#challenge champion el event

[elbdot]

THE POKEMON TOURNAMENT IS OVER THE 3DS SERVERS ARE DOWN

4 WEEKS OF BATTLING 42 CHALLENGERS 68 BATTLES AGAINST ME

If you wanna know WHO WON, I published the results in an openly available post on Patreon! THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO PARTICIPATED!!! This was a REALLY special event and I'm so glad so many people stayed until the VERY END to trade and battle with me and my community until the servers shut down!

I WILL MISS THE ONLINE FUNCTIONS, it feels like the end of an era 😭 Not to mention there was something quite poetic about the servers of Sun and Moon going down on the day of an Eclipse... My Patrons helped me hack my 3DS so maybe we get to enjoy servers run by the Pokemon homebrewing community one day, who knows ;w;

Also thank you to everyone who gifted me a special Pokemon via trade!! I gave out little Joltiks in the end as a participation price, each one named "Nugget" with the same nature and Compound Eyes ;w; Hope you all take good care of your little Nuggets!! Thanks for joining the event :D

[solarsonicsoda]

Wrestlemania Main Event Reviews - Wrestlemania XXXIX (Saturday)

Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn def. The Usos (Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso) (c) for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships in 24:17

Oh my god what a promo package. As a longtime Zayn & Owens fan now, this hit different. Simply electric. Now, Lil Uzi Vert is out first with his hair styled like Batman’s head in a rather impressive look, and he's singing a song. He does this to welcome the champions, The Usos. Now here comes KO, main eventing Night One for a second consecutive time. I never noticed his homages to PWG and Super Dragon on his trunks! Now here's Sami Zayn! The crowd sing along to Worlds Apart as the challengers walk their way to the ring. Cole makes a great point, while The Usos are part of a famous wrestling family, here in their showy white gear, Zayn & Owens are down to Earth, blue collar, and they walk to the ring in plain black zip-up hoodies. The titles are raised and we’re ready to go. 

Olé chants start things off as they take things in. Jey offers the tag and starts it off against Zayn. Lock up and Uso gains control. Lock up again and this time Zayn wins out from the rope rebound. Jimmy makes a secret tag and pulls the ropes to drop Zayn to the outside. A clothesline by Jimmy, a throw into the ringpost, then Jimmy tags Jey who hits a dive. Suplex and he takes it back in the ring. Attack in the ropes and Jimmy kicks Zayn as the referee is distracted. Tag again and Jimmy stomps Zayn. He strikes Owens and draws his ire. Tag again and a double team. Jey can't put Zayn away yet though, even if he's desperate for a tag. Zayn is able to fight back and drop both Usos to the outside and get the tag! From the top rope, cannonball! He takes both men out and hits Bullfrog Splashes on each Uso, Jimmy on the outside and Jey inside. No 3 though, and Jey is able to regain control with a neckbreaker. Owens put up top and Jimmy makes a tag but Owens fights back. Knees up by Jey from a Swanton though, then Himmy immediately follows with an Uso Splash for 2. Owens sodges the hip attack, two superkicks, then a Cannonball in the corner to Jimmy. He goes up top but Jey fights him. However, Zayn fights him off and hits a brainbuster on the apron! Swanton from Owens but no 3. Zayn is in and huts an Uso Splash but it's 2 again. Ole chants even louder now as Cole mentions El Generico on WWE TV! Graves says he’s glad that guy retired.

Jimmy fights back against a Blue Thunder Bomb and hits a superkick on Owens. Zayn is finally able to hit it but only after Jimmy tags Jey who immediately breaks the pin with a superkick. Some sort of flying superkick from Jey but Zayn kicks out. Superkick again from Jey and he tags Jimmy. They each hit one then a double superkick but Owens breaks up the pin. He gets his own superkick as the Usos tag again. They hound Sami and hit a double superkick to the back of the head of Zayn! He still won't stay down though. Tag again and double superkick again but Zayn kicks out. Tag again as they raise the ones and go for a 1D, but Owens pulls Jimmy from the ring. Jey kicks out of the roll up as Owens bounces Jimmy off of the announce table, He looks for a move through it but Jey runs in and helps his brother, as they drive him through an announce table. 1D on Zayn back in the ring, but kick out! Great reaction and the commentary sells it well. Jey begs Zayn to quit and beats him down in the corner. Zayn tries desperately to stand and Jey hits a Helluva Kick. Zayn falls into Jey as he mouths off again, but Exploder Suplex into the corner! Zayn tags Owens who hits pop-up powerbombs on both men. Owens screams “NOW” as Zayn hits a Helluva Kick on Jimmy, Owens hits a Stunner on Jey, but he kicks out at 2. Each team pull each other up on the mat and stare down as the crowd cheers. They start teeing off on each other. Superkick from Jimmy to Zayn, then one from Owens to Jimmy, then one to Jey. Pop-up powerbomb attempt but Jey vaults over after a secret tag by Jimmy. Superkicks each then a double superkick to Owens, and Zayn gets one on the apron too. Dragged over, tag, and Double Uso Splash. But Owens kicks out at two! Jey lifts up Owens in the corner, tags Jimmy, and double superkick in the corner. Tag again, and they put Owens up top. Jey has him superplex position but Zayn pulls out Jimmy and launches him over the announce table as Owens brings down Jey. Zayn runs to the corner and begs for the tag as the crowd goes wild. Jey is in the corner and Zayn hits the Helluva Kick! Jey falls into him, and after a moment he props him back up and hits another! But here comes Jimmy… but Owens is there with a Stunner. Zayn props Jey up once more, the crowd knows what's going to happen, and he hits one more Helluva Kick! 1, 2, 3! New champs as they quietly sit down and take it in. They embrace and get their titles, raising them as the fireworks go off. What a moment.

Pros: Emphatic victory, hot crowd, emotional moments, exciting action Cons: I can probably only wish I was more awake when I first saw it!

This is a pretty great match. Four awesome wrestlers, even if The Usos rely heavily on their superkicks throughout. Owens & Zayn getting this platform is absolutely awesome after all their years on the indies and work trying to get to this spot once in the WWE. It’s really less about the in-ring here and more about the moment, the energy, and the story. That's no knock on this match though, because it was all so good. A great pair of co-mains on this night for completely different reasons. But what a moment and the end of an always engaging match! 

4.5 STARS OUT OF 5

[wrestlingisfake]

King of Pro Wrestling preview

Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr. - Naito is defending the IWGP world heavyweight championship. Sabre scored a win over Naito in July, during the G1 Climax, before going on to win the whole tournament. Normally the G1 winner would receive a title match at the Tokyo Dome in January, but Zack has elected to skip the wait and do it now. He hopes to win the title and bring it to the London show on October 20. Zack is already scheduled to face SANADA at that show; if he's successful here, that will become his first title defense.

New Japan desperately needs to establish a wave of new stars, and at 37 years old, Sabre is not exactly the ideal candidate to lead the next generation. But at this point New Japan has booked themselves into a corner. Naito is 42 and looks increasingly worn down, Hiroshi Tanahashi is a spent force at 47, and everybody else at their level has signed with WWE or AEW. EVIL, Shingo Takagi, and Sanada didn't catch fire. The Reiwa Musketeers (Shota Umino, Ren Narita, and Yota Tsuji) are still years away from being allowed to grab the brass ring, with Yuya Uemura and Ryohei Oiwa bottlenecked in line behind them. So under the circumstances, Sabre is the best available option in 2024.

That doesn't make it a lock Sabre will win the big one here. When Kenny Omega won the G1 in 2016, I was certain he'd be coronated as the top champion right away, but it didn't end up happening for almost two years. I don't really think they should pull the rug out from Sabre, but they're not afraid to do it if they're not ready to put a new guy on top.

It's particularly hard to predict New Japan's future plans because we have no idea what the Tokyo Dome main event will end up being. Normally that match would be locked in by now, and this year we can't be certain either Naito or Sabre will make it to Wrestle Kingdom. I suspect there's a reason for that, but I can't figure out what it could be.

I haven't gotten much out of Naito's matches lately, so this will mainly depend on the drama of Sabre trying to beat a top guy who's always been a cut above him, to finally score the crowning achievement of his career. If he doesn't win, a lot of fans are going to be bitterly disappointed, and I don't think New Japan will have a contingency plan for that. So I'm pulling for him, but I've been burned too many times to count on a title change.

David Finlay vs. Hirooki Goto - Finlay defended the IWGP global title against YOSHI-HASHI a couple of weeks ago, so now Yoshi's partner Goto wants a shot. These two were scheduled to meet on March 16 during the New Japan Cup, but Finlay had to withdraw due to a medical issue. When they finally squared off in August, Goto scored an upset victory. So Finlay is looking for some vengeance.

