Tag: shinjiro otani

Daily Update: New WWE trademark, A&E ratings, Shinjiro Otani

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Daily Update

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Latest Free YouTube Video:

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

In this issue:

  • The life and times of the Iron Sheik and Khosrow Vaziri, and how the two men were the same person but altogether different.
  • The short WWF title run
  • The Sgt. Slaughter feud
  • His two very different periods as a pop culture celebrity
  • How the Iron Sheik name and gimmick came around
  • Famous Iron Sheik shoot stories
  • The first WWF run
  • The hostage crisis changes his career
  • Did you know Iron Sheik competed in the predecessor to the G-1 in 1982
  • The feud with Angelo Mosca in Canada
  • The last angle with Killer Karl Kox in Florida
  • Growing up as an amateur wrestler in Iran
  • Why he left Iran and wound up in Minnesota
  • His U.S. amateur wrestling exploits
  • His being trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson and altercations that came up
  • Why Gagne got so much heat when Sheik was injured
  • The angle to set up Sheik’s WWF tile run
  • Hulk Hogan comes to WWF
  • Sheik’s biggest matches during his biggest singles run with Hogan and Slaughter
  • His arrest in a feud with Jim Duggan
  • His teaming with Slaughter
  • His drug issues
  • The death of his daughter and what he wanted to do to the man who killed her
  • Longest reigning world champions in pro wrestling history
  • Stories behind the longest title reigns
  • Differences in how world champions were picked
  • New Japan Dominion, as well as build to Forbidden Door and the G-1 Climax tournament
  • Travel issues relating to getting the BCC into Japan for Dominion
  • Dominion match-by-match coverage
  • TripleMania news
  • UFC Saturday coverage
  • The most detailed look at the ratings for a huge week on television for pro wrestling
  • Where Raw, Smackdown and Dynamite rated among everything on cable and network, both sports and entertainment
  • Ratings breakdown, looking at competition for all the show
  • Perhaps the oldest living wrestling promoter passes away
  • Controversial angle in Stardom
  • Superstar Graham funeral notes
  • The career of Gary Albright
  • Pro wrestling documentary gets an Emmy nomination
  • The first-ever pro wrestling closed circuit show
  • Ticket sales for the upcoming AEW & WWE shows
  • International TV ratings and streaming numbers
  • What notable thing happened in ratings internationally this past week
  • Real WrestleMania attendance and gate figures for 2023 are released
  • Biggest gates in AEW history
  • Merch rankings
  • Dana White talks Tyson Fury vs. Jon Jones
  • MMA show draws 50,000 fans this past week
  • Update on Peacock
  • Notes on the Raw on Twitch show
  • Story behind Smackdown’s monster rating
  • Trends for AEW and WWE ratings
  • What Friday told us about television viewership of AEW and WWE

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday Update

WWE

AEW

Other Wrestling

  • Shinjiro Otani sent a message of encouragement to Takashi Sugiura ahead of his GHC Championship match on Saturday. Otani has been paralyzed from the neck down after an injury suffered during a match against Sugiura in April of 2022.
  • Howard Stern talked about the passing of The Iron Sheik on his radio show.
  • The Control Center for MLW’s Never Say Never event.
  • Mance Warner vs. George South has been added to GCW’s Now and Forever event on July 14.
  • Bandido, Komander, and Kento Miyahara have been added to GLEAT’s July 1 event at Tokyo Dome City Hall.

