NJPW on AXS brings a classic title match to English language television!

I don't have AXS at home because it is not in the list of networks I conveniently can stream online. However I caught last week's episode of NJPW on AXS and it was a doozy, as the entire show was devoted to the AJ Styles / Hiroshi Tanahashi IWGP Heavyweight title match from last October.

Image credit: AXS.tv.

I have grown fond of the American version of the show as commentators Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett add a lot to the already amazing wrestling New Japan brings to the fold. Styles and Tanahashi brought it in a nearly thirty minute battle, with each man going for his signature maneuvers more than once. AJ came with Jeff Jarrett to the ring, his Bullet Club guitar in hand. More than once Jarrett saved the IWGP Heavyweight title for AJ Styles.

But a big equalizer came in the form of Yoshitatsu (now spelled as just one word post-WWE.) He threw Jarrett to the back and forced Styles to fight a fair contest. Ultimately a High Fly Flow set up the win by Tanahashi to give him his unprecedented seventh reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

I cannot speak highly enough of the AXS series. Anyone with it on their cable provider should tune in on Fridays at 9 Eastern / 8 Central and see why New Japan is definitely worth watching.