

NJPW sets new date, main event for Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Shingo Takagi will make his first defense of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Kota Ibushi in the main event of Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome on Sunday, July 25. 

NJPW announced the new Wrestle Grand Slam date today. The show had originally been scheduled for May 29, but was postponed due to a state of emergency being declared in Tokyo due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The May 29 show was to have been headlined by a Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada match for Ospreay’s IWGP World title. Following the postponement, Ospreay vacated the title due to a neck injury. Okada then faced Shingo for the vacant title at Dominion on June 7, a match won by Shingo. 

After defeating Okada, Shingo called out Ibushi and challenged him for his first title defense. Ibushi accepted, but a date for the match was not made official until today. 

NJPW also announced that the Wrestle Grand Slam event originally scheduled for May 15 in Yokohama has been canceled. The company said in a statement that scheduling conflicts at the Yokohama Stadium venue made rescheduling that show in the near future impossible. Ticket holders for that event will be refunded.

Instead, NJPW will run two more Wrestle Grand Slam shows in September. The MetLife Dome in Saitama will host the events on Saturday, September 4 and Sunday, September 5. 

NJPW Kizuna Road results: Eight-man tag main event

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW’s Kizuna Road tour continued today at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. 

The main event featured IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi teaming with the other members of Los Ingobernables de Japon against a team led by his next title challenger, Kota Ibushi. 

On the undercard, the singles gauntlets for Yuya Uemura and Yota Tsuji continued. 

Below are results from today’s show. 

**********

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Yuya Uemura (12:34)

Sabre used a submission hold called Selected Technical Works 2004-2013 for the victory. 

Taichi defeated Yota Tsuji (14:14)

Taichi won by pinfall after hitting a Tensho Jujihou superkick.

Toru Yano, SHO & YOH defeated Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado (9:53)

Yano pinned Jado after shoving him into Ishimori and ELP. 

Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Kazuchika Okada defeated EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & Gedo (15:17)

Goto pinned Gedo following a GYW. 

Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI defeated Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato (18:21)

SANADA used Skull End to submit Master Wato.

**********

Here is the lineup for tomorrow’s event:

NJPW Kizuna Road, Wednesday, June 16, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • Elimination match: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, SHO & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
  • Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Kota Ibushi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Yota Tsuji
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuya Uemura

June 14, 2021 Observer Newsletter: SummerSlam to Las Vegas, NJPW Dominion review

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

WWE officially announced SummerSlam for 8/21 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, which based on the routing was the clear favorite of the different stadiums announced.

Really, this was always the choice given Smackdown being taped the night before in Phoenix and a house show the next day in Denver. That ruled out New York, Miami and Nashville. Sources at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood have said it wasn’t happening there and that was the only alternative sight. We were told when WWE planted the five different locations they were considering story with Sports Business Journal that the decision had already been Las Vegas but they were trying to build up interest in announcing the location during NBC’s airing of The Belmont Stakes horse race on 6/5.

The company announced it was the first time SummerSlam will be held in an NFL stadium. That’s both technically true and technically not true. Wembley Stadium, the home of the 1992 SummerSlam show, has hosted NFL games regularly since 2007 and the London Monarchs of the NFL funded World League played their home games at the stadium. But the Wembley Stadium that the 1992 show was held at is a different version of the stadium the NFL games were at.

Current subscribers click here to continue reading.

Daily Update: NXT, Shingo Takagi, Mikey Nicholls

Posted on by Bryan Rose

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WON NEWSLETTER: June 7, 2021 Observer Newsletter: AEW Double or Nothing review, more WWE cuts

Double or Nothing is the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer. Match-by-match coverage, star ratings, poll results, surprising PPV numbers and reasons why it happened, the atmosphere, what did and didn’t work and the signing of Mark Henry and the situation with Lio Rush.

Also in this issue: 

WWE front office hires, their background, the shift in company strategy an how they fit in, as well as the reasons for the controversy regarding Jamie Horowitz and what happened when he was at FOX.

WWE cutting of Braun Strowman, Lana, Ruby Riott, Aleister Black, Murphy and Santana Garrett, reasons all were let go as well as the future prospects for all of them individually.

WWE schedule going forward, with the shows through September, the exclusive first word on plans for NXT going on the road, and a SummerSlam update.

New Japan/WWE talks, the history of Vince McMahon and booking of WWF talent in Japan when working with the Japanese, next Takeover show, more firings, U.K. and Canadian ratings, next week’s TV show and most-watched WWE videos.

A major feature on the life of 60s and 70s star Tony Marino, from his bodybuilding days to his start in wrestling, his international tours, the Battman gimmick from the Batman TV show, his biggest career shows, being part of setting the all-time indoor pro wrestling gate record for North America in 1970 and more.

