[ROH & NJPW] Discussão Geral

[Carson Wentz]

Windy City Riot (12 de abril, 1 da manhã)

@Wintrust Arena, Chicago

As the Road to Sakura Genesis continues, Korakuen Hall will host two title matches on April 4 as the junior heavyweights take center stage. One match will see the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship defended, while the other will be for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship, where the stakes will be raised in a Hardcore bout.

TJP vs Tom Lawlor

Singles Record: 1-0 TJP

The main card in Chicago starts off with a singles matchup for TJP and Tom Lawlor. It was a highly successful Sakura Genesis for United Empire, with Great-O-Khan capturing the NJPW World TV Championship, and Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman seizing the IWGP Tag Team Championships. With Templario soon to challenge El Desperado for IWGP Junior gold, things are looking good for the faction. Yet with a failed challenge of his own for the TV title before O-Khan's win, and with a first round exit in the New Japan Cup, self appointed UE 'capitan' TJP needs to regain steam. His opponent is a man he faced and beat in MLW’s Opera Cup last year in Tom Lawlor, but with a big opportunity against the Japanese staple could Chicago turn Filthy at Windy City Riot?

NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship Number One Contendership- AZM vs Mina Shirakawa

Singles Record: 1-0-1 AZM

The next challenger for Mercedes Mone's NJPW STRONG Women's Championship will be determined April 11, as Mina Shirakawa will be facing AZM in a number one contender's match at Windy City Riot. This meeting in the Wintrust Arena is shaped by significant defeat at the Tokyo Dome for both women. On January 4 at Wrestle Kingdom 19, AZM sought international icon status when challenging the IWGP Women's Champion Mayu Iwatani, but fell short, as did Mina, who wrestled Mone with both the NJPW STRONG and RPW Women's Championships on the line, and was defeated by the CEO. 

Shirakawa has not given up in pursuing Mone, and as she moves to America, has departed STARDOM to focus on AEW full time. A victory at Windy City Riot will give her a rematch she badly wants against Mercedes. Yet a board meeting with the CEO has long been on AZM's agenda as well. Back at Sakura Genesis 2023, her first challenge for the IWGP Women's gold was while the belt still sat with Mone, but a planned singles bout was transformed into a three way when Hazuki entered the mix. Later at Strong Style Evolved in Long Beach, Hazuki got her one on one match with Mercedes for the STRONG gold in what many considered to be the best women's match of 2024, but while AZM had her own challenge to the STRONG gold against then champion Stephanie Vaquer in Chicago last year, she has still yet to take on Mone one on one. With both women having unfinished business with the champ, desire to seize the opportunity burns bright, but who will leave Chicago as number one contender?

NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA) vs World Class Wrecking Crew (Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson)

The STRONG Tag Team Championships will also be on the line when the World Class Wrecking Crew, Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson face the returning Intergalactic Jet Setters. Two time IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag Champions, we haven’t seen KUSHIDA and Kevin Knight in NJPW rings together since Wrestle Kingdom, and the Tokyo Terror Ladder Match, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been taking things easily. Knight is enjoying a breakout run of matches and a new relationship with AEW, while both men are part of the twenty man Best of the Super Jr. 32 lineup this May. 

Singles and tag success are very different things however. Can the Intergalactic Jet Setters get straight back into the tag team flow against one of the most cohesive teams in the world in the form of the World Class Wrecking Crew?

NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship Ironman Match- Gabe Kidd vs Tomohiro Ishii

Singles Record: 0-0-1

At Battle in the Valley, an intense, wild fight for Ishii and Kidd saw both men at their hard hitting best, battling for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship. As both men went the 30 minute distance with no decision rendered however, Kidd took a draw as good as a loss. Now, it might not be one fall that decides this issue for the Mad Man and the Stone Pitbull; under the Ironman Match rules, the most decisions rendered in the 30 minute time period will settle the bout and the fate of the STRONG gold. Should the two tie again however, sudden death will mean they will go as long as it takes. 

After Sakura Genesis saw War Dogs betrayed by SANADA and the fury of the group see a demand for a Dog Pound Steel Cage match, this straight ahead fight presents a welcome oasis for Kidd; not of calm, but hard hits and brutal competition.

