|
Destruction (2023)
Destruction (2023) was a series of professional wrestling events promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 2023: Destruction in Kobe on September 24, and Destruction in Ryōgoku on October 9. These are events twenty-four to twenty-five in the Destruction chronology. Production Background After taking a hiatus from 2020 to 2022, Destruction had two events taking place in late September and early October 2023. This was also be the first time since Destruction '11 that a Destruction event was held at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. Storylines The two Destruction events featured professional wrestling matches each that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Night 1 Event The first night of the event from September 24 started with two preshow bouts broadcast live on NJPW's YouTub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares of the company. Naoki Sugabayashi has served as the promotion's Chairman since September 2013, while Takami Ohbari has served as the president of the promotion since October 2020. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, NJPW is the largest and longest-running professional wrestling promotion in Japan. It was affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance at various points in its history. NJPW has had agreements with various MMA and professional wrestling promotions around the world, including WWE, World Championship Wrestling, American Wrestling Association, World Class Championship Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, WAR, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, UWFi, Ring of Honor, Pride Fighting Championships, and All Elite Wrestling. NJPW's bigge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Discovery Communications
Discovery, Inc. was an American multinational mass media factual television conglomerate based in New York City. Established in 1985, the company operated a group of factual and lifestyle television brands, such as the namesake Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and TLC. In 2018, the company acquired Scripps Networks Interactive, adding networks such as Food Network, HGTV, and Travel Channel to its portfolio. Since the purchase, Discovery described itself as serving members of "passionate" audiences, and also placed a larger focus on streaming services built around its properties. Discovery owned or had interests in local versions of its channel brands in international markets, in addition to its other major regional operations such as Eurosport (a pan-European group of sports channels, most prominently the rightsholder of the Olympic Games throughout most of Europe), GolfTV (an international golf-focused streaming service, which is the international digital ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hikuleo (wrestler)
Tautuiaki Taula Koloamatangi (born February 7, 1991) is an American professional wrestler of Tongan descent. He is currently wrestling for the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and the U.S. promotion Impact Wrestling under the ring name Hikuleo (ヒクレオ ''Hikureo''), he is a former member of Bullet Club. He has joined his brothers of the Guerrillas of Destiny as of September. Early life Koloamatangi and his elder brother Alipate were adopted by their maternal aunt, Dorothy Koloamatangi, and her husband Tonga Fifita, who brought them to the United States. He was raised in Kissimmee, Florida, attending Osceola High School. He attended Florida's Webber International University, majoring in sport management and playing basketball as a center for the Webber International Warriors. He was named Webber International University's junior varsity men's basketball most valuable player for 2009-2010. Professional wrestling career New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2016– ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
El Phantasmo
Riley Vigier (born October 24, 1986), otherwise known as El Phantasmo (ELP), is a Canadian professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is currently performing in the Junior Heavyweight division as part of Bullet Club. He also worked for Impact Wrestling, and various independent promotions in Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom. Professional wrestling career Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling (2005–2017) El Phantasmo's wrestling training group in 2005 included Kyle O'Reilly and Gurv Sihra. El Phantasmo's debut in professional wrestling for NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling (ECCW) was in a battle royal at Halloween Hell in October 2005. ELP formed a tag team with Halo known as the Masked Dudes of Doom. On March 3, 2007, they became the #1 contenders to the NWA/ECCW Tag Team Championship after beating Models, Inc. in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match main eventing in Vancouver. After falling short on three ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yujiro Takahashi
, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club and its sub-group House of Torture. Takahashi entered New Japan in November 2003 with an extensive amateur background, advancing through the dojo and debuting on July 26, 2004, under his full name. He later shortened his name to . From 2007 to 2008 he was a member of the stable Samurai Gym with El Samurai and Ryusuke Taguchi, which ended when Samurai left the company. In 2010, he joined Chaos, where he was a one-time IWGP Tag Team and Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Tetsuya Naito, with whom he teamed as No Limit. In 2014, Takahashi defected to Bullet Club, becoming the first non-gaijin member to join the stable. As a member of Bullet Club, he is a one-time NEVER Openweight Champion and one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion. During his time in Chaos, he had a "ladies' man" gimmick, which was carried on in Bullet Club. He is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Evil (wrestler)
, better known by his ring name Evil (stylized as EVIL), is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). After debuting in NJPW in 2011, Evil competed in the United States on excursion, working for companies such as Global Force Wrestling (GFW) and Ring of Honor (ROH) from 2014 to 2015. He returned to NJPW in November 2015. He is a former member of ''Los Ingobernables de Japón'', and was a part of a tag team with Sanada; the two are two-time IWGP Tag Team Champions and two-time World Tag League winners. He is also a two-time NEVER Openweight Champion and is a record-breaking six-time and current NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion, making him an overall ten-time champion in NJPW. In 2020, he won the New Japan Cup, before turning on L.I.J leader Tetsuya Naito and joining Bullet Club. He defeated Naito at Dominion to become the double IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion. He is the only wrestler in NJPW history to be a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dick Togo
