One of NJPW’s biggest stars is leaving the promotion.
NJPW announced Wednesday morning that they were unable to come to terms with Naito on a contract extension. He will continue to make appearances for the company through May 4, when the Wrestling Dontaku tour ends in Fukuoka.
“In recent weeks, conversations have been ongoing between New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Tetsuya Naito regarding Naito’s future wrestling activities. As a result of those conversations, both parties have mutually agreed not to renew Naito’s contract with NJPW,” the company’s website said in a statement. “Both parties have arrived at this decision after careful consideration and lengthy conversation. Naito’s contract ends on the best possible terms with NJPW, which joins fans in wishing Naito’s further success in any and all future endeavours.”
NJPW additionally announced that another Los Ingobernables de Japon star, BUSHI, would be finishing up with the company on May 4. He had been part of the promotion since 2012.
Naito started wrestling for NJPW in 2005 as a young lion. By 2014, he had reached main event status. At first, fans rejected Naito in the role, infamously voting him out of the Wrestle Kingdom 8 main event. But one year later, he started to gain steam after returning from a CMLL tour and forming the Los Ingobernables de Japon stable. He would go on to hold the IWGP World Championship twice, the IWGP Heavyweight title three times, and the IWGP Intercontinental title six times. He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 2022.
After years of trying, Hirooki Goto finally accomplished the goal that has always eluded him.
In the main event of NJPW’s New Beginning in Osaka on Tuesday morning, Goto defeated Zack Sabre Jr. with two GTRs to win the championship for the first time. Prior to the match, a montage of Goto’s previous attempts to win NJPW’s top heavyweight title were shown, always coming up short until Tuesday’s victory.
After the match, Goto said that he knew his father was watching, and the title win was for him. He also celebrated in the ring with his children, who got into the ring with him to celebrate. After praising his children, he said he had been doing this for 22 years and thanked the fans, declaring that the Goto Revolution has just begun.
Goto: I know my dad was watching and this is for him.
Everyone, a lot of you probably know, but I'm an idiot.
I've been an idiot as I've pursued this pro-wrestling life, but now this idiot is a champion. Dad, I did it!#njnbg
Actually, my son and daughter are here as well. Please, come in.
They're doing well in school, and my girl is doing well in dance class. Look at daddy right now. This is what we wanted, and it's thanks to you and all of them.
Meanwhile, The Young Bucks lost the IWGP Tag Team titles to Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito, with the latter scoring the win on Nicholas following the destino. They had only held the titles for 35 days, defeating Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan as well as Naito & Takahashi for the vacant titles at Wrestle Dynasty back on January 5.
The Tag Team match for Wrestle Dynasty could now be a three-way.
After Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi wrestled one another at Wrestle Kingdom 19 on Saturday, they were confronted backstage by The Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb. Naito & Takahashi proposed being added into the United Empire/Young Bucks match at Wrestle Dynasty to determine new IWGP Tag Team Champions. Although the challenge was issued, the three-way has yet to be made official by New Japan Pro Wrestling.
In their post detailing what had happened backstage, NJPW confirmed that Jeff Cobb would be teaming with Great-O-Khan on Sunday. The IWGP Tag Team titles were vacated in December when Great-O-Khan’s partner Henare suffered an injury that forced him out of action.
At Saturday’s show in the Tokyo Dome, Naito defeated Takahashi in the co-main event following a Destino. After the match, Naito extended his fist out to Takahashi. After bowing in a sign of respect, Takahashi fist bumped Naito and the two walked out of the arena together.
With one last addition, the match order for the NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 main card is now set.
NJPW has confirmed that Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiromu Takahashi will take place at Wrestle Kingdom on January 4. The match was booked after Naito and Hiromu — stablemates in Los Ingobernables de Japon — agreed to face each other at the Tokyo Dome following their World Tag League victory.
Naito vs. Hiromu will be the semi-main event of the Wrestle Kingdom card. It’s the first time they have ever faced each other one-on-one. The matchup was originally scheduled to happen at an NJPW anniversary show in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented that from happening.
While the World Tag League winners traditionally receive an IWGP Tag Team title shot, NJPW has left it up in the air as to whether Naito & Hiromu will ever challenge for the titles. The belts are currently vacant after HENARE suffered a knee injury. New champions will be crowned at Wrestle Dynasty on January 5 when Great-O-Khan and a yet-to-be-named partner face The Young Bucks.
“I’ve never won a tag team title before, and challenging for a heavyweight title is definitely interesting,” Hiromu said at a press conference. But he noted that it “isn’t a rule that the World Tag League winners have to challenge.”
Naito also said he’s focused on this singles match and they may or may not continue as a tag team after that.
Here is the updated Wrestle Kingdom card and confirmed match order:
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 (Saturday, January 4 airing live on NJPW World) —
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Shota Umino
Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiromu Takahashi
IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay defends against Yota Tsuji
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI defends against El Desperado
NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Konosuke Takeshita (Takeshita’s AEW International Championship will also be on the line if he is still champion)
Lumberjack match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
Three-way match: NJPW World TV Champion Jeff Cobb defends against Ren Narita and Ryohei Oiwa
IWGP Women’s Champion Mayu Iwatani defends against AZM
Four-way match: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight defend against Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita, TJP & Francesco Akira, and Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney
A match for the IWGP World Heavyweight title will headline the show, with Tetsuya Naito defending the title against The Great-O-Khan, who defeated Naito during the G1 Climax tournament. Whoever wins this match will likely go on to face the G1 Climax winner Zack Sabre Jr., who has chosen to have his IWGP World title match at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling on October 14.
Other title matches will see David Finlay defend the IWGP Global title against YOSHI-HASHI, Henare defend the NEVER title against Shingo Takagi, and DOUKI defend the IWGP Junior title against Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano, and Hiroshi Tanahashi will also defend the NEVER Six-Man Tag Team titles against EVIL, Yujro Takahashi, and SHO.
Zack Sabre Jr. will be in trios action. He, Kosei Fujita, and a mystery partner will take on SANADA, Taichi, and Taka Michinoku. A special singles match between Hirooki Goto and Gabe Kidd will also take place.
