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TL of Katsuhiko Nakajima's post (https://vxtwitter.com/noah_katsuhiko/status/1706586134611173563):

"I'm sorry for scaring everyone with such a sudden announcement.

Nothing's set in stone yet, but this is something I decided at this critical point in time for me. I ask for your understanding.

I will put every memory of what NOAH [means to me] into my last two matches here as I leave [the promotion]. They've taken such good care of me for a long time.

#noah_gch

#gratitude"

and the letter he attached as an image reads:

"To everyone who continues to support me,

I'm sorry for the sudden announcement. After much worrying, in order to improve and bring myself to that next level, I had decided to leave my beloved NOAH in September [meaning before September rolled around he knew he was gonna leave], with support from the company.

I had my debut when I was 15 years old, and this year I turned 35. At this, my 20th year in wrestling, I want to use the opportunity to challenge myself.

Yours, Katsuhiko Nakajima, who will continue along [his path], making the world his [literally: wants to see the world/everything]. Don't take your eyes off me [essentially the same as the capital letters english].

KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME"

pwrestlingxpress

Explaining My Absence + My Plans

Sorry for not being on here the past month. Kept telling myself I'd be here but...keep forgetting until now. Plan to be on here every single day, giving my opinion on wrestling in WWE, Pro Wrestling NOAH, New Japan Pro Wrestling (aka NJPW), Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (aka TJPW), All Elite Wrestling (aka AEW), DDT Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and more.

To start off...later on today right here, I'll be typing down why I believe Go Shiozaki needs to win N-1 Victory 2023. Then after that, I'll give my opinion on the G1 Climax Elimination Tournament in which...only 3 of my predicted 8 made it but the person I predicted to win did win after all. Will give my reactions to it and why I believe this G1 win was the most emotional one.

Expect these 2 opinion articles and some wrestling results from companies all here on the Pro Wrestling Express. Again, sorry I've been gone for so long but here to start again.

pwrestlingxpress

Posted this over a month ago.

I apologize for not being on since but...here's all that has been going on since my previous absence.

Sept. 3, 2023: Go Shiozaki win N-1 Victory 2023

Sept. 8, 2023: Callum Newman debuts for NJPW as the United Empire's Young Lion.

Sept. 9, 2023: Hiromu Takahashi makes a surprise appearance in DDT to make his match against Kazuki Hirata official

Sept. 14, 2023: The 2023 PWI 500 is released in which for reasons unknown, Tetsuya Naito was not listed among the 500 best wrestlers in the past year. Also Roman Reigns was listed as #2 while many didn't even want Roman on the list due to him barely even competing in the past year.

Sept. 17, 2023: Will Ospreay makes his Pro Wrestling NOAH debut scoring a win over NOAH legend Naomichi Marufuji

Sept. 21, 2023: Exodus within WWE as numerous wrestlers are released from their contracts including Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali, Dana Brooke, Shelton Benjamin, Mace and Mansoor, Emma, Ikeman Jiro, etc.

Sept. 23, 2023: Chris Jericho makes a surprise appearance in DDT to challenge Konosuke Takeshita to a match on November 12th in Ryogoku.

Sept. 24, 2023: Yoshinobu Kanemaru betrays Taichi to join House of Torture leaving many questions within both the "Just Guys" stable and the "Bullet Club" Stable including one of Taiji Ishimori.

Sept. 25, 2023: Katsuhiko Nakajima announces his departure from Pro Wrestling NOAH

Again, so much to process from all that I typed and believe it or not, there's more that has been going on in the month of September. So much that I can only reveal what you see up there. October is going to be an insane month.

Expect my next opinionated article on October 2, 2023 where I plan to give my opinion on Nakajima leaving Pro Wrestling NOAH, my opinion on the 2023 PWI 500, my opinion on the G1 and N-1 Victory winners, and what I planned to do in 2024 on the Pro Wrestling Express.

#WWE #NJPW #NOAH #September

Why N-1 Victory 2023 is Go's to Win

I have to be quick on this due to timing issues. So here goes.

Despite being in this business for nearly 20 years, Go Shiozaki has never won a round-robin pro wrestling tournament.

G1 Climax...only entered once. Didn't make it pass the block stage. Champion Carnival...think he entered twice and 1 of the 2 time or both, only made it to the semi-finals.

Global League (now N-1 Victory)....manages to win his block in 2017 only to lose to Kenoh who had arrived in NOAH around the same time Go Shiozaki returned back in late 2015/2016.

Every year after losing out in the final that year, would barely pass the block stage. In 2020, had the chance to win his block but lost to Kaito Kiyomiya. Same chance in 2022 but lost in the end.

So...why do I believe this one will be different? Mostly because of the one thing none of us can beat...time. Go Shiozaki is 41 years old. He's been GHC Champion, Triple Crown Champion. He's won singles titles almost all over but for some reason, can never win a round robin tournament. Despite being NOAH's Ace for so long, he's never won a round-robin tournament. NJPW's Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi won his first G1 in 2007 at the age of 31. Don't know much about the AJPW history of the Champion but know that Kento Miyahara and Suwama both have won that tournament before. So, this time will be different because if Go doesn't win, I don't think there will be another chance for him to win it all.

Another reason is because of Katsuhiko Nakajima. Not many know this but 1 of the reasons why Go Shiozaki's fourth reign as GHC Heavyweight Champion lasted so long was because of Katsuhiko Nakajima. Nakajima was not only that voice but was that one person that encourage Go to pull through despite the pain. Even after betraying him in August of 2020, Nakajima would still encourage Go to pull through. Katsuhiko Nakajima is that key to where Go can gain full confidence in his ability to win. Without Nakajima there though, things get cut short like his fifth GHC Title reign. No defenses and loses it 1 hour after Jay White defeated Kazuchika Okada to become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion on the same day.

So...reasons why I think this N-1 is Go's to win. One...time. It waits for none of us. And two, Nakajima. He was the key to making Go Shiozaki's fourth reign one of the best in his career.

N-1 Victory 2023 Grand FINAL in Osaka airs at 3 AM Eastern/2 AM Central on ABEMA with Japanese commentary and Wrestle Universe with English commentary.

#Go Shiozaki #N-1 Victory 2023 #Pro Wrestling NOAH #Katsuhiko Nakajima

Explaining My Absence + My Plans

Expect these 2 opinion articles and some wrestling results from companies all here on the Pro Wrestling Express. Again, sorry I've been gone for so long but here to start again.

#WWE #NJPW #Pro Wrestling NOAH #TJPW #AEW #ROH #DDT Wrestling

Updated G1 Climax 33 Standings for A and B Block

After today's events in Korakuen Hall, here are the updated standings for both A Block and B Block in G1 Climax 33.

The Top 2 in A Block as of right now are SANADA and Kaito Kiyomiya with 3 more matches to go. Still alive right after them are Shota Umino, Gabriel Kidd, Chase Owens, Yota Tsuji, and Hikuleo.