Daily Update: Kenny Omega, Shinjiro Otani, Velveteen Dream

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Daily Update

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This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

  • The lead story concerns AEW and WWE and the momentum changes, the current business environment for both companies, when momentum shifted and reasons, a listing of all the turns on AEW television of late, and goes into detail on the AEW issues with CM Punk & Adam Page, Eddie Kingston & Sammy Guevara, Thunder Rosa’s injury and it is real and so much more. It’s a major story and talks about the key things for AEW’s future as well as the talent meeting. Also in the issue:
  • Update on Clash at the Castle and All Out including business notes
  • Hot ticket sales for AEW & WWE shows
  • UFC 278 coverage in detail by Ryan Frederick
  • A fascinating historical piece on UK star Bert Royal and the Royal Brothers tag team, why they are so important in different aspects of the changes in UK wrestling in the 50s and 60s
  • How the pandemic has affected the Japanese wrestling business as compared to other sports and sports franchises, as well as the hierarchy of popularity and how it has changed from pre-COVID until today including the percentage increase or decrease in attendance of the major groups.
  • G1 Climax star ratings, as well as readers voted best match of G1 and G1 MVP
  • More on the New Japan and Stardom joint show
  • The death of Howard Brody and his contributions to pro wrestling
  • DDT Peter Pan show
  • Television ratings for the past week
  • Arena Mexico Grand Prix
  • Next major Stardom event
  • Next major New Japan matches around the country
  • Update on Dark Side of the Ring
  • One of the best wrestling announcers who never got a break looks to be leaving
  • A look at both nights of the RevPro 10 year anniversary shows
  • Time slot changes in October for Dynamite and Smackdown
  • Upcoming ticket sales for AEW and WWE
  • International TV ratings
  • MMA judging criteria changes
  • More on Johnny Gargano’s return to WWE
  • Why Jeff Jarrett is out at WWE
  • Big E update

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter:

Ordering Info:

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

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

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

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

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

Wednesday News Update

WWE

  • Matches taped for NXT Level Up this week include Duke Hudson vs. Myles Borne, Valentina Feroz vs. Sol Ruca, Arianna Grace vs. Erica Yan, and Xyon Quinn vs. Dante Chen.
  • Drew McIntyre teased a return to his old music in a vignette on Twitter.
  • This week’s episode of The Bump, featuring AJ Styles and Hit Row.
  • Sami Zayn on Twitter explained why he didn’t attack Kevin Owens on Raw: “To clarify, I didn’t hit Kevin Owens because I felt the ref could see me in his periphery and I didn’t want to cause Jey Uso to lose by DQ. I’ve explained this to The Bloodline and the issue has been resolved. Friday’s championship celebration will proceed as planned. Thank you.”
  • Ridge Holland told Metro he wants the Brawling Brutes stable to show a ‘more serious edge’: “We’ve done some comedy stuff, and we really need to show people that we’ve got that mean streak and we’re not here to play games, you know? I think we’ve got a lot to give and a lot to show. I don’t think there’s a trio like us. The styles, we all mesh very well. So yeah, it would be nice to get our teeth stuck into something and show people what we’re capable of.”
  • BT Sport posted a skit of Damian Priest hanging out with a Welsh family.
  • The latest episode of G4 and WWE’s Arena, featuring The Street Profits.
  • Full segments and matches added to WWE’s YouTube page today include The Cutting Edge with Randy Orton and Wayne Brady from 2010, Becky Lynch & Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss & Lacey Evans from the June 10, 2019 episode of Raw, and John Cena & Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane & King Barrett from WWE Beast in the East 2015.

AEW/ROH

  • Kenny Omega was interviewed by Sports Illustrated ahead of tonight’s AEW Trios Tag Team title tournament match where he and The Young Bucks will face Will Ospreay and Aussie Open and talked about his rivalry with Ospreay. “There may be some tense moments between myself and Will,” Omega is quoted as saying. “I’d like to test him, and I’m sure he’d like to test me. I also would like to test myself and see if I’m really in a position where I can hang with the best. I’ve had one match [since returning from injury] to feel it out, which was a very unique scenario. I came back to AEW after a long hiatus and wrestled against three of the top luchador wrestlers in the world in a four-sided ring. Normally when I am testing myself against top luchadores in AAA, we’re in the six-sided ring. I’m still determining where I am, but I am going to push myself as far as I need to in order to keep up with him—and I am going to push myself hard enough to send a message to Will Ospreay that he’s just not quite there yet.”