Rocky Romero & El Phantasmo vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito & Titan)

Tag team action will see Rocky Romero and El Phantasmo form a surprising combination against LIJ's Titan and Tetsuya Naito. March 6 and Anniversary saw the last vestiges of any walls between CHAOS and Hontai eliminated, as CHAOS was formally absorbed into the NJPW main group. That means CHAOS stalwart Romero is now officially stablemates with ELP, and years of hostilities that have seen multiple epic bouts will be set aside as both focus on this special tag team bout. In the opposite corner, Titan and Naito will present their own dynamic approach, and after losing the IWGP Tag titles in Ryogoku, Naito will be eager to get back on the winning horse.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs David Finlay

Singles Record: 1-1

In a rematch from the New Japan Cup semifinals, Zack Sabre Jr. faces Cup winner David Finlay. It was Finlay who stopped ZSJ in his tracks during the New Japan Cup, and halted the Briton's plans of getting back to the IWGP World Heavyweight title mix as soon as possible after his defeat at the hands of Hirooki Goto in Osaka this February. Finlay and Sabre's sensational semifinal bout would be hailed by many as the match of the tournament for New Japan Cup 2025, and the competition is sure to be just as intense in Chicago. 

This bout could have been set for the IWGP World Heavyweight title, had Finlay not joined Sabre in defeat to Hirooki Goto at Sakura Genesis. ZSJ was in the rare position of rooting for Finlay during the Sakura Genesis main event April 5, but with Goto still the champion, this hard fought match could see the winner reassert themselves right in the top title mix. 

Hiroshi Tanahashi Final Road ~Kinship~: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Konsuke Takeshita

Singles Record: 1-0 Tanahashi

Topmost in fans' minds heading into this Chicago event, along with the IWGP World Heavyweight title, will be the final ever match on US soil for the Ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi. From defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to winning IWGP United States gold in New Japan's return from the pandemic, to memorable outings in TNA, ROH and AEW, Tanahashi's legacy is indelible in America as it is Japan. With his last match coming up on January 4 2026 however, the final road for the Ace runs through Chicago for its last American stop, opposite the Alpha Konosuke Takeshita. 

Way back in 2014, Tanahashi wrestled a then teenage prodigy Takeshita in DDT, and was far from charitable in his comments toward either Takeshita or his then home promotion following the match. The Ace's comments back then that the two 'didn't belong in the same conversation' would lit a fire that burned brightly in Takeshita, and saw his transformation from the 'The Future' to 'the Alpha' and now NEVER and AEW International Champion. 

Takeshita will not let Tanahashi retire without taking out this pent up aggression on Tanahashi, and while this is a Final Road "Kinship" match for the Ace, feelings will be anything but friendly. In Chicago, Takeshita will seek to show he is everything to the modern era that Tanahashi was to his own, and perhaps more.

Main event: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Hirooki Goto vs Shota Umino

Our main event sees Hirooki Goto put the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on the line for his fourth defence in a two month span against Shota Umino. 

At Sakura Genesis, Goto faced New Japan Cup winner Finlay and overcame the Rebel, finally getting well deserved revenge for a painful loss at the War Dogs leader’s hands in Ryogoku the prior October. No sooner had Goto celebrated his win, though, than he announced plans for his next challenger in Umino.

After his win over Hiroshi Tanahashi earlier in the night, Umino reasserted his allegiance with Hontai, but vowed to bring strength to the unit at its fore. Goto has said that he plans to be a needed barrier to elevate the younger wrestlers in NJPW, and that with Umino he wants to show America that Japanese Strong Style is the best wrestling in the world. The match quality will be in no doubt; but who will leave with the championship gold?

[Ed]

E no fim... 

Spoiler

Segundo consta tem o contrato a acabar por agora e não será renovado.

 

[Kev]

Citação de Ed, há 26 minutos:

E no fim... 

  Ocultar conteúdo

Segundo consta tem o contrato a acabar por agora e não será renovado.

 

Era tão bom!

[Carson Wentz]

Se as fontes forem as mesmas que davam o Jeff Cobb como certo na WWE há mês e meio atrás, prefiro esperar sentado.

[Ed]

As fontes é o meu wishful thinking, a parte do Nakamura aparecer. 

[Carson Wentz]

Alguns bons combates, mas o público foi em grande parte ou a) horrível ou b) não está claramente por dentro do que se passa na NJPW e só lá foram por ser o último combate do Tana (o que, fair enough, nunca na vida enchiam aquela arena doutra forma).

Ainda assim é pena porque, o BitV por exemplo, foi pior in-ring mas acabou por ser melhor com um público mais dentro da coisa.

