By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AXS TV issued the following press release on Tuesday to announce that its NJPW and WOW television series will be moving to Saturday nights next month.
Based on its tremendous success, professional wrestling is getting to star on its own night when AXS TV unleashes a hard-hitting tag-team lineup featuring the groundbreaking all-female promotion WOW – Women Of Wrestling and the critically acclaimed New Japan Pro Wrestling—airing every Saturday night in primetime, starting July 13.
WOW debuts on its new night and time on July 13 at 8pE/5pP, beginning an eight-week event re-capping the series’ entire first season—allowing fans to relive unforgettable moments such as Tessa Blanchard, Jungle Grrrl and Santana Garrett’s three-way Championship brawl, while giving new viewers a chance to catch up on the blockbuster drama and larger-than-life Superheroes that made WOW one of the most-watched same-day series in AXS TV’s history. It all leads up to the season two premiere on September 7 at 8pE/5pP. The upcoming 24-episode season finds the hit promotion back with a vengeance, presenting a fight card packed with even more talent, spectacular bouts, pageantry and bitter feuds, and a single elimination tournament where the WOW Tag-Team Championship will be crowned. WOW founder David McLane and Stephen Dickey will once again be on hand to provide analysis and commentary, as a slate of new and returning Superheroes vie to take WOW’s coveted championship belt from reigning champion Tessa Blanchard.
New Japan Pro Wrestling follows WOW – Women Of Wrestling at 9pE/6pP on Saturdays. To set the stage for NJPW’s move to Saturdays, AXS TV will present a special live broadcast of Night 1 of the promotion’s highly anticipated G1 CLIMAX 29 Tournament in Dallas on July 6 at 6pE/3pP. The event kicks off an unprecedented six-week stretch of same-day, near-live coverage of the G1 CLIMAX which is universally recognized as the greatest tournament in professional wrestling. The tournament is expected to include thrilling matches featuring IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada; “The Golden Star” Kota Ibushi; Los Ingobernables de Japón trio Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, and SANADA; “The Master of The Century” Hiroshi Tanahashi and Bullet Club leader Jay White. Every Saturday night, AXS TV will deliver two hours of high-octane coverage of NJPW’s Saturday G1 CLIMAX events that will be voiced by acclaimed play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Kelly. AXS TV’s same-day coverage will continue through the tournament’s A Block Final on August 10, followed by special presentations of the B Block Final on August 17 and Tournament Final on August 24.
The two programs previously aired as part of the network’s Friday night Fights block featuring AXS TV Fights, which will continue to air LIVE on Friday nights.
Powell’s POV: You had to know that the shows would move to a new night sometime before Smackdown moves to Fox on Friday nights in October. It is cool that the new night will allow AXS to deliver same night coverage of some of the G1 events.
Check below for the latest Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast with Jason Powell and Glenn “Disco Inferno” Gilbertti, who discusses how being a good heel doesn’t stop outside the ring, a trait that big name wrestlers have in common, his male chauvinist persona, why he didn’t work for WWE after the WCW sale, and more.
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