Other Wrestling

  • Tokyo Sports reported that Shinjiro Otani is still paralyzed from the neck down, but is now fit enough to focus on rehabilitation. He also sent a note saying he believes he can overcome the injury and thanked the fans for their support.
  • In an update on Patrick Clark (Velveteen Dream), PWInsider is reporting that Clark remains incarcerated in Seminole County, Florida, where he was transported following his arrest, and has a court date for September 19 at 1:30 pm.
  • PWInsider reported that Alex Hammerstone is injured and will miss Thursday’s AAW event. The belief is he suffered a concussion.
  • Faby Apache on social media announced that she has left AAA.
  • JONAH spoke to NBC Sports Boston about his WWE departure, planned main roster call up, and more.
  • The latest Hiroshi Tanahashi Aces High column, where Tanahashi wrote about an online confrontation with Hiroshi Hase.
  • Torrie Wilson has signed a promo deal with Clubhouse Media Group, an influencer-based social media firm.
  • Stardom is set to have an all-women’s audience for their September 8 event.
  • Steven Church of N-x211 Entertainment has filed a trademark for ‘Wrestling at the Chase’, which is the name of the longtime weekly wrestling show in St. Louis.
  • Variety has a profile on Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who is also the owner of WOW: Women of Wrestling.
  • Ric Flair told The New York Post that he regretted doing a “fake heart attack spot” during his retirement match. “I made the mistake of saying to someone in the match that I felt lightheaded, so everybody jumped way too early [toward the finish of the match], and I just said [in my head] that this was the only way to slow it down.”

Shinjiro Otani issues statement, still paralyzed from the neck down

Posted on by Ian Carey

Shinjiro Otani has issued his first statement since suffering a cervical spinal cord injury last month.  

The 49-year-old was injured in the main event of a ZERO1 event on April 10 after taking a German suplex into the corner. He remained motionless after taking the move and has not regained the use of his arms or legs. Surgery was performed to prevent further deterioration of the injury on April 13. 

ZERO1 posted a statement from Otani on Friday and also confirmed that he is still paralyzed from the neck down. 

A translation of Otani’s statement reads as follows: 

“To all the hot professional wrestling fans who love professional wrestling, and to all the people involved in the professional wrestling industry.

I’m really sorry for the inconvenience and concern caused by my injury.

Also, I am grateful to everyone for their warm feelings.

Now, I am working hard every day for treatment and rehabilitation so that I can return to everyone as soon as possible.

I will definitely return in front of you.

We look forward to your continued support of ZERO1 and professional wrestling.

May 13, 4th year of Reiwa Shinjiro Otani “

A benefit show for Otani will be held on June 4. It will take place from the Ota Ward General Gymnasium in Tokyo. Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma, and Togi Makabe from NJPW are scheduled to take part. Pro Wrestling NOAH will also be sending wrestlers to the show. 

 

ZERO1 announces benefit show for Shinjiro Otani

Posted on by Ian Carey

ZERO1 has announced a benefit show with proceeds going to Shinjiro Otani. 

“ONE TEAM” will be held on Saturday, June 4 from the Ota Ward General Gymnasium in Tokyo. NJPW’ Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma, and Togi Makabe are scheduled to take part. Pro Wrestling NOAH has also committed to sending wrestlers to the show. 

Otani sustained a cervical spinal cord injury on April 10 while wrestling Takashi Sugiura. The 49-year-old remained motionless in the ring after taking a German suplex into the corner. He later underwent surgery to prevent further deterioration of the injury on April 13. According to the most recent updates on his condition, Otani is unable to move his arms or legs. 

ZERO1 President Takahito Kami had the following to say about the event (translations via Post Wrestling):

“Since we are a professional wrestling organization, we decided to hold this event in the hope that we can be of help by holding this kind of event. We want to bring smiles to Otani’s face through professional wrestling and to be a beacon of hope.”

