Honor Rising: Japan 2019

Promotional poster featuring various NJPW wrestlers

**Honor Rising: Japan 2019** was a two-day "supershow" event co-produced by the Japanese New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and American Ring of Honor (ROH) promotions. The shows took place on February 22 and 23 2019, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Continuing the partnership between NJPW and ROH, these were the third annual Honor Rising: Japan shows co-produced by NJPW and ROH.

## Production

### Background

Honor Rising: Japan 2019 was officially announced by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) on November 21, 2018. On February 4, 2019, it was announced that the event would be broadcasted by *Fighting TV Samurai*. On February 12, NJPW announced the ROH wrestlers taking part in the events; Dalton Castle, ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champions The Kingdom (Matt Taven, Vinny Marseglia and TK O'Ryan) and Marty Scurll, The Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe), Cheeseburger, ROH World Television Champion Jeff Cobb, Colt Cabana, Jonathan Gresham, Delirious and Jay Lethal. For Gresham, Marseglia, TK O'Ryan and Cabana, the shows would mark their first NJPW appearances.

Cards and the rest of the NJPW participants for the shows were released on February 12. The shows were set to feature six title matches. On the first show, Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe and Toru Yano defending the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship against Delirious, Colt Cabana and Cheeseburger, Will Ospreay defending the NEVER Openweight Championship against Dalton Castle and Jeff Cobb defending the ROH World Television Championship against Hirooki Goto. On the second show, Jay Lethal would defend the ROH World Championship against TK O'Ryan, *Los Ingobernables de Japon* (EVIL and SANADA) defending the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Roa) and The Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe) defending the ROH World Tag Team Championship against Lifeblood (David Finlay and Juice Robinson).

The shows would air worldwide through NJPW's internet streaming site, New Japan Pro Wrestling World, with English commentary provided by Kevin Kelly and Rocky Romero and on Ring of Honor internet streaming site, Honor Club with English commentary provided by Ian Riccaboni and on *Fighting TV Samurai*.

### Storylines

In the IWGP Tag Team Championship match, *Los Ingobernables de Japon* (EVIL and SANADA) would make their second title defense against Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Roa). On January 4, 2019, at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome, the Guerrillas of Destiny lost the IWGP Tag Team Championship to EVIL and SANADA in a three-way tag team match involving The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson). On February 11, the Guerrillas of Destiny challenged EVIL and SANADA to rematch for their titles. The title match was made official on the next day.

In the ROH World Television Championship match, Jeff Cobb would defend the title against Hirooki Goto. On January 5, 2019, at *New Years Dash*, Cobb and Goto would ignite their former feud after a brief confrontation, between one another. Cobb and Goto were previously scheduled to face each other in a champion versus champion match, where Goto held the NEVER Openweight Championship during the Lion's Break Project at CharaExpo USA 2018, but the match would be canceled due to Cobb having a flight delay. On February 12, NJPW announced the rematch between the two for the ROH World Television Championship.