New Japan Pro Wrestling Strong Ending?
The weekly television show, NJPW Strong will be ending. However, the Strong brand will be rebuilt according to NJPW President Takami Ohbari.
New Japan Pro Wrestling Strong started in 2020 as an answer to the pandemic that swept the whole world. The world shut down in 2020 and in order to uplift spirits during a dark time, NJPW created the brand Strong. Think of Strong like the sister promotion to NJPW. This was its secondary show, and this show displayed a wide variety of wrestlers. As we emerged from the pandemic, while still feeling its effects, NJPW Strong has remained strong (all puns intended) and a beacon of hope for youthful, up-and-coming wrestlers and veterans to hone their skills, have teachable moments, and create wonderful matches and stories on the weekly episodic show, NJPW Strong.
Tom Lawlor was our first ever Strong Openweight Champion. Our current Strong Openweight Champion is Fred Rosser.
Fred Rosser and Tom Lawlor had a blood fued during NJPW Strong. Their fighting spirit showing through, and Fred Rosser never backed down from a challenge or fight with Lawlor even when Lawlor tested Rosser’s limits with his antics such as shaving Rosser’s head and eating his hair.
Our first ever Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions was Aussie Open. Our current Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions are Motor City Machine Guns.
The team of Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis — United Empire’s own Aussie Open — dominated the tag team division in NJPW Strong. They were in the Tag Team tournament and was crowned champions. They defended those tag team titles across America showing up in promotions like IMPACT Wrestling and GCW.
However, on October 27, 2022, NJPW came to NYC to have Rumble on 44th Street event. It was a triple threat match: Aussie Open vs Motor City Machine Guns vs Kevin Knight and The DKC. Motor City Machine Guns because the new and are our current NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions. They won it in surprise.
The news of NJPW Strong ending dropped on January 6, 2023 by way of Hiroshi Tanahashi’s blog over on Ameba. He gives us notice by explaining that this latest NJPW Strong tapings which is shown on Fite TV and on NJPW World will be the last of the weekly television show. Tanahashi will lend his voice for the Japanese commentary for the show. The name of this Strong show is called Nemesis and most likely would be completely done airing by the end of the month. The weekly show airs every Saturday at 8pm.
Read more here: Tana's Blog
On January 8, 2023 NJPW President Ohbari followed up on the news of NJPW Strong coming to an end. Instead of an “end,” Ohbari mentions that NJPW Strong will be rebuilding to adapt to the external and internal environments and now focus on quality over quantity.
Read more here:
Upcoming NJPW dates for the United States:
🏛️4/15 Capital Collision
🔔4/16 Collision in Philadelphia
Tickets go on sale January 13, 2023!
There hasn’t been a press release given to me by NJPW for more information on this sudden change. When I have new information, you’ll know for free rather than behind a paywall. News should be free for all people to read. The more people that read free news, the less we’ll have misinformation and rumors and tabloids around to manipulate the information for greed, gain, and weaponry.
I can understand why the weekly television show of NJPW Strong is ending or at least rebuilding as a business decision and I’ll continue to support NJPW products, but it makes my heart somewhat sad. Wishing New Japan Pro Wrestling all the best.
How do you feel about NJPW Strong ending/rebuilding?
What top 3 things you want to see NJPW & NJPW Strong improve on? Leave me a comment!
My top 3 things would be:
Trust your gaijins or foreign wrestlers more.
Storytelling needs to be consistent. (it is to an extent but sometimes pivots or doesn’t make sense.)
Relax on the Japanese copyright laws when it comes to America to grow ten-folds.
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