Young lion Nobuo Yoshihashi scored his first ever singles victory earlier on Riki Choshu’s LOCK UP show, pinning ZERO1’s Yuzuru Saito in one of various matches featuring New Japan wrestlers.

LOCK UP, 1/17/10
Shinjuku FACE

- Nobuo Yoshihashi beat Yuzuru Saito (7:24) with a modified cross armbreaker.
- Daisuke Sekimoto beat Kazuchika Okada (9:02) with a German suplex hold.
- Jado & Gedo beat Dick Togo & Ikuto Hidaka (19:03) when Gedo used a schoolboy on Togo.
- Yuji Nagata beat Tomohiro Ishii (15:47) with a backdrop hold.

Wataru Inoue and Tomohiro Ishii’s ongoing grudge continued earlier at LOCK UP’s return to Korakuen Hall. It was a long match but again a little inconclusive as Ishii was counted out. There was plenty of other New Japan participation on the show and some interesting pairings.

LOCK UP “CHAPTER 2 ~ COME BACK”, 4/12/09
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- Shito Ueda & Ken Saito beat Kuniyoshi Wada & Nobuo Yoshihashi (9:55) when Ueda used a crab hold on Wada.
- Jado beat Kazuchika Okada (11:23) with the Crossface of JADO.
- Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Dick Togo & Ikuto Hidaka went to a draw (20:00) when the time limit expired.
- Tiger Mask 1 & Jushin Thunder Liger beat Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Daisuke Sekimoto (12:57) when Tiger used a Tiger suplex hold on Takaiwa.
- Wataru Inoue beat Tomohiro Ishii (22:52) by countout.
- Riki Choshu & Tatsumi Fujinami beat Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Takao Omori when Choshu used a Scorpion Deathlock on Fujiwara.

All nine matches have been announced for “RESOLUTION ‘09″, New Japan’s second advance of 2009 on Sumo Hall. In addition to what we already know, there are some interesting additions. Attempting to maintain his vigor leading into Fukuoka, where he will challenge the main event winner, NJC winner Hirooki Goto teams with rival Nagata against GBH’s strong man team, Yano & Iizuka. Wild Child, a fan favourite team when they held the IWGP Tag Team Title, reunite against the foreign combination of Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson! This will be Omori’s return to pro wrestling, now a freelancer. Taguchi & Devitt will challenge for the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title but exactly who they will face isn’t clear yet, as NO LIMIT will first challenge the Motor City Machine Guns in Orlando at the end of the month. The young lions have already bested the champions in a non-title match and seem to be faring quite well in America. Six company legends compete in a match titled “NJPW Greatest Heritage”, celebrating the amazing history of the Japanese pro wrestling leader, as Choshu, Super Strong Machine & El Samurai battle Chono, Liger & AKIRA. This marks another return for El Samurai, who appeared on a house show also recently.

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

1. Koji Kanemoto vs. Kazuchika Okada
2. Wataru Inoue, Milano Collection AT & Taichi Ishikari vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Jado & Tomoaki Honma
3. Resolution ‘09 Special 6 Man Tag Match - NJPW Greatest Heritage: Riki Choshu, Super Strong Machine & El Samurai vs. Masahiro Chono, Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Winner of Motor City Machine Guns/NO LIMIT (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt
5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title - Belt Contra Mascara: Tiger Mask (c) vs. Black Tiger
6. Resolution ‘09 Special Tag Match - Big Comeback WILD HEART: Manabu Nakanishi & Takao Omori vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
7. Yuji Nagata & Hirooki Goto vs. Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka
8. Resolution ‘09 Special Singles Match - The end of discord: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Togi Makabe
9. IWGP Heavyweight Title - WHICH IS GENIUS: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kurt Angle

Foreign and special participation have been announced for the “CIRCUIT 2009 NEW JAPAN BRAVE” tour that runs from 4/11 to 5/1 and bridges Sumo Hall and Fukuoka.

- Masahiro Chono (4/11, 4/29, 4/30, 5/1)
- Riki Choshu (all shows)
- AKIRA (all shows)
- Giant Bernard (all shows)
- Karl Anderson (all shows)
- Prince Devitt (all shows)

LOCK UP begins its next phase with a loaded show supported heavily by New Japan (who no longer sponsors the shows - Choshu’s Riki Pro does) with some very enticing matches including an attempt to liquidate the Ishii vs. Wataru grudge and also the “dream team” of Tiger Mask Sayama and Liger facing Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Daisuke Sekimoto.

LOCK UP “CHAPTER 2 ~ COME BACK”, 4/12/09
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- Kuniyoshi Wada & Nobuo Yoshihashi vs. Shito Ueda & Ken Saito
- Jado vs. Kazuchika Okada
- Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Dick Togo & Ikuto Hidaka
- Tiger Mask 1 & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Daisuke Sekimoto
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. Wataru Inoue
- Riki Choshu & Tatsumi Fujinami vs. X & X

LOCK UP, 1/10/09
Shinjuku FACE

- Kazuchika Okada beat Nobuo Yoshihashi (5:30) with a camel clutch.
- Jado & Gedo beat Masaaki Mochizuki & Tetsuya Naito (16:38) when Gedo used a horizontal cradle on Naito.
- Riki Choshu & Masato Tanaka beat Yutaka Yoshie & Daisuke Sekimoto (12:42) when Tanaka used the Sliding D on Sekimoto.
- WEW Heavyweight Title: Tomohiro Ishii (c) beat Kintaro Kanemura (17:27) with a lariat.

Jushin Thunder Liger could hold two outside tag titles by the time 2009 comes around. We already knew that he and AKIRA would challenge heavyweights Daisuke Sekimoto & Mammoth Sasaki for the BJW Tag Team Title this month, but he will also now be involved in CIMA’s return match on DRAGON GATE soil, as the two challenge YAMATO & Cyber Kong for the Open The Twin Gate Tag Team Title. This is one new interpromotional match announced involving NJ wrestlers, and here is a list of upcoming ones, including the famous New Japan “bad boy” junior trio reuniting on New Year’s Day…

AJPW “FAN APPRECIATION DAY”, 12/14/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- Tiger Mask & Shisa Mask vs. Kiyonari Sanada & Manabu Soya

ZERO1-MAX “ZERO1 DELIGHT 2008″, 12/17/08
Shinjuku FACE

- World Heavyweight Title: Yuji Nagata (c) vs. Tatsuhito Takaiwa

BJW, 12/19/08
Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium

- BJW Tag Team Title: Daisuke Sekimoto & Mammoth Sasaki (c) vs. Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA

DRAGON GATE, 12/28/08
Fukuoka International Center

- Open The Twin Gate: YAMATO & Cyber Kong (c) vs. Jushin Thunder Liger & CIMA

ZERO1-MAX “GENESIS 2009″, 1/1/09
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- New Year Special Fight: Shinjiro Otani, Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Koji Kanemoto vs. Masato Tanaka, Jado & Gedo
- New Year Big Fight: Kohei Sato vs. Manabu Nakanishi

LOCK UP, 1/10/09
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- Kazuchika Okada vs. Nobuo Yoshihashi
- Jado & Gedo vs. Masaaki Mochizuki & Tetsuya Naito