AXS TV to Air Same-Week Coverage of NJPW Starting in January

AXS TV has announced that starting in January, they will start to air New Japan Pro Wrestling events in the same week that they actually take place. As many fans are aware, what airs on AXS on Friday nights is often several weeks behind what has actually taken place.

They have also announced that the English commentary team for these broadcasts will consist of Kevin Kelly and Don Callis. Previously, Jim Ross and Josh Barnett usually provided commentary for the shows that aired on AXS.

Here is the press release from AXS, courtesy of ProWrestlingSheet.com:

AXS TV ushers in a new era of its NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (NJPW) coverage with real-time same-week coverage of the promotions’ biggest events in 2019. The new schedule kicks off with a same-day near-live two-hour broadcast of NJPW’s biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 13, on Friday, Jan. 4 at 8pE/5pP.

The Wrestle Kingdom special is headlined by IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito, and will feature the network debut of the NJPW commentary team of Kevin Kelly and Don Callis.

“Same-day coverage of NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 ushers in a new era of NJPW on AXS TV,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. “Based on the tremendous growth of NJPW on AXS TV, we are making major changes to reward wrestling fans by delivering NJPW in primetime on Friday nights as close to when it takes place as possible.”