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It doesn't get the coverage it probably should here at Cageside or around the internet wrestling community, because it's on a smaller channel and it's technically a re-airing of old material, but AXS TV's New Japan Pro Wrestling is a fantastic weekly hour of pro wrestling.
AXS Fight's announced a little while back that they had ordered additional episodes of the show, which takes big matches & storylines from New Japan (NJPW)'s recent past and re-packages them with English language commentary. That "second cycle", largely focused on the 2014's G1 Climax tournament, is set to premiere in just a couple of weeks.
To get ready for the May 22nd debut of the newest 12 episodes, AXS is running two marathons of six shows each that will replay the "first cycle". Their middle-of-the-night runtime's are less than ideal, but they're perfect for insomniacs - or DVRs.
In addition to the post-Raw binge fests that the network will offer over the next two Monday nights, they're also changing up their Friday schedule a bit to focus on NJPW. Before each week's new episode airs at 9PM Eastern, the previous week's show will be re-broadcast at 8PM Eastern.
Here's details on the two marathons, and the first two weeks of the new cycle:
Monday, May 11
12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT - Episode #101
Wrestler of the Year Hiroshi Tanahashi defends the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against his rival "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada in front of 29,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT - Episode #102
"Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada faces Hirooki Goto in the final of the 2013 New Japan Cup. Lance Archer, TAKA Michinoku, & Minoru Suzuki meet Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, & Jado2 a.m. ET/11 p.m. PT - Episode #103
Hiroshi Tanahashi defends the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada in a classic bout voted the 2013 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Match of the Year3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT - Episode #104
"Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada defends the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Togi Makabe. Hiroshi Tanahashi faces Prince Devitt4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT - Episode #105
"Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada defends the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Prince Devitt. Plus Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi in six-man tag team action5 a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT - Episode #106
Coverage of the legendary 23rd annual G-1 Climax Tournament featuring Shinsuke Nakamura, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Karl Anderson, Satoshi Kojima, and Kota IbushiMonday, May 18
12 a.m. ET/9 p.m. PT - Episode #107
Hiroshi Tanahashi meets Tatsuya Naito in the final of the 23rd annual G-1 Climax Tournament1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT - Episode #108
Shinsuke Nakamura meets Naomichi Marufuji for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. Tetsuya Naito meets Yujiro Takahashi for a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the Tokyo Dome2 a.m. ET/11 p.m. PT - Episode #109
"Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada defends the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Tetsuya Naito in front of 35,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT - Episode #110
Arch-rivals Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi meet for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship in front of 35,000 fans at the Tokyo Dome4 a.m. ET/1 a.m. PT - Episode #111
Hiroshi Tanahashi defends the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in a rematch of their epic Tokyo Dome clash5 a.m. ET/2 a.m. PT - Episode #112
"Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada defends the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against former TNA World Champion A.J. Styles. Plus the Young Bucks meet Rocky Romero and Alex Kozlov for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship and Kota Ibushi defends the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Ryusuke TaguchiFriday, May 22
8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT - Episode #113
A.J. Styles defends the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada. Plus former WWE Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin in action9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT - Episode #114 (premiere)
The semi-finals and final of the Best of the Super Jr. XXI tournament featuring KUSHIDA, Taichi, Ricochet, and Ryusuke TaguchiFriday, May 29
8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT - Episode #114 (repeat)
9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT - Episode #115 (premiere)
Kota Ibushi defends the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship against Ricochet at "Dominion 6.21." The Young Bucks defend the IWGP Jr. Tag Championship against KUSHIDA and Alex Shelly
Who's been keeping eyes on NJPW on AXS? Excited for 12 more shows?