Updated Lineup For AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2026
All Elite Wrestling has affirmed the updated lineup for the 2026 AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view (PPV), lined up to take place next weekend. “The CEO,” ...
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Search Results: "NJPW"
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NEWS
Former NJPW Champion Debuts at WWE Backlash: A Game-Changer in the Wrestling World
The Thunderous Debut Heard 'Round the World WWE Backlash 2025 will forever be remembered—not just for epic matches or controversial moments—but for the jaw-dro...
NEWS
Jeff Cobb’s WWE Arrival: What to Expect from the Powerhouse’s Debut
Jeff Cobb’s Journey from NJPW to WWE Jeff Cobb, a powerhouse in the wrestling world, recently concluded his tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) on April...
NEWS
Mercedes Mone Wins First Championship In NJPW
Call her a champion. Mercedes Mone, known as Sasha Banks in WWE, has won her first championship as a member of the NJPW roster. She defeated Kairi for the IWGP Women’s Championship at NJPW’s Battle in the Valley show in San Jose, California. From Bleacher Report: NJPW sold out tickets to Battle in the Valley after Kairi vs. Mercedes Moné was announced and it showed as the crowd erupted as it began. It was the loudest the audience in attendance got all night. Mone entered the arena wearing new gear as a tribute to the late Hana Kimura. You could see how much she reveres Japanese wrestling, and how much this moment means to her. The former WWE star hasn’t wrestled since May 13, 2022, but she hasn’t missed a beat. The Blueprint dominated early on with the crowd behind her, but Kairi came roaring back. It looked like the champion could retain when she locked in the Ikari, but Mone fought out and cinched in her trademark crossface. Then, Kairi hit her staggering spinning back fist to f..
NEWS
Farewell? Weekly Wrestling Series Seems To Be Coming To An End
One less? Wrestling has been around for a very long time and a lot of that time has seen it airing on television. It makes all the sense in the world as anyone can watch a wrestling match and get the basic idea. There are all kinds of ways to present wrestling and different promotions around the world have showcased it in varying styles. Now though, we might not be seeing one of them again. In a new post on his personal blog, New Japan’s Hiroshi Tanahashi revealed that New Japan Strong, the weekly New Japan American television series, will be coming to an end after this weekend’s television tapings. There was no reason given as to why the show would be coming to an end. However, last month, New Japan President Takami Ohbari said that New Japan Strong “will be rebuilt next year” (meaning 2023). ???????STRONG???????????????????#njpwSTRONG will be rebuilt next year. — ????/Takami Ohbari (@TAKAMIOHBARI) December 25, 2022 Strong had some good stuff. Check out some of its efforts: [This..
NEWS
Shorthanded: AEW To Be Missing Some Top Stars In Coming Weeks
It might be a bit. There are all kinds of talented wrestlers on the AEW roster, who have come together to help make the company as popular as it is. The company has been built around several different styles of wrestling, some of which have been around the promotion since the beginning. There is not room for everyone on the roster though, and now some of them will be missing in action for a bit. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Big Fans: Wendy’s Has A Prediction For AEW Best Of Seven Series According to PWInsider.com, some AEW stars will be missing from upcoming editions of Dynamite due to international commitments. First, Sammy Guevara, Tay Melo and FTR will all be missing from the December 28 edition of Dynamite as they will be competing for AAA in Mexico that night. Second, Kenny Omega and FTR will not be at the January 4 Dynamite as they will be in Japan for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17. Everyone should be back as usual following these dates. That is some talent to have missing. Check out the ..
NEWS
Sasha Banks Appearing At Wrestle Kingdom 17
The Boss is heading overseas. According to a report from PWInsider, Sasha Banks is expected to appear at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 event next month. It is unknown in what capacity she will be used, if at all, during the show. Banks has not wrestled since she and Naomi walked out on WWE before the May 16 episode of Raw. Both women were upset about the creative direction of their characters, and were subsequently stripped of the Women’s Tag Team Championships. From the report: Back in October, Varnado teased the idea of wrestling former WWE star KAIRI in STARDOM, which shares the same corporate owner as NJPW and recently did a crossover event with NJPW. Banks has been training at a number of places in recent months in the United States and Mexico. Banks recently made a number of trademark filings related to her given name as well as the terms Mercedes Mone’, Mone’ Talks, Bank Mone’, and Statement Maker under company name Soulnado, obviously preparing for her next m..
