http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Sat, 17 Oct 2015 23:34:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-road-to-the-new-beginning-day-6-2715-akita-japan/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-road-to-the-new-beginning-day-6-2715-akita-japan/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2015 17:30:31 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Alex Shelley Bad Luck Fale Bobby Fish Bullet Club Captain New Japan CHAOS Cody Hall Doc Gallows Gedo Hirooki Goto Hiroshi Tanahashi Hiroyoshi Tenzan Jushin Thunder Liger Karl Anderson Katsuyori Shibata Kazuchika Okada Kenny Omega KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Manabu Nakanishi Mascara Dorada Matt Jackson New Japan Pro Wrestling Nick Jackson NJPW reDRagon Road to The New Beginning Ryusuke Taguchi Satoshi Kojima Shinsuke Nakamura Sho Tanaka Tama Tonga Tetsuya Naito Tiger Mask IV Togi Makabe Tomoaki Honma Tomohiro Ishii Toru Yano Yohei Komatsu YOSHI-HASHI Yuji Nagata Yujiro Takahashi http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9538 The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. В The event took place on February 7th, 2015 from the Akita Terrsa in Akita, Akita, Japan:   Tag Team Match reDRagon [2] (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) defeated Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu (10:48 minutes) Six-Man Tag Team Match Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi […]

The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. В The event took place on February 7th, 2015 from the Akita Terrsa in Akita, Akita, Japan:

Tag Team Match
reDRagon [2] (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) defeated Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu (10:48 minutes)

Six-Man Tag Team Match
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Manabu Nakanishi, Tiger Mask #4 and MГЎscara Dorada (11:57 minutes)

4 on 4 – Eight-Man Tag Team Match
Hirooki Goto, Katsuyori Shibata, Ryusuke Taguchi and Captain New Japan defeated Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Kenny Omega and Cody Hall (11:43 minutes)

4 on 4 – Eight-Man Tag Team Match
Yuji Nagata, Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito and Tomoaki Honma defeated CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano and YOSHI-HASHI) (14:57 minutes)

Tag Team Match
BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada and Gedo) (11:21 minutes)

Six-Man Tag Team Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi, KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley defeated BULLET CLUB (Tama Tonga, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (16:09 minutes)

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-road-to-the-new-beginning-day-5-2615-wakayanagi-japan/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-road-to-the-new-beginning-day-5-2615-wakayanagi-japan/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2015 00:36:54 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Alex Shelley Bad Luck Fale Bobby Fish Bullet Club Captain New Japan CHAOS Doc Gallows Gedo Hirooki Goto Hiroshi Tanahashi Hiroyoshi Tenzan Jushin Thunder Liger Karl Anderson Katsuyori Shibata Kazuchika Okada Kenny Omega KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Manabu Nakanishi Mascara Dorada Matt Jackson New Japan Pro Wrestling Nick Jackson NJPW reDRagon Road to The New Beginning Ryusuke Taguchi Satoshi Kojima Shinsuke Nakamura Sho Tanaka Tama Tonga TenKoji Tetsuya Naito Tiger Mask IV Time Splitters Togi Makabe Tomoaki Honma Tomohiro Ishii Toru Yano YOSHI-HASHI Yuji Nagata Yujiro Takahashi http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9518 The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. The event took place on February 6th, 2015 from the Wakayanagi City Gymnasium, in Wakayanagi, Miyagi, Japan:   Singles Match Yohei Komatsu defeats Jay White (8:40) Tag Team Match reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) defeat Jushin Thunder Liger & Sho Tanaka […]

The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. The event took place on February 6th, 2015 from the Wakayanagi City Gymnasium, in Wakayanagi, Miyagi, Japan:

Singles Match
Yohei Komatsu defeats Jay White (8:40)

Tag Team Match
reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) defeat Jushin Thunder Liger & Sho Tanaka (9:38)

Six Man Tag Team Match
Manabu Nakanishi, Mascara Dorada & Tomoaki Honma defeat TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) & Tiger Mask (9:34)

Eight Man Tag Team Match
BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) defeat Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA), Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata (11:12)

Tag Team Match
BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi) defeat CHAOS (Gedo & Kazuchika Okada) (10:23)

Eight Man Tag Team Match
CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI) defeat Captain New Japan, Tetsuya Naito, Togi Makabe & Yuji Nagata (15:30)

Tag Team Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi defeat BULLET CLUB (Kenny Omega & Tama Tonga) (14:43)

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-road-to-the-new-beginning-day-4-2415-chiba-japan/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-road-to-the-new-beginning-day-4-2415-chiba-japan/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2015 19:11:38 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Alex Shelley Bad Luck Fale Bobby Fish Bullet Club Captain New Japan CHAOS Cody Hall Doc Gallows Gedo Hirooki Goto Hiroshi Tanahashi Hiroyoshi Tenzan Jushin Thunder Liger Karl Anderson Katsuyori Shibata Kazuchika Okada Kenny Omega KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Manabu Nakanishi Mascara Dorada Matt Jackson New Japan Pro Wrestling Nick Jackson NJPW reDRagon Road to The New Beginning Ryusuke Taguchi Satoshi Kojima Shinsuke Nakamura Sho Tanaka Tama Tonga Tetsuya Naito Tiger Mask IV Togi Makabe Tomoaki Honma Tomohiro Ishii Toru Yano Yohei YOSHI-HASHI Yuji Nagata Yujiro Takahashi http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9508 The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. The event took place on February 4th, 2015 at the Port Arena Sub Arena in Chiba, Japan. Tag Team Match reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) defeated Yohei Komatsu & Sho Tanaka. 6 Man Tag Team Match Manabu Nakanishi, Tiger Mask IV […]

The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. The event took place on February 4th, 2015 at the Port Arena Sub Arena in Chiba, Japan.

Tag Team Match
reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) defeated Yohei Komatsu & Sho Tanaka.

6 Man Tag Team Match
Manabu Nakanishi, Tiger Mask IV & MГЎscara Dorada defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Jushin Thunder Liger.

8 Man Tag Team Match
Hirooki Goto, Katsuyori Shibata, Ryusuke Taguchi & Captain New Japan defeated BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Kenny Omega & Cody Hall).

8 Man Tag Team Match
Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata, Tetsuya Naito & Tomoaki Honma defeated CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Gedo).