Join us for live coverage starting at 3 am ET.
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Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Dragon Dia defeated Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma, and Tiger Mask
Taguchi started this match, being put in his paces by each opposing team member, fighting out of it with a hip attack on Tiger Mask (after multiple attempts gone wrong). He later uses this hip attack to help Umino shift the momentum until at last being halted by Honma’s Kokeshi.
With Nagata and Tiger Mask dispatched outside, Umino weakened Honma. After an impressive dropkick, Umino sealed a victory for his team after a Death Rider on Honma for the 3-count pinfall.
I wish Dragon Dia had more to do with this match—it felt like he wasn’t given much. However, Taguchi throwing more enthusiasm into his hip attacks after a few tries was admittedly funny. Umino being the one to gain the pinfall shows how much the company believes in him. Not quite on the levels of Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura for my tastes yet, but it’s easy to see why he has the support that he does.
Los Ingobernables de Japón (Yota Tsuji, BUSHI, and Hiromu Takahashi) defeated United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Callum Newman, and Francesco Akira)
To set the stage for each tonight’s main event, this six-man started with Tsuji and Cobb running back their running story from the Road To tour with BUSHI failing to run interception. Newman handled BUSHIfrom there until Takahashi scouted his moves, save for an enzuigiri, leaving Akira to take it from there. Cobb and Tsuji were immense boons to their respective teams, but would later help the deciding factor.
Newman meanwhile held Bushi from breaking up Akira’s scuffle with Takahashi. The Time Bomb swiftly found the upper hand against Akira, and locked in Figure Four to submit the United Empire member despite Cobb’s desperate attempt to break the hold.
Taking the time to keep the rivalry between Tsuji and Cobb’s NJPW World TV Championshipleft me salivating for more. Their matchups during the Road To tour were a highlight for me. Give me more. I’ve been a staunch defender of Callum Newman, and I still see a lot of potential in him, but I must concede he should do more to set himself apart—a great talent with much potential.
Hirooki Goto defeated Gabe Kidd
Kidd entered through the curtain, grabbing a cameraman as he dragged them to Goto’s prone body in the back. Hauling Goto out for all to see, the pair brawled across the ground floor of the arena before Kidd choked Goto out, with the referee declaring the match over.
Kidd disputed this, calling for a restart. Kidd introduced a chair, only to kick it once he got even the slightest hint that Goto was about to send him through it. Throughout the match, Kidd berates Goto for causing an injury to Jake Lee during the Road To tour. Reintroducing the table once again, Kidd sat it in the ring, only for Goto to throw it out alongside a sharp object that Kidd brought into the ring. Hoping for a running knee, Kidd instead had been flattened by Goto’s running clothesline. Though he was still feeling the effects of the blindsided assault backstage, Goto found victory after following up a Shouten Kai with a GTR to get the win over the War Dog.
Great match. This felt like a real fight with the theatrics of pro wrestling behind it. I don’t think we’re fully scratching the surface as to how important Kidd could be for NJPW. His character is uncomfortable yet compelling and his thuggish, brutish wrestling style more than compliments that.
TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Kosei Fujita and Ryohei Oiwa) defeated Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi and Taka Michinoku)
— Fujita and Sabre revealed Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Ryohei Oiwa as their newest member to raucous applause.
Oiwa traded elbows for Taichi’s kicks before immediately gaining control over his right arm. Sabre, hoping to put SANADA in his paces, found the two in an intense technical grappling battle for control, which neither fully gained. Fujita fared no better with Michinoku and Taichi bullying him.
Oiwa took over, strong-arming Michinoku before crumpling the legend with a discus lariat. Just like that, the newest member of TMDK proved a wise investment in securing the victory for the team.
TMDK is the best current faction running in NJPW, and I stand by that completely. Oiwa is an impressive specimen. Presented in this debut, he feels like a much-needed shot in the arm for the company. With the young acts in the Reiwa Three Musketeers, War Dogs, United Empire, and Yuya Uemura, the future looks astonishingly bright.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, and Boltin Oleg (c) defeated House of Torture (EVIL, SHO, and Yujiro Takahashi) (with Dick Togo) for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
All three challenging members ganged up on Tanahashi, but Yano promptly circumvented this in a hot tag that saw him send EVIL into the exposed turnbuckle. Togo stunted this momentum with a quick chair shot. Once again, the House of Torture surrounded him with offense.
Oleg made the dramatic yet vital tag to even the playing field, dispatching the House of Torture easily. Tanahashi found the courage and spirit to contend with Takahashi until he was outnumbered. The champions replicated the House of Torture’s Dick-to-Dick Contact spot to the crowd’s delight on Togo.
Ren Narita interfered to stop Tanahashi, only for a returning El Phantasmo (sporting a new hairstyle) to turn the tide for The Ace. Tanahashi unleashed a High-Fly Flow for a successful pin, thus retaining the titles.
— Tanahashi shook hands with Phantasmo and the accompanying Jado, saying “Welcome home.” This new alliance parted ways with the audience with a pose and Tanahashi strumming his belt like it were an electric guitar.
The babyfaces coming out wearing black jackets much to House of Torture’s confusion was incredibly hilarious.What stopped this match from being great were the House of Torture run-ins. But otherwise, this was fun. Yano combined comedy with hoss-like energy. As always, the standout to me is Oleg.
DOUKI (c) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru (with Yujiro Takahashi and Dick Togo)for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
The House of Torture’s residential squatters yet again took up occupancy tonight, but the ever-so-speedy DOUKI remained resilient. Considering Kanemaru spent much of the time targeting his knee, maintaining that spirit proved to be crucial. Nowhere was this more evident than a prolonged turnbuckle spot where Kanemaru applied pressure to DOUKI’s knees. Locking his legs, Kanemaru mockingly posed as the champion desperately crawled to the ropes to break it, screaming in agony.
