New Japan Pro-Wrestling General Discussion Thread

[Comrade Khan]

Bro

 

[Chris]

Good shit

 

[Chris]

Shibata is training these boys RIGHT bruh all these young lions or recent LA dojo graduates are great

 

[Chris]

lmaoooo how did the ref not see that TJP's entire body was in the ropes

 

[Chris]

STRONG Preview: Kingston & Moxley vs Suzuki-Gun 【NJoA】
Showdown rounds up in style

Saturday night, NJPW STRONG sees the end of the Showdown tour with a spectacular card, headlined by a wild Philadelphia Streetfight.

Main event: Philadelphia Streetfight- Eddie Kingston & Jon Moxley vs Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer)
Tag record: 1-0 Kingston & Moxley

The iconic home of hardcore that is the 2300 Arena gets a fitting main event this week as Minoru Suzuki and Lance Archer take on Eddie Kingston and Jon Moxley. It was early in the autumn when Suzuki arrived in the USA, and started his American sojourn by resuming a feud with Jon Moxley. Reconnecting with AEW’s Lance Archer in the process, the two took on Mox and Kingston in New York, only for the sudden appearance of NY native Homicide to lead to a Suzuki-Gun defeat. Demanding a rematch on NJPW turf, now the four are set to collide in a violent war with no disqualifications or countouts, and where the referee’s only job is to render a decision by pinfall, submission or knock out.

3rd Match: Daniel Garcia, Brody King & Chris Dickinson vs Stray Dog Army (Bateman, Barrett Brown & Misterioso)

The third match of the evening sees Red Death Daniel Garcia link up with Brody King and Chris Dickinson to take on the Stray Dog Army. Bateman, Brown and Misterioso are one big decisive win away from being a major faction of players on Saturday night, but Death and Violence stand in their path this week.

2nd Match: Team Fred (Fred Rosser, Rocky Romero, Ren Narita, Karl Fredericks & The DKC) vs Team Filthy (Tom Lawlor, JR Kratos, Royce Isaacs, Jorel Nelson & Danny Limelight)

Two weeks removed from Tom Lawlor and Team Filthy’s demeaning forced haircut on Fred Rosser, the number one contender to the STRONG Openweight Championship will be leading a team to war tonight in Philadelphia. These ten man tag contests have been a highlight of STRONG for weeks. This time though there is a deeply personal issue at play, and much more than a notch in the win column at stake.

1st Match Alex Coughlin’s Challenge Match Series: Alex Coughlin vs Jonathan Gresham

The night’s action will start with the latest of Alex Coughlin’s Challenge Match Series. This time, Coughlin’s technical prowess will be put to the ultimate test against one of the world’s foremost practitioners of the style. The former ROH Pure Champion Jonathan Gresham makes his return to NJPW action this Saturday; after swimming with sharks, can Coughlin outlast the Octopus?​

 

[Chris]

Tom Lawlor gonna get a cease and desist if he keeps calling Rosser "Darren"

 

[Chris]

Strong was insanely good yesterday. Coughlin/Gresham fucking ruled, if Alex Coughlin doesn't become a star somewhere then someone's fucked up. Tom Lawlor was a crazy good heel, and fuck I actually think Fred Rosser has a chance to beat him lmaoooo also who tf is this new Black Tiger, that part was weird. Daniel Garcia with Violence Unlimted was a fucking awesome showcase match for him pretty much. Gabriel Kidd back and challenging Gresham Was a great promo by Kidd too, good to see him doing well after all he went through during the pandemic. And just an absolutely batshit main event where they brawled EVERYWHERE lol some fan even did the stop sign in a paper sign bit, and I wonder if it was a plant or not lol

 

[Chris]

More matches set for the Nemesis tapings

 

[Chris]

New Beginning 2021 hits Seattle January 15! 【NJoA】
Tickets on sale November 29

NJPW STRONG will start its 2022 in Seattle on January 15, as New Beginning USA hits Seattle’s Washington Hall. The New Beginning USA series has seen some huge moments in years past, from the one time reunion of Roppongi Vice in 2019, to Guerrillas of Destiny seizing IWGP Tag Team Championship gold in 2020, and KENTA battling Jon Moxley for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship in 2021. What will 2022 bring?

Join Jay White, Tom Lawlor, JONAH, El Phantasmo, Fred Rosser, Gabriel Kidd and many more as STRONG hits the ground running in NJPW’s golden anniversary year!

Tickets will go on sale MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29 at 10 AM Pacific Time. Make sure you’re a part of a monumental start to the year!
NJPW STRONG Tapings: NEW BEGINNING USA 2022

Saturday January 15 Seattle Washington Hall Doors 6PM Bell 7PM

Tickets: https://www.tixr.com/groups/njpw On sale 11/29 10AM PST​

 

[Chris]

Add this one to the Nemesis tapings as well

 

[Chris]

STRONG Preview: JONAH Debuts, Coughlin vs Barnett 【NJoA】
Detonation series gets started from Riverside CA

Saturday at 8/7c, STRONG sees action from the Detonation series in Riverside California, with a big debut and a big return highlighting the four match card.

Watch STRONG Saturdays at 8/7c on NJPW World!
Or watch on FITE!

Main event: Alex Zayne & Yuya Uemura vs BULLET CLUB (Jay White & Hikuleo)

Our main event this week sees Switchblade jay White head to the ring for his first match since losing the NEVER Openweight Championship to Tomohiro Ishii at Battle in the Valley. It’s safe to say that the Switchblade will not be in a buoyant mood as he teams with Hikuleo, who will no doubt be looking to make a violent impact as ever in Riverside.

In the opposite corner the ever innovative Alex Zayne pairs with Yuya Uemura. Chris Dickinson was originally set to be the Sauce’s partner for this one, but as the Dirty Daddy recovers from injury, Yuya Uemura will make a very capable replacement. Uemura has impressed with every single outing in STRONG and beyond as his excursion continues, and the BULLET CLUB duo make significant targets.

3rd Match: JONAH vs Lucas Riley

After his shocking first appearance at Battle in the Valley, the Top Dog, JONAH makes his in ring debut on STRONG this week. Opposite him is promising young high flier Lucas Riley. Riley has earned the nickname of the ‘gravity renegade’ for his disregard to the laws of physics, but this is a physics equation that does not suit young Riley at all. Can he survive JONAH?

2nd Match: Lio Rush & Adrian Quest vs Stray Dog Army (Misterioso & Bateman)

Lio Rush and Adrian Quest take on the Stray Dog Army’s Bateman and Misterioso this week. Quest is indirectly responsible for the formation of Stray Dog Army in the first place; after frustration at having the spotlight taken away from him by his partner Quest, Barrett Brown was taken under Bateman’s wing, and Misterioso would follow. As the unit has been looking to make an impact and grow their presence on NJPW STRONG, they go back to their roots as they try to take down Young Fuego Saturday, but Quest has incredible backup in the Man of the Hour Lio Rush.

1st Match: Alex Coughlin Open Challenge Series: Josh Barnett vs Alex Coughlin

Kicking off the night, Alex Coughlin’s challenge match series continues against Josh Barnett. The Warmaster will wrestle his first NJPW match in over 17 years in order to take on a student of his in the LA Dojo member as he attempts to make the next big step in his career. The former UFC Champion has been working with Coughlin for years, but will not go easy on his student in what could be the defining match of Alex’s still young career.​

 

[Chris]

Still Alive: Katsuyori Shibata Interviewed (1/2) | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

Katsuyori Shibata on returns and the futureKatsuyori Shibata’s surprise grappling exhibition with Zack Sabre Jr. at the Nippon Budokan during the G1 Climax final will inarguably be one of the enduring highlights of 2021. The Wrestler’...

www.njpw1972.com

Absolutely amazing Shibata interview translated to English here

 

[Chris]

Man just rewatched the Shibata and ZSJ entrances from that match and it's so crazy lol crowds in Japan are so good about only clapping and stomping rn bc of COVID and its almost eerie bc of it but when Shibata's music hits its literally the first audible NJPW pop in fucking ever lmao and the announcers just put it over the top, Chris Charlton goes "if you've got friends still asleep call them and tell them that Katsuyori Shibata is wrestling Zack Sabre Jr in 2021" and just absolutely losing it lmao hope Shibata can really make a comeback

 

[Apoho Creed]

He's coming back what else can the announcement be??? Surely his opponent will come out too hoping it's KENTA.

 

[Chris]

NJPW STRONG Preview: Brody King vs Ishii 【NJoA】
Detonation continues this Saturday

This week’s edition of NJPW STRONG will see the Detonation series continue, with an immense singles main event, and United Empire’s war with the LA Dojo continue.

Watch NJPW STRONG Saturdays at 8/7c on NJPW World!
Or watch on FITE!

Main event: Tomohiro Ishii vs Brody King

The main event this week will see a first time ever singles confrontation for Tomohiro Ishii and Brody King. Two kindred spirits, these two will unleash some furious offense in a match that will have hire stakes for Brody especially. With regular tag team partner Chris Dickinson on the injured list, Brody will be looking to strike out on his own more than ever, and the new NEVER Openweight Champion makes a very prominent target. Should ‘Big Bad’ Brody pull off the win, it would be a big step toward the openweight gold, and take King a step closer to his career goal of making the G1 Climax in the future.

2nd Match: LA Dojo (Karl Fredericks, Clark Connors & Ren Narita) vs United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & TJP)

Six man tag team action will see the United Empire continue their battles with the LA Dojo. Will Ospreay’s first appearance in a US NJPW ring on August 14 at Resurgence saw him directly call out the LA Dojo, decrying a lack of ‘killer instinct. Karl Fredericks and Ren Narita have both stepped up to prove to Ospreay their killer instinct is very much intact, but losing efforts have seen the Dojo frustrated. The addition of TJP has bolstered the United Empire in the States, and now the Imperial Unit Jeff Cobb heads to action for the first time since the G1 Climax, bringing a formidable trio indeed.

1st Match: Jonathan Gresham vs Gabriel Kidd

Gabriel Kidd has emerged from the toughest challenges of his young life with courage and conviction as he heads to the ring a changed man this Saturday on STRONG. His technical expertise matches his fortitude, but will be put to the test in our opening match this week with Jonathan Gresham. American Catch as Catch Can will collide with British technical expertise as Kidd battles the former ROH Pure Champion in what could be one of the best technical battles of all 2021.​