Yano & Iizuka again stole Tenzan & Kojima’s title belts on Sunday at Korakuen after TenKoji had managed to get them back on the previous Korakuen show.

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NJPW “NJPW 40TH ANNIVERSARY ~ WRESTLING DONTAKU 2012″, 5/3/12 (WPW/PPV)
Fukuoka International Center

- IWGP Tag Team Title: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (c) vs. Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka

TenKoji do battle at Kojima’s upcoming 20th anniversary show with the announcement today that Tenzan will replace the injured Naito in the main event to team with former WWE superstar FUNAKI against Kojima & Kaz Hayashi. Having recently reuniting as a team, this may be the last time the two are on opposite sides for a while. This subsequently frees up a spot in the fifth match and in Tenzan’s place on the 3rd generation team will be New Japan old boy Osamu Nishimura!

NJPW “SATOSHI KOJIMA 20TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW ~ RUSH!!”, 12/14/11 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Tiger Mask & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Kyosuke Mikami
2. Hideo Saito vs. Tomohiro Ishii
3. Togi Makabe, Hirooki Goto & King Fale vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano & Yujiro Takahashi
4. Special Tag Match: The Great Sasuke & The Great Kosuke vs. Jado & Gedo
5. 3rd Generation vs. Hamaguchi Dojo Special 6 Man Tag Match: Yuji Nagata, Osamu Nishimura & Koji Kanemoto vs. Yutaka Yoshie, Wataru Inoue & Tomoaki Honma
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA vs. Minoru Suzuki & Taichi
7. Satoshi Kojima 20th Anniversary Match: Satoshi Kojima & Kaz Hayashi vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & FUNAKI

One of New Japan’s most famous tag teams is back! Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima, affectionately known as TenKoji, are reuniting and New Japan has hurriedly altered the big 12/4 Aichi lineup to pit them against the dastardly CHAOS’ duo of Iizuka & Saito. It will be about 2 1/2 years since TenKoji last teamed in a reunion that ended on a flat note with the two losing to Bad Intentions on 5/3/09 in Fukuoka. Could fate drive them towards facing that very team who have become the most successful IWGP Tag Team Champions of all time?

NJPW, 12/4/11 (WPW/PPV)
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium

1. Karl Anderson & Killer Rabbit vs. Jado & Gedo
2. Tomoaki Honma, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & Tama Tonga vs. Toru Yano, Yujiro Takahashi, Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero
3. Special Tag Match: Hirooki Goto & KUSHIDA vs. Takashi Sugiura & Atsushi Aoki
4. Special Tag Match: Togi Makabe & Wataru Inoue vs. Yoshihiro Takayama & Lance Archer
5. Special Tag Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Takashi Iizuka & Hideo Saito
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Prince Devitt (c) vs. Davey Richards
7. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Masato Tanaka vs. MVP
8. Special Singles Match: Giant Bernard vs. Minoru Suzuki
9. Special Singles Match: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Yuji Nagata

New Japan presents its “WRESTLING DONTAKU 2009″ super-show at the Fukuoka International Center on May 3rd and two more matches have been announced. Tanahashi vs. Goto is of course official after yesterday’s main event result but after their unlikely win over Wild Child, Bernard & Anderson have the task of facing TenKoji, the winner of which will challenge Team 3D for the IWGP Tag Team Title some time soon. And after many years, the face of DRAGON GATE, CIMA, returns to New Japan as part of a special tag match in which he and Liger face Tiger Mask and Kanemoto. CIMA appeared in New Japan as a young boy along with other (then) Toryumon wrestlers but after Kanemoto was a bit too abusive in the ring, relations were cut off. The Fukuoka show has also been announced as another live PPV.

NJPW “WRESTLING DONTAKU 2009″, 5/3/09 (WPW/PPV)
Fukuoka International Center

1. Wrestling Dontaku 2009 Special Tag Match: Tiger Mask & Koji Kanemoto vs. Jushin Thunder Liger & CIMA
2. TenKoji Return - IWGP Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
3. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Hirooki Goto

One name not on the Fukuoka card as yet that was scheduled is that of Mexican superstar Mistico. However, the Mexican “Child of God” has been confirmed for the Korakuen Hall double header that follows Fukuoka, on 5/5 and 5/6. He will be joined by fellow luchadore Misterioso Jr. in some interesting multicultural matches.

NJPW “DIVERGENCE”, 5/5/09 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Special 6 Man Tag Match - Mistico 3rd Impact!!!: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tiger Mask & Mistico vs. Giant Bernard, Black Tiger & Misterioso Jr.

