NJPW New Beginning in Sendai

New Japan Pro-Wrestling
New Beginning in Sendai
14th February 2015
Sun Plaza, Sendai

The supposed new direction of NJPW in 2015 after part one of this two-part event feels a little familiar, but as Geoffrey Boycott said 'you have to see both sides bat'. I think I can just about shoehorn that one in here.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9

New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Wrestle Kingdom 9
4th January 2015
Tokyo Dome, Tokyo

Have you ever tried to explain wrestling to someone who doesn't like wrestling, or worse, have you ever tried to explain why you like wrestling to someone who has for whatever reason decided to kneejerk stance against wrestling? I'm sure you have and are familiar with that sense that, despite being an articulate and otherwise respected human being, the words are sticking in your throat/keyboard fingers and you're slipping on the edge at some recently-erected social cliff-face. 

NO TEXT

From now on here is my advice: don't explain, don't apologise, don't suggest that the so-called of wrestling 'actually hurts' or that the theatrics of wrestling and longform storytelling can ultimately appeal to a sense of our better selves. Just yell 'applesauce', shove them in the dirt and tell them to watch Wrestle Kingdom 9 from soup to nuts and if they don't like it then shrug and say eff you hombre and if they do share a cigar and recall in a bro-ish way the days they were wrong.

NJPW Road to Power Struggle: Day One

New Japan Pro Wrestling

Road to Power Struggle: Day One

25th October 2014, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo

Once again featuring translations by Yottsume! Be sure to check out his website as it's pretty much the only way you can get the proper New Japan merch with the Lion Mark.  

Don't worry, it's the 2010 design. No one needs to be fired.

It didn't take much or many changes for the complexion of NJPW to alter as we hurtle toward 2015. Kenny Omega signs. Katsuyori Shibata signs full-time. Kota Ibushi extends his deal and goes heavyweight. Jushin Liger indicates the winding down phase of his career. And new alliances are formalised to help Seikigun (New Japan Army) fight back against the menace of the three major factions: CHAOS, Suzuki-gun and Bullet Club.

NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2014

New Japan Pro-Wrestling

King of Pro-Wrestling 2014
13th October 2014, Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo

Some supercards require me to witter away for 500 words before getting to the first match, but this is King of Pro-Wrestling, cast in stone as a big deal and the last real throw of the dice ahead of the Dome Show on January 4th. Sumo Hall is sold out and a whole heap of titles and briefcases are up for grabs.

Main event: AJ Styles (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship

Furthermore I come armed with translations from Yottsume, the ingenious entrepreneur slash fansubber extraordinaire, meaning that there's actually some grounding to my drivel this time.

NJPW Destruction in Kobe

New Japan Pro Wrestling
Destruction in Kobe
21st September 2014, World Hall, Kobe.

Hello and welcome to the first New Japan Pro Wrestling supercard in the post #G124 universe of professional wrestling, a world of raised standards and KENTA not being called that anymore. It's a strange place but I think if we navigate it together then we'll have a good old time. Tonight is the first of two Destruction events, mirroring an experiment trialled in February with the New Beginning shows from Osaka and Hiroshima. Whilst those cards did a good house, it was harsh on the wallet for we PPV purchasers and there was a lot more filler to deal with. However, Tuesday's card from Okayama is not on Ustream or Japanese provider NicoNico, so many are touting this as the last stand of NJPW on internet pay-per-view for the time being.

G1 CLIMAX 24: Day 8

G1 CLIMAX 24: DAY EIGHT
BODYMAKER Colosseum, Osaka
3rd August 2014

It's quite possible that I'm not fully ready for Day 8 after such an excellent show at the Korakuen on the 1st. Reports I've seen online suggested that after cheering themselves into a frenzy for Tenzan-Goto, Styles-Suzuki and Nagata-Shibata, the crowd was pretty much blown out for the main event. I wasn't but I can understand if someone else was: it was insane. People aren't even really talking about Naito-Makabe and it was brilliant.

I SIGNED KENTA RIGHT HERE IN OSAKA JAPAN BROTHA

The wrestlers, hopefully, will have no such problems tonight. They absolutely bloody love their wrestling in Osaka and people who consider such things consider the Osaka crowd for New Japan Pro Wrestling to be the gold standard in worldwide audiences. A little bit smarky, sure - they wrongly hate Naito - but vocal as hell and capable of pushing the in-ring work on to greater heights.