Tag Team Match
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga).

6 Man Tag Team Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi, KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley defeated BULLET CLUB (Yujiro Takahashi, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson).

http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-lineup-for-the-new-japan-pro-wrestling-new-beginning-events-on-211-214/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-lineup-for-the-new-japan-pro-wrestling-new-beginning-events-on-211-214/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2015 01:59:58 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha A.J Styles AJ Styles Alex Shelley Bobby Fish Bullet Club Chase Owens Doc Gallows Hirooki Goto Hiroshi Tanahashi Hiroyoshi Tenzan IWGP Jushin Thunder Liger Karl Anderson Katsuyori Shibata Kenny Omega KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Matt Jackson Meiyu Tag New Japan Pro Wrestling Nick Jackson NJPW reDRagon Rob Conway Ryusuke Taguchi Shinsuke Nakamura The New Beginning Time Splitters Togi Makabe Tomohiro Ishii Young Bucks Yuji Nagata http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8609 Here are the updated card for the NJPW New Beginning events, which will be available via New Japan World… The New Beginning in Osaka, The Bodymaker Coliseum, February 11th: * IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship: Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly (ReDRagon) vs. Nick & Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks) vs. Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA (Time […]

Here are the updated card for the NJPW New Beginning events, which will be available via New Japan World …

The New Beginning in Osaka, The Bodymaker Coliseum, February 11th:
* IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship: Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly (ReDRagon) vs. Nick & Matt Jackson (The Young Bucks) vs. Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA (Time Splitters)
* IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Kenny Omega vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
* IWGP Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata (Meiyu Tag) vs. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows (Bullet Club)
* IWGP Heavyweight Championshi: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. AJ Styles

The New Beginning in Sendai, Sendai Sun Plaza, February 14th:
* NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Chase Owens
* NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Rob Conway vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
* NEVER Openweight Championship: Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii
* IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yuji Nagata

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-new-years-dash-1515-tokyo-japan/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-new-japan-pro-wrestling-njpw-new-years-dash-1515-tokyo-japan/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2015 02:18:13 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha AJ Styles Alex Koslov Alex Shelley Bad Luck Fale Bobby Fish Bullet Club Captain New Japan CHAOS Davey Boy Smith Jr. Doc Gallows El Desperado Forever Hooligans Hirooki Goto Hiroshi Tanahashi Hiroyoshi Tenzan Jushin Thunder Liger Karl Anderson Katsuyori Shibata Kazuchika Okada Kenny Omega Kota Ibushi KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Lance Archer Manabu Nakanishi Matt Jackson Minoru Suzuki New Japan Pro Wrestling New Years Dash Nick Jackson NJPW reDRagon Rocky Romero Ryusuke Taguchi Satoshi Kojima Shelton Benjamin Shinsuke Nakamura Sho Tanaka Suzuki-gun Taichi TAKA Michinoku Takashi Iizuka Tama Tonga Tetsuya Naito Tiger Mask IV Togi Makabe Tomoaki Honma Tomohiro Ishii Toru Yano YOSHI-HASHI Yuji Nagata Yujiro Takahashi http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8547 The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. The event took place on January 5th, 2015 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan:   Tag Team Match Suzuki-gun (TAKA Michinoku and Taichi) defeated Tiger Mask #4 and Sho Tanaka (7:29 minutes) Tag Team Match reDRagon [2] (Kyle O’Reilly and […]

The following results are from a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling live event. The event took place on January 5th, 2015 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan:

Tag Team Match
Suzuki-gun (TAKA Michinoku and Taichi) defeated Tiger Mask #4 and Sho Tanaka (7:29 minutes)

Tag Team Match
reDRagon [2] (Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish) defeated Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov) (10:30 minutes)

Special Five on Five Match
Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka, Shelton Benjamin, Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.) defeated Tomoaki Honma, Manabu Nakanishi, Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Captain New Japan (11:59 minutes)

NWA World Junior Heavyweight Title Match
Jushin Thunder Liger (c) defeated El Desperado (16:56 minutes)

Six-Man Tag Team Match
Ryusuke Taguchi, KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley defeated BULLET CLUB (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) (9:16 minutes)

Special Match
BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga) defeated CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano) (10:17 minutes)

Special Match
Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata and Kota Ibushi defeated CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI) (13:58 minutes)

Special Match
BULLET CLUB (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows and Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Katsuyori Shibata and Tetsuya Naito (14:45 minutes)

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-puroresu-perspective-a-geijin-guide-to-njpw-wrestle-kingdom-9-review/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-puroresu-perspective-a-geijin-guide-to-njpw-wrestle-kingdom-9-review/#comments Mon, 05 Jan 2015 20:09:29 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews AJ Styles Alex Koslov Alex Shelley Bad Luck Fale Bobby Fish Bullet Club Davey Boy Smith Jr. Doc Gallows Forever Hooligans GFW Global Force Wrestling Hirooki Goto Hiroshi Tanahashi Hiroyoshi Tenzan Jeff Jarrett Jim Ross Karl Anderson Katsuyori Shibata Kazuchika Okada Kazushi Sakuraba Kenny Omega Killer Elite Squad Kota Ibushi KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Lance Archer Makabe Matt Jackson Matt Striker Meiyu Tag Mikey Nicholls Minoru Suzuki Naomichi Marufuji New Japan Pro Wrestling Nick Jackson NJPW NXT reDRagon Rocky Romero Ryusuke Taguchi Satoshi Kojima Shane Haste Shinsuke Nakamura Suzuki-gun Takashi Iizuka Tetsuya Naito The Bullet Club The Mighty Don't Kneel Time Splitters TMDK Tomoaki Honma Tomohiro Ishii Toru Yano Wrestle Kingdom 9 WWE Young Bucks Yujiro Takahashi http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8513 The Puroresu Perspective A Geijin Guide to NJPW By Mark Adam Haggerty Welcome one and all to the Puroresu Perspective, an in-depth analysis of New Japan that also serves to educate the uninformed as to where to catch the most exciting wrestling action on Earth. I can't pretend as though this will be a regular […]

The Puroresu Perspective
A Geijin Guide to NJPW
By Mark Adam Haggerty

Welcome one and all to the Puroresu Perspective, an in-depth analysis of New Japan that also serves to educate the uninformed as to where to catch the most exciting wrestling action on Earth. I can't pretend as though this will be a regular periodical as I myself only catch the big events for New Japan and rely greatly on match reviews and podcasts in between. But I fancy myself something of an expert when compared to the casual Cena-supporter who may just now be getting with the NJPW program. There are sure to be some condescending smarks hiding away in cyber space who will be quick to belittle the less seasoned puroresu fans, but trust in Cheap-Heat.com as well as your pal Mark Haggerty. I’m here to make the learning process simple and more importantly enjoyable. First and foremost, "puroresu" is the Japanese term for what we in America have come to know as Sports Entertainment; it's sort of a reverse engineered cognate in that puroresu is merely the way most Japanese fans pronounce, "pro wrestling." "Geijin," is another Japanese word referring to the foreign talent working in Japan regardless of where they might be from originally.

