Ever since he began reporting on wrestling with the creation of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 1983, Dave Meltzer has been one of the most accurate and consistent reporters in pro wrestling. He is arguably the most respected of the wrestling journalists, and has received inside scoops from talents like Ric Flair, Steve Austin, Chris ...
Wrestle Kingdom 18 is the biggest show of the year for New Japan Pro Wrestling, with fans already excited for the next addition into the company’s annual Tokyo Dome show on January 4th, 2023. Often acclaimed as one of the best shows in wrestling each year, Wrestle Kingdom combines the best wrestlers from all across ...
At Wrestle Kingdom 12, Masahito Kakihara made a shock return to New Japan Pro Wrestling after beating cancer, winning a royal rumble to raise money for his friend and former wrestler, Yoshihiro Takayama, as he battled his new-found paralysis. It was a heartwarming moment for fans at the Tokyo Dome, and was a real feel-good ...
Wrestle Kingdom 5 was one of the most international-feeling events in the history of the show, with superstars from NJPW, TNA and CMLL in Mexico taking place at the event. The main event of the show saw Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Satoshi Kojima to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. A number of crossover matches took ...
In Japanese wrestling, the word “Gaijin” is used to describe any foreign wrestlers. The term literally means “foreigner” or “outsider”, although it generally to anybody who is not of east Asian descent (usually white European or Americans). In the history of Japanese wrestling, there have been many gaijin who have become legends in Japan. There ...
Wrestle Kingdom 4 took place on January 4, 2010 in the Tokyo Dome. 41,500 fans attended the show, although NJPW only claimed 20,000 fans attended the show. This is one of the rare times that a company has intentionally downplayed their attendance (something WCW bizarrely did during their peak). This is also the only Wrestle ...
Hiromitsu Gompei was tragically killed in 1995 while training in the New Japan Dojo, in one of the most mysterious deaths in wrestling history. New Japan Pro Wrestling remain tight-lipped on the true reasons behind his death, and it remains one of the darkest secrets in Japanese wrestling today. Little is known about Hiromitsu Gompei. ...
In 2009, Dragon Gate in Japan was rocked by the reveal of a horrendous animal abuse scandal in their dojo. Trainees from their training school had been abusing a monkey, which was owned by the legendary CIMA, and detailing the abuse in a blog run by HEY-YO. All the people involved in the abuse were ...
Antonio Inoki wrestled the last match of his retirement tour against Don Frye at the Tokyo Dome, in one of his famouse “worked shoot” matches that blurred the line between reality and fiction. This put an end to a near-40-year career for Inoki, that brought him to the very top of the professional wrestlign world ...
Antonio Inoki passed away in 2022, at the age of just 79. The Japanese legend was long retired, wrestling his last match in 2003 before taking up a full-time role as a wrestling promoter and a politician. He ran New Japan Pro Wrestling until 2005, before starting up the Inoki Genome Federation in 2007, although ...
Antonio Inoki is one of the most eccentric and innovative wrestlers in history. The Japanese legend founded New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1972, booked himself as the champion for decades before nearly killing the company in the 2000s with his obsession with “Inoki-ism“. An incredibly passionate man, he always expected the best from his wrestlers, ...
Wrestle Kingdom is NJPW’s yearly wrestling event, taking place on the 4th January every year. It takes place in the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, and the event follows on from their previously nameless show on that date each year. This page is the hub for the star ratings from every Wrestle Kingdom show in ...
Hamish Woodward
Hamish Woodward
Hamish Woodward