WWE/Nakamura press conference; Ibushi announcement; NJPW Cup Tournament
There is quite a bit of news related to Japan today.
WWE held a press conference on Monday in Tokyo to announce Shinsuke Nakamura has signed with the company, a formality since that’s been known since 1/4 and he was already announced at the NXT tapings for a match with Sami Zayn on 4/1 in Dallas.
WWE ran a story with video on the Nakamura signing
The other big news is that Kota Ibushi will be returning on 3/21 at DDT’s Tokyo Sumo Hall show, but will no longer be under contract to either DDT or New Japan. Ibushi said that while he was injured, he realized he was keeping a ridiculous pace working for both groups.
He announced he was forming the Kota Ibushi Pro Wrestling Kenkyujo (which means Ibushi Pro Wrestling Research Institute. Not a lot is known about what that all means, but Ibushi was very important to New Japan with Shinsuke Nakamura gone, as he could have been elevated to big four status easily, and a feud with Kenny Omega would have been a natural.
His first match back with be a falls count anywhere weapons three-team match with Jun Kasai & Sanshiro Takagi, Ibushi & Gota Ihashi and Kenso & Michael Nakazawa.
Also announced today by New Japan is the first round matches in the New Japan Cup tournament, which take place on 3/3 at the company’s anniversary show at the Ota Ward Gym in Tokyo.
The single elimination tournament will decide Kazuchika Okada’s opponent at Invasion Attack on 4/10 at Sumo Hall.
- Yujiro Takahashi vs. Toru Yano
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Michael Elgin
- Togi Makabe vs. Tama Tonga
- Tomoaki Honma vs Satoshi Kojima
- Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
- Yoshi-Hashi vs Tetsuya Naito
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. Evil
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale