Kazuchika Okada has rejected the chance to join the WWE and pledged himself to New Japan by signing a new contract with the company. Okada wasn’t happy with all the rumours circulating that had many fans worried, so told Tokyo Sports he is going nowhere and has renewed his New Japan contract! This is great news for New Japan and the Japanese industry in general as its biggest breakout star in years is sticking around and will hopefully be around to lead the Japanese industry for many years.

New Japan has revealed extended lineups for the upcoming “ROAD TO THE NEW BEGINNING” tour. The main focus of the tour is on building up the Tanahashi vs. Anderson, Archer & Smith Jr. vs. TenKoji, and Devitt vs. Taguchi title matches set for the Hiroshima show. However there are also a series of six man tags based around Nakamura & Okada vs. Suzuki & Kengo Mashimo that might hint at an as yet unannounced tag match in Hiroshima or possibly even singles matches.

Bushiroad chief Takaaki Kidani held a talk show several days ago and gave no indication that he has resigned his post in New Japan/Bushiroad yet as has been strongly rumoured. Several wrestlers were there including Tanahashi, Makabe, and Taguchi. Kidani announced that New Japan will run Sumo Hall in April which is very unusual and for the first time in quite a while there will be two Sumo Hall shows in this year’s G1 Climax as New Japan starts to upscale again after a fantastic business year in 2012 and an impressive paid attendance for this month’s Tokyo Dome show.

Mistico (second generation) has unfortunately had to withdraw from the upcoming New Japan/CMLL shows because of a shoulder dislocation. In his place comes 50-year-old Mexican legend Atlantis so below are the revised cards for the first post-Tokyo Dome shows of 2013. This will be Atlantis’ first New Japan appearance since the 1/4/12 Tokyo Dome show when he was in a six man tag on the undercard.

NJPW/CMLL, 1/18/13 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Tama Tonga & Titan vs. Euphoria & OKUMURA
2. Ryusuke Taguchi, BUSHI & Diamante vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Rey Escorpion
3. Rush vs. YOSHI-HASHI
4. La Mascara, Mascara Dorada & Maximo vs. Volador Jr., TAKA Michinoku & Taichi
5. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Atlantis, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Mephisto, Jado & Gedo
6. Special Singles Match: Prince Devitt vs. Dragon Rojo Jr.
7. Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & La Sombra vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Misterioso Jr.

NJPW/CMLL, 1/19/13 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Tama Tonga & Maximo vs. TAKA Michinoku & Taichi
2. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask & Titan vs. Jado, Gedo & Misterioso Jr.
3. Mascara Dorada & Diamante vs. Mephisto & OKUMURA
4. Prince Devitt, Ryusuke Taguchi & BUSHI vs. Dragon Rojo Jr., Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI
5. Special Singles Match: Atlantis vs. Euforia
6. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, La Mascara & Rush vs. Kazuchika Okada, Volador Jr. & Rey Escorpion
7. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. La Sombra

NJPW/CMLL, 1/20/13 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Special Singles Match: Maximo vs. Taichi
2. 6 vs. 6 Torneo Cibernetico: Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, Mascara Dorada, Diamante, Titan & BUSHI vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Jado, Gedo, Misterioso Jr., OKUMURA & YOSHI-HASHI
3. Special Singles Match: Rush vs. Rey Escorpion
4. NWA World Historic Welterweight Title: Dragon Rojo Jr. (c) vs. La Sombra
5. Mexican National Light Heavyweight Title: La Mascara (c) vs. Volador Jr.
6. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Prince Devitt & Atlantis vs. Kazuchika Okada, Mephisto & Euforia

-

NJPW, 2/2/13
Gifu Industrial Hall

1. Sho Tanaka vs. Yohei Komatsu
2. Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Takaaki Watanabe
3. KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & BUSHI vs. Rocky Romero, Alex Koslov & Jado
4. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Captain New Japan vs. Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & TAKA Michinoku
5. Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Wataru Inoue vs. Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka, Yujiro Takahashi & YOSHI-HASHI
6. Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Minoru Suzuki, Kengo Mashimo & Taichi
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Karl Anderson, Prince Devitt & Tama Tonga

NJPW, 2/3/13 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask & BUSHI vs. Tama Tonga, Hiromu Takahashi & Takaaki Watanabe
2. Hirooki Goto, Wataru Inoue, KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero, Alex Koslov & Jado
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Captain New Japan vs. Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & TAKA Michinoku
4. Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Yujiro Takahashi
5. Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada & Gedo vs. Minoru Suzuki, Kengo Mashimo & Taichi
6. Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Karl Anderson & Prince Devitt
7. NEVER Openweight Title: Masato Tanaka (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii

NJPW, 2/5/13
Koga City Gymnasium

1. BUSHI & Yohei Komatsu vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Takaaki Watanabe
2. KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & Tiger Mask vs. Rocky Romero, Alex Koslov & Jado
3. Manabu Nakanishi, Hirooki Goto & Captain New Japan vs. Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii
4. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Taichi
5. Togi Makabe & Wataru Inoue vs. Yujiro Takahashi & YOSHI-HASHI
6. Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada & Gedo vs. Minoru Suzuki, Kengo Mashimo & TAKA Michinoku
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Karl Anderson, Prince Devitt & Tama Tonga

NJPW, 2/6/13
Chino Citizen Pavilion Multi-Hall

1. BUSHI & Sho Tanaka vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Takaaki Watanabe
2. KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Rocky Romero, Alex Koslov & Gedo
3. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Wataru Inoue vs. Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii
4. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Tiger Mask vs. Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Taichi
5. Togi Makabe & Hirooki Goto vs. Yujiro Takahashi & YOSHI-HASHI
6. Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada & Jado vs. Minoru Suzuki, Kengo Mashimo & TAKA Michinoku
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Captain New Japan & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Karl Anderson, Prince Devitt & Tama Tonga

NJPW, 2/7/13
New Sunpia Tochigi

1. BUSHI & Yohei Komatsu vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Takaaki Watanabe
2. KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & Tiger Mask vs. Rocky romero, Alex Koslov & Jado
3. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Captain New Japan vs. Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii
4. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr. & TAKA Michinoku
5. Togi Makabe & Wataru Inoue vs. Yujiro Takahashi & YOSHI-HASHI
6. Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada & Gedo vs. Minoru Suzuki, Kengo Mashimo & Taichi
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Karl Anderson, Prince Devitt & Tama Tonga