Now that you've got a handle on the lingo we can dive right into what is already being called one of the best cards of the past 20 years. For those of you who might be making your residence underneath a rock, New Japan Pro Wrestling produced it’s first pay-per-view outside of Japan and the results have been overwhelming. Wrestle Kingdom is considered by many to be the Wrestlemania of Japan, and thanks to Jeff Jarrett and GFW, this year’s ninth edition reached more homes than ever before. The show was breathtaking from beginning to end, serving as the perfect introduction to a worldwide audience formerly unfamiliar with strong style wrestling or the Japanese performers. In addition to familiar faces such as AJ Styles and Jeff Jarrett, new fans were welcomed by comforting vocal tones—those of WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and the voice of Lucha Underground Matt Striker. I thought Jim seemed a bit out of his element but did an incredible job nonetheless. Let’s break down each and every match from Wrestle Kingdom 9; I’ll give you the who, the what, and most importantly the why, as well as my 5-star match ratings.

IWGP Jr. HW Tag Team Championship
The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) vs. The Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA) vs. Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov & Rocky Romero) vs. reDragon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly) (c)

This was an impressive start to a fantastic show, broadcast in front of an incredibly wide audience and quite a bit of credit can be given to the co-bookers Jado and Gedo who chose to lead off in a traditional sense, featuring the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Titles. I feel as though a match featuring seven Geijin might have helped ease an otherwise apprehensive audience into what is, quite literally a FOREIGN CONCEPT. This was an incredible bout contested between four of the best tag teams in the world. I recently released my weekly "Honorable Mention," discussing the December 27th edition of Ring of Honor; this week's episode of ROH TV featured reDragon defending their other set of titles against six worthy adversaries in a 4-team elimination match. It was an extremely entertaining exhibition but could hardly stand on par with this carefully worked contest featuring The Young Bucks, The Time Splitters and Forever Hooligans. After the hype died down and the bell finally sounded it became clear that the duo of Rocky Romero and Alexander Koslov were just as impressive as the more talked-about-teams like The Young Bucks or Time Splitters. The match came down to a spot-fest as one might imagine, complete with a separate Super Kick party starring the Young Bucks playing on every one of their opponents. The story of the match was the heat between The Young Bucks and The Time Splitters; reDragon and Forever Hooligans played into the affair but the flashy bravado of The Young Bucks seemed to reignite a longstanding rivalry between Kushida and Shelley and the Bullet Club's Nick and Matt Jackson. That's Alex Shelley for anyone wondering who I'm mentioning at random—yes the former Motor City Machine Gun is enjoying an exceptionally successful career as teammate to former Junior Heavyweight Champion Kushida in what has always appeared to be a "Back to the Future" gimmick. While Romero and Koslov enjoyed their share of high spots, the most thrilling nuances of this particular match occurred at the hands of The Young Bucks and Time Splitters, and ultimately reDragon. Just as they did to retain their titles on Ring of Honor TV, Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish managed to swoop in and pick up the victory using an elaborate assortment of trickery and technique. If you like high-flying acrobatics mixed with logical chain wrestling and old school ring psychology, why not give the opening contest of Wrestle Kingdom 9 a watch?
Winners: reDragon
Rating: 3.5/5

The Bullet Club vs. Tenzan, Kojimo, & Honma

This match was a let-down for a variety of reasons, none of which being the slovenly workrate of which there was plenty. It was an abysmal debut for the Bullet Club in front of a global audience. Even after the Young Bucks competed in the opening contest, this was obviously The Bullet Club's formal introduction and you're first privy to Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi and part-time �Club member Jeff Jarrett? That seems like a strange decision however I can't argue with putting Jarrett on as early as possible. Their opponents were Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojimo, and Tomoaki Honma—a tremendous trio of seasoned athletes generally known as individual talents, come together to help vanquish the dastardly Bullet Club. I guess it's important to talk about why Japanese fans hate the Bullet Club and why Westerners can't get enough. The Bullet Club is essentially an homage to the "Kliq," drawing upon gimmicks and mannerisms made famous by both the NWO and Degeneration X. The Japanese wrestling culture has a long tradition of honor and respect, so an entire faction of Geijin pretending to be Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan tends to drive a lot or puroresu purists absolutely insane. The match was slow even by American Rasslin' standards and I would have much rather seen Jeff later in the evening, perhaps standing in AJ Style's corner—not wrestling. Yujiro is an interesting case as he's the only Japanese member of the Bullet Club outside of offshoot factions across indie America. He's a wonderful example of how charisma can transcend language barriers as I feel more in tuned to someone like him than I do Bad Luck Fale. This was my t-shirt match, meaning it was the bout where I would normally buy my mandatory souvenir had I been in the arena. In this case I started writing the intro for this very article and tuned out until the final bell. Not a very good match obviously which is unfortunate because I'm sure several people were excitied to see Double Jay mix it up in the ring once more. Although I'm giving this match a pretty lousy rating, I would implore you not to do yourself a disservice by skipping any bit of this pay-per-view; the worst match from Wrestle Kingdom 9 is better than 99% of what you're going to see on Raw all year.

