Tag: Aoki

Around the World of Pro Wrestling 8/17/26: ROH, Stardom, wXw, NOAH, AJPW & Top 25.

Weekly wrestling sports desk

Coverage: August 10–17, 2026 – ROH, Stardom, wXw, NOAH, AJPW

Ring of Honor

Ed: “We’re opening at the sports desk with a jet ride to Mexico City—HonorClub rolled out Global Wars: Mexico from Arena México, and it was a night built around cross‑promotional fireworks.”

  • Kevin Knight vs. Titán (TNT Championship): Knight jumped Titán right out of a handshake, targeted the mask, and closed with his UFO splash to keep the TNT title.
  • Soberano Jr. vs. Komander (Lightning match): A sprint that ended with Soberano drilling Komander with a spike piledriver for the win.
  • Trios showcase: Maya World, Thunder Rosa & Hyan outfoxed Hikaru Shida, Skye Blue & Marina Shafir—Rosa snatched a quick roll‑up on Shafir to seal it.
  • Kyle Fletcher vs. Máscara Dorada: Fletcher, dubbed “The ProtoStar,” survived Dorada’s aerial assault and finished with a sheer‑drop brainbuster in the main event.
  • Lio Rush vs. El Clon (ROH World TV Title): Rush leaned into his “Blackheart” persona, toyed with El Clon and Don Callis, then tapped Clon with a new submission to retain—setting up a Fight Without Honor defense against Action Andretti at Death Before Dishonor on August 21.

Gordon: “And the world title didn’t stay home either—Bandido took the ROH World Championship to Cardiff for RevPro’s Unfinished Business and turned back Cameron Khai in the main event, keeping the belt secure heading into Death Before Dishonor.”

Ed: “On the horizon, that pay‑per‑view in Philadelphia is loaded: Bandido vs. Nick Wayne for the world title, Athena vs. Hazuki for the women’s crown, Deonna Purrazzo vs. Steph De Lander for the Women’s Pure title, and Lee Moriarty vs. Nigel McGuinness for the Pure championship. ROH’s week has been all about sharpening those storylines.”

Stardom

Gordon: “From Mexico we pivot to Japan, where Stardom’s 5★ Star Grand Prix rolled into Hamamatsu on August 16—block matches everywhere and champions fighting like they’re still trying to prove something.”

  • Wonder of Stardom Champion Hanan vs. Saya Kamitani (Blue B): Hanan countered Kamitani and trapped her with a Star Crusher variation, moving to 9 points and reinforcing her status as a double threat—belt and block.
  • Maika vs. Akira Kurogane (Red A): Maika muscled through with a Michinoku Driver II, locking up first place in Red A at 11 points.
  • Suzu Suzuki vs. Julia Hart (Blue A, champion vs. champion): World champion Suzu Suzuki outlasted AEW’s Artist champion Julia Hart, finishing with a German suplex hold to clinch top spot in Blue A and a 6‑0‑1 record.
  • Hanako vs. Ruaka (Blue A): A 15‑minute time‑limit draw that kept both in the mix but confirmed Suzuki as block winner.
  • Utami Hayashishita vs. Mei Seira (Red B): Utami hit a German suplex to even their records and keep Block B tight.
  • Ami Sourei vs. Starlight Kid (Blue B): Sourei’s thunderous finisher pushed her to 10 points and first place in Blue B.
  • Konami vs. Maki Itoh (Red B): Konami forced a TKO with a guillotine sleeper, taking control of the block.
  • Rina vs. AZM (Red A): Rina spiked AZM with a package piledriver, winning the tiebreaker and sliding into second in the block.

RESULTS

(15.08.2026) Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix 2026 – Tag 13 – Online Stream @ KBS Hall in Kyoto, Japan
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block A: Rian [2] defeats Aya Sakura [4] (12:55)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block B: Starlight Kid [9] defeats Kikyo Furusawa [0] (7:53)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block B: Yuna Mizumori [6] defeats Hanan [7] (5:55)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block A: Ruaka [7] vs. Suzu Suzuki [11] – Double Count Out (8:05)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Red Stars Block B: Mei Seira [7] defeats Saya Iida [9] (10:27)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block B: Koguma [6] defeats Momo Watanabe [8] (12:51)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block A: HANAKO [8] defeats Julia Hart [8] (8:30)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block A: Miyu Amasaki [6] defeats Hina [6] (12:23)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block B: Ami Sourei [8] defeats Saya Kamitani [8] (14:02)

(14.08.2026) Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix 2026 – Tag 12 – Online Stream @ Kobe Sambo Hall in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block B: Saya Kamitani [8] defeats Yuna Mizumori [4] (9:29)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block A: HANAKO [6] defeats Rian [0] (9:07)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block B: Ami Sourei [6] defeats Kikyo Furusawa [0] (7:56)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Red Stars Block B: Mei Seira [5] defeats Lady C [2] (4:29)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block B: Starlight Kid [7] defeats Koguma [4] (9:49)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block A: Julia Hart [8] defeats Miyu Amasaki [4] (7:05)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block A: Hina [6] defeats Ruaka [6] (11:31)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block B: Hanan [7] vs. Momo Watanabe [8] – Time Limit Draw (15:00)
5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Blue Stars Block A: Suzu Suzuki [10] defeats Aya Sakura [4] (11:55)

