The Raw Deal: Finn Balor, The Bullet Club, ROH, New Japan, & More

There are a lot of hot topics in the world of professional wrestling with most of it involving Finn Balor’s potential move from NXT to WWE’s main roster. Frank Dee and I discuss the following news items and more on this segment from The Raw Deal.

Finn Balor moving up from NXT to WWE’s main roster?
Will “The Club” transition to become the Balor Club?
Is ROH relying too much on New Japan Pro Wrestling?
The Bullet Club’s current happenings with Adam Cole joining their ranks.
nWo’s influence on these factions and more.

You can check out The Raw Deal, Breaking Raw and more on the official You Tube Channel of Gerweck.net: Pro Wrestling Since 1997.

The One Mistake WWE Can’t Make with Shinsuke Nakamura

Frank Dee and I discuss Shinsuke Nakamura, his scheduled NXT debut, and the one mistake WWE can’t afford to make with the former New Japan Pro Wrestling superstar.

If you like this clip, check out the entire episode of The Raw Deal at Gerweck.net: Pro Wrestling Since 1997

G1 Climax 2015 Winner Crowned, New #1 Contender for IWGP Heavyweight Title

Often times, I find myself being let down when I expect a wrestling match to be great. Then, I’m reminded that the big events of New Japan Pro Wrestling delivers the goods on a consistent basis. That tradition continued on Sunday as Hiroshi Tanahashi squared off against Shinsuke Nakamura in the finals of the G1 Climax tournament. Continue reading “G1 Climax 2015 Winner Crowned, New #1 Contender for IWGP Heavyweight Title” →

NJPW G-1 Climax News and Notes, A Block Champion Crowned

The 2015 G-1 Climax tournament is winding down as Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan will host the remaining shows. Earlier today, Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated AJ Styles in a thrilling match to win the A Block championship. Tanahashi’s run in his block ended with him earning a total of 14 points.

B Block championship will be determined tomorrow evening as IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada is currently in the lead with 14 points.

Shinsuke Nakamura, Karl Anderson, and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hirooki Goto are all tied for second place with 12 points each. The winner will face Tanahashi in the tournament finals, which will be held on Sunday, August 16.

Sunday’s finale will also see two title matches. 2015 BOSJ winner KUSHIDA defends the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title against last year’s BOSJ winner Ricochet. The Young Bucks defend the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight titles against reDRagon.

G-1 Climax Finale will air live on New Japan World at 2:00 am Eastern and 11:00 pm Pacific. If you’re looking to sign up the their streaming service, click here for an English language version of their sign up page.

Randy Savage vs. Jushin Liger: I Never Knew This Happened!

One of the fun things that comes with being a fan of any genre are the undiscovered gems you stumble upon. That wow factor kicks into overdrive because it sounds too good to be true when you find something that you never knew existed.

‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger are two of my favorite professional wrestlers. Up until this past weekend, I would’ve called you a liar if you said they actually wrestled each other. Well, they did in fact tango in the squared circle.

Their one and only encounter took place on July 17, 1996, in Sapporo, Japan, during a New Japan Pro Wrestling tour. Savage was one of four wrestlers representing WCW and hurt his leg on a dive the night before in a losing effort to Ric Flair.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a sellout crowd 6,400 fans filled the Makomanai Ice Arena as Savage hobbled to the ring for his showdown with the esteemed junior heavyweight. Liger entered next with his usual flash and energy as an admirer handed him a bouquet.

While the match was only eight minutes and really nothing special, it was a nice novelty to see two of the all-time greats dance one time. It was odd seeing Savage being the bigger of the two wrestlers since he was often the smallest guy in the ring.

Despite winning the match with his patented flying elbow drop, Savage really worked to put Liger over as a serious threat. He played defense most of the time due to his leg injury, sold like a champ for the palm strike, and took a Liger Bomb.

Wrestlers have always been expected to wear their working shoes when traveling to Japan. However, looking at the landscape of superstar American heavyweights at the time, I don’t think that many of them would have gone out of their way to make a wrestler in a weight class below look like credible.

It was fun to see Savage out of his element and with Liger. Again, the match is nothing to write home about, but this one time encounter is worth a gander if you a fan of these colorful titans of the mat. The Madness versus The Thunder, Ooh Yeah!

The Invasion of Michael Bennett

This past Saturday, at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Invasion Attack, Michael Bennett and Matt Taven defeated Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows to become the IWGP Tag Team Champions. This is the most high-profile moment in both of their careers, particularly for Bennett, whose success has bred some criticism.

For those who aren’t familiar with Michael Bennett, he is a wrestler from the Massachusetts area best known for his work in Ring of Honor. Bennett has also become a well-traveled performer who often finds himself in wrestling rings all around the world. Continue reading “The Invasion of Michael Bennett” →

Trophies In Pro Wrestling

In professional wrestling, championship belts are the benchmark for success. Those who wear fifteen pounds of gold and leather around their waist are either considered the best in the world, or at worst, the top two out of three.

Trophies in wrestling also award athletic achievement and recognize merit of a particular accomplishment such as winning a battle royal or tournament. Declaring an honor such as “best wrestling match” or “coolest finishing maneuver” also earns with the winning nominee a trophy.

In 2013, Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) won the Best of the Super Juniors tournament for the second time. BOSJ is held annually by New Japan Pro Wrestling and is a round robin style tournament featuring 18 wrestlers divided into two blocks. Devitt defeated Alex Shelly in the finals to take home the trophy deeming him the best junior heavyweight in the world.

My latest article at What Culture.com reviews some of the trophies in professional wrestling that either played an important part in a particular match or a wrestlers career. Click here to check out 10 Wrestling Trophies You Need To Know About.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 8 Review

Any wrestling fan worth his salt knows what January 4^th represents. It is the biggest day of the year for Japanese pro wrestling as New Japan Pro Wrestling puts on their annual Wrestle Kingdom event otherwise known as the Tokyo Dome show. The perspective magnitude of this event is equal to WrestleMania and boasts an impressive resume of spectacle and sport.

Continue reading “NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 8 Review” →

A Detailed Look at New Japan’s New York Show

New Japan Pro Wrestling invaded New York City for the second night of their tour this past Saturday. The evening’s battle ground is known as Basketball City and is really just a large abandoned warehouse. The attendance was announced at approximately 1,200 people. These shows might have been a once in a lifetime opportunity for fans to see their favorite NJPW stars live in person. Hopefully, the shows were perceived as being good enough so they will come back in the future.

Continue reading “A Detailed Look at New Japan’s New York Show” →