More detail on ratings than any other source, how every segment on NXT and AEW did with different age groups and more, all other wrestling shows of the past week, how many different viewers the shows had which is very different from the television number, breakdown of who watches the shows, how they watch, DVR numbers and how long the average fan watches.

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TUESDAY NEWS UPDATE

WWE

  • An angle aired prior to tonight’s NXT on social media where security broke up a brawl between The Way (Johnny Gargano and Austin Theory) and Pete Dunne & Oney Lorcan.
  • Kyle O’Reilly did media rounds today with the likes of TVInsider and DAZN. TVInsider asked O’Reilly about transitioning into a singles wrestler. “It has certainly been challenging,” he said. “I’ve had singles experience, but this is new for me coming to WWE and NXT. Those singles matches were few and far between. It has definitely put me into the deep end. I’ve grown and evolved because we all have those dreams of becoming a singles champion in WWE. I love tag team wrestling, and I think I’m a good tag team wrestler. But this is something new.”
  • Ember Moon, Pete Dunne, Adam Cole, MSK, LA Knight, and Ted DiBiase have been announced for tomorrow’s The Bump.
  • HeelByNature is reporting that WWE has abandoned the trademark for The Collective, filing for an “express abandonment” on June 4. The name is used for Game Changer Wrestling events held during WrestleMania weekend.
  • NXT UK stars Kay Lee Ray, Noam Dar, Oliver Carter, and Rampage Brown met with Mr Cenz, a graffiti artist.
  • Dwayne Johnson has released a short clip introducing the cast for the upcoming DC Super Pets movie, where he will be voicing Krypto.
  • Tommaso Ciampa vs. Timothy Thatcher from NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020, John Cena vs. The Nexus in a 6-on-1 handicap match from the July 12, 2010 edition of Raw, and Io Shirai vs. Candice LeRae from NXT TakeOver 31 are the free matches added to WWE’s YouTube channel today.
  • Liv Morgan turns 27 years old today.

Other Wrestling

  • Shingo Takagi in a press conference following NJPW Dominion spoke about becoming the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion: “Okada had the record for most defences of the previous IWGP Heavyweight title. He represented that belt, but I feel now it’s with me, the prestige of this title has been elevated a bit, if I do say so myself. Tanahashi, Okada, they’re definitely factors, but what drives me most is beating out the people of my generation. Ibushi, Naito, they’re the guys that make me the most competitive. Ibushi and I debuted at the same time, Naito and I have that past in the Hamaguchi Gym. I have my reasons for coming to New Japan in the first place, but getting to throw down with Ibushi, that was definitely one aspect. Having a proper place for us to square off. We didn’t start out as New Japan guys, but a few years ago it hit me that the guy I want to fight the most is in NJPW, and if I want that to happen then I have to be in NJPW too. Then October 2018 I arrived, and two years, what, eight months later… I wouldn’t call that a rapid ascent. I’m 39 this year, I can’t afford to take things slow.”
  • Will Ospreay replied to Takagi’s title win on Twitter: “Facts. You & the rest of the roster got slapped about when I was at 50%. Imagine me at 100%. Enjoy the Interim Championship.”
  • The former Aleister Black, Tommy End, is a guest on Oral Sessions with Renee Paquette.
  • Angel o Demonio, who is best known for nearly killing Cuervo de Puerto Rico after striking him with a brick in 2018, passed away from COVID-19 on Saturday.
  • Jacob Fatu has surpassed 700 days as MLW World Champion, defeating Tom Lawlor back on July 6, 2019.
  • Mikey Nicholls told Andrew Thompson of Post Wrestling that he is still with New Japan Pro Wrestling, but hasn’t been able to attend shows due to COVID-19: “I’m still in contact with them but because we’ve got…I don’t know the travel thing, and then there’s quarantining there and here and then I don’t know if I need the shots and stuff like that so, I’m all booked in to get at least my first vaccine shot so I’m trying to get all on top of all that so that when it becomes easier, there’s no hold up and no hassle to just jump right back into it.”
  • CWF Atlanta announced that they will shoot episodes of the UWN PeachTree TV at Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Users of B/R Live have received word that the service is moving to Bleacher Report’s website and will no longer have access to their B/R Live account starting on June 30.
  • Gangrel posted Facebook that he is no longer involved with his Wrestling Asylum.
  • Inside Edition has a story on Juana Barraza, a wrestler who was later identified as a serial killer known as “Little Old Lady Killer”.
  • Here is the latest episode of Sammy Guevara’s vlog.

Daily Pro Wrestling History: Mitsuharu Misawa defeats Jumbo Tsuruta

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