Funny / New Japan Pro-Wrestling

• After his match with Tadao Yasuda, Masahiro Chono was attacked by Chyna and her cronies and they handcuffed him to the ring. The funny part came later, when Chono whined he had been roaming the streets all night with the cuffs still on until he could find a workshop where he got them cut off.
• "Captain fookin' New Japan??? Get the fook outta here!"
  • Became even more Hilarious in Hindsight when Captain New Japan joined Bullet Club. Unless you're the guy that said it...
• The New Japan Rumble at Wrestle Kingdom 10. Basically a comedy battle royal match featuring 15 veteran wrestlers... and Cheeseburger from Ring of Honor.
• Toru Yano and all of his glorious antics. He's like Ric Flair or Eddie Guerrero, but without any of their subtlety.
  • All his frequent gags in the ring. To list a few:
    • Spits water Triple H style at his opponent for an introduction.
    • When he takes an Irish Whip, he hangs onto the ropes and yells at the opponent while bouncing around.
    • Then when the opponent charges at him, he hides in the ropes and repeatedly yells "BREAK!"
    • Removing the big turnbuckle pad and using it as a weapon (which he sometimes does in front of a ref and never gets DQ'd for). In fact, Tama Tonga once tried to use this against him, but couldn't get it unhooked because Yano had more practice.
    • Taking the ref hostage, and/or using him as cover for a low blow.
  • He regularly scores wins (especially in the G1 Climax), by distracting the ref, low blowing his opponents and rolling them up. And he's beaten seriously tough guys like Tama Tonga and Minoru Suzuki this way.
  • Yano was at his finest in the 2017 G1, especially in his match against Kenny Omega. First, Yano brings his CHAOS DVD to the ring, and offers it to Omega as a gift, who obviously says no. Yano manages to get the crowd to peer pressure Omega into accepting it, and then asks Omega to open the case, which turns out to be full of powder. Yano slaps the powder into Omega's face and rolls him up for a close two count. And that was just the beginning.
  • Yano grabs a roll of tape, and much like John Cena did to Batista, tapes Omega's legs together, but before he can get back in the ring, Omega grabs him and tapes his legs together. They get back in together, and manage to continue the match for a bit hopping around. Eventually Chase Owens brings a pair of scissors down to ringside, and a battle ensues over the scissors.
  • Later on in the tournament, he tries the same trick against Minoru Suzuki, and though Suzuki initially foils him, Yano manages to bind Suzuki's arms to his body with the tape, then hits him in the dick and rolls him up for the three. Suzuki reacted just about as you'd expect, and many young lions were victimized that day.
  • Yano's match against Okada definitely qualifies as well. Considering they're both part of CHAOS, you'd think Okada would know Yano by now. But even the Rainmaker winds up getting suckered in by the Sublime Master Thief. At one point when Yano tricks Okada and then runs away from him into the ropes and yells for the break, Okada just looks frustrated with himself.
  • Yano would tape Ibushi's wrists together, but Ibushi just keeps wrestling despite it.
  • Yano handed Jon Moxley his first NJPW loss when he taped him to Shota Umino and Moxley got counted out, this lead to Moxley losing the G1.
  • Yano's match against Zack Sabre Jr at Power Struggle 2020 was funny through out, from Yano trying to put the turnbuckle pads on, only for ZSJ to rip them back off behind him, to ZSJ trying to throw Yano into the exposed turnbuckle, only to succeed after multiple failed attempts including a successful attempted, into a now padded turnbuckle. But the funniest segment was the end when Yano ties Zach's shoe laces together in the Guardrail leading to Sabre losing by 20-count ringout, only to be stuck for the next few minutes because the Young Lions can't untie a double knot. Leading to Zach telling them to get him lose how ever they can only for Tsuji to pull out a pair of scissors and Zach starts screaming about how his shoes are brand new. When Zach is finally freed after about 10 minutes being stuck on the Guardrail Zach starts beating up the Young Lions because they ruined his new mat shoes
• Tetsuya Naito, post Face–Heel Turn in general. From throwing around his various title belts to his habit of sliding into a "Draw me like one of your French girls" pose mid match, he's just a bouquet of funny.
  • LOS! JUSTICE!! LOS!! JUSTICE!! LOS!!! JUSTICE!!!
  • During a press conference, Kenny Omega is talking about Naito and Los Ingobernables, saying that now is the chance to prove who is stronger, Bullet Club or LIJ, and then the camera pans over to see Naito sitting next to him, fast asleep.
  • During an excursion in Revolution Pro Wrestling, Naito is wrestling Marty Scurll, and Scurll catches him by the hand and is poised to break his finger. Naito, who is apparently not familiar with this, does not give the remotest fuck, and is in fact laughing...until snap goes his finger, and he's rolling around in severe pain.
