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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Nov 24, 2014 14:00:28 GMT -6
NEW JAPAN FOOTAGE TO AIR IN UNITED STATES NEXT YEAR
AXS TV, which broadcast Ring of Honor when it was known as HDNet, announced last night during a preview of its 2015 season that it would be airing New Japan Pro Wrestling TV.
I am told this will not be the promotion’s current material but episodes made of matches from major past events (circa 2013-2014) such as the G1 Climax Tournament, Tokyo Dome, etc. It would be the first time that material would broadcast in the United States.
John Pollock of Live Audio Wrestling in Canada is reporting Mauro Ranallo and UFC star Josh Barnett (no stranger to Japanese professional wrestling) will be voicing over the material in English and that there will be 13 episodes total.
The deal was put together several weeks back.
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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Nov 24, 2014 17:43:47 GMT -6
AXS TV announced over the weekend that a new series from New Japan Pro Wrestling is coming in 2015. AXS TV is available in approximately 35 million homes in the United States.
By comparison, TNA’s new home, Destination America, is available in approximately 60 million homes.
With Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling presenting NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 9 on American PPV on January 4th, 2015, it looks like NJPW is making a major play to expand into the United States.
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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Nov 24, 2014 18:01:41 GMT -6
www.f4wonline.comRegarding New Japan Pro Wrestling and AXS, the official announcement of the deal is scheduled for 12/1, but there is a deal as written on the front page of the site, for 13 shows, which will be footage from both 2013 and 2014, voiced over by Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett. AXS wanted Ranallo because he is now a big-time announcer with Showtime for Mayweather fights and he's got a pro wrestling background (he was a heel manager in the 80s for All-Star Wrestling and later a TV announcer for All-Star Wrestling and one of the Stampede Wrestling remakes) and they know he's into Japanese wrestling. I understand he jumped at the chance. This won't help the PPV because the series won't start until after the Wrestle Kingdom show. If the series is a success and the PPV does decent numbers, it could be used to promote a second PPV show. Almost nobody in wrestling was aware of this deal. Even Jeff Jarrett didn't know. Before Friday, when the first ad for the show appeared on AXS, nobody anywhere was aware. The TV commercial that aired starting on Friday is:
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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on Nov 24, 2014 20:15:16 GMT -6
www.f4wonline.comAXS announces New Japan TV deal, official details, time slot, debut date and more AXS TV EXPANDS FRIDAY NIGHT LINEUP ACQUIRING ‘NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING’ SERIES FOR 2015 13-Episode Series Premieres on U.S. Television Jan. 16, 2015 at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT Leading Into the Weekly Live AXS TV FIGHTS Broadcast Josh Barnett and Mauro Ranallo Serve As English Language Commentators LOS ANGELES – Nov. 24, 2014 – Building on the success of the AXS TV FIGHTS Friday night franchise, AXS TV has acquired a 13 episode series from Japan’s largest professional wrestling promotion, NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (NJPW). Premiering Jan. 16, 2015, NJPW will air on Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT leading into the network’s weekly live MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing broadcasts. Airing for the first time ever in the U.S., the hour-long weekly series features the most exciting matches from NJPW’s Japanese broadcasts and pay-per-view events. Former UFC Heavyweight champion and NJPW veteran Josh Barnett and famed combat sports commentator Mauro Ranallo are providing English language commentary for the series. Founded in 1972, NJPW has established itself as the premier wrestling organization in Japan and the second largest and fastest growing wrestling promotion in the world. In recent years, NJPW has gained international recognition, winning the Wrestling Observer Newsletter “Promotion of the Year” award two years running and boasting three-year reigning “Wrestler of the Year” Hiroshi Tanahashi. The series premiere features Tanahashi defending the promotion’s prestigious IWGP Heavyweight Title against his long-time rival Kazuchika Okada in front of 29,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome. “With this acquisition, AXS TV FIGHTS now offers one of the most diverse combat sports and sports entertainment programming line-ups on television,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. “There is a strong relationship and influence between professional wrestling and MMA, and with the addition of Josh Barnett and Mauro Ranallo as our commentators, we’re confident this new venture will be a crossover hit with wrestling and MMA fans alike.” AXS TV’s NJPW episodes were produced by and purchased from TV ASAHI CORPORATION. ABOUT AXS TV FIGHTS AXS TV Fights presents more LIVE mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and kickboxing events than any other television network with 40+ LIVE world-class fight cards each year. "The Voice" Michael Schiavello and five-time MMA world champion Pat Miletich call all the action as champions, challengers, and top prospects take center stage every Friday night at 10pE/7pP. AXS TV Fights can be found online, on Facebook and on Twitter. AXS TV is widely distributed in the U.S. via AT&T U-verse, Charter, Comcast/Xfinity, DIRECTV, DISH, Suddenlink, Verizon FiOS, and other cable, satellite and telco providers. The network is also carried in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
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