NJPW “DISSIDENCE”, 5/6/09 (SXW)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Special Tag Match - Mistico 3rd Impact!!!: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Mistico vs. Hirooki Goto & Misterioso Jr.

Main matches have been announced for the upcoming “CIRCUIT 2009 NEW JAPAN BRAVE“, which begins on April 11th, so these are pretty late. Wild Child persist! Takao Omori appears on all shows and will team with Nakanishi in an attempt to get their reunion on track after yesterday’s false start. On 4/21 in Osaka they have a rematch against Bernard & Anderson. The following day in the same building Omori faces Tanahashi in a huge singles match, a show that also features Tiger Mask vs. the NEW Black Tiger who is on the tour, as well as Nakanishi vs. Hirooki Goto. Makabe is off the tour due to a neck injury suffered when Yano laid him out and judging by the opening day card Yano is still in GBH. The only other news is that Taichi Ishikari is renaming himself to simply Taichi.

NJPW, 4/11/09 (SXW)
Twin Messe Shizuoka

1. Koji Kanemoto vs. Nobuo Yoshihashi
2. Tiger Mask & Kazuchika Okada vs. Black Tiger & Jado
3. Riki Choshu & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Takao Omori
4. Masahiro Chono, Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA vs. Toru Yano, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
5. Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue vs. Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii
6. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tomoaki Honma
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Hirooki Goto, Milano Collection AT & Taichi (Taichi Ishikari)

NJPW, 4/18/09
Kuwana City Gymnasium

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Nobuo Yoshihashi vs. Hirooki Goto & Kazuchika Okada

NJPW, 4/19/09
Iwade Municipal Townsman Gymnasium

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Hirooki Goto, Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA

NJPW, 4/21/09 (SXW)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2

1. Manabu Nakanishi & Takao Omori vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Hirooki Goto & Milano Collection AT

NJPW, 4/22/09 (SXW)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2

1. Tiger Mask vs. Black Tiger
2. Manabu Nakanishi vs. Hirooki Goto
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Takao Omori

NJPW, 4/23/09
Zentsuji Citizen Gymnasium

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Prince Devitt vs. Hirooki Goto & AKIRA

NJPW, 4/24/09
Shunan Sports Center

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Riki Choshu vs. Hirooki Goto & AKIRA

NJPW, 4/26/09
Oita Daihatsu Arena

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Hirooki Goto & AKIRA

NJPW, 4/27/09
Nagasaki Prefectural Gymnasium

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Hirooki Goto & Jushin Thunder Liger

NJPW, 4/29/09
Hiroshima Trade Center West Pavillion

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Prince Devitt vs. Hirooki Goto & Jushin Thunder Liger

NJPW, 4/30/09
Oita Event Hall

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Prince Devitt vs. Hirooki Goto & Milano Collection AT

NJPW, 5/1/09
Kagoshima Citizen Gymnasium

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Koji Kanemoto vs. Hirooki Goto & Jushin Thunder Liger

Who will be the strongest of midsummer? The schedule for the “G1 CLIMAX 2009 ~NEW LORDS, NEW LAWS~” tour has been announced with eight shows in all, one more than last year. It begins in Hiroshima before another double header in Osaka. Then its on to Yokohama before the standard “small” show of the tour at Korakuen, then Aichi, and finally the Sumo Hall double header.

G1 CLIMAX 2009 ~NEW LORDS, NEW LAWS~
- 8/7 @ Hiroshima Sun Plaza
- 8/8 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
- 8/9 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
- 8/10 @ Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium
- 8/11 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
- 8/13 @ Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
- 8/15 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
- 8/16 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

The TenKoji super-revival that has seen them win both New Japan’s G1 Tag League and All Japan’s Real World Tag League has been cut short. Tenzan has suffered a serious eye injury and had an urgent operation on it, forcing him off tomorrow’s Tokyo Dome show. As such, Kojima’s participation has also been shelved so we now have a direct rematch from last year of Makabe & Yano vs. Team 3D, this time for the IWGP Tag Team Title.

I’ll do my best to run live or prompt (near end of show or right after) results tomorrow. I’m a lot busier nowadays so can’t do as much live or detailed coverage as I used to, but for sure there will be a full report of tomorrow’s super-show that is going to be one of the biggest events of recent years in Japanese pro wrestling.

