New Japan Pro Wrestling Capital Collision August 30th 2024

Welcome everybody for something a bit off my beaten bath as I review a New Japan show, I am not historically a fan of New Japan but after the total canine feces I’ve been getting from Marigold and NOAH I’m willing to give the King of Sport a chance. So let’s dive into it. We got about 1900 or 2250 people which is either below average or right around average for the Strong shows in the US.

Matt Vandagriff vs. Allan Breeze – STRONG Survivor Match

Background: So Matt is a name I’ve seen on these shows a few times before, so I think he’s a regular guy, he looks halfway between Adam Page and Josh Briggs and doesn’t have much of a physique, but he’s wearing tights that look like pants. Allan is a guy with short hair and sky blue tights with stars on them. No idea about what this stipulation entails.

The Match: They got the mat early doing a lot of desperate grappling with Allan moving in a jittery way but it can easily explained in character as him being really excited to win. Matt gets some chops to stop the relentless takedown/rollup attempts by Allan but those don’t go anywhere until Vandagriff gets a hotshot and a neckbreaker and we slow the match down while Matt is trying to get a heat segment going but Breeze fights back so it’s more 60/40 Matt. Vandagriff FINALLY gets something by posting Allan’s head and then hitting a running knee on the floor into it. Matt talks some trash and we’re back in and we get more heat in the corner with a weird stretch using the ropes and then a diving butt drop on Allan in the corner. Matt gets some absolutely terrible kicks as Allan fires back with some unique takedowns and a way too easy to hit gutwrench powerbomb. Matt slips out of something else though and gets a Tiger Suplex and a few more atrocious kicks and then Bloody Sunday (?!) for the 3.

*¼

Yeah this wasn’t good, but it wasn’t “these guys are doomed” bad. Matt seems to have basic psychology and pacing down, he was trying to play the heel here against the more ‘talented’ but inexperienced Allan Breeze, but Breeze’s selling was so bad and his comeback so mistimed that there wasn’t really any heat in the match. Execution was also pretty poor from both of them and Matt probably needs to cut the kicks from his repertoire completely. Allan needs to do a lot more notes between the notes. He’s got skills as an athlete and a real wrestler, but he was just running through his last comeback so remotely it didn’t react. Yet again, this isn’t a condemnation of these guys, they’re both undercard, rookie talents that are trying to learn and develop and they definitely have some upside.

Trish Adora & Viva Van vs. Empress Nexus Venus (HANAKO & Mina Shirakawa)

Background: So Trish is a journeyman type that I’ve always wanted to get a bigger shot, she’s pretty beefy and she’s former military police, she’s in some all-white gear right now which is looking clean, Viva is uh, also a journeyman type and that’s all she shares with Trish. She has two toned hair (blue and red) and somewhat revealing black and silver gear. Empress Nexus Venus or ExV are a really hard stable to explain but they’re basically two old Stardom stables that came together despite not really fitting together. Anyway, Mina is dressed in black with some turquoise and pink, and HANAKO is a tall lady in blue that’s a rookie that is technically on excursion. Mina is of course pretty credible as a main-event-ish talent.

The Match: HANAKO and Trish start and throw shoulders to a stalemate before bringing in Mina and Viva to do some rope-running stuff and both dance a little bit. They have a shimmy-off and a…chest bump. Mina does the regular business with the uraken and then the step-through rebound gamengiri out of the corner and then a surfboard by Mina and some stomps on the knee in the corner to work on Viva’s knees. Van vaults over the ropes though to evade a whip and then comes back with a rolling heel kick and tags in Trish and we get a double-team on Mina and Adora cranks in a hold but HANAKO runs in for the interference and Mina gets a rolling splash off of HANAKO’s back and then Mina tags in the big lady properly and we get the power standoff between HANAKO and Trish and they trade suplexes and Trish tags in Viva who gets a springboard crossbody but it’s breaking down in DC and we end with a HANAKO slam on Van and then another spinning splash by Mina on Viva but the figure four is blocked and Viva hits a single-underhook…something for 2.8. A flurry of strikes by Mina and a cazadora rolls into a figure four on Viva while HANAKO cuts off Trish with an Argentine rack and Viva taps.

*¾

Way better than I expected! Mostly just quick and breezy but nobody messed anything up, it was also pretty sloppy but hey, they had energy at least.

Alright it’s time for the main-card.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson) vs. TMDK (Bad Dude Tito & Robbie Eagles) – NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Title #1 Contendership Three Way Match

Background: So we know who Tanahashi is, though of course he is somewhat, mildly declined from his peak, Ishii as well we know about. GYV are of course the crabby Scousers, James has hair, Zack is bald. TMDK are sending junior Robbie Eagles and beefy, singlet wearing Bad Dude Tito.

