Lineups have been announced for the upcoming “ROAD TO POWER STRUGGLE” series. The Super Jr. Tag Tournament returns with the usual cast joined by ROH’s reDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly). The final will be held in Gifu on November 3.

The other novelty of the tour, which leads into the big Osaka show, is that Katsuyori Shibata will appear on every show, teaming with the New Japan army against CHAOS. This is the first time Shibata has worked the circuit since returning, a sign that he is becoming more integrated into the company again.

NJPW, 10/25/14 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI & Gedo vs. Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka & TAKA Michinoku
2. Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito, Tomoaki Honma, Captain New Japan & Kota Ibushi vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Tama Tonga
3. Super Jr. Tag Tournament 2014 – Round 1: BUSHI & Mascara Dorada vs. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly
4. Super Jr. Tag Tournament 2014 – Round 1: Ryusuke Taguchi & Fuego vs. Taichi & El Desperado
5. Super Jr. Tag Tournament 2014 – Round 1: Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson
6. Super Jr. Tag Tournament 2014 – Round 1: KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley vs. Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov
7. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii

NJPW, 10/26/14
Uonuma Horinouchi Gymnasium

1. Fuego vs. Sho Tanaka
2. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Alex Koslov & Gedo
3. Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask & BUSHI vs. TAKA Michinoku , Taichi & El Desperado
4. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka vs. Toru Yano & Rocky Romero
5. Jushin Thunder Liger, KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & Mascara Dorada vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson
6. Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito & Tomoaki Honma vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, Hirooki Goto & Captain New Japan vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI

NJPW, 10/28/14
Tsuruga Castle Gymnasium

1. BUSHI vs. Yohei Komatsu
2. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Rocky Romero & Gedo
3. Ryusuke Taguchi, Jushin Thunder Liger & Mascara Dorada vs. TAKA Michinoku , Taichi & El Desperado
4. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka vs. Toru Yano & Alex Koslov
5. Tiger Mask, KUSHIDA, Alex Shelley & Fuego vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson
6. Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito & Captain New Japan vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI

NJPW, 10/29/14
Kitakami City Gymnasium

1. BUSHI vs. Sho Tanaka
2. Ryusuke Taguchi, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask vs. TAKA Michinoku , Taichi & El Desperado
3. Bobby Fish, Kyle O’Reilly, Mascara Dorada & Fuego vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson
4. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka vs. Toru Yano & Gedo
5. Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito & Tomoaki Honma vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale
6. Hirooki Goto & Captain New Japan vs. Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov

NJPW, 10/30/14
New Sunpia Tochigi

1. Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu
2. Ryusuke Taguchi & Mascara Dorada vs. Taichi & El Desperado
3. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, BUSHI & Fuego vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson
4. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka vs. Toru Yano & Gedo
5. Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito & Captain New Japan vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale
6. Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov

NJPW, 11/1/14
Sagamihara Municipal Gymnasium

1. Super Jr. Tag Tournament 2014 – Semi Final: Winners of Team Taguchi/Team Taichi vs. Winners of Team Liger/Young Bucks
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, Togi Makabe & Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI

NJPW, 11/2/14
Twin Messe Shizuoka

1. Super Jr. Tag Tournament 2014 – Semi Final: Winners of Team BUSHI/reDRagon vs. Winners of Time Splitters/Forever Hooligans
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, Togi Makabe & Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI

NJPW, 11/3/14 (Samurai! TV)
Gifu Industrial Hall

1. Super Jr. Tag Tournament 2014 – Final:
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, Togi Makabe & Hirooki Goto vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI

NJPW, 11/4/14
Fukui Industrial Center #1 Hall

1. Tetsuya Naito & Tomoaki Honma vs. Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga
2. Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows vs. Togi Makabe & Captain New Japan
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Katsuyori Shibata, Hirooki Goto, KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov

NJPW, 11/6/14
Texpia Osaka

1. Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito, Tomoaki Honma & BUSHI vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Captain New Japan vs. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI
3. Katsuyori Shibata, Hirooki Goto, KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley vs. Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura

Old rivals Shinsuke Nakamura and Katsuyori Shibata headline next month’s “POWER STRUGGLE” in Osaka as Shinsuke defends his IWGP Intercontinental Title against Shibata in the main event. Also on that show, Yoshitatsu (Naofumi Yamamoto who it appears will keep his WWE name) will make his in-ring return to New Japan after 7 years, facing AJ Styles in a singles match.

And to no surprise, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Title has been confirmed as the “WRESTLE KINGDOM 9″ main event. This will be the second time (previously in 2013) that this match has headlined the annual 1/4 show.