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

0. Mitsuhide Hirasawa, Kazuchika Okada & Nobuo Yoshihashi vs. Milano Collection AT, Minoru & Taichi Ishikari
1. Wrestle Kingdom Grand Opening VIENTO DORADO: Mistico, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Averno, Jado & Gedo
2. Jushin Thunder Liger 20th Anniversary Match: Jushin Thunder Liger & Takuma Sano vs. Wataru Inoue & Koji Kanemoto
3. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title ~Tread on!!~: Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title ~Ballistic interception~: Low Ki (c) vs. Tiger Mask
5. Fighting Holdings Competition: Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono, Kurt Angle & Kevin Nash vs. Giant Bernard, Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii & Karl Anderson
6. World Heavyweight Title ~Crusade for Justice~: Yuji Nagata (c) vs. Masato Tanaka
7. New Japan vs. NOAH Battle Tendencies ~the invasion~: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Jun Akiyama
8. IWGP Tag Team Title - Hardcore Rules: Togi Makabe & Toru Yano (c) vs. “Team 3D” Brother Ray & Brother Devon
9. New Japan vs. NOAH Battle Tendencies ~the encounter~: Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Takashi Sugiura
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Keiji Muto (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

The TenKoji tradition is alive and well! The 2008 G1 Tag League champions completed a 2-crown of major tag tournaments today when they won All Japan’s annual tag league by avenging their earlier loss to Suwama & Shuji Kondo. Kojima, who was surprisingly pinned by Kondo in their previous match, lariated the junior heavyweight to win the same tournament TenKoji also captured in their 2006 reunion. Now their eyes will be on both the IWGP Tag and AJPW World Tag titles, and it remains to be seen if they will be given a shot at Makabe & Yano on January 4th, with TNA Wrestling’s Team 3D also waiting for their chance.

AJPW, 12/8/08
Hiroshima Sun Plaza
2,400 Fans

- Real World Tag League - Final: Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Suwama & Shuji Kondo (28:36) when Kojima used a lariat on Kondo.

The TenKoji revival took a setback today as they failed to capture the AJPW World Tag Team Title at All Japan’s Korakuen Hall show today. In a half hour blockbuster, they fell to reigning champions Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki when Kea pinned Kojima. TenKoji are already looking for revenge, with the idea that they can win the G1 Tag League, possibly the IWGP Tag Team Title, All Japan tag league, and the belts they failed to take today.

AJPW, 10/11/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
2,100 Fans - Super No Vacancy

- AJPW World Tag Team Title: Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki (c) beat Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (32:17) when Kea used the TKO 34th on Kojima (2nd defense).

TenKoji’s attempt at tag domination picks up steam on October 11th, before they enter the G1 Tag League, when they challenge another strong team, Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki, for the AJPW World Tag Team Title. TenKoji did win All Japan’s tag league a couple of years ago so this could be considered their belated shot.

AJPW, 10/11/08
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- AJPW World Tag Team Title: Taiyo Kea & Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan

Meanwhile, it was announced that Kojima will work all shows on the upcoming G1 Tag League tour, even those where TenKoji don’t have a league match. Full list of outsiders/foreigners/home-based limited participation:

Satoshi Kojima (All Japan): All shows
Yutaka Yoshie (DRADITION): 10/22 to 11/5
Giant Bernard: All shows
Rick Fuller: All shows
Karl Anderson: All shows
Prince Devitt: All shows
Negro Casas (CMLL): All shows
Rocky Romero: All shows
Riki Choshu: 10/22 to 10/29
Masahiro Chono: 10/18 and 10/29 only

Tne TenKoji love affair continued today in All Japan as the two teamed with KAI to beat the GURENTAI trio of Taiyo Kea, Minoru Suzuki & MAZADA, Kojima lariating MAZADA. The big story of the show, though, was Keiji Muto’s alter-ego, Great Muta, ending Suwama’s first Triple Crown reign in the main event. This means, if you consider them the same person in any way, Muto/Muta now holds both the IWGP Heavyweight Title and Triple Crown, four belts in all, somewhat remniscent of his unforgettable 2001 achievement when he was weighed down by titles. This is likely to make Nakamura’s attempt at IWGP recapture next month even more daunting and difficult.

AJPW, 9/28/08
Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium
4,500 Fans - Super No Vacancy

- Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & KAI beat Taiyo Kea, Minoru Suzuki & MAZADA (24:20) when Kojima used a lariat on MAZADA.
- Triple Crown: Great Muta beat Suwama (c) (24:52) with a moonsault press to become the 38th champion.