Various: NJPW Strong Ending This Weekend, Mike Tenay on Don West, PWG Battle of LA 2023 Night 1 Results

Jan 8, 2023

NJPW Strong Series Rumored to be Ending This Weekend

New Japan Pro Wrestling is currently rumored to be ending their NJPW Strong television series as of this weekend.

The announcement was made by NJPW talent Hiroshi Tanahashi on his official blog.

“#NJPWSTRONG, which has been going on for more than 2 years, will end with this recording. It seems that the overseas tournament will be told in a different way in the future.”

Tanahashi’s comments were in response to a recent tweet from NJPW President Takami Ohbari who stated that NJPW’s Strong brand would be getting “rebuilt” in 2023.

解説において、STRONGの今後について、お話させて頂きました。#njpwSTRONG will be rebuilt next year.
— 大張高己/Takami Ohbari (@TAKAMIOHBARI) December 25, 2022

Mike Tenay Reflects on His Friendship with the Late Don West

A recent episode of the Wrestling Observer Radio featured former WCW and Impact Wrestling commentator Mike Tenay as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Tenay’s thoughts on his longtime friendship and broadcast team chemistry he had with the late Don West.

“Well, I think simply his energy [was Don’s best trait]. If we look back on the history of wrestling announcers, and I’m willing to be corrected here, I don’t think there really was anybody before that was really like him, from that energy standpoint. He took the listener, initially, he took them out of their comfort zone.
He was hired to be the voice of the fan, which, again, right at the start, I’m, I’m not sure, thinking back on it, that I thought that he was going to succeed right from the start, but when you see someone’s energy level, which is one thing, combined with the passion that they have for it, I think that’s where it’s different from somebody who’s just playing a role and being loud.I remember. I don’t think I probably watched the first couple of shows back until maybe we were three or four in. I remember watching back one of the shows, and I came to a conclusion, almost immediately, that I needed to get my volume level up if I was going to compete and if I wasn’t going to be left on the side of the road, because you had to have that. I think, probably, that might have been off-putting for people and viewers as well, just because a lot of it was a little extra loud than they were used to. Maybe a little over the top, maybe a little more salesmanship from Don than they were used to. Probably, as I think back on it, the greatest compliment that we got came from you Dave, which didn’t come until just really the last couple of years. That was when AXS TV started replaying some of the older TNA and some of the older IMPACT shows, and you would explain to me that you had watched the first run IMPACT show, and you essentially started to go back to work. You had left the TV on, and as you sat there, you heard that energy. You heard that passion from Mike Tenay and Don West, and I think, not to put words in your mouth, but I think your level of appreciation for what we did grew greatly because you realized at that point that nobody really was doing that kind of an announcing job.
I can’t narrow it down in terms of that with Don to say, ‘It was Slammiversary 2003, where we clicked, and we looked each other in the eye and said…’ I think it was the process of growing together and realizing along the way that we were getting better. We were clicking, and then you reach a comfort with your partner. I think probably rather than say a specific show, if I had to narrow it down to a specific time, I would think probably about a year or so in where it really felt like we both were working in tandem. The personal friendship and relationship that you have with your broadcast partner can be a great help. I don’t think that it’s I don’t think it’s in the announcer’s handbook that you need to be — the play-by-play guy doesn’t need to be best friends with his color man, but shit, it sure helps. Just because you know that you guys are out there on that island. I can’t say one specific show, but I think probably somewhere between, you know, six to nine months to a year in. The familiarity and the friendship that’s grown. That’s when you know that you’re hitting your stride.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2023 Night 1 Results – Jan. 7, 2023

January 7, 2022
Los Angeles, CA – Globe Theatre
Results via SoCalUncensored.com

PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 1 Quick Match Results:

Battle of Los Angeles 2023 First Round match – Masha Slamovich defeated Alex Shelley
Battle of Los Angeles 2023 First Round match – Bryan Keith defeated SB KENTo
Battle of Los Angeles 2023 First Round match – Komander defeated Latigo
Battle of Los Angeles 2023 First Round match – Jordynne Grace defeated Jonathan Gresham
Battle of Los Angeles 2023 First Round match – Shun Skywalker defeated Aramis
Battle of Los Angeles 2023 First Round match – Konosuke Takeshita defeated Michael Oku
Battle of Los Angeles 2023 First Round match – Titus Alexander defeated Daniel Garcia via Disqualification
Battle of Los Angeles 2023 First Round Three-way match – Bandido defeated Black Taurus and El Hijo del Vikingo