Kaito Kiyomiya's loss to SANADA has most likely eliminated Ren Narita from advancing past the block stage but let's look at the scenarios on how the top 2 for A Block can be determined after today's events:

SANADA (4-0; 8 points) can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 3 block matches

Kaito Kiyomiya (2-1-1; 5 points) can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 3 block matches; have SANADA lose 2 of his final 3 block matches; and have Shota Umino lose his final 3 block matches

Chase Owens (2-2; 4 points) can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 3 block matches and having Kaito Kiyomiya lose 2 of his final 3 block matches

Gabriel Kidd (2-2; 4 points) can finish in the top 2 of A Block by winning his final 3 block matches and having the winner of the match between Chase Owens and Shota Umino lose their final 2 block matches while at the same time have the loser of that match lose his remaining 2 block matches

Shota Umino (1-1-2; 4 points) can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 3 block matches including his match against Yota Tsuji, have SANADA lose his last 3 block matches, and Kaito Kiyomiya lose 2 of his final 3 block matches

Yota Tsuji (1-2-1; 3 points) can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 3 block matches including his match against Shota Umino, have SANADA and/or Kaito Kiyomiya lose their final 3 block matches.

Hikuleo (1-3; 2 points) can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 3 block matches in which all are ahead of him in the standings (Yota Tsuji, Kaito Kiyomiya, and Shota Umino), have Gabriel Kidd lose his final 3 block matches, and have SANADA and Chase Owens lose 2 of their final 3 block matches.

Ren Narita (0-2-2; 2 points) can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 3 block matches which includes him facing SANADA next; have both Gabriel Kidd and Hikuleo lose their final 3 block matches; and have Shota Umino and Yota Tsuji lose 2 of their final 3 block matches as well as having a time-limit draw between the two.

Based on these scenarios, can say that Ren Narita has been eliminated from advancing past the block stage because his chances of being in the top 2 are mostly gone with that loss to Hikuleo. And unless things change in the final 3 block matches; looks like SANADA will be ranked number 1 in A Block. The race for number 2 in A Block will be on between the remaining six still alive. If we were to reach the block finals right now, then A Block's main event would most likely be Yota Tsuji and Gabriel Kidd. Anything can change between now and August 5th when A Block finals happen but know that as of right now, A Block winner is most likely SANADA.

Now, let's take a look at the standings for B Block

The Top 2 in B Block right now are Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay. Whoever wins their match on Thursday will most likely be a lock for the top of B Block but with the whole block still alive, this block can be anyone's game with these scenarios on how the top 2 can be in the end.

Kazuchika Okada (4-0; 8 points) can finish in the top 2 of B Block by defeating Will Ospreay and winning his final 2 block matches

Will Ospreay (3-1; 6 points) can finish in the top 2 of B Block by defeating Kazuchika Okada, winning his 2 final block matches after facing Okada, and have Taichi lose 2 of his final 3 block matches

Taichi (2-2; 4 points) can finish in the top 2 by defeating YOSHI-HASHI and then winning his final 2 block matches. He also needs Kazuchika Okada to lose his final 3 block matches to be in the top 2.

YOSHI-HASHI (2-2; 4 points) can finish in the top 2 by defeating Taichi and then winning his final 2 block matches. He also needs both Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada to lose 2 of their final 3 block matches to advance.

KENTA (2-2; 4 points) can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 3 block matches which includes him beating Okada and have Ospreay lose 2 of his final 3 block matches

Great O-Khan (1-3; 2 points) can finish in the top 2 by defeating Tanga Loa and winning his last 2 block matches. He also needs Kazuchika Okada, KENTA, and Will Ospreay to lose 2 of their final 3 block matches.

El Phantasmo (1-3; 2 points) can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 3 block matches which includes him beating Will Ospreay. He'll also need YOSHI-HASHI, Kazuchika Okada, and Great O-Khan to lose 2 of their final 3 block matches.

Tanga Loa (1-3; 2 points) can finish in the top 2 by defeating Great O-Khan and then winning his final 2 block matches which includes Okada on August 6th. He also needs Taichi, YOSHI-HASHI, and El Phantasmo to lose 2 of their final 3 block matches.

Again....everyone in B Block is still alive. It's still anyone's game as to who'll grab the top 2 spots. On Thursday, we'll most likely see who'll be ranked number one in B Block.

G1 Climax 33 for A and B Block resumes on Thursday in Ota.

#New Japan Pro Wrestling #G1 Climax 33 #Current Standings #Current Scenarios

Quarterfinals set for Tokyo Princess Cup 2023 + New Predictions

After 3 straight days and 1 extra day of intense first round competition, we have our 2023 Tokyo Princess Cup Quarterfinals set with all of them taking place on July 29th in Korakuen Hall.

Based on the predictions I made, only had one match correct as the other three though I had one advance, the other did not. Anyway, quarterfinal matches are listed as above:

Miyu Yamashita vs. Moka Miyamoto

Rika Tatsumi vs. Shoko Nakajima

Yuki Kamifuku vs. Miu Watanabe

Arisu Endo vs. Yuki Arai

Arisu Endo vs. Yuki Arai was the only Quarterfinal match I predicted correctly so my predicted winner for this match stays the same as I have Yuki Arai advancing to the semi-finals.

As for the other three Quarterfinal matches; predictions for these three will be different as I'm predicting one change. Originally I had Miyu Yamashita defeat the winner of Moka Miyamoto/Hyper Misao with the thought that Misao would be the winner. But since Moka Miyamoto won, sensing an upset here as I now have Moka Miyamoto advancing to the semi-finals over Miyu Yamashita.

Still have Rika Tatsumi and Miu Watanabe advancing to the semi-finals despite facing different opponents that the ones I predicted.

Before continuing further, please click here for clarification on what I'm talking about when it comes to this tournament, the 2023 Tokyo Princess Cup.

Now, back to the predictions of the 2023 Tokyo Princess Cup. Again, I have Moka Miyamoto, Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe, and Yuki Arai all advancing to the semi-finals scheduled to take place on August 12th; also in Korakuen Hall.

My predicted final still remains unchanged as I still have Rika Tatsumi and Yuki Arai in the finals with Yuki Arai winning the whole tournament. Will these predictions with some changes stay the same or will they change after July 29th.

Quarterfinals of the 2023 Tokyo Princess Cup airs on Wrestle Universe this Saturday (July 29th) at 10:30 PM Eastern/9:30 PM Central/7:30 PM Pacific and Sunday (July 30th) at 11:30 AM Japan Time. Go to timeanddate.com and type in the city (including country) you currently live in to find out the start time to the event in your area.

Semi-Finals of the same tournament come August 12th with the finals coming on August 13th.

#TJPW #Tokyo Princess Cup #Miyu Yamashita #Moka Miyamoto #Rika Tatsumi #Shoko Nakajima #Yuki Kamifuku #Miu Watanabe #Arisu Endo #Yuki Arai #Final Eight

Drowning the G1: Nakajima/Miyahara exceeding Expectations

When the match was made back on June 17th, everyone was blown away. Kento Miyahara, Katsuhiko Nakajima...a dream match that exceeded all expectations not knowing until the match was made that they met 3 times before. Sadly, all we got from those 3 are photos but in every one of them Katsuhiko Nakajima emerged victorious. So, what separates this one from the other three? Well...let's start off with the VTR for the match.

In the VTR, it had been over 10 years since Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kento Miyahara competed in the same ring. When they did, there was something magical and the staredown post-match at the Tokyo Dome, had to feel something was going to happen. During that VTR, I learn more of the history between the two. Them meeting in 2008 and teaming up right after. The two of them staying together until 2013 when Miyahara decided to go to All Japan full time after which the Diamond Ring promotion closed down in 2014 leading to Nakajima going to NOAH full time in 2015. And then we go to that slap at the press when the match was made. Kento Miyahara claimed that this was a greeting from him to Katsuhiko Nakajima but I have a feeling that slap was more than a greeting and Nakajima somehow knew that.