Ainda assim, Ishii vs. Gabe Kidd fucking slapped, mesmo apesar do facto da reação do público ao Kidd ser quase totalmente oposta à que recebe no Japão.

[Kev]

Jeff Cobb leaves NJPW, last match set April 19

[Carson Wentz]

lol, a maneira como geriram isto foi horrível. Os Tag Titles deixados vagos e o crl do Newman no Main Event do Dontaku. Jasus.

Oh well, é dar skip até ao BOSJ, I guess.

[El Colosso]

Naito e BUSHI vão sair também

[Almeno]

Citação de Kev, Em 14/04/2025 at 09:37:

Jeff Cobb leaves NJPW, last match set April 19

EL GRANDE AMERICANO

[Jamarcus]

Citação de El Colosso, há 1 hora:

Naito e BUSHI vão sair também

Genuinamente surpreendido

[Kev]

O Naito precisava mesmo ou de sair ou de uma longa pausa. 

O Bushi para mim vai sempre ser super underrated, tenho pena de nunca ter sido mais do que foi.

[Jamarcus]

[Carson Wentz]

Não é propriamente NJPW, mas se tiverem um tempo vejam o Main Event da STARDOM de ontem.

 

[coisito]

Excelente All Star Grand Quenndom ao nível de 2023. 

A Stardom perde três nomes importantes ao mesmo tempo, mas há muito talento com capacidade para suprimir essas perdas.

[Carson Wentz]

Tivemos três mudanças de títulos nos últimos dias.

O Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan venceram os IWGP Tag Titles que estavam vagos, no dia 26, no Wrestling Red Zone contra os Bishamon e ontem, no Wrestling Hizen no Kumi, para além do Despy reter o IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title no Main Event contra o Templario, tivemos o El Phantasmo a recuperar o TV Title contra o Great-O-Khan e o Master Wato & YOH a vencerem os Jr. Tag Titles contra os Ichiban Sweet Boys.

Entretanto deixo aí o preview para os dois dias do Wrestling Dontaku, que ocorrem Sábado e Domingo de manhã.

[Carson Wentz]

Wrestling Dontaku, Day 1 (3 de maio, 10 da manhã)

@Fukuoka Convention Center, Fukuoka

Wrestling Dontaku returns for two consecutive nights at the Fukuoka Convention Center. Day 1 is kicking off on May 3 with a Dogpound Cage match in the main event, a showdown between Shingo Takagi and Shota Umino and the continuation of Tanahashi’s final road.

Kickoff Match: Katsuya Murashima vs Daiki Nagai

Singles Record: 5-0 Murashima

As Katsuya Murashima and Daiki Nagai kick us off, will the fiery Nagai finally get his first win over Murashima, or will the senior of the two Young Lions extend his lead from the 5-0 at time of writing? 

Master Wato, YOH, Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano vs TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson & Ryohei Oiwa)

The main card begins with a clash that comes just four days after Wrestling Hizen no Kuni, where the Jr. Tag Team Titles were decided between the Ichiban Sweet Boys and YOH & Master Wato. That outcome will heavily influence this Jr./Heavyweight mixed tag bout, featuring talent from Hontai and TMDK.

TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, Tomohiro Ishii & Yuya Uemura vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji)

The second match of the night mark apparently the penultimate appearance of Los Ingobernables de Japon in its current form, with Naito and BUSHI set to compete in their farewell bout the following night. It's also a key preview of the semi-main event of Night 2, where Yuya Uemura challenges Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. A win here could shift the psychological edge heading into that title match. Meanwhile, as Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii recently claimed number one contendership to the IWGP Tag team titles, they'll be looking to show their worth with an eye on what Great-O-Khan and Callum Newman do next this weekend. 

Ryusuke Taguchi, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto vs United Empire (Jakob Austin Young, Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman)

This six-man bout previews tomorrow’s main event, where Hirooki Goto defends the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Callum Newman. Joining Goto are the other half of Bishamon, YOSHI-HASHI and the unpredictable tactician Ryusuke Taguchi. The United Empire, meanwhile, fields a formidable trio to counter Hontai's offense. Newman's brand new IWGP Tag Team Champion partner Great-O-Khan is alongside him

NJPW World TV Championship- El Phantasmo (c) vs Konosuke Takeshita 

Singles Record: 1-0 Takeshita

El Phantasmo had been scheduled to team with Jado to take on Konosuke Takeshita and Rocky Romero in tag team action on the night, but plans changed when ELP won back the NJPW World TV title on April 29 at Hizen no Kuni. Already scheduled to face Takeshita for the NEVER Openweight Championbship May 9 at Resurgence, Phantasmo said that he was eager to beat the Alpha in Japan as well as the US. Putting his title on the line, ELP declared that Takeshita would be his first challenger of the TV Champion's second reign. After an epic war in the G1 last summer in Korakuen, can Phantasmo avenge his loss in Fukuoka?