I'd love to tell you Goto has at least a shot of winning, but I can't convince myself of that. Finlay is just going to roll over this guy like he did Yoshi. These are placeholder matches against lower midcarders because Finaly has run out of guys that are worth beating. I'd like to think that after this match a young guy will step up to challenge him for the Tokyo Dome, but there aren't really that many young guys handy to fill that role. With that in mind, it's no wonder Finlay has--and will retain--the #2 heavyweight belt in the promotion.

DOUKI vs. SHO - Sho attacked Douki on September 29 and swiped the IWGP junior heavyweight title, so this is one of those matches where the champion intends to get his belt back by giving a title shot to the guy who stole it. I really don't need another run for Sho as the undeserving chickenshit heel champion. Douki should retain.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shota Umino & El Phantasmo vs. EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru - This is billed as Tanahashi's 25th anniversary match, celebrating his in-ring debut in 1999. This is a trios match, and Tana is one of the NEVER trios champions, and Evil's team has been chasing that title for weeks. But for this match Tana is teaming with ELP and Shota instead of Toru Yano and Oleg Boltin, so the belts aren't at stake. I'm not sure what the point is, except that Shota finally convinced Phantasmo to stop thinking about joining Houe of Torture, and formally align with Hontai. An American booker would use this opportunity to fake us out and have ELP go ahead and double-cross the Hontai team to help Evil's team win. But I can't see New Japan doing that. More likely Yujiro or Nobu will simply lose the fall.

Jeff Cobb vs. Yota Tsuji vs. Ren Narita - Cobb's NJPW World television title is on the line, so this match has a 15-minute time limit. The first man to score a pin or submission on either opponent within the time limit will win the match and the title. On September 8, Cobb retained his belt against Tsuji in a time limit draw, and then Narita attacked both men to put himself in the title picture. I figure this is a way to move the title to Narita without cleanly beating either guy.

Shingo Takagi vs. Ryohei Oiwa - Takagi regained the NEVER title on September 29, and Oiwa stepped up to be the first challenger. I don't want to say it's too soon for Oiwa to get a push and/or a title run. But HENARE spent years trying to win the NEVER belt, and he finally won it from Shingo, only to lose it right back. If he's still just a good hand, I don't know why they'd strap a rocket to Oiwa's back. Something tells me this will be a straightforward win for Takagi, where the story for Oiwa will be how good he looked in defeat.

Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls vs. Bad Luck Fale & Caveman Ugg - Haste and Nicholls are defending the IWGP heavyweight tag title. The STRONG tag title is not at stake; Haste and Nicholls are scheduled to defend that one on October 20. Fale was a key member of Bullet Club, but he hasn't done much in Japan lately as he's been focused on the Bullet Club subgroup, Rogue Army, over in NJPW's shows in Australia and New Zealand. Ugg is a caveman in said Rogue Army. I could see this going either way. World Tag League is coming up, but I can't really see how it'd make a difference which of these teams heads into that with the belts.

Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney vs. KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight - Knight pinned Moloney in a trios match on August 30, so now he gets a shot for the IWGP junior heavyweight tag title. This is the first time he's teamed with Kushida since June, and the first time the Intergalactic Jet Setters have challenged for the junior tag title since April. In two-on-two matchups, the Jet Setters are 2-1 against the champions, but they've never beaten Connors and Moloney when the gold is on the line. I've been ready for a junior tag title change for a while now, but I don't have much confidence it'll happen this time. The safe bet is for the champs to retain.

Mistico vs. Hiromu Takahashi - Mistico is the MLW middleweight champion and the CMLL historic middleweight champion, but neither of those titles is at stake here. I think the story here is that Hiromu just wants to wrestle him. It seems like a pretty huge match, so it's kind of weird it's just opening the show. Mistico probably needs to win, unless they're setting up a title match someplace.

[puroresu-musings]

NJPW NEW YEAR DASH!! 2024 Review (Jan 5th, Sumida Ward Gymnasium, Tokyo)

NJPW World TV Championship - Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi **1/2

Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa ***

El Phantasmo & Hikuleo vs. Yuto Nakashima & Oskar Leube **1/2

Tama Tonga, Shota Umino, El Desperado, Master Wato, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. EVIL, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo *1/2

Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, HENARE, TJP & Frencesco Akira vs. David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Alex Coughlin, Clark Conners & Drilla Moloney ****

Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI & TAKA Michinku **1/4

KOPW 2024 Championship ~ Pinfall Only 10 Minute Sprint - Toru Yano vs. Great-O-Khan vs. YOH vs. Taiji Ishimori *1/2

Kazuchika Okada, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita ***3/4

Photos.

This was your typically fun, brisk NEW YEAR DASH!! show, that was as always was more about the angles and story progressions into the year ahead (or indeed, lack there of) as opposed to great matches or anything. Debuting in the Sumida Ward Gym, the show was a mystery card, with the matches only becoming apparent once the participants entered. Things kicked off with Tanahashi defending the World TV Title against Ryusuke Taguchi, in an inoffensive, but totally superfluous opener. It only went 5:40, and was pretty much all your typical Taguchi comedy bout, which Tana obviously won with a cradle. The post match was eventful as a video aired of none other than Matt Riddle challenging Tanahashi, so that's certainly an interesting development. Tana claimed to have no idea who Riddle was. Next up, NOAH Ace Kiyomiya and NJ Young Lion Oiwa put in a losing effort against former tag champs Bishamon. This was a nice little match which saw Goto pin Oiwa after the Shoto in 7:40.

The next outing was Young Lion's Nakashima and Leube's official last match before their excursion. They took on the new Tag Champs, ELP and Hikuleo in a standard tag match. Phantasmo pinned Yuto at the 8 minute mark with Thunder Kiss 86. After bidding the Young Lions farewell, Chase Owens attacked the champions, and announced himself and KENTA as their next challengers. Fab. It was 12 man tag action next as the entire House of Torture took on the New Japan Babyface All-Stars. This was pretty bad, and devolved into the usual HoT nonsense. Umino pinned Togo in 8 minutes after a Death Rider, then the heels beat everyone down in the post match. Narita focussed on Shota, so their feud continues, Kanemaru laid out Despy with a whiskey bottle, so there's his next Jr. Title challenger, and EVIL laid out Tama, cut his hair, and posed with the NEVER Title, which he then stole. I can't possibly pretend that any of these pairings interest me in the slightest, but if there's one positive, it's that at least EVIL isn't anywhere near the main event scene.

United Empire battled the Bullet Club War Dogs next in a 10 man. This was all excellent. The match itself only went 5:10, but it was all-action and super intense; they brawled around the building, Akira hit a balcony dive, Connors Speared and beatdown the referee, Gabe Kidd juiced a gusher after hitting the exposed buckles, the War Dogs all threw chairs and guardrails from the crowd into the ring, and the match was thrown out, ruled a No Contest. There was a crazy post-match beatdown, which included the heels trying to gouge Akira's eye out with a metal object, and he juiced too. Just when it looked like they were done, the UE fought back and cleared house, only for Gedo to blindside Ospreay with a lowblow. They were about to take him out when TJP made the save by Misting Finlay, and Ospreay hit Gedo with a running Powerbomb through an upright table in the corner. Ospreay then said his last night in New Japan is New Beginning in Osaka on February 11th, and challenged all 5 guys to 10 man war fare, and he'd let Finlay choose the stipulation. The new Global Champion chose a Cage Match, so that should be outstanding stuff. This was the highlight of the show by far.

LIJ and Just Five Guys faced off next in a total House Show affair. It wasn't bad, but certainly wasn't good, and the post match didn't fill me with much excitement. TAKA scored his first win in maybe 15 years when he pinned BUSHI with a Michinoku Driver II at 8:47. The post match saw SANADA challenge Naito to a rematch (meh). I'd much rather someone else challenge for the World Heavyweight belt at this point, maybe even Taichi, but this was the inevitable issue with putting the belt back on Naito. There just aren't many/any fresh matches for him. The 2024 KOPW Champion was decided in the next match, which was a pinfalls only 10 minute sprint. This sucked, the crowd was dead, the action uninspired and even though it only went 10 minutes, it felt 30. After O-Khan pinned everyone, Ishimori snuck in, stole a pin, then ran away to beat the clock and win the Championship. Whatever. I think this belt is way past its Use By date now.

