ROH/NJPW War of the Worlds (2015) explained

War of the Worlds '15
Promotion:New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Ring of Honor
Date:May 12 and 13, 2015
Attendance:1,200 (both nights)
Venue:2300 Arena
City:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Liveevent:Y
Lastevent:(NJPW) Wrestling Dontaku
(ROH) Supercard of Honor IX
Nextevent:Global Wars
Event:War of the Worlds
Lastevent2:2014
Nextevent2:2016

War of the Worlds '15[1] [2] was a two-day professional wrestling supershow co-produced by the American Ring of Honor (ROH) and Japanese New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotions. The events took place on May 12 and 13, 2015, at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Both nights were released by ROH on video on demand (VOD) the following week.[3]

War of the Worlds '15 was the second annual War of the Worlds event co-produced by ROH and NJPW, following War of the Worlds, which took place on May 17, 2014, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.[4]

Production

Other on-screen personnel
Role:Name:
CommentatorsKevin Kelly
Steve Corino
Nigel McGuinness
Ring announcersBobby Cruise
RefereesBrian Gorie
Marty Asami
Paul Turner
Tiger Hattori
Todd Sinclair

Background

On January 4, 2015, at their Wrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome show, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) announced that it would for the second year in a row co-produce an event with Ring of Honor (ROH) in May. At that point, no specific dates were announced and only the United States was named as a location.[5] [6] However, on February 25, ROH sent out a press release, announcing three co-produced events, as opposed to two shows in 2014, with War of the Worlds '15 taking place on May 13 in Philadelphia and Global Wars '15 on May 15 and 16 in Toronto, Canada.[7] [8] [9] On March 7, War of the Worlds '15 was also expanded to a two-day event, taking place at the 2300 Arena over May 12 and 13.[10] [11] This was done due to the May 13 event quickly selling out.[12] Both nights ended up being sold out in advance.[13] ROH began announcing the NJPW wrestlers taking part in the events on April 1, starting with Hiroshi Tanahashi.[14] Over the next nine days, ROH announced the remaining NJPW participants; Kazuchika Okada,[15] Jyushin Thunder Liger,[16] Tetsuya Naito,[17] Takaaki Watanabe,[18] Kushida,[19] Gedo,[20] and finally Shinsuke Nakamura.[21] On April 16, ROH announced that the Bullet Club trio of A.J. Styles, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson would also be taking part in the War of the Worlds '15 events.[22] The following day, ROH put additional standing room tickets on sale for the two events.[23] On April 20, ROH announced all eight matches for the first night of War of the Worlds '15.[24] All eight matches for the second night were announced the following day.[25] Also announced were pre-show autograph sessions for May 12 and 13, which would be attended by both NJPW and ROH wrestlers taking part in the tour.[26]

Storylines

War of the Worlds '15 featured eight professional wrestling matches each night that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[27]

Due to featuring wrestlers from two different promotions, the events focused less on storyline rivalries and more on interpromotional matchups. However, one storyline introduced between the Bullet Club and The Kingdom stables was built across the two promotions.[28] The rivalry between the two stables started on March 1, 2015, at ROH's 13th Anniversary Show, where The Kingdom's Matt Taven and Michael Bennett defeated Bullet Club's Karl Anderson to win a three-way tag team match, after Anderson's stablemate Doc Gallows was unable to make the event due to travel issues.[29] This led to a match on April 5 at NJPW's Invasion Attack 2015, where Taven and Bennett defeated Anderson and Gallows to capture the IWGP Tag Team Championship.[30] The rivalry continued throughout the next month and came to include Maria Kanellis and Amber Gallows, the wives of Bennett and Gallows, respectively.[31] Anderson and Gallows were absent from War of the Worlds '15, working only the Global Wars '15 events,[22] leaving A.J. Styles and The Young Bucks to enter the rivalry.[28] War of the Worlds '15 marked the in-ring return of the third member of The Kingdom, Adam Cole, following an injury break.[25] Cole was originally only announced for the second night, but ended up being revealed as Styles' mystery opponent on the first night. The first night featured a three-way non-title match between three sets of tag team champions as Bennett and Taven took on The Young Bucks, the reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, and ROH World Tag Team Champions The Addiction (Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian).[32]