We now go to the match in which I can feel the vibe when Kento Miyahara came out. Korakuen Hall came unglued with many chanting his name and Kento coming to the ring conducting another orchestra as he usually does during his entrances. He really carried himself like the Superstar that he is. Then we go to Nakajima's entrance in which, I love it when the piano is played. Ever since AXIZ reunited back on May 4, 2023; Nakajima had always worn his AXIZ gear but it was on July 15th where like many of the G1 Climax 33 participants would come out in new attire; Nakajima would come out in similar but new attire. The entrance attire he wore was similar to what he wore in AXIZ's first run but was a little different in which it was more gold than it was 3 years ago and the fur he had on the robe was no longer silver. It was brown and gold. Nakajima's ring gear for the event was also similar yet different for the colors here were brown/black as compared to bright gold/black back in 2019.

After both entered the ring, there's this tense reaction all over the crowd. I had this feeling that these two were going to explode Korakuen Hall and perhaps top the G1 Climax Day 1 competition which had finished by the time this match had been happening. Once the bell ring, this sentence proved to be right and beyond. The feeling out process is something I'm used to now when it comes to watching pro wrestling especially Japanese pro wrestling. The first five minutes told me how the match was going to be and I got that answer when Nakajima unleashed a spinning heel kick. Something I hadn't seen from any pro wrestler in years. That spinning heel kick is one kick that I only have seen in Power Rangers Television and/or Super Sentai Series.

That kick knocked out Miyahara which then took him to the outside where Nakajima decided to let Masa Kitamiya have a close-eye view of their encounter. Kitamiya was like "can you take it back to the ring, please" which he did but once Nakajima was getting ready to go "Showtime", Miyahara went all over Nakajima. Think there was like 5 to 6 headbutts in which each one felt more brutal than the last one. I know I have somewhat of a hard head but I'm amazed that Nakajima somehow had the same thing because the impact of those headbutts might have made him bleed or knock him out cold. Luckily, he was still conscience after all those headbutts.

Once back in the ring, Nakajima switches gears and eventually did a take two for his "Showtime" move but this time, no showboating, just do it. After going showtime on Miyahara, Nakajima unleashed something I've never seen him do before. That was a submission move that I only seen Masa Kitamiya do. Kitamiya was not impressed but I somehow was because it was the first time I've seen someone else other than Kitamiya do it. Believe it or not, that was the only submission attempt in the entire match. 2-3 minutes of being in that hold Miyahara was and who knows if Nakajima will use that submission move once again.

After that, match gets into high gear where just when Nakajima attempts to kick Miyahara, saw Miyahara perform one of the rarest moves today in pro wrestling. That piledriver gave Nakajima a delayed reaction but at the same time, that piledriver showed how exhausted both men had been as we reached the 20 minute mark. Note that because of the heat wave going on, that exhaustion meter was going to double since both were in with no time limit.

Once back in the ring, saw amazing suplexes that all led to one amazing clotheline (aka lariat) from Miyahara that knocked him down as well. Both men are now getting exhausted but somehow each manage to get up in which, this match turns into a game of "can you top this". By throwing elbow shots to each, I said this match alone is drowning the G1 in which it was by these elbow shots. Of the eight matches that took place during night one of G1 Climax 33, only 3 of the eight were amazing matches. Those matches were: Shota Umino vs. Ren Narita, Yota Tsuji vs. Kaito Kiyomiya, and Taichi vs. Will Ospreay. All the rest including Okada's match and SANADA's match were being drowned in the water by this match between Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kento Miyahara.

The last nine minutes of this match were so amazing. Elbow shots from both men, karate kicks from Nakajima, big boot kicks from Miyahara. All those kicks and strikes almost lead to Nakajima winning right at the 30 minute mark when suddenly his vertical spike is countered by Miyahara for one of his own. Kento Miyahara then attempted to suplex Katsuhiko Nakajima but Nakajima knew that the suplex could be it for him and he truly countered it all the way.

As we're passed the 30 minute mark, both men totally exhausted decide to unleash what's left in their arsenal when suddenly Nakajima slaps Miyahara knocking him out. But the slap had exhausted Nakajima as well who then went for the finish kick but Miyahara kicks out at two. Before the final vertical spike, Miyahara is crawling up to Nakajima in which for the first time, I don't see a smile from Nakajima, I see a warrior crying out to his kouhai. After screaming his opponent's name, Nakajima finishes off Miyahara with a 1-second vertical spike (usually his vertical spikes have a 10-second delay) giving him the win over Miyahara. That final pin became the cover of the Japanese Weekly Pro Wrestling Magazine as seen below.

Post-match, Nakajima attempted to show respect to Miyahara by helping him up but Miyahara wanted none of that which led to a fast post-match brawl where Nakajima lightly throws and slowly pushes Miyahara out of the ring. After beating Miyahara, Nakajima tells him that he's an amazing wrestler but there was no way he was going to lose to him. Katsuhiko Nakajima needed this signature win more than Miyahara did because after losing to Shingo Takagi in Yokohama and drawing against Kenoh at Shinjuku FACE, Nakajima knew he needed this win and that's what he did.

Why did I title this "Drowning the G1: Nakajima/Miyahara exceeding Expectations"? Because that's what they did. They exceeded all expectations including my own. When we got to that 20-minute mark, I knew they were drowning most of night 1 of G1 Climax 33 including matches involving Kazuchika Okada and SANADA. The sold-out crowd in Korakuen Hall made this match much more memorable for all we were able to see including a rare submission move from Katsuhiko Nakajima and many exchanges that took place from the 20-minute mark until the end.

This match currently holds a 9.51 out of 10 from CAGEMATCH with it getting 5 1/4 stars from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (WON).

Compared that to the G1 where of their eight matches, none of them reached the 8 point mark from CAGEMATCH yet one was able to match Nakajima/Miyahara in terms of star ratings. That one match was Taichi vs. Will Ospreay which also received 5 1/4 stars from WON.

So...like I said "drowning the G1, exceeding expectations" is what Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kento Miyahara did but based on that post-match brawl, there could be a rematch along the way. Will we see another match? Who knows but this was truly the "One Night Dream" we all wanted.

#Pro Wrestling NOAH #Katsuhiko Nakajima #Kento Miyahara #One Night Dream #G1 Climax 33

G1 Climax 33 Standings (as of July 24, 2023)

As we are 3 matches into each block, here are the official standings as for G1 Climax 33 as we heading into Korakuen Hall on Tuesday July 25th

On Top of A Block is the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA with 6 pts. at 3 wins. In second is Pro Wrestling NOAH's Kaito Kiyomya with 5 pts. at 2 wins and a time limit draw. In third place is Chase Owens with 4 pts. at 2 wins. In fourth is Gabriel Kidd also with 4 pts. at 2 wins. Chase owns the 1-on-1 tiebreaker over Gabriel Kidd. Tied for 5th place are Shota Umino and Ren Narita each with 2 points but those 2 points have come from time-limit draws. Each also have a loss heading into Korakuen. And at the bottom are Yota Tsuji with 1 pt. and Hikuleo at 0 pts.

Here are the current scenarios as to how the top 2 from A Block can advance to G1 Climax 33's Knockout Stage which takes place on August 10th in Funabashi.