NJPW “POWER STRUGGLE”, 11/8/14 (WPW)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

1. Special Singles Match: Yoshitatsu vs. AJ Styles
2. Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI
3. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata

NJPW “WRESTLE KINGDOM 9 IN TOKYO DOME”, 1/4/15 (WPW)
Tokyo Dome

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

NJPW “KING OF PRO-WRESTLING”, 10/13/14 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
9,100 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Special 8 Man Tag Match: Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata, Tomoaki Honma & Kota Ibushi beat Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga (7:48) when Ibushi used a Phoenix splash on Tonga.
2. NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Title: Chase Owens (c) beat BUSHI (7:02) with the Package Driver.
3. NWA World Tag Team Title: Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (c) (11:22) when Archer used the Killer bomb on Kojima to become the 76th champions.
4. Special Tag Match: Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba beat Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka (5:30) when Yano used the Akakiri on Iizuka.
5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title – 3WAY Match: KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley (c) beat Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson and Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov (18:56) when KUSHIDA used a horizontal cradle on Koslov (3rd defense).
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Ryusuke Taguchi (c) beat El Desperado (12:12) with an ankle hold (1st defense).
7. NEVER Openweight Title: Tomohiro Ishii beat Yujiro Takahashi (c) (17:48) with a brainbuster to become the 5th champion.
8. Special Tag Match: Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata beat Shinsuke Nakamura & YOSHI-HASHI (13:49) when Shibata used a PK on YOSHI-HASHI.
9. Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Match: Kazuchika Okada beat Tetsuya Naito (19:17) with the Rainmaker.
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat AJ Styles (c) (27:04) with the High Fly Flow to become the 61st champion.

* Hiroshi Tanahashi becomes the first wrestler to ever hold the IWGP Heavyweight Title seven times after beating AJ Styles in today’s main event. He had been tied on 6 reigns with Tatsumi Fujinami and now not only does he have the most successful defenses, but the most reigns. A living legend? Perhaps he may not be given such a status until later in his career, but as a man with so much success and the figurehead of New Japan’s revival, it isn’t a stretch to consider him a legend already.

* Guess who’s back? Naofumi “Yoshi Tatsu” Yamamoto appeared to save Tanahashi from a Jeff Jarrett guitar shot. The New Japan dojo graduate looks to have returned home following his WWE exit some time back. Yamamoto last appeared for New Japan on 11/2/07 at Korakuen Hall, so his return comes after almost 7 years away.

* Tanahashi is set to face old rival Kazuchika Okada in the 1/4 Tokyo Dome main event, after Okada retained his #1 contendership by beating Tetsuya Naito in the semi final. Tanahashi and Okada’s match was confirmed so unless of any unexpected events that will headline the next “WRESTLE KINGDOM”.

* Tomohiro Ishii regained the NEVER Openweight Title from Yujiro Takahashi, the man who took it from him, and so begins his second reign.

* After a tag success today, Katsuyori Shibata challenged Shinsuke Nakamura for a shot at his IWGP Intercontinental Title, a match many would be pleased to see, especially if they save it for the Tokyo Dome.

* Ryusuke Taguchi’s long awaited second reign as IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion avoided the same fate as KUSHIDA’s first, as he bypassed his first challenger, forcing El Desperado to tap out.

* Time Splitters retained the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title for the third time in a 3WAY Match, beating the Young Bucks and Forever Hooligans when KUSHIDA rolled up Koslov.

* The legendary Tenzan & Kojima dropped the NWA World Tag Team Title, won in the same building this April, as their old nemesis’ the Killer Elite Squad returned and took the belts from them. Kojima hit Tenzan with an accidental lariat during the match and there was some tension between the two. Something to keep an eye on in the upcoming tag league…

* BUSHI failed to win the NWA World Jr. Title from Chase Owens and after that match the NWA’s Bruce Tharpe called out the great Jushin Thunder Liger. Liger said he wanted one last run with a title, hinting that perhaps finally retirement is on the mind (NOOOO!), and he could be next to challenge Owens.

New Japan chairman Naoki Sugabayashi and DDT president Sanshiro Takagi today held a press conference with Kenny Omega to announce that New Japan will be Kenny’s main battlefield from now on.

Kenny’s DDT contract has expired and he told Takagi that he wants to move to New Japan, something New Japan were happy to agree to given his talent. All three parties are in a harmonious agreement that Kenny transfers to New Japan and he will join the junior division.

Unlike fellow DDT star Kota Ibushi, who held the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title with Kenny, the Canadian will not have a dual affiliation to New Japan and DDT, and will be fully transferring to Japan’s leading wrestling promotion.

Kenny said he is looking forward to testing himself every year in the Best of the Super Jr. tournament and wants to prove he is top-class by joining one of the best rosters in the world. And unlike Ibushi, who stepped into the heavyweight division, Kenny wants to be part of the junior scene but hopes to some day reunite his Golden Lovers tag team with Ibushi.

He ruled out joining the Bullet Club because after 6 years in Japan, doesn’t feel like a gaijin so doesn’t want to align himself with a gaijin unit.

Sugabayashi said it is undecided when Kenny will start up as a regular but New Japan fans can expect to see the talented Canadian regularly in the years to come.