, better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. Togo is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Bullet Club stable, and its sub-group House of Torture. Togo has spent the majority of his career as a freelancer, wrestling most notably for Michinoku Pro Wrestling and DDT Pro-Wrestling. Sato has wrestled under various ring names such as Francesco Togo, Rey Cubano and Prince Togo. Togo retired in September 2012, but returned to the ring in July 2016. Togo has held the KO-D Openweight Championship four times, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship once with Taka Michinoku and the British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Championship once. Professional wrestling career Sato has performed for numerous Japanese promotions as well as American promotions such as Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and Ring of Honor (ROH). While in Michinoku Pro Wrestling, he formed a stable ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoshinobu Kanemaru
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he also works as a backstage producer. Kanemaru is best known for his work in Pro Wrestling Noah, where he holds the records for the most reigns with the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship. Professional wrestling career All Japan Pro Wrestling (1996–2000) Kanemaru debuted in 1996 for All Japan Pro Wrestling, in the last years of owner Giant Baba's regime, which had isolated the promotion from outsider wrestlers at the expense of the younger, lighter-weight talent. His first high-profile match in 1997 saw him team with New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Koji Kanemoto (Tiger Mask III) to battle freelancer Satoru Sayama, the original Tiger Mask, and his disciple, Michinoku Pro Wrestling's Yoshihiro Yamazaki (who would go on to become Tiger Mask IV), in a battle of Tiger Masks (as Mitsuharu Misawa, who once portrayed Tiger Mask II, was now a heavyweight and fully focused on the Triple Crown Heavyw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Douki
, better known by his ring name Douki (stylised in ''all caps''), is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the '' Just 5 Guys'' stable. Douki was a part of the '' Suzuki-gun'' stable from 2019 till the faction's disbandment in 2022. Professional wrestling career Early career In May 2010, Hayama had planned to go to Mexico by himself, but Milano Collection A.T. had introduced him to Taichi. After that, he went to CMLL's wrestling school every day and practiced at the gym with Taichi, and debuted under the name ''Kansuke'' in November of the same year. In 2012, when he joined Los Perros del Mal (a stable that was formed in December 2008), Hayama thought, "There are other Japanese wrestlers, so let's change the character." He thus adopted the ring name ''Douki''. He served as a member of the stable ''Japones del Mal''. His ring name is derived from Kansuke Yamamoto's ordination name "Michiki". After spending t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanada (wrestler)
, better known by his ring name Sanada (stylized as SANADA), is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a member of the stable ''Los Ingobernables de Japón''. As part of NJPW, Sanada is mostly known for his tag team with Evil, with whom he is a two time IWGP Tag Team Champion, two time World Tag League winner, and a three time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion (alongside Bushi). He won his first NJPW singles title, the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, in early 2022. He is also known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he was the first Gaora TV Champion, a two-time All Asia Tag Team Champion, a one-time World Tag Team Champion, and the winner of the 2011 World's Strongest Tag Determination League tournament. Sanada is also known for his time in the Japanese Wrestle-1 (W-1) and American Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotions. Through the W-1/TNA working relationship, Sanada beca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiger Mask IV
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for being the fourth man to portray . He currently works for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) where he is a former 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and 2-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. Having competed as Tiger Mask since 1995, he is the longest tenured incarnation of the character. Career The young Yamazaki was originally trained by the original Tiger Mask (Satoru Sayama) and The Great Sasuke and unlike the second and third Tiger Masks, Yamazaki has been endorsed by Sayama himself. He also traveled to Mexico where he trained in ''lucha libre''. Michinoku Pro Wrestling (1995–2001) He made his professional wrestling debut in 1995 for Michinoku Pro Wrestling (Michinoku Pro/MPW) and became the fourth Tiger Mask, succeeding Koji Kanemoto. While working for Michinoku Pro Tiger Mask won the "APEX OF TRIANGLE" Six Man Tag Team Championship with his trainer the Great Sasuke and Gran Hamada. Just over a year into his w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kevin Knight (wrestler)
Kevin Knight (born January 1, 1997) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) where he is a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. Professional wrestling career Early career (2019–2020) Knight made his debut on August 2, 2019, wrestling for a range of Canadian and American independent promotions for the majority of late 2019 and early 2020. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (2020–present) Young Lion (2020–2022) Knight entered the NJPW Dojo, New Japan Pro-Wrestling LA Dojo in 2020 as a Glossary of professional wrestling terms#young boy, Young Lion, training under Katsuyori Shibata. Knight made his NJPW debut on December 12 at Super J-Cup (2020), Super J-Cup, replacing an injured Karl Fredericks, where he teamed with Ren Narita, losing to Bullet Club, Bullet Club's Hikuleo (wrestler) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