Hiroshi Tanahashi Final Road ~Kinship~: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Zack Sabre Jr.

Singles Record: 7-6 Tanahashi

As Hiroshi Tanahashi's final Tokyo Dome match draws near, Zack Sabre Jr. stands in his path next. Strong representatives of the classic styles of their respective homelanmds, a lot of parallels can be drawn between Tanahashi and Sabre and what they meant in reviving Japanese and UK scenes that were under threat of extinction. When they finally crossed paths in NJPW, the result was a feud that has spanned 13 singles matches.

New Japan Cups, G1s, the British Championship and NJPW World TV gold have all been contested between the Frontman and the Ace, with the rivalry between the two seeing this one of a select few matches to be featured in both the Tokyo Dome and Madison Square Garden.  With Tanahashi holding a narrow edge in their 13 prior encounters, this match could be ZSJ’s chance to even the score; or perhaps a chance for the Ace to claim ultimate superiority.

Shota Umino vs Shingo Takagi

Singles Record: 2-1 Umino

Shota Umino’s 'second chapter' has been a rollercoaster ride. Despite impressive performances, the Roughneck has continued to blow hot and cold when it comes to results in pivotal matches. After losing the New Japan Cup final in a hard-fought battle, and suffering a heavy defeat against Hirooki Goto at Windy City Riot for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title, Umino seeks to regain momentum once again. 

As he looks to reestablish himself among New Japan’s top, Umino targets a familiar foe in Shingo Takagi. Umino has beaten the Dragon twice in singles competition over the last 365 days, and on paper, it may seem like a favorable matchup for the Roughneck. Overconfidence can be dangerous though, especially when looking to slay a dragon. Fueled by personal animosity and recent provocations from Shota, Takagi is out for revenge, and an enraged Dragon is not to be underestimated.

Dogpound Cage Match- Losers Leave BULLET CLUB- War Dogs (Taiji Ishimori, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd & David Finlay) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, SANADA, Ren Narita & EVIL)

Faction warfare between HOUSE OF TORTURE and the War Dogs erupted at New Beginning, when EVIL made a shocking return—attacking War Dogs members and 'expelling' them from BULLET CLUB. Through the New Japan Cup tour, violent battles erupted, most ending in disqualifications and countouts, until Sakura Genesis in theory would see a definitive winner in a match over the NEVER Openweight 6 man tag team Championships.

Instead, tensions only escalated. SANADA, never feeling like a true fit within the War Dogs, turned on Drilla Moloney with a sickening chairshot, splitting the head of SANADA open, and causing David Finlay to declare that the price for blood is blood, inside the unforgiving Dogpound steel cage. There has only been one such match in history, and with god reason; the last time the War Dogs themselves faced United Empire in just such a match, one participant was forced into retirement in Alex Coughlin, Will Ospreay has not been seen in NJWP since, and HENARE sustained a life threatening head wound. 

One of these two sides, and none of these ten men will ever be the same. 12 years on from BULLET CLUB being created at Wrestling Dontaku, this bloody birthday will see its sub factions changed forever. 

_________________________ x _________________________

Wrestling Dontaku, Day 2 (4 de maio, 7 da manhã)

@Fukuoka Convention Center, Fukuoka

For the second consecutive night, the Fukuoka Convention Center plays host to Wrestling Dontaku on May 4, featuring two championship matches, special appearances by Kyushu Pro and STARDOM wrestlers, and the emotional final match under the NJPW banner for BUSHI and Tetsuya Naito.

Kick off Match: Katsuya Murashima & Ryusuke Taguchi vs Jet Wei & Hitamaru Sasaki

Wrestling Dontaku Day 2 opens with a special tag team match featuring Katsuya Murashima and Ryusuke Taguchi against Kyushu Pro’s Jet Wei and Hitamaru Sasaki. It'll be the biggest crowds for Wei and Sasaki to perform before in their careers, and significance is deepr for Wei in this affair. Last year's Dontaku saw him wrestle in a losing effort against Murashima and Togi Makabe in the Dontaku kickoff; tonight he looks to get a win over the Young Lion. 

