New Japan Pro Wrestling returned to AXS TV back in 2021, and have been airing select programming from their big pay-per-view events and NJPW Strong shows weekly on the U.S. based network, which is also the home of IMPACT Wrestling.
Today, AXS TV released a statement announcing the full programming schedule for NJPW for the remainder of May, as well as the first week of June. This will include the recent Windy City Riot event featuring the critically acclaimed Jon Moxley vs. Will Ospreay match in the main event, as well as the promotion’s Wrestling Dontaku pay-per-view that saw the return of Bullet Club.
You can check out the official announcement below:
LOS ANGELES (May 10, 2022) – AXS TV, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc., closes out May with a fresh crop of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) episodes—showcasing unforgettable moments from the trailblazing promotion’s landmark Windy City Riot event, followed by three weeks of coverage from NJPW’s iconic Wrestling Dontaku event, airing every Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
The series puts the spotlight on world-class New Japan Pro-Wrestling action every week, delivering one hour of exclusive content compiling the absolute best moments from the promotion’s most recent broadcasts.
The upcoming roster is as follows:
May 12—Windy City Riot, filmed live from Chicago, Illinois on 4/16/22
-NJPW makes its long-awaited Chicago debut with an epic evening, headlined by a dream match main event as the Death Rider and the Commonwealth Kingpin take their feud to the next level when wrestling legend Jon Moxley goes toe-to-toe with Will Ospreay for the first time ever.
-The night also includes a bitter grudge match between two of wrestling’s hardest hitters, as longtime rivals Tomohiro Ishii and Minoru Suzuki seek to settle their differences in the squared circle.
May 19—Wrestling Dontaku, filmed live from Fukuoka, Japan on 4/28/22
-AXS TV kicks off three weeks of exciting Wrestling Dontaku, which returned to its birthplace—the PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan—for the first time since 2001 with a massive fight card that captivated the wrestling world. In this episode, Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens hope to ring-in the ninth anniversary of the Bullet Club, which was formed at Wrestling Dontaku in 2013, by seizing the Tag Team belts from newly-crowned champions Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan in a three-way showdown that also includes Bishamon duo Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI.
-Then, the United States Heavyweight Championship is up for grabs, when Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii vie for the title SANADA was forced to vacate due to injury earlier this year.
May 26—Wrestling Dontaku, filmed live from Fukuoka, Japan on 4/28/22
-AXS TV’s Wrestling Dontaku coverage continues with the last stop on the road to the Best Of The Super Jr. tournament, as reigning Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado defends his belt against Bullet Club assassin Taiji Ishimori.
-And former friends meet as foes, when Tama Tonga seeks to become an NJPW singles champion for the first time in his career—and get revenge for the Bullet Club’s shocking betrayal, in the process—by taking on Bullet Club brawler EVIL for the NEVER Openweight Championship.
June 2—Wrestling Dontaku, filmed live from Fukuoka, Japan on 4/28/22
-Wrestling Dontaku closes out with a rivalry renewed, as World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada puts NJPW’s most coveted prize on the line against Tetsuya Naito for the second time this year, following The Rainmaker’s defeat at the hands of the Los Ingobernables de Japón boss in the New Japan Cup.
