MLW World Heavyweight Championship Title Fight in San Juan, Costa Rica

San Juan, Costa Rica – Major League Wrestling (MLW) and Costa Rica Wrestling Embassy (CWE) are thrilled to announce an inter-promotional showdown as MLW World Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima defends his title against Costa Rica’s #1 contender, Ares, at CWE Devastación VIII on August 31 at Arena CWE in San Juan, Costa Rica.

This historic title fight, promoted by CWE, marks the first time the MLW World Heavyweight Championship will be defended in Central America.

Ares, one of Costa Rica’s best, has earned his status as the country’s top contender and now stands on the brink of making history in front of his home country.

Satoshi Kojima, a legendary figure in professional wrestling, is a former NWA World’s Heavyweight, two-time Triple Crown Champion, and a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Kojima is on a relentless campaign to prove he is the most fighting champion in the sport. By defending the MLW World Heavyweight Championship around the globe, Kojima aims to showcase the championship’s global status.

CWE, the premier wrestling organization in Costa Rica, is honored to host this inter-promotional title fight at Arena CWE. This event not only highlights the extraordinary talent within Costa Rica but also showcases the country on the global wrestling stage.

For more information, visit MLW.com and follow MLW on X, Instagram, and YouTube

Will Okada Leave New Japan?

Perhaps the greatest Japanese wrestler in history could find himself stateside in 2024. Kazuchika Okada is reportedly “seriously entertaining,” leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and signing with another promotion.

Sports Illustrated broke the news that Okada’s contract expires at the end of January 2024. WWE or AEW are the two likely landing spots for the 36-year-old star. SI’s Justin Barrasso believes AEW would allow Okada to continue living in Japan with occasional matches in NJPW, while WWE is the biggest stage and can offer more opportunities.

For the uninitiated, Okada is the leading man in New Japan, the exact role Roman Reigns occupies in WWE. “The Rainmaker” is a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. His fourth reign as champion is the longest in NJPW history at 720 days.

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The Great Muta Announced for the WWE Hall of Fame

First announced on WWE’s The Bump on Wednesday afternoon, Japanese legend The Great Muta will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on 3/31/23, joining Rey Mysterio.

Ric Flair, who will induct Muta into the Hall of Fame, stated on The Bump, “He’s a tremendous guy, a tremendous athlete, a great person, a great man,” and went on to say Muta has a special place in his heart due working with his late son Reid In Japan during his time in All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Keiji Muto, aka The Great Muta, recently completed a retirement tour where he wrestled his last match. The tour included a match against Shinsuke Nakamura on New Year’s Day for Pro Wrestling NOAH. Many assume WWE allowed Nakamura to work the show in exchange for Muta entering the Hall of Fame.

Keiji Muto wrestled his final match as The Great Muta on January 22, teaming with Darby Allin & Sting in a six-man tag team match. His final match as Muto occurred last month, where he faced Tetsuya Naito, followed by a last showdown with Masahiro Chono.

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Ospreay vs. Omega Soars at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 emanated from the Tokyo Dome on January 4th, as it does every year. The show returned to a one-night offering and boasted a twelve match card.

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Best Wrestling Matches of 2022

It’s time for Ringside Logic’s “Best of the Year” honors. 2022 will go down as the year to remember in professional wrestling. Between Cody Rhodes leaving AEW, Steve Austin’s return to the ring, and Vince McMahon’s retirement, there was enough earth-shattering news to last four lifetimes.

2022 also produced one of the best years in between the ropes. Action-packed matches, wild angles, and memorable moments encompassed all major promotions. We will list our picks for the best matches in Impact Wrestling, NJPW, AEW, and WWE, and the big one, the overall Match of the Year.

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Ringside Logic Audio: Mandy Rose, Vince McMahon, Sasha Banks, & More

2022 is the gift that keeps giving when it comes to major news stories in professional wrestling. This week alone, there were several breaking news items. Ringside Logic is trying something different and going the podcast route to break it all down!

-Former NXT Champion Mandy Rose was fired from WWE.

-Vince McMahon looking to return to WWE???

-Sasha Banks headed to New Japan Pro Wrestling, and more!

AEW Forbidden Door 2022 (Review)

Ringside Logic editor Atlee Greene sits down with the host of the CS:GO Clutch Podcast Adam Kohn and review this past Sunday’s AEWxNJPW pay-per-view event, Forbidden Door.

We’re going the Podcast route with this one! We break down all of the matches, surprises, and fallout as we head into Blood & Guts on Dynamite.

10 Matches for People Who Don’t Watch NJPW

Japanese professional wrestling is an enigma unto itself. While North America’s presentation primarily emphasizes spectacle over sport, Japan’s exhibition of the art accentuates the opposite. While it might look the same as the staged combat seen in the west, the eastern flavor has more kick.

While WWE is the industry leader, New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is Japan’s most prominent and longest-running wrestling promotion. Founded in 1972, NJPW is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Today, NJPW is arguably the second biggest promotion in the world and puts on great wrestling matches that have produced a global cult-like following. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and New Japan will team up for their Forbidden Door pay-per-view event this Sunday.

There are many great matches from a multitude of events that epitomize NJPW. Consider this an introductory course for the uninitiated, citing ten matches that best illustrate the style and presentation of New Japan.

This isn’t a “best-of” list, and I won’t be teaching this class alone.

I called the Jobber Knocker Podcast’s resident NJPW expert Dennis Conway aka SSJPegasus. We’ll each pick five matches that are great introductory examples to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

If you’re watching AEW Forbidden Door this Sunday and are unfamiliar with NJPW, this one is for you.

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Interim Titles: A History Lesson

AEW’s path to crown an interim world champion is clear. Last Wednesday on Dynamite, #1 contender Jon Moxley beat Casino Battle Royal winner Kyle O’Reilly in a good back-and-forth contest. O’Reilly’s battle royal win was surprisingly damned with faint praise in the crowd and online. He’s a good wrestler, but some find the Undisputed Elite member boring.

NJPW was in a similar situation with their half of the interim title equation. Hiroki Goto is a good wrestler, but some find him dull as a character. No one expected Goto to beat Hiroshi Tanahashi at Dominion on Sunday, and they were right. Tanahashi pinned Goto in a highly engaging match despite the result never really being in question.

Jon Moxley will face Hiroshi Tanahashi to determine the interim AEW World Champion at Forbidden Door on June 26 in Chicago. CM Punk’s injury put a damper on things, but hopefully, the interim title will begin to right the ship. Of course, the end game down the line is the interim titleist colliding with Punk to determine an undisputed champion.

Does anyone know how the interim concept got started in the first place? I do, I do (eagerly raising my hand in class). So, here’s a history lesson.

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CM Punk Injured; AEW to Crown Interim Champion

Bad luck has postponed the Summer of Punk 3.0.

CM Punk announced on Rampage Friday night that he’s injured, a couple of things are broken, and he needs surgery. While Punk will be out for an undetermined time, he will remain AEW World Champion.

Later on, Excalibur announced that a battle royal will open Dynamite on Wednesday, where the winner will face #1 contender Jon Moxley in the main event. The winner of that match will face an unnamed opponent for the interim AEW World Championship on June 26 at Forbidden Door.

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