Batten Burabura & Mentai☆Kid vs Gedo & Taiji Ishimori

The War Dogs' Gedo and Taiji Ishimori, square off against Kyushu Pro’s Batten Burabura and Mentai☆Kid in an inter-promotional, NJPW vs Kyushu Pro tag team encounter to start the main card today. Long term veterans Burabura and Kid certainly know their way around the squared circle, and have mroe than a puncher's chance against the War Dogs side, with Ishimori part of the Dogpound cage the night before, and Gedo sure to be involved in that matchup in one form or another. As local hero Mentai☆Kid, named after the Fukuoka spicy cod roe delicacy of mentaiko, prepares for his retirement on May 11, could he scoop a big win in the cerulean blue?

Master Wato & YOSHI-HASHI vs United Empire (Jakob Austin Young & Great-O-Khan)

Tag team action in the second match of the night could set the psychological tone heading into the main event showdown. Representing Hontai, Hirooki Goto's longtime tag team partner YOSHI-HASHI and Master Wato will take on United Empire’s Jakob Austin Young and Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman's most recent partner. In Hiroshima at Wrestling Redzone, it was YOSHI-HASHI on the losing end of a main event battle that saw Newman and O-Khan become the IWGP tag team Champions. Will that advantage be pressed, and will omens be established ahead of the main event?

STARDOM Showcase- Hazuki, Koguma & Maika vs Starlight Kid, AZM & Yuna Mizumori

Koguma, Hazuki and Maika will be taking on Yuna Mizumori, AZM and Starlight Kid in the showcase. FWC- Fukuoka double Crazy- came up short in challenging for the Artsists of STARDOM championships at Grand Queendom in Yokohama, a defeat that has seen the two hometown girls considering their futures. Vowing to bring FWC 'worldwide' that plan gets off to a start with a potential new audience in the NJPW ring Sunday. Similarly contemplating her future is Maika, who has vowed to take an extended leave of absence after Dontaku and get stronger after a loss to powerhouse Chihiro Hashimoto in Yokohama. Up until now Maika has plied her trade in the E Nexus V faction, itself set into turbulence, leading to a this fresh trio is in a fresh environment.

Opposite them is the Neo genesis combination of AZM and Starlight Kid, joined by Yuna Mizumori. AZM and Kid had a stunning battle over the Wonder of STARDOM Championship, one that had SLK victorious in defence. Post match, Kid vowed to take Neo Genesis to new heights together with her challenger. As Yuna Mizumori's home faction of Cosmic Angels reels from the forced retirement of Tam Nakano, will she be a part of that picture? It makes for an intriguing pair of blended teams showing the best of women's wrestling at Dontaku!

Boltin Oleg & El Phantasmo vs Don Callis Family (Rocky Romero & Konosuke Takeshita)

After facing Jado the previous day, Rocky Romero and Konosuke Takeshita return to the ring to face a completely different kind of challenge. While Rocky Romero might possess one of the brightest minds in professional wrestling, and has married himself to the premiere collector of talent in the game overseas in Don Callis, he doesn't possess the heavy artillery in the form of Kazakh powerhouse Boltin Oleg that El Phantasmo brings tonight. Will Romero have a dose of buyers' remorse tonight? 

TAJIRI, Chikuzen Ryota, YOH, Toru Yano & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.)

With Kyushu Pro joining forces with Hontai, all eyes will be on Tanahashi, Yano, and TAJIRI—three men with a storied history spanning over 16 years. Now allies once again, TAJIRI teams up with Fukuoka native Chikuzen Ryota and junior heavyweight YOH to take on the fearsome blend of technical skill, power, striking and speed that is TMDK in this explosive 10-man tag team match.

TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, Tomohiro Ishii & Shota Umino vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi)

After 19 years in NJPW for El Ingobernable, and 12 for BUSHI, day two of Wrestling Dontaku will see the final matches for both in the cerulean blue- at least under the banner of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. With uncertainty looming over their futures, similar uncertainty exists over Los Ingobernables De Japon, with this the final match for the group in its current form. All the way through the Road to Wrestling Dontaku, Naito has rebuffed questions about the future with a sly 'tranquilo' but at the end of this emotional bout, a hint of the future is sure to be shown. 

IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship- Yota Tsuji vs Yuya Uemura

Singles Record: 16-12 Tsuji (22 draws)

A rivalry seven years in the making co0ntinues at Dontaku with the stakes highest they've ever been as Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura battle over the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.