Winner: Tenzan, Kojimo, & Honma
Rating: 2/5

TMDK, Marufuji, & Yano vs. Suzukigun (Killer Elite Squad: Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer, and Takashi Iizuka)

I hope it wasn't lost on the first time viewers that this 8-man tag contest was a groundbreaking bout for New Japan and professional wrestling as an industry. "TMDK" is an impressive young duo comprised of Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste—both wrestling out of Perth, Australia whose team name initials stand for "The Mighty Don't Kneel." What's most bizarre about this match and the way in which it was booked is that TMDK and Naomichi Marufuji are all signed to NOAH—a smaller but nonetheless competitive promotion also located in Japan. That's like if Wrestlemania 31 rolled around and Vince McMahon decided to book an 8-man tag featuring Ring of Honor wrestlers. That would be incredibly awesome, but we know it's not going to happen. They're lead into battle by Toru Yano, an NJPW mainstay who has promised to build a team to take down his longstanding rivals, Killer Elite Squad. Little did KES know however, Yano would explore alternative avenues when scouting talent for their collision at Wrestle Kingdom. On the opposite side of the ring stand Yano's most dreaded foes who just so happen to be former WWE Superstars—Shelton Benjamin, now sporting a stylish X in between both his first and family name; David Hart Smith, the son of Diana Hart and the late British Bulldog; and TNA-turned-WWE wrestler Lance Hoyt AKA Vance Archer, now operating under the moniker, "Lance Archer." Shelton Benjamin and Killer Elite are part of a faction known as "Suzukigun," meaning "Suzuki Army." Unlike the Bullet Club, this ragtag band of Geijin work closely with a number of Japanese wrestlers, this evening teaming with Suzukigun member Takashi Iizuka. The MVP's of this match were most certainly the explosive team of Nicholls and Haste who wasted little time in introducing themselves to not one, but two brand new sets of viewers. Despite their lumbering style when compared to the smaller and generally swifter native talents, take nothing away from Smith and Archer whose more traditional presentation makes for an all-original hybrid sports-product. Shelton X Benjamin was far more low-key than I would have preferred but I can't fault him had it been in an effort to mask his age and protect his image. He was impressive nonetheless in delivering some of his more signature spots such as the heel kick complete with the initial fake-out. I was really excited and surprised to see the outside team win, even though they were led by Yano. A very fast paced back and forth with staggering displays of strength. If you like insane acrobatics but you also want to see choke slams, this match is right up your alley,
Winner: TMDK, Marufuji, & Yano
Rating: 2.75/5

Minoru Suzuki vs. Kazushi Sakuraba

Minoru Suzuki is a name being brought up more commonly in conversation by wrestling fans across the planet and that's perhaps due to his match with AJ Styles last year—a contest deemed, "Match of the Year" by many insiders and outsiders alike. The announcers did their darnedest to put over both Suzuki and Sakuraba's ability inside the MMA arena, and with just-cause. Both individuals have garnered sterling reputations not only as fighters but as pioneers in the evolution of the sport of fighting. I find Sakuraba particularly interesting as pertains to fighting outside the admittedly pre-determined realm of wrestling; Sakuraba has defeated famed fighting family members Royler, Renzo, Ryan and Royce in individual competition earning himself the nickname, "The Gracie Killer." Under all that experience and ruthless determination, Kazushi Sakuraba seems like the nicest guy in the world. Especially in contrast to his opponent, the formidable Suzuki who Jim Ross claims, "Loves to hurt people." This was the first one-on-one battle of the night and was contested under alternative rules than a normal matchup, rather the only way to win was by knockout or submission. The match was a combination of both smash-mouth strong style and amateur wrestling. As the match waned, what had basically been a brawl evolved into a mat-based-game leading Suzuki to lock in the rear-naked choke. It wasn't long before the "Gracie Killer" was asleep. An incredibly violent bout lacking in the hardcore elements that make most mainstream matches intolerable. I will definitely consider this the next time I have a UFC friend that considers checking out professional wrestling.
Winner: Suzuki
Rating: 3.5/5

NEVER Openweight Championship
Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii (c)

Another fast paced strong-style battle featuring two of the most recognizable faces in all of NJPW. Togi Makabe is a former IWGP Heavyweight champion in addition to holding a victory in the G1 Climax 2009, so securing championship titles is nothing new to the bleached blonde babyface brawler. In this match however, Makabe is challenging for a championship rather than defending one which always makes things a bit trickier. The NEVER Openweight Championship is a title without limits originally conceived as a means to highlight up-and-coming talent. But as is the case with the current title holder Ishii, only established wrestlers and former world champions have succeeded in claiming the belt. Makabe is an interesting talent to watch as he doesn't really resemble anyone in the west as far as his style, perhaps a handful of Japanese-influenced members of this generation but no one of importance. Ishii on the other hand uses his size and natural ability to his advantage in luring each of his opponents into a state of security, just before striking and saving his NEVER Title in the process. Makabe is a bit smarter than the Young Boys Ishii's been tangling with as of late and it was only a matter of time before Tomohiro's honor had depleted enough for Makabe to take full advantage and take what belonged to him. Although his youthful exuberance and amateur dye-job give Togi Makabe the appearance of being the youngest NEVER Openweight Champion in history, he is actually the oldest. NJPW is constantly setting precedents and raising the bar, and Togi Makabe's championship victory at The Tokyo Dome show at 42 years of age is another notch in the life expectancy of professional wrestlers.
Winner: Makabe
Rating: 3.5/5

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega vs. Ryusuke Taguchi (c)

Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this match, but seeing as how it's my job to write about wrestling I guess I'll give it a go. Kenny Omega has been hit with a fair amount of flak since opting to darken his image and align himself with the Bullet Club. Fans on both sides have voiced a variety of valid grievances with Omega as to their opinion on which way his career should have gone. I too struggled with the abrupt change in his otherwise happy demeanor, wondering why they'd turn such a white meat babyface heel for no foreseeable reason. Then I was watching Wrestle Kingdom 9 and during Kenny Omega's entrance I said, "Oh! He was boring as hell before!" While the idea of Kenny Omega turning heel and darkening his hair seemed at first ill-advised, it makes far more sense than wasting an unbelievable young competitor who's fluent in Japanese and able to perform within the single percentile of talent. As far as opponents, Kenny could have asked for none better and not just because Ryusuke Taguchi is currently in possession of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Taguchi AKA Funky Weapon was one of the first Japanese stars I latched onto when I began watching NJPW on a regular basis. He's got an unequalled level of charisma and a nickname that English-speaking puroresu fans are clamoring to scream out loud. His skillset goes beyond his entrance and marketability however as Taguchi has held onto the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship since claiming it from Kushida on July 4th, exactly six months ago. During the match Matt Striker made mention of Kenny Omega's chainsaw spot so as not to completely confuse those who'd never seen stubble used as a weapon. I thought that this was the Match of the Night up until this point without question. Kenny Omega is an awesome addition to the Bullet Club and it was good to see the most talked-about faction in wrestling get at least one win on the biggest card of the year. As sad as it is to see Ryusuke drop a title he's carried with such pride, one can only wonder what's on the horizon for the wrestler known to millions around the world as "Funky Weapon."