NEWS
REVIEW: New Japan Lonestar Shootout: Half Of A Heck Of A Night
Welcome to KB’s Old School (and New School) Reviews. I’ve been reviewing wrestling shows for over twelve years now and have reviewed over 6,000 shows. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’ll be posting a new review here on Wrestlingrumors.net. It could be anything from modern WWE to old school to indies to anything in between. Note that I rate using letters instead of stars and I don’t rate matches under three minutes as really, how good or bad can something that short be? Lonestar Shootout Date: April 1, 2022 Location: Fairmont Hotel, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 582 Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Matthew Rehwoldt So this is an interesting one as it is part of the NJPW Strong promotion, but there were two shows taped here. First up was the Lonestar Shootout special, followed by a regular TV show. That wasn’t mentioned during the night so this will be split in two rather than the one night that I watched it live. Let’s get to it. I don’t follow New Japan Strong so I apologize in advance f..
NEWS
Antonio Inoki Passes Away At Age 79
We have some sad news to report as WWE Hall of Famer and wrestling legend Antonio Inoki has passed away at age 79. From WWE.com: One of the key figures in the history of Japanese wrestling, Antonio Inoki was among the most respected men in sports entertainment and a bona fide legend in his homeland. Born in Yokohama, Japan in 1943, Inoki grew into a natural in-ring competitor. The incredible squared circle figure found his greatest success in New Japan Pro Wrestling, a promotion he founded in 1972. Over the course of the next two decades, Inoki built NJPW into the most successful wrestling company in Asia. Utilizing talented Japanese competitors like Tatsumi Fujinami and Riki Choshu, innovative high-flyers like Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid, and American Superstars like Bob Backlund and Vader, the young promoter created a product that was unique, influential, and far ahead of its time. In addition to running the company, Inoki himself was one of the top stars in NJPW, carrying the cha..
NEWS
First Match Set For Forbidden Door
The door is beginning to open. On tonight’s episode of Dynamite, we may have gotten a glimpse of the first match set for the upcoming AEW/NJPW crossover event, “Forbidden Door.” In the opening match of the show, CM Punk and FTR defeated the team of Max Caster and The Gunn Club. After the match, Punk cut a promo saying that it was time to begin selling the upcoming pay-per-view. He then issued an open challenge to anybody from NJPW to face him at the show. This brought out 8-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, who seems to have accepted the challenge and will face Punk at Forbidden Door. Editor’s Opinion: A lot of people think that it was going to be either Okada or maybe Jay White that would be facing Punk, but Tanahashi is an excellent choice. Widely regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers of all time, this clash of styles should make for an outstanding mean event in a great way to sell the show. I’m looking forward to seeing these two warriors go at it! ..
NEWS
Big Damo, AKA Killian Dain Debuts in AEW
The Giant has arrived. On tonight’s episode of AEW rampage, Big Damo, known as Killian Dain in WWE, made his debut for the company. He would go on to lose in a squash against Shawn Spears. Damo was part of several releases by WWE in June 2021, after being with the company since 2016. He was initially part of the group known as Sanity in NXT from 2016 to 2018, and after a brief call-up to the SmackDown brand in WWE’s 2018 Superstar Shake-up, Damo returned to the NXT brand in 2019 Damo debuted for NJPW earlier this year and has remained active on both the international and American independent scenes since leaving NXT. He also appeared for the Control Your Narrative promotion earlier this month, winning both of his bouts for that company. He is married to WWE wrestler Nikki Cross (Nikki A.S.H.), and the two have been wed since January 2019. Editor’s Opinion: I am unapologetically not a fan of All Elite Wrestling, so I simply look at this as the company not worried about finding its ..
