Last week it was announced after Ibushi defeated Naito that the IWGP World and Intercontinental championships have been unified. Ibushi will be awarded a new IWGP World Championship prior to his first official title defense at Sakura Genesis on April 4. Since Wrestle Kingdom 14, have been held by the same wrestler. At first Tetsuya Naito defended them together for the next year before losing them for a brief time to Evil before regaining the championships. Naito just dropped the gold to the Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 15 earlier this year and after defeating Naito at the end of February he's gotten his wish. Prior to the match Ibushi had shown his desire to unify both championships while Naito wanted to split the World and Intercontinental titles back up again. 

In addition to the new belt design that will arrive on April 4, the IWGP World Title will bring forward the title lineages of the belts it replaces. This will officially close the book on the lineages of the IWGP World Title and Intercontinental championships. Capping the title history of both titles at thirty four and ten years respectively. In my opinion, it is never a bad idea for a company to scale back on championships to avoid oversaturation. Either way it is an interesting way to bring a new era into existence for one of wrestling's top promotions. 

In 2019 the wrestling world in America turned upside down when All Elite Wrestling was founded, but this also turned wrestling upside down again in New Japan. The last time that New Japan was in 2016 when four stars would leave for WWE. With the Young Bucks, Cody, and Kenny Omega all leaving New Japan it left a major void in the roster. In the last twelve months Kota Ibushi has stepped into the role once occupied by his former tag team partner. Moxley would fill that void the best he can but his run in New Japan has been snake bite from the start for various reasons outside of the both parties control. 

Stepping back and looking at the last twelve months I've praised in the past how New Japan handled the current situation plaguing the world. Due to this situation it has forced New Japan to lean more heavy on the home roster as opposed to looking to international superstars. Even without those names that walked away there is still a number of credibility within the ranks of New Japan and a tremendous amount of depth among roster filled with proven commodities. 

In the past New Japan had kept the king on the throne for a little to long which ended up hurting them in the long run, because they never let fresh talent come through until it was too late and then they had to go through a re-build period. Tanahashi stepped back to allow Okada to take the reigns and after a dynasty of domination from Okada it is now Ibushi's time to take the reigns maybe not as the "Ace" of New Japan, but definitely as the leader of the promotion. 

New Japan will recover and find normalcy just like every other promotion still find their way in this current societal climate. How will a possible working agreement with All Elite Wrestling help shape the future of New Japan in the still new years. The main question is which American stars would like to see end up ending heading to New Japan when the opportunity to travel intentionally returns for wrestlers? 

I have spoken about New Japan on the website since the fall and they have been one of the many victims of the change in activity on the site. However, seeing as though we now have a new IWGP Junior heavyweight champion it is worth sharing the results. In a match consisting of Bushi, El Despardo and El Phantasmo we have the newest champion that being El Despardo who is now a double champion in New Japan holding both the IWGP junior heavyweight and tag team championships. Despardo becomes the first person since Kushida to hold both titles from the division at the same time and it caps off a seven year long journey for the mask man to reach the top of the division. Let's get to the keep the dive into the match: 

"Yet the road to victory was a trying one for Suzuki-Gun’s masked agitator. Desperado started strong, sending BUSHI into El Phantasmo before suplexing the LIJ member, nominated for the bout by Hiromu Takahashi, onto ELP. Yet crotched by Phantasmo on the top strand, Desperado was subject to a top corner stomp, leading to two. Moments later, it was Desperado crotching ELP, but when he tried to follow up, BUSHI would intervene, landing his apron DDT before a top rope Frankensteiner got a nearfall."

"With the match now a one on one affair, ELP set to work on BUSHI, but the jet black death mask was just as hungry for his second IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. A slingshot headscissors over the top to the floor connected, but BUSHI’s momentum was soon stopped by ELP, who humiliated BUSHI by standing on his crotch in the corner. A beautiful quebrada demonstrated Phantasmo’s effortless athleticism, and the Thunder Kiss ’86 splash was equally effective. BUSHI kicked out of both moves however, prompting ELP to load his boot for Sudden Death."
"Desperado, with a new mask and an intense anger intervened however, and tore into the Canadian, and sent him to the floor where he was met with a tope suicida con giro. Desperado would place ELP on the top rope and looked for a superplex, but BUSHI would return to the ring, to his the Tower of Doom, getting near falls on both of his opponents."
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For more details on the match and everything New Japan visit here!!

