Thought the event deserved it's own thread.
From Puroresu Spirit:
http://keepingthespiritalive.tumblr.com/
[KING OF PRO-WRESTLING Event Preview] New Japan will be holding a huge show this coming Monday (10/8) at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan (also known as the Ryougoku Sumo Hall). The event will see every IWGP Championship defended, known as the IWGP5 when all the belts will be defended, on a show.
This event will also mark another achievement as it will be the first ever event offered worldwide “LIVE”.
Yes, you heard that right, New Japan will be offering this event live on USTREAM for a mere $25.
All you have to do is visit the link below, then sign in with a trusted account and then on the bottom of the video there will be a “buy a ticket”. Click the ticket and it will take you to a secure payment info page, and you will be given a ticket to view the event when it is live on October 8.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/njpw1972
Keep in mind the event will be on 17:00 (5pm) Japan time, so that will be 3am CST here in the USA, adjust accordingly to wherever you live. The event “should be” offered on replay soon after the it finishes.
Below is both the card for the event as well as my own personal preview for the show.
NJPW “40ｔｈ anniversary KING OF PRO-WRESTLING”,
10/8/2012 [Mon] 17:00 @ Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan
(1) Nakanishi’s Return Match: Manabu Nakanishi, Yuji Nagata & Strongman vs. Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii
~ Manabu Nakanishi makes his in ring return after being sidelined after suffering a cervical spinal injury in June of 2011. Nakanishi has been undergoing rehabilitation and strength training to prepare for his return. He was originally not scheduled to return for another month, but due to daily training and successful rehab he was cleared by the doctors sooner. Nakanishi aims to make it back up the ranks to once again compete for the IWGP Heavyweight belt.
(2) IWGP Junior Heavy Tag Championship Match: [33rd Champions] “FOREVER HOOLIGANS” Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov vs. [Challengers] “TIME SPLITTERS” KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley
~ 2nd Defense.
~ KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley don’t seem like an odd pairing at first glance, but in the recent months they have shown themselves to be a strong team, maybe not so much like MCMG, but their styles blend together well. It has brought them to a title match against Romero & Koslov who aim to remain the IWGP jr. tag champions as Romero says “FOREVAAA”. Both teams will be coming into the event looking strong and this should definitely be a highly energetic fast paced match to pick up the pace for the rest of the show.
(3) IWGP Junior Heavy Championship Match: [64th Champion] Kota Ibushi vs. [Challenger] Low Ki.
~ 3rd Defense.
~ Will Low Ki be successful as he aims to reclaim the belt that he lost to Ibushi back on July 29th, or will Ibushi be able to brush aside he recent loss of the DDT KO-D belt and prove that he is still one of the best around? This match will sure to be both physical and hard hitting with both men surely bringing out everything and anything to make sure they will leave as champion.
(4) IWGP Tag Championship Match: [60th Champions] Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. [Challengers] Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith, Jr.
~ first defense.
~ The two former WWE Superstars in Lance Archer (Vance Archer) and Davey Boy Smith, Jr (Harry Smith) have come together to form a strong tag team within the Suzuki-gun faction. With already multiple upsets over the reigning champions, and night after night of standing tall above them with the belts in their hands, TenKoji will have a big battle on their hands to remain as the champions. TenKoji are no strangers to having a huge challenge in front of them and they will surely fight to the bitter end regardless of the outcome.
(5) Tetsuya Naito vs. Yujiro Takahashi
~ Yujiro has been on quite a win streak since his recent return from CMLL a few months ago with a big win coming in the form of a pinfall victory over IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. Yujiro showed signs that he wants a shot at the belt, but at that time the pecking order had already been set with Tanahashi looking to reclaim his G1 loses over Marufuji and now Suzuki for this show. Yujiro attacked Tetsuya Naito, mainly Naito’s injured right knee, after their scheduled tag match on 9/23and subsequently set up this upcoming match on 10/8. Naito will surely have revenge on his mind, but Yujiro has his eyes set on the IWGP Heavy belt. This match could very well lead to the next contender depending on who wins or loses.
(6) Togi Makabe & Wataru Inoue vs. Kazushi Sakuraba & Katsuyori Shibata
~ After the utter killing of Hiromu Takahashi in the New Japan ring by Shibata & Sakura on 9/23, Makabe & Inoue are hoping that their strength together can bring the fight that the invading team wants. Sakuraba and Shibata aim to show more or less that they are the best in Japan. They will be going into this match with nothing but confidence on their side. Makabe and Inoue on the other hand will have the tough task of stopping the invading team dead in their tracks. Makabe is known as the toughest brawlers in New Japan today, so if they aim to bring the fight Makabe is ready for it.
It is under speculation that the “former” New Japan Young Lion, Shibata could have his eyes set on turning to a singles competitor sooner than later with Goto, Nakamura, and even Tanahashi being among the list of names for Shibata to compete against. Could we see the start of this before the show is done?
(7) Tokyo Dome IWGP Right to Challenge Match: [Defending Right] Kazuchika Okada vs. [Challenger] “The Machine Gun” Karl Anderson
~ Following this years G1 CLIMAX which saw Kazuchika Okada defeat Karl Anderson in the finals of the tournament, Anderson has had nothing on his mind but getting an inevitable rematch sooner than later. Now though, with Kazuchika Okada pushing for his G1 win to turn into a Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavy title match contract, it has made the upcoming rematch for Anderson to mean so much more. If Anderson is able to defeat Okada he will then earn Okada’s contract to compete at next years Wrestle Kingdom in the main event for the IWGP Heavy belt. Of course, that still leaves less than 3 months away for the big show and even more attention to that very contract. Will Okada prove that his G1 win was not a fluke and keep his WK Contract? We will see this Monday.
(8) IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match: [4th Champion] Shinsuke Nakamura vs. [Challenger] Hirooki Goto
~ 2nd Defense.
~ Hirooki Goto has his eyes set on reclaiming the IWGP Intercontinental belt from Shinsuke Nakamura after pinning Okada at the 9/23 show. Instead of going right after Okada or even Tanahashi for that matter, Goto immediately pointed to Nakamura and demanded a rematch for the IC belt which he lost to Nakamura on July 22nd of this year. Nakamura and Goto have a pretty strong rivaled past with both men showing at anytime that they can beat each other. This time with the belt on the line it should make this match mean even more. Nakamura holds a win over Goto from the title match in July and Goto got his win back during the G1 CLIMAX in August. It is time for these two to settle the score with the more worthy competitor walking out of the night with the belt around their waist.
(9) IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: [58th Champion] Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. [Challenger] Minoru Suzuki
~ 4th Defense.
~ This will be a double rematch for both men. Tanahashi [35] holds a victory over Suzuki from this years Wrestle Kingdom show, and Suzuki [44] holds a pinfall victory over Tanahashi from this years G1 CLIMAX. Tanahashi reclaimed his loss against Naomichi Marufuji on 9/23, and is looking to do the same against Suzuki.
During the press event for their upcoming match Suzuki stated that he aims to defeat Tanahashi and create a new future with the belt. With there only being a few months left before the big Wrestle Kingdom show there will be a lot of attention put forth to this match as the winner could very well be the one headlining the big show. Will Tanahashi remain as the symbol of New Japan Pro Wrestling, or will Suzuki prove that he is still has many tricks left in his arsenal?
