IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura, and K-1 Heavyweight Champion, Kyotaro, go to war next month! Gulp? No, it’s not quite as scary as it sounds as it will be an Exhibition Match held under K-1 (kickboxing rules) at the “GILCO POWER PRODUCTION DREAM MATCH” show on February 28th. Two rounds, two minutes, so it’s not very long but should be interesting.

NJPW “GILCO POWER PRODUCTION DREAM MATCH”, 2/28/10
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. K-1 Rules: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Kyotaro
2. Keiji Muto , Hiroshi Tanahashi & Power Pro Kamen vs. Akebono, Yutaka Yoshie & Ryota Hama

Yoshihiro Takayama returns to New Japan Pro-Wrestling on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome six years to the day after suffering a humiliating upset loss to the then “green boy” Nakamura in the main event of the 1/4/04 event. It is a very different Shinsuke Nakamura these days, then a trickster relying mostly on speed and instincts to win matches, now a conqueror much like Takayama himself who has become one of the kingpins of pro wrestling in Japan.

Shinsuke’s V4 defense was today confirmed at a special event that saw others on the show comment, as well as some pre-J-CUP hype. Takayama confessed that New Japan has changed since he was last there, becoming a much stronger and more orderly promotion that can stand on it’s own two feet again, and cited the growth of Tanahashi and Nakamura as two factors in that. Still, he is in New Japan to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title and hasn’t forgotten his defeat to Nakamura, who took the NWF Heavyweight Title off him back at the start of 2004 and sealed it. Whatever the result on January 4th, it is thought that Takayama has transferred his main attention to New Japan from All Japan and could be a regular fixture in the company come 2010.

Nakamura was complimentary of Takayama who in some ways he resembles now with his knee kicks and heavy strikes. Shinsuke called Takayama a unique individual in Japan and called him a “big wall” to get past even now. He pointed out that Takayama is very worthy having accomplished what he calls a “super-grand slam” of the IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Tag (New Japan), GHC Heavyweight & GHC Tag (NOAH), and Triple Crown & AJPW World Heavyweight Tag (All Japan) titles. While New Japan vs. NOAH dominates a large part of the upcoming Tokyo Dome super-show, Nakamura said his fight with Takayama will be a personal battle unrelated, Takayama having become a freelancer a long time ago now after once belonging to NOAH.

No other matches were announced today, with much still undecided. Nagata and Nakanishi both said they are looking forward to whoever is thrown their way, while Makabe was a little less polite, saying he has introduced himself as a member of the NJ vs. NOAH feud but no one from “cowardly NOAH” has yet stepped forward to receive his challenge. Akira Taue, Takeshi Morishima, and Kenta Kobashi are just three possibilities to face the Unchained Gorilla at the Dome on 1/4.

NJPW “WRESTLE KINGDOM IV IN TOKYO DOME”, 1/4/10 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Dome

1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Tiger Mask (c) vs. Super J-Cup 5th Stage winner
2. IWGP Tag Team Title - 3WAY Hardcore Rules Match: “Team 3D” Brother Ray & Brother Devon (c) vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson vs. Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito
3. NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Radiance~: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Go Shiozaki
4. GHC Heavyweight Title - NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Blast~: : Takashi Sugiura (c) vs. Hirooki Goto
5. IWGP Heavyweight Title - The newest, The strongest: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Yoshihiro Takayama

–> “CIRCUIT 2009 NEW JAPAN BRAVE <--
Shinsuke Nakamura and Toru Yano, both former amateur wrestling superstars during their university days, have something else in common now - they both want Togi Makabe out of wrestling for good. The two announced a joint struggle today which does not seem to affect RISE or GBH too much yet (although Nakamura has yet to appear on any cards this tour teaming with Goto, who is focused on his feud with Tanahashi), both inviting members of their factions to join them in their quest. Things got interesting after Nakamura crushed Honma today and when Honma declared he is loyal to Makabe afterwards, he was beaten down by Nakamura, Yano, and the rest of GBH with the possible exception of Iizuka (who wasn't mentioned in the report I read, so may or may not have been part of it). With a week between today's show and the next, further answers may have to wait.

Pro Wrestling NOAH's Takashi Sugiura, at war with New Japan, today announced his plan to invade the company soon. Sugiura wants to fight everyone in singles and suggested going as far as touring to achieve that need.

NJPW, 4/11/09 (SXW)
Twin Messe Shizuoka
1,100 Fans - No Vacancy

1. Koji Kanemoto beat Nobuo Yoshihashi (7:34) with an ankle hold.
2. Black Tiger & Jado beat Tiger Mask & Kazuchika Okada (9:37) when Black Tiger used a Death Valley bomb on Okada.
3. Manabu Nakanishi & Takao Omori beat Riki Choshu & Mitsuhide Hirasawa (7:21) when Nakanishi used an Argentine backbreaker on Hirasawa.
4. Toru Yano, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson beat Masahiro Chono, Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA (9:26) when Yano used the Oni Koroshi on AKIRA.
5. Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii beat Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue (14:45) when Nagata was DQ’d.
6. Shinsuke Nakamura beat Tomoaki Honma (6:51) with the Landslide.
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt beat Hirooki Goto, Milano Collection AT & Taichi (Taichi Ishikari) (15:23) when Tanahashi used the High Fly Flow on Taichi.

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