AXS TV Re-Signs NJPW For a Multi-Year Deal

[cero2k]

Source: 411mania.com

According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AXS TV and TV-Asahi have announced the signing of a multi-year contract to continue Friday night broadcasts of New Japan’s World Pro Wrestling. The show is averaging 200,000 viewers for AXS TV, which is said to be a pleasant surprise for the channel. The show’s third season will run from August 14th through December 11th. And they will be catching up the show time wise, but it will not run current due to the way the deal is structured (the show runs first in Japan, then comes to the US to get new commentary). By 2016, the goal is to run 52 weeks a year with no weeks off. Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett will continue to call the action. Here is the schedule of matches, which start on August 14th…

* August 14 (8 p.m. Show): From 9/21/14 in Kobe: Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka; Tetsuya Naito & Kota Ibushi vs. A.J. Styles & Tama Tonga; Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kushida for IWGP jr. title.

* August 21: From 9/21/14 in Kobe: Togi Makabe vs. Hirooki Goto, Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata (which placed third in the 2014 mach of the year balloting).

* August 28: From 9/21/14 in Kobe: Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows vs. Kazuchika Okada & Yoshi-Hashi for IWGP tag titles; Bad Luck Fale vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for IC title.

* September 4: From 10/13/14 at Sumo Hall: Taguchi vs. Desperado for IWGP jr. title; Nakamura & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Shibata & Goto; Okada vs. Naito for Tokyo Dome title shot.

* September 11: From 10/13/14 at Sumo Hall: A.J. Styles vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi for IWGP heavyweight title.

* September 18: From 11/18/14 in Osaka: Alex Shelley & Kushida vs. Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish for IWGP jr. tag title; Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Taichi for IWGP jr. title; Chase Owens vs. Jushin Liger for NWA jr. title.

* September 25 (8 p.m. Show): From 11/8/14 in Osaka: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Goto for Never Open weight title; Tanahashi & Ibushi vs. Okada & Yoshi-Hashi; Nakamura vs. Shibata for IC title.

* October 2: From 12/7/14 in Nagoya: Tanahashi & Ibushi & Makabe & La Sombra vs. Okada & Nakamura & Ishii & Yoshi-Hashi; Goto & Shibata vs. Anderson & Gallows in the finals of the tag team tournament.

* October 9: From 1/4/15 at the Tokyo Dome: O’Reilly & Fish vs. Kushida & Shelley vs. Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov vs. Young Bucks for IWGP jr. tag titles; Taguchi vs. Kenny Omega for IWGP jr. title.

* October 16: From 1/4/15 at the Tokyo Dome: Ishii vs. Makabe for Never Open weight title; Sakuraba vs. Suzuki

* October 23: From 1/4/15 at the Tokyo Dome: Anderson & Gallows vs. Goto & Shibata for IWGP tag title; Styles vs. Naito; Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Honma vs. Jeff Jarrett & Fale & Yujiro Takahashi

* October 30: From 1/4/15 at the Tokyo Dome: Yano & Naomichi Marufuji & Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste vs. Takashi Iizuka & Shelton Benjamin & Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.; Nakamura vs. Ibushi for IC title (this will actually be listed in the cable guides as “a five-star classic bout”).

* November 6: From 1/4/15 at the Tokyo Dome: Tanahashi vs. Okada for IWGP heavyweight title

* November 13: From 1/19/15 at Korakuen Hall: Triton & Captain New Japan vs. Naito & Taguchi; Atlantis & Volador Jr. & Tanahashi & Ibushi vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Gran Guerrero & Nakamura & Okada; La Sombra vs. Mascara Dorada.

* November 20 (8 p.m. show) : From 2/11/15 in Osaka: Omega vs. Taguchi for IWGP jr. title; Anderson & Gallows vs. Goto & Shibata for IWGP tag titles.

* December 4: From 2/11/15 in Osaka: Tanahashi vs. Styles for IWGP heavyweight title.

* December 11: From 2/14/15 from Sendai: Ishii vs. Honma for Never Open weight title