To allow both Block A and Block B to get there proper spotlights I will be splitting them into two articles and instead of breaking it down and talking out of my a** I will let New Japan do the talking for me!! For the full article check out G1 Climax Preview B

The ironman of the G1 Climax, Hiroshi Tanahashi has already wrestled and won more matches in G1 Climax competition than anyone else, and with his 19th consecutive entry, ties Yuji Nagata for most years in succession at the top flight of wrestling tournaments. The question is whether The Ace has a fourth overall victory in him. 
Tanahashi was not the pick of many in 2018 when his G1 entry came off the back of a debilitating knee injury but time and again Tanahashi pulls out all of the stops in order to compete at the very top of his game during the G1. In 2020, though, singles success has proven elusive. The year started with a loss to Chris Jericho in the Tokyo Dome, and on NJPW’s return to action for the New Japan Cup, a first round exit to Taichi was the result. In the ensuing IWGP Tag Team Championship feud with Dangerous Tekkers, Tanahashi proved to be the weaker link of the Golden ☆ Ace team before Kota Ibushi elected to break the duo up at least on a temporary basis after Summer Struggle in Jingu; can G1 Climax 30 once again spark a Tanahashi resurgence and prove that the Ace’s time isn’t over yet?
Key match Ryogoku October 17 vs Zack Sabre Jr. 
Tanahashi and ZSJ have been all but joined at the hip over the last two years; their tag team wars through the summer of 2020 the continuation of a singles feud that saw five matches in 2019 alone. Now meeting one on one for the ninth time, the win:loss record stands at 4:4. A win over the British submission master would not only put the Ace ahead in their feud, but would also be a key indicator of Tanahashi being back in peak form if he can use victory to book his place in the final. 

It’s been 12 years since Hirooki Goto made his G1 Climax debut, and with the assertion that ‘The G in G1 stands for Goto!’ became the first outside of the inaugural 1991 tournament to win the G1 on his first attempt. Hopes were high in the summer of 2008 that his G1 Climax victory would put Goto on a fast track to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but Goto was unable to wrest control of the title in the coming years, nor has he won another G1 tournament. 
Yet Goto is always in the mix, and capable of putting together hot streaks that make him a clear and distinct threat. In 2016, he would make the final after Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi wrestled to a draw ahead of him in the block, and in 2019, despite questions over whether he would check out after defeating his rival Switchblade Jay White in his first match, he was present until the bitter end. Overlooking the fierce warrior would be a grave mistake indeed. 
Key match Yokohama October 14 vs EVIL
When EVIL first debuted in NJPW as Tetsuya Naito’s pareja in what would become Los Ingobernables De Japon, EVIL was his first singles opponent, in a match that ended in disqualification. Almost five years later and many would argue that a disqualification should have been the result in the quarterfinals of the New Japan Cup, and a vicious assault from the King of Darkness that served as a prelude to EVIL’s betrayal of LIJ to join BULLET CLUB. There’s certainly a lot of history between EVIL and Goto, and all of it dominated by bad blood. Yokohama will see the next chapter. 

To allow both Block A and Block B to get there proper spotlights I will be splitting them into two articles and instead of breaking it down and talking out of my a** I will let New Japan do the talking for me!! For the full article check out G1 Climax Preview 1

Jeff Cobb’s 4-5 record in last year’s G1 Climax wasn’t the positive win:loss record the Olympian wanted in his debut outing, but he nevertheless put in some impressive performances, including a spectacular win over Shingo Takagi. One of the most active wrestlers on NJPW of America’s roster, Cobb was itching to get back to action all the way through COVID enforced lockdown, getting right back into the swing of in-ring action on Lion’s Break Collision and then entering New Japan Cup USA. Cobb would crash out of the tournament, but only as a result of a low blow from KENTA after having a clear visual pinfall. It was a performance that helped re-establish Cobb’s reputation as a dangerous tournament wrestler, a reputation he seeks to build now back in Japan and in front of crowds for G1 Climax 30. 
Key match Takamatsu October 5 vs Jay White
Much like Kota Ibushi, Cobb will have his sights set on Jay White in A Block competition. BULLET CLUB’s dominance Friday nights on NJPW STRONG is yet to be broken, and a win over the Switchblade will make a lot of difference when it comes to each man’s respective standing when back in the US. 

2nd entry, 2nd consecutive
Will Ospreay’s 2019 G1 Climax debut campaign ended with a landmark victory over Hiroshi Tanahashi that seemed set to propel him to brand new heights. After losing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to Hiromu Takahashi in the Tokyo Dome, Ospreay formally transitioned to heavyweight on winning RPW’s British Heavyweight Championship, and in his time away from the ring during lockdown, has removed the ‘aerial’ aspect of his nickname, preferring to be known simply as ‘The Assassin’ Will Ospreay from here on out. 
It’s a hint as to his possible style in the tournament, and his attitude to boot. No longer aiming to impress with acrobatic ability, Ospreay will be focused and driven to pick up results, and to be in the mix come Ryogoku. 
Key match Kobe September 27 vs Shingo Takagi
Their Best of the Super Jr. 27 final confrontation was head and shoulders ahead in 2019 match of the year polls worldwide, making a sequel a dead certainty. It seemed as if that match would come in March in the first round of the New japan Cup, but when Coronavirus played haywire with match schedules, many wondered if the bout would ever come. Now Kobe will see a dream bout that will have serious implications on the end block results. 