Sending Kanemaru out of the ring and flying onto him over the top rope, DOUKI found new life. Kanemaru nearly circumvented this with a Jackknife to a near-fall. This knee problem nearly caused DOUKI the belt, as he was a millisecond away from the 20-count. He even failed the Northern Lights Suplex pin, with his knee trembling and buckling beneath him. With adrenaline flowing like a mad river in his veins, DOUKI attempted variations of the inside cradle and the DOUKI-CHOKEY to incapacitate Kanemaru. SHO distracted the referee from making the call to end the match with a bell as Kanemaru spat whiskey in the eyes of an equally distracted DOUKI.
The champion found the will to persevere, escaping Kanemaru’s attempt to use the referee as a projectile and eliminating House of Torture’s involvement out of the picture. At last, with a Suplex de la Luna, DOUKI reached the 3-count, retaining his Junior Heavyweight gold.
— Post-match, SHO threatened to break DOUKI’s belt if he weren’t granted a title opportunity. DOUKI obliged, but SHO beat him up regardless.
DOUKI and Kanemaru got me to suspend my disbelief, as I was on the edge of my seat with the knee spots. There were a few spots where I felt DOUKI hadn’t sold it enough. Even still, this match was enjoyable and they had the crowd firmly in the palms of their hands.
Shingo Takagi defeated Henare (c) for the NEVER Openweight Championship
These two brutes were evenly matched in the beginning, but Henare briskly gained momentum after a few barricade spots and a gnarly submission hold. Takagi found the will to survive as he fought out of it, with a shoulder tackle to flatten the champion. Rallying up the crowd, Takagi charged at a downed Henare, who subdued him, going so far as to survive a Takagi Driver.
Kick upon kick, Henare started to wear down the challenger, and he sensed it. Locking in the Dragon with a standing full-nelson lock, Henare nearly had Takagi faded. Following a MADE IN JAPAN, Takagi followed suit with a Pumping Bomber, but Henare regained control with a headbutt. Takagi slowly but surely regained the fighting spirit to recover with a Dragon Suplex. Trading headbutts and lariats, Takagi deployed Pumping Bomber after Pumping Bomber. Using his signature the Last of the Dragon, Takagi got the pin over Henare, becoming the new NEVER Openweight Champion.
What a hoss fight. I almost got a headache just watching them trade headbutts. Their craniums are going to hurt in the morning. I wish Henare had more title defenses, but I’m always down to see Takagi with gold.
David Finlay (c) (with Gedo) defeated Yoshi-Hashi for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
Finlay and Yoshi-Hashi began with natural vigor, but the Bullet Club leader’s dirty tactics put him ahead. Clutching at the nose, smack-talking, and mockingly doing push-ups, he was in full control. Aiming for a suplex on the red entrance ramp, Finlay’s aspirations were immediately dashed as Yoshi-Hashi reversed it into a suplex of his own. Finlay caused great damage to Yoshi-Hashi by slamming him onto the turnbuckle post outside, and minutes later, Yoshi-Hashi did the same to him in the ring.
After grappling for any semblance of control, Finlay landed two Backbreakers but Yoshi-Hashi grasped momentum with a hold. Gedo sneakily handed Finlay a shillelagh, but Yoshi-Hashi kept him from using it. Goto strong-armed Gedo from causing any further support to Finlay. Yoshi-Hashi stood tall in a colliding lariat spot, but Finlay ended it with a Pop-Up Powerbomb and ultimately retained the title with an Overkill.
— Post-match, Goto confronted Finlay, hinting at a future challenge for the championship.
While not being the match of the night, this penultimate bout had an excellent pace to it. The crowd was fully invested in it and the spots were earned. Though I’m not impressed by either man, they made the most of it, extending some hype to an already warmly anticipated main event.
Tetsuya Naito (c) defeated Great-O-Khan for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
After competing to see who could take their clothes off the slowest it was off to the races. Interestingly, the pace halted as the pair engaged in holds and grapples, keeping the audience waiting in bated breath. Naito’s strategy had the match in his favor, but all Khan needed was an opportunity to strike and apply pressure to his notoriously weak knees. Combined with Khan’s penchant for using the full force of his weight, the champion wallowed in misery under his flesh.
Naito reached his recompense when he toppled Khan with a dropkick to the knee, but the formidable challenger continued to wear him down. Both men spent, Naito mustered enough power to send Khan out of the ring via a Tornado DDT. Recovering from a neck breaker on the ramp, Khan rolled to the ring when Naito trapped him in a Puma Blanca to no avail. Naito later dropped Khan with a Destino and again to no success, but the Kobe crowd was left frothing in a frenzy. With one last Destino, Naito regained his championship, thus remaining the champion, setting forth the path to his defense against Zack Sabre Jr at King of Pro Wrestling in Ryōgoku Kokugikan.
— Post-match, Zack Sabre Jr., Shingo Takagi, and Ryohei Oiwa addressed Sabre and Naito’s upcoming match at King of Pro Wrestling while Oiwa challenged new NEVER Openweight Champion Takagi at the same event.
While certainly not a bad main event, I struggled with this one. I’m a fan of Khan and I know Naito has more great performances left in the tank, but a few stretches of holds and submissions felt a little too long. However, the action superseded all of that, with flashes of what Naito used to be, mixedwith how effective Khan is with his in-ring style, made for exciting spots. That said, I feel they had better matches on the tour.
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Final thoughts
Destruction made for a fun show, but there was not much to write home about, save for Ryohei Oiwa’s TMDK surprise, El Phantasmo’s return, the NEVER Openweight changing hands, and Gabe Kidd vs. Hirooki Goto. My recommendations would be the matches featuring the younger talents as well as the NEVER Openweight and IWGP World Heavyweight Championship matches.
The full card for Destruction in Kobe has been announced.
Overall, the show will have five title matches. Announced for the card in Kobe include Henare defending the NEVER title against Shingo Takagi, DOUKI defending the Junior Heavyweight title against House of Torture’s Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and the team of Oleg Boltin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Toru Yano defending the NEVER Six-Man Tag titles against EVIL, SHO, and Yujiro Takahashi of the House of Torture.
