Search Results: "japanese"

NEWS

Mercedes Mone Wins First Championship In NJPW

February 19, 2023

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..

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On The Market: Former NXT Star Free Agent, WWE And More Companies Interested

January 8, 2023

On the market. The wrestling world moves very fast as wrestlers are often going from one promotion to another. Contracts have slowed some of this movement down, but those deals eventually expire, meaning things can get interesting again. That is the case again, as a former WWE wrestler is a free agent, despite being a reigning champion in another promotion. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: WATCH: WWE Hall Of Famer Sends Bizarre Special Greeting According to Fightful Select, reigning MLW Tag Team Champion EJ Nduka is officially a free agent and has been since January 1. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Nduka has drawn interest from WWE, AEW and various Japanese promotions. Nduka formerly wrestled for WWE as part of NXT, under the name Ezra Stone. There is no word on where Nduka will sign next or when he will announce his move. He has done this for a bit. Check out some of Nduka in action: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [T..

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Antonio Inoki Passes Away At Age 79

October 1, 2022

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..

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Shawn Michaels Reveals Changes To NXT’s Hiring Strategy

September 28, 2022

They have a type. There are all kinds of wrestlers under the WWE banner and most of them come from a few select backgrounds. You can probably figure out some of the most common, with amateur wrestling, football and mixed martial arts being very prominent. That leaves off some of the most obvious, but WWE does still have their eyes pointed elsewhere. Shawn Michaels was recently interviewed by My San Antonio and revealed that NXT was still looking for both independent and Japanese wrestlers. Michaels said that nothing is off the table when it comes to finding new talent, which will continue to be the case in the future. This comes after reports that NXT was no longer looking for independent wrestlers but rather focusing on athletes that could be turned into wrestlers. Opinion: This is far from a surprise and something that is still nice to hear. What matters is that WWE is trying to look through the more traditional areas for future talent. I understand the idea of bringing in athletes..

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WWE And AEW May Be Competing For An International Star Down The Line

August 8, 2022

He opened some eyes. There are a lot of talented wrestlers throughout the world and it can be a lot of fun to see someone pop up out of nowhere and become a star on the big stage. It opens up a new door and offers a variety of fresh matches for a bunch of people. That is the case with a new star in AEW but he has a few changes coming up and they could lead to something even bigger down the line. Konosuke Takeshita made his AEW debut on the April 25 edition of AEW Dark: Elevation and has since moved on to face various top AEW stars. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, Takeshita is currently on excursion from DDT-Pro in Japan for one year and is currently living in the United States. AEW and DDT-Pro have a good relationship though and Takeshita would be allowed back at any time. In addition, WWE is said to be looking for a Japanese wrestler with a “large build”, which fits Takeshita’s description. It it unknown when Takeshita’s DDT-Pro contract expires or if he is interested in signi..

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New Law Inspired By Wrestler’s Suicide Officially Passed

June 16, 2022

That’s a big step. Wrestlers are celebrities and that means they are going to be receive attention, at least in some circles. At the same time, they are mainly only going be known for one thing. This can create some issues for wrestlers, especially if they are doing something outside of their norm. That was the case a few years ago and now, after a tragic incident, something is going to change. Back in May 2020, Japanese star Hana Kimura was a cast member on the Terrace House reality series in Japan. Her appearances were met with a series of online insults and harassment, which led Kimura to commit suicide. Now, according to NBC News, the Japanese government has passed a new law, making online insults punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to 300,000 yen (about $2,260). The law is expected to go into effect this summer. Opinion: It is always fascinating to see a wrestler make this kind of an impact outside of the ring, though it is a shame that it has to take place due..

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Hikaru Shida Unware That She Wasn’t In Owen Hart Tournament

May 15, 2022

Well, that could be a problem. According to a report from Cageside Seats, AEW superstar Hikaru Shida may not have been aware that she was pulled from the Owen Hart Memorial Tournament. Shida, who was written out of the tournament due to injury, simply tweeted, “what?” with regards to the announcement: What? https://t.co/rTZp7pi0pb — HIKARU SHIDA ?? ? (@shidahikaru) May 13, 2022 She would go on to say that she has competed in four matches after her street fight with Serena Deeb and had just finished the most fantastic fighting musical show. She then said that somehow she was injured, according to AEW, and that she was sorry that she wasn’t in the tournament. Well…. I already had 4 matches after the street fight and just finished the greatest fighting musical show. But I seem to have been injured… Japanese wrestling is nothing for them. I’m so sorry. And sorry couldn’t be in the tournament too. — HIKARU SHIDA ?? ? (@shidahikaru) May 13, 2022 Shida has been wrestling in Japan since..

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RUMOR: Problems Between Kota Ibushi and NJPW

May 12, 2022

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..

