Note: This article was written in 2017 2005: Heat © vs Tiger Mask – IWGP Junior Heavyweight titleToukon Festival: Wrestling World 2005 (attendance: 46,000 / 36,000)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00165_1_3 It’s been six articles since we looked at the junior heavyweights, and you may be wondering why that is. In 2000 the role of booker in New Japan was taken over by Riki Choshu, […]
Our second podcast! On this episode Chris and Greg have a chat about wrestling. Topics we cover include the NWA Women’s title, Chris’s issues with Ring of Honor, New Japan and COVID, early FMW and WING, deathmatches and Greg’s discovery of ECW, Dark Side of the Ring and more. We even talk about WWE for once! There’s a little bit […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 2004: Shinsuke Nakamura © vs Yoshihiro Takayama © – IWGP Heavyweight and NWF Heavyweight title unification matchWrestling World 2004 (attendance: 40,000)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00164_1_15 After re-establishing the NWF Heavyweight title a year ago, here we are back in the Tokyo Dome to unify it with the IWGP Heavyweight title. After defeating Tsuyoshi Kohsaka last year, Yoshihiro […]
Born: May 7, 1965 | Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta, CanadaDied: May 23, 1999 (Blunt Force Trauma)Billed Weight: 227 lbsOther Aliases: “Cowboy” Owen Hart, Blue Angel, Blue Blazer, The Rocket, The King of Harts Owen was the youngest of twelve children to Stu and Helen Hart. He was an amateur wrestler in high school, where he also met his future wife, Martha. Naturally, […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 2002: Jun Akiyama vs Yuji Nagata – GHC Heavyweight titleWrestling World 2002 (attendance: 52,000)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00159_1_10 GHC Heavyweight title? Yes, New Japan continues the co-operative approach with Pro Wrestling NOAH guest Jun Akiyama defending the Global Honoured Crown against NJPW’s Yuji Nagata. Jun Akiyama came through All Japan’s system and debuted against Kenta Kobashi in […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 2000: Keiji Mutoh vs Masahiro ChonoWrestling World 2000 (attendance: 53,500)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00155_1_11 Two years ago in 1998, it was NWO Japan member Keiji Mutoh challenging Kensuke Sasaki for the IWGP Heavyweight title while the group’s leader Masahiro Chono cheered him on from ringside. It’s the start of the new millennium and the two are now […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 1999: Jushin Thunder Liger vs Koji Kanemoto – IWGP Junior Heavyweight titleWrestling World 1999 (attendance: 52,500)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00153_1_4 Last time we saw Jushin Thunder Liger was at 1997’s event where he defeated Ultimo Dragon for 8 belts (the J-Crown). One of those was of course the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. This began his 8th reign […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 1998: Kensuke Sasaki © vs Keiji Mutoh – IWGP Heavyweight titleFinal Power Hall in Tokyo Dome (attendance: 55,000)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00150_1_9 Final Power Hall was the last stop on the Riki Choshu retirement tour and the departing star wrestled a series of matches dubbed the Riki Road Final Message 5. These were a short series of […]
Note: This article was written in 2017 1997: Ultimo Dragon vs Jushin Thunder Liger – J-Crown titleWrestling World 1997 (attendance: 62,500 / 52,500)http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00148_1_9 You know that famous shot of Ultimo Dragon holding 10 belts at once? Well 8 of those are what makes up the J-Crown – a short-lived unification of weight class limited titles between 8 different promotions. A […]
1996: Keiji Mutoh © vs Nobuhiko Takada – IWGP Heavyweight titleWrestling World 1996 (attendance: 54,000) Back in August 1995, New Japan Pro Wrestling found itself in the midst of an invasion. The shoot style Union of Wrestling Forces International (UWFi), led by Nobuhiko Takada claimed that New Japan was fake and they were real. Note the use of the phrase […]
