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What’s the story?
Coming hot on the heels of the fantastic Wrestle Kingdom 12, New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that they're going to Australia, for the very first time, in February with a massive four-day tour.
In case you did now know…
Talks of bringing NJPW to Australia started last year, but it was only when current world champion Kazuchika Okada showed up at Melbourne City Wrestling that they became more significant. The company is gaining momentum and looking to expand the brand even further outside Japan.
The heart of the matter
The Australian tour of New Japan Pro Wrestling is called "New Japan Fallout Down Under" and will consist of four shows, from February 16th to February 18th, held in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sidney and Perth.
The list of wrestlers already announced includes Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Minoru Suzuki, The Young Bucks, KUSHIDA, Cody, Tomohiro Ishii, EVIL, SANADA, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Juice Robinson, Bad Luck Fale, Lance Archer and Will Osprey.
What’s next?
As stated by Dave Meltzer in the latest instalment of the Wrestling Observer Radio, NJPW World gained 25.000 new subscribers thanks to the huge buzz generated by the match between Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega. The next big show will take place during the Royal Rumble weekend and will continue the major storylines developed in these weeks.
Author’s take
New Japan Pro Wrestling is a force to be reckoned with and a great alternative for the ones tired of the ol' WWE product. The company needs to continue t move in a smart way and keeps attracting new fans, and the fact that Chris Jericho has decided to stay much longer with them speaks highly of its reputation.