  

April 18, 2022 Observer Newsletter: Shinjiro Otani seriously injured, WWE announces UK stadium show

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Tragedy struck pro wrestling as Shinjiro Otani, one of the most underrated in-ring performers of the last 30 years, remains paralyzed after taking a German suplex into the turnbuckles in a match with Takashi Sugiura on 4/10 at Sumo Hall.

Otani was diagnosed with a cervical spinal cord injury that thus far has left him paralyzed. He was in intensive care, remained conscious throughout the ordeal, and can speak. He underwent spinal cord surgery on 4/13 to attempt to prevent further deterioration.

His condition remained unchanged as of 4/15.

Otani, 49, had been acting president of Zero-1 from 2007 until recently, a promotion that was running its biggest show in years, as the 21st-anniversary show.

Otani was part of a golden age of New Japan junior heavyweight wrestling, as the frequent tag team partner of Jushin Liger in an era that included Black Tiger (Eddy Guerrero), Wild Pegasus (Chris Benoit), Dean Malenko, David Finlay, and Koji Kanemoto as regulars plus outsiders like Great Sasuke, Ultimo Dragon, Gran Hamada, Chris Jericho and others, and he had many classic matches in famous tournaments like the Best of the Super Juniors, the J Crown and the Super J Cup. Due to being a babyface during the Liger era, as a junior heavyweight, he was limited to peaking at the No. 2 position on the native side, but with his explosive springboard dropkick and great technical skills, insiders would easily have him among the best workers of the 90s. While less high profile after leaving New Japan, he remained a top-level worker in the 21 years since he left the promotion.

Subscribers can read this week’s issue here.

Wrestling Observer Live: Bryan in Sports Byline studios to talk AEW Dynamite and more!

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about as Bryan enters the legendary SPORTS BYLINE USA STUDIOS for only the second time in history! We will talk Dynamite, a great show with the exception of two segments, the latest on Shinjiro Otani and so much more. A packed show as always so check it out~!

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Shinjiro Otani undergoes surgery, wife releases statement

Posted on by Ian Carey

ZERO1 has provided an update on Shinjiro Otani. 

The promotion released a statement on Thursday updating fans on the 49-year-old’s condition. He underwent surgery on Wednesday to prevent further deterioration of a cervical spinal cord injury. The procedure is said to have gone as planned and Otani has been transferred to another hospital. 

The injury occurred on Sunday’s ZERO1 show when Otani was wrestling Takashi Sugiura in the main event. He took a German suplex into the corner and remained motionless after. It has since been reported that Otani is still unable to move his arms or legs. 

Otani’s wife, Eriko Otani, released a statement as well (translations via Post Wrestling). 

“I married a professional wrestler, Shinjiro Otani, so I was prepared to accept a situation like this, but when I think of Shinjiro’s disappointment, I cry. However, we will not look down, but forward, and with the help of pro wrestling, we will continue to support Mr. Shinjiro. We will do our best with your warm support. We hope that you will continue to watch over us warmly. Finally, I would like to ask for your continued support for Zero One and all the wrestlers that Mr. Shinjiro has been protecting.”

Shinjiro Otani to undergo surgery for spinal cord injury

Posted on by Ian Carey

Shinjiro Otani will undergo surgery as a result of the spinal cord injury he suffered during a ZERO1 show on Sunday. 

The promotion sent out an update on Tuesday noting that the surgery will take place on Wednesday, April 13 and is being done to “prevent future deterioration.” 

Otani incurred a cervical spinal injury after taking a German suplex into the turnbuckle during a match with Takashi Sugiura. He remained motionless on the mat after taking the move. Fans were asked to leave the venue, the ring ropes were removed, and eventually he was transported to hospital. He has not been able to move his limbs since the injury.

Numerous personalities from around the wrestling world have sent out well-wishes to Otani on social media.

“Sending every ounce of positive vibes to Shinjiro Otani. Join me in doing the same, if you please,” wrote WWE’s Adam Pearce on Twitter.  

