Kevin Kelly, the American voice of NJPW, talks NJPW, AXS, AEW, ROH, WWE, and FSU
New Japan Pro Wrestling is getting a new spotlight on AXS TV as the action moves to Saturday nights, beginning with a G1 Climax Tournament special on July 6 from Dallas.
And highly acclaimed play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Kelly will be calling the action.
Kelly talks Gordon Solie, Apter Mags, Billy Gunn, NJPW, G1 Climax, AXS and more.
Kelly, 52, who grew up in South Florida, is a graduate of Florida State University where his skills began to blossom.
Kelly talks FSU, Ron Simmons, Martin County HS, pro wrestling and more.
Kelly has worked as a broadcaster for WWE during the Attitude Era and then later Ring of Honor. Debuting in 1991, he is one of the best in the business, continuing his stellar career with NJPW, something he enjoys immensely.
Kelly is the American voice of NJPW, and he will be joined at the broadcast table by wrestler Rocky Romero. They’ve worked well together before and look forward to it again.
Kelly has many career highlights, including helping others grow.
Kelly talks NJPW, Brian Pillman, gun, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and Stephanie married, The Rock and more.
His humorous backstage interviews with The Rock, gold, and look where Rock is now.
How about reporting/interviewing Brian Pillman from Pillman’s home for the Stone Cold Steve Austin angle, which saw Pillman reveal a gun. That’s still talked about today.
Creating (with his wife) the Triple H-Stephanie McMahon-Test love triangle/marriage angle. That later turned into reality, birthing the first couple of pro wrestling/sports entertainment.
Saturday Night Wrestling on AXS TV
Based on its tremendous success, professional wrestling is getting to star on its own night when AXS TV unleashes a hard-hitting tag-team lineup featuring the groundbreaking all-female promotion “WOW — Women Of Wrestling” and the critically acclaimed “New Japan Pro Wrestling”—airing every Saturday night in primetime, starting July 13.
“WOW” debuts on its new night and time on July 13 at 8pE/5pP, beginning an eight-week event re-capping the series’ entire first season — allowing fans to relive unforgettable moments such as Tessa Blanchard, Jungle Grrrl and Santana Garrett’s three-way Championship brawl, while giving new viewers a chance to catch up on the blockbuster drama and larger-than-life Superheroes that made WOW one of the most-watched same-day series in AXS TV’s history.
It all leads up to the season two premiere on Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. EST. The upcoming 24-episode season finds the hit promotion back with a vengeance, presenting a fight card packed with even more talent, spectacular bouts, pageantry and bitter feuds, and a single elimination tournament where the WOW Tag-Team Championship will be crowned. WOW founder David McLane and Stephen Dickey will once again be on hand to provide analysis and commentary, as a slate of new and returning Superheroes vie to take WOW’s coveted championship belt from reigning champion Tessa Blanchard.
“New Japan Pro Wrestling” follows “WOW – Women Of Wrestling” at 9 p.m. EST Saturdays. To set the stage for NJPW’s move to Saturdays, AXSTV will present a special live broadcast of Night 1 of the promotion’s highly anticipated G1 Climax 29 Tournament from the American Airlines Center in Dallas on July 6 at 6 p.m. EST.
That event drop kicks off an unprecedented six-week stretch of same-day, near-live coverage of the G1 Climax which is universally recognized as the greatest tournament in professional wrestling. The tournament is expected to include thrilling matches featuring IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada; “The Golden Star” Kota Ibushi; “Los Ingobernables de Japón” trio Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, and SANADA; “The Master of The Century” Hiroshi Tanahashi and Bullet Club leader Jay White.
Kelly talks NJPW G1 Climax Tournament, Dallas, AEW, WWE, AXS, Mark Cuban and more.
Every Saturday night, AXS TV will deliver two hours of high-octane coverage of NJPW’s Saturday G1 Climax events that will be voiced by highly acclaimed play-by-play broadcaster Kevin Kelly. AXS TV’s same-day coverage will continue through the tournament’s A Block Final on August 10, followed by special presentations of the B Block Final on Aug. 17 and Tournament Final on Aug. 24.
The two programs previously aired as part of the network’s Friday Night Fights block featuring AXS TV MMA Fights, which will continue to air live on Friday nights.
About AXS TV
Launched in 2012 by visionary entrepreneur CEO Mark Cuban in conjunction with AEG, Ryan Seacrest Media, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and CBS, AXS TV has established itself as the premier destination for music and entertainment programming.
The network delivers an eclectic programming roster that includes original series such as “The Big Interview With Dan Rather,” “Rock & Roll Road Trip With Sammy Hagar” and “Real Money” as well as hard-hitting mixed martial arts events, and a slate of acclaimed documentaries and iconic concerts from some of music’s most influential artists.
AXS TV is also the U.S. home of the popular New Japan Pro Wrestling and WOW-Women Of Wrestling promotions and Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA). AXS TV is currently available nationally in the United States and parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. For a list of providers, visit axs.tv/subscribe. For more information, see www.axs.tv.
Follow AXS TV on Facebook, Twitter @axstv; Instagram; and YouTube.
ABOUT New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)
New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is the largest wrestling organization outside of the USA, with over four decades of decorated history, their most recent Wrestle Kingdom event in Tokyo was presented in front of over 40,000 fans.
Home to some of the biggest names ever in Pro Wrestling, their current stars headed by Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito and Hiroshi Tanahashi are worldwide attractions and the company has offices and partnerships from the USA to UK to Australia/New Zealand.
About WOW-Women Of Wrestling (WOW)
WOW-Women Of Wrestling, the leading women’s professional wrestling organization, is owned by Jeanie Buss in partnership with David McLane. It is the premier organization and content provider for live events and programming featuring women’s professional wrestling.
WOW’s empowered women come from all different backgrounds and professions, and are marketed as WOW Superheroes, the main attraction of every WOW presentation. WOW’s current digital ecosystem, also known as “WOW World,” consists of its website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channel, with broadcasts on AXS TV. For more information about the WOW Superheroes, visit www.wowe.com.
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This story was originally published June 28, 2019 at 5:20 PM.