Ed: “And just as league play wrapped, Stardom announced that the August 18 Korakuen Hall show—first and second rounds of the final tournament—will stream free on YouTube, with an English‑language feed on their global channel. That’s a big open door for international eyes.”

wXw (Westside Xtreme Wrestling)

Ed: “Over in Germany, wXw’s Shortcut to the Top 2026 turned Turbinenhalle into a revolving door of title changes—and even hosted a Ring of Honor world title defense.”

  • Pre‑show: Ricky Sosa beat Matt Gatlin; then Dieter Schwartz dethroned Zoltan for the wXw European Title.
  • Unified World Wrestling Title: Ahura toppled Elijah Blum to become the new unified world champion.
  • Shotgun Title: Axel Tischer and Daniel Garcia went the full 15 minutes to a time‑limit draw, leaving the Shotgun belt with Tischer but the rivalry unresolved.
  • World Tag Team Title (No Holds Barred): CSI (Luca de Leone & Nordino) wrestled the belts away from Planet Gojirah in a weapons‑laden brawl.
  • ROH World Title: Bandido added another successful defense, this time against 1 Called Manders, keeping the ROH championship prominent on the European stage.
  • Shortcut to the Top Rumble: Kanji outlasted a massive field—defeats 1 Called Manders and Aaron Insane and Aeron and Alex Duke and Amedeo and Axel Tischer and Brendan White and Conn Kelly and Danny Jones and Dennis Dullnig and Dieter Schwartz and Hugo Brand and Jacob Crane and Jane Nero and Kade Brasher and Katsuya Murashima and Kuro and M4 and Matt Gatlin and Melanie Gray and Michael Oku and Niklas Bock and Pascal Spalter and Peter Tihanyi and Rotten Moodo and Stephanie Maze and Thomas Shire and Tim Koslowski and Zoltan (54:12)—to win the Shortcut and line up a future shot at the top.

Gordon: “When one show flips three wXw titles and features the ROH belt, you know the promotion is positioning itself as a crossroads for international champions.”

Pro Wrestling NOAH

Gordon: “Back to Korakuen Hall, but this time under the green banner—NOAH’s Legacy Rise 2026 on August 10 was a junior‑heavyweight‑centric card with tournament implications and multiple title changes.”

  • Daiki Odashima vs. Hiroya Namiki: Odashima spoiled Namiki’s debut, winning in just under eight minutes and giving the newcomer a harsh introduction to NOAH.
  • Kenoh & Naomichi Marufuji vs. AMAKUSA & Black Menso‑re: The veteran pairing closed quickly, with Marufuji knocking Menso‑re out of contention via a decisive strike.
  • Inamura/Fujita/Katsumi Inahata/Hiroto Tsuruya vs. Passionate RATEL’S & Super Crazy/Yuto Koyanagi: Inamura pinned Koyanagi after Musou, underscoring the power side of NOAH’s roster.
  • Team 2000X vs. White Raven Squad & Midori Takahashi: Alpha Wolf, Jun Masaoka & OZAWA beat KENTA, Shane Haste & Takahashi, with OZAWA hitting a moonsault to finish.
  • Los Tranquilos de Japon vs. Kiyomiya & Lykos Gym: Naito, BUSHI & RYUSEI overcame Kaito Kiyomiya and the Lykos duo, with Naito pinning Kid Lykos II.
  • Tadasuke vs. YO‑HEY: A disqualification after referee assault gave Tadasuke the win and set the stage for YO‑HEY’s post‑match turn, attacking Passionate RATEL’S and aligning with Team 2000X.
  • GHC200 Championship Final – HAYATA vs. Tetsuya Endo: In a short but intense bout, HAYATA captured the inaugural GHC200 title after the other semifinal collapsed under tournament rules, making this the de facto final.
  • GHC Junior Tag – Dragon Bane & Alejandro vs. Atsushi Kotoge & Hi69: The champions retained in a 20‑plus‑minute match, Alejandro pinning Hi69 to log their fifth defense.
  • GHC Junior Heavyweight – Eita vs. Kai Fujimura: Fujimura shocked Eita, winning the junior title with heavy help from Team 2000X and becoming the 63rd champion.

Ed: “And the big news item—NOAH announced the full field for this year’s N‑1 Victory: eight‑man blocks featuring names like Kaito Kiyomiya, Kenoh, KENTA, Kazuyuki Fujita, Takashi Sugiura, Alpha Wolf, Titus Alexander and more. That’s a heavyweight gauntlet waiting to happen.”

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW)

Ed: “Staying in Japan but shifting to the red‑white‑blue ring, All Japan spent the week deep in the Zennichi Jr. Festival and Summer Action Wars—with one junior standing out above the rest.”