SANADA can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches and staying undefeated in the process

Kaito Kiyomiya can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches and have Shota Umino lose 2-3 of his last 4 block matches

Chase Owens can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches and have Kaito Kiyomiya lose 2-3 of his last 4 block matches

Gabriel Kidd can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches and have Chase Owens lose 2-3 of his last 4 block matches

Ren Narita can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches and have the following lose 2-3 of their last 4 block matches: Shota Umino, Yota Tsuji, and Gabriel KIdd

Shota Umino can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches and have the following lose 2-3 of their last 4 block matches: SANADA, Kaito Kiyomiya, and Ren Narita

Yota Tsuji can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches, have SANADA and/or Kaito Kiyomiya reach a draw, then have one or both of them lose their last 2-3 block matches, and have Ren Narita lose his last 2-3 block matches

Hikuleo can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches and then have SANADA, Chase Owens, Gabriel Kidd and/or a combination of the two lose 2-3 of their final 4 block matches

Based on the scenarios of A Block, Hikuleo has the longest of odds to be in the top 2. He'll need a win over Ren Narita to do so and if he does, he also needs SANADA to lose to stay alive in A Block. Should SANADA win over Kiyomyia on the 25th; most of A Block will be eliminated from advancing with only SANADA, Kaito Kiyomiya, Chase Owens, and Gabriel Kidd each having a chance to be in the top 2. The match between SANADA and Kiyomiya will determine A Block's fate.

Now...let's take a look at the current standings for B Block:

On Top of B Block is Kazuchika Okada with 3 wins at 6 points. Tied for second are Taichi, Will Ospreay, and YOSHI-HASHI each with 2 wins at 4 points. As of July 24th, Taichi owns the tiebreaker over Ospreay while Ospreay holds the tiebreaker over YOSHI-HASHI. YOSHI-HASHI and Taichi are scheduled to meet on July 27th in Ota. Tied for 5th are Tanga Loa, KENTA, and Great O-Khan each with 1 win and 2 losses at 4 points. Tanga Loa owns the tiebreaker over KENTA while KENTA owns the tiebreaker over Great O-Khan. Both O-Khan and Loa are scheduled to meet on July 27th to determine the final tiebreaker.

Now...here are the scenarios as to how the top 2 can advance to the Knockout Stage on August 10th:

Kazuchika Okada can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches

Taichi can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches including his block match against YOSHI-HASHI on July 27th

Will Ospreay can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches and have Taichi lose 2-3 of his final 4 block matches.

YOSHI-HASHI can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches, have Will Ospreay lose 2-3 of his final 4 block matches, and defeat Taichi on July 27th.

Tanga Loa can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches including one against Great O-Khan on July 27th and have Taichi and/or YOSHI-HASHI lose 2-3 of their final 4 block matches.

KENTA can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches and have either Will Ospreay, Tanga Loa or a combination of the two lose 2-3 of their final 4 block matches.

Great O-Khan can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches which includes one against Tanga Loa on July 27th. He also needs KENTA, Kazuchika Okada, or a combination of the two lose 2-3 of their final 4 block matches

El Phantasmo can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches and have Okada/YOSHI-HASHI/Great O-Khan or a combination of the three each lose 2-3 of their final block matches.

B Block is tight and anything can happen especially if you're at the bottom which is where El Phantasmo is.

Now...let's take a look at the standings for C Block in which many people are not liking the current standings. Again, folks, still early and still plenty of time before things are final.

At top of C Block is David Finlay at 3 wins and 6 points. Tied for second are Tama Tonga, Eddie Kingston, and EVIL each at 4 points and 2 wins. EVIL holds tiebreakers over both Kingston and Tonga which puts him above the other two. Both Tama Tonga and Eddie Kingston are scheduled for each other on August 2nd. Tied for 5th at 2 points are HENARE, Mikey Nicholls, and Shingo Takagi. As of typing, Mikey Nicholls holds a tiebreaker over HENARE while HENARE owns a tiebreaker over Shingo Takagi. Mikey Nicholls and Shingo Takagi are scheuled to face other on July 26th in Korakuen.

The scenarios for the top 2 in C Block as it follows:

David Finlay can be in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches

EVIL can be in the top 2 by winning his last 4 block matches and have David Finlay lose 2-3 of his final 4.

Tama Tonga can be in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches, beating Eddie Kingston on August 2nd, and have EVIL lose 2-3 of his final 4

Eddie Kingston can be in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches, beating Tama Tonga on August 2nd, and have EVIL lose 2-3 of his final 4.

Mikey Nicholls can be in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches which includes him beating Shingo Takagi on July 26th and have David Finlay/Tama Tonga and/or a combination of the two lose 2-3 of their final 4.

HENARE can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches and have Mikey Nicholls/Eddie Kingston and/or a combination of the two lose 2-3 of their final 4.

Shingo Takagi can finish in the top 2 by winning his last 4 which includes beating Mikey Nicholls on July 26th and have Eddie Kingston/HENARE or a combination of the two lose 2-3 of their final 4 matches.

Tomohiro Ishii can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches and have David Finlay, Tama Tonga, and Shingo Takagi each lose 2-3 of their final 4.

Out of these scenarios, Tomohiro Ishii being in the top 2 will be a long shot but we'll see what happens in these final 4 block matches for C Block which resumes on Wednesday.

And lastly, let's take a look at the D Block standings.

At top of D Block are Jeff Cobb and Zac Sabre Jr. each at 3 wins and 6 points. Both will facing each other on Wednesday to see who'll be 4-0 and at 8 points. In third place is Tetsuya Naito at 2 wins and 4 points. He owns the tiebreaker over Hirooki Goto who is also at 2 wins and 4 points. In fifth is Hiroshi Tanahashi who has 1 win and is at 2 points owning a tiebreaker over Shane Haste who is also at 2 points with 1 win. And at the bottom are Alex Coughlin and Toru Yano who are at 0 points after 3 matches. Their chances of making the top two are a long shot but let's take a look at the D Block scenarios to see if they'll be able to advance.

Jeff Cobb can finish in the top 2 with a win over Zac Sabre Jr. and winning his last 3 block matches after that

Zac Sabre Jr. can finish in the top 2 with a win over Jeff Cobb and winning his last 3 block matches after that

Tetsuya Naito can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches including one against Zac Sabre Jr. on August 2nd. He also needs Jeff Cobb to lose 2-3 of his final 4.

Hirooki Goto can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches including getting wins against both Jeff Cobb and Zac Sabre Jr. He also needs Tetsuya Naito to lose 2-3 of his final 4 including one to Zac Sabre Jr.

Hiroshi Tanahashi can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches including getting wins over both Tetsuya Naito and Hirooki Goto. He also needs both Jeff Cobb and Zac Sabre Jr. to lose 2-3 of their final 4 block matches.

Shane Haste can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches including getting wins over Jeff Cobb, Zack Sabre Jr., and Tetsuya Naito. He has already lost to Hirooki Goto and Hiroshi Tanahashi in which he needs both or either one of the two to lose 2-3 of their final 4 block matches to be in the top 2.

Toru Yano can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches including one against Jeff Cobb scheduled for July 30th. He also needs Zac to lose 2-3 of his final 4 block matches.

Alex Coughlin can finish in the top 2 by winning his final 4 block matches, having Jeff Cobb/Zac Sabre Jr. reach a time-limit draw and then each lose 2-3 of their final 3 block matches; and then have Shane Haste lose 2-3 of his final 4 block matches.

From these scenarios, it looks like the best Alex Coughlin can do is finish in second place because of his losses to both Jeff Cobb and Zac Sabre Jr. Toru Yano has already lost to Zac but should he win over Jeff Cobb July 30th, he could still have a shot at being in the top 2 for D Block.