And then it was main event time, as the Dream Team of Okada, Ishii, Mox and Danielson took on the TMDK guys. This was lots of fun, everyone looked great and all the individual stories made for a compelling watch. Ishii tore the house down every time he got in there, and Danielson and ZSJ's exchanges were the best wrestling on the show. Obviously. The finish saw Haste and Nicholls put Ishii away with the Tank Buster whilst Sabre had Danielson tied up in a Manjigatame at the 13:50 mark. The post match saw Zack challenge Danielson (now THAT'S a rematch I can get behind!), with both guys promising to tap each other out (despite all the talk of submissions, their last match ended in a pinfall), then Fujita said he, Nicholls and Haste were next for the NEVER 6 Man Titles. Okada was very annoyed at this, saying Fujita was in no way ready to face him, then they stared down Tanahashi on commentary to end and eventful show.

NDT

[kuramirocket]

Two weeks after making history as Mexico’s first surfer in the Olympics, 22-year-old Alan Cleland Quiñonez took his burgeoning career to yet another crest by winning the US Open of Surfing on Sunday.

The Colima native became the first Mexican champion in the 65-year history of the event, which is held every year in Huntington Beach, California, and is regarded as the world’s largest surfing competition.

In the grand final, Cleland bested Marco Mignot.

Cleland was born to a Mexican mother in Boca de Pascuales, a remote fishing village — and surfing hotspot — in the municipality of Tecomán, Colima.

He was put onto his surfboard when he was only 2 years old.

As he grew, Cleland became better and better, turning professional at age of 13. Eight years after that, he qualified for the Summer Olympics in Paris during the 2023 World Surfing Games in El Salvador.

Cleland’s participation in the US Open of Surfing began Aug. 9, when he took second in his heat. The Mexican surfer won his next heat to get into the round of 16, where the format turned to head-to-head competition and he beat Michael Rodrigues.

In the quarterfinals, he beat American Crosby Colapinto, then topped Australian Jarvis Earle in the semifinals.

In a final that pitted Cleland against Mignot, Cleland’s 12.70 was just good enough to beat Mignot’s 12.60. 

“It means everything to me to represent my flag, my entire country, my people,” he said. “It is an honor. Being able to put this flag up high is incredible. Viva Mexico!”

Cleland was appearing in his first final in surfing’s important Challenger Series, which will determine which 10 surfers will automatically qualify for the 2025 Championship Tour.

“It’s crazy … It feels amazing,” Cleland told the news and information website Surfer.com. “It’s an honor to see how far we’ve come. To have the support crew, the Mexico crew, all my friends and my dad, everybody here, it feels crazy.”

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.11 (after 1920)

1920 – In the East Prussian plebiscite the local populace decides to remain with Weimar Germany. 1921 – A truce in the Irish War of Independence comes into effect. 1921 – The Red Army captures Mongolia from the White Army and establishes the Mongolian People's Republic. 1921 – Former president of the United States William Howard Taft is sworn in as 10th chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, becoming the only person ever to hold both offices. 1922 – The Hollywood Bowl opens. 1924 – Eric Liddell won the gold medal in 400m at the 1924 Paris Olympics, after refusing to run in the heats for 100m, his favoured distance, on a Sunday. 1934 – Engelbert Zaschka of Germany flies his large human-powered aircraft, the Zaschka Human-Power Aircraft, about 20 meters at Berlin Tempelhof Airport without assisted take-off. 1936 – The Triborough Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic. 1940 – World War II: Vichy France regime is formally established. Philippe Pétain becomes Chief of the French State. 1941 – The Northern Rhodesian Labour Party holds its first congress in Nkana. 1943 – Massacres of Poles in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army within the Reichskommissariat Ukraine (Volhynia) peak. 1943 – World War II: Allied invasion of Sicily: German and Italian troops launch a counter-attack on Allied forces in Sicily. 1947 – The Exodus 1947 heads to Palestine from France. 1950 – Pakistan joins the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. 1957 – Prince Karim Husseini Aga Khan IV inherits the office of Imamat as the 49th Imam of Shia Imami Ismai'li worldwide, after the death of Sir Sultan Mahommed Shah Aga Khan III. 1960 – France legislates for the independence of Dahomey (later Benin), Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso) and Niger. 1960 – Congo Crisis: The State of Katanga breaks away from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 1960 – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is first published, in the United States. 1962 – First transatlantic satellite television transmission. 1962 – Project Apollo: At a press conference, NASA announces lunar orbit rendezvous as the means to land astronauts on the Moon, and return them to Earth. 1971 – Copper mines in Chile are nationalized. 1972 – The first game of the World Chess Championship 1972 between challenger Bobby Fischer and defending champion Boris Spassky starts. 1973 – Varig Flight 820 crashes near Paris on approach to Orly Airport, killing 123 of the 134 on board. In response, the FAA bans smoking in airplane lavatories. 1977 – Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968, is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 1978 – Los Alfaques disaster: A truck carrying liquid gas crashes and explodes at a coastal campsite in Tarragona, Spain killing 216 tourists. 1979 – America's first space station, Skylab, is destroyed as it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere over the Indian Ocean. 1982 – The Italy National Football Team defeats West Germany at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to capture the 1982 FIFA World Cup. 1983 – A TAME airline Boeing 737–200 crashes near Cuenca, Ecuador, killing all 119 passengers and crew on board. 1990 – Oka Crisis: First Nations land dispute in Quebec begins. 1991 – Nigeria Airways Flight 2120 crashes in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing all 261 passengers and crew on board. 1995 – Yugoslav Wars: Srebrenica massacre begins; lasts until 22 July. 2006 – Mumbai train bombings: 209 people are killed in a series of bomb attacks in Mumbai, India. 2010 – The Islamist militia group Al-Shabaab carries out multiple suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, killing 74 people and injuring 85 others. 2010 – Spain defeats the Netherlands to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg. 2011 – Ninety-eight containers of explosives self-detonate killing 13 people in Zygi, Cyprus. 2015 – Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán escapes from the maximum security Altiplano prison in Mexico, his second escape. 2021 – Richard Branson becomes the first civilian to be launched into space via his Virgin Galactic spacecraft.

[wewerecore]

CORE presents The Co-Op 2024 - Update

We at COal REgion Pro-Wrestling would like to first thank our super sponsors for The Co-Op 2024, the United States Space Force and General Dynamics. They share CORE's commitment to bringing forward ideas that shape our world.

Thursday April 4th, 2024 - 23rd Street Armory - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

- After thirty years The Co-Op has partnered with the National Wrestling Alliance to revive Eastern Championship Wrestling! Since the legendary Philadelphia based independent promotion closed up shop in 1994, fans have been clamoring for Eastern Championship Wrestling to return. Hardcore fans have continued to chant the initials of Eastern Championship Wrestling at events all over the globe, and finally it returns to Philadelphia for a one night stand as part of The Co-Op.

Eastern Championship Wrestling - Super Spring Sizzler Spectacular

01. Tony Stetson (with Johnny Hot Body) vs. Damien Stone 02. The Sandman vs. Miguel Perez Jr. 03. Tommy Dreamer and Johnny Gunn vs. The Dark Patriot and Jason Knight 04. Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Osamu Nishimura 05. Three Way Dance: Stevie Richards vs. 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Mikey Whipwreck 06. Eastern Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Title Match: Shane Douglas (with Mr. Hughes) vs. Tito Santana

Friday April 5th, 2024 - 23rd Street Armory - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

- One of the most talked about matches from last year's annual wrestling week returns with a new format. Eight women will take part in a one-night tournament. The winner of the tournament will face off against Lindsay Snow in the main event. The winner of that match will not only win Lindsay Snow's Kaiju Cannabis Cup II, but will win control of this event next year! - In special non-tournament action, despite her recent success in TNA, Jody Threat still wants revenge for the vicious attack she suffered at the hands of Athena. Jody Threat has challenged Athena's top minion Billie Starkz to a grudge match. - Also in non-tournament action, Queen Aminata and Raychell Rose will defend the SHIMMER Tag Team Championship against Miu Watanabe and Rika Tatsumi.

Lindsay Snow's Kaiju Cannabis Cup II

01. Hyan vs. Kenzie Paige 02. Yuki Kamifuku vs. Alexxis Falcon 03. Killer Kelly vs. Ram Kaichow 04. Nicole Matthews vs. Jessie McKay 05. Non-Tournament: Billie Starkz vs. Jody Threat 06. Semi-Finals: X vs. X 07. Semi-Finals: X vs. X 08. SHIMMER Tag Team Championship Match: Queen Aminata and Raychell Rose (Champions) vs. Hakuchumu (Miu Watanabe and Rika Tatsumi) 09. Finals: X vs. X .0. Kaiju Cannabis Cup Match: Lindsay Snow vs. X

Saturday April 6th, 2024 - 23rd Street Armory - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

- Jeff Jarrett's Spring Breakers returns by popular demand. Jeff Jarrett again takes the pencil from Sonjay Dutt and guarantees great wrestling action presented in a wholly unique party-like atmosphere. - Two masked tag team wrestlers calling themselves The Devil's Masked Man A and The Devil's Masked Man B have demanded a spot on this card. The Devil's Masked Men claim to be the rightful holders of the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Championship titles, according to these men they were fired from AEW for being "too dangerous" and replaced by Mike Bennett and Matt Taven. Jeff Jarrett has honored their request and they will have a chance to prove the legitimacy of their claims starting at Jeff Jarrett's Spring Breakers 2.

