Undisputed champ, no more: WWE will face new contender when New Japan Pro Wrestling crashes American Airlines Center

Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi - not the first names that come to mind when folks in these parts think about professional wrestling.

The legendary and beloved Von Erich wrestling family from Denton would come first. Next might come their bitter rivals, Michael Hayes and The Fabulous Freebirds.

A version of Steve Austin, more "stunning" than "Stone Cold," may be remembered soon after, along with a Shawn Michaels who hadn't yet broken any hearts but was certainly still a kid.

And if none of those ring a bell, let's try "Nature Boy" Ric Flair, Terry Funk, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Koko B. Ware, King Kong Bundy, Andre the Giant, Chavo Guerrero, Harley Race and the countless other wrestling greats that helped fill the old Dallas Sportatorium. All under the North Texas-based World Class Championship Wrestling banner.

Dallas, a twentieth century boomtown for the wrestling industry, has changed. The names and faces of pro wrestling have changed, too.

For Dallasites still watching pro wrestling on cable each week, the John Cena's, Becky Lynch's and Brock Lesnar's of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) will be more familiar than Okada, Tanahashi and Ibushi.

But not for long.

When New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), the country's largest promotion, invades Dallas on July 6 for the beginning of its annual G1 Climax tournament, new precedents will be set for an American wrestling scene that is quickly becoming more competitive.

It will not only be the first time that New Japan visits Dallas, but also the first time that matches from the renowned 18-day tournament will be contested in the United States. Many North Texans will be exposed to these Japanese stars - some of the best pro wrestling talents in the world today - for the first time. Their hard-hitting "strong style" of pro wrestling, which is similar to what an American audience might expect to see at a mixed-martial arts event, will also be a different experience.

If a hard kick in the face is your definition of a friendly hello, prepare to be introduced. The outcomes may be predetermined, but the fights look incredibly real - sometimes to a gruesome degree.

"I'm really looking forward to showing my match to an American audience and show how heated the G1 Climax is," Okada explained via a translator at the tournament's press conference in Arlington.

Night One of this year's G1 Climax will also be the first non-WWE produced pro wrestling event in the 18 year history of the American Airlines Center.

And that's a huge deal.

The WWE, who frequently hosts live broadcasts and pay-per-view events from the AAC (as recently as July 1), has long been the corporate champion of pro wrestling in the States. The WWE has had a sleeper hold on the pro wrestling market since chairman Vince McMahon bought his primary competitor, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), from Turner Broadcasting in 2001.

McMahon's purchase was the result of the Monday night television ratings war that made pro wrestling a pop culture phenomenon in the 1990s and early 2000s. McMahon's WWE, then WWF, won the war -- but the lack of competition has become a detriment in the long-term.

Nearly two decades later, interest in the WWE's product is at an all-time low. Many fans have grown bored of the company's soap opera style storytelling, part-time performers, lack of continuity and utilization of "sports entertainers" who are past their prime.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, ratings for the WWE's flagship "Monday Night Raw" broadcast on the USA Network hit a record non-holiday low of only 2.13 million viewers on June 10.

A recent pay-per-view entitled "Stomping Grounds," broadcasted on June 23, posted a historically low number of buys for the company - approximately 9,800. The gate for the event was also discouraging, with around 6,000 fans physically in attendance. Per Meltzer, WWE had to curtain off large portions of the venue and move fans around to make the arena in Tacoma, Washington, appear sold out.

Pro wrestling fans want something different, and they're voting with their wallets.

Enter the wrestlers of New Japan, whose appearance in Dallas won't be their first foray into the American market.

New Japan Pro Wrestling, founded in 1972, began increasing its sphere of influence in 2015 when Mark Cuban's AXS TV began airing the promotion's events weekly in primetime. New Japan's largest events, such as its annual Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome, are extremely popular with overseas audiences (including here in the U.S.) and can be streamed live online.

New Japan's most serious American inroad took place earlier this year when the promotion, in conjunction with U.S. based wrestling company Ring of Honor (ROH), sold out New York City's Madison Square Garden for a supershow in just minutes. The event, which took place over WrestleMania 35 weekend in April, was historic in that MSG was once thought to be a WWE-exclusive building. With WWE having opted to host that weekend's events at Brooklyn's Barclays Center and New Jersey's Metlife Stadium, NJPW and ROH capitalized on a massive opportunity. The event, entitled "G1 Supercard," was the first professional wrestling event at MSG by a promotion not owned by a McMahon since November of 1960.

New Japan's visit to the American Airlines Center will be similarly significant. If arenas in major cities are "WWE dominoes," the AAC's is the next to fall.

"There's plenty of market share for everyone," NJPW English commentator Kevin Kelly said. "New Japan Pro Wrestling translates to people of all languages."

"Watching a new brand of wrestling doesn't have to feel like cheating on your girlfriend."

New Japan isn't the only new contender looking to contest the WWE's near-monopoly. McMahon's cohort is also feeling pressure from within the U.S.