Those are the current standings right now for D Block. G1 Climax 33 resumes on July 25th in Korakuen Hall.

#New Japan Pro Wrestling #G1 Climax 33 #Current Standings #Scenarios

Plans for the Week

Here's what I plan to do on my Pro Wrestling Express this week.

My opinion on the match between Kento Miyahara and Katsuhiko Nakajima that took place back on July 15th and why I think it could be the Match of the Year for 2023

My opinion on the G1 Block standings including new scenarios on how A Block could be determined due to the 3 time limit draws so far.

Full match card and predictions to the first 3 nights of N-1 Victory 2023

Predictions on the 2023 Tokyo Princess Cup Quarterfinals

Why I'm not a fan of the name "Reiwa Three Musketeers".

Why I and many believe that the experiment on David Finlay being leader of "Bullet Club" is dead.

Expect all these and more on here on the Pro Wrestling Express Tumblr page.

#Pro Wrestling NOAH #New Japan Pro Wrestling #Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling #G1 Climax 33 #N-1 Victory 2023 #Tokyo Princess Cup

"One Night Dream" Main Event Prediction

The most talked about match in the last month is finally here and I'm here to predict who I have winning this match.

Before making the predictions, please click here to read predictions on the two N-1 Victory 2023 preview matches taking place before this main event.

It's crazy to know that this will be the first televised match between Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kento Miyahara. More crazy is the fact that up until the Tokyo Dome back in February, had no idea they had a history but as that build for the 6-man tag grew on, their history had me quite intrigued.

As we go by, we see Kento make cameos in Pro Wrestling NOAH at least two more times but yet to see him in the ring. June 17, 2023...after scoring a team win over Kenoh and Manabu Soya, Nakajima dropped the big announcement of him and Miyahara in a singles match at Korakuen Hall. Immediately after the match was announced, tickets went fast and within 2-3 days, tickets were all sold out even standing-room tickets. When I read that, went wow because usually it's a WWE event that sells out in quick fashion but the fact that NOAH announced this one match before announcing the card was something. This match has been promoted as many times if not more than the G1 because none of us known if there will ever be another singles match between these two. This match will be about how much has changed within the last 10+ years.

Now...predictions. ABEMA poll became a real nailbiter as seen down below:

It's tight but ABEMA has this 54.1% in favor of Kento Miyahara. The Pro Wrestling NOAH global twitter page also did a poll where the result is overwhelming:

So...basically, we have somewhat of a split here when it comes to who's winning the main event today in Korakuen Hall. As for who I believe who'll win, this one was hard to predict for various reasons. This will be Nakajima's 4th singles match in 2023 where is he 1-2-1 so far. Of the four matches he's had, 3 of them have been against top stars. Shingo Takagi at Wrestle Kingdom 17 in Yokohama Area, Jake Lee at Green Journey 2023 in Sendai, and Kenoh at Sunny Voyage 2023 back on May 31st. Against those 3, he's yet to win one. Facing Kento Miyahara will be his fourth one this year.

Meanwhile, this will be Kento Miyahara's 14th singles match this year with his record (according to cagematch.net) at 9-4 this year. His highlighted singles matches this year were against Takuya Nomura, Yuma Aoyagi and Yuji Nagata. This is all based on the ratings I'm reading from cagematch.net in which his match against Yuji Nagata was his last singles at above 8. That match is rated 8.68 as of this typing (July 15, 2023 at 1:43 AM Eastern). Of the few times I've watched Kento, I've learned he's one that wants to have most if not all the attention on himself. His music says it all. The moment it plays, he wants the crowd to play with it. Though I feel like he can be too much about himself when it comes to wrestling, it's a different story.

With that said and despite him not winning against Nakajima, I feel like Nakajima needs this win more than Miyahara. Katsuhiko Nakajima needs this win to build momentum on the N-1 Victory and with it being no time limit, believe this is his chance. Katsuhiko Nakajima will win over Kento Miyahara but no matter the result, can be happy to say we got a chance to see a dream match become reality despite it happening before.

Nakajima vs. Miyahara is part of "One Night Dream" which will air live on ABEMA (for free) and Wrestle Universe (subscription required) starting at 5:20 AM Eastern/4:20 AM Central/2:20 AM Pacific.

If your time is not seen above, go to timeanddate.com and type in the city you currently live in to find out the start time in your area and enjoy this one chance of seeing Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kento Miyahara going one-on-one with no time limit.

#Pro Wrestling NOAH #All Japan Pro Wrestling #Katsuhiko Nakajima #Kento Miyahara #One Night Dream

G1 Climax 33 Night 1 and N-1 Victory Preview Predictions

With only a few hours to go before "G1 Climax 33" begins and a few weeks before "N-1 Victory 2023" begins, here are the predictions I have for night one of the G1 and the two N-1 Victory preview matches taking place at "One Night Dream"

G1 Climax 33 B Block Match: El Phantasmo vs. YOSHI-HASHI Prediction: This one is almost an conclusion to me. I see El Phantasmo winning over YOSHI-HASHI who most times has a slow start but a strong finish

G1 Climax 33 A Block Match: Chase Owens vs. Gabriel Kidd Prediction: Originally had predicted Gabriel Kidd to win this one but after what we saw yesterday, though it's too late to change it in the polls, I'm going with Chase Owens for the win. Predicting Chase is going to have a great run in this G1

G1 Climax 33 B Block Match: Tanga Loa vs. KENTA Prediction: Before I make my prediction on this, don't think many have notice but there are clues to which there's a possibility of KENTA joining Pro Wrestling NOAH's AXIZ in the near future. Reasons why I say this he has a leg wrap in the same leg as Go Shiozaki does, at the G1 Press Conference, he wore an earring in the same spot as Go and wore a similar necklace that Katsuhiko Nakajima was wearing in the VTR promoting "One Night Dream" main event. Should also mention the attire, mostly similar to what Nakajima wore at the beginning of July. Anyway, these clues could lead to that but again who knows considering KENTA's mindset is mostly about playing games. So...this match. This will be Tonga Loa's first match since May 2022 and it'll be interesting to see how he'll fare here. My prediction is that Tanga Loa will win over KENTA but at a big price for when KENTA does what he can to win, it may leave a mark.

Prediction: Two men with something to prove, one more than the other. Since returning from excursion, Ren Narita has (in my opinion) somewhat been mistreated. Returns from excursion in the opening match, his first singles main event is off the charts while his second causes a riot (boos were all over the building). Then again, you can say the same for Shota Umino but really you can't. Since his match with Zac Sabre Jr. back at the 2023 New Japan Cup, Umino has been explosive. Highlighting to us his best potential and the fact that he teamed up with Jon Moxley three times after Wrestling Dontaku 2023, shows how much confidence has been build inside of the Shooter. Anyway, the prediction is this. Ren Narita will win over Umino with mostly 1-2 minutes to spare. G1 Climax Block matches are under a 20-minute time-limit making it difficult to get the victory in the alloted time. Again, Ren Narita with the win but it'll be close.

Now....let's switch from the G1 to the N-1 Victory with this preview match to the tournament taking place at Korakuen Hall down below:

Prediction: This match above will be the Pro Wrestling NOAH debut for Lance Anoa'i who has strong family ties with Roman Reigns, the Usos, and Solo Sikola. Also, the team he's on will have too many difference into which they could play a factor. Then again, may not because though the Japan team of Daiki Inaba, Manabu Soya, Yoshiki Inamura, and Masa Kitamiya are united, most times Daiki is seen as the one to be pinned here. My prediction here is that the dysfunctional team of Anoa'i, Adam Brooks, Saxon Huxley, and Jack Morris will get the win with Saxon Huxley scoring the winning pinfall.