Winner: Omega
Rating: 4/5

IWGP Tag Team Championship
Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata) vs. The Bullet Club (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) (c)

Meiyu is a much beloved tag team made up of high school classmates and lifelong friends Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata. The story here is a pair of small town All-Japan athletes defending themselves and their national pride against Luke "the Doc" Gallows and the defacto leader of the Bullet Club—"Machine Gun" Karl Anderson. First of all, I absolutely loved the detail involved in Anderson's entrance, stopping midway down the ramp to take his shot at the forty-thousand fans inside the Tokyo Dome. It's a spot he employs on a regular basis but on this night was captivating given the ambiance and grandeur of the arena. I got the feeling that Jim Ross did the most preparation for this match as he featured Karl Anderson on his show this past week. He also seemed all-too-comfortable falling back on his WWE wrestling knowledge to help steer away from water deemed too deep, and that's why a match involving Festus AKA Fake Kane AKA Doc Gallows is right up Good Ol' JR's alley. I thought this was an unimpressive contest that did little to excite but I was willing to cut it a fair amount of slack given it's position, nestled in between the Junior Heavyweight Title match and AJ Styles versus Naito. Not much to say except another poor showing for the Bullet Club, and this time from the man claiming to be in charge. Karl Anderson is one of the biggest stars of New Japan, I just wish the company would choose to market him as such rather than relegating him to yet another tag team on the roster. Anderson was once part of a far more imposing duo with retired WWE superstar and current NXT commentator Matt Bloom AKA Jason Albert. Now he's tagging up with Festus? I will give credit where it's due—Luke Gallows is a funny guy, especially on The Bullet Club's podcast, "Talkin' Shop." But Tag Team Champions? Once again, it's time for Karl Anderson to go his own way. By the end of the match the hometown boys were afforded their "Wrestle Kingdom Moment" as they sat stoically in the center of the ring, a tribute to a simpler time as school boys to symbolize just how far they had come.

Winner: Meiyu Tag
Rating: 3/5

AJ Styles vs. Tetsuya Naito

I wasn't sure this would be the best match on the card and I'm happy I kept my expectations low because as fun as it was, it didn't reach the heights of what either wrestler is capable of. Many fans had been waiting for this match more than most others on the card and with good reason I suppose; this could be the only time we hear Jim Ross call an AJ Styles match ever. But add to that the significance of two celebrated athletes squaring off in another historic battle, this time at the January 4th Dome Show, and you're on the precipice of a Match of the Year Contender. I'm slowly starting to see the value in Naito, a wrestler I've admittedly been down on since his revival earlier this year—I just don't get the eye thing, what is up with the eye thing? Regardless, his matches with some of the biggest names in the sport have started to sway me somewhat and this bout in which he's featured across from "The Phenomenal One" was another well-paced learning experience. AJ is just so good at what he does especially when tweaking his nice guy image to play a true heel. When working a crowd where words aren't an option, everybody needs to be at the top of their game in terms of big gestures and high yield sales tactics. AJ never phones anything in and commits to even the most evil character he's asked to portray, adopts a more carefree delivery of how he stomps Naito into the ground. I was surprised when the final pin fall was tallied and I was able to gauge the length of the match, discovering it lasted far longer than I would have guessed. AJ of course walked away with the win following an incredibly risky "Style's Clash" from up high. If you hadn't had the chance yet, give my "Top Fourteen Wrestlers of 2014" a read and see why I named AJ Styles the Number Two Wrestler of Twenty-Fourteen.

Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: 3.5/5

IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Kota Ibushi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (c)


Until the final match was underway I would have called this the match of the night. Much like during the glory days of WWF the Intercontinental Championship is among the most prestigious titles available, and quite often even headlines pay-per-view events. Shinsuke Nakamura is a highly visible figure in Japanese culture; sporting an array of alternating bizarre hairdos along with his throwback threads from the 1980's, Nakamura has been considered by many, "The King of Strong Style." His kicks and forearm strikes are perhaps just as deadly as Okada's Rainmaker, or perhaps Roman Reigns' Super Man Punch would be a better example. This match was by my estimation the strongest style contest of the evening and that's including the earlier bout with Suzuki and Sakuraba. Both individuals have a keen understanding of what they are willing to do to steal the show, as well as an accurate idea of their personal limits. Nakamura was never the most technically proficient member of the NJPW roster, but his Freddie Mercury-inspired charisma is what has helped him to reach the top-most tier of stardom. The challenger for Nakamura's belt is 32-year old Kota Ibushi—described by both JR and Striker as a "young buck" compared to Nakamura, although he is only but a few years younger. Both performers had high spots and low points from the dawning of the contest until its conclusion but the action never waned. Although unable to attain victory, Ibushi was lucky enough to walk away better than before. His varied arsenal helped him earn the respect of Nakamura, perhaps most notably the kick which may have given Nakamura a concussion.