In addition, Hirooki Goto will wrestle in a singles match against Gabe Kidd. Zack Sabre Jr., who has challenged for the IWGP World Heavyweight title at King of Pro Wrestling on October 14, will tag with Kosei Fujita and a mystery challenger against SANADA, Taichi, and Taka Michinoku.
The two title matches that have been previously announced include IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito defending against Great-O-Khan and David Finlay defending the IWGP Global Championship against YOSHI-HASHI.
The full card for Destruction in Kobe:
IWGP World Heavyweight title: Tetsuya Naito defends against Great-O-Khan
IWGP Global Championship: David Finlay defends against YOSHI-HASHI
NEVER Openweight title: Henare defends against Shingo Takagi
IWGP Junior Heavyweight title: DOUKI defends against Yoshinobu Kanemaru
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles: Oleg Boltin, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Toru Yano defend against EVIL, SHO, and Yujiro Takahashi
TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Kosei Fujita, and TBA) vs. Just Five Guys (SANADA, Taichi, and Taka Michinoku)
Hirooki Goto vs. Gabe Kidd
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi, and BUSHI) vs. United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Callum Newman, and Francesco Akira)
Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma, and Tiger Mask vs. Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Dragon Dia
NJPW has booked a slate of title matches for the promotion’s next tour.
Following the G1 Climax, NJPW is set to embark on its Destruction tour next month. It will culminate with Destruction in Kobe being held on Sunday, September 29. The first two matches have now been announced for the show:
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito defends against Great-O-Khan
IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion David Finlay defends against YOSHI-HASHI
Great-O-Khan was positioned for this title shot by defeating Naito during the G1 Climax. On the undercard for the G1 Finals, YOSHI-HASHI pinned Finlay in a six-man tag match, setting himself up as Finlay’s next challenger.
This is Naito’s first title defense since regaining the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Jon Moxley at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. The winner of Naito vs. Great-O-Khan will defend the belt against G1 winner Zack Sabre Jr. at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling this October.
Finlay is a two-time IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion during the title’s brief existence. He made a successful defense against SANADA this June.
In addition to these two matches, NJPW also has several title bouts set to take place on the Road to Destruction tour:
Sunday, September 8: NJPW World Television Champion Jeff Cobb defends against Yota Tsuji
Monday, September 9: NEVER Openweight Champion HENARE defends against Hiromu Takahashi
Wednesday, September 11: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI defends against Taiji Ishimori
Saturday, September 14: NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano & Oleg Boltin defend against EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo
After a few months without the gold, Tetsuya Naito is once again IWGP World Heavyweight Champion after defeating Jon Moxley at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door on Sunday.
Naito picked up the victory after hitting the Destino, ending a wild match that spilled all over the ringside area. At one point, Moxley looked to have the match won after a lariat and Death Rider, questioning the count by referee Red Shoes as did Taz on commentary.
After the referee prevented Moxley from bringing a chair into the ring for another Death Rider, Naito countered an attempt with a Destino followed by a brainbuster and then another Destino for the victory, avenging a loss to Moxley at April’s Windy City Riot.
The defeat ends the brief title run for Moxley which saw him successfully defend it four times on both U.S. and Japanese soil.
It’s Naito’s second run with the championship. His first run lasted roughly four months after he won the gold at January’s Wrestle Kingdom 18 before ending in April.
A challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship was accepted for AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.
After Jon Moxley successfully retained the title at Forbidden Door, he said he would defend the title anywhere at any time and asked for anyone to come to the ring to challenge him. After a pause, Tetsuya Naito came out and issued the challenge for Forbidden Door later this month in New York. Moxley accepted the challenge.
It was Moxley that defeated Naito back at Windy City Riot in February to win the title for the first time. He has defended the title both in NJPW and in AEW, most notably defeating Powerhouse Hobbs on an episode of AEW Dynamite.
At Sunday’s Dominion event in Osaka-jo Hall, Moxley retained the title, defeating EVIL in a lumberjack match. The finish had Moxley give EVIL the death rider on top of a barbed wire baseball bat to remain IWGP World Champion. EVIL and the rest of House of Torture have spent most of the year terrorizing the company with their antics, leading to Moxley bringing in the third generation of NJPW stars to assist him during the lumberjack match.
With a goal of advancing pro wrestling in Japan following the COVID-19 pandemic, United Japan-Pro Wrestling is an industry group feating nine promotions. The promotions are continuing to operate separately while also collaborating together.
The first show under the United Japan Pro-Wrestling banner was Monday’s All Together event at Budokan Hall in Tokyo. It aired live on Abema pay-per-view.
Since Lee’s attack on Naito, they’re 1-1 against each other in tag matches. Lee teamed with David Finlay & Gabe Kidd to defeat Naito, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji at Monday’s All Together show.
NJPW wrote:
Lee first appeared in NJPW on the Road to Dontaku in a shocking attack at Korakuen Hall that saw him gift a victory to Drilla Moloney. Days later in Hiroshima, Lee was eliminated over the top rope in a tag team main event that saw Los Ingobernables De Japon victorious against the BULLET CLUB War Dogs. Yet Lee was insistent that without a pinfall or submission, nothing had been proven.
That led to All Together int he Nippon Budokan, and a win for Lee over Naito with the Face Break Shot. Now 1–1, both men want a decisive result in singles action, and get it on Lee’s home turf in Sapporo. Who will prove superior? Find out when All Together hits Hokkai Kita-Yell!
Naito lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship to Jon Moxley last month. Lee is a former GHC Heavyweight Champion for Pro Wrestling NOAH and Triple Crown Champion for AJPW.
A portion of the proceeds from All Together are again going to benefit victims of the Noto Peninsula earthquake that happened earlier this year.
Jon Moxley challenges Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship tonight in Chicago.
Naito will put his title on the line in the main event of Windy City Riot at Wintrust Arena.
Nic Nemeth faces Tomohiro Ishii in the semi-main event.
NJPW World TV Champion Matt Riddle will defend his title against the Inaugural TV champ Zack Sabre Jr.
