Ring of Honor, New Japan team for G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden next April

Ring of Honor Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling have concocted their most ambitious crossover to date on a date and at a venue sure to raise some eyebrows.

Working together is nothing new for Ring of Honor Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, as the companies have shared talent for shows and even seen titles change hands between performers from their respective brands for a while. What they haven’t done yet is put on a joint card at one of the most famous venues in the U.S., but that’s about to change next April.

The two companies announced Thursday that G1 Supercard, which will feature both ROH and NJPW wrestlers, will take place April 6, 2019, from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Billing it as the “ultimate wrestling event,” the press release announcing the show promised top NJPW stars like Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito, along with championship matches from both companies.

ROH General Manager Greg Gilleland said the idea came from fan feedback as a way to push things even further than the big Ring of Honor shows of the last few years.

“Three years ago, one of our best fans told me in confidence that Supercard of Honor just didn’t feel ‘super’ anymore,” Gilleland said in the press release. “He was right, and we took that to heart with the huge events we delivered in Lakeland, FL in 2017, and New Orleans, LA just a few months ago. With consecutive record breaking attendances, the question became, how can we top that in 2019? More importantly, how can we give the fans more of what they want and what they deserve? The G1 Supercard is an event that can only represent the absolute best possible matches with both NJPW and ROH stars, and Madison Square Garden is the perfect venue for them.”

Even the name seems fitting, as NJPW has used the ‘G1’ designation for various events, including the annual G1 Climax tournament and the recent G1 Special card in San Francisco. Supercard of Honor, as noted, has served as Ring of Honor’s most prestigious event, so combining those terms signifies the magnitude of the MSG show.

So, too, does the fact that it’s happening at all. There have been numerous media reports that WWE had leaned on Madison Square Garden to prevent Ring of Honor from having its own show at the arena. With New Japan in the mix, it’s an even bigger deal now, and it’s happening right in the Big Apple the night before WrestleMania 35, when WWE will be airing its now annual NXT card.

That’s going to be tough on fans in New York that weekend as they’ll have to choose one or the other, but fantastic for pro wrestling fans as a whole. Tickets for G1 Supercard will go on sale on on Wednesday, Aug. 8 at 10:00 a.m. ET for HonorClub members and Friday, Aug. 10 for everyone else.