    • Just before that, Scurll tried to poke Naito in the eye, and started celebrating when he apparently succeeded...only for Naito to stand up and do the eye taunt. Apparently all that eye stretching helps.
  • Naito misses Steve Corino when he's not on commentary for New Japan.
  • On the way back from a match, a fan asks him to bump fists with her little daughter. When he tries, the kid just turns and walks away. Even Naito laughed at that.
  • Just before that, Yoshi-Hashi was on the ring apron looking at Sanada, and Naito walks up to him and basically shoos him away, tapping his wrist as if to say "Hurry up, you're wasting time." Which is ironic coming from him.
• At The New Beginning in Osaka 2014, as a tie-in to Cardfight!! Vanguard (owned by the same parent company as NJPW), Kazuchika Okada entered with an animatronic dinosaur and a big foam sword. It really must be seen to be believed.
• Taichi's entrances, especially the ones with his valet Miho Abe, where he marches to the ring lip-syncing his theme song and she sways seductively everywhere, are awesomely over the top and hilarious.
  • One such entrance is this and heartwarming: As Miho is climbing a turnbuckle in front of Togi Makabe, her foot slides off and her bikini top comes undone. She quickly runs back to Taichi, who covers her with his cape and fixes the strap, all without breaking character.
  • Even funnier, unlike his partners Tomoaki Honma and Ryusuke Taguchi, who are very clearly enjoying Miho's performance, Makabe just seems annoyed the entire time, especially when she falls on him.
  • During one entrance, Miho goes to work her charms on Hiromu Takahashi who's more interested in the cloth she carries to the ring and takes it from her, resulting in a furious tug of war between them while Taichi continues to sing and not break character. Hiromu eventually wins and starts lip syncing along, while Miho pouts and sulks. so Taichi makes Hiromu give it back to her. Hilariously, neither Bushi nor Taka Michinoku feel the need to get involved.
  • At the G1 Climax finals she goes to do her moves and climbs in front of Jushin Thunder Liger, who then slings her over his shoulder and carries her around the ring and slaps her on the butt while Miho is calling him a Dirty Old Man
  • At the New Beginning in Sapporo, Taichi and Miho come out to start their entrance, but just before Taichi's song starts, Takashi Iizuka's music cuts him off, and the rest of Suzuki-gun enter. Taichi looks miffed and Miho (rightly) looks terrified of Iizuka.
• At Wrestle Kingdom 11, Tanga Roa achieved ridiculous levels of cussing during G.O.D.'s defense of the IWGP Tag Team Championship against CHAOS and Great Bash Heel. Not only were the English commentators corpsing during his outbursts, even Togi Makabe got into the act with a single "FUCK YOU" directed at Roa.
  • As the YouTube series "NJPW is not for kids" would prove, this is a fairly common occurrence.
• The Rainmaker on a day off.
• When Suzuki-gun's Lance Archer is loose in Korakuen Hall with bottled water, nobody is safe.
• Ryusuke Taguchi's entrance mimicking Los Ingobernables' Evil at the 2017 New Beginning in Sapporo.
• A wrestler named "Masked Horse" was listed on a Road To show and nobody knew what to expect. It ended up being Ryusuke Taguchi in a mask. His backstory was that his parents abandoned him a child and he was raised by horses... then the horses abandoned him and he was taken in by a pro wrestler.
• In 2015, New Japan put out a DVD teaser video for what can only be described as a CHAOS high school AU.
• For 2017's Honor Rising, Dalton Castle comes out with two new Boys as his partners for a six man tag team match. Their names? Hiroshi Tanahashi and Ryusuke Taguchi.
• Hiroshi Tanahashi has referred to Los Ingobernables de Japon as a group of Monkeys and their leader Tetsuya Naito takes offense to that in a promo. However his stablemate Hiromu Takahashi is seen bouncing around and acting and chattering like one in the background and Naito's trying very hard to stay in character and avoid Corpsing
• Red Shoes, the recognizable referee of New Japan at The G1 Special is offered to do a Too Sweet with The Elite before the Michael Elgin vs Kenny Omega match. It looks like he's going to do so only for at the last second walk away and leave them hanging prompting a Red Shoes chant from the crowd.
  • Also that night, as would be revealed on Being the Elite, it was Red Shoes who showed the entire world the DM.
  • The Bullet Club often goes into full cheat mode while Red Shoes is the ref. Sometimes he will just stop counting a pinfall and flip them off.
• During his entrance at Road to Destruction 2017, the normally stoic Okada dances a bit of a jig.
• Hiromu Takahashi, since losing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, has acquired a new friend. His name is Daryl.
  • Sadly, Daryl met a gruesome end at the hands of Bad Luck Fale.
  • But Daryl survived that attack, and now he's recuperating!