  • Summer Action Wars – Aug 15 Shin‑Kiba (Day show):
    • Dan Tamura vs. Masaaki Mochizuki went to a 30‑minute draw in Block B.
    • Aoki defeated Naruki Doi with his Kesagiri Chop, moving to 4 points.
    • Hokuto Omori tapped out Shota Kofuji with a cross armbreaker.
    • Rising HAYATO beat Seiki Yoshioka in Block A.
  • Summer Action Wars – Aug 15 Shin‑Kiba (Night show):
    • Aoki again used the Kesagiri Chop, this time against Kofuji, to reach 6 points and stay undefeated at 3‑0 atop Block B.
    • Hokuto Omori added another win over Doi, climbing to 4 points.
    • Yasutaka Yano scored over Leon de Oro in Block A, while multi‑man “Triple Crown skirmish” tags kept Miyahara, Shiozaki, Anzai and the Saito brothers circling the main‑event scene.

Gordon: “The official site backed that up with sold‑out notices for both Shin‑Kiba cards and updated point tables—Aoki sitting alone on top of Block B, Omori chasing, and Block A tightening around Rising HAYATO and Seiki Yoshioka.”

News and rumor snapshot (company & talent)

Ed: “So, what’s the chatter around the sports desk this week?”

  • ROH: Focus is squarely on Death Before Dishonor—Bandido’s schedule as traveling champion, Lio Rush’s new submission and persona, and speculation about Nigel McGuinness stepping back into Pure rules on a big stage.
  • Stardom: Talk centers on Suzuki’s dominant block run, Konami’s resurgence, and the free YouTube broadcast as a test balloon for more global streaming with English commentary.
  • wXw: Fans are buzzing about Kanji’s Shortcut win and the cluster of title changes, plus the ongoing partnership that lets ROH’s world champion headline European cards.
  • NOAH: The N‑1 Victory lineup has people fantasy‑booking Fujita vs. Inamura and Kenoh vs. KENTA, while HAYATA’s new GHC200 belt and Fujimura’s upset over Eita reshape the junior landscape.
  • AJPW: Conversation revolves around whether Aoki’s undefeated junior run is a prelude to a title shot at Dan Tamura, and how the upcoming “Ōdō Tournament” field will intersect with the current Summer Action Wars storylines.

Gordon: “In short, every one of these promotions is using August as a launchpad—tournaments, title defenses, and cross‑promotional showcases all converging as we head toward late‑summer climax events.”

Top 25 Power Rankings

  1. Ami Sourei 3-0 Stardom
  2. Bandido (ROH World Champion, AEW World Trios Champions) 2-0 wXw, RevPro
  3. Kevin Knight (TNT Champion) 2-0 AEW, ROH
  4. Goto Revolutionary Army (Hirooki Goto & Tatsuya Matsumoto) 2-0 NJPW
  5. United Empire (Callum Newman & Zane Jay) 2-0 NJPW
  6. Zack Sabre Jr. 2-0 NJPW
  7. TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Zack Sabre Jr.) 2-0 NJPW
  8. Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi & Taiji Ishimori) 2-0 NJPW 
  9. Yuya Uemura 2-0 NJPW
  10. United Empire (Great-O-Khan (IWGP Tag Team Champion, NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion) & Jakob Austin Young) 2-0 NJPW
  11. House Of Torture (Dick Togo & Ren Narita) 2-0 NJPW
  12. Ryohei Oiwa 2-0 NJPW
  13. Aoki 2-0 AJPW
  14. Ricky Sosa 2-0 TNA, wXw
  15. Suzu Suzuki (World of Stardom Champion) 2-0-1 Stardom
  16. HANAKO 2-0-1 Stardom
  17. Black Tiger & Black Tiger IV 3-1 CMLL
  18. Jon Moxley (AEW Continental Champion) 1-0 AEW
  19. Kanji 1-0 wXw
  20. Adam Page & Brodido (Bandido (ROH World Champion) & Brody King) (AEW World Trios Champions) 1-0 AEW
  21. Bandido (ROH World Champion, AEW World Trios Champion) & Mistico (CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion, CMLL World Trios Champion, ROH World Tag Team Champion, IWGP World Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion) 1-0 CMLL
  22. Lio Rush (ROH TV Champion) 1-0 ROH
  23. Rafaga Jr. (Occidente Tag Team Champion), Titan (CMLL World Welterweight Champion) & Zandokan Jr. 1-0 CMLL
  24. Esfinge (Mexican National Light Heavyweight Champion) & Xelhua 1-0 CMLL
  25. Bandido (ROH World Champion, AEW World Trios Champion) & Titan (CMLL World Welterweight Champion) 1-0 CMLL

Sports Desk Outro

Ed: “That wraps up our weekly tour across the wrestling world—five promotions, countless battles, and momentum shifting by the minute.”

Gordon: “Stay tuned, stay sharp, and keep your eyes on the canvas. The next bell is already ringing.”

Ed: “From all of us here at the sports desk—good night, good grappling, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”