New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to the B-Con Plaza in Oita, Japan this Saturday (early morning in the U.S.) for Wrestling Toyo Province. The show will be broadcast live on New Japan World at 5:00 p.m. local time, or 4:00 a.m. EST.
This is the first of two major shows happening this week, the other being Wrestling Dontaku on May 3rd. The IWGP Intercontinental Championship will headline the show as Tetsuya Naito defends against Juice Robinson. Hiromu Takahashi will also defend the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship against high-flying sensation Ricochet, while Hiroshi Tanahashi faces off against the EVIL of Los Ingobernables de Japon in a return to their recent New Japan Cup bout.
Wrestlezone will have full live coverage of NJPW Wrestling Toyo Province as it airs, early this Saturday morning. You can also check out our results from the 4/27 NJPW Road to Wrestling Dontaku live event that featured two championship matches and an excellent 10-man tag team match between Taguchi Japan and Los Ingobernables de Japon.
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Juice Robinson
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Ricochet
Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
Will Ospreay, Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto vs. Minoru Suzuki, Taichi & TAKA Michinoku
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & David Finlay vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Yujiro Takahashi
Ryusuke Taguchi & Yoshitatsu vs. SANADA & BUSHI
Roppongi Vice vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
Jushin Thunder Liger, Hirai Kawato & Tomoyuki Oka vs. Tiger Mask, Katsuya Kitamura & Syota Umino
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This Saturday, a 28-year-old from the southwest suburbs of Chicago will step into the ring to face the greatest challenge of his career. For those who have followed the career of Juice Robinson, from WWE developmental prospect to New Japan Pro Wrestling headliner, this moment was never guaranteed.
When the artist formerly known as CJ Parker asked for his release from WWE in early 2015, he decision was criticized by many in the industry. Some understood the departure, but questioned his ability to make it on the independent scene. Others suggested he should have continued to toil away in NXT, biding his time for a come-up that may never have happened.
Later that same year he took an even bigger risk, signing a contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling, uprooting his entire life to move across the ocean in pursuit of his dream. While Robinson could have skipped to the front of the line, using his time in WWE to land a spot on the main roster, he chose the much more difficult path of the world famous New Japan Dojo. He would spend nearly a year working alongside fellow prospects as a Young Lion, a term bestowed upon trainees hoping to one day earn a permanent place with the promotion.
Robinson paid his dues in Japan, working in multi-man tag matches at the very bottom of nearly every card, alongside young wrestlers with far less experience and name recognition. But in doing so – by not taking the easy path the shine of the WWE name often provides – he gained the respect of the veteran wrestlers and the Japanese fans alike.
Last summer, Robinson was among the few Young Lions selected to compete on the undercard of the G1 Climax tour. Though not involved in the tournament itself, working the highly lucrative G1 in any capacity provides major exposure, as all 19 events were broadcast live on New Japan World. For a trainee it is not only an opportunity, but a responsibility; something of a final test before he could become a full-fledged member of the roster. Just a few weeks later, Robinson would face Kyle O’Reilly at the Ota Ward Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan in his first singles match on a major show.
The former NXT talent immediately clicked with Japanese crowds, who had seen him put in the work for a full year, wrestling more than 130 matches as a Young Lion. He continued to rise up the card, partnering with all-time great Hiroshi Tanahashi during the World Tag League, and on January 4th lived out yet another dream by wrestling newcomer Cody Rhodes in front of 30,000 people at the Tokyo Dome. His loss to Cody established him as a major star in the making, propelling Juice into an ROH TV Championship match with Marty Scurll, then into a NEVER Openweight Championship match against Hirooki Goto.
After pinning Tetsuya Naito in an 8-man tag team match at Sakura Genesis, Robinson earned himself an IWGP Intercontinental Championship match against the leader of New Japan’s most popular faction, and one of it’s biggest stars to arise in the past decade. This Saturday, 20 months after setting foot in a New Japan ring for the first time, two years after leaving the safety net of the WWE Performance Center, Robinson will main event a major card, in front of a sold-out crowd, broadcast live on New Japan World.
