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NEW JAPAN RELEASES REAL WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCHES, ZERO1 LAUNCHES ENGLISH TWITTER, BIG JAPAN CLOSES HOKKAIDO TOUR TOMORROW AND MORE FROM JAPAN

New Japan Pro Wrestling

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the first three matches for its two-night Wrestle Kingdom 15 event on January 4 and 5 next year.

Tetsuya Naito will defend the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Kota Ibushi on January 4.

Ibushi lost his challenge rights certificate from winning G1 Climax 30 to Jay White at Power Struggle on November 7. However, Naito insisted he wanted to defend both championships against Ibushi on January 4.

Prior to losing the certificate to White, Ibushi planned to face Naito on January 4. White on the other hand has stated he wishes to face Naito on January 5.

Naito will face Ibushi on January 4 and White will face the winner of the match on January 5.

Naito’s match against Ibushi will be the second defense of both championships. He regained both championships from EVIL at SUMMER STRUGGLE in JINGU on August 29 and also made his first successful defense against EVIL at Power Struggle.

If Naito defeats Ibushi, he will attempt his third defense against White. If Ibushi wins, it will be his first reign with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

Also on January 4, Kazuchika Okada will face Will Ospreay.

Ospreay betrayed Okada on the last night of G1 Climax 30 A block competition with the help of Bea Priestley and Great-O-Khan, who was returning from excursion in England.

After Okada defeated Great-O-Khan by referee stoppage at Power Struggle, Ospreay challenged Okada to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 15.

New Japan has also announced the full field and schedule for this year’s World Tag League.

Competing in the tournament is:

• David Finlay and Juice Robinson
• Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.
• Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa
• Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare
• Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
• Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• SANADA and Shingo Takagi
• EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens
• Great-O-Khan and ‘X’

The tournament will be Bad Luck Fale, David Finlay, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa and Toa Henare’s return to Japan since the start of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic.

Great-O-Khan will have a msytery partner for the tournament. His partner will be the third member of Will Ospreay’s new faction; The Empire.

The full tournament schedule is:

November 15 in Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Aichi
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• Great-O-Khan and ‘X’ vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare
• Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.
• EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi vs. SANADA and Shingo Takagi
• David Finlay and Juice Robinson vs. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa

November 16 in Komatsu City Suehiro Gymnasium, Ishikawa
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens vs. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa
• Great-O-Khan and ‘X’ vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
• David Finlay and Juice Robinson vs. EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi
• SANADA and Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare vs. Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.

November 19 in Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens vs. Great-O-Khan and ‘X’
• David Finlay and Juice Robsinon vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare
• EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa
• Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• SANADA and Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.

November 22 in Saku City General Gymnasium, Nagano
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens vs. SANADA and Shingo Takagi
• Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare
• EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• David Finlay and Juice Robinson vs. Great-O-Khan and ‘X’
• Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa

November 24 in Big Palette Fukushima, Fukushima
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens vs. David Finlay and Juice Robinson
• EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare
• Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• Great-O-Khan and ‘X’ vs. Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.
• Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. SANADA and Shingo Takagi

November 28 in Fujisawa City Akibadai Cultural Gymnasium, Kanagawa
• Great-O-Khan and ‘X’ vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare
• EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.
• David Finlay and Juice Robinson vs. SANADA and Shingo Takagi
• Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa

November 30 in Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
• EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Great-O-Khan and ‘X’
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
• Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• SANADA and Shingo Takagi vs. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa
• David Finlay and Juice Robinson vs. Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.

December 4 in Beppu B-Con Plaza, Oita
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens vs. Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.
• EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
• David Finlay and Juice Robinson vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• Great-O-Khan and ‘X’ vs. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa
• Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare vs. SANADA and Shingo Takagi

December 6 in Fukuoka Convention Center, Fukuoka
• Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toa Henare vs. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa
• David Finlay and Juice Robinson vs. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI
• Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
• Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens vs. EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi
• Great-O-Khan and ‘X’ vs. SANADA and Shingo Takagi

New Japan released their latest free match Monday entry:

Big Japan Pro Wrestling

Big Japan Pro Wrestling will hold the final show of its Hokkaido tour tomorrow.