Now...let's go to the second half of the G1 Climax 33 Night one predictions starting off with...

Prediction: A very intriguing match that could answer some questions about O-Khan's state of mind. Suffering his first loss in the UK could play a factor, one that Okada will be gladly to enjoy. The prediction here is that Okada is going to win in dominating fashion leaving O-Khan asking himself more questions.

Prediction: The match many believe should be in the main event yet isn't. Out of all the block matches for night one, this is the most talked about match. The reason...Kaito Kiyomiya is the first NOAH representative in the G1 since 2016 and is coming with a huge chip on his shoulder. To prove the world what NOAH wrestling is about in a NJPW ring. Yota Tsuji...fresh out of excursion, bursted himself into the main event in Osaka-Jo Hall and nearly came out a winner. By many, these two are seen as the top stars right now heading into this tournament and are seen as the two heavy favorites followed by Tetsuya Naito whose G1 begins on July 16th. My prediction here was a tough and it's one some fans are not going to like. ABEMA finished a poll where 66% have Kiyomiya over Tsuji who's at nearly 34%. My prediction here is we're going the full 20 minutes. Hard to predict which of these two will win but feel like the time-limit draw will serve as motivation for these two to have a strong G1 run.

Prediction: Taichi's hometown, the arena where in every G1 since entering, he's never lost. The person he's facing is someone who's seen by some as a favorite but one who wants to truly go all the way. The prediction here is that Taichi's streak will continue here. Taichi for the win.

Now, before predicting the main event match, here is the other N-1 Victory 2023 preview match:

Prediction: Two preview of what could be the N-1 Victory 2023 finals. With that said, the prediction for this match here could surprise you. Seeing as Kenoh has not been pinned in tag action this year, it's almost a foregone conclusion that the team of Kenoh and Jake Lee will win this match but considering this is a N-1 Victory 2023 preview match, you can't just believe Kenoh and Jake Lee will win. With that said, the prediction is if the match is under a 30-minute time-limit, then with less than 10 minutes to spare, somehow....Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. and Go Shiozaki will win their match here.

Now...let's predict the main event to night one of "G1 Climax 33" and the main event is...

Prediction: Big test incoming for Hikuleo. Though this is the main event, due to Kaito Kiyomiya's participation in the G1 and due to the huge promoting of Kento Miyahara vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima taking place in Korakuen Hall on the same day, this match is coming completely under the radar. One that I believe will benefit Hikuelo. But, the last time the IWGP World Heavyweight or Heavyweight Champion lost in their first block match was 2016 when Kazuchika Okada fell to Naomichi Marufuji. The prediction here is that the trend will continue. SANADA with a big win over Hikuleo.

That's all my predictions for night one of "G1 Climax 33" that includes here two N-1 Victory preview matches. All of these matches will be taking place on July 15th in Sapporo for the G1 and in Korakuen Hall for the 2 preview tag matches.

Please tune in to all the action for G1 Climax 33 starting at 4:00 AM Eastern today on NJPW World and ABEMA.

N-1 Victory 2023 begins August 6th in Yokohama.

#G1 Climax 33 #Match Predictions #N-1 Victory 2023 #N1 Victory 2023

Pre-July 15th Interviews

As we countdown to "G1 Climax 33" and "One Night Dream", interviews were conducted in the last two weeks.

For the "One Night Dream" event; seven interviews were conducted in which six of them talk about the main event: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Kento Miyahara.

Both Miyahara and Nakajima were interviewed after their press conference back on June 19th when the match was made official. The other interviews were all conducted within the last week and in official order:

Go Shiozaki (Current Tag Partner of Katsuhiko Nakajima)

Masa Kitamiya (former wrestling training mate for both Nakajima and Miyahara)

Kyohei Wada (AJPW Referee) (Personal opinion: Guy is too slow of an official. His 3-counts way too slow)

Yu Owada (new wrestler for NOAH)

Naomichi Marufuji

Click here to watch Kento Miyahara's interview

Click here to watch Katsuhiko Nakajima's interview

Click here to watch Go Shiozaki's interview

Click here to watch Masa Kitamiya's interview

Click here to watch Kyohei Wada's interview

Click here to watch Yu Owada's interview

Click here to watch Naomichi Marufuji's interview

And note, Yu Owada is not picture because his interview is on his debut match while everyone else talked about the main event. "One Night Dream" airs on ABEMA (for free) with Japanese commentary and Wrestle Universe (subscription required) with English commentary Saturday July 15th at 5:30 AM Eastern/4:30 AM Central/2:30 AM Pacific

Meanwhile, interviews were conducted for G1 Climax 33 participants in which 6 of 8 A Blocks members were interviewed while 2 from C Block were interviewed and (as of typing) one for D Block was interview.

The following that were interviewed within the last 2 weeks for "G1 Climax 33" were

Shota Umino (A Block representative)

SANADA (A Block representative and reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion)

David Finlay (C Block representative and reigning NEVER Openweight Champion) [Not pictured above]

Ren Narita (A Block representative)

Kaito Kiyomiya (A Block representative and Pro Wrestling NOAH representative)

Hikuleo (A Block representative)

Yota Tsuji (A Block representative)

Eddie Kingston (C Block representative and AEW representative) [Not pictured above]

Tetsuya Naito (D Block representative) [His interview has yet to be put up on the official English website] [Not pictured above]

Go to the official G1 Climax 33 website (click here) to read all the interviews conducted within the last two weeks.

G1 Climax 33 starts Saturday July 15th from Sapporo. The event can be watched live on ABEMA (for free) with Japanese commentary and on NJPW World (also for free) with either English commentary or Japanese commentary. The event starts at 4:00 AM Eastern/3:00 AM Central/1:00 AM Pacific.

If your start time is not listed above, go to timeanddate.com, type in the city you currently live in to find the start time to the event in your area.

#Pro Wrestling NOAH #New Japan Pro Wrestling #One Night Dream #G1 Climax 33 #Katsuhiko Nakajima #Kento Miyahara #Go Shiozaki #Masa Kitamiya #Naomichi Marufuji #Shota Umino #SANADA #Ren Narita #Kaito Kiyomiya #Hikuleo #Yota Tsuji

Official Theme for G1 Climax 33 Revealed

As seen above, the official theme song for G1 Climax 33 has been revealed. After having JAM Project sing the last two theme songs, this year's theme...will be sung by the same group that sang the theme to "Best of Super Jr. 30".

ASH DA HERO will be singing this year's theme song which is title "Born in the Ring" which is the theme for this year's tournament. Down below is the official opening VTR of the theme.

G1 Climax 33 starts tomorrow on ABEMA and NJPW World at 4 AM Eastern/3 AM Central/1 AM Pacific in Sapporo.

NJPW World will be posting the event free in both Japanese and English commentaries.

ABEMA will have the event free with Japanese commentary. Just hope you can get the video there somehow after issues caused the press conference to not be show outside the host country.

Anyway...G1 Climax 33 starts tomorrow.

#G1 Climax 33 #New Japan Pro Wrestling #ASH DA HERO #Theme Song #Youtube

Tokyo Princess Cup 2023 Bracket Revealed + My predictions

NJPW's G1 Climax and Pro Wrestling NOAH's N-1 Victory are not the only summer tournaments going on in pro wrestling. Over in Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (aka TJPW) there's a Summer Tournament called the Tokyo Princess Cup. Unlike the other two tournaments, The Tokyo Princess Cup is a single-elimination tournament where 16 women compete with a chance to win the cup and if they're not the Princess of Princess Champion, are given the honor to challenge at the next big event for TJPW which will be "Wrestle Princess IV" taking place in Hachioji this fall.

