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LIGER PREDICTS G1 CLIMAX WINNER, COLEGA PRO COVID CONTROVERSY, BIG JAPAN, DDT AND MORE FROM JAPAN

Colega Pro Wrestling

Dove Pro Wrestling’s Naoki Tanizaki has publicly questioned Colega Pro Wrestling’s alleged mishandling of a COVID-19 outbreak among its roster after contracting COVID-19 himself.

Writing first on his personal blog, Tanizaki recalled that Michinoku Pro Wrestling announced Yasutaka Oosera had tested positive for COVID-19 on September 8. Tanizaki wrote that he suspected at the time some members of Colega’s roster could have also contracted COVID-19 as Oosera regularly competed for the company (and as recently as September 6 – two days prior), but Colega did not address the situation and held a day on the same day.

At Colega’s show the next day (September 9), Tanizaki wrote that he noticed Momoka Hanazono was ill backstage and moved her to a separate room and contacted her parents. He recalled he feared she was going to die because she was so limp and she Hanazono was eventually taken away from the venue in an ambulance and later tested positive for COVID-19.

Furthermore, Tanizaki wrote, two referees, Ultimate Spider Jr. and YAKO have all tested positive since – bringing the total to eight people including himself.

Tanizaki’s full blog post, where he details all the allegations, can be read here.

Writing a thread later on Twitter (attached below), Tanizaki pointed out neither Colega or Ryouji Sai (who, per Tanizaki, claims to be in charge of Colega) had not yet addressed the situation and implored any fans who attended Colega’s shows from September 6 to September 11 to get tested for COVID-19.

Colega then responded the situation on its website, stating it had come to the company’s attention that a number of officials and wrestlers had tested positive for COVID-19 since September 4 and apologising for the situation.

Colega has taken the step to suspend all shows until September 28 in order to allow an outside contractor to sterilise the venue (Colega holds all its shows in Colega Studios) and to introduce new equipment from a third party company to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Colega’s full statement can be read here.

Tanizaki responded on Twitter that if someone had tested positive for COVID-19 as early as September 4 (four days before M-Pro announced Oosera tested positive), he hoped the news would have been communicated to other wrestlers and immediate action would have been taken.

DDT Pro-Wrestling

WRESTLE UNIVERSE – CyberFight’s streaming service which carries DDT Pro-Wrestling, Ganbare Pro, Pro Wrestling NOAH and Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling – will undergo a significant overhaul on October 1.

Details of the overhaul will be announced on September 21 at 9pm JST, 1pm BST, 7am EST on each company’s YouTube channel and Sanshiro Takagi’s Twitter.

DDT held a show today in Asakusa.

The full results were:

• Toru Owashi and Yoshihiko def. Antonio Honda and Yuki Ueno
• Danshoku Dieno and Yuki Iino vs. Mizuki Watase and Sanshiro Takagi – No Contest
• Naomi Yoshimura and Yusuke Okada def. Mad Paulie and Yuji Hino
• Hideki Okatani and Jun Akiyama def. HARASHIMA and Yuya Koroku
• Daisuke Sasaki and Tetsuya Endo def. Kazusada Higuchi and Keigo Nakamura
• Konosuke Takeshita, MAO and Shunma Katsumata def. Chris Brookes, Yukio Naya and Yukio Sakaguchi

Danshoku Dieno and Yuki Iino versus Mizuki Watase and Sanshiro Takagi was ruled a no contest due to the interference of Yumehito Imanari, who has aligned with Dieno and Iino as a member of Pheromones.

All Japan Pro Wrestling

All Japan Pro Wrestling held a show today in Yokohama.

The full results were:

• Seigo Tachibana and Yoshitatsu def. Jun Saito and Rei Saito
• Izanagi and Zeus def. Hikaru Sato and Ryoma Tsukamoto
• Atsuki Aoyagi, Francesco Akira and Rising HAYATO def. Black Menso~re, Dan Tamura and TAJIRI
• Kento Miyahara and Yuma Aoyagi def. Koji Iwamoto and Ryuki Honda
• GAORA TV Championship: Shuji Ishikawa (c) def. Takao Omori
• Shotaro Ashino, SUGI and SUWAMA def. Hokuto Omori, Jake Lee and Yusuke Kodama

Seigo Tachibana and Yoshitatsu, who defeated Jun Saito and Rei Saito in the opening match, challenged El Lindaman and T-Hawk (not on the show) for the All Asia Tag Team Championships.

Francesco Akira, who announced on Instagram last month that he is relocating to Europe until the end of December, wrestled his final match (until he returns, presumably in 2022) teaming with Atsuki Aoyagi and Rising HAYATO in victory against Black Menso~re, Dan Tamura and TAJIRI.

Speaking of which, British promotion Wrestle Carnival has announced Akira will face Chris Ridgeway in a Submission Rules match at its show on November 14 in the Portland Centre in Nottingham. Tickets are available here.