“Praying for you this morning my brother. I know your spirit is too strong to be broken,” wrote AEW/ROH’s Samoa Joe. 

“Best wishes go out to Shinjiro Otani for a speedy recovery!” wrote AEW’s Christopher Daniels. 

Stardom’s KAIRI also announced she will be donating a portion of the proceeds from recent merchandise sales to Otani’s recovery. 

Daily Update: Shinjiro Otani, ratings, WWE Raw

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News:

Latest Audio:

Latest Free YouTube Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdjssJ3riEE

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WrestleMania 38 weekend, Cody Rhodes returns to WWE

This Week’s Retro Observer Newsletter: February 7, 2005 Observer Newsletter: Royal Rumble review, business year in review

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

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

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

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

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

Monday News Update

  • Bryan and I will be back tonight talking Raw and the latest wrestling news including a fairly major story that has gotten limited play. You can also send questions to the show to [email protected]
  • There is no update on Shinjiro Otani, which is the most important news of the day. Unfortunately, in this case, no news is not good.
  • Regarding Friday’s ratings, both Smackdown and AEW won their time slots on network (Smackdown) and cable (AEW Rampage). Smackdown was first for the entire night as Shark Tank, which had been battling for first, is starting to fade of late. AEW won the4 slot because there was no NBA game against them, as they usually finish second out of the 124 cable stations rated on Friday’s at 10 p.m., although in recent weeks they had fallen below that. Rampage was fourth for the entire 24 hours on cable. While we won’t have this official until tomorrow, Rampage is likely to have been the youngest skewing sports show for the week on television.
  • Raw tonight is from Detroit with The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes, Sasha Banks & Naomi defend the women’s tag titles against Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan, A.J. Styles vs. Damian Priest and Rey Mysterio vs. Veer. Plus MVP’s VIP lounge with Omos. There certainly has been a tease of Ripley & Morgan splitting up. Roman Reigns & Usos vs. Drew McIntyre & New Day has been advertised locally as a dark match. We’re looking for live reports on the Main Event, dark match or anything else on the live show to [email protected]
  • We’re looking for your thoughts on both the Hyper Battle New Japan show and UFC 273, so you can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with a best and worst match to [email protected]
  • Henry Cejudo officially announced he is coming out of retirement. He said he’s re-entering the USADA testing pool meaning he has to wait six months before he can fight. He said that he wants to face Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title in an attempt to become the first three-division champion in UFC history.
  • Champion Carnival results from today at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo:
    • B block: Yoshitatsu b Kuma Arashi
    • A block: T-Hawk b Shotaro Ashino
    • B block: Suwama b Takuya Nomura
    • A block: Jake Lee b Shuji Ishikawa
  • There are three tournament matches on Wednesday in Hodogaya with Jake Lee vs. Shigehiro Irie, Shotaro Ashino vs. Ryuki Honda and Kento Miyahara vs. Takuya Nomura.
  • The WWE Evil episode that airs after NXT tomorrow night will be on Ric Flair. 
  • Michael Malott, who beat Mickey Gall on Saturday’s UFC show in a fight that aired on ESPN, said that he was donating his show money ($10,000, which sounds ridiculously low when you consider ESPN pays UFC about $15 million per PPV show and about $7 million more for each TV show) because his coach’s daughter is battling cancer. Dana White stepped in and said he would take care of the $10,000 and then Jake Paul also donated $10,000 and as of today fans and fighters have combined to donate $109,000.
  • The book “Blood and Fire: The Unbelievable Real Life Story of Wrestling’s Original Sheik” by Brian Solomon is being released tomorrow. I’ve been looking forward to this one The Sheik was one of the biggest drawing heels in pro wrestling history. 

WWE

  • Ronda Rousey & Naomi vs. Charlotte Flair & Sonya Deville plus Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre is being advertised for the 5/6 Smackdown tapings at the Nassau Coliseum.