​As always wrestling gives us both great memories and memories we try and forget, but with the amount of moments worth remembering that have happened we are bound to forget some. The same could be said about some talent that were very much underrated during their career or never at the top of a company during a run this unfortunately makes it easier for fans to forget certain talent. These two are very different talent and had two very different careers while they worked in this great business. Sometimes we encounter those that deserve to be remembered and acknowledged. I would like to wish a very big Happy Birthday to all who are celebrating their special day today and especially to the one featured below.

​As always wrestling gives us both great memories and memories we try and forget, but with the amount of moments worth remembering that have happened we are bound to forget some. The same could be said about some talent that were very much underrated during their career or never at the top of a company during a run this unfortunately makes it easier for fans to forget certain talent. These two are very different talent and had two very different careers while they worked in this great business. Sometimes we encounter those that deserve to be remembered and acknowledged. I would like to wish a very big Happy Birthday to all who are celebrating their special day today and especially to the one featured below.​

Nerd Note: Kota Ibushi has found his footing in the upper echelon of New Japan and is one of only a handful of wrestlers to have held two different sets of tag team gold with two former World Champions. Ibushi is a former Junior Heavyweight tag team champion with Kenny Omega and is the current IWGP Tag Team champions with Hiroshi Tanahashi. 

Since the very beginning of this terrible situation earlier this year I've spoken very highly of New Japan and their handling of this incredibly unfortunate situation. From the start there has been little to no hesitation in the decision making from top to bottom by New Japan and they've have put the talent and fans first. President Meij realizes the pivitol role that wrestling can play for people and wants to ensure the safety for all involved before allowing anyone to return to normal work activities. As I mentioned in the previous update New Japan and other wrestling organizations on the island are working with the government to bring wrestling back. 

New Japan stated that they will not risk the safety of wrestlers by running empty arena shows which in my opinion shows how they value the presence of fans over everything else. It wasn't a shot at American wrestling even if it could be consider to be that now isn't the time for companies to be taking petty jabs at each other. The best thing for everyone to do is to figure out the best way to help and refocus on recovery as we change the current situation. Though the situation might be different in Japan then it is here at least the wrestling world in the country is united together and helping each other which is a lot more then I can say for American wrestling. Either way I will continue to praise Harold Meij and I to believe that through their handling of this situation this will only make NJPW stronger in the long run. Take a look!! 

I've spoke about the way New Japan has handled the current pandemic plaguing society and they have done an amazing job in my opinion. A few weeks ago pro-wrestling united in Japan to help figure out what the next move will be and where to go from here. I would like to break it down for you, but there was a lot included in the article so I will post part of it and allow you to visit the link provided to read the entire article. We will be this and recover! Link here  

"On Wednesday April 15, led by Bushiroad Company Director Takaaki Kidani, Hiroshi Tanahashi and NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi joined representatives from STARDOM, Pro Wrestling NOAH, All Japan Pro-Wrestling, DDT Pro-Wrestling, Diana and Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling at Tokyo’s Lower House Assembly Hall. Together the company representatives were present to consult with the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, (and former NJPW wrestler) Hiroshi Hase to discuss how the COVID-19 crisis has affected the professional wrestling industry in Japan."

Hiroshi Tanahashi, New Japan Pro-Wrestling
"‘While events have been cancelled, our wrestlers have been training diligently and maintaining their focus for an eventual return. Yes, not being able to wrestle does make a lot of us concerned for our livelihoods, but in the world of sports, be that baseball, soccer, or sumo, I feel that professional wrestling should be the anchor. I think it should be acceptable for professional wrestling to be the last sport to return to full activity. I want people to know that when professional wrestling is back, then and only then it means truly that Japanese entertainment has properly recovered.’"

Hiroshi Hase, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
‘Thank you to the representatives of the professional wrestling industry for sharing their plight, as well as to for the explanations from official bodies today. There are measures we can enact to assist enterprises, promotions and wrestlers during these times, and I would like to continue to discuss them further. This situation will not last forever. Speedy and accurate testing, effective treatment and medicinal development are all things the whole world is working together on. Professional wrestling has a huge and very important role in raising the flag of victory over COVID-19. I ask all staff members and all wrestlers to keep working to be in the best shape possible to spread joy to the fans with incredible matches very soon.’