  • And on the last day of the G1, Daryl returns with Hiromu!
  • Daryl also survived a Meltzer Driver!
  • Both Funny and a Moment of Awesome, at King of Pro Wrestling 2017 LIJ takes on Bullet Club in the opener. Fale is going for his finisher on Bushi when Hiromu enters the ring and presents Daryl right in front of him. Fale looks as if he had seen a ghost and tries to attack only for Hiromu to get out of the way and tackle the ref, allowing Bushi to mist Fale in the face, and get a rollup to win the match.
  • Daryl's getting married!
  • During The Global Wars tour with Ring of Honor, Daryl served as special Guest Commentator and Bell Ringer, and the commentators even ask him questions. He even got used as a weapon during Hiromu's matches. During a match with Marty Scurll, the fans are chanting for Daryl to help Hiromu when he's in a submission.
  • At Wrestle Kingdom 12, Daryl accompanies Hiromu for his matchup dressed up as a Masked Luchador
• Manabu Nakanishi has become a spokesperson for Beef Jerky and upon eating it transforms and dons a mask.
• Hiromu Takahashi also gets his own commercial...for lip balm. Let the Fanservice consume you.
• Having been decked in the face and having his fingers snapped before, Hiromu at Power Struggle thinks ahead and dons headgear and gloves when he makes his IWGP Jr. challenge.
• During the World Tag League 2017, Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi started razzing each other, starting with Naito sliding his Wrestle Kingdom 12 briefcase at Hiromu and nailing him in the leg, to Hiromu's annoyance. Then, after a match, Naito steals Hiromu's jacket and throws it into the audience, which causes Hiromu to freak right out and rush into the crowd. Then Hiromu steals Naito's hat and makes like he's going to throw it away, before putting it back and doing a fist bump.
• The match between Cody and Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 12 was billed as a Handsome Battle
• After his match with Sanada at New Beginning in Osaka, Okada names Will Ospreay as his challenger at the upcoming Anniversary Show. As Okada is making his post-match remarks to the press, Ospreay interrupts to accept the challenge, telling Okada (in English) that when he first fought Okada two years prior in England, he came close to beating him. And now, having studied under Okada as a member of Chaos since joining the company, he's confident that he'll be the one to finally beat the champion, and thanks Okada for the opportunity. In a subversion of Bilingual Dialogue, when a member of the press asks Okada what Ospreay's remarks were, Okada says "I have no idea".
• At Honor Rising 2018 Bad Luck Fale goes to attack the announcer when he introduces himself as he often does only for Cheeseburger to stand in his way in defiance. This would be an Awesome moment, until you realize that Cheeseburger is a fourth of Fale's size and probably weighs less than what Fale had for lunch. As expected he gets swatted out of the way.
• During the finals of the 2018 New Japan Cup, Okada manages to leave the English announce team completely dumbfounded when, upon launching a crossbody onto Kota Ibushi, he yells out "Scooby-Dooby-Doo!" It seems he spent too much time on the tour hanging out with Chuckie T.
• In one of the lead up shows to Wrestling Dontaku 2018, CHAOS (Okada, Goto, Ospreay, Yoshi-Hashi and White) faced off against Taguchi Japan (Tanahashi, Elgin, Kushida, Robinson and Finlay). At one point CHAOS ganged up on Finlay, finishing with Ospreay delivering a standing shooting star press and four of the five members engaging in a ShoutOut to a sushi restaurant advertisement. White reentered the ring and gave them all a look of visible disdain.
• On Night 2 of the 2018 BOSJ, Sanada and Bushi are in an undercard tag match against Taiji Ishimori and Chase Owens. At one point, Chase tries to put Sanada into the Cold Skull's signature Paradise Lock... but he can't figure out how to do it. He even goes to ringside to seek the advice of commentator Milano Collection A.T. (who had invented the move in the first place), and while he tries to help Chase out, Milano eventually gives up and dismisses Chase as a lost cause.
• Taguchi/Scurll during the 2018 BOSJ.
• Since losing The IWGP Heavyweight Title at Dominion 2018, Kazuchika Okada has become a Cloudcuckoolander as his mental state has regressed due to no longer being champ, he's been coming out to the ring with balloons attached to him and doing his 'Scooby Dooby Doo' chants in most matches.
• Minoru Suzuki is a man who inspires fear in just about everyone, and when he made his entrance at Day 5 of the 2018 G1 Climax it panned over to the English commentary table where Kevin Kelly and Rocky Romero were at only for it to reveal that they were gone and didn't come back until after his entrance was over.
• Tama Tonga cuts a very menacing heel promo....over lunch.