AEW

  • Pre-sale codes for this coming Thursday for AEW shows
  • 6/15 in St. Louis, MO at Family Arena is kh37mvp
  • 6/22 in Milwaukee is UWM414HP
  • There were 3,196 tickets out as of this morning for Wednesday’s Dynamite in New Orleans.

UFC

  • Alex Oliveira’s contract expired and UFC did not renew him after he has lost four in a row.
  • Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos has pulled out of Saturday’s fight with Mounir Lazzez, citing personal reasons.

Other Notes

  • Mariusz Pudzianowski, the huge Polish drawing card, at 45, fights in the main event of KSW 70 on 5/28 at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland against Michal Materla (31-8).
  • World League Wrestling from Saturday night in Troy, MO: Brandon Espinosa b Sean Logan, Rahim De La Suede b Moses the Deliverer, Leland Race b Tom Coffey-DQ, Superstar Steve Fender b Luke Anthony, Billy Jarrell b Derk Stone-DQ (thanks to Patrick Brandmeyer)
  • XICW from last night in Detroit, MI: Adam Wick won four-way over Jack Price, Solo and Kyler Coleman to win the vacant lightweight title, Soultaker b Billy Ray Daniels, Isaiah Broner b Brutus Atwell, Mark Ross b Jaimy Coxxx, Malcolm Monroe III b Michael Elgin, Dre Jacobs & Jontae Keith b Justin Dream & TJ Meyer, LJ Lawrence b Mongo, DBA & Cayden Monroe b Tommy Vendetta in a last man standing match, Charlie Haas b Aaron Orion to win the Midwest title (thanks to Leonard Brand)
  • Mr. Chainsaw Pro Wrestling from Saturday night in Kalkaska, MI: The Purge b Max Morrison & Jimmy Shalwin, Brutus Atwell b KJ Reynolds, Dre Jacobs & Justin Dream b Conrad Loucks & Kyler Coleman, Aaron Orion won six-way over Tommy Vendetta, Jack Price & Adam Wick & Isaiah Broner, 9 to 5 b Chase Barnett & Solo, Justin Kyle b Kaplan, Jason Hotch won three-way over Marko Stunt and Trey Miguel, Jumai Kyng b Jackson Stone. Detroit Red Wings legend Darren McCarty was the ringside enforcer in the six-way (thanks to Leonard Brand)
  • NSPW from Saturday night in Quebec City, Quebec before 416 fans: The Chabots b South Shore Wrecking Crew, Kevin Blanchard b Pee Wee to keep jr. title, TDT b The Heavyweights, Dave La Justice b Michel Plante, Matt Falco b Louie O’Farrell, Yann Pike & Dylan Donovan won three-way over Marko Estrada & Toxic Dars and Sebastian Suave & Tarik to win the tag titles, Beast King b Rogen, Matt Angel won four-way over Zak Patterson, Benjamin Tull and Zak Patterson to keep the NSPW title (thanks to Patric Laprade)
  • Bill Behrens at [email protected] noted he has a list of wrestlers that can be booked for independent shows and autograph shows including Cody Hall, Griff Garrison, Marcus Kross, Christopher Daniels, Logan Creed/Mads Krugger, Jaxson Ryker/Gunner, Luke & Perry Hawx, Shannon moore, Mikael Judas, Caprice Coleman, Slim J, The Tate Twins, Dirty Dango, JTG, Joe Hendry, Josh Woods, Mark & Jay Briscoe, Moose, Lince Dorado, Adrian Jaoude, Ethan Page, TJP, Fred Rosser, Brian Cage, Lance Archer, Matt Sydal, Jay Lethal, Cheeseburger, Jonathan Gresham, Delirious, Rhett Titus, Silas Young, Shane Taylor, Sabu (no matches), Sinn Bodhi, Mecha Wolf 450, Paul Diamond (no wrestling),k Tommy Dreamer, Al Snow, Glacier, Shane Helms (no matches), DDP (no matches), Kevin Nash, Sean Waltman, Al Snow, Rick Steiner (no matches), Hernandez, Stevie Richards, Blue meanie, Nunzio, Boogeyman, Ezekiel Jackson, Alex Riley, Jay Bradley, Wes Brisco, Mike “Nova” Bucci, Johnny Swinger, Raven, Earl Hebner, Jim Ross, Eric Bischoff, Jerry Jarrett, Missy Hyatt and Gerald Brisco.
  • A Go Fund Me has been set up for Rory Fox, an independent wrestler who gained some fame from an MTV special. Fox suffered a torn quad on Saturday night in a match in Kansas City for the Dynamic Wrestling Federation and had surgery today and has a lot of bills.
  • Mike Taverna (Mike Verna) and Kevin Matthews will be on tonight’s episode of The Equalizer on CBS.
  • Eddie Kingston appears for AIW on 5/21 in Akron, OH.

