New Japan announced today on it’s mobile site that Milano Collection AT is retiring from pro wrestling. Milano has been dogged by a serious eye injury since last year and even after an operation there is great risk to it if he keeps on wrestling, so he has decided to end his career. Milano joined New Japan several years ago but despite winning the Best of the Super Jr. never quite reached the heights expected of him, and many were anticipating his return to see if he could finally get there. His career ends after ten years active service.

The hand of New Japan’s diplomacy was outstretched today as NJ wrestlers appeared in no less than three promotions. The big match was the follow up from January 4th’s Nakamura & Goto victory over Misawa & Sugiura as Nakamura took RISE junior Milano Collection AT into enemy territory to battle Takashi Sugiura & Go Shiozaki. The RISE duo were unphased by the booing but lost the match as Milano, who made a good showing in his first big match for quite some time, fell to Shiozaki’s strong arm lariat. Shiozaki and Hirooki Goto had a staredown after the match, suggesting something involving those two could be on the horizon.

Elsewhere the Tiger Masks united to defeat Riki Choshu & Tatsuhito Takaiwa, the original Tiger pinning Takaiwa. In Tokushima, Masahiro Chono appeared on Jinsei Shinzaki’s homecoming show, teaming with the High Priest to beat young men Fujita “Jr.” Hayato & Takeshi Minamino.

NOAH, 3/1/09
Tokyo Nippon Budokan
14,200 Fans - Super No Vacancy

- Takashi Sugiura & Go Shiozaki beat Shinsuke Nakamura & Milano Collection AT (20:30) when Shiozaki used a strong arm lariat on Milano.

Real Japan “CHAOS”, 3/1/09
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- Tiger Mask 1 & Tiger Mask 4 beat Riki Choshu & Tatsuhito Takaiwa (12:36) when Tiger Mask 1 used a Tiger suplex hold on Takaiwa.

Michinoku Pro “JINSEI SHINZAKI LOCAL RETURN”, 3/1/09
Tokushima Municipal Gymnasium
2,531 Fans - No Vacancy

- Masahiro Chono & Jinsei Shinzaki beat Fujita “Jr.” Hayato & Takeshi Minamino (19:05) when Shinzaki used the Gokuraku Gatame on Minamino.

New Japan vs. NOAH continues at Budokan Hall on March 1st with the official addition of Nakamura & Milano against Sugiura & Shiozaki. This is a continuation from the Dome where Nakamura & Goto defeated Misawa & Sugiura with Sugiura getting a lot of praise for his performance. This could be a chance for Milano to surface, even if he’s to lose like Sugiura did, as he has been somewhat obscure for a long time now and a big match performance could again put him back in the limelight.

NOAH, 3/1/09 (NTV/G+)
Tokyo Nippon Budokan

- Special Tag Match: Takashi Sugiura & Go Shiozaki vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Milano Collection AT

Tigers unite in Real Japan on the same day at Korakuen Hall, when the original Tiger Mask and the current generation team up against Riki Choshu & Tatsuhito Takaiwa. Tiger Mask (fourth) said that since Takaiwa is a freelancer now, he has a chance to show what he’s worth here and appear in New Japan (anyone get it?).

Real Japan “CHAOS”, 3/1/09
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- Tiger Mask 1 & Tiger Mask 4 vs. vs Riki Choshu & Tatsuhito Takaiwa

Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Takashi Sugiura and on-fire youngster Go Shiozaki have demanded that Nakamura & Goto, the team that bested Misawa & Sugiura on 1/4, battle them on March 1st at NOAH’s Tokyo Nippon Budokan show. President Sugabayashi has responded to that with a refusal but compromise, saying he doesn’t think Goto’s knee is in the right condition so instead has proposed sending Milano Collection AT to team with Nakamura. He expects Milano can easily match Sugiura’s ground techniques, and look for this match to be determined any day now.

All participants for the New Japan Cup have been announced and it is mostly a home-based cast with the exception of old favourite Yutaka Yoshie, who again returns to his old haunt for special participation. The ongoing Hirasawa vs. Honma feud will culminate with a singles match at Korakuen on 2/28 with the winner getting the last spot. The other participants are: Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Wataru Inoue, Hirooki Goto, Milano Collection AT, Togi Makabe, Toru Yano Takashi Iizuka, Giant Bernard, Tomohiro Ishii, Karl Anderson, and Yutaka Yoshie.

NJPW, 3/8/09
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium

1. New Japan Cup - Round 1: Winner of Hirasawa/Honma vs. Takashi Iizuka
2. New Japan Cup - Round 1: Milano Collection AT vs. Toru Yano
3. New Japan Cup - Round 1: Wataru Inoue vs. Tomohiro Ishii
4. New Japan Cup - Round 1: Hirooki Goto vs. Karl Anderson
5. New Japan Cup - Round 1: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Yutaka Yoshie
6. New Japan Cup - Round 1: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Togi Makabe

New Japan also announced the first landing of Val Venis, the former WWE Intercontinental Champion, WWE European Champion, WWE Tag Team Champion, among others. He will join GBH as a recruit by his old friend Giant Bernard. Black Tiger also arrives as another new member of GBH, filling the void recently left by Low Ki.

Finally, the full card for the 2/28 standalone show at Korakuen…

NJPW “NEW DIMENSION”, 2/28/09 (SXW)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Nobuo Yoshihashi
2. New Japan Cup Participant Match: Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Tomoaki Honma
3. Tiger Mask & Kazuchika Okada vs. Jushin Thunder Liger & Koji Kanemoto
4. Manabu Nakanishi & Taichi Ishikari vs. Jado & Gedo
5. AKIRA vs. Takashi Iizuka
6. New Japan Cup Special 6 Man Tag Match: Shinsuke Nakamura, Wataru Inoue & Milano Collection AT vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
7. New Japan Cup Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yuji Nagata vs. Masahiro Chono & Hirooki Goto