Embracing the fun in Wrestling
Japanese wrestling is filled with so many special things, from the incredible talent in each promotion to the stories told in every match. This has long been a major factor in its popularity and success. One of the most interesting things about pro wrestling in Japan is the way most wrestlers are brought up in the industry. While in other …
For the young lions of New Japan Pro Wrestling, leaving for the learning excursion is a huge milestone. In many ways it’s like a high school graduate leaving home to go to college. For these young men, it means that they’ve survived the challenging and often grueling experience of life in the New Japan Dojo, arguably one of the toughest …
Long title reigns have been a prominent fixture of pro wrestling since the industry was born, but not all lengthy reigns are successful. There is a certain art to it. Many have been successful in long championship reigns, so what are the defining and all-important factors for success? While a flip-flopping of belts has become more prevalent in recent …
In 2019, IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito announced his desire to hold both the IC Title and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship simultaneously, a decision eventually backed by both the next IC Champion Jay White and the Number One Contender to Kazuchika Okada’s Heavyweight Championship, Kota Ibushi. Following a fan vote, New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that there would be …
When the words Minoru Suzuki leave my lips, a plethora of words spring to mind. Sadistic. Intimidating. Ferocious. Brutal. Legendary. Perhaps even, the greatest of all time. The style he has carried throughout his well-documented career is one of uniqueness. I would argue, it’s particularly unrivalled by all other pro wrestlers. Suzuki has performed some of the very best …
Throughout history, pop culture has been filled with stories of anti-heroes: people who walk a fine line between good and evil. The professional wrestling world also has its fair share of legendary anti-heroes like WWE’s Stone Cold Steve Austin. One of the industry’s best has been Tetsuya Naito, the leader of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s most popular faction, Los Ingobernables …
When the Great O-Khan gracelessly stumbled to the aid of Will Ospreay at the culmination of G1 Climax 30, it became painstakingly clear that the promising Young Lion, Tomoyuki Oka, was returning to NJPW with his faulty UK-excision gimmick remaining. At first, I was uncertain of what was to come with his return, but ever since then, O-Khan has …
November 5, 2016. A timebomb appears on the huge video screen in the Edion Arena in Osaka, nearing its final countdown. New Japan Pro Wrestling’s junior ace and then IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Kushida, stands in the middle of the ring, having just successfully defended his title. The countdown ends, revealing his next challenger: a former young lion returning after a …
“You say you want a revolution, well you know, we all want to change the world.” Set amidst fireworks and fanfare on a sunny day in Jacksonville Florida, some of the hottest acts in professional wrestling gathered together to make a statement that would define the world of wrestling for years to come. “We are going to Change The …
Sometimes a man of few words can speak volumes in the most epic of ways. New Japan Pro Wrestling has probably the best example of this in the form of Los Ingobernables de Japon’s Sanada. Throughout his fourteen year career, wrestling fans have really grown to love his mix of technical prowess, amazing looks, and quiet charisma. Along the way, …