Shinjiro Otani conscious, unable to move limbs following injury on ZERO1 show

Posted on by Ian Carey

Shinjiro Otani remains paralyzed following an injury suffered on a ZERO1 show on Sunday. 

Company president Takahito Kami spoke to Tokyo Sports on Monday and confirmed Otani’s condition remains unchanged.

“It hasn’t changed. He’s conscious, but can’t move his limbs. Currently, he’s being treated by a doctor. As for the official diagnosis, we are waiting for a reply from the hospital.”

The 49-year-old took a German suplex into the turnbuckle during the night’s main event and was unable to move after. The ring ropes were removed, fans were asked to leave, and Otani was eventually stretchered out and taken to hospital. He had been challenging the promotion’s world champion, Takashi Sugiura.

Otani performed for New Japan Pro Wrestling from 1992 until 2001 when he co-founded ZERO1 with Shinya Hashimoto. In 1998, his team with Tatsuhito Takaiwa won Tag Team of the Year in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards. Otani was also named the Best Technical Wrestler that same year. 

Shinjiro Otani hospitalized following injury on ZERO1 show

Posted on by Ian Carey

Shinjiro Otani suffered a serious injury during a ZERO1 show on Sunday. 

The 49-year-old was challenging Takashi Sugiura in the main event but was unable to continue after taking a German suplex into the turnbuckle. He was stretchered out of Sumo Hall and taken to hospital. Fans in the venue were asked to leave. 

Otani is said to have not been able to move following the injury. Referee Katsumi Sasazaki spoke to Tokyo Sports and said that Otani was conscious, was able to see and hear where he was, but was unable to move and could not feel his hands. 

Otani is also the acting President of ZERO1 and a former world champion in the promotion. He previously wrestled with NJPW from 1992 until 2001 as well. In 1998, Otani was named Best Technical Wrestler in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards and he and Tatsuhito Takaiwa won Tag Team of the Year. 

AJPW announces participants for the 2021 Champion Carnival

Posted on by Bryan Rose

AJPW has announced the participants for this year’s Champion Carnival tournament.

During this evening’s show at Korakuen Hall, the company announced the ten participants for this year’s tournament: 

  • AJPW Triple Crown Champion Suwama
  • Zeus
  • Kento Miyahara
  • Shuji Ishikawa
  • Jake Lee
  • Yuma Aoyagi
  • Shotaro Ashino
  • Koji Doi
  • Kohei Sato
  • Shinjiro Otani

Zeus won last year’s tournament, pinning Miyahara in the finals. That tournament, originally scheduled to take place last April, was delayed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s tournament will start on April 9 in Osaka and will conclude on May 3, with the finals taking place at Korakuen Hall. The dates for this year’s tournament are as follows:

  • April 9th in Osaka
  • April 10th in Nagoya
  • April 11th in Niigata
  • April 17th in Shinkiba
  • April 18th in Chiba
  • April 24th in Shinkiba
  • April 25th in Korakuen Hall
  • April 28th in Hodogaya
  • April 29th in Korakuen Hall
  • May 3rd in Korakuen Hall

Low Ki replacing Shinjiro Otani in MLW Opera Cup tournament

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ahead of the tapings taking place tomorrow, there’s been a change to the lineup for MLW’s Opera Cup tournament.