Koji Iwamoto made his in-ring return after recovering from COVID-19 teaming with Ryuki Honda in defeat against Kento Miyahara and Yuma Aoyagi.

After the bout, Miyahara declared his intention to challenge for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. Zeus, who has also made his intention to challenge for the title clear, came to the ring to confront Miyahara.

Miyahara and Zeus seem set to meet in a singles match at All Japan’s show on September 21 in Korakuen Hall. The winner will then challenge for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship at All Japan’s show on October 16 in Ota Ward Gymnasium.

As for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship itself, Jake Lee is scheduled to attempt his second defense of the title against SUWAMA on September 21, meaning either Lee or SUWAMA will defend the title against Miyahara or Zeus on October 16.

Miyahara was scheduled to team with Atsuki Aoyagi, Rising HAYATO and Yuma Aoyagi against Hokuto Omori, Koji Doi, Kuma Arashi and TAJIRI on September 21, while Zeus was scheduled to team with Izanagi and Masanobu Fuchi against Dan Tamura, Hikaru Sato and Shotaro Ashino.

Shuji Ishikawa made his second successful defense of the GAORA TV Championship against Takao Omori.

Elsewhere, Yoshitatsu will team with Carbell Ito against Chris Vice and Yoshikazu Yokoyama at Pro Wrestling ZERO1’s show on September 19 in Korakuen Hall.

Major League Wrestling owner Court Bauer announced on Bust Open Radio yesterday that TAJIRI will challenge Myron Reed for the MLW World Middleweight Championship in a four-way match which also includes Aramis and Arez at MLW’s Fightland television taping on October 2 in the 2300 Arena.

American independent wrestler Cyrus The Destroyer revealed on social media today that he was scheduled to travel to Japan in October to compete for All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Big Japan Pro Wrestling

Big Japan Pro Wrestling held a show today in Hokkaido.

The full results were:

• Kota Sekifuda def. Kosuke Sato
• Kazuki Hashimoto and Takuya Nomura def. Hiroyuki Suzuki and Takuho Kato
• Brahman Kei, Brahman Shu and Yuichi Taniguchi def. Kazumasa Yoshida, Yuji Okabayashi and Yuya Aoki
• Daichi Hashimoto and Hideyoshi Kamitani def. Daisuke Sekimoto and Yasufumi Nakanoue
• Kankuro Hoshino and Yuko Miyamoto def. Abdullah Kobayashi and Jaki Numazawa
• Deathmatch: Ryuji Ito and Yuki Ishikawa def. Akira Hyodo and Drew Parker

Big Japan has announced the full card for its show on October 5 in Korakuen Hall. The full card is:

• Kazumasa Yoshida vs. Takuho Kato
• Daiki Shimomura, Masato Kamino, Ryota Nakatsu and Takato Nakano vs. Kazuki Hashimoto, Kosuke Sato, Kota Sekifuda and Tatsuhiko Yoshino
• Daichi Hashimoto, Hideyoshi Kamitani and Kazumi Kikuta vs. Ryota Hama, Yasufumi Nakanoue and Yuya Aoki
• Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi vs. Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura
• Deathmatch: Isami Kodaka and Yuko Miyamoto vs. Masaya Takahashi and Shunma Katsumata
• Deathmatch: Akira Hyodo and Kankuro Hoshino vs. Drew Parker and Yuki Ishikawa
• Deathmatch: Abdullah Kobayashi, Jaki Numazawa and Ryuji Ito vs. Takumi Tsukamoto, Toshiyuki Sakuda and Masashi Takeda

Big Japan will hold another show in Hokkaido tomorrow. The full card is:

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

Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS

Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS held a show today in Shin-Kiba 1st Ring to commemorate Takashi Sasaki’s twenty-fifth wrestling anniversary. In the main event, Tomoya Hirata and Toru Sugiura defeated Jun Kasai and Sasaki after Hirata pinned Sasaki following a moonsault.

After the match, Hirata challenged Violento Jack for the King of FREEDOM World Championship. The bout, set to take place at FREEDOMS’ show on October 3 in Korakuen Hall, will be Jack’s second defense of the title and Hirata’s first time challenging for the title.

GLEAT

GLEAT has uploaded its show on September 1 in Shinjuku FACE.

The full show can be watched on the attachment below.

New Japan Pro Wrestling

New Japan Pro Wrestling legend Jushin Thunder Liger has predicted SANADA will win G1 Climax 31, he revealed in an interview with Tokyo Sports.

SANADA, who lost to Kota Ibushi in the final of last year’s tournament, will face stiff competition from the likes of EVIL, Jeff Cobb, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada in B block.

Liger also predicted Tetsuya Naito will win A block, but fall short against SANADA in the tournament final. Naito will face the likes of KENTA, Kota Ibushi, Shingo Takagi and Zack Sabre Jr. in A block.

Tokyo Sports’ article on the news can be read here.

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