Next US show is officially called "G1 Special in San Francisco" and NJPW confirmed rumors of it airing live on AXS TV instead of NJPW World due to its start time being set to cater to the East Coast. Also a lot easier and cheaper to just use AXS TV crew than fly their own guys in for the event.

In terms of commentary, JR and Josh Barnett got the nod for this show.

watching tonight's show on AXS...this is the description


New Japan Pro Wrestling: Wrestling Hi No Kuni 2018
Minoru Suzuki defends the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Tetsuya Naito. EVIL and SANADA challenge Killer Elite Squad for the IWGP Tag Team titles.

From what I've seen I think Sanada and Zack Sabre Jr. are my favorites (so far) in NJPW

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This woman in the front row is scared of Suzuki and clutching a stuffed...penguin...cat...catguin? �� <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/njpw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#njpw</a> <a href="https://t.co/uUpEkSTKUr">pic.twitter.com/uUpEkSTKUr</a></p>&mdash; Kenton (@TheKentonLane) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheKentonLane/status/1000173248842272768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Naito/Suzuki was good

Its a cat

How do you not know a Daryl when you see one?

I heard about that Ospreay/Ricochet match and turned it off when they did that spot where they both backflip and pose next to each other. Fucking gross.

Yeah and i love Richichet but that match was offensive enough that it needed a trigger warning before it

Might honestly be the worst match ive ever seen

https://i.imgur.com/02dsKuY.gif

Was watching some block matches I missed and once I saw that happen, had the epiphany of this being too good to not be a gif somewhere. Turns out nobody else did it after a bunch of searching so I had to do it myself.

lol I absolutely loved the fuck out of that match... in a vacuum. Not as anything I'd want to see beyond that one match in that one building.

I felt like I was watching streetfighter or something.

Yeah, I had heard about it beforehand, so I knew what I was getting going in. I just enjoyed it for what it was and didn't take it seriously.

It was a Yano match to me.

I was thinking Mortal Kombat :lol:.

Holy shit balls, Dragon Lee vs SHO was good. Early favorite for match of the tournament, in fact.

Makes me really happy because I'm a big supporter of SHO, and not only do I think he'll be Jr. champ one day, but I think he could eventually move to heavyweight and be a big star for the company.

I was really looking forward to how he would perform in the tourney, and he has already exceeded my high expectations.

lol Desperado with one of the more creative chair shots I've seen.

Taguchi's sell of it is great.

Kevin Kelly just called a Blue Thunder Bomb a Falcon Arrow.

I can't even

Those two moves are barely similar.

I've been struggling to get through BOSJ. Kevin Kelly on his own is just putting me to sleep.

Switch to the Japanese commentators. You might not understand what they're saying, but they're building excitement will keep you more invested in the match than Kelly's droning.


That's what I'm doing. Gave Kelly a chance the first two nights, but Jap coms were so much better on the next one.

Apparently Naito and the rest of LIJ pranked Tokyo Sports again. Held another interview with reporters at a restaurant and just like every other time, found a way to foot the bill on Tokyo Sports' dime.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This was a special LIJ anniversary lunch. Naito told his boys to order what they wanted, but at the end went to hail a cab for everyone and mysteriously vanished. BUSHI and Hiromu left to check on him leaving Tokyo Sports with the tab... again.</p>&mdash; chris charlton (@reasonjp) <a href="https://twitter.com/reasonjp/status/1001010781469663232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I haven't seen much of Ricochet, but when he's serious he actually seems really great. I wouldn't call myself a fan just because I haven't seen enough, but he seems to get that it's supposed to be a fight, and his charisma seems to come from him being this tough-as-nails smaller guy in that fight.

But yeah, I didn't even realize I was so "Cornette" as I was until I saw that match and almost gagged and had to turn it off. I would have paid to have been let out of the building. So disgusting. Such wank.

I can deal with us having different political views, but this is just downright disgusting, Dale, and you should be ashamed. Easily the worst post you have ever made.

(I'm kidding, ya cunt)

I really want to like Kevin Kelly, but I just can't. Maybe I needed to watch more Metal back in the day? I actually like him in shoot interviews. I can't remember why, but he tore the fuck out of Triple H -- like viciously -- and I was like "Haha, you are never going to work there again," but the balls on him.

I think he would make a great writer of articles or a podcast host for a promotion. He seems smart and like he's got a lot of knowledge and passion. As a play-by-play guy, I think he comes off as too "nerdy." Like he was the prototype for the nerd announcer before they worked out they wanted them to be good looking too. He tries hard, but I think that has become a problem in later years, because you can feel the effort -- like he's trying to be the best play-by-play in the business, instead of just being the best play-by-play guy in the business.

I'd definitely prefer Japanese or JR over him, to be honest. I also thought that Don Callis was funny for a few weeks on Lance Storm's podcast, but think he is a pretty trash announcer, really.

Um when did New Japan start airing Friday nights? It's on this AXS channel I never even heard of . I just randomly happened to be flipping through

And JR is announcing what!!!!!

About 2-3 years ago. Think they made a deal with NJPW for a weekly show around the same time NJPW announced Wrestle Kingdom 10 was going to air live in the US.

Solid match between Omega and Page.

Good episode of NJPW on AXS TV once again, just finished it.

If you were Samantha Bee, you'd be(e) in some serious trouble.

I've heard the buzz.

I hope Meij's plan to increase the television profile of New Japan means that they reach a deal in Australia. I want to hear JR call wrestling again.

I don't like Kevin Kelly's whole production either. His voice, his energy, his passion... he's above a guy like Mark Madden for sure, but he's a total nerd.

makes him relatable for the audience

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JR fucking sucks in New Japan. Abysmal commentary from the AXS guys.

Watching Dominion live

Yoh and Sho/Desperado and Kanemaru

Juice and Finlay/White and Yoshi-Hashi