MLW announced today that Shinjiro Otani has withdrawn from the tournament. He was scheduled to face Davey Boy Smith Jr. in the first round.

With Otani off the show, it will now be Smith Jr. vs. Low Ki in the opening round.

The Opera Cup is a one-night, eight-man tournament. MJF vs. Alexander Hammerstone, Timothy Thatcher vs. Richard Holliday, and Brian Pillman Jr. vs. TJP are the other first-round matches.

The Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York is hosting the Opera Cup tapings tomorrow night. Here’s the updated lineup for the event:

  • Opera Cup tournament semifinals and finals
  • Strong Hearts (CIMA, El Lindaman & Shigehiro Irie) vs. CONTRA Unit (Jacob Fatu, Ikuro Kwon & Simon Gotch)
  • Opera Cup tournament first-round match: Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Low Ki
  • Opera Cup tournament first-round match: MJF vs. Alexander Hammerstone
  • Opera Cup tournament first-round match: Timothy Thatcher vs. Richard Holliday
  • Opera Cup tournament first-round match: Brian Pillman Jr. vs. TJP
  • Prince of Darkness match: Mance Warner vs. Jimmy Havoc
  • Exhibition match: Tom Lawlor vs. a member of the Von Erich family
  • Savio Vega vs. Gino “El Intocable” Medina
  • King Mo in action
  • An appearance by Konnan

MLW notes: Otani in Opera Cup, Alicia Atout joins broadcast team

Posted on by Joseph Currier

– Shinjiro Otani is coming to MLW for next month’s Opera Cup tournament.

MLW announced today that “Pro Wrestling ZERO 1 has entered the legendary Shinjiro Otani into the 2019 Opera Cup,” with him set to face Davey Boy Smith Jr. in the first round. The one-night single-elimination tournament is taking place at MLW’s television tapings at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York on Thursday, December 5.

This is the third opening round match announced for the Opera Cup. TJP vs. Brian Pillman Jr. and MJF vs. Alexander Hammerstone are also set. There’s one first-round match that is still left to be announced.

– MLW has also announced that Alicia Atout has joined their broadcast team as a correspondent and host. Atout was formerly an interviewer for Impact Wrestling and, though she wasn’t signed to the promotion, did some work for AEW.

“Alicia is both incredibly talented and hardworking, and has been a standout with her Vlog series AMBY,” MLW’s Court Bauer said. “We couldn’t be more pleased that she’ll be joining MLW starting this December on MLW FUSION.”

“AHH BIG NEWS! I’m soooo proud and excited to announce that I’m the newest member of the @MLW family,” Atout tweeted. “Truly can’t wait to start this new journey and be back on your TV screens. Absolutely crazy.”

Liger’s first retirement match set for Wrestle Kingdom 14 night one

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Jushin Thunder Liger’s first retirement match has been announced.

New Japan Pro Wrestling held a Wrestle Kingdom 14 press conference this morning and announced Liger’s first retirement match that will take place on January 4. He will team with Tatsumi Fujinami (marking his first appearance in the promotion since 2008), The Great Sasuke and Tiger Mask to take on the team of Naoki Sano, Shinjiro Otani, Tatsuhito Takaiwa and Ryusuke Taguchi.

El Samurai will be cornering Liger’s team, while Kuniaki Kobayashi will be cornering Sano’s team.

Liger has feuded with many of the wrestlers taking part in the match. His debut match under the Jushin Thunder Liger gimmick was a victory over Kobayashi. His match against Sano on January 31, 1990 won Match of the Year in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

NJPW also confirmed that a second retirement match will take on January 5. The retirement ceremony will take place on January 6  at New Year Dash at Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo.