NJPW Battle Autumn '22 Tour - October 14 - November 5, 2022

[Chris]

Two Championship matches official for Osaka November 5!​

First bouts set for Battle Autumn
November 5 will see the conclusion of the Battle Autumn series. Osaka will see one of the year’s last big events as well as significant steps toward Wrestle Kingdom. With two championship matches already made for EDION Arena, it’s sure to be a thrilling culmination to a battling autumn!

After burning Spirit in Kobe, defending IWGP United States Champion Will Ospreay had every right to be surprised at the appearance of Tetsuya Naito in the ring. Openly indifferent to the IWGP United States Championship from its very inception in 2017, Naito appeared more out of a desire to thrust himself back into the biggest lights on the biggest stage. Demanding a rematch from their classic G1 Climax semifinal, Naito was interrupted by Zack Sabre Jr., leading to business to be settled in London.

After a Royal Quest battle that had the fans on their feet, Naito emerged further emboldened, and will be facing Ospreay for the IWGP US gold in EDION Arena. With this likely being the last defence of the red and gold in 2022, who might carry the title into Wrestle Kingdom 17?

The NEVER Openweight Championship will also be on the line November 5, when Hikuleo takes on Karl Anderson.

At Burning Spirit in Kobe, Anderson retained his gold against Hiroshi Tanahashi, before putting the boots to his challenger after the match. When Jay White headed to the ring to join in the attack, it was an obvious attempt to lure Tama Tonga into danger, the Tongan confronted by younger brother Hikuleo. Yet it was Jay White that the Young Gun attacked, and as the brothers reunited, Tama had a gift for Hikuleo in the form of the NEVER Openweight Championship belt.

The giant hot prospect held the NEVER gold aloft and sent a clear message to Karl Anderson for Osaka. Will Hikuleo be victorious in his first NJPW singles title bout? Find out when Battle Autumn hits Osaka November 5!​

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Naito vs Ospreay should be rad. I look forward to what other Matches we get on this Tour.

 

[Chris]

Who asked for Hikuleo vs Karl Anderson though

*not a hater of either personally btw before the internet hate brigade really hounds it, just meh booking overall

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Who asked for Hikuleo vs Karl Anderson though

*not a hater of either personally btw before the internet hate brigade really hounds it, just meh booking overall

Don't worry Chris I'm gonna do a run in and end the Match for a No Contest. I'm be taking the Never Gold with me as well.

 

[Chris]

Big Matches Set For Battle Autumn in Osaka!​

Wrestle Kingdom previews, a Japanese debut and more

More matches are official for Battle Autumn in Osaka on November 5, with major movements set to be made on the road to Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4 2023.
Watch Battle Autumn LIVE IN ENGLISH on NJPW World!

Already announced for Osaka, Tetsuya Naito will challenge IWGP United States Champion Will Ospreay. Declaration of Power saw issues escalate between Naito and Ospreay, and it was clear that for El Ingobernable, taking down a perceived 2022 MVP in Ospreay was of greater concern than the red and gold. Yet after strong words from Ospreay backstage in Ryogoku, might this title fight also turn out to be a personal encounter?

Also already announced for November 5, Karl Anderson will defend the NEVER Openweight Championship gold against Hikuleo. The Machine Gun will go wherever the bright lights will lead him, and that certainly rings true when it comes to November’s big Osaka event. Might it also be true of Wrestle Kingdom and a NEVER Championship defence on the grandest stage? Or will Hikuleo seize the moment and his first career championship?

A more unique tag team match will pit El Desperado, Hiromu Takahashi, Master Wato and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori against one another. With the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title set to be defended at Wrestle Kingdom in a four way match, Everyone has eyes for Ishimori, who has refused to put his title up for grabs, and now has managed to eke out his reign further still. Yet grudges will have to be set aside at least for one night, as all four enemies must be split into two teams of temporary allies. A random drawing will decide the two teams for a wild affair.

One cannot talk about tag team wrestling in 2022 without talking about Aussie Open. After a landmark year for Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher saw them make waves on NJPW STRONG, in RevPro, IMPACT and in AEW, they finally make their Japanese NJPW debuts on November 5. Who will the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions face?

Also set for Battle Autumn will be the semifinals of the NJPW World Television Championship Tournament. The new, high paced 15 minute time limit title will see its first champion crowned on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome. Who will be facing off in a pair of thrilling encounters November 5? Stay tuned for more information about Battle Autumn!
​

NJPW World TV Title Tournament Set!​

16 man tournament to start October 14

Watch Battle Autumn LIVE, in English, FREE October 14 on NJPW World!
October 10 and Declaration of Power saw the reveal of the NJPW World Television Championship, a new title that highlights the bond between NJPW and TV Asahi, and the continued growth of NJPW World. The first champion will be crowned on January 4 at Wrestle Kingdom, with a 16 man tournament set to get underway this Friday in Korakuen Hall. The bracket has now been revealed, and here are first round matchups!

October 14, Korakuen Hall

David Finlay vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru!

Alex Zayne vs Zack Sabre Jr.!

October 15, Korakuen Hall

YOSHI-HASHI vs Jeff Cobb!

Aaron Henare vs EVIL!

October 16, Nagaoka

SANADA vs Taichi!

Hirooki Goto vs KENTA!

October 26, Korakuen Hall

Ren Narita vs Tomohiro Ishii!

Toru Yano vs Great-O-Khan!

All tournament matches will be contested under a 15 minute time limit. There are no byes in this tournament; if a match goes the 15 minute distance, decisions will be made via coin toss! The only way for a wrestler to control their fate is to try and pick up the win as fast as possible in this high paced title tournament starting this Friday live and free on NJPW World!​

 

[Chris]

Battle Autumn Night 1 (October 14) Full card, preview​

Battle Autumn series gets underway free!

Live action returns to NJPW World Friday October 14 with a free event to start the Battle Autumn series!
Watch LIVE, ENGLISH, FREE on NJPW World!

Main event: NJPW World Television Championship Tournament- Alex Zayne vs Zack Sabre Jr

The main event sees Alex Zayne return to NJPW rings as he battles for the NJPW World Television Championship against Zack Sabre Jr. in the tournament first round main event. Zayne’s dynamic, high flying style certainly is at odds with Zack Sabre Jr.’s scientific submission grappling. Yet both approaches could set themselves up for fast results. With 15 minutes on the clock, could it be a sudden KO, or flash pins and submissions that see one of these two men into the second round?

7th Match: NJPW World Television Championship Tournament- David Finlay vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru

David Finlay seeks to bounce back from a hard fought narrow loss over the IWGP United States title in Kobe two weeks ago by setting his sights onmaking the NJPW WOrld TV Championship his first singles title in NJPW. IN his way will be the crafty Yoshinobu Kanemaru, making for another in triguing lcash in styles. Finlay is renowned for his explosiveness and pace, while Kanemaru’s tactical wiles have seen him to many a win over all sorts of opposition. Who advances in this openweight clash?

6th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & SANADA) vs BULLET CLUB (El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori & KENTA)

Declaration of Power Monday night saw Shingo Takagi vanquish El Phantasmo, finally earning acknowledgement from ELP that he is the ‘daddy’ in their strange relationship. Yet moments after the humiliation of Phantasmo was complete, a low blow from the Headbanga was followed by the destruction of the KOPW 2022 trophy. It would seem as is Phantasmo and Takagi’s issues are only set to escalate, and that may be the case in this six man tag team match. Meanwhile, as Taiji Ishimori now puts his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on the line in a scheduled four way defence at Wrestle Kingdom, his last challenger from way back in June will have something to say about the Bone Soldier shirking his defence duties.

5th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Titan & BUSHI) vs United Empire (Gideon Grey, Francesco Akira & TJP)

One of the biggest surprises of Declaration of Power was the addition of Titan into Los Ingobernables De Japon. CMLL’s El Immortal declared that he was seeking new opportunities and wanted to find them in NJPW’s biggest faction. He certainly made his mark early by serving up a victory for BUSHI against the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship team of Francesco Akira and TJP. Now he’ll look to make a further statement at the United Empire’s expense, while Gideon Grey is in danger of being involved in a dramatic mismatch.

4th Match: CHAOS (YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano & Hirooki Goto) vs United Empire (Aaron Henare, Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan)

Declaration of Power saw Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb pick up a hard fought tag team win over Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI, solidifying their spot as the number one contenders to the IWGP Tag Team Championships. While they still await their shot though, Bishamon want a measure of revenge for the United Empire’s actions, and combine with Toru Yano in an attempt to get it.

3rd Match: Jado, Ryusuke Taguchi, Hikuleo & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo)

Hikuleo is currently on track to face Karl Anderson for the NEVER Openweight Championship at Battle Autumn in Osaka on November 5, but the newest addition to Hontai may not be content with just holding singles gold. After making a huge play with a chokeslam center ring on SHO, Hikuleo put Ryusuke Taguchi on top of one third of the NEVER 6 Man Champions in order to score a big win for his team. Now, a chance for a follow up in this eight man tag awaits as the giant could be on track for double gold.

2nd Match: Rocky Romero, Master Wato, Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe vs Suzuki-Gun (TAKA Michonoku, El Desperado, DOUKI & Taichi)

Master Wato is just days removed from the biggest win of his career over Taiji Ishimori in Ryogoku, but rather than counting down the days to a singles championship opportunity, he now has to share his spot at the Tokyo Dome with Hiromu Takahashi and El Desperado, who he opposes tonight, as junior heavyweight competition continues to heat up.

1st Match: Ren Narita & Ryohei Oiwa vs Tomohiro Ishii & Yuto Nakashima

Starting off the night, the “Son of Strong Style” Ren Narita is in action once more, in a preview of October 26’s NJPW World TV title tournament match with Tomohiro Ishii. As both Narita and Ishii lead a Young Lion to action, the night will kick off with a no nonsense, hard hitting war to start Battle Autumn!​

 

[Comrade Khan]

3 months for a 16 man elimination tourny screams fast pace for sure /jk

 

[Chris]

3 months for a 16 man elimination tourny screams fast pace for sure /jk

It's only for this tour that's less than a month, they just take two months off for finals at WK. I saw the JK but I'm still confused lol

 

[Comrade Khan]

It's only for this tour that's less than a month, they just take two months off for finals at WK. I saw the JK but I'm still confused lol

well taking two months off is very stupid obviously. the joke is more that they are selling this as a super fast paced 15 minute matches tournament but are going to take three months to crown a champ. I find that humorous on top of me already finding this title, for lack of a better word, pointless.

 

[Chris]

I didn't expect this title to be so hated tbh lol other than it's kinda ugly

 

[Comrade Khan]

I didn't expect this title to be so hated tbh lol other than it's kinda ugly

well njpw has added what? 3 or 4 titles the last 6 months? They already had a lot and I can understand the STRONG ones. Unless the plan is to retire the NEVER one I just don't get it nor do I understand what the heck njpw is doing lately, unless they are slowly changing all their titles to have their logos on it and retiring the old ones. which obviously people will hate if thats the case

 

[Chris]

"Too many titles" is a more valid criticism than everything else I've seen added on lol like criticizing them for doing World Tag Leagues November and saving only the finals for WK while the rest of the tournament is on the current tour

This isn't you btw I'm talking about Twitter mostly lol just say too many titles if thats all you really have a problem with guys (not saying you personally don't have more)

 

[Jay-Ashley]

How many more titles is New Japan going to add, lol? Not hating on them doing so, but seems like every other year they add a new one.

 

[Comrade Khan]

yeah thats fair, its a myriad of small issues personally I have with this. As always, I'll let it play out and see where it goes, just my main reaction atm is "why though". Other stuff is small criticism I probably wouldn't even have brought up if it wasnt for the fact they have ten million belts, you're not wrong

 

[Chris]

I'm personally hoping they made to just to give Ren Narita some shine