Jeff Jarrett's Spring Breakers 2: Port Of Call Philadelphia

01. Mikey Whipwreck and Tajiri vs. DAMNATION T.A. (Daisuke Sasaki and KANON) 02. The TrustBusters (Sonny Kiss and Slim J) vs. The Devil's Masked Man A and The Devil's Masked Man B 03. Riho vs. Rhio 04. Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen) vs. Schadenfreude International (Chris Brookes and Takeshi Masada) 05. Mistico, Titan, Star Jr., and Flip Gordon vs. Los Super Astros (El Merenguero/Super Loco/Jose Estrada Jr./Miguel Perez Jr.) 06. Mark Briscoe vs. Axel Tischer 07. Satnam Singh/Jay Lethal/Sonjay Dutt/Karen Jarrett/X vs. Effy/Allie Katch/Dark Sheik/Sawyer Wreck/Maki Itoh 08. Texas Chainsaw Massacre Deathmatch: Leatherface vs. Jeff Jarrett

Sunday April 7th, 2024 - 23rd Street Armory - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

CORE Pro #127 04/07/24 White Flag 23rd Street Armory - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

- CORE returns for the first time since Christmas night of 2023!

CORE - White Flag 01. Big Dan Champion/Joshua Bishop/Hyan/Kylie Paige vs. Hang Your Head In Shame (James Drake/Zack Gibson/Killer Kelly/Xia Brookside) 02. Nic Nemeth and Ryan Nemeth vs. folkstyle (Shaw Mason and Tim Bosby) 03. Giant Baba Yaga and Fuego Del Sol vs. "Cool Hand" Angelo Parker and Ruby Soho 04. YOICHI vs. Mad Dog Connelly 05. Hallowicked and Frightmare vs. Astronauts (Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura) 06. The 37KAMIINA (Yuki Ueno and MAO) vs. Starboy Charlie and Marcus Mathers 07. Queen Aminata and Raychell Rose vs. STARS (Mayu Iwatani and Momo Kohgo) 08. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Titus Alexander

Other Events:

CORE Rage Party 04/05/24 Union Transfer - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The biggest party you’ll ever attend! Festivities will kick-off thirty minutes after Ring Of Honor's Supercard Of Honor

Featuring live music and all your favorite wrestlers. Performances from… William Patrick Corgan's Zwan Destroyer Graham Parker CMAT And a special DJ set by Gronk!

[whatsonmedia]

March Match Madness Continues: Top Sports This Weekend!

Get ready for another action-packed weekend of sports! From thrilling cricket clashes to nail-biting football cup finals and high-flying NBA battles, there's something for every sports fanatic. Mark your calendars and gear up for these must-watch matchups happening between March 15th and 18th: Cricket: Sri Lanka in Bangladesh - ODI Series Heats Up: The three-match ODI series between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh concludes with matches in Chattogram. Can Bangladesh secure a series win? >Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (2nd ODI)০ Date : Friday, 15 March 2024০ Time : 14:30০ Venue : Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram>Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (3rd ODI)০ Date : Monday, 18 March 2024০ Time : 10:00০ Venue : Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram. Afghanistan vs Ireland - T20 Tussle in the UAE: Witness three exciting T20 matches as Afghanistan and Ireland lock horns in Sharjah. >Afghanistan vs Ireland (1st T20)০ Date : Friday, 15 March 2024০ Time : 22:30০ Venue : Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah>Afghanistan vs Ireland (2nd T20)০ Date : Sunday, 17 March 2024০ Time : 22:00০ Venue : Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah>Afghanistan vs Ireland (3rd T20)০ Date : Monday, 18 March 2024০ Time : 22:00০ Venue : Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah Football: FA Cup Finals - Who Will Be Crowned Champion? The prestigious FA Cup culminates with blockbuster clashes! Witness Liverpool take on Manchester United at Old Trafford, and Newcastle challenge Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Don't miss Chelsea's battle against Leicester at Stamford Bridge! >Juventus vs Genoa০ Date : Sunday, 17 March 2024০ Time : 11:30 GMT০ Venue : Allianz Stadium>AC Milan vs Verona০ Date : Sunday, 17 March 2024০ Time : 17:00 GMT০ Venue : Marcantonio Bentegodi La Liga Showdown: The race for the La Liga title heats up as Barcelona takes on Atletico Madrid, while Real Madrid aims to maintain their lead against Osasuna. >Liverpool vs Man Utd০ Date : Saturday, 16 March 2024০ Time : 15:30 GMT০ Venue : Old Trafford>Newcastle vs Man City০ Date : Saturday, 16 March 2024০ Time : 17:30 GMT০ Venue : Etihad Stadium>Chelsea vs Leicester০ Date : Sunday, 17 March 2024০ Time : 12:45 GMT০ Venue : Stamford Bridge Serie A Battles: Witness Italian giants in action as Juventus hosts Genoa and AC Milan faces Verona. >Barcelona vs Atletico ০ Date : Sunday, 17 March 2024০ Time : 20:00 GMT০ Venue : Civitas Metropolitan Stadium, Madrid >Real Madrid vs Osasuna০ Date : Saturday, 16 March 2024০ Time : 15:15 GMT০ Venue :  El Sadar International Friendlies: European Teams Prepare for Qualifiers: Get a glimpse of international football as Portugal faces Sweden and Russia battles Serbia in preparation for upcoming qualifiers. >Portugal vs Sweden০ Date : Thursday, 22 March 2024০ Time : 19:45 GMT০ Venue : Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques>Russia vs Serbia০ Date : Thursday, 22 March 2024০ Time : 17:00 GMT০ Venue : VTB Arena Basketball: NBA Regular Season Heats Up: Witness exciting matchups across the league. Catch the Heat take on the Pistons, the Kings battle the Knicks, and revisit the Suns vs Hornets clash. >Heat vs pistons ০ Date : Saturday, 16 March 2024০ Time: 05:00 AM০ Venue : Little Caesars Arena>Suns vs Hornets০ Date : Tuesday, 12 March 2024০ Time : 5:00 AM০ Venue : Spectrum Center>Kings vs Knicks০ Date :Sunday, 17 March 2024০ Time : 08:00 AM০ Venue : Golden 1 Center This is just a glimpse into the exciting world of sports this weekend! Explore local events, other leagues, and upcoming tournaments to fuel your sporting spirit. #MarchMatchMadness #WeekendSports #CricketFever #FootballFrenzy #BasketballBuzzerBeaters Read the full article

[thxnews]

UK Champions Climate Resilience: Initiatives Unveiled

  Urgent Aid in the Wake of Devastating Floods

The British Embassy in Mogadishu has pledged nearly $7 million (£5.5 million) in additional funding to bolster the ongoing humanitarian efforts addressing the aftermath of El Niño-induced flooding in Somalia. In the past month alone, torrential rains and resulting floods have affected over two million Somalis, forcing more than 700,000 people to abandon their homes.   Critical Assistance for Those in Need This much-needed humanitarian aid aims to provide life-saving support to those grappling with the aftermath of floods. The assistance spans crucial areas such as food security, health, nutrition, and water, as well as hygiene and sanitation. The floods come on the heels of two years of persistent drought, exacerbating the already challenging humanitarian situation in the region.  

UK's Holistic Approach to Climate Resilience

The new funding initiative aligns with the United Kingdom's commitment to supporting countries vulnerable to climate change impacts, as highlighted during COP28 on December 3rd. This broader initiative includes £7.4 million allocated to facilitate the Federal Government of Somalia's access to drought response insurance through African Risk Capacity (ARC) for the next three years. The ARC aims to provide swift financial assistance to vulnerable communities in case of rain failure.   Drought Insurance Cover - A Vital Shield Minister of State for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, underscored the significance of the innovative drought insurance cover. Mitchell emphasized that Somalia is grappling with one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, and climate change exacerbates these challenges. The insurance cover offers rapid and targeted support in the event of failed rainy seasons over the next three years, aiding Somalia in strategic planning and preparation for drought risks.  

Expanding Partnerships for Timely Responses

The additional support builds on a groundbreaking partnership with the Africa Development Bank, introducing innovative crisis financing mechanisms to expedite responses in Somalia and save lives. Acknowledging the urgency of climate change challenges, which annually plunge 26 million people into poverty, the UK joined calls at COP28 for more collective action to safeguard lives, health, and livelihoods affected by climate change.   A Global Call for Bold Collective Action Damon Bristow, UK Development Director to Somalia, highlighted the stark reality of the El Niño-induced floods in Somalia as a poignant reminder of the immediate impacts of climate change on vulnerable nations. Expressing concern about the rising global temperatures, Bristow emphasized the need for more frequent and severe weather events, with catastrophic human consequences unless effective adaptation measures are implemented.  

Bridging Prevention and Crisis Response

Bristow affirmed the crucial role of the announced funding in ensuring affected communities receive timely support. The commitment extends beyond crisis response to include proactive prevention measures, reflecting the UK's dedication to supporting vulnerable regions in the face of climate-induced crises.  

In Conclusion

The British Embassy's commitment to addressing the immediate fallout of the floods in Somalia, coupled with long-term initiatives like drought insurance, signifies a holistic approach to climate resilience and collective action against the impacts of climate change. As vulnerable nations grapple with the effects of extreme weather events, the UK stands at the forefront, advocating for bolder measures to protect communities and build a sustainable future.   Sources: THX News, British Embassy Mogadishu. Read the full article

[frontproofmedia]

Boxlab Promotions to host WBA KO Drugs card December 8

Orlando, FL (November 27, 2023) Boxlab Promotions is proud to announce they will host the World Boxing Association (WBA) KO Drugs fight card on Friday, December 8, at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. The card will air live on DAZN at 7:30 PM ET.

The KO Drugs fight card precedes the 2023 WBA Convention, which takes place December 11-15 at the Caribe Royale Resort. The 2022 WBA Convention was also held at the Caribe.

“The WBA is honored to return to our home, the Caribe Royale Resort,” said WBA President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza. “We are confident that our 2023 convention will be even better than last year’s. Prior to this great event, we had a spectacular KO Drugs fight card. That is the hallmark of Boxlab Promotions.”

Tickets starting at $40 are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com under WBA KO Drugs. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and the first fight begins at 6.

The KO Drugs fight card features multiple WBA regional title bouts.

Headlining this exciting evening of boxing is an intriguing ten-round contest for the WBA Fedelatin lightweight title between Idalberto Umara and Fradimil Macayo.

Fighting out of Miami, FL by way of Cuba, Umara’s 11-1 with 8 KO’s. On July 28th, Umara scored a vicious one-punch knockout over former Olympian William Encarnacion in the second round. The knockout, which came via uppercut, is among boxing’s best in 2023.

Representing his native Venezuela, Macayo’s outstanding professional record is 16-1 with 13 KO’s. In his most recent bout, Macayo defeated previously unbeaten Armando Ramirez Almanza via unanimous decision. He also holds amateur victories over 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Robson Conceicao and 2012 Olympian Wellington Romero.

Blue-chip prospect Kevin Hayler Brown challenges Marcos “El Tigre” Jimenez for the WBA Continental Americas junior welterweight championship. Originally from Cuba, Brown lives and trains out of Las Vegas, Nevada, under Trainer Ismael Salas. On May 26, Brown, 3-0 (2 KO’s), won a hard-fought ten round unanimous decision over Julian Smith.

Representing Higuey, Dominican Republic, Jimenez is 25-10 with 17 wins by KO. Jimenez battled several contenders and world champions, including Diego Magdaleno, Carlos Molina, Anthony Peterson, Jose Felix, Ryan Martin, and Ladarius Miller.

Orlando native Jeovanny “El Rayo” Estela looks to keep his perfect record intact when he meets Mexican knockout artist Juan Egana Elizalde. Estela, 13-0 (4 KO’s), scored a first-round stoppage of Luis Caraballo Ramos in September. The 23-year-old has a large following in Central Florida and has improved each time out. At 11-2 with all his wins coming by knockout, Elizalde’s won eight straight fights.

In a battle of unbeatens, 2020 Dominican Olympian Euri Cedeno, 6-0-1 (6 KOs) challenges Cuba’s Yoanki “Diamante” Urrutia, 13-0 (5 KOs). This highly-touted middleweight contest is scheduled for eight rounds.

Women’s standout Jasmine Artiga, 11-0-1 (5 KO’s), vies for the WBA Continental Americas Super Flyweight title. The Tampa, FL native faces an opponent to be named in a ten-round contest.

In an eight-round super bantamweight bout, Mexico’s Israel Rodriguez Picazo, 20-5 (19 KO’s), challenges Wilner Soto, 23-13 (12 KO’s) of Colombia.

Junior welterweight Aaron Aponte, 7-1-1 (6 KOs) of Hialeah, FL, squares off with Mexico native Roberto Almazan Monreal, 11-21 (4 KOs) in a six-rounder.

Undefeated Orlando native Jean Guerra Vargas puts his 6-0 record on the line when he takes on Colorado Springs, CO’s Pedro Hernandez, 7-15-1 (2 KO’s) in a four-round contest.

International standouts Abass Baraou, 13-1 (9 KO’s) of Berlin, Germany, and Nigeria’s Opeyemi Adeyemi, 9-0-1 (7 KO's), face opponents to be named.

“The entire team at Caribe Royale is proud to once again serve as the host for the WBA Convention,” said Amaury Piedra. “It’s great to have all the international visitors and boxing legends returning to Orlando. This event helps showcase the area and will bring a strong viewing audience via our broadcast partner, DAZN.”

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner—among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction—the upscale Caribe Royale Orlando is emerging from a $127 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. To learn more or to book a visit, event, or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel

[siva621]

Spain Sports Broadcasting Media Market : A Comprehensive Overview

The sports broadcasting media market in Spain is a dynamic and competitive industry that plays a crucial role in the country's sports culture. Here are some key aspects and trends within this market:

Television Dominance: Television remains the primary platform for sports broadcasting in Spain. Major networks like TVE (Televisión Española), Mediaset España, and Atresmedia secure broadcasting rights for various sports events, including La Liga (Spanish football league), Formula 1, and major international tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship.

Digital Transformation: The rise of digital streaming services has significantly impacted the sports broadcasting landscape. DAZN, for example, has secured rights to broadcast La Liga matches, offering an alternative to traditional cable and satellite TV subscriptions. Streaming platforms are becoming increasingly popular among younger viewers who prefer on-demand access to sports content.

Emerging OTT Platforms: Over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have also entered the Spanish sports broadcasting market. They occasionally secure rights to broadcast sports events, further diversifying the viewing options for consumers.

Football Dominance: Football, particularly La Liga and UEFA Champions League matches, holds a dominant position in Spanish sports broadcasting. El Clásico, the match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, is one of the most-watched sports events in Spain and globally.

Multi-Sport Events: Broadcasting rights for major multi-sport events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are hotly contested among Spanish broadcasters. These events attract large audiences and substantial advertising revenue.

Local and Regional Sports: Spanish regions with strong local sports traditions, such as Catalonia (football and basketball) and the Basque Country (soccer and pelota), often have dedicated regional sports channels. These channels cater to fans of local teams and sports.

Advertising Revenue: Advertising is a significant source of revenue for sports broadcasters in Spain. Major sports events, especially football matches, attract high advertising rates due to their large viewership.

Challenges: The sports broadcasting industry faces challenges, including piracy and illegal streaming, which impact revenue and viewer numbers. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted sports schedules, leading to financial challenges for broadcasters.

Fan Engagement: Social media platforms have become essential for fan engagement. Sports broadcasters use social media to promote events, interact with fans, and provide behind-the-scenes content.

Future Trends: The future of sports broadcasting in Spain is likely to be shaped by evolving viewer preferences, technological advancements, and regulatory changes. The industry will continue to adapt to meet the demands of a diverse and tech-savvy audience.

In conclusion, the sports broadcasting media market in Spain is marked by a mix of traditional and digital platforms, with football playing a central role. The industry is continually evolving to cater to changing viewer habits and preferences, making it an exciting and competitive arena in the Spanish media landscape.

To know more about the Spain sports broadcasting media market forecast, download a free report sample

[elbdot]

Congrats on concluding such a tremendous community feat OP! It was fascinating to see your posts about them here, and I am quite thankful for the people who were able to obtain footage of some of your matches; I was so curious!! About how everyone was doing their playstyles! My favorite spectator sport LMAO

Also shoutout to Shadic the one victor whose footage made it to the compilation, that man was A KILLER JESUS. That had to have been a brutal time

Thank you so much!! :D I'm glad you enjoyed watching the few battle videos we put up!!

And yes THAT EVO-BOOST SETUP WAS SO CRUEL, I felt like the biggest idiot when it hit me 😂 The second match where Shadic promised not to use any gimmick teams didn't end well for me either tbh :'D But I'm proud to say I fiNALLY managed to win against him on a third match against his Dark type team, I didn't think it was possible to beat him AT ALL with his far more advanced competitive knowledge (I know like - the basics, my team is competitively trained, I know about...most abilities and favored movesets of often used Pokemon, but I'm not that familiar with the actual competitive scene), but alas...I GOT MY REVENGE

I wish we would have been able to record even more matches 😂 There was an absolutely legendary match where one of the challengers, Allie, managed to defeat my entire remaining team of 4 Pokemon with her LAST standing Baile Style Oricorio. I WAS NOT EVEN MAD, THAT WAS AN AMAZING TURN OF EVENTS As a huge Oricorio-fan, being defeated by one still counts as a win in my book LMAO

Unfortunately we only had ONE person on the server with the equipment to record battles and not only is it an INCREDIBLY time-consuming endeavor, but some of the codes for battle videos I put up online didn't even work for some reason, so we only got 6 videos up, but man, I'm glad we have ANY material up AT ALL 😭

Maybe I'll treat myself to a capture card one day, but right now that's over 200€ I don't feel comfortable in spending 😅😂 MAYBE ONE DAY...

[pwrestlingxpress]

Final Match Card for "Forbidden Door 2023"

Just hours after posting this and after the events of "AEW Collision" we have our full match card for the AEWxNJPW that is "The Forbidden Door"

There will be a total of 14 matches (4 of them on the preshow) tying Pro Wrestling NOAH's Majestic 2023 event at 14 matches. As far as I know, DDT's Judgement 2023 which took place back in March is still the biggest event of the year having 15 main card matches on their show.

At the Zero Hour of "Forbidden Door 2023" we will have four matches:

Stu Grayson vs. El Phantasmo

Swerve Strickland, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun vs. Rocky Romero, Trent Beretta, and El Desperado

Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher, and TJP vs. Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, and BUSHI

Women's Owen Hart Cup 2023 Round 1: Athena vs. Billie Starkz

After those four matches are done, we go to the main card where there will be 10 matches that'll open up with Hiroshi Tanahashi challenging MJF for the AEW World Championship. And in my opinion, glad this match is happening because as of typing, MJF is in danger of not making the 2022-23 PWI 500. From my understanding, you need to compete in at least 14 matches in the previous year to be on the list. MJF has only competed in 10. Competing at "Forbidden Door 2023" against Tanahashi could help him reach a ranking. Same thing when teaming up with Adam Cole in the Blind Tag Tournament.

After that, we'll find out which match will go second and beyond based on two things: A VTR and/or an entrance theme song being played. With that said here are the final nine matches taking place after the AEW Championship in no particular order.

Special Singles Match: Bryan Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada

IWGP United States Championship: Will Ospreay (Challenger) vs. Kenny Omega (Champion)

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry (Challenger) vs. SANADA (Champion)

AEW Women's Championship: Willow Nightingale (NJPW Strong Women's Champion/Challenger) vs. Toni Storm (Champion)

Men's Owen Hart Cup 2023 Round 1: CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima

AEW International Championship Match 4-Way: Daniel Garcia (Challenger #1) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (NJPW World TV Champion/Challenger #2) vs. Katsuyori Shibata (ROH Pure Champin/Challenger #3) vs. Orange Cassidy (Champion)

Special 10-Man Tag: Matt Jackson, Nick Jackson, Adam Page, Eddie Kingston, and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Claudio Castanogli, Jon Moxley, Shota Umino, Wheeler Yuta, and Konosuke Takeshita

Special Singles Match: Adam Cole vs. "Filthy" Tom Lawlor

Special 6-Man Tag: Chris Jericho, Sammy Guevara, and Minoru Suzuki vs. Sting, Darby Allin, and Tetsuya Naito

"Forbidden Door 2023" comes tomorrow (June 25th) from Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Scotiabank Arena LIVE on PPV Worldwide. The event will start with the pre-show (aka Zero Hour) at 7 PM Eastern/6 PM Central/4 PM Pacific with the main card starting at 8 PM Eastern/7 PM Central/5 PM Pacific.

In Japan, the event will start Monday June 26th at 8 AM Local Time for the preshow, 9 AM Local time for the main card.

Go to timeanddate.com and type in the city, country you currently live in to find out the start time to the event in your area.

[wrestlingisfake]

Best of the Super Jr. night 1 preview

This is the opening night of New Japan's annual junior heavyweight tournament. Twenty men will compete in two blocks of ten. Each participant will wrestle nine matches, against everyone else in his block. The goal is to finish the block with the best win-loss record. The top two in each block will advance to semifinal matches on June 3; the winners of those matches will meet on June 9 in the final. The tournament winner traditionally becomes the next challenger for the IWGP junior heavyweight championship.

A Block: Titan vs. El Desperado - Titan is the CMLL world welterweight champion, but titles aren't at stake during this tournament. This is sort of a battle of the bridesmaids; neither man has won the tournament, but Despe was the runner-up in 2020 and 2022, and Titan took second place last year.

Despe is a three-time IWGP junior champ, and for the past five years the title has largely been controlled by himself, Hiromu Takahashi, and Taiji Ishimori. On top of that, New Japan is helping him promote his own independent show on June 10. So you'd have to figure he's a heavy favorite to win the tournament. On the other hand, this is the main event of the opening night of the tournament, so you'd have to figure there's going to be a big upset. Something tells me this is going to be Titan's night to shine.

B Block: Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA - Kushida wasn't originally announced for this tournament, but after YOH suffered a shoulder injury, he cleared his schedule. As a result, we get a match between two of the best in the modern NJPW junior division. Kushida won BOSJ in 2015 and 2017; Hiromu won it all in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Hiromu rose to prominence in the junior division just as Kushida was starting to move on to other stuff. So in most of their singles encounters, Kushida was the old ace putting over the new ace--Hiromu leads the series 4-1. Now would be a good time for Kushida to get a win back, to help Hiromu look a little vulnerable before he racks up a bunch of wins. I wouldn't bet money on a Kushida win, but I'm leaning towards that outcome.

A Block: TJP vs. Kevin Knight - TJP appeared in the last two BOSJ tournaments, and finished 4-5 both times. Knight debuted last year with a 3-6 record, so there's practically nowhere to go but up. TJP's big thing now is that he's trying to be an openweight wrestler, and the "captain" of the United Empire. I doubt that'll play into this match much, but it stands to reason that he needs a good showing in the tournament to shore up his lofty ambitions. This isn't a safe match for him, but Knight is still booked pretty much like a young rookie, so a TJP win is pretty likely.

B Block: Taiji Ishimori vs. DOUKI - Ishimori was the runner-up in 2018's tournament, whereas Douki has never done better than 3-6.

Ishimori was injured near the end of last year's BOSJ, during a match with Hiromu Takahashi, and forced to withdraw. So aside from the usual goals of winning the tournament and chasing the junior title, he's no doubt looking for retribution against Hiromu.

Douki's big thing this year is his major victory over Hiromu on February 24. I'm glad he's finally getting wins like that, but that was almost three months ago and he hasn't really accomplished anything since then. He really needs to at least finish this year at 5-4, but I'm not counting on that. Ishimori is probably going to eat his lunch.

A Block: Blake Christian vs. Clark Connors - Christian is a stand-out in the US indy scene, and I'm surprised to find this is his first appearance in BOSJ. Although he's billed as representing Ring of Honor (where he does appear sporadically as a jobber), Christian is surely better known as the current GCW world champion. In fact, it was just last week that he retained the title in a controversial Dusty finish against Danhausen. I don't expect him to be protected at all in this tour, but it is pretty cool for GCW to have their champ here.

Connors is one of the IWGP junior heavyweight tag team champions. This is his third year in the tournament; in 2022 and 2023, he finished in the middle of the pack at 4-5. As one of Bullet Club's War Dogs, he's going to be more focused on bullying and hurting his opponents than seriously trying to win, and that's going to cost him many key matches. This feels like one of the matches he'll win to keep him out of last place.

B Block: SHO vs. Drilla Moloney - Sho is the IWGP junior heavyweight champion, so he isn't defending his title during this tour, but the tournament will decide his next challenger. (Unless he wins the whole thing himself, which probably won't happen.) Moloney holds the IWGP junior tag title with Clark Connors. Sho's personal best is 6-3; Moloney's is 4-5.

This is technically a Bullet Club vs. Bullet Club match, since House of Torture and the War Dogs are still officially subgroups within the same faction. Traditionally, when two Bullet Club guys face off in a tournament, they try to work out a deal where one lays down for the other, and it always backfires and turns into a vicious brawl, and then they make peace after the match. That probably won't work here, because nobody trusts House of Torture to live up to their agreements, and nobody expects the War Dogs to go easy on an ally. One way or another, though, I figure Sho will bring in enough interference to steal a win.