An eight-man tornado tag no DQ match features a team captained by Eddie Kingston against a team captained by Gabe Kidd. The other team members will not be revealed until bell time.
Mustafa Ali makes his NJPW debut facing Hiromu Takahashi.
“Scapegoat” Jack Perry takes on Shota Umino.
El Phantasmo & Hikuleo will defend their NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team titles in a four-way against Filthy Tom Lawlor & Fred Rosser, Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste, and Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs.
Stephanie Vaquer defends the Strong Women’s Championship against AZM.
Minoru Suzuki vs. Ren Narita rounds out the main card.
Matt Vandgriff defeated Zane Jay
This was a 50/50 match built around athletic sequences. Vandagriff won the match with a Styles Clash.
Alex Windsor & Trish Adora defeated Mina Shirakawa & Viva Van
This was a fairly standard Mina-led match while she was in ring. The match was a little more serious when Mina wasn’t legal, but it wasn’t much better. In the end, Windsor pinned Van to win the match.
Ren Narita defeated Minoru Suzuki
Suzuki kicked off the math by rushing Narita, slamming him into barricades, choking him with a cable, and kicking him against the apron. Back in the ring, Suzuki continued the beat down before locking in a sleeper. Once the hold was broken, Suzuki argued with the referee, giving Narita time to land a kick.
Narita went to the floor and grabbed a chair. Suzuki took control of the chair, but the referee fought him for it. This allowed Narita to hit Suzuki with his pushup bar and the Double Cross to win the match.
This match was great. Everything Vaquer does in the ring looks mean and intentional. She’s amongst the best in the world.
AZM launched into a quick sequence early, but Vaquer responded with a well-timed reversal, kicking off a deliberate stint of control. From here, Vaquer connected with teeth-clinching offense, from headbutts to a nasty dragonscrew.
A kick on the apron allowed AZM to regain some footing. She landed a dropkick before beginning to work the arm. AZM tried for a double stomp but missed, allowing Vaquer to land a backdrop for a match reset.
After a short back and forth, Vaquer locked in a hold, forcing AZM into the ropes. Vaquer then climbed to the top, where AZM reversed momentum with a superplex. This left AZM free to land the double stomp from the top for a convincing nearfall.
It didn’t take long for momentum to swing back into Vaquer’s favor. AZM tried to rally again, but Vaquer cut her off with a back breaker to win the match.
After the match, Alex Windsor met Vaquer in the ring to challenge her for the Strong title. Vaquer accepted, setting the match for Resurgence,
NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship: TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) defeated Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) (c), Fred Rosser & Tom Lawlor, and The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs)
This match began with all four teams trading spots in the ring. The West Coast Wrecking Crew were the first team to gain a lead in the ring, but Lawlor tagged in to stunt their momentum. This only led to the Wrecking Crew to tagging back in with particular attention paid to Rosser.
Hikuleo turned the match around for GoD. After a double chokeslam to Rosser and Lawlor, the Wrecking Crew hit the ring to challenge Hikuleo. They hit ELP with their finish, only for Lawlor to break up the pin. This led to a full-fledged scramble occupying everyone’s attention. In the chaos, Nichols was able to hit the ring and secure a quick pin to win the match.
For the first time, TMDK hold tag belts in New Japan.
After the match, The West Coast Wrecking Crew attacked Rosser and Lawlor. After dropping Lawlor with a piledriver, they held him down and cut his hair. They then fed Lawlor’s hair clippings to Rosser.
This post-match beatdown was by far the most compelling part of this match.
Shota Umino defeated Jack Perry
Before the match could begin, chants of “CM Punk” echoed through the arena. Guards armed with body armor, shields, and batons surrounded the ring ahead of Perry’s entrance. Perry received a mixed reaction during his entrance, even with a Chicago flag draped around his body.
I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. Perry felt like a star tonight. Say what you will about this situation, but Perry is making the absolute most of it.
The match started with Perry soaking up the crowd’s reaction, both in and out of the ring. Once the actual action began, Umino established a lead in the ring, but Perry answered with a rake to the eyes. The crowd launched into dueling chants of “You got choked out” and “No, he didn’t,” prompting Perry to use a choke of his own.
Umino fired back with a DDT on the apron to end Perry’s early lead. A by-the-book offensive sequence followed.
Perry reversed Umino’s momentum with a hangman’s DDT to the floor and a tiger driver for a nearfall. He then utilized basic strikes to maintain his lead against a loopy Umino.
After Perry spit in Umino’s face, a strike battle ensued. Umino won out with a dropkick. Umino launched into another rally, but he failed to land deathrider.
Perry landed a poison rana and an unprettier for a nearfall. He then landed a glass-jaw knee strike for another. After Umino kicked out, Perry hit a Punk-style knee in the corner. Perry followed up by attempting the GTS, but Umino reversed into a DDT.
With Perry grounded, Umino hit an elbow strike. This allowed Umino to close with Death Ridder.
After the match, Perry offered Umino a handshake, which Umino accepted.
Mustafa Ali defeated Hiromu Takahashi
The match opened with quick pin attempts, leaving both men on equal footing. Hiromu then went into the corner, clutching his stomach, before tagging out to his stuffed cat, Darrel. Ali engaged with the cat, prompting Hirmou to hit the ring again. This distraction was enough for Hiromu to take control.
On the floor, a chase ensued. Ali took advantage, landing a DDT to the floor to take the lead. Back in the ring, Ali found a significant offensive success. Instead of taking full advantage, Ali taunted Darrel, allowing Hiromu to reverse momentum.
Hirmou landed a dropkick that sent Ali crashing into the barricade. This led to a rally in the ring, which lasted for quite a while. Hiromu placed Ali on the top rope, where a strike sent him flying, but Ali landed on his feet.
Ali responded with a dive, but Hiromu held on, sending Ali crashing into the corner in the ring. Hiromu then hoisted Ali back to the top, but Ali reversed again, landing a sunset flip and a 450 splash to win the match.
After the match, a bloody Ali shook hands with Darrel.
