Hiroshi Tanahashi will be the next big name New Japan star to head to CMLL in Mexico. He’ll depart after the multipromotional “ALL TOGETHER” show at Budokan on 8/27 and return in the middle of September. Interestingly enough, he will miss several New Japan shows at the time (see below) including probably a big Kobe World Hall show. This would be especially strange if he is still IWGP Heavyweight Champion at that time.

An expanded schedule has been announced up until early October. As mentioned, there is the customary September series with a big show at Kobe World Hall. But the main talking point is that on October 3rd, Hiroyoshi Tenzan will have a 20th anniversary show at Korakuen Hall. The big news? Tenzan wants to revive Ookami Gundan for the show and announced that for the first time since his harmonious exit from New Japan in January ’10, “Mr. G1″ Masahiro Chono will return home! Tenzan also wants to bring back Hiro Saito, who left New Japan in January ’06 with Tatsumi Fujinami, so the trio Tenzan was part of after returning to New Japan from his overseas learning excursion in the mid-90s looks set for an emotional reunion.

- 8/30 “NAGATA PRODUCE ~ BLUE JUSTICE.3″ @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall SAMURAI!

G1 CLIMAX SPECIAL 2011 (9/3/11 to 9/19/11)
- 9/3 @ Yokkaichi Australia Memorial Hall
- 9/4 @ Twin Messe Shizuoka
- 9/8 @ Toyama Techno Hall
- 9/9 @ Chichibu Cultural Sports Center
- 9/10 @ Tokorozawa Citizen Gymnasium #2
- 9/11 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall SAMURAI!
- 9/15 @ Fukuchiyama Park Gymnasium
- 9/16 @ Hiroshima Green Arena Small Arena
- 9/17 @ Izumo City Gymnasium
- 9/18 @ Okayama Orange Hall
- 9/19 @ Kobe World Hall WPW/PPV

NEW JAPAN LIVE 2011 (9/22/11 to 9/25/11)
- 9/22 @ Niihama Citizen Gymnasium
- 9/23 @ Takamatsu City Gymnasium
- 9/24 @ Yawatahama Citizen Sports Center
- 9/25 @ Tokushima Municipal Gymnasium

- 10/3 “HIROYOSHI TENZAN 20TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW” @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall SAMURAI!

He defeated Keiji Muto to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title then officially became the ace of New Japan Pro-Wrestling with his successful V1 defense against Shinsuke Nakamura yesterday, but Hiroshi Tanahashi wants to prove himself to be “global standard” and now has the chance. Tanahashi will make his V2 defense of the belt back at Sumo Hall on April 5th when New Japan runs “RESOLUTION ‘09″. This comes shortly after the New Japan Cup and the winner of that will then challenge the victor of Tanahashi vs. Angle on May 3rd at the Fukuoka International Center!

NJPW “RESOLUTION ‘09″, 4/5/09 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kurt Angle

NJPW “WRESTLING DONTAKU 2009″, 5/3/09
Fukuoka International Center

1. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Winner of Tanahashi/Angle (c) vs. New Japan Cup 2009 winner

Hiroshi Tanahashi has answered the wishes of President Sugabayashi and will challenge mentor Keiji Muto for the IWGP Heavyweight Title at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th! Tanahashi and Muto have a storied history, with Tana unable to defeat the man he has looked up to, but earlier this year in the Champion Carnival, battling him to a time limit draw. The next logical step would be to defeat him, but logic doesn’t always work and Muto will look to defy any patterns like he did when he deprived Nakamura of a revenge win in October. The 1/4 show will both be a live PPV and have a TV Asahi special, running for 90 minutes from 1AM hours after the event finishes.

NJPW “WRESTLE KINGDOM III IN TOKYO DOME”, 1/4/09 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Dome

1. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Keiji Muto (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Tanahashi has cancelled all of his TNA appearances, which is probably for the best given how “well” he was being positioned on cards there. He will compete on all shows on the upcoming “CIRCUIT 2008 NEW JAPAN ALIVE” as the center point, with two big singles matches on the two major shows - against Bernard in Aichi (one year after he defeated the gaijin ace in the same building) and against Makabe in Osaka.