The second night featured the only title match of the two events, which saw Jay Briscoe defend the ROH World Championship against Bobby Fish.[25] Prior to the title match, Briscoe had gone over two years without being pinned or submitted in ROH; the last time he was pinned was on March 2, 2013, when Fish pinned him in a tag team match, where he and Kyle O'Reilly captured the ROH World Tag Team Championship from Jay and his brother Mark.[33]

Reception

Pro Wrestling Dot Net's Zack Zimmerman called Roderick Strong "the most spectacular wrestler" of the two events, writing that his matches with Kushida and Hiroshi Tanahashi were each night's best match "by a fair margin". Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter called Strong the ROH MVP of the entire week, writing that both Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura were giving him rave reviews.[13] Pro Wrestling Torch's Sean Radican called the first night a "tremendous show from start to finish", giving it nine points out of ten. He gave the highest rating of four and a half stars out of five to the match between A.J. Styles and Adam Cole, calling it "amazing" and a match of the year contender.[34]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Line ups for both nights of WOTW in Philly . April 27, 2015 . Ring of Honor.
  2. Web site: 5月12日＆13日、フィラデルフィア大会カード決定!　中邑＆オカダvsブリスコ兄弟! 棚橋＆ライガーはレッドラゴンと激突!　渡辺高章も参戦!! . April 27, 2015 . April 27, 2015 . . Japanese.
  3. Web site: ROH War of the Worlds events available on VOD . Johnson . Mike . May 23, 2015 . May 23, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Insider.
  4. Web site: ROH/New Japan live coverage 5-17 New York . https://web.archive.org/web/20140518091627/http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/118-daily-updates/37051-rohnew-japan-live-coverage-5-17-new-york . Meltzer . Dave . Dave Meltzer . May 18, 2014 . May 17, 2014 . March 2, 2015 . Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
  5. Web site: Wrestle Kingdom 9 in 東京ドーム . March 2, 2015 . . Japanese.
  6. Web site: Tokyo Dome news: Tanahashi vs. Okada result, New Japan returning to the U.S. with ROH, three title changes, more . Caldwell . James . January 4, 2015 . March 2, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  7. Web site: ROH adds third New Japan show updated with press release . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102705/http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/104-ring-of-honor/41366-roh-adds-third-new-japan-show-updated-with-press-release . Meltzer . Dave . Dave Meltzer . April 2, 2015 . February 25, 2015 . March 2, 2015 . Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
  8. Web site: ROH/NJPW news: Dates & Venues announced for New Japan returning to North America . Caldwell . James . February 25, 2015 . March 2, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  9. Web site: Ring of Honor Wrestling® and New Japan Pro Wrestling® to present 3 super shows this May in North America, both Philadelphia and Toronto to host these events . Scherer . Dave . February 25, 2015 . March 2, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Insider.
  10. Web site: ROH news: ROH adds fourth New Japan show to May tour . Caldwell . James . March 7, 2015 . March 8, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  11. Web site: ROH adds another combined show with New Japan . Johnson . Mike . March 8, 2015 . March 8, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Insider.
  12. Web site: ROH announces another date with New Japan . https://web.archive.org/web/20150605194710/http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/104-ring-of-honor/41540-roh-announces-another-date-with-new-japan . Meltzer . Dave . Dave Meltzer . June 5, 2015 . March 8, 2014 . March 8, 2015 . Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
  13. Meltzer . Dave . Dave Meltzer . May 25, 2015 . May 25, 2015 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: State of TNA, NSAC’s new doping penalties, and more . . . 1083-9593 . 19–20.
  14. Web site: Ring Of Honor News: Hiroshi Tanahashi announced for May tour . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402182200/http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/104-ring-of-honor/41887-ring-of-honor-news-hiroshi-tanahashi-announced-for-may-tour . April 2, 2015 . April 1, 2015 . April 1, 2015 . Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