Gabe Kidd, KENTA, Clark Conners, & David Finlay (BULLET CLUB/Team Kidd) defeated Eddie Kingston, TJP, Jeff Cobb, & Homicide (Team Kingston)
The fight kicked off with a brawl in the aisleway. It didn’t take long for weapons to become involved, from a barbed wire-wrapped chair to a ring bell.
The first pairing to find the ring was Connors and Kingston, but this lasted only moments. Finlay and TJP hit the ring next for a short sequence before United Empire set up a table.
The match worked its way back to the floor, where everyone traded strikes with more furniture. TJP used the deck of a skateboard on the back of KENTA while the rest of the wrestlers continued to brawl on the floor.
A highlight of the fighting on the floor was Kidd and Homicide. They eventually worked their way to the ring where Kidd beat down everyone with a ladder. Cobb cut Kidd off with a suplex, but Connors answered with a spear. TJP cut off Connors with a face full of mist before driving barbed wire into his forehead.
Homicide drove a fork into the head of Connors before KENTA made the save. KENTA hit TJP with a G2S but Cobb prevented him from making the pin. Finlay hit the ring next, where he drove Cobb into a barbed wire chair. Kingston cleared Finlay from the ring with a kendo stick, leaving the ring cleared for the highlight confrontation of the match.
Kidd met Kingston in the middle of the ring for a strike exchange. Kingston won out before suplexing Kidd through a table. Kingston then grabbed a hadfull of barbed wire, but Bullet Club made the save.
Bullet Club wrapped a chain around Kingston, setting up for something diabolical. Homicide tried to make the save, but Finlay cut him off with a shillelagh strike. Kidd then hit Homicide with a piledriver to win the match.
After the match, Kingston initiated another brawl. Both teams continued to fight for quite a while.
Once the teams were separated, Kingston challenged Kidd to a no-ropes, last-man-standing match for Resurgence.
NJPW World Television Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Matt Riddle (c)
This match was awesome. It was filled with great sequences that made the fifteen minutes fly by.
This match opened with a fierce scramble on the mat. Riddle was outclassed on the mat, forcing him to use his strength to overwhelm ZSJ.
Try as he might, ZSJ repeatedly caught Riddle. ZSJ tortured Riddle, attacking all of his limbs and his exposed toes. This played out multiple times, with ZSJ gaining a little more each time.
Riddle eventually landed a suplex to put ZSJ on the back foot. A powerbomb and knee strike scored Riddle a nearfall. ZSJ was sure to answer with a choke, initiating another mat war.
Riddle tried for a powerbomb, but ZSJ reversed into a Zack Bomber for a nearfall. ZSJ tried to follow up with a penalty kick, but Riddle reversed into a half-crab. Once ZSJ escaped, Riddle hit Floating Bro for a near fall.
With three minutes left on the clock, both men began throwing strikes. Riddle tried for a tombstone, but ZSJ reversed into a Euro-clutch that nearly won him the match. Riddle tried for another knee strike but missed. ZSJ responded by quickly pinning Riddle to win the match.
ZSJ is once again NJPW World TV champion.
As soon as the match was over, Riddle rolled out of the ring and walked to the back with a smile on his face. This almost seemed like the end of his time in New Japan.
After ZSJ addressed the crowd as champion, Jeff Cobb walked to the ring to challenge him for the belt.
Nic Nemeth defeated Tomohiro Ishii
Some basic grappling opened this match. Soon after, both guys turned to striking. Eventually, Ishii leveled Nemeth with a forearm to establish control. Ishii landed a superplex to cement his lead.
Ishii tried for a sleeper, but Nemeth reversed into an Olympic slam. A DDT scored Nemeth a nearfall.
Nemeth tried for a strike, but Ishii caught him and reversed into a powerbomb. Ishii didn’t really follow up. Instead, Nemeth hit a famouser to reset the match.
Ishii landed a huge lariat for another nearfall. A superkick from Nemeth scored him one. Ishii landed Danger Zone on Nemeth, which he followed with a lariat; Nemeth kicked out at one. Nemeth dropped Ishii with a superkick; Ishii kicked out at one.
Late in the match, the pair began trading bombs. After dropping Nemeth with a headbutt, Ishii tried for a pin, but Nemeth kicked out again. Another back-and-forth followed. Nemeth hit the Danger Zone and pinned Ishii to win the match.
IWGP World Heavyweight: Jon Moxley defeated Tetsuya Naito (c)
This was another fantastic match on this card. Even more importantly, this feels like New Japan taking a significant risk for the first time in a long time.
Naito started the match with one of his standard openings, trying to get into Moxley’s head. Moxley responded by taking the fight to the floor, where he drove Naito into the barricades. Back in the ring, Moxley hit a piledriver for a two-count.
Moxley continued to make advances against Naito until Naito created separation with a neckbreaker. This marked the beginning of Naito working the neck, setting up his finish.
It took a DDT to the apron for Moxley to retake the lead. Moxley tried to follow up with a dive, but Naito cut him off with a chair shot. Once Moxley emerged, he was pouring blood.
Moxley landed a lariat to reset the match. A back-and-forth strike exchange followed. Naito won out before locking in a deep sleeper hold.
Naito escaped the choke and attempted Destino. Moxley reversed and landed a Death Rider for a nearfall. Before Moxley could follow up, Naito hit Destino for a nearfall of his own.
Naito tried for another Destino, but Moxley escaped. After a short back and forth, Moxley hit another Death Rider for another nearfall. Moxley hit a lariat and Death Rider to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
After the Match, Moxley cut an emotional promo. He thanked Chicago before calling out Shota Umino, his former protégé.
Before he could finish, Ren Narita attacked Moxley with a pushup bar. Umino hit the ring to make the save.
This was easily the best New Japan show of the year. A fantastic crowd, a handful of great matches, and booking decisions that will be felt for a long time. Fantastic.
Tetsuya Naito defends the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against 2024 New Japan Cup winner Yota Tsuji in today’s Sakura Genesis main event at Sumo Hall in Ryogoku.
