Jay Lethal’s ROH Return Revealed + New Japan Event News

Ring of Honor officials are excited to announce that our next iPPV, “Best In The World 2011” will emanate from New York City & The Hammerstein Ballroom, 311 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001 on Sunday afternoon June 26th at 4PM.

This event will be broadcast LIVE on iPPV courtesy of GoFightLive.TV! Tickets are on sale now in the ROH Online Store, (http://www.rohstore.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=507), and check out http://www.gfl.tv/Events/Fight/Wrestling/ROH__Best_of_the_World_2011/1052 for details on the iPPV broadcast!

Ring of Honor officials are also extremely excited to announce the return of a man who has not seen the inside of an ROH ring since August of 2006: the one & only Jay Lethal!

Lethal started in ROH as Hydro back in 2003 at “Revenge on the Prophecy” as part of Special K and slowly evolved as the standout member of that group. Breaking off on his own in 2004, Lethal would capture his first championship, the ROH Pure Title, at “Trios Tournament 2005” by beating John Walters. Lethal would eventually lose the title to his mentor, Samoa Joe, at the first “Manhattan Mayhem”, and embark into a very heated feud with Homicide, Low Ki, & the Rottwielers. Lethal was also the first man to challenge CM Punk for the ROH World Title at “Sign of Dishonor”, and challenged on several occasions for the ROH Tag Titles & the Pure Title. Lethal’s last match in ROH was at “Fight of the Century” as part of a Four Corner Survival that also featured Nigel McGuinness, Claudio Castagnoli, & Christopher Daniels.

Now, after nearly five years, Lethal will make his return to Ring of Honor on June 26th as part of “Best In The World 2011”!!! His opponent for the event has yet to be finalized so keep an eye on ROHWrestling.com in the coming weeks for that, as well as additional talent and matches for ROH’s next iPPV broadcast!!!

FIRST IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION TO BE CROWNED NEXT MONTH AT NEW JAPAN EAST COAST INVASION!

New Japan Pro Wrestling has always been known as the “King of Sports” for a reason. From their creation many years ago, NJPW has always prided itself on providing the most hard-hitting athletic competition globally for professional wrestling.

Chief among those athletic classics are NJPW’s own unique brand of tournament, the G-1 Climax. When New Japan Pro Wrestling comes to the United States next month for their first-ever “East Coast Invasion” they will not only be debuting their first new championship in over a decade but bringing a multi-day tournament to the States to crown that inaugural champion, G-1 Climax style.

A tournament to crown the first-ever International Wrestling Grand Prix Intercontinental Champion will commence Friday May 13th in Rahway, NJ, continuing in New York City on Saturday May 14th before crowning the first champion upon the completion of the finals on Sunday May 15th at the Asylum (formerly ECW) Arena in Philadelphia, PA. In three cities renowned for their love of true pro wrestling, NJPW, in conjunction with JAPW Promotions, will present their one of a kind strong style wrestling as well as global history for the first time ever in the United States.

For ticket information on all NJPW East Coast Invasion events, visit www.JAPW.net.

Here is an overview of the championship tournament’s first round:

*The master of “Ghetto Strong Styles”, former WWE United States champion MVP is looking to have his first taste of Japanese championship gold in the tournament. MVP will face Kazuchika Okada, who is currently wrestling for an extended tour of TNA. With all the additional seasoning Okada is receiving during his training Stateside, he can’t be underestimated by anyone, least of all MVP, who has taken the Japanese wrestling world by storm in recent months.

*Hideo Saito returns to New Japan Pro Wrestling after an extended tour of Puerto Rico and wants to return to Japan with the IWGP Inter-Continental Championship around his waist. To do so, he will have to go through Team No Limit’s Yujiro Takahashi, seeking to earn his first ever singles championship in New Japan.

*Tetsuya Naitō, the other half of Team No Limit, is likewise on a quest for his first singles championship victory, but to advance, he will have to defeat the wild card of the tournament, Tama Tonga. A newcomer to New Japan, Tonga comes from the toughest pedigree in wrestling, the son of former WWE star Haku. Tonga wants to bring honor and glory to his family while extending the legacy of his father, the former WWF King and Tag Team champion.

*If anyone has the home field advantage in the opening round of the tournament, “The Bayonne Badass” Dan Maff enters the tournament in Rahway representing both the Garden State and his home promotion JAPW. While Maff is known for being one of the baddest men in the Arena whenever he steps into Rahway, his first round opponent carries the same distinction when he competes in Japan. Maff will be facing renowned tough guy and decorated Greco-Roman wrestler, Toru Yano, who fears no man.

The first round of the IWGP Intercontinental Tournament will take place in Rahway, which will also feature the Dream Tag Team bout of “The Strong Style Thugz”, Homicide and Low Ki facing the legendary Jushin “Thunder” Liger and Tiger Mask IV at the Rahway Recreation Center on Friday May 13th.

For ticket information on all NJPW East Coast Invasion events, visit www.JAPW.net.

ADDITIONAL MATCHES OFFICIAL FOR EAST COAST INVASION TOUR

Saturday 5/14/11 in New York at Basketball City
*IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion Prince Devitt vs. Low Ki
*Intercontinental championship tournament semi-finals.

Sunday 5/14/11 in Philadelphia at the Asylum Arena:
*South Philadelphia Street Fight: Togi Makabe vs. Rhino
*JAPW Light Heavyweight champion Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Kenny Omega
*Intercontinental championship tournament final. NJPW’s East Coast Invasion is presented in conjunction with JAPW Promotions

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