A Block: Kosei Fujita vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru - This is Fujita's first time in the tournament. Kanemaru's personal best in BOSJ was in 2017 when he finished 4-3, so he's never been a top contender.

Fujita has been a member of Zack Sabre's TMDK faction for over a year, but he's still little more than a Young Lion, so I expect him to finish at or near last place. If he's going to beat anybody in this block, however, it's probably Kanemaru. That alone makes this worth watching, but all the same I have to favor Nobu to pick up the win.

B Block: Ninja Mack vs. Robbie Eagles - Mack, who makes his BOSJ debut here, is the GHC hardcore champion at Pro Wrestling NOAH. Robbie is a mainstay of the tournament, but he's never done better than 5-4, which is a long way from clinching a semifinal spot. This match comes down to whether they want to give Mack a hot start, or if they want to big-league him by jobbing him to a middle-of-the-pack New Japan guy. I'm honestly not sure which way they'll go with that, so this is a pick-'em.

A Block: HAYATA vs. BUSHI - Hayata, another NOAH guy making his debut, is the GHC national champion. Bushi has been in twelve of these things; his personal best is 6-3, which is pretty good, but not always enough to make it out of the blocks. Of all the outside guys coming in this year, Hayata seems like the one they'd take most seriously, and Bushi jobs to pretty much anybody. I'll pick Hayata to win here, though he'll probably finish up around 4-5.

B Block: Francesco Akira vs. Dragon Dia - Dia, representing Dragongate, is a last-minute substitution for Ryusuke Taguchi. Akira, like his tag partner, TJP was in the 2022 and 2023 tournaments, and both times he finished 4-5. Dia strikes me as the kind of guy they'll book like he's just happy to be here, so it's okay to beat him a lot. If he's going to score any wins this year, it'd probably be against someone like Akira. But I think Akira will score the victory this time.

[puroresu-musings]

NJPW WRETLE KINGDOM 17 in Tokyo Dome REVIEW (Jan 4th, 2023)

Ryohei Oiwa vs. Oleg Boltin  N/R

King Of Pro-Wrestling Title 2023 Right To Challenge New Japan Rambo

  **1/2

Antonio Inoki Tribute Match - Tatsumi Fujinami, Minoru Suzuki & Tiger Mask vs. Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima  **1/2

IWGP Jr. Tag Championship - TJP & Francesco Akira (c) vs. YOH & Lio Rush  ****

IWGP Women's Championship - KAIRI (c) vs. Tam Nakano  ***3/4

IWGP Tag Team Championship - FTR (c) vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI  ****1/4

NJPW World TV Championship Tournament Final - Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ren Narita  ****

NEVER Openweight Championship - Karl Anderson (c) vs. Tama Tonga  ***1/4

Keiji Muto NJPW FINAL MATCH - Muto, Tanahashi & Umino vs. Naito, SANADA & BUSHI  ***

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship 4-Way - Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. El Desperado vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. Master Wato  ****

IWGP United States Championship - Will Ospreay (c) vs. Kenny Omega  *****

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship - Jay White (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada  ****1/4+

Photos.

Happy New Year one and all! Well, my first review on here in years is of the first New Japan show in years that actually felt like New Japan! This was a tremendous show that, despite its 6 hour runtime, was a breeze to watch. Pretty much every match was a sprint until the Double Main Event, and it was full of great to outstanding action. As well as being the first Wrestle Kingdom since 2020 to have actual cheering and a hot crowd. Which created quite the environment.

The pre-show section was fine, but nothing special really. It kicked off with a 3 minute exhibition match Young Lions Oiwa, and the debuting Olympian, Oleg Boltin. This was solid stuff, but much too brief to take anything away from, other than both guys looked really good. Oleg got a near fall with a big slam as the 3:00 time limit expired. Next up was the warm January 4th comfort blanket that is the New Japan Rambo. This was a fun but unspectacular battle royal, much like we’ve come to expect. There weren’t any surprises, and it came to an end at 30:37, when Shingo and SHO (who entered 1st) lastly eliminated El Phantasmo. The final four all “win” and go through to KOPW Title Decision Match at New Year’s Dash tomorrow. The other two winners were Toru Yano (to the surprise of no one), and Great-O-Khan (ditto). Then it was time for the Inoki Tribute Match, as 69 year old living legend Tatsumi Fujinami, who’s impossible good for his age, teamed with Minoru Suzuki and Tiger Mask IV, in a losing effort to historic NJ Dojo graduates, Makabe (who I haven’t seen wrestle in forever), and the still great duo of Kojima and Nagata. This was decent enough for what it was, though it did feature some dodgy looking old dude action, but it was a nice, feel-good nostalgia fest, and I’m not complaining that we got to see any of these guys on the show. Everyone came out in the patented Inoki red towel. The finish fell apart though as Tiger tried (and failed) to do a jumping victory roll on Makabe, time stood still for a minute, then Togi effectively just sat on him and got the win for his team in 9:10. Fujinami did the Inoki “Ichi, Ni, San, DAAAAAH!” catchphrase in the post match.

The main show kicked off in grand fashion as Catch 2/2 defended their IWGP Jr Tag Titles against YOH and Lio Rush in a great little opener. This kicked off a theme of this show, which is matches clocking in at 10 minutes or under, and generally being super fun sprints. This started off hot with YOH wiping the champs out with a topé as they made their entrance, but the champions retaliated by taking Rush out with an elevated facebuster on the ramp, which busted him open. Lots of hot back and forth action culminated in the challengers hitting TJP with the 3K, but Akira broke it up. From there, YOH went for the Direct Drive, but TJP turned it into a small package to reatin the belts at the 10:29 mark. KAIRI’s first defence of the IWGP Women’s Title was next, as she took on Tam Nakano in a really good little sprint. Let’s get the negative out of the way first; this only went around 6 minutes. But, it was a s good a 6 minute match as you’ll ever see! It was all-action, they exchanged strikes, Tam hit a big dive to the floor and scored a great near fall with the Violet Screwdriver. KAIRI came back with a near fall of her own after a Cutlas spinning back fast. She hit another Cutlas, followed by the Insane Elbow to retain her title. The post match is what will make the most news, however, as the former Sasha Banks, now going by Mercedes Moné made her way to the ring, sporting a bit of a different look. She also had some badass, The Chronic era vibe entrance music. After a staredown, she laid KAIRI out with... some move, declared herself the “CEO of the women’s divison”, then challenged her to a title match in San Jose in February. Moné very much came across as a star here.

More tag gold was on the line next, as Heavyweight champs FTR defended against Bishamon. This was an excellent match, and even only going 10:10, was a fast-paced hard-hitter, that managed to be better than I anticipated. Wheeler hit big dives to the floor, and the champions scored great near falls with a Power Plex and Spike Piledriver. After an exciting closing stretch, the challengers hit Shoto on Harwood, and YH scored the win and the titles for his team. I know there’s a lot of speculation about FTR’s future at the moment, but they’ve been nothing short of fantastic in the last year, and I personally feel there’s still a lot more for them to do in Japan. The inaugural NJPW World TV Champion was crowned next as a newly blonde ZSJ faced off against The Son Of Strong Style, Ren Narita in, you guessed it, another great sprint. These 15 minute time limit matches really are a ton of fun, and this was no different; a compelling combination of hard strikes and submission grappling. Zack worked over Narita’s arm throughout to prevent the Overhead Suplex, which payed off as during a grappling exchange he caught him in a Jujigatame, and Ren quickly tapped to give Sabre Jr. the title in 10:32. The post match saw Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls come out, who were ZSJ’s old mates in NOAH. They handed Zack a TMDK shirt, which he put on and appeared to declare himself the leader. It’s worth pointing out that during his entrance, Zack demanded that “dickhead” Rishi Sunak pay nurses fairly, and quite frankly I couldn’t agree more! But back to wrestling...