NEWS
RUMOR: Problems Between Kota Ibushi and NJPW
This is only a rumor, so take it for its worth. According to Brian Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio, some further drama is taking place between Kota Ibushi and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Apparently, Ibushi is not happy with NJPW as he feels the company is trying to get him back in the ring before he is fully healed. Ibushi suffered a shoulder injury after taking a hard landing during his G1 Climax finals match against Kazuchika Okada in October 2021. Ibushi was initially planned to participate in this year’s New Japan Cup. He was pulled from the tournament as he wasn’t ready to return to action. This adds to the potentially current drama, as he recently posted a series of cryptic tweets in Japanese. This left many foreign fans confused, due to mistranslations, as some shocking terms were seen through the translation tool on Twitter, such as “sexually harassing bosses.” Ibushi signed a “lifetime contract” with NJPW back in 2019. [h/t to SEScoops] Editor’s Opinion: While rushing h..
NEWS
Ouch: Top AEW Star Dealing With Injury
That could be a big problem. Wrestling is a physical sport and there is always the chance that someone could get hurt out of nowhere. It isn’t good to see, but it is a reality that is always around. When wrestlers work even more than usual, the possibility becomes even stronger and that was the case again during the busiest weekend of the year. Now it seems to have caught up with a major star. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, AEW’s Jon Moxley has suffered a hamstring injury at some point during a recent training session. Moxley is expected to work through the injury, as he wrestled multiple matches over WrestleMania weekend. He also appeared at NJPW Strong Lone Star Shootout and referenced the injury. There is no word on when Moxley is expected to wrestle next. Opinion: This is the kind of thing that can happen and that is never a good thing to see. The good thing is that this doesn’t seem to be the most severe, as Moxley seems like he won’t be missing any time. That being said..
NEWS
One Ring Of Honor Name Has Already Found A New Wrestling Job
It’s a spot. This weekend marked the end of an era for Ring of Honor as the company is entering a hiatus period over the next several months. As a result, several stars are going to be leaving the company, though not all of them are going to be in the ring. There are all kinds of people who are heading elsewhere, and now we know where one of those names is heading next. During an appearance on the Lehigh Valley With Love podcast, Ring of Honor broadcaster Ian Riccaboni has announced that he will be joining the New Japan Strong commentary team starting in Seattle on January 15. Riccaboni has been with Ring of Honor since 2014 and has been the main host of their TV show since February 2017. He will continue to do voiceover work for Ring of Honor TV for the next several months. Hello! Very excited to break the news with @LVwithLove with love that I will be headed to Seattle for @njpwglobal to join the commentary booth for #njpwStrong! New Japan has always been a treasured partner of RO..
NEWS
‘NJPW Strong’ Delivers Action And Spotlight For New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling is widely regarded as the No.3 promotion in the industry today. Of course for many fans around the world, NJPW is at the top and no other pro wrestling company even comes close. Indeed, diehard NJPW fans in the United States are in total agreement. For them, the “war” between WWE and AEW is overrated and companies like Impact Wrestling are just trying to keep up. But for those who are just now discovering New Japan, much of their positive exposure to the product is coming from NJPW Strong. [This post contains video, click to play] Strong Style Action Strong is the NJPW World show and airs new episodes every Friday. The series premiered in August of 2020 and since then, it’s become something of a gateway for newer fans. Those fans are getting just a taste of what New Japan brings to the table. The fact is that the company is using Strong as a way to give more mainstream exposure to its roster. It’s a move that NJPW began planning several years ago and it ga..
NEWS
Jay White Leading A Bullet Club Invasion In AEW?
Jay White retained the IWGP NEVER Openweight Championship against David Finally at NJPW Resurgence. The event took place on Friday, August 13 live from The Torch at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The defacto Bullet Club leader came into the match with quite the buzz surrounding him, thanks to his recent stint in Impact Wrestling. That stint includes the addition of Chris Bey into the Bullet Club’s ranks. White is met with cheers and full crowd support despite where he goes, which is understandable. American fans admire King Switch’s work from afar and that is typically always the case. But this is about more than just Jay getting over in the United States. Is The Bullet Club gearing up for an American invasion? [This post contains video, click to play] It’s Still His Era The Switchblade is the undeniable top heel in New Japan Pro Wrestling. His devious tactics and despicable nature keep him firmly on the company’s dark side. It’s a role that firmly he embraces. No one cuts a heel promo..