• At the 2017 G1 Climax, Sanada defeated Toru Yano by locking him in the Paradise Lock and leaving him to be counted out. A year later, Yano attempts to win by ambushing him during his entrance and putting him in it by Sanada escapes and gets back to the ring. He tries to win the same way but Yano gets stablemate and commentator Rocky Romero to help get him out of it. Sanada then ups the ante by putting Yano in the Paradise Lock to a guardrail outside and when Rocky Romero tries to help this time, Sanada puts him in the Paradise Lock, and wins the second year in a row via countout.
• Yano is fighting Kenny Omega during G1 2018 after Kenny had just taken a severe ass kicking from Bullet Club OG while trying to save Ibushi. Yano gets all 4 turnbuckle pads and lays them in the centre of the ring, then gives Kenny a vertical suplex onto them. This is played like a major spot until the moment Kenny sits up with an expression of "hang on, that didn't hurt at all!" and the crowd suddenly realisd that Yano had basically made a crash mat for him to land on.
• For Super Junior Tag Tournament 2018, in advance of the Rugby World Cup being held in Japan the following year, the team of ACH and Ryusuke Taguchi chose to wear rugby helmets and gear for their matches.
• At New Beginning in Sapporo, Sanada faces Minoru Suzuki and puts him in the Paradise Lock, a humiliating hold where the guy is trapped and wrapped up in his own limbs unable to move. Suzuki is shown pissed off at being in such a move looking ready to kill more so than usual
• In the lead up to his match with Ishimori, Taguchi keeps referencing the time he had a boy band gimmick to humiliate him. It works until the actual match when Ishimori just responds by doing the dance.
• During the BOSJ 2019, day 5 started with a match between BUSHI and DOUKI (who was an injury replacement for El Desperado.) Going in to the match, Juice Robinson, who was a guest on English commentary voiced his displeasure by sayingI don't like BUSHI. And I don't know DOOKIE from a ham sandwich. Prompting both Kevin Kelley and Chris Charlton to laugh in response before Kevin corrects Juice on how to pronounce DOUKI's name. Only for Juice to shrug in response as if to prove his point as to why he feels this match is just a waste of his time
• On the Road to Power Struggle tour in 2019, after a three-on-three match involving Okada, Yoshi-Hashi, Tananashi and Ibushi, the former two try to call out the latter pair. They use First-Name Basis to do so, which is already unusual. The problem is that the microphone keeps acting up, failing to work for Yoshi and Okada repeatedly. Yoshi even manages to accidentally drop the mike while fiddling with it and Okada deliberately drops it when Ibushi is close enough to be yelled at normally. Tanahashi is reluctant to respond but, even after testing his mike, it cuts out on him and he gives up immediately and walks to the back. Ibushi is like the Tagalong Kid during the whole exchange and doesn't say anything.
• Dangerous Tekkers vs the team of Toru Yano and Colt Cabana during the World Tag League
• Hiromu Takashi vs Toru Yano in the 2020 New Japan Cup
• Bullet Club has taken a dislike to Toru Yano's King of Pro Wrestling trophy, destroying it on multiple occasions
• At Power Struggle 2020. Will Osprey came out to challenge Kazuchika Okada to a Match at Wrestle Kingdom in Tokyo Dome, following his match with Empire stablemate The Great O-Khan. Will Ospery has a huge promo about how beating Okada will open more doors for him in the Wrestling business. Only for Okada to not understand a word being said since having had his learning excursion to America cut short, and the fact he was in TNA, who gave zero shits about him, he doesn't fully understand English. As a result he only understood Will Osprey versus Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom and accepts the match based on that alone.
• In the 2nd round match of the 2021 New Japan Cup, Kenta has with him a newspaper he brings to his match against Minoru Suzuki and while Suzuki makes his entrance, Kenta seems more preoccupied with reading it not even paying attention when the bell rings and the match is suppose to start.
• During the No Disqualification Match between Hikuleo and Fred Rosser, the two take it outside of the ring and to the outdoors fighting all around. When Hikuleo knocks out Rosser and goes to pin him, the ref refuses to do so, becauses it's a No Disqualification, not Falls Count Anywhere, meaning it has to end in the ring.
• When El Phantasmo's loaded boot is finally revealed at Wrestle Kingdom 16, he and Taiji Ishimori get disqualified from the match they are in and he has to be dragged out and carried to the back by the attendants and Young Lions
• At Korakuen Hall on January 20th 2022, Hiromu Takahashi faces Young Lion Ryohei Oiwa and proposes a special challenge. If Oiwa can unmask him or pin him, he'll win an extra ten thousand yen. Which sounds like a lot of money, but when you round it up to US currency it's only about Eighty Seven dollars
• During The 2022 G1 Climax, Toru Yano ties Lance Archer to one of The Young Lions outside to a barrier to keep him from getting back in. That doesn't work though as Archer breaks free and drags the poor unfortunate Young Lion with him to the ring and after getting loose just to be a dick, chokeslams him for getting in his way