Winner:В Nakamura
Rating: 5/5

IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c)

It's only January 4, but I think we have a solid contender for Match of the Year. I started following NJPW closely some years back and I've been afforded the opportunity to watch young Kazuchika Okada evolve from a Young Lion to the Rainmaker we know today. The story as it relates to Okada and the champion Hiroshi Tanahashi is respect or lack-thereof. Tanahashi is the aging champion who, although nearing the end of his career, is unable to pass the torch to someone as dishonorable as the 27 year old former IWGP champion Okada. I am personally enamored with Okada as I think he is one of the finest performers in the world. Any time you can get excited about a man's dropkick in 2015 is a moment worth celebrating. Not to take anything away from the record-setting Tanahashi and his seven illustrious title reigns, but I feel as though the time has passed and not only in a Kayfabe context. When Tanahashi hits the ring he's played out by an orchestra of stereotypical Japanese pop music with big flashy poor English translations reading phrases like "Ace Universe." Hiroshi Tanahashi might still be one of the greatest wrestlers in the world, but if the conversation is about the future, look no further than Okada. Tanahashi is a man out of time. I thought Striker and JR touched upon some interesting stuff and that's that Tanahashi will forever be remembered as the man who helped turn NJPW around; Okada is the man who took NJPW to the next level. This match was just as fluid as anything you're going to see anywhere in the world; the 38-year old Tanahashi has no trouble keeping in step with the star eleven years his junior and in most cases sets the pace for the match himself. Tanahashi and Okada each made use of their big spots and signature maneuvers, but as the clock ticked away and the four hours of Wrestle Kingdom 9 came to a close, there could only be one winner. After a continuous aerial assault bombarding Okada with a series of big splashes, Tanahashi managed to turn his 227-pound frame in midair securing one final cross body and thus saving the highly coveted IWGP Heavyweight Championship. If you're going to see just one match from Wrestle Kingdom 9, make sure it is the main event contest for the IWGP Title featuring Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. Both men gave an extraordinary effort, the likes of which most wrestling fans have never seen before.

Winner: Tanahashi
Rating: 5/5

This event is already being hailed an overall masterpiece and I have to agree. During the final moments of the main event Jim Ross exclaimed, "If you can find two better matches back to back all year long, I want to be there to see them with you." His praise was in no way hyperbolic as the final three contests could have each headlined their own separate pay-per-view anywhere in the world. Jeff Jarrett really struck oil with this partnership and I hope GFW can continue showcasing international talent for years to come. If Wrestle Kingdom 10 can achieve half the success as did its predecessor, there might be a day where we say, "Wrestlemania—it's like the Wrestle Kingdom of America." Until that day I promise to keep you up to date on the most important movements inside the fascinating world of Japanese wrestling. As for now however, my work is finished—my name is Mark Adam Haggerty wishing you a Happy New Year and thanking the good folks at NJPW and GFW for a phenomenal first show of the year. Domo arigato.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-global-force-wrestling-presents-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestle-kingdom-9-1415-tokyo-japan/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/results-global-force-wrestling-presents-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestle-kingdom-9-1415-tokyo-japan/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2015 21:03:37 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha A.J Styles AJ Styles Alex Koslov Alex Shelley Bad Luck Fale Bobby Fish Bullet Club Captain New Japan Davey Boy Smith Jr. Doc Gallows El Desperado Forever Hooligans GFW Global Force Wrestling Great Kabuki Hiro Saito Hirooki Goto Hiroshi Tanahashi Hiroyoshi Tenzan Jeff Jarrett Jushin Thunder Liger Karl Anderson Katsuyori Shibata Kazuchika Okada Kazushi Sakuraba Kenny Omega Kota Ibushi KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Lance Archer Manabu Nakanishi Matt Jackson Mikey Nicholls Minoru Suzuki Naomichi Marufuji New Japan Pro Wrestling Nick Jackson NJPW reDRagon Rocky Romero Ryusuke Taguchi Satoshi Kojima Shane Haste Shelton Benjamin Shinsuke Nakamura Sho Tanaka Suzuki-gun Taichi TAKA Michinoku Takashi Iizuka Tama Tonga Tetsuya Naito Tiger Mask IV Time Splitters Togi Makabe Tomoaki Honma Tomohiro Ishii Toru Yano WK9 Wrestle Kingdom 9 YOSHI-HASHI Yoshiaki Fujiwara Young Bucks Yuji Nagata Yujiro Takahashi http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8484 Global Force Wrestling presents NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 Jan 4, 2015 Tokyo, Japan   Pre Show – battle royal was won by Yuji Nagata when he pinned YOSHI HASHI with backdrop driver Other participants included: Tiger Mask, Taichi, TAKA, Liger, Desperado, Sho Tanaka, Hiro Saito, Captain New Japan, Tama Tonga, Manabu Nakanishi, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Great […]

Global Force Wrestling presents NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9
Jan 4, 2015
Tokyo, Japan

Pre Show
– battle royal was won by Yuji Nagata when he pinned YOSHI HASHI with backdrop driver
Other participants included: Tiger Mask, Taichi, TAKA, Liger, Desperado, Sho Tanaka, Hiro Saito, Captain New Japan, Tama Tonga, Manabu Nakanishi, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Great Kabuki

Main PPV Show

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
– reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) def Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov and Rocky Romero) / Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) / The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) with chasing the dragon on Alex Koslov to retain

– Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma def Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Jeff Jarrett and Yujiro Takahashi) when Honma hit the diving headbutt on Takahashi

– Mikey Nicholls, Naomichi Marufuji, Shane Haste and Toru Yano def Suzukigun (Davey Boy Smith, Jr., Lance Archer, Shelton X Benjamin and Takashi Iizuka) when Marifuji pinned Iizuka

– Minoru Suzuki def Kazushi Sakuraba via ref stoppage after a rear naked choke

NEVER Openweight Championship
– Togi Makabe def Tomohiro Ishii with a diving knee to win the Title

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
– Kenny Omega def Ryusuke Taguchi to win the Title with the One Winged Angel

IWGP Tag Team Championship
– Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata def Bullet Club (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson) to win the Titles

– A.J. Styles def Tetsuya Naito with the Styles Clash from the second rope

IWGP Intercontinental Championship
– Shinsuke Nakamura def Kota Ibushi to retain with the boma ye

IWGP Heavyweight Championship
– Hiroshi Tanahashi def Kazuchika Okada to retain after hitting the High Fly Flow twice

http://www.cheap-heat.com/jeff-jarrett-talks-gfw-njpw-bullet-club-wrestlekingdom-9-at-the-tokyo-dome-and-more/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/jeff-jarrett-talks-gfw-njpw-bullet-club-wrestlekingdom-9-at-the-tokyo-dome-and-more/#comments Sat, 27 Dec 2014 02:47:01 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha AAA AJ Styles Brad Armstrong Bullet Club GFW Global Force Wrestling Hulk Hogan Jeff Jarrett Jim Ross Kenny Omega Kevin Nash New Japan Pro Wrestling NJPW nWo Pro Wrestling Syndicate PWS Ring of Honor Road Dogg ROH Scott Hall Takahashi TNA WrestleKingdom 9 WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8267 VOC Nation Radio Network sent out the following: Jeff Jarrett joined Nani & special guest co-host, stand-up comedian, Marty DeRosa, for Pandemonium on VOC Nation Radio Network to discuss Global Force Wrestling, NJPW, Bullet Club, Wrestle Kingdom 9 at the Tokyo Dome, & much more. Scott D'Amore also appeared earlier in the show. Here are […]