NEWS
Wrestling World Reacts To NXT Releases (And They Aren’t Happy)
They aren’t going to be happy. This year has seen all kinds of changes to the WWE roster and some of them are rather hard to believe. There have been a bunch of changes and moves to the roster this year and that was the case again this week. Even more releases took place to wrap up the week and a few names were rather surprising. Now the reactions are coming in. Friday night, during this week’s edition of SmackDown, WWE released more than a dozen people from the company, including a series of wrestlers and a referee. This is the latest round of cuts, following multiple series of cuts, over the year. The highest profile names releases were Bronson Reed, Mercedes Martinez and Bobby Fish, and the releases have earned some reactions from the wrestling world. Just got released from @WWE This monster is back on the loose … you don't know WHAT you've just done.#WWE .@AEW .@IMPACTWRESTLING .@njpw1972 .@ringofhonor pic.twitter.com/9h5I2G4L1J — Bronson Reed (@bronsonreedwwe) Aug..
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New Japan Pro Wrestling: ‘G1 Climax 30’ Night One Full Results (9/19)
Night one of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 Climax 30 Tournament took place at the Osaka Perfectual Gymansium in Osaka, Japan on September 19. It was the opening night of a tourney that will stretch for 19 total events throughout the month of September, concluding on October 18. Pro wrestling fans from all over the globe tuned in to the first night on New Japan World with big expectations. The September 19 event featured Block A, which showcased some of the company’s heavy hitters. Of the six matches on the card, five were G1 bouts and the opening match was a Young Lion exhibition, which saw Yuya Uemura get the win over Yota Tsuji. When the final bell sounded on that match, the G1 Climax 30 was officially underway. -Will Ospreay defeated Yujiro Takahashi ? ????? #G1CLIMAX30 ??? ?????A???????? ? ?2???A????????? ????????????????????? ? ????????? × ????? ? #njpwworld ?????#G1CLIMAX30 ??????https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP#njpwworld #njpw pic.twitter.com/Pdw6Pmiud9 — njpwworld (@njpwworld) Se..
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AEW Or New Japan: When Will Jon Moxley Face KENTA?
KENTA’s victory in the first ever New Japan Cup USA Tournament on August 21 gave him the right to challenge for the IWGP United States Championship. KENTA has held only one title, the NEVER Openweight championship, since arriving in the promotion in 2019 and now wants to add the U.S. belt to his list of accomplishments. But the problem is that the current United States champion, Jon Moxley, is also the AEW World Heavyweight champion. Mox has obligations to Tony Khan’s company and thanks to travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the champ has been unable to work in Japan. So what happens now? Fans of both KENTA and Mox want to see a match between the two and that’s been evident since KENTA debuted in NJPW. KENTA was very vocal about wanting to face the best competition in New Japan and that was the case from the moment he arrived. Moxley’s name was thrown around more than once, teasing fans with a showdown that was surely on the horizon. But that match never happened and n..
NEWS
Jon Moxley Vs. Lance Archer: Who Will Emerge As The AEW World Champion?
Jon Moxley will defend the AEW World Championship against Lance Archer on the anniversary edition of Dynamite on Wednesday, October 14. Archer became the No.1 Contender after winning the Casino Battle Royale at September 5’s All Out pay-per-view. At nearly 200 days, Moxley is the longest reigning AEW World champion in the company’s short history. His title win in 2019 set him on the path of dominance at the main event level and he’s been riding high against every challenger that’s come his way. But will he make it past The Murderhawk Monster on October 14? This match is one that was bound to happen at some point. Archer has been booked as a top star since his AEW debut on March 11, 2020. Archer rode the wave of momentum he had from New Japan Pro Wrestling and used it to establish himself in Tony Khan’s company. Lance’s work in NJPW caught the attention of longtime fans who followed Archer’s career over the years and those fans were thrilled to see him finally get a real shot at star..