MLW announced, at MLW Fightland TV tapings, that the company and Dragon Gate have formed a partnership. Major League Wrestling’s Court Bauer said the working relationship between MLW and Dragon Gate is “coming soon.” “The gate to the Americas has been opened. @MLW x @dragongate_pro,” Bauer wrote on Twitter.

The company had previously announced a deal with Pro Wrestling NOAH last summer but this new deal with Dragon Gate could replace it as their Japanese partner, as NOAH was bought by DDT Pro owner. MLW is also partnering with Mexico-based The Crash Lucha Libre.

According to Post Wrestling, MLW wants to bring Dragon Gate talent to the States, once they go through the process of securing their visas. No word yet on when talent will begin making appearances as this process can take time.

MLW recently signed with ICM Partners, who will sell TV and streaming rights for MLW. MLW Studios will also launch, which will create original scripted and non-scripted programming for the promotion.

Chase Owens announced he has re-signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Last year, Owens signed a one-year deal with NJPW, and it looks like that relationship will continue on in 2020 and beyond.

He first debuted with the promotion back in 2014 at King of Pro-Wrestling PPV, successfully defending the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship against Bushi. After the match, Owens challenged Jushin Thunder Liger and, at Power Struggle, he lost the title to Liger. Owens returned to NJPW on February 11, 2015, at The New Beginning in Osaka, where he and Rob Conway defeated Liger and Hiroyoshi Tenzan in a tag team match. Three days later at The New Beginning in Sendai, Owens unsuccessfully challenged Liger for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Owens returned to NJPW in May to take part in the 2015 Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

On October 23, 2015, Owens joined Bullet Club. He and Kenny Omega entered the 2015 Super Jr. Tag Tournament, but were eliminated in their first-round match by Roppongi Vice (Beretta and Rocky Romero). In May 2016, Owens appeared in NJPW as a late replacement for an injured Nick Jackson in the 2016 Best of the Super Juniors tournament.[26] He finished second to last in his block with a record of three wins and four losses. At the end of the year, he took part in the 2016 World Tag League, teaming with Bullet Club leader Kenny Omega. Around this time, Owens was promoted to the promotion’s heavyweight division.

Owens participated in the 2017 World Tag League, teaming with Bad Luck Fale. On April 1, 2018, at Sakura Genesis, Owens teamed with Yujiro Takahashi to unsuccessfully challenge the Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson). At the G1 Special in San Francisco show, Owens teamed with his Bullet Club stablemates to defeat the team of Chaos. Later that night he sided with The Elite after being attacked by the Guerrillas Of Destiny and Haku. He would spend the rest of the year sided with the ‘Elite’ group, suffering many pinfall losses.

At January 2019, Owens along with Yujiro Takahashi rejoined the Bullet Club at NJPW New Year Dash!!.  In March 2019, Owens entered the New Japan Cup, defeating the IWGP United States Champion Juice Robinson in the first round but losing to Yoshi-Hashi in the second round. On March 23, 2019, at the New Japan Cup finals, Owens unsuccessfully challenged Juice Robinson for the IWGP United States Championship. He has since worked many multi-man matches with fellow Bullet Club members. He took part in the 2019 World Tag League with Bad Luke Fale.

Ring of Honor announced that Brody King is staying with the promotion.

King first debuted for ROH in December of 2018, forming Villain Enterprises, alongside Marty Scurll and PCO. King and PCO would then go on to with the 2019 ROH Tag Wars Tournament, and on March 15, they defeated The Briscoe Brothers in a Las Vegas street fight to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship at the ROH 17th Anniversary Show.

The following night, King, PCO, and Scurll defeated The Kingdom for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship during the Ring of Honor Wrestling tapings. This made King a double champion in ROH within a 24-hour span.

King is scheduled to face Rey Horus on February 9 at Free Enterprise. At Bound by Honor, on February 28, he’ll join Flip Gordon against RUSH and Kenny King, and finally, at Gateway to Honor, on February 29, it will be King, Gordon, and Scurll against The Briscoes and Slex.

 

All pics and videos courtesy of MLW, ROH and NJPW

By Steph Franchomme

News, Reviews, Social Media Editor, Impact Wrestling Reviewer, Interviewer Well, call me The Boss... And French...

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