Both Naito & Tsuji are members of the Los Ingobernables de Japon faction. Naito has held the title since defeating SANADA in the Wrestle Kingdom main event in January.
EVIL defends the NEVER Openweight Championship against LIJ’s Shingo Takagi in the semi-main.
Jon Moxley is in action on the show, teaming with Shota Umino against Jack Perry & Ren Narita.
Former tag team partners collide as SHO defends the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against YOH.
IWGP Tag Team Champions KENTA & Chase Owens defend against Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI.
Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles against KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight, and TJP & Francesco Akira in a three-way.
Four tag team bouts round out today’s pre-show and undercard.
This match was fairly by the book, but a fun opener nonetheless.
The highlight of this match was the mat-based exchange between ZSJ and Desperado. Fujita was also a welcome addition; he was as firey as always.
Fujita and Taguchi engaged in a sequence late in the match. Once ZSJ and Desperado interfered, the match broke down entirely. This distracted Taguchi, allowing Fujita to trap him in an Oconnor roll and win the match.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi) defeated BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo)
This was a nothing match.
This match opened with Finlay unloading on Hiromu. Hiromu tried to fight back but continually struggled to overcome Finlay. Gedo eventually tagged in, opening the door to an LIJ rally.
With Gedo legal, LIJ was able to overwhelm BC. Hiromu kept Finlay at bay long enough for BUSHI to secure the figure four. With no one to save him, Gedo tapped out, leaving LIJ with the win.
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA & Yuya Uemura) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb)
This was nothing special.
Early on, J5G tried their best to catch Cobb, but his strength proved too much. Once UE established control, they traded tags, working to isolate DOUKI.
DOUKI eventually tagged out to SANADA, who turned the match around for J5G. He unloaded on UE, connecting with a barrage of dropkicks to shift momentum completely.
Uemura tagged in to challenge O-Khan. A back-and-forth followed, leading to UE rushing the ring. As soon as they left O-Khan in a strong position, Uemura caught O-Khan with a crucifix pin to win the match.
After the match, O-Khan tried to check Uemura. Uemura responded with a deadbolt suplex. After dropping O-Khan, Uemura held up the KOPW belt, teasing a future title challenge.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney) (c) defeated Catch 22 (Francesco Akira & TJP) & Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA)
This match kicked off with a brawl. Most of the guys fought on the outside, leaving the ring for spots. This played out for some time before the War Dogs cleared the ring and began to isolate Knight.
Knight eventually kicked off the War Dogs, leading to another match breakdown. Once the ring was cleared, Knight hit a dive into the first row of seats.
Back in the ring, Knight hit TJP with a rana before planting Akira with a powerbomb for a nearfall. Once Knight stood up, the War Dogs hit him with their tandem spear. KUSHIDA hit the ring next, only to eat a spear himself.
Moloney tried for a Drilla Killa, but KUSHIDA slipped free, leading to another breakdown. Once the match calmed down, TJP hit Moloney with a splash for a nearfall. Before anyone could follow up, the match fell into chaos again.
After a sequence of quick nearfalls, TJP locked KUSHIDA in a stretch. KUSHIDA reversed into the hoverboard lock. Before TJP could submit, the War Dogs hit the ring to break up the hold. Another match breakdown followed.
The War Dogs emerged from the chaos with the lead. Moloney hit KUSHIDA with the Drilla Killa. With the end in sight, the War Dogs hit Full Clip, their suplex/spear combination. They then pinned KUSHIDA to retain their belts.
IWGP Tag Team Championship: BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens & KENTA) (c) vs. Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)
The champions kicked off this match by jumping Bishamon, only for Bishamon to reverse momentum almost immediately afterward. BC fought back by taking the challengers to the floor and whipping them into the barricades.
Back in the ring, BC maintained their lead by isolating Goto. Once YH tagged in, Bishamon turned the match back around. Owens tagged in in an attempt to reverse momentum, but Bishamon held on. This lasted until a chair shot from KENTA allowed Owens to take the driver’s seat.
Owens dropped Goto with Jewel Heist for a nearfall. KENTA tried to close with a belt shot, but Goto reversed. Owens quickly responded with a C-Trigger, but Goto stuffed the second. This gave YH time to hit the ring, leading to a Shoto attempt, but Owens slipped free.
Owens hit another C-Trigger for a nearfall. Owens then tried to get his package piledriver, but YH saved it. This led to a back-and-forth between YH and KENTA, ending with a Goto lariat. With the ring cleared, Bishamon grabbed Owens, landed Shoto and won the match.
As soon as this match began, YOH took the lead, but he immediately dislocated his shoulder. The match was called off, leaving SHO as the champion.
Once the match was officially over, Fujita and DOUKI came to the ring to challenge SHO, but neither got the match. Instead, Fujita dropped SHO, and DOUKI left with the belt.
Jon Moxley & Shota Umino defeated House of Torture (Jack Perry & Ren Narita)
This match started with HoT gaining the lead in their signature style. Once they were in control, HoT worked to isolate Umino.
Once Moxley tagged in, he leveled Narita, turning the match on its head. Moxley tried taking the fight to the floor, but Perry cut him off. Moxley responded by throwing Perry over the barricade. With Moxley distracted, Narita was free to land a suplex on the floor.
Back in the ring, Narita continued to make advances against Moxley. Moxley hit a cutter, leading to a double tag.
With Perry legal, Umino launched into an intense sequence. Perry reversed momentum by landing an elbow drop from the top rope. This led to Narita hitting the ring, which forced Moxley to get involved. With Moxley’s help, Umino held off HoT before hitting an exploder suplex for a nearfall.
A double tag led to Moxley unloading on Narita. Narita raked Moxley’s eyes to buy some separation but Moxley responded with a lariat. A superplex scored a nearfall for Moxley.
Perry hit the ring, distracting the referee. Narita tried to hit Moxley with his pushup bar, but Narita made the save. Narita tried to hold on, attempting a double cross, but Moxley slipped free. Moxley followed up with a Deathrider and a pin on Narita to win the match.
NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi defeated EVIL (c)
This was horrible. One of the worst title matches I have ever seen.