The full card is:

• Kankuro Hoshino and Kosuke Sato vs. Masaki Morihiro and Yuya Aoki
• Drew Parker and Kazuki Hashimoto vs. Kota Sekifuda and Yasufumi Nakanoue
• Daichi Hashimoto, Daisuke Sekimoto and Hideyoshi Kamitani vs. Kazumi Kikuta, Ryuichi Kawakami and Yuji Okabayashi
• Abdullah Kobayashi and Yuichi Taniguchi vs. Brahman Kei and Brahman Shu
• Akira Hyodo vs. Takuya Nomura
• Deathmatch: Jaki Numazawa and Ryuji Ito vs. Yuki Ishikawa and Yuko Miyamoto

Kankuro Hoshino was originally scheduled to team with Ryuji Ito in the main event. Instead, Hoshino has replaced Takuho Kato in the opening match and Jaki Numazawa will team with Ito.

Big Japan has announced El Lindaman and T-Hawk will challenge Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura for the BJW Tag Team Championships at All Best Main Event on November 23 in EDION Arena Osaka.

It will be Abe and Nomura’s second defense of the championships. The updated match card is:

• Issei Onitsuka and Kota Sekifuda vs. Kazuki Hashimoto and Kosuke Sato
• HUB and GAINA vs. Kazumi Kikuta and Ryuichi Kawakami
• Akira Hyodo, Takuho Kato and Yasufumi Nakanoue vs. Kohei Sato, Quiet Storm and Ryota Hama
• No Ropes Barbed Wire deathmatch: Boogeyman, Gosaku Goshogawara, Leatherface and Raijin Yaguchi vs. Abdullah Kobayashi, Hideyoshi Kamitani, Kankuro Hoshino and Yuichi Taniguchi
• CIMA and Shigehiro Irie vs. Daichi Hashimoto and Yuya Aoki
• Deathmatch: Drew Parker, Masashi Takeda and Takumi Tsukamoto vs. Isami Kodaka, Minoru Fujita and Yukio Miyamoto
• BJW Junior Heavyweight Championship: Tatsuhiko Yoshino (c) vs. Andy Wu
• BJW Tag Team Championships: Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura (c) vs. El Lindaman and T-Hawk
• Deathmatch: Jaki Numazawa and Jun Kasai vs. Ryuji Ito and Yuki Ishikawa
• BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship: Yuji Okabayashi (c) vs. Daisuke Sekimoto

Lastly, Big Japan has announced former Wrestle-1 junior heavyweight Alejandro will debut for the company at its November 26 show in Shin-Kiba 1st Ring.

Also confirmed for the November 26 show is Abe, Brahman Kei, Brahman Shu, Isami Kodaka, Minoru Fujita and Yusuke Kodama.

Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS

Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS will hold a show in Korakuen Hall tomorrow.

The full card is:

• Alejandro and Masamune vs. Kengo and Yuya Susumu
• UWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Kamui (c) vs. Dragon Libre
• King Of FREEDOM World Championships: Mammoth Sasaki and Violento Jack (c) vs. GENTARO and Tatsuhito Takaiwa
• Deathmatch: Minoru Fujita vs. Rina Yamashita
• Deathmatch: Jun Kasai, Kenji Fukimoto and ‘X’ vs. Takashi Sasaki, Tomoya Hirata and Toru Sugiura
• Deathmatch: Daisuke Masaoka vs. Masashi Takeda

Kamui will make his second defense of the UWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship while Mammoth Sasaki and Violento Jack will make their tenth defense of the King Of FREEDOM World Championships.

The winner of Daisuke Masaoka versus Masashi Takeda will face Toru Sugiura for the King Of FREEDOM World Championship at FREEDOMS’ Christmas Day Korakuen Hall show.

Pro Wrestling ZERO1

Pro Wrestling ZERO1 has launched an English Twitter account with the @pwzero1ENG handle.

 

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