New Japan Pro Wrestling
A tv asahi Original
New Japan Pro Wrestling presents the rise and continued life of a Japanese wrestling promotion built around high-stakes matches, backstage tension, and the personalities that define the sport. The show follows the promotion as it stages televised events, develops rivalries, and showcases athletes... Read more
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Streaming availability last verified: February 02, 2026
About New Japan Pro Wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling presents the rise and continued life of a Japanese wrestling promotion built around high-stakes matches, backstage tension, and the personalities that define the sport. The show follows the promotion as it stages televised events, develops rivalries, and showcases athletes who mix real athleticism with theatrical storytelling. Episodes move between in-ring action and what happens off camera, portraying training, contract disputes, and the pressure to keep an audience hooked without revealing any major plot twists or final outcomes.
First broadcast in 1972, the program was created by Kanji Inoki, who is widely known as Antonio Inoki. Its long run on TV Asahi helped turn the promotion into a national presence and established a template for televised wrestling in Japan.
It hasn't been a major contender at mainstream television awards, though the promotion and its performers have received respect and recognition within wrestling media and fan communities, including industry polls and specialist coverage.
The show's influence goes beyond ratings. Its TV exposure popularized a style of sports entertainment in Japan, inspired a generation of wrestlers, and helped normalize pro wrestling as mainstream viewing. Iconic matches and recurring motifs from the series have seeped into pop culture, shaping how promos, match finishes, and international crossovers are staged.
Critics and fans tend to rate the show highly for its blend of sport and drama, reflected in an 8.0/10 vote average from a small sample. The series focuses on themes like honor among rivals, the cost of fame, and the craft of performance within competition. It balances gritty, realistic bouts with elaborate storytelling, so viewers who like physical spectacle and character-driven conflict will find plenty to watch.
Details
- Release Date
- March 06, 1972
- Rating
- TV-14
- User Ratings
- 5 votes
- Type
- TV Series
- Seasons
- 55
- Episodes
- 945
- Network
- tv asahi, AXS TV, ABEMA, NJPW World
- Status
- Returning Series
- Genres
- Drama
- Country
- Japan
- Studio
- Bushiroad +1 more
- External Links
- View on IMDB
Official Trailer
Seasons (55 seasons, 945 episodes)
1972
14 episodes - 1972
1973
8 episodes - 1973
1974
7 episodes - 1974
1975
0 episodes
1976
11 episodes - 1976
1977
1 episodes - 1977
1978
1 episodes - 1978
1979
33 episodes - 1979
1980
1 episodes - 1980
1981
0 episodes
1982
0 episodes
1983
0 episodes
1984
0 episodes
1985
0 episodes
1986
0 episodes
1987
0 episodes
1988
0 episodes
1989
0 episodes
1990
0 episodes
1991
0 episodes
1992
0 episodes
1993
0 episodes
1994
0 episodes
1995
0 episodes
1996
0 episodes
1997
0 episodes
1998
0 episodes
1999
0 episodes
2000
0 episodes
2001
1 episodes - 2001
2002
0 episodes
2003
0 episodes
2004
0 episodes
2005
0 episodes
2006
0 episodes
2007
0 episodes
2008
0 episodes
2009
0 episodes
2010
0 episodes
2011
0 episodes
2012
0 episodes
2013
0 episodes
2014
0 episodes
2015
0 episodes
2016
0 episodes
2017
4 episodes - 2017
2018
93 episodes - 2018
2019
104 episodes - 2019
2020
93 episodes - 2020
2021
100 episodes - 2021
2022
103 episodes - 2022
2023
125 episodes - 2023
2024
120 episodes - 2024
2025
126 episodes - 2025
2026
21 episodes - 2026