Tama Tonga rescued the NEVER title from Sports Entertainment oblivion in the next match, as he defeated WWE Superstar Karl Anderson in a fun match. To his credit, The Machine Gun put in some actual rare effort here, and Tama took some nasty bumps early, including a Bernard Driver on the ramp. The finish saw Tonga get near falls with a big splash and second rope Gun Stun, before scoring the win at 9:36 with another Gun Stun (which Anderson botched the bump for, but whatever). This benefitted from me having absolutely zero expectations going in, so I was pleasantly surprised here. Next was the final match in NJPW of one of the all-time greats, as the on-the-retirement-run Keiji Muto teamed with standout student Hiroshi Tanahashi, and potential “future ace” Shota Umino, to take on the LIJ Muto Fan Club of Naito, SANADA and BUSHI. From an in-ring perspective, this was likely the weakest match on the card, as nobody really did anything (except SANADA hitting the Moonsault on Muto in the early going to get a really close nearfall), but the crowd were super hot for Muto, and it helped the match greatly. This finishing stretch saw Tanahashi hit BUSHI with Sling Blade, the Natural Born Master followed up with a Shining Wizard, and Umino put the masked man away at 9:20 with the Death Rider. They all posed and left to Muto’s entrance theme in the post match. The IWGP Jr. Title was on the line next in a 4-way. This was something of a disappointment I feel, but still a great match. It was certainly all-action, but I don’t know, something just wasn’t clicking for me in this for a while. They all worked hard and hit the crazy multiman spots throughout, and Hiromu and Despy had a really great exchange later on. Things really picked up at the end, when Wato went on a tear, scoring numerous believable near falls with his Recietemente Crucifix Bomb, and had the 26,085 in the Dome believing he could pull off the miracle here. He scored another brilliant near fall when he hit a massive Everest German on Hiromu, but the miracle wasn’t to be as Takahashi escaped a Dragon Tiger Suplex, and hit Time Bomb II on Wato to regain his beloved Belt-San in 16:43. During this match it was announced that Naito and the LIJ guys got into a heated exchange backstage with Kenoh’s KONGO faction from NOAH, which is super interesting.

Things were kicked up a notch in the next match, and it finally felt like a classic Wrestle Kingdom show, as Will Ospreay defended his US Title against Kenny Omega in a dream match. This was just outstanding, and ended up being a completely different style to what I’d anticipated. This was a heated, super stiff, bloody war. Omega (complete with added Don Callis) returned to NJPW for the first time in 4 years, to take out the man who “took his spot”, and Ospreay, who came out as the Ariel Assassin of old, was there to beat the hell out of the guy who abandoned the company 4 years ago. This was a classic grudge match, and featured some insane action that was sometimes hard to watch. There were moments I actually feared someone was going to get seriously hurt, but thankfully that didn’t happen. Omega, who worked totally as the heel here, worked over Ospreay’s famously injured neck and back, including landing a double stomp off the apron onto Ospreay’s back whilst a table was draped over it, which culminated in him bleeding from the back. Ospreay fought back with stiff punches which caused omega’s right eye to swell shut, hitting a brainbuster on the upturned table, and then a big Skytwister Press to the floor. Kenny removed the corner pad, exposing the buckles, which both guys took bumps into. Things got crazy as Will went for a Spanish Fly, but Omega countered it into a top rope DDT onto the exposed buckle, which was insane, and Ospreay juiced heavily from the head. After teasing a countout, Kenny hit the Terminator Dive and a Cactus Jack Piledriver in the ring for a near fall. Omega began obliterating him with Snap Dragon’s and V-Triggers, before hitting a horrifying Croyt’s Wrath from the top. Ospreay hit a couple of stiff looking Hidden Blade’s to put Omega down, and scored a great near fall with a Springboard Oscutter. After a Styles Clash, Ospreay got another near fall with another Hidden Blade. However, Kenny escaped a Storm Breaker, hit a Tanahashi straigh jacket suplex, then followed that up with Kamigoye after a defiant Ospreay spat at him. Omega then hit the One Winged Angel to win the US Belt for a second time, and end this classic war at 34:38. Fantastic stuff, and I certainly hope there’s more to come here.

Then it was time for the second half of the Double Main Event. Rare is the day that I think to myself “Okada’s going to have a tough time following that”, but today was that day. Realistically, it was never going to happen, and as much as I love both White and Okada, the build to this match did nothing for me, and I’ve just seen enough of them. Regardless, this was still an excellent match, complete with all the intricate counters and big spots we’ve come to expect from an Okada main event. But I must admit it took a long time getting there. Okada, who was wearing Inoki inspired garb, broke out a huge senton atomico off the top to the floor on both Jay and Gedo, the big dropkick, and hit the sit-out Tombstone, followed by a Rainmaker, but Jay caught him in a Blade Runner, which is exactly how he beat Okada for the World Title at Dominion, but this time Okada kicked out to a big pop. This ultimately was White’s downfall, as the story was that he started to lose it after Okada kicked out of his finish. Jay tried a Rainmaker-inspired Blade Runner, however the challenger countered and hit a big Rainmaker, but the champion got a shoulder up at 2.99. After a dramatic forearm exchange, Okada connected with a ripcord Enzugiri, hit the champion with his own Blade Runner, then followed up with Tiger Flowsion, and a definitive Rainmaker to regain the World Championship at the 33:03 mark.

The post match saw an interesting moment where White at first refused to give up the belt, then they had a brief staredown, before Jay was dragged for the Dome despondent by Gedo. Shingo Takagi then came out, rightly pointing out that he never did a rematch after losing the belt a year ago, and threw his proverbial hat in the ring as Okada’s first challenger, which was accepted. And in an ultimately fitting move, a show that was dedicated to the late Antonio Inoki ended with the modern day Inoki victorious, and sending everyone home happy with the “Ichi, Ni, San, Daaaah!” catchphrase. All in all, this was easily the best Dome show since 2020, and it very much felt like a return to greatness for New Japan. A must watch.

NDT

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The ABCs of the LIV Golf Series: A Comprehensive Guide

A year ago the idea of the Saudi Arabia-backed New Professional Golf Tour had taken over the golfing community by storm. After a year now, it is time to check on the fledgling league once more and see how it transpired, also learn how the league plans to become a well-known player at the top of the sport.

How did the idea of the LIV Golf series come about and what is it?

Using large payouts, A-list competitors, and slick marketing, the series—funded by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund—has positioned itself as "an opportunity to revive golf." One of its catchphrases is even "Golf but louder."

The PGA Tour has been the highest level of professional golf for over a century. Challenging the current setup, LIV Golf's promoters want to present it as a player-power-focused alternative.

How does the Super Golf League of Saudi operate?

With three rounds instead of four and only 48 competitors instead of the PGA Tour's rosters, which may be three times as large some weeks, as it involves individual and team play events. In the Super Golf League of Saudi, three rounds without a cut are included in each of the regular events, and play starts with a shotgun start. The action in each event is spread over 54 holes rather than the more customary 72, and there is also a team format with a maximum of 48 players divided into 12 teams of four.

What distinguishes it from the PGA Tour?

With a few notable exceptions, PGA Tour competitions typically include four rounds of stroke play in which players compete to produce the lowest score. Now the new series might be strange to fans and players alike but the objective of LIV Golf is the same, which is to complete the 18-hole course in the fewest number of shots.

Moreover, the significantly smaller fields, which only have 48 players, are another notable contrast. Each regular LIV Golf event includes both an individual competition and a team component, with the team component expected to become increasingly important as a franchise model is introduced. This will enable the 12 teams, each of which is led by a seasoned captain, to develop a strong fan base and attract their own sponsors.

It has already cost a fortune to launch the circuit, but with Major champions like Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, and Bryson DeChambeau choosing to switch from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, it only seems a matter of time until other elite athletes follow their lead.

After a successful inaugural series last year, this year the number of events has increased

Eight events were present last year, but the series' planners have already made plans to increase that number to 14 for 2023. LIV Golf refers to the first seven tournaments of the 2022 season as the regular season. The eighth tournament, the team championship, was held at a Florida course owned by Donald Trump and included a four-day, four-round seeded match-play competition.

The Golf League Schedule for LIV Series 2023

The 14-tournament 2023 League spans from February to November and includes events in Mexico, the USA, Australia, Singapore, Spain, England, and Saudi Arabia. The season would kick off in Mexico - El Camaleon Golf Club on February 24-26, and the championship match would be played out in Jeddah’s Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia between 3–5 November.

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf series will undoubtedly continue their conflict; Although we are still very much in the early stages, the second season has arrived, giving us a small glimpse into the professional golf of the future. Now is the time to ask the following question: Does LIV Golf complement the current ecosystem, ultimately satisfying the needs of both players and spectators, or is this the start of an open rivalry with the aim of dethroning the PGA Tour? Only time will tell.

As the new series gains momentum with the audience as well, it is time to add live golf statistics to your sports offerings. Cash in on the LIV Golf and PGA Tour frenzy with Data Sports Group, your most reliable and authentic Sports Data Provider. With the new season of New Pro Golf League just around the corner get live hole-by-hole updates along with comprehensive pre, live, and post tournament coverage would enrich your sports offerings. To sign up for a free trial, get in touch with us, and let us prepare a customized sports package for you!