The match started slowly, with Takagi trying to gain control in the ring. Once the match worked its way to the floor, EVIL whipped Takagi into the barricades and attacked him with chairs. Back in the ring, EVIL choked Takagi with a wire.
A dragonscrew from Takagi reset the match in his favor. Shingo followed up with high-impact offense, including a superplex for a nearfall. Once Takagi had a strong lead, EVIL faked a leg injury, distracting the referee.
With the referee distracted, Yujiro removed the turnbuckle cover. EVIL followed up by whipping Takagi into said corner. Takagi tried to respond with a pumping bomber, but Yujiro hit him with a chair again.
This interference led to a man dressed as BUSHI hitting the ring. He distracted the referee, allowing HoT to continue their attack. The real BUSHI hit the ring to make the save, but he spat mist in the face of the referee.
With the referee down, Kanemaru entered the ring wearing an official’s shirt. HoT beat down Takahashi, EVIL hit the magic killer, and Kanemaru counted to three. Takahashi rang the bell to signify EVIL’s faux win.
Hiromu, also wearing a referee’s shirt, ran to the ring to clear out HoT. This led to a full-scale brawl between the teams.
Takagi spat whiskey into the face of EVIL before throwing a faceful of powder at the champion. Hiromu then pulled another real referee to the ring. Shingo hit Last of the Dragon and won the match.
The only thing positive about this match is EVIL is no longer the NEVER champion.
After the match, Gabe Kidd hit the ring and interrupted Takagi’s celebration. He called the NEVER title a joke in it’s current state. He called out management and spat on the lion mark. Kidd promised to kill anyone in his way. He swore he’d take Shingo’s belt before leaving the ring.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Tetsuya Naito (c) defeated Yota Tsuji
Tsuji was the first to establish control, utilizing basic strikes and holds to gain a lead. Naito fired back with clubbing strikes, but Tsuji continued to advance regardless, landing a tope to further his lead. On the outside, Tsuji whipped Naito into the barricades before dropping him on the apron. Back inside, Tsuji continued utilizing simple holds to dominate Naito.
Naito eventually fired back, landing a dropkick to the back to gain the lead for the first time. Naito followed up with a neckbreaker, beginning his wear down to set up Destino.
After being on the receiving end of Naito’s neck-based offense for a while, Tsuji fired back with a boot. Tsuji then pulled Naito to his feet on the ring’s apron and hit a partial curb stomp to the floor.
Back in the ring, Naito fired back with a DDT. To follow up, Naito hammered Tsuji with elbows to the neck and a frankensteiner.
When Naito tried for Destino, Tsuji reversed and landed a knee for a nearfall. Tsuji followed up with a powerbomb for a nearfall.
Tsuji tried for a Gene Blast, but Naito caught him with a kick. Naito then attempted a Destino, but Tsuji threw him off and hit Gene Blast. Tsuji was too exhausted to make the cover.
With both men down, a strike exchange ensued. Tsuji won out and hoisted Naito to the top rope. Tsuji hit a superplex for a two-count before locking in the Boston crab. Tsuji then hit his top rope curb stomp and a powerbomb for a pair of nearfalls.
With Naito on his last legs, Tsuji tried for Gene Blast. Naito reversed by launching Tsuji into the corner. Naito followed up with a spear of his own. Tsuji kicked out of the follow-up pin at one.
When Naito tried for Destino again, Tsuji reversed. Tsuji tried for a suplex, but Naito landed a partial Destino. Naito followed up with a full Destino to win the match and retain his belt.
After the match, Moxley confronted Naito in the ring. Naito offered putting the belt on the line against Moxley in Chicago. Unsrupringly, Moxley accepted. The match is set. April 12, Moxley vs. Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Jon Moxley has called out the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
After defeating Shingo Takagi in a no DQ match at Saturday’s NJPW Battle in the Valley event, Moxley took the microphone and challenged the current IWGP World Champion Tetsuya Naito to a match at Windy City Riot in Chicago on April 12. Moxley said that he has only one thing on his mind for wrestling in 2024, and that is Naito.
NJPW confirmed the match for Chicago in a later social media post and on the pay-per-view broadcast.
Naito defeated SANADA to win the IWGP title at Wrestle Kingdom 18 in Tokyo Dome on January 4. Naito is scheduled for his first title defense against SANADA at The New Beginning in Sapporo on Saturday, February 24. Assuming Naito retains, the Moxley vs. Naito bout would be for the IWGP World title.
Earlier in the evening at Battle in the Valley, Mustafa Ali challenged Hiromu Takahashi for Chicago, and NJPW confirmed that match as well.
The current lineup for the Windy City Riot pay-per-view on Friday, April 12:
Steve Maclin talked to Fightful about his current run in Impact Wrestling.
In his first press conference as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Tetsuya Naito teased destroying the title, which he isn’t a fan of: “When this belt was made, I was against it right up to the very end. I never had any good thoughts about this title before, and now I have it… it’s complicated. Maybe I have a little more attachment to this belt than I did before the Tokyo Dome, but just a little. Perhaps the more I hold it, the more attached I’ll become, and if not, well I guess I’ll just toss it. I mean, if you break belts around here they just give you new ones, right? With a different name. Seems there’s precedent.”
TNA is partnering with NFL Alumni ahead of Hard of Kill as part of NFLA’s “Huddle for Health” initiative.
Hijo del Vikingo has surpassed Kenny Omega’s reign as AAA Mega Heavyweight Champion, which is now at 766 days.
Vince Verhei goes solo for the first-ever Vinny Show talking all about NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18 from Tokyo, Japan.
Let’s look back at TJP’s new gimmick, the continuing ascension of President Ace, Yota Tsuji’s battle for the future with Yuya Uemura, Shingo Takagi’s war with Tama Tonga, El Desperado’s championship win, the outlook for Hiromu Takahashi, the debut of Kerwin White’s old caddy, Tetsuya Naito’s return to the throne, plus Okada vs. Danielson II, aka this week’s Best Match of All Time of the Week.
