More Details on New Japan Pro Wrestling Reaching an American Television Deal

November 25, 2014

As we reported yesterday, New Japan Pro Wrestling has reached a television deal with AXS TV to begin airing programming in 2015.

The announcement was involved in a highlight package previewing AXS TV’s 2015 lineup. You can see the quick video of New Japan Pro Wrestling in the video below. (1:35 mark)

The show will kick off Friday, January 16, at 9 pm. This is a smart move for New Japan, as Smackdown will be moving to Thursday nights in 2015.

Details surrounding the deal are still unknown, but it seems like the content will be from shows previously recorded in 2013, according to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter.They will also co-promote Global Force Wrestling.

Former UFC Heavyweight champion Josh Barnett and Mauro Ranallo will be on commentary for the shows. Barnett has performed as a pro wrestler for both IGF and NJPW in the past. They will record audio for the series next week.

For what it is worth, the channel aired Ring of Honor when it was called HDNet. The owner of the station is Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. He has appeared on WWE television in the past.

Josh controls most of the creative writing and ideas for the show on a weekly basis, as well as an on-air talent.

Aside from working with WrestleZone, Isenberg began his career in Broadcast Journalism interning at ESPN and worked with CBS Radio for three years. He has also had the opportunity to interview some of the best athletes and performers alive, including Andrew McCutchen, Ben Roethlisberger, Chris Jericho, Billy Gunn, Karl Anderson, Matt Hardy, Steven Strasburg and others.

Currently, Josh Isenberg works for Major League Baseball in their Advanced Media Productions. He grew up in Pittsburgh and went to Point Park University, which is where Chair Shot Reality is filmed each week.

His life outside of his obsession with wrestling include being a savant for Seinfeld, NFL, NBA, MLB and many television shows. He also has an undying love for musicals, which includes many shows he was a part of in high school. Some of his favorite wrestling moments can be linked to such superstars as Edge, The Rock, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and The Great Khali.