In May 2019, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) debuted to a national audience on pay-per-view. The upstart wrestling promotion has gained enormous momentum this summer -- including a TV deal with TNT -- and level of financial backing that will allow AEW to rival the WWE.

The backers? Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham F.C. owners Tony and Shahid Khan. Billionaires, with a "B."

The two are investing in the abilities of former New Japan stars Kenny Omega and Matt and Nick Jackson, as well as WWE defectors Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho. The five will help lead the company's creative direction.

AEW has already sold out shows at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and the Allstate Arena in Chicago -- the latter of which is another WWE stronghold. Ironically, AEW's new television contract is with WarnerMedia, who controls Turner. AEW's weekly live broadcast is scheduled to begin this October on the former home of WWE nemesis WCW.

Which begs the question: Are we on the verge of the next great pro wrestling war?

Probably not.

WWE is established and the worldwide leader in the pro wrestling industry. With unparalleled resources and reach, McMahon isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Ratings are slowly rebounding now that the NBA and NHL playoffs have concluded. The Monday Night Raw event that broadcasted from Dallas on July 1 was well-attended.

Furthermore, the fast-paced, hard-hitting action of NJPW and AEW is currently more niche than the family-friendly product that WWE offers.

Fox has also purchased the exclusive rights to broadcast WWE's "SmackDown" program starting this fall. The five-year deal is worth $1 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A financial boost for a wrestling company that appears creatively stuck.

That being said...

If you subscribe to the belief that competition makes everyone better, it's an exciting time to be a pro wrestling fan.

Hence, the July 6 event.

The G1 Climax is among New Japan's biggest annual events - a round-robin tournament designed to feature the company's top heavyweights. New Japan frequently uses the tournament as a platform to elevate its up-and-coming talents. The winner earns a heavyweight championship opportunity at January's Wrestle Kingdom event.

Five tournament matches will take place in Dallas, plus an undercard that features competitors from the G1. All styles of pro wrestling will be on display.

Longtime rivals Okada and Tanahashi will meet in a blockbuster main event. The pair has five G1 Climax victories between them. Tanahashi has entered 18 consecutive tournaments and won his third G1 Climax last year. Okada, who won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from New Zealand's Jay White at the Madison Square Garden event in April, is another fan-favorite. A wrestler holding the heavyweight strap hasn't won a G1 Climax since Kensuke Sasaki did so in 2000.

"My rivalry vs. Okada helped build New Japan Pro Wrestling," Tanahashi said via a translator. "It's a rivalry built in Japan. We're excited to be on live TV in America."

Ibushi, who has already won and lost the IWGP Intercontinental Championship this year, will face KENTA - a recent WWE departure formerly known by Hideo Itami. It has been speculated that Ibushi, who recently signed a lifetime contract with New Japan, could be in line for a major push via the G1 Climax.

"This year, I'm not going to be the runner up," Ibushi said via a translator. "I'm going to win."

RevPro Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. will face SANADA in a tournament match. Sabre Jr. was in contention to win last year's G1 until the final night of the tournament.

SANADA's tag-team partner EVIL will also compete in tournament play, opening against Bad Luck Fale. Fale was disqualified numerous times during last year's G1 for violent attacks.

And in the most locally relevant match of the evening, Texas native and Cedar Hill resident "The American Psycho" Lance Archer will face high-flying British phenom Will Ospreay. Archer -- known for delivering devastating chokeslams -- will look to capture a career-elevating win against Ospreay.

"I've been in pro wrestling for 19 years," Archer said. "And today, I bring the G1 Climax to my hometown."

"This is a new chapter, a new beginning."

Ospreay, a junior heavyweight making his G1 debut, has lots at stake as well. A junior heavyweight headlining the Tokyo Dome next January would be historic.

"I'm nervous. This is my first G1 Climax," Ospreay said. "But I genuinely want to take New Japan Pro Wrestling worldwide, with every single bit of heart I've got."

The final night of the 2019 G1 Climax will take place on August 11 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.

But will Japanese "strong style" resonate with pro wrestling fans in North Texas?

It already happened once.

When former New Japan star Shinsuke Nakamura made his U.S. debut three years ago at WWE's NXT: TakeOver event in Dallas, fans packed downtown's Kay Bailey Hutchison Arena to see him. The self-proclaimed "King of Strong Style" put on a match-of-the-year type performance against Canadian wrestler Sami Zayn - who wasn't afraid to match Nakamura kick for kick.

The crowd stood for the entire match, chanting in a frenzy.

Their chant?

"Fight forever."

New Japan heard you, Dallas. And your wish has been granted.

On Twitter: @ReeceKelleyG

How to Watch

New Japan Pro Wrestling presents G1 CLIMAX 29 at American Airlines Center Saturday, July 6 at 5 p.m. It will also air live on AXS TV. Tickets start at $35 at Ticketmaster.com. More details at njpw1972.com. Starting July 13, New Japan’s weekly television show also change time slots to 8 p.m. CST every Saturday night.