AXS TV has issued the following press release:
AXS TV IS THE EXCLUSIVE HOME TO NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING’S COMPLETE ‘WRESTLE KINGDOM 9’
The Network Will Showcase ‘Wrestle Kingdom 9’ Battles Over Five Consecutive Weeks Starting Friday, Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
LOS ANGELES – Sept. 30, 2015 – As the home to NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING, AXS TV has acquired the promotion’s action-filled 2015 pay-per-view event “Wrestle Kingdom 9.” This special edition will feature all 10 matches from the celebrated annual event, including an entire episode dedicated to the headlining rematch between IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and rival Kazuchika Okada. The 10 matches will be broadcast over five consecutive weeks starting Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with commentary from Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett.
NJPW’s biggest annual event, “Wrestle Kingdom” takes place every Jan. 4 at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Last year’s “Wrestle Kingdom 9” counted over 36,000 fans in attendance and featured a number of high-stakes clashes, including battles for IWGP Heavyweight, Intercontinental, Junior and NEVER Openweight Championships.
AXS TV’s presentation of “Wrestle Kingdom 9” kicks off with two junior heavyweight matches Oct. 9 starting with a four-way match for the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship followed by Ryusuke Taguchi defending his IWGP Junior Heavyweight title against Kenny Omega. Then, on Oct. 16, Tetsuya Naito and A.J. Styles face off in a singles match before Tomohiro Ishii defends the NEVER Openweight title against Togi Makabe.
NJPW’s “Wrestle Kingdom 9” continues on AXS TV Oct. 23 with three full matches: first the Bullet Club squares off against Tomaoki Honma and veteran tag team Tencozy in a six-man tag team match; then MMA legends Kazushi Sakuraba and Minoru Suzuki face off in a special single match; and Bullet Club members Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows put their IWGP Tag Team Championship belt on the line against Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata.
NJPW airs an hour early Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT featuring an epic eight-man tag team match before Kota Ibushi challenges Shinsuke Nakamura for his IWGP Intercontinental Championship title. AXS TV wraps up “Wrestle Kingdom 9” with the anticipated main event between IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and his rival Kazuchika Okada Nov. 6.
AXS TV’s NJPW episodes are produced by and acquired from TV ASAHI CORPORATION.
The episode listings are as follows:
Oct. 9 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
- IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship four-Way Match – Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish; KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley; Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov; and Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship – Ryusuke Taguchi versus Kenny Omega
Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
- Tetsuya Naito versus A.J. Styles
- NEVER Openweight Championship – Tomohiro Ishii versus Togi Makabe
Oct. 23 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomaoki Honma versus the Bullet Club (Jeff Jarrett, Back Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi)
- Special Single Match – Kazushi Sakuraba versus Minoru Suzuki
- IWGP Tag Championship – Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows versus Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata
Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
- Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste versus Takashi Iizuka, Shelton X Benjamin, Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.
- IWGP Intercontinental Championship – Shinsuke Nakamura versus Kota Ibushi
Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Hiroshi Tanahashi versus Kazuchika Okada
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
