By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AXS issued the following press release to announce a same day broadcast of Wrestle Kingdom 13.
AXS TV ushers in a new era of its NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (NJPW) coverage with real-time same-week coverage of the promotions’ biggest events in 2019. The new schedule kicks off with a same-day near-live two-hour broadcast of NJPW’s biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 13, on Friday, Jan. 4 at 8pE/5pP.
The Wrestle Kingdom special is headlined by IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito, and will feature the network debut of the NJPW commentary team of Kevin Kelly and Don Callis.
“Same-day coverage of NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 ushers in a new era of NJPW on AXS TV,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. “Based on the tremendous growth of NJPW on AXS TV, we are making major changes to reward wrestling fans by delivering NJPW in primetime on Friday nights as close to when it takes place as possible.”
AXS TV produces the English language version of NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING in association with TV ASAHI CORPORATION, the distributor of NJPW.
AXS TV’s upcoming NJPW schedule is as follows (subject to change):
Jan. 4 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours)
Jan. 11 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours)
Jan. 18 – Wrestle Kingdom 13
Jan. 25 – New Year Dash
Feb. 1 – New Year Dash
Feb. 8 – New Beginning in Sapporo
Feb. 15 – New Beginning in Sapporo
Feb. 22 – New Beginning in Sapporo
Powell’s POV: That’s great fans for those who don’t have New Japan World or don’t intend to watch the live broadcast very early that morning.
My sources say that @AXSTV will air #WrestleKingdom same day coverage Friday January 4 at 8 pm ET. @realkevinkelly & @CyrusOverHuge on the call.
Congrats to all involved. 🤠 pic.twitter.com/nK8067KU4w
— Jim Ross (@JRsBBQ) November 21, 2018
Check below for Monday’s ProWrestling.net Live with Jason Powell and Will Pruett taking calls and email questions coming out of WWE Survivor Series and NXT Takeover: WarGames.
I remember only hearing about New Japan but didn’t pay no mind to them. Then I found out that Jim Ross was doing play-by-play for this organization on AXS. I have DirecTV so I have the channel so I just flipped it on one day out of curiosity.
After seeing many great matches featured on this weekly AXS show, especially the trilogy of Omega/Okada matches, I grew to learn most of the roster and have become a fan.
I’ll still keep watching this show even after Jim Ross is no longer part of the broadcast.
Just a random thought I felt like sharing while indulging in some coquito.