VOC Nation Radio Network sent out the following:

Jeff Jarrett joined Nani & special guest co-host, stand-up comedian, Marty DeRosa, for Pandemonium on VOC Nation Radio Network to discuss Global Force Wrestling, NJPW, Bullet Club, Wrestle Kingdom 9 at the Tokyo Dome, & much more. Scott D'Amore also appeared earlier in the show.

Here are some excerpts from the interview. You can hear the interview in its entirety, along with Scott D'Amore's interview, @ www.vocnation.com , http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/voc-nation-radio-network/voc-nation-vault/e/36443355, & iTunes.

On when GFW will be a stand alone company: "2015. I know that's very, very broad. We rolled out the name of the company in April & got our AAA alliance announced. The NJPW alliance, building up the brand. We got a couple funny Twitter comments from you [laughs] that I smiled all about so there's another alliance in there [to special guest co-host, Marty] but, no, all kidding aside… rolling out the brand. And then the New Japan situation came about and all eyes in Global Force are focused and if I would have to release details from now until January 4, I don't want anything seeding headlines or move anything. We're laser-focused on January 4. Post January 4, I'm going to be making announcements about distribution, talent, venues, and sponsorships, and everything that goes with a stand-alone. 2015 I've obviously been holding things pretty close to the vest and that's obviously by design. I made it a real focus. I want Global Force to be a different kind of brand. Yes, it's going to be a standalone. We have these professional relationships where we can present, not just to the North American audience but the entire globe… different styles, different forms, different, innovative ways to bring wrestling to the masses."

On doing cross-overs & co-promotions with other wrestling companies & whether is it essential to please wrestling fans: "Essential is a pretty strong word. Do I believe it's beneficial? Absolutely. It goes without saying that WWE 95% of the market share. It's all about how do you cut through. Not that just because it's wrestling, WWE is #1, who's #2, who's #3, who's #4, who's #5. I don't think it's appropriate or necessary. I think it's counterproductive to success. In the music business, you can have 10 country music artists who are selling out arenas. You can have pop music, rock music, and all different forms. So, I believe it's in everybody's best interest. A couple of weeks ago, ROH had their pay-per-view and we used our digital space and our social media to encourage people to watch the show. I think that it's healthy for the industry if all promotions are thriving. Is it essential? I don't think I'd say it's essential but I do say it's very, very healthy."

On competition and Bullet Club: "Well, I said back in February or March that I thought that the industry as a whole was right on the cusp of a boom period. Some people thought I was crazy and some people agreed. But, here we are 11 months later, NJPW is going to be on access, we're bringing the pay-per-view with Jim Ross and I can't tell you just how the media requests, alone. Jim can talk until now until January 4 and he wouldn't be able to get it all in. NJPW is going to be on access, Lucha Underground is on El Ray, TNA, God bless them, signed a new TV deal, & WWE has the WWE Network. There is a lot of healthy things going on in this business. The more needs for professional wrestling? I do think there is a void in the marketplace. WWE, how could you complain or argue about their success? They're publicly traded company, a billion dollar organization that's been around for 60 years. What they do is their style and they do it very well. Do I think that NJPW will be coming to North America or AAA coming to North America? Other forms of wrestling coming to North America? Do I think that would be successful? You're damn right, I do. Let's take that show this past Saturday night [Pro Wrestling Syndicate]. There were 1500 people in the building and I think I saw 250 Bullet Club shirts. That, to me, is a very strong indicator of how hot that product is and The Bullet Club is all American, outside of Takahashi, are all American. They're all great wrestlers. Kenny Omega and AJ Styles are two of the very best performers in the world. Gun and Gallows held the [tag] titles for a year now. They're strong. Young Bucks, who I think is the best tag team in the business today, their timing in what I call, �new age wrestling'. I think there's a lot of indicators of that indicate the potential of how successful it can be here."

On independent wrestling: "They're independent promotions but I don't call the guys working them �indy wrestlers'. I think there's a negative connotation that goes with that, unfortunately. I'm calling them free agents and, I think the free agent market right now is as hot as its ever been. You've got guys that are working Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from anywhere 1,500 to 2,500, and these promoters… you're always going to have some bad promoters out there. But, for the most part, I'm looking around and seeing guys who are businessmen who are putting on really good shows. The business is healthy and that really excites me. My family has been in the business since the 1940s. My grandmother started. It's �put groceries on the table' for over 70 years. To see the amount of work at shows and, not just in North America, but in Europe, UK specifically, is having some really good shows and Austailia. There's a lot going on out in the world of professional wrestling that is not WWE-related."

About being the only person who is both a member of the NWO and the Bullet Club: "Funny you ask. At that show, Kevin Nash was there and we filmed him and that video came out yesterday. To hear Kevin Nash be so complimentary of the Bullet Club. I'm still in shock. I'm lucky that I'm the only guy to be in both. When those guys approached me back in August after NJPW and GFW solidified their relationship, they said, �Hey, we want you to be part of Bullet Club.' How could you turn that down at this stage in my career? So I'm really honored and can't wait to get to the Tokyo Dome. But, when I was talking to Kevin and listening to when he was getting interviewed, and he said the Bullet Club is much more athletic than the original members of NWO– Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan. I'm like, �he's right.' He's being honest about it. I can tell you that i witnessed firsthand when the NWO first came on the scene and they powerbombed Bischoff off the stage and just the buzz and showing up at those Nitros and they were sold out 5 days in advance. Just the electricity and the buzz… I mean, they were selling out buildings just by showing up in limos and beating people up and they didn't even have their first match. If you look at the comparison and the vibe, the Bullet Club does the �Too Sweet' that's the homage to NWO and Kevin threw it back at them so it's cool. It's a special time in the business, I'll say."

