Note: This article was written in 2017 2005: Heat © vs Tiger Mask – IWGP Junior Heavyweight titleToukon Festival: Wrestling World 2005 (attendance: 46,000 / 36,000)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00165_1_3 It’s been six articles since we looked at the junior heavyweights, and you may be wondering why that is. In 2000 the role of booker in New Japan was taken over by Riki Choshu, […]
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh… Sorry. On the latest instalment of Roadtrip Music we’re looking at the 1985 classic Tarzan Boy by Italian group Baltimora. It is the group’s debut single from their debut album Life in the Background (which isn’t awful). The group peaked early with Tarzan Boy establishing them as a one hit […]
Our second podcast! On this episode Chris and Greg have a chat about wrestling. Topics we cover include the NWA Women’s title, Chris’s issues with Ring of Honor, New Japan and COVID, early FMW and WING, deathmatches and Greg’s discovery of ECW, Dark Side of the Ring and more. We even talk about WWE for once! There’s a little bit […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 2004: Shinsuke Nakamura © vs Yoshihiro Takayama © – IWGP Heavyweight and NWF Heavyweight title unification matchWrestling World 2004 (attendance: 40,000)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00164_1_15 After re-establishing the NWF Heavyweight title a year ago, here we are back in the Tokyo Dome to unify it with the IWGP Heavyweight title. After defeating Tsuyoshi Kohsaka last year, Yoshihiro […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 2003: Yoshihiro Takayama vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka – vacant NWF Heavyweight titleWrestling World 2003 (attendance: 30,000)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00162_1_10 Who? Tsuyoshi Kohsaka is a mixed martial artist who as of this writing has a record of 29-19 which includes losses to Mark Hunt, Randy Couture, Bas Rutten and Frank Shamrock (among others). Brought in to NJPW as […]
May 23 (tomorrow as of writing) marks the first anniversary of the passing of joshi star Hana Kimura. Had things panned out differently, star would be insufficient – Hana was headed towards being a bona fide superstar. I could talk for days about Hana Kimura, and likely will in either a podcast or article at some point – but for […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 2002: Jun Akiyama vs Yuji Nagata – GHC Heavyweight titleWrestling World 2002 (attendance: 52,000)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00159_1_10 GHC Heavyweight title? Yes, New Japan continues the co-operative approach with Pro Wrestling NOAH guest Jun Akiyama defending the Global Honoured Crown against NJPW’s Yuji Nagata. Jun Akiyama came through All Japan’s system and debuted against Kenta Kobashi in […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 2001: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Toshiaki Kawada – IWGP Heavyweight title tournament (semi-final)Wrestling World 2001 (attendance: 52,000)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00157_1_6 It’s 2001 and a lot has happened in the last twelve months. Since both promotions came into existence in 1972, New Japan Pro Wrestling’s main competitor had been All Japan Pro Wrestling. NJPW was formed by Antonio […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 2000: Keiji Mutoh vs Masahiro ChonoWrestling World 2000 (attendance: 53,500)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00155_1_11 Two years ago in 1998, it was NWO Japan member Keiji Mutoh challenging Kensuke Sasaki for the IWGP Heavyweight title while the group’s leader Masahiro Chono cheered him on from ringside. It’s the start of the new millennium and the two are now […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 1999: Jushin Thunder Liger vs Koji Kanemoto – IWGP Junior Heavyweight titleWrestling World 1999 (attendance: 52,500)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00153_1_4 Last time we saw Jushin Thunder Liger was at 1997’s event where he defeated Ultimo Dragon for 8 belts (the J-Crown). One of those was of course the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. This began his 8th reign […]
