Author: Sonal Lad

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Eli Everfly has become a staple of not just SoCal wrestling but independent wrestling in general. Wrestling has always been a part of Everfly’s life. As a child, Everfly would watch it with his best friend and it just seemed like the cool thing to do. From the moment he laid eyes on the likes of The Rock and Ken Shamrock, Eli was captivated by the business and started spending his money on wrestling toys, tapes, board games, and trading cards. Aged 8, Everfly was hugely inspired by the feud between the Hardys, Dudley’s,…

Born in Salem, Massachusetts, the ever-vibrant and colorful Delilah Doom has made her mark on the world of professional wrestling and, in particular, independent wrestling across America. Like many wrestlers, Doom’s love of the business came very early on, and in an interview with SoCal Uncensored, she explained her introduction to the WWF. The first woman wrestler she saw step into the ring with men, the amazing Chyna, inspired a 10-year-old Delilah. Combining that love for wrestling with her passion and talent for athletics and theatre, becoming a wrestler seemed like the perfect career. Doom started training at AAPW (America’s…

With a past they needed to break away from, both KENTA and Jon Moxley left WWE to pave their paths that led them to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Despite being in the same company for many years, the men have never crossed during their careers. However, on February 26th, 2021, the two would meet during the New Beginning USA tour for the IWGP United States Championship. This is the journey to that first-ever match against one another. After Moxley was unable to defend the US title due to the pandemic, he returned to New Japan Strong to accept KENTA’s challenge…

If anyone ever mentions the word California, my mind automatically wants to shout SCU. Part of that is down to one of the most athletic wrestlers Scorpio Sky. Currently part of SoCal Uncensored and an important AEW signing, Sky has already had an amazing career in so many different promotions and, pardon the pun, but the sky is still the limit. Born on April 7th, 1983, Sky was fell in love with wrestling at a young age and was influenced by the likes of Bret Hart, Ric Flair, and the Midnight Express. Like many other wrestlers, Sky joined his high…

After winning the IWGP Intercontinental title for the third time at Wrestle Kingdom 13, Tetsuya Naito began a year in which the spotlight was firmly on the title. There were also some great feuds for the title with some huge names in the company. It felt as if everyone wanted a taste of the Intercontinental title. This is the History of the IWGP Intercontinental Title part 6. You can catch up on the earlier parts right here. The first person who wanted a shot at Naito’s title was TAICHI. After being missed off the 2019 G1, the Holy Emperor made…

After Hiroshi Tanahashi won the IWGP Intercontinental title off Tetsuya Naito Dominion in 2017, the Ace of New Japan finally had a chance to make the title his legacy. This would be after the departure of Shinsuke Nakamura. To read the previous four parts click here, here, here and here. This is History of the IWGP Intercontinental Title part 5. History of the IWGP Intercontinental Title Part 5 – It was time to create a new chapter Alongside a defense against Billy Gunn, there were two amazing and stand out defenses Tanahashi had with the title. The first was against…

We last left the IWGP Intercontinental title vacant after Shinsuke Nakamura’s time as champion. He parted ways with the title that came to define the King of Strong Style and the company that created him. Where happens to the title from this point forward? This is the history of the IWGP Intercontinental Title, the fourth and final part. History of The IWGP Intercontinental Title It was only the start of the legacy of the IWGP Intercontinental Title. After Nakamura helped increase the prestige of the IWGP Intercontinental title, it was only going to help take the title to new heights…

We’re now at the third part of my History of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. After Shinsuke Nakamura won the IWGP Intercontinental Title for the first time, the 313-day reign elevated the belt to something many had hoped it would be: a top prize in New Japan. This is the history of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, part three. However, even after losing the title to La Sombra, Nakamura’s reign made the IWGP Intercontinental Title mean something. Furthermore, it meant something to not only the company but Shinsuke himself. This was further emphasized after the King of Strong Style won back the…

We last left the newly introduced IWGP Intercontinental Championship belt with MVP who won a grueling tournament in America during the New Invasion tour and his successful defenses against Yano to retain the title. The History of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship Part Two However, after a 148-day reign, MVP lost the IWGP Intercontinental Title on October 10th to Masato Tanaka, who was a wrestling legend in his own right, in Tokyo during the Destruction tour. Although holding the belt for less time than MVP, Tanaka defended the title three times including a rematch with MVP, a bout with Tomoaki Honma…

Despite no longer being an active title, the lineage and prestige behind New Japan’s IWGP Intercontinental Championship, it might be surprising that it is a fairly new title in the grand scheme of things. Whereas New Japan Pro Wrestling was founded in 1972, the Intercontinental title was only established in 2011. This is the first part of our exploration of the history of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. In 2010, NJPW reached an agreement with US promotion Jersey All Pro Wrestling to establish a working relationship between the brands. This led to the announcement on January 4th, 2011, of the first…