New Japan Cup has become an annual event of surprises and new challengers as the winner gets a shot at any Heavyweight singles title he wishes. James Truepenny and Alex Wat break down this years event and look at the winners and losers of a tour that had some very interesting match ups and some very surprising winners.

James, Chelsea and Marcus go behind the Iron Curtain this week as they look at a NJPW TV show from the 1990 that covers the precursor to the New Years Dash shows of today. They examine a TV show that covers a New Year Tag Tournament from the not very old Korukean Hall, and also highlights from a strange and beautiful wrestling card actually inside the Soviet Union at the end of the cold war. Bizzareness abides as the New Japan regulars go head to head with burly amateurs whom own quit startling mustaches and have tendon strength like rubber bands. The Beginner's guide does Glasnost.

Things have been afoot for the last two weeks in NJPW as they run head long into the New Japan Cup. James is joined by regular contributor Chelsea Spollen to dissect the Honor Rising and Anniversary Tours which featured a title defence for Adam Cole, quite a few title changes, a debut for Zac Sabre Junior and a non title match that pitted Kazuchika Okada vs Tiger Mask W which was a hotly anticipated distraction from the serious business of the IWGP title.

This was Strong Style's annual two week party adventure and The Truepenny show brings you all the news from Korakuen Hall.

James is joined by Alex Watt and Chelsea Spollen to review a timeless All Japan Women's card. The year is 1990, and the company tries to make some new stars mid year with their annual tournament. Manami Toyota stakes her claim to be the rising star of the company. Akir Hokuto produces one of the gutsiest performances in wrestling history. Aja Kong makes her inevitable presence felt, and AJW begin the slow process of rebuilding as The Crush Gals eraa comes to a close.

In this bonus episode, James is joined by Marcus Green and Chelsea Spollen to discuss the new power regime in Impact Wrestling, the recent exodus of talent seemingly intended by the hands of that same management team, and Ring of Honor's surprising new signings. Chelsea gives an exclusive report from Manhattan Mayhem where she had a birds eye view of proceedings.

In 1990, just after Wrestlemania VI, Vince McMahon joined forces with Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki to produce Wrestling Summit, a super show at the Tokyo Dome, featuring wrestlers from the WWF, New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling. It gave a fascinating insight into the differences between North America traditions and the creative world of puroresu which was just about to reach its peak. James Truepenny is joined by Alex Edwards to discuss the show and beyond the match quality, the politics and impressions of a show that encapsulated a lot of what was happening in the wrestling world and its future for the next ten years on two continents.

James is joined be regular contributors Alex Watt, Alex Edwards and returning guest Dann Read of Pro Wrestling EVE and XWA to discuss the second of the New Begininngs shows from Osaka Jo Hall. Tetsuya Naito defends his Intercontinental Championship against "Unbreakable" Michal Elgin, Hiromu Takahashi defended his Junior Heavyweight title against CMLL visitor Dragon Lee, and Will Osperay challenged Katsuyori Shibata for the Rev Pro British Heavyweight title. It was a challenging card and packs more dense meat onto the story telling style of NJPW as it tries to make serious head way against the WWE in 2017.

James and Chelsea are joined by Dann and Emily Read of Pro Wrestling EVE and XWA to talk about Meiko Satomura and Kota Ibushi's up coming dates with those companies. Dann sticks around to give his thoughts on NJPW New Beginnings in Saporro where the returning "King of Pro Wrestling", Minoru Suzuki challenged "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight title. The Tag titles went up for grabs in a three way of Killer Elite Squad, CHAOS and GBH. Juice Robinson challenged Hiroki Goto for the NEVER Openweight title and Ropingi Vice made the first defense of their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag titles against former champs Taichi and TAKA Michinoku.

WARNING:

This week's show does contain a short segment that may be distressing to some listeners. As wrestling promoters Dann & Emily Read discuss some of the hate mail that they have received recently, a lot of which is based around threats of sexual assault towards Emily. It occurs at the 48 minute mark and is around six minutes in length.

James is joined by Chelsea to delve into the bizare world of well known Japanese politician Atsushi Onita. From his beginnings as the savior of All Japan's Junior Heavyweight division, to his first (of many) retirements and then his emergence as the King of Hardcore, the man who took the successful hybrid style of shoot wrestling and spun it on its head, applied some barbed wire and set light to it.

This is the story of the Double Hell Death Match.

Akira Maeda was an influential wrestler and fighter who changed the entire process of pro wrestling in the mid nineteen eighties. If Antonio Inoki invented Strong Style then Maeda perfected it and took it to its purest form. Chelsea Spollen joins James to a discuss a man who was largely responsible for the MMA boom in Japan and then the world.