The tournament starts this Saturday (July 15th) with first round action and as seen above, matches in the first round that day are:

July 15, 2023: Miyu Yamashita vs. Princess of Princess Champion Mizuki

July 15, 2023: Hyper MIsao vs. Moka Miyamoto

The first round will last four days ending on July 22nd. These following first round matches will take place over the course of the three dates (July 16, 17, and 22)

July 16, 2023: Raku vs. International Princess Champion Rika Tatsumi

July 16, 2023: Suzume vs. Shoko Nakajima

July 17, 2023: Yuki Kamifuku vs. Nao Kakuta

July 17, 2023: Yuki Aino vs. Miu Watanabe

July 22, 2023: Arisu Endo vs. Mahiro Kiryu

July 22, 2023: Hikari Noa vs. Yuki Arai

The first round matches were determined by a drawing yesterday where 15 of the 16 competitors (Yuki Arai was not there most likely due to SKE48 commitments) drew a number where it'll be 1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, 5 vs. 6, etc. until they reached the final number of 15 vs. 16.

The first round of the Tokyo Princess Cup 2023 will take place in Ryogoku KFC Hall with the rest of the tournament taking place in Korakuen Hall on July 29th (Quarterfinals), August 12th (Semi-Finals), and August 13th (Finals).

And yeah...be surprised, this year both the Tokyo Princess Cup and the G1 Climax 33 winner will be crowned on the very same day (August 13th).

Now, here are my predictions for the Tokyo Princess Cup 2023 and not sure if all will be correctly predicted but, a first for me on doing this. Hope to do a good job here. Anyway, here are my predictions on how the Tokyo Princess Cup 2023 will go.:

Round 1: Miyu Yamashita beats Mizuki

Round 1: Hyper Misao beats Moka Miyamoto

Round 1: Rika Tatsumi beats Raku

Round 1: Suzume beats Shoko Nakajima

Round 1: Nao Kakuta beats Yuki Kamifuku

Round 1: Miu Watanabe beats Yuki Aino

Round 1: Arisu Endo beats Mahiro Kiryu

Round 1: Yuki Arai beats Hikari Noa

Quarterfinal #1: Miyu Yamashita beats Hyper Misao

Quarterfinal #2: Rika Tatsumi beats Suzume

Quarterfinal #3: Miu Watanabe beats Nao Kakuta

Quarterfinal #4: Yuki Arai beats Arisu Endo

Semi-Final #1: Rika Tatsumi beats Miyu Yamashita

Semi-Final #2: Yuki Arai beats Miu Watanabe

Finals: Yuki Arai beats Rika Tatsumi

I know I may not do good on these predictions but feel like Yuki Arai can go all the way and challenge Mizuki despite only being about 3 years into her career as a pro wrestler. Hope these predictions are wrong in the end but you never know.

Tokyo Princess Cup 2023 starts with first round coverage on July 15th, 16th, 17th, and 22nd from Ryogoku KFC Hall. The Quarterfinals, Semi-Finals, and Finals will take place on July 29th, August 12th, and 13th respectively, all from Korakuen Hall.

All seven events of Tokyo Princess Cup 2023 will be lived streamed on Wrestle Universe. The local start time to the event will be listed below. Just make sure you have a subscription to watch the entire tournament live.

#Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling #TJPW #Tokyo Princess Cup

My G1 Climax 33 and N-1 Victory 2023 Final Predictions

As we are only 5 days away from G1 Climax 33 beginning in Sapporo and less than a month away from N-1 Victory 2023 beginning in Yokohama, can say with full confidence that I have my predicted finals for 2023 and here they are:

For G1 Climax 33, my predicted final will be Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Tetsuya Naito.

Now, I have 3 ways as to how each will make it to the finals in which I have 3 sets of predictions of who will be my final 8.

The first set of my final 8 will be Shota Umino and Kaito Kiyomiya from A Block, Kazuchika Okada and El Phantasmo from B Block, Eddie Kingston and EVIL from C Block, and Jeff Cobb and Tetsuya Naito from D Block. In this first set for Kiyomiya to be in the final, I have him beating Jeff Cobb and El Phantasmo while I have Naito beating Okada and EVIL. Interesting fact, this first set of 8 I have predicted would've had Okada and Kiyomiya in the finals but if I want Naito in the final, tough decision had to be made in which Naito will beat Okada and then EVIL to face Kaito Kiyomiya.

For my second set, I have Kaito Kiyomiya and SANADA from Block A, El Phantasmo and KENTA from Block B, my top 2 from Block C remains unchanged (Eddie Kingston and EVIL), and in D Block I have Tetsuya Naito and Zack Sabre Jr. Now, here for the final, I will have Kiyomiya overcoming the House of Torture to defeat EVIL and then defeat El Phantasmo to advance to the final. Tetsuya Naito...have him beating SANADA in what could be a preview for Wrestle Kingdom 18 should Naito win the G1 and then have him beating KENTA avenging a Ryogoku loss from 3 years ago. In this second set here, should this final come to be, have Naito facing Pro Wrestling NOAH's past (KENTA) in the semi-finals and NOAH's present (Kaito Kiyomiya) in the overall finals. Be interesting to see how that'll work out.

My third and final set of my final 8 will have once more Shota Umino and Kaito Kiyomiya from A Block (they were also predicted in my first set). El Phantasmo and KENTA from B Block (predicted in my second set). You can say C Block is pretty much set in stone because I just feel that Eddie Kingston and EVIL will be the top two no matter what the prediction is. And D Block...same as the first set, Jeff Cobb and Tetsuya Naito. The final 4 I predicted here would be NOAH's past meeting NOAH's present while at the same time a LIJ betrayal that could lead to a revival. That predicted final 4 in this set is KENTA (NOAH's Past) vs. Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH's Present) and EVIL (the traitor) vs. Tetsuya Naito.

Now, who do I have winning G1 Climax 33? Many know that this year, this G1 will belong to Tetsuya Naito. Have Tetsuya Naito going all the way and it'll be interesting if he'll keep the promise that Kenoh and Kiyomiya made in Hachioji.

That promise is that the G1 Climax 33 winner will meet the N-1 Victory 2023 winner in a singles match in a Pro Wrestling NOAH ring.

Speaking of N-1 Victory 2023, I have my predicted final but how I have them reaching the final remains to be seen as the match cards will not be announced until July 15th 2023 after which I'll have an image as how this final will come to light. But...I have my predicted N-1 Victory Final and...it'll be Kenoh vs. Go Shiozaki in which I'll have Shiozaki finally defeating Kenoh and getting not only that first win over the former Kongo leader but his first singles tournament victory in Pro Wrestling NOAH. Interesting fact, even when it was Global League, Shiozaki has never won the finals itself. He reached the finals in 2017 and lost to Kenoh in that year's overall final. This year, in 2023, I feel like this will be his chance to win this tournament and show us all age is just a number. Shiozaki is the oldest of the 16 N-1 Victory 2023 participants competing at the age of 41.

So, to recap this...despite a promise being made, neither Kaito Kiyomiya or Kenoh will be able to keep it as both will lose in their finals to Tetsuya Naito and Go Shiozaki respectively. Again, be interesting to see if Naito and Shiozaki will go along with the promise that Kiyomiya and Kenoh made in Hachioji.