Debuting opposite one another, Tsuji and Uemura went to 21 straight time limit draws through 2018 and 2019 before each got their first ever wsingles wins- over the other. From there, the wins went back and forth as their Young Lion feud saw many call theirs the most promising generation of Young Lions in recent memory. That development was protracted by the COVID pandemic, but after they finally graduated from the dojo system, each took a different path in pursuit of greatness.

Tsuji honed his craft overseas in England and Mexico, eventually aligning himself with Los Ingobernables de Japon. Since then, he’s collected accolades including the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship, the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, and a monumental victory in the 2024 New Japan Cup. Uemura returned from his excursion in the United States, joining the ranks of Just 5 (now 4) Guys, and steadily climbed the ranks to earn this golden opportunity. Still the two collided; first in Uemura's first singles match back from excursion that saw him victorious in the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 18. In return, Tsuji would beat Uemura and take his hair in 2024's New Beginning event, before a fateful third encounter that year during the G1.

A heated matchup was approaching its conclusion when, perhaps with similarities painted between this feud and the old rivalries between the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi in the back of his mind, Uemura went up for an Ace like High Fly Flow. Uemura hit the knees of Tsuji, and tore his tricep on the landing; the Heat Storm won the match, but was on the shelf for six monthe thereafter. 

Now, this battle between the sun and the moon, this match is about a growing legacy, identity, and pride. Both men are determined to outshine the other, but only one will leave Fukuoka with the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship in hand.

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship-Hirooki Goto vs Callum Newman

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for Callum Newman. After returning from a knee injury, he quickly made waves by becoming the youngest IWGP Tag Team Champion in history. However, his momentum hit an unexpected roadblock when his tag partner, Jeff Cobb, announced his departure from New Japan, forcing the duo to vacate their titles. Yet, in the world of professional wrestling, when one door closes, another opens. Inspired by Cobb's self initiative in challenging Hirooki Goto backstage at Sakura Genesis, Newman took his former partners show, and found himself with an even greater opportunity: a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. 

Standing in his way is Hirooki Goto, the resilient and battle-hardened champion. 2025 has become known as the Goto Revolution, with the veteran leading the charge for Hontai, defending his title against both familiar foes and rising stars alike. His reign has been defined by perseverance, pride, and unwavering determination, and though he has accepted this fight just as he has all others during his reign, Goto has looked over the his young foe. Decrying a relatively weak singles record, Goto has demanded that Callum prove himself to both him and the fans during the Road to Dontaku. 

That happened at Wrestling Redzone, when Newman and Great-O-Khan defeated Goto and YOSHI-HASHI to win the vacant IWGP Tag Team titles. Newman has become the youngest ever IWGP Tag team Champion not once but twice, and now has much more than a puncher's chance of being the youngest ever holder of professional wrestling's greatest prize. Could Newman defeat the likes of Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura to the history books, or will the Revolution continue?

 

[Carson Wentz]

O Main Event, pqp! E House of Torture como full fledged faction é o melhor para todos.

(lol, apagaram a imagem do Narita carregado de sangue)

Muta would be proud! ❤️

Editado 5 Maio 2025 por Carson Wentz

[Carson Wentz]

Resurgence (10 de maio, 3 da manhã)

@Toyota Arena, Ontario (Califórnia)

Following Windy City Riot in Chicago, and with cards set for the Road to Dontaku, the first matches are set for Resurgence May 9 in Ontario! Five title matches are on deck for what is sure to be an incredible night in the Toyota Arena.

Kickoff Match: STRONG Survivor- Allan Breeze vs CJ Tino

In the kickoff, a new NJPW STRONG Survivor will be determined when CJ Tino faces Allan Breeze. Tino challenged Zane Jay for the Survivor spot at Windy City Riot, with Jay successfully defending. Yet as Jay turns his attention to training in the Noge Dojo and preparing for a Japanese debut, he has vacated the Survivor spot. Who will take the mantle as the next future prospect from the NJPW Academy?

Fred Rosser vs Matt Vandagriff

Absent from Windy City Riot, Fred Rosser is back at Resurgence, and ready to put in the work to teach Matt Vandagriff a lesson. After holding the STRONG Survivor spot for over a year, Vandagriff planned to move upwards by teaming with Fred Rosser at Battle in the valley. Yet the arrogant Vandagriff had little respect for his veteran partner and Academy Coach. Now Rosser is ready to deliver some very physical education to an unruly pupil.

NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: World Class Wrecking Crew (Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson) vs United Empire (Templario & TJP)

The World Class Wrecking Crew, Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs will put their NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships on the line against Templario and TJP in Ontario. Since claiming the gold last December, WCWC have scored wins over established Japanese teams in Roppongi ReVICE and the Intergalactic Jet Setters, and after facing these Hontai stars now take on United Empire. After Templario challenged for the IWGP junior Heavyweight Championship in Saga at Hizen no Kuni, he looks to apply that NJPW title match experience in the US, and could be the second ever wrestler to hold both NJPW STRONG and CMLL championship gold simultaneously.

War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, Clark Connors & Gedo) vs Matthew Jackson, Nicholas Jackson, X & X

NJPW's return to Ontario California was too much of an intriguing opportunity for the Young Bucks to pass up, and Matthew and Nicholas Jackson will return to the cerulean for the first time since New Beginning in Osaka at Resurgence. In the wake of a BULLET CLUB civil war between War Dogs and HOUSE OF TORTURE concluding inside the Dogpound Steel Cage Saturday, the War Dogs remain, undisputedly BULLET CLUB. Yet the Bucks believe their era of BC, or indeed any ventures they get involved with is head and shoulders above the rest. Looking to prove that in eight man action against the Dogs, the Jacksons promised the presence of 'some OG buddies' in Ontario.

STRONG Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii vs Drilla Moloney

Singles Record: 1-0 Moloney

Brand new STRONG Openweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii will have his first defence against Drilla Moloney. After a wild rollercoaster of an Ironman Match in Chicago, Ishii finally managed to put away Gabe Kidd to end the Mad Man’s 11 month reign with the STRONG gold and pick up his first singles championship in three years. His business with the War Dogs is not done however, as Drilla Moloney steps up to face the Stone Pitbull. Moloney defeated Ishii during the New Japan Cup as part of a hugely successful transition to the heavyweight ranks; a transition that now sees his first singles championship challenge in NJPW. Can he end Ishii’s reign before it truly gets started?

NEVER Openweight Championship: Konosuke Takeshita vs El Phantasmo

Singles Record: 1-0 Takeshita (1 draw)

In the wake of Hiroshi Tanahashi's last match in the US at Windy City Riot, El Phantasmo made his way to ringside to pay his respects to the Ace, only to be involved in an altercation with Konosuke Takeshita. Backstage, ELP reminded the Alpha of an epic bout the two had in Korakuen Hall in last year's G1 Climax, and issued a challenge for Takeshita's NEVER Openweight Championship. That match was made official for Resurgence. In the meantime, Phanatsmo made sure unfinished business was dealt with over the World TV title when he defeated Great-O-Khan to win back the gold. Night one of Dontaku saw ELP and Takeshita face off for that TV title, with the result being a 15 minute draw. Tonight, 60 minutes are on the clock, but in this physical encounter, a knockout blow could well come sooner. 

NJPW STRONG Women's Championship: Mercedes Mone vs AZM vs Mina Shirakawa

NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion Mercedes Mone puts her title on the line against both Mina Shirakawa and AZM in Ontario. Windy City Riot’s number one contender match between high speed queen AZM and new full time AEW signee Shirakwa ended in controversy when both women were counted out on the outside. As both contenders continued to fight backstage, a compromise was made, and both will challenge the CEO for the STRONG gold at Resurgence. 

Shirakwa has been bound and determined to get her hands on the CEO ever since she lost her British Women's Championship to Mercedes at Wrestle Dynasty. Indeed, even Mina admits a big factor in the decision for her moving to the US and joining the AEW roster was to get Mone back in the ring. For AZM meanwhile, this is the second time a desired for singles match with the STRONG Women's Champion has been turned into a three way. After big match disappointment of her own twice this year so far, against Mayu Iwatani int he Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom, and in Yokohama Arena against her stablemate Starlight Kid for the Wonder of STARDOM title, she looks to control her destiny at last.

Always in control of her destiny is Mercedes, who approaches her fifth defence of the STRONG gold. Still undefeated for over two years as a singles wrestler, she wears TBS, STRONG and RevPro gold into Ontario, and seems heavy favourite to win the Owen Hart Cup in AEW as well. As Mone continues to make the world go round, can someone finally stop the champion?

Main event: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship- Hirooki Goto vs Zack Sabre Jr.

