SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
-G1 Climax 28 winner Hiroshi Tanahashi, who is set to main event Wrestle Kingdom 13 on Jan. 4 against IWGP World Hvt. Champion Kenny Omega, has signed a new deal with NJPW. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Tanahashi announced the signing on his Twitter account, which can be seen below:
新日本プロレスと契約更改。来年度も頑張ります！ #njpw pic.twitter.com/8qtHGXHePQ
— 棚橋弘至 (@tanahashi1_100) December 27, 2018
Radican’s Analysis: It’s good to hear that Tanahashi is locked up under a deal, especially with WWE going after any and all talent that they can acquire. Tetsuya Naito recently did an interview in Japan saying WWE came after him over the summer and he turned them down. I haven’t heard any confirmation of WWE going after Tanahashi, but I am sure they would sign him in a heartbeat if they could.
-Michael Elgin is out of action after suffering a knee injury on Nov. 30 during World Tag League. Elgin finished the tour and tried to rest the injury, but it got worse and it turned out he had a bucket tear in his meniscus. Elgin is not expected to be out of action for more than a couple of months. Yuji Nagata will replace Elgin in the NEVER Openweight Six Man Gauntlet match teaming with Jeff Cobb and David Finlay. This extends Nagata’s streak of appearing on Tokyo Dome cards to 31 years.
-NJPW’s dates in the U.S. on Jan. 30 in Los Angeles and Feb. 1 in Charlotte sold out quickly. It is unknown what they set up for in Los Angeles, but the Globe Theater can hold up to 1,000 fans. The Grady Cole Center in Charlotte is set up for 1,200 and holds 3,900. The shows aren’t going to be major shows and will be held concurrently with NJPW’s “New Beginning” tour in Japan.
Nagata’s only been wrestling since 1992, so that can’t possibly be right.