G1 Climax 33 begins July 15th in Sapporo and will end on August 13th in Ryogoku Kokukigan. N-1 Victory 2023 begins August 6th in Yokohama Budokan and will end on September 3rd in EDION Arena Osaka.

Go to the official G1 Climax 33 website (click here) and the official N-1 Victory 2023 website (click here) to find out the start times to all 18 G1 events and all 9 N1 Victory events. Then, if you're not in the area where each event is at, go to timeanddate.com, type in the city you currently live in to find out the start time in your area.

All 19 G1 Climax 33 Events will air on NJPW World with the first two airing on ABEMA in Japanese Commentary.

All 9 N1 Victory events will air on ABEMA (for free) with Japanese commentary and on Wrestle Universe (subscription required) with English commentary.

Time to see which 1 of the 32 in the G1 and 16 in the N1 will be "Born in the Ring" which is the theme for this year's G1 Climax. Enjoy these two summer tournaments events starting on Saturday with G1 Climax 33 in full bloom in Sapporo and some N-1 Victory 2023 preview matches in Korakuen Hall.

#Pro Wrestling NOAH #New Japan Pro Wrestling #G1 Climax 33 #N-1 Victory 2023 #N1 Victory 2023 #G1 Climax Final #N1 Victory Final #N-1 Victory Final #Predicted Finals #Kaito Kiyomiya #Tetsuya Naito #Kenoh #Go Shiozaki

N-1 Victory 2023 Match Cards To Be Announced on July 15th

Back on June 22, 2023...we found out the 16 participants for N-1 Victory 2023 as well as what block each of the 16 will be in. You can watch the video below in case you forgot who's in the tournament this year.

Now...after weeks of waiting, this Saturday, we will get the full match cards for the N-1 Victory 2023. Based on what I learned from last year, all 16 will start on day 1 in which after that, at least 2 wrestlers will be off the card until the final night of block competition where all will compete one more time.

Where will each of the matches take place? What will be the order of each card? Tune in this Saturday to find out.

ABEMA presents N-1 Victory 2023 begins on August 6th in Yokohama Budokan and will end on September 3rd in EDION Arena Osaka. Check out social media sites as well as Pro Wrestling NOAH's official Japanese website to find out the start times to each event.

#Pro Wrestling NOAH #N-1 Victory 2023 #N1 Victory 2023 #Match Cards #Youtube

Full Match Card Announced for One Night Dream + Pro Wrestling Day 2023 Announced for Same Date

After the events from "Sunny Voyage 2023 in Hachioji" and as Kaito Kiyomiya departs for G1 Climax 33 action, we have the full match card for Pro Wrestling NOAH's "One Night Dream" event.

More than that, for the second year in a row; ABEMA will be presenting both "One Night Dream" from Pro Wrestling NOAH and the first two nights of "G1 Climax 33" from New Japan Pro Wrestling.

And due to ABEMA presenting the first two nights of "G1 Climax 33" fans all over the world can watch the first two nights for free on NJPW World. As for "One Night Dream", you can watch it for free on ABEMA but you must have a Wrestle Universe subscription if you want to watch it with English Commentary.

With that said, here is the full match card for "One Night Dream" in which...we are getting some tournament previews.

Opening up the event will be Yu Owada making his pro wrestling debut against Kai Fujimura.

Second on the card will be a wrestler I've not seen since college. Jimmy Yang comes to Pro Wrestling NOAH and he'll be teaming up with Stallion Rogers and Super Crazy to face GLG's YO-HEY, Tadasuke, and Anthony Greene who's been hyping up this match ever since it was made back on June 22nd.

Third on the card, it's women in tag team action as Yuu and Hibiscus MII team up to face Miyuki Takase and Jazzy Yang who I read is the daughter of Jimmy Yang.

After those 3 matches are done, next two matches will be N-1 Victory 2023 preview matches. These previews matches are not going to be like the ones you usually see in the G1 Climax where we get a preview of an upcoming singles match. Instead, these 2 matches will give us a sample of what N-1 Victory 2023 will be about when it starts on August 6th in Yokohama.

The first of the two N-1 Victory 2023 preview matches will be a "N-1 Scramble". Now what this means is that people from the same block will team up together or people from the two to four blocks will team up together in teams of 6, 8, or 10. The purpose of this (in my opinion) is to see how all can gel as a team and as future opponents. This year's Scramble will be Japan vs. The World as Adam Brooks of Australia, Lance Anoa'i of the United States, Jack Morris of Scotland, and Saxon Huxley of England team up to face the Japan team of Masa Kitamiya, Manabu Soya, Daiki Inaba, and Yoshiki Inamura. Be interesting to see how the international team will get along considering how Adam Brooks doesn't seem to be much of a team player as seen in Hachioji.

The second of the two N-1 Victory 2023 preview matches will be one where the top stars compete in previews of what could be the 2023 N-1 Victory final. It'll be Kenoh teaming up with GHC Heavyweight Champion Jake Lee facing GHC National Champion Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. and Go Shiozaki. A theme that has been central since Go's return is around Kenoh. Based on match cards that were announced, this one is one of his last three chances to prove he can beat and pin Kenoh. The other two chances will be July 20th in Shinjuku FACE and July 29th in Aore Nagaoka. Another theme that has been playing is Jake Lee's dominance since arriving in NOAH. So far, he has yet to be pinned or submitted. Should Shiozaki or Wagner Jr. manage to do that in Korakuen, that could boost up their confidence heading into N-1 Victory. The last theme in this match will be around Kenoh and a promise to make reality. After teaming up with Kaito Kiyomiya to win in the main event back on July 10th, Kenoh told Kiyomiya to win the G1 Climax Tournament while he wins the N-1 Victory and after both tournaments are over, they will have a 1-on-1 match to see which of them is better. Kiyomiya's G1 starts during "One Night Dream" facing Yota Tsuji.

In the semi-main event, we're going to have some Junior USA/Mexico/Japan action as 2 representatives from each country will be competing in 6-man tag-team action. It's HAYATA (Japan) teaming with Dante Leon (USA) and Rey Escorpion (Mexico) to face Dralistico (Mexico), Ninja Mack (USA), and AMAKUSA (Japan).

And then...the main event. The match many have been talking about since it was announced on June 17th. Kento Miyahara of All Japan Pro Wrestling vs. Katushiko Nakajima of Pro Wrestling NOAH

Despite facing each other in singles competition 3 times before, this will be their very first televised singles match. In the three matches against each other, Nakajima has won all of them within the time limit frame provided. This match though...there's no time limit. There must be a winner. For both, it'll be must-win but it'll be more must-win for Nakajima than Miyahara because though this is Nakajima's fourth singles match in 2023, this is his third one against a top opponent and so far, he's yet to win against an top star. It'll be something should be able to show Kento that he's still that step behind of him.

"One Night Dream" airs on ABEMA (for free) with Japanese Commentary and on Wrestle Universe (subscription members only) with English commentary on July 15th from Korakuen Hall at 6:20 Japan Time/5:20 AM Eastern/4:30 AM Central/2:30 AM Pacific. Go to timeanddate.com and type in the city you're currently live in to find the start time in your area for this once in a lifetime event, "One Night Dream".

#Pro Wrestling NOAH #One Night Dream #Match Card #Go Shiozaki #Jake Lee #Kenoh #Kaito Kiyomiya #Katsuhiko Nakajima #Kento Miyahara

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