Three months have passed since Hirooki Goto stunned in Osaka with a win over Zack Sabre Jr. over the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Since New Beginning, Goto has defended his title against veterans in Yuji Nagata and Hiroshi Tanahashi, against a man in Shota Umino just entering his prime, and a man in Callum Newman for whom his prime is yet to come. Now the Goto Revolution once again heads west to Ontario, and sees the champion face the man against whom it all began, and whose prime is very much in the now. 

At Dontaku, Newman truly arrived as a contender and pushed the veteran champion to his limits, but it was the GTR Kai that sealed the deal for Goto. Post match, the champion asked for his next challenger to appear, and appear he did. Zack Sabre Jr. praised Goto's incredible reign, but said that it would be he that would end the revolution that had started with the end of his own. Goto readily accepted and now the rematch from New Beginning is made, and all as Shingo Takagi waits in the wings as the next contender.

[Carson Wentz]

[Carson Wentz]

Que desastre de show, cum crl. O booking do Rocky nunca foi particularmente inspirado, mas ontem/hoje bateu no fundo por completo cum crl.

Isso e pelo segundo show consecutivo nos States o crowd completamente fora dela, se bem que ontem nem os culpo.

[Carson Wentz]

Hiromu vs. Fujita foi brutal hoje, combate do torneio até agora. Se tiverem um tempito, vejam.

[Carson Wentz]

Melhor dia do BOSJ até agora, sem sombra de dúvidas. Tirando o combate do SHO e o Connors vs. Robbie X que foram whatever, o resto foi tudo muito bom.

[Carson Wentz]

That's a sexy poster!

[Carson Wentz]

Temos amanhã o final do BOSJ. O card não é nada de transcendente, tirando talvez o co-main e, obviamente, a final do torneio no Main Event. Deixa aqui a preview desses dois combates:

Resurgence (1 de junho, 10:30 da manhã)

@Toyota Arena, Ontario (Califórnia)

After a grueling series, the Best of the Super Jr. 32 final is set, and a big card will see this year's winner crowned, as well as stages set for Dominion to come on June 15.

Ryusuke Taguchi & Hirooki Goto vs Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi

Our semi main event sees a preview of June 15's IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Shingo Takagi and Hirooki Goto. After an emphatic victory over Shota Umino at Dontaku, Shingo Takagi struck a claim to Goto's world title; much as YOH returns to the BOSJ final stage for the first time since 2021 in the main event, so will Takagi return to the site of his career's greatest triumph four years on almost to the day. For Goto, knowledge that previous matchups in tournament sand title matches against the Dragon have seen the balance lean heavily to the Dragon's corner has to create a certain pressure, but it's a pressure that Goto has withstood for six defences to date. Who will dictate the pace heading into Osaka tonight?

Main event: Best of the Super Jr. 32 Final- YOH vs Kosei Fujita

Our main event sees YOH and Kosei Fujita facing off in the Best of the Super Jr. 32 final. For Fujita, a hot early streak that included a landmark win over Hiromu Takahashi in the main event in Korakuen Hall was followed by a run of losses that cast doubt on whether he would make good on promises of being the youngest BOSJ winner in tournament history. With a gutsy win over Clark Connors in Shizuoka, and with the other results working in his favour, Fujita broke a sizable tie in one of the most competitive blocks in tournament history, making his way to tonight's grand stage. 

YOH's successes, while less high profile, were consistent and plentiful. A 6-3 record, and wins over MAO and El Desperado put him top of the B Block, and into his first final since 2021. YOH seeks to be the third IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion to win BOSJ, after Tatsuhito Takaiwa and Jyushin Thunder Liger in 2000 and 2001, and despite this being the first singles meeting for the two combatants tonight, he knows he can beat Kosei Fujita. 

The gold around YOH's waist indeed came at the expense of Fujita back at Hizen no Kuni, YOH's sixth junior tag title reign coming alongside Master Wato. It was a chaotic combination, and although CHAOS as a faction has disbanded, its spirit seems to be living through the unique artist that YOH is. The last great triumph of CHAOS was, of course, Hirooki Goto defeating Zack Sabre Jr. to lift the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, making it apropos that YOH's own long climb to the standard of singles success in his division should see a TMDK member at the top. 

Kosei Fujita's nickname of the Japanese Young Punk is well earned, and Fujita has carried a swagger, self determination and youthful brashness all the way through the campaign into his first final, and the chance to make history. There's more than a little of the punk ethos to how YOH carried himself as well. 14 years Fujita's senior, YOH will pose the question of what happens when young punks do indeed grow old, and whether Fujita's youthful aggression is enough to overcome YOH's experience and enigmatic energy.