NJPW, 11/22/08 (SXW)
Chichibu Miya Memorial Gymnasium

1. Ryusuke Taguchi & Yujiro vs. Low Ki & Jado
2. Riki Choshu & Masahiro Chono vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma
3. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
4. HIGH FLYING STAR come back to FUJISAWA!: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto & Tetsuya Naito vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Gedo

NJPW, 11/23/08
Mie Prefectural Sun Arena Sub Arena

1. Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Takashi Iizuka
2. Riki Choshu, Ryusuke Taguchi, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Low Ki, Jado, Gedo & Tomoaki Honma
3. Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto vs. Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
4. HIGH FLYING STAR come back to ISE!: Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson

NJPW, 11/24/08
Hyogo Prefectural Budokan

1. Kazuchika Okada vs. Takashi Iizuka
2. Riki Choshu, Ryusuke Taguchi, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Low Ki, Jado, Gedo & Tomohiro Ishii
3. Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto vs. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma
4. HIGH FLYING STAR come back to HIMEJI!: Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Toru Yano, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson

NJPW, 11/25/08
Kyoto KBS Hall

1. Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono & AKIRA vs. Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma
2. Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson & Low Ki
3. HIGH FLYING STAR come back to KYOTO!: Yuji Nagata, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Jado & Gedo

NJPW, 11/27/08 (SXW)
Hiroshima Trade Center

1. AKIRA vs. Takashi Iizuka
2. Ryusuke Taguchi, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Low Ki, Jado & Gedo
3. Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
4. HIGH FLYING STAR come back to HIROSHIMA!: Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono, Yuji Nagata & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma

NJPW, 11/28/08
Matsuyama City Community Center

1. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Takashi Iizuka & Tomoaki Honma
2. Riki Choshu & Masahiro Chono vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
3. Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Low Ki
4. HIGH FLYING STAR come back to MATSUYAMA!: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Togi Makabe, Jado & Gedo

NJPW, 11/29/08
Tex Port Imabari

1. Wataru Inoue, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Jado, Gedo & Tomohiro Ishii
2. Riki Choshu, Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Takashi Iizuka, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
3. HIGH FLYING STAR come back to IMABARI!: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma & Low Ki

NJPW, 12/1/08
Tokushima Municipal Gymnasium

1. Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Takashi Iizuka, Tomoaki Honma & Low Ki
3. Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson, Jado & Gedo
3. HIGH FLYING STAR come back to TOKUSHIMA!: Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii

NJPW, 12/6/08 (WPW)
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium

1. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask & AKIRA vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Tomoaki Honma & Karl Anderson
2. Milano Collection AT & Taichi Ishikari vs. Minoru & Kazuchika Okada
3. Ryusuke Taguchi, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Low Ki, Jado & Gedo
4. Wataru Inoue vs. Takashi Iizuka
5. Riki Choshu & Masahiro Chono vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto
6. New Japan vs. ZERO1-MAX: Yuji Nagata & Koji Kanemoto vs. Shinjiro Otani & Masato Tanaka
7. IWGP Tag Team Title: Togi Makabe & Toru Yano (c) vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie
8. HIGH FLYING STAR going to TOKYO DOME ~prominence~: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Giant Bernard

NJPW, 12/7/08 (Samurai! TV)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Jado & Gedo
2. Koji Kanemoto, Tiger Mask & Kazuchika Okada vs. Milano Collection AT, Minoru & Taichi Ishikari
3. Riki Choshu, Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue vs. Masahiro Chono, Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA
4. Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie vs. Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii
5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Low Ki (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
6. Wrestle Kingdom Duel for Existence ~tempest~: Hirooki Goto vs. Giant Bernard
7. Wrestle Kingdom Duel for Existence ~sublimation~: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Toru Yano
8. Wrestle Kingdom Duel for Existence ~prominence~: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Togi Makabe

Finally, the Complete Players vs. Ookami Gundan in a battle of reuniting trios has been made official for the 12/26 PREMIUM show at Korakuen Hall.

PREMIUM, 12/26/08 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- PREMIUM VIANDE ~ Ookami Gundan vs. Complete Players: Masahiro Chono, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Hiro Saito vs. Masato Tanaka , Jado & Gedo