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AEW Reaches Working Agreement With Yet Another International Promotion

March 22, 2022

Join the team. There are a lot of talented wrestlers in the world today and thanks to the rise of streaming, fans are able to see more of them than ever before. Now you can see just about any wrestling show in the world at any time, which has opened all kinds of new doors for fans. A big time wrestling promotion has noticed that, and now they plan to bring in some more stars to their own shows. Over the weekend, AEW announced that they had entered into a working relationship with DDT-Pro Wrestling, which will see the stars of the Japanese promotion come to AEW. According to Wrestling Observer Radio, this deal also includes stars from the women’s promotion Tokyo Joshi Pro. AEW’s Kenny Omega was said to have played a role in setting up the deals as he has a relationship with DDT-Pro Wrestling. There is no word on when the wrestlers could begin appearing in AEW. Opinion: The more the merrier in theory, as I don’t know if this is going to be much more than a series of cameos and showcase..

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AEW Will Be Featuring Some Fresh Faces Very Soon

March 21, 2022

Bring them on in. Wrestling promotions have a lot of different things to balance at any given time in order to keep their fans happy. This includes making sure that they have fresh matches and wrestlers so that their cards don’t get stale. That is a bit easier to do today in modern wrestling with so much talent available, and now some more wrestlers might be making appearances in a major American promotion. AEW Vice President of Talent Relations Christopher Daniels has announced that AEW has come to a working agreement with DDT Pro-Wrestling. This will allow the company’s wrestlers to appear for AEW, though there is no mention of AEW wrestlers appearing in DDT-Pro Wrestling.. There is no word on when this will begin or who might be appearing for AEW. DDT-Pro Wrestling is a Japanese promotion owned by Pro Wrestling Noah’s parent company and was Kenny Omega’s home promotion before moving to New Japan. ?Announcement! ? AEW's VP of Talent Relations Christopher Daniels has a message..

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NXT UK Results – February 3, 2022

February 8, 2022

NXT UK Date: February 3, 2022 Location: BT Sports Studios, London, England Commentators: Andy Shepherd, Nigel McGuinness It’s the second title week in a row around here as we follow up last week’s United Kingdom Title match with a Women’s Title match as Meiko Satomura defends against Blair Davenport. At the same time, we have the finals of the #1 contenders tag team tournament, which could be a good one. I continue to have high hopes for this show and that isn’t something you get to say very often these days. Let’s get to it. We open with a look at the Japanese street fight between Meiko Satomura and Blair Davenport. Opening sequence. Jack Starz/Dave Mastiff vs. Oliver Carter/Ashton Smith The winners get a future Tag Team Title shot at Moustache Mountain, who is on commentary. Carter works on Starz’s wrist but can’t get very far as Starz takes him to the mat. An armdrag into an armbar works a bit better on Starz as Nigel tries to drive some tensions among the champs over the Herita..

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REVIEW: Royal Rumble 2000: The Sequel Is Better

January 12, 2022

Royal Rumble 2000 Date: January 23, 2000 Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Attendance: 19,231 Commentators: Jerry Lawler, Jim Ross This is the first of the two redos of the year and you picked a good one. What we have here is one of the better one two punches in WWF history, as it’s a double main event. Of course there is the Rumble, but we also have Cactus Jack vs. HHH for the WWF Title in a street fight, which should work out fairly well. Let’s get to it. The opening video looks at some of Cactus Jack’s most violent moments over the years, with HHH still thinking he knows what he is getting into. Some of the Japanese deathmatch stuff here is rather insane looking and wasn’t something you would see on WWF (or American) TV at the time (or in modern times either really). The set is really cool, as it has the entrance opposite the hard camera. There is a taxi hanging over the aisle, which is painted like a street for the street fight. Remember when they put in a..

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WWE Losing Another Major Television Deal

November 25, 2021

That’s another loss. WWE has changed quite a bit in recent years and some of those changes have been rather prominent. It is quite the jarring set of changes to see how far things have gone and a lot of those changes have not been for the better. Above all else, fewer people seem to be watching the show these days, and now even fewer will be able to do so. According to 411mania.com, J Sports, a Japanese television network, has announced that they will no longer be airing Monday Night Raw and SmackDown, with the shows ending on January 31, 2022. The WWE Pack, the network’s on demand service, will be discontinued as well. WWE and J Sports have had a business relationship for nineteen years, with a three year extension being signed in 2019. WWE has a history in Japan. Check out some of their time there: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: I’m not sure why J Sports is moving on from ..

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VIDEO: Two More Surprise Debuts At AEW All Out

September 6, 2021

Two for one. There are a lot of talented people on the AEW roster and a lot of that is due to the amount of places they draw their talent from. AEW has put together a very deep talent roster with several wrestlers from around the world and from different backgrounds. That was the case again this weekend, as AEW brought in two new wrestlers whose backgrounds could not be much difference. Two special debuts took place at All Out. First, Japanese legend Minoru Suzuki debuted and confronted Jon Moxley after Moxley defeated Satoshi Kojima. The two then got into a fight, resulting in Suzuki leaving Moxley laying. The two are now set to face each other during this week’s AEW Dynamite. Moxley had been suggesting that he wanted to face Suzuki for several weeks. Late r in the show, Ruby Soho, formerly known as Ruby Riott in WWE, debuted in the Casino Battle Royal, appearing as the match’s Joker. Soho would go on to win the match by last eliminating Thunder Rosa, thereby earning a future Women’..