  15. Web site: ROH news: Second major New Japan star announced for May tour . Caldwell . James . April 2, 2015 . April 3, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  16. Web site: ROH news: Ring of Honor announces third New Japan star for May tour . Caldwell . James . April 3, 2015 . April 4, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  17. Web site: ROH news: Recent G1 Climax winner announced for ROH vs. New Japan tour . Caldwell . James . April 6, 2015 . April 6, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  18. Web site: ROH news: Latest New Japan wrestler announced for ROH vs. New Japan tour . Caldwell . James . April 7, 2015 . April 7, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  19. Web site: ROH news: Time Splitter announced for ROH vs. New Japan tour . Caldwell . James . April 8, 2015 . April 8, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  20. Web site: ROH news: Latest New Japan star announced for ROH tour . Caldwell . James . April 9, 2015 . April 9, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  21. Web site: ROH news: Nakamura official for ROH vs. New Japan series; trio of top New Japan stars now official (w/Video) . Caldwell . James . April 10, 2015 . April 10, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  22. Web site: The Bullet Club are coming to WotW & Global Wars . April 16, 2015 . April 16, 2015 . Ring of Honor.
  23. Web site: Big ROH/New Japan in Philadelphia update . Johnson . Mike . April 16, 2015 . April 16, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Insider.
  24. Web site: Updated: Ring Of Honor announces lineup for May 12 New Japan Philly show . https://web.archive.org/web/20150427111635/http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/104-ring-of-honor/42162-ring-of-honor-announces-five-matches-for-may-12-new-japan-philly-show . April 27, 2015 . April 20, 2015 . April 20, 2015 . Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
  25. Web site: ROH news: Complete line-up for Night 2 of ROH vs. New Japan tour - former ROH Champ returning from injury, ROH Title match, matches for Tanahashi & Okada & Nakamura . Caldwell . James . April 21, 2015 . April 21, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  26. Web site: ROH news: ROH & New Japan stars scheduled for big autograph signings . Caldwell . James . May 8, 2015 . May 8, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  27. Web site: How Pro Wrestling Works . Grabianowski . Ed . March 2, 2015 . HowStuffWorks, Inc. . Discovery Communications.
  28. Web site: WotW Night 2 Main Event - The Kingdom vs Bullet Club . April 21, 2015 . April 21, 2015 . Ring of Honor.
  29. Web site: ROH live coverage from Las Vegas - four way for ROH title, Alberto vs. Lethal, Bucks vs. Fish & O'Reilly . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402210735/http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/104-ring-of-honor/41441-roh-live-coverage-from-las-vegas-four-way-for-roh-title-alberto-vs-lethal-bucks-vs-fish-a-oreilly . Meltzer . Dave . Dave Meltzer . April 2, 2015 . March 1, 2015 . April 21, 2015 . Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
  30. Web site: Show results - 4/5 NJPW "Invasion Attack" in Tokyo, Japan: A.J. Styles defends IWGP World Title in main event, ROH tag teams win both Tag Titles, Bullet Club in action, more . April 5, 2015 . April 21, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  31. Web site: NJPW news: Huge upcoming matches - Styles vs. Okada announced for July PPV, three title matches & historic six-person tag announced for next PPV in May, more . Caldwell . James . April 5, 2015 . April 21, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  32. Web site: ROH news: Updated line-ups for ROH vs. New Japan tour, including mega-Tag Team Champions match on Night 1 . Caldwell . James . May 4, 2015 . May 4, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.
  33. Web site: The World title will be on the line at WotW Night 2 . April 21, 2015 . April 21, 2015 . Ring of Honor.
  34. Web site: Radican's ROH "War of the Worlds 2015: Night 1" report 5/12 - Styles-Cole MOTYC, Young Bucks run wild in Triple Threat, Briscoes-Okada & Nakaura main event . Radican . Sean . May 30, 2015 . May 30, 2015 . Pro Wrestling Torch.

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