On June 19, 2016 at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Dominion 6.19 event in Osaka-jo Hall Kazuchika Okada defeated Tetsuya Naito to capture his fourth IWGP Heavyweight Championship. What followed was a reign that cemented Okada’s position at the top of the company, one of the greatest title reigns of the modern era, both for longevity and match quality. Star ratings […]
Happy new year! As the clock rolls over there are many ways to celebrate. You could for instance, stay up late and watch the pyro display. Or you could wake up early and catch the first sunrise of the year (a Japanese custom known as hatsu hinode, something that I’ve found is a lot easier in the northern hemisphere during […]
Well after last week’s brush with the mainstream – I needed to keep to form with some obscure Japanese indy stuff. I don’t know the name of the song. I don’t know the artist. But what I do know is that this theme slaps! I also know a little about the guy who uses it so while we’re here… Ayato […]
Born: February 20, 1943 (Kanji Inoki) | Birthplace: Yokohama, JapanDied: October 1, 2022 (Systemic transthyretin amyloidosis)Billed Weight: 224 lbs Other Aliases: Tokyo Tom, Little Tokyo, Mr. Kazimoto Antonio (Kanji) Inoki was born on February 20, 1943 in Yokohama, Japan. From a young age, he excelled at sports and athletics. In the sixth grade, he was taught karate by an older […]
This week on the Roadshow we’re taking a look at some of wrestling’s unsolved mysteries. Topics covered include David von Erich, Ultimate Warrior, Kota Ibushi, New Japan Pro Wrestling, the yakuza, Iron Sheik, Pat Patterson and a legendary tournament in Rio de Janeiro. Support us – https://ko-fi.com/thewrestlingroadshowEmail – podcast@thewrestlingroadshow.comTwitter – https://twitter.com/WrestlingRoads1Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TheWrestlingRoadshow
Born: December 12, 1964 (Terry Brunk) | Birthplace: Staten Island, New YorkBilled Hometown: Bombay, Michigan / Saudi Arabia | Billed Weight: 235 lbsOther Aliases: Sabu the Elephant Boy, Terry SR, Terry Brunk, Samu The future Sabu was trained by his uncle The Sheik, one of the most notorious rulebreakers in professional wrestling. After a long process of training and refereeing, […]
It’s G1 season and we celebrate by taking a look at what is both one of the highest rated shows of all time on Cagematch, but one of Chris’s favourites. Headlined by Shinsuke Nakamura and Kota Ibushi with some very solid undercard support, most notably from Tomohiro Ishii, Katsuyori Shibata and 5 stars – check out our coverage of this […]
‘Tis the season! G1 season, that is. This past weekend New Japan Pro Wrestling kicked off the 32nd annual G1 Climax tournament. In recent years NJPW has used licensed music as the main theme for the tournament. We’ve covered the 2018 theme in this series. But throughout the event the promotion has used a bumper theme that over time has […]
We’re back on the road after a bit of a tech-induced break and this week we’re taking a look behind the forbidden door and the AEWxNJPW crossover show. As mentioned in the cast – check out “Dazzler Dunlop: Inside My Squared Circle” by Australian wrestler Ken Dunlop. Available from the publisher or other places you’d buy a book. Email us […]
Violent brawler? West Texas University alumni? Beloved in Japan? One could be forgiven for thinking I’m talking about last week’s edition with Terry Funk – but this man ticks many of the same boxes. It’s Stan “The Lariat” Hansen. Stan Hansen started his career in the territories but it wasn’t long before he hit upward momentum. He debuted 1973 and […]