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WWE Shuts Down Another Division In Latest Big Change

September 6, 2021

Get rid of even more. One of the biggest WWE stories of the year has been their rapid fire releases. There have been all kinds of wrestlers, personalities and employees let go over the course of the year and that seems likely to continue in the future. It can be a scary situation for a lot of employees and now the big moment has come for quite a few of them at once. WWE has officially filed to end their United Kingdom branch, effective immediately. However, this does NOT include NXT UK, as confirmed by NXT UK creative team member Jim Smallman by way of 411mania.com. There is nothing to suggest that this will have any major impact on WWE’s current product. This comes the same week after WWE closed its Japanese office as part of the company’s streamlining of its various offices. WWE has had some good times in the UK. Check out their time there: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinion: T..

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WWE Canceling Plans For International Expansion

September 3, 2021

Maybe later? There have been a lot of changes taking place over the WWE landscape in the lats few months and there is no reason to believe that they are going to be wrapping up anytime soon. Some of the biggest changes have been taking place in NXT, but now it seems that one of their biggest planned changes will not be taking place anytime in the near future. According to Gamebiz (Japanese publication), WWE has dissolved it’s Japan GK division, effective immediately. This comes after several years of rumors and canceled plans for WWE to make a foray into the country, including the possibility of an NXT Japan at some point in the future. The WWE Japan social media accounts are still active and there is nothing to suggest that WWE is completely done with the country. WWE has some experience in Japan. Check out what they have done there in the past: [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] [This post contains video, click to play] Opinio..

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Impact Wrestling Results – July 29, 2021

August 2, 2021

Impact Wrestling Date: July 29, 2021 Location: Skyway Studios, Nashville, Tennessee Commentators: Matt Striker, D’Lo Brown We’re back with more Bullet Club Civil War this week as Jay White’s Japanese contingent doesn’t think much of the Elite. That contingent might have gained someone new in Chris Bey this week, which could make for something interesting going forward. White felt like a star last week and hopefully he can keep that up this time. Let’s get to it. The opening recap looks at Jay White showing up and going after the Elite, with Chris Bey saving him to end the show. Scott D’Amore has something big planned for tonight but says everyone is asking him for something. Tommy Dreamer comes up to ask about the #1 contendership but D’Amore walks away on the phone. Good Brothers vs. Chris Bey/Jay White Non-title. White and Anderson start things off with the feeling out process until White chops away in the corner. Bey comes in for the kicks to the ribs into a nice dropkick. Ander..

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The New Class: WWE Signs Three New Wrestlers

July 2, 2021

Restock the shelves. The biggest WWE story of the year has been all of the names who have been released from the company. That is the kind of thing that you do not see take place very often but this year has seen the roster shaken up in a way not seen in years. Several WWE wrestlers are now gone from the company, but this time they have added some new ones. WWE has announced that three new signings have reported to the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The new signings are: Feicheng Wang, who was trained by former WWE coach Hartley Jackson and Japanese wrestler Alexander Otsuka. Sean Tan, who wrestled in Singapore under the name Trexxus in the Pro Wrestling Southeast Asia promotion. Jie Yin, a CrossFit athlete and an indoor rowing champion. He placed second in the CrossFIt China Open and has competed in the Asia CrossFit Championships. There is no word on when any of the three will have their first matches or appear on NXT television. You might need to get used to them. Check ..

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Welcome Return: Popular International Star Returning To AEW

June 24, 2021

Welcome back. AEW has not been around all that long at the moment, but they already have a rather deep history of their own. This includes some things that have been better than others, including the not so great early days of the women’s division. The division has come a long way, and now one of their previous starts is ready to make a return to the promotion. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling has announced that Yuka Sakazaki will be returning to AEW television at some point in July. This is described as her excursion, meaning that it will not be a permanent move. According to 411mania.com, assuming there are no changes in Japanese policy over the Coronavirus pandemic restrictions, Sakazaki will be back in Japan on August 14. Sakazaki’s most recent match for AEW took place in February 2020. ??????AEW??? ?????7???????????????? 7?1?(?)?????????????????????1??? @AEW ??????????? [BREAKING] Yuka Sakazaki @YukaSakazaki will be on US excursion! She will be in the US from July to appear in #AE..

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AEW Broadcaster Caught Using Racial Stereotype On Hot Mic

May 29, 2021

That won’t go well. Sometimes, a mistake is made in wrestling, just like in anything else. This can be something big or small, but the situation can be made even worse if it is heard by the masses. Sometimes there is no way around it though and that might be the case again, as a member of a wrestling announce team was overheard saying something that will not be well received. During this week’s edition of AEW Dynamite, Hikaru Shida came to the ring for an interview. According to Wrestlinginc.com, Willie Urbina, part of the Spanish broadcast team, was asked to translate what Shida said but mocked her accent in a stereotypical Japanese tone. Fellow broadcaster Dasha Gonzalez gave an awkward laugh and told Ubrina to “shut up” while Thunder Rosa defended Shida’s English and called Urbina “bad”. AEW has not commented on the situation. Shida was in the ring to discuss her year plus long reign as AEW Women’s Champion. She was also presented by a newly designed title belt, as given to her by..