On what he predicts will be "match of the night" on Wrestle Kingdom 9: "Well, I mean, typical wrestler… I have to say my match is going to be the best [laughs] I'm kidding, I'm kidding. No disrespect to the other nine matches but there's three in my mind that I believe are going to be 5-star matches. I believe the 4-team match is going to be a match that is going to be potential to set the standard barrier. I don't want to call this a exhibition match because it's bigger and broader. It's more dynamic. The 4 corners match is going to be a showstealer. The main event is for the title so that's the second one. One of the best rivalries. AJ Styles' match is going to be off the charts. Those are the three. Sorry I couldn't nail it down to one."

On whether AJ Styles should change his finisher, The Styles Clash: "I want to have all due respect to guys that have been injured but I've heard that and I just have to laugh. Actually, I laughed. This business, as Jim Ross says, �it ain't ballet.' But you need to learn how to protect yourself and if you can't protect yourself, either A get out of the business or B don't take it. Don't put it on AJ. Back in the asylum, Frankie Kazarian took it wrong and I know that the nature of our business is the tuck your chin to protect your neck. On this, know going in, focus and know, if AJ can be in this predicament. You know what to do. I put it on the performer, not on AJ. Not even close. It's ridiculous, in my opinion, for someone to say, �AJ, that move needs to be banned.' He's done it for 12 years and, if a guy can't protect himself, it's not AJ's fault."

On the funniest people in wrestling: "When you look back over the years, the first name when you said funniest in the dressing room– Road Dogg and Brad Armstrong, God rest his soul. Brad was the funniest of the bunch and Brian will tell you today, Brad was the funniest but it never coorelated to the audience but Brian's did."

To hear the rest of the interview, where Jeff Jarrett speaks about Jim Ross, Luke Gallows, Global Force Wrestling, comedy in wrestling, Mick Foley, and much more, along with Scott D'Amore's Pandemonium interview, you can listen at www.vocnation.com , http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/voc-nation-radio-network/voc-nation-vault/e/36443355 or iTunes. Pandemonium is live every Wednesday 7:30pmEST on www.vocnation.com .

Wrestle Kingdom 9 will stream live from the Tokyo Dome @ 2AM EST on Sunday, January 4 and then will be available for 30 days on the Flipps app. Check your local listings to see where pay-per-view is available or The Flipps app can be downloaded for free from iTunes or Google Play for just $34.95.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-card-for-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestle-kingdom-9/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/updated-card-for-new-japan-pro-wrestlings-wrestle-kingdom-9/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2014 17:15:34 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Alex Koslov Alex Shelley Bobby Fish Forever Hooligans Hiroshi Tanahashi IWGP Kazuchika Okada Kazushi Sakuraba Kenny Omega Kota Ibushi KUSHIDA Kyle O'Reilly Matt Jackson Minoru Suzuki New Japan Pro Wrestling Nick Jackson NJPW reDRagon Rocky Romero Ryusuke Taguchi Shinsuke Nakamura Time Splitters Togi Makabe Tomohiro Ishii Wrestle Kingdom Wrestle Kingdom 9 Young Bucks http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=6278 The following matches have been announced by NJPW to take place at Wrestle Kingdom 9: IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Kota Ibushi IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Ryusuke Taguchi (c) vs. Kenny Omega Four-way tag team match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: […]

The following matches have been announced by NJPW to take place at Wrestle Kingdom 9:

IWGP Heavyweight Championship:
Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada

IWGP Intercontinental Championship:
Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Kota Ibushi

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship:
Ryusuke Taguchi (c) vs. Kenny Omega

Four-way tag team match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship:
reDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) (c) vs. Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov and Rocky Romero) vs. Time Splitters (Alex Shelley and Kushida) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)

NEVER Openweight Championship:
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Togi Makabe

“Knockouts and Submissions only” match:
Minoru Suzuki vs. Kazushi Sakuraba

http://www.cheap-heat.com/njpw-star-kenny-omega-talks-about-time-in-wwe-developmental-japanese-fans-tna-bob-holly-and-more/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/njpw-star-kenny-omega-talks-about-time-in-wwe-developmental-japanese-fans-tna-bob-holly-and-more/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2014 15:44:02 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Indy/Puro/Lucha Bill DeMott Bob Holly Chris Benoit Dean Malenko Deep South Wrestling Kenny Omega New Japan Pro Wrestling NJPW TNA William Regal WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=5209 In an interview with Under The Mat Radio, New Japan Pro Wrestling Superstar Kenny Omega commented on his WWE developmental days as part of Deep South Wrestling, requesting his release from WWE developmental, Bob "Hardcore" Holly, Japan, TNA Wrestling and more. Highlights of the interview are below: On his time in WWE's developmental system: "I […]

In an interview with Under The Mat Radio, New Japan Pro Wrestling Superstar Kenny Omega commented on his WWE developmental days as part of Deep South Wrestling, requesting his release from WWE developmental, Bob "Hardcore" Holly, Japan, TNA Wrestling and more.

Highlights of the interview are below:

On his time in WWE's developmental system: "I went there and it was like really grueling physical training. We were training to be MMA fighters, not professional wrestlers. I liked it and enjoyed it because that's the kind of training that I like to do. The problem with Deep South to me is that there was a group that were tight with the boss and they would always go out and drink and have barbeques, then when WWE would say, who should we look at, Bill DeMott would say, oh look at this guy and this guy. Of course, those were his buddies."

On Bob "Hardcore" Holly: "We had guests come in at times like Chris Benoit, William Regal, Dean Malenko and then Bob Holly would come and kick our a**. I don't know what the guy's problem was, he was always grumpy. I remember one time, he got mad at one of the guys and kept punching him in the face."

On the Japanese fan base and TNA's style of wrestling: "Not to knock TNA Wrestling, but there's too much hokey talking and segments that don't really involve wrestling, of course everyone in TNA speaks English, so if there's an angle going on, they won't be able to understand it. TNA has a talented roster, but when I looked at it, it seems as if everyone was rushing, it's like the time is given to the talking and when it happens in the ring, everyone rushes to the finish. In Japan, it's the opposite, when you talk, make it quick and tell your story in the match."

The interview is available in full at this link .