Author: Alex Podgorski

On October 1st, 2022, NJPW founder Kanji “Antonio” Inoki passed away at 79 years old. He had been in poor health for many years and had recently been diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis. And with his passing, we would like to look back at the legacy Inoki leaves behind. Because few people in wrestling’s long history come close to achieving the same heights as him. Antonio Inoki – A handpicked superstar Kanji Inoki didn’t come to wrestling; wrestling came to him. Inoki was scouted by none other than Rikidozan himself when Inoki was living in Brazil. Rikidozan was so impressed with…

This was one of the best wrestling matches of the entire year back in 1999. It was yet another example of why these two men are lauded so frequently as the best of all time. Even after wrestling with each other many times, they still managed to tell a new story and maintain their high standards as wrestlers. Today we look at one of the best matches in AJPW history: Misawa vs Kobashi from June 11, 1999. Misawa vs Kobashi – 6-11-99 – Backstory This was the third in a trilogy of epic singles title matches between Mitsuharu Misawa and…

Naomichi Marufuji. Think of the first image that comes to mind when you hear the term ‘modern professional wrestling’. Is that image the sight of two wrestlers trading hard kicks back and forth while no-selling each other’s offense? Is it daredevil acrobatics and blistering speed? Or maybe it’s insane high-spots and increasingly dangerous moves layered on top of each other? Whatever image you conjure up, one thing’s for certain: Naomichi Marufuji’s the one that popularized it. He was so innovative and changed expectations so much, that people all over the world had no choice but to emulate what he did…

‘6-9-95’. You know a match is special when people refer to it by its date. For Misawa, Kobashi, Kawada, and Taue, that date will live in the minds and hearts of Purosesu wrestling fans forever. This match is widely regarded as one of the best wrestling matches ever, period. It’s considered the peak of the King’s Road wrestling style. It has aged remarkably well for a contest that took place twenty-five years ago. This match took four legendary wrestlers and made them into heavenly kings. This is the epic encounter between the Super Generation Army (Misawa and Kobashi) and the…

The golden age of All Japan Pro-Wrestling began with this match. It was the catalyst in a chain of events that led to AJPW putting on the best matches of all time. This was the moment that Mitsuharu Misawa went from a small mid-card tag team wrestler to the future ace of the company against the true Ace of Jumbo Tsuruta. It’s a match that’s as important for its historical significance as it is for its quality. Today we revisit this classic. Tsuruta vs Misawa – Their Classic AJPW Confrontation Background Jumbo Tsuruta was AJPW’s ace going into this match,…

At NJPW’s The New Beginning, Hiroshi Tanahashi was challenged by the most unlikely of people: Kazuchika Okada. And when Okada made his challenge, most fans laughed. This pretty blonde-haired boy wasn’t anywhere near Tanahashi’s level. He had spent those three years on a foreign excursion, wrestling mainly in TNA. While there, he was saddled with an embarrassing gimmick that made him look like nothing more than a sidekick. It was such a bad situation that it led to NJPW severing its ties with TNA completely. This is the History of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Part 5. ________________ But this Okada…

When Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Kurt Angle to unify his championship with the IGF version of the belt, it marked an end of an era. It marked the end of Antonio Inoki’s influence on New Japan Pro-Wrestling and their most cherished championship. No longer would New Japan Pro-Wrestling have his main event championship desecrated by non-wrestlers in failed wrestling/MMA crossover experiments. Instead, it would be about pro wrestling, like it was in the past. This is History of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship Part 4. ____________________ But this new age was about New Japan’s future, and unfortunately for Nakamura, he wasn’t meant…

Tadao Yasuda’s first and only reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion lasted a mere 48 days. On April 5th, 2002, he lost the title to someone who actually deserved to hold it. Someone who was actually skilled as a pro wrestler, stemming from his NJPW training and origins as an amateur wrestler: Yuji Nagata. This is part 3 of the History of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Nagata’s reign provided a brief reprieve from NJPW owner Antonio Inoki’s obsession with MMA. At last, the biggest draw in New Japan Pro Wrestling was an actual pro wrestler through and through. But Nagata more…

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) had one of its biggest paydays on April 29th, 1996. On that Tokyo Dome Showcard, company savior Shinya Hashimoto defeated outside menace Nobuhiko Takada to recapture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. With that victory, Hashimoto concluded one of the most lucrative storylines in the company’s history: he defeated the head of the outside invaders and saved NJPW and its Strong Style presentation. The History of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Part 2 explores Inoki’s Descent Into Madness. _________________ But behind closed doors, a storm was brewing. NJPW owner Antonio Inoki needed to figure out where the company…

The IWGP Heavyweight Championship is the most prestigious wrestling title in New Japan Pro Wrestling. It boasts a long and interesting history and has been held by some of the best wrestlers of all time. Yet there were also times when the title – like the company that spawned it – experienced controversy and hardship. It is one of the most respected and rewarding wrestling titles in the entire wrestling industry. This is part one of the history of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. The History of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship Part 1: Origin and Peak NJPW was founded in 1972…