The Match: Hot start as GYV jump the New Japan legends and it breaks down until Drake and Robbie. Drake tries to get something but Robbie gets an arm drag and a spinning heel kick and tags in Tito who chops down Drake and then getting a press slam but Tanahashi tags himself in and gets a rather meager crossbody out of the corner but Drake blocks a suplex and brings in Zack to double the Ace but Robbie tags in off of Tanahashi and gets more springboards on Gibson. Chops bhave Gibson startled but Drake cuts Eagles off and we isolate on the junior with simple doubles and then we crank in a chinlock on Robbie by Drake. But when Robbie gets a Germanon Drake to set up the tag, Gibson takes Tito off the apron, but Robbie makes his own comeback anyway until he’s accidentally bumped into Ishii and then GIbson bumps into Tito and we get that situation before GYV come in (??) and then Ishii beats up both of them while the ref just stands there limply in the corner. We reset to GYV hitting their doubles on Ishii and then Tanahashi breaks it up. And GYV have seriously both been in the ring for 45 seconds here but when they go for Grit Your Teeth Tito tags himself in and demolishes both of the Grizzled Young Vets with clotheslines. But we reset to Ishii vs. Tito who slug it out, Bad Dude with a Death Valley Driver! Ishii with a headbutt! Double down. Tana begging for the tag and he’s a house mildly warm! Flying forearm! Slam in the corner! Diving flip senton! But GYV break up Tana’s run and the crowd mildly boos! But Robbie comes in and does more fast stuff on Gibson. TMDK get a double on Tanahashi and then Tito pulls down the straps and goes for a powerslam but Tana slips out and then Ishii lariats down the Bad Dude. Tana/Tomo do a ton of low dropkicks and then Tana gets the dragon screw on Tito, Slingblade! Sliding lariat! HIGH FLY FLOW! And that’s 3 on Tito.

**¼

The last segment was worth a quarter star, but most of the match was pretty rough. The ref basically not enforcing any rules at all made the cheating from GYV utterly pointless, but at least the work was solid enough. I dunno. GO ACE!

CHAOS (Rocky Romero & YOSHI-HASHI) & Kevin Knight vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors, David Finlay & Drilla Moloney)

Background: So the remnants of CHAOS are here to wrestle the Bullet Club War Dogs. Rocky is a tiny guy who is somehow one of the most important bookers in wrestling and never shies away from putting himself into matches. YOSHI-HASHI is an eternal midcarder for New Japan that has reinvigorated himself but still looks like a punk rock drummer that’s been doing it for 25 years. Kevin Knight is a tall, good looking guy with blue tights that is absurdly athletic. The War Dogs are fake cowboy Clark Connors, ugly-tatted David Finlay, and floppy-haired Drilla.

The Match: Kevin and Clark start and oh my, Connors is SHORT. Clark gets a kitchen sink knee but it doesn’t last as the babyfaces tear clark apart with quick tags but Clark goes to the eye and brings in Drilla. Rocky gets some goofy offense and low-bridges Drilla to set up a tope. Back in and they do a rope-running sequence and Clark cuts off Rocky with a shoulder and the War Dogs gain control. Pretty basic heat segment follows, but Drilla gets a very Scott Hall-esque shoo-away as the babyfaces try to breakup the beating. Rocky finally breaks free and YOSHI-HASHI runs mild with some strikes and then some lazy posing before DDTing Finlay. Finlay reverses a fisherman’s into a backbreaker though and we get a double-tag into Knight and Drilla, and Kevin unleashes a flurry of punches (?!) into Drilla who hides in the rope and we get some big jumps from Knight before Clark punches Kevin in the kneecap…but Knight does a double-Pele and then a standing super-rana (yes you heard me right) on Drilla. Clark breaks it up again and they get a spear/chopblock combo on Knight and then Rocky runs in to…run wild with clotheslines (?!). But then the War Dogs break up a double team from Rocky and Knight with a spear from Clark and a Drilla Klla (backbreaker rack into a piledriver) from…okay I’ll let you guess. War Dogs set up their finish but Knight slips out, gets a jumping DDT and a jackknife pin out of another Drilla Killa attempt and that’s 3.

**

Utterly lame finish as Drilla is the only guy on the heel team actually working and Knight was the only guy on the face team who should have been working. But even them as their laziest is still okay wrestling in this format, but nothing beyond that.

Post-match Bullet Club beats on Knight with a club and then gets a suplex/diving spear combo and then they swear a lot and flip off the crowd and it gets some heat despite being pretty tired heeling.

The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) vs. Dirty Work (Fred Rosser & Tom Lawlor) – No DQ Match

Background: So the West Coast Wrecking Crew were part of Team Filthy before betraying Filthy Tom Lawlor who was in a long feud with Fred Rosser. So Rosser and Tom have mutual respect and they’re teaming against their dirty rotten upstart proteges. They’re all 5’10” dudes in decent shape and bad facial hair. WCWC are in white, Rosser is in red, and Lawlor is in shorts.

The Match: Hot start as we brawl to the ring from backstage and Rosser and Lawlor unleash some weak strikes in the corner and so dome double-teams on Isaacs before Jorel runs in with a chair and it gets turned against him when Dirty Work drops Jorel on it. We take it outside and Dirty Work remain in control but Jorel evades a kick into the chair from Lawlor and Royce goes at Rosser’s eye on the apron and the heels are in control. And commentary puts over how unhinged they are as they dig underneath the ring for cookie sheets and pose before slapping Fred with them. Brutal stuff here. And WCWC spinebuster Lawlor through a chair before slingshotting him into a scoop powerslam before they bring him back in. And we get back inside and the Wrecking Crew are just beating Dirty Work with chairs and posing. We get a door placed on the apron to the barricade as this is not at all contrived. WCWC set up a suplex through the door but Rosser fights out and gets a slam on the apron and then gets a flurry of offense, suplexes, racks, rack drops, forearms, and Lawlor is alive now and gets a wildly missed knee and then a chair-assisted camel clutch to set up a baseball slide from Rosser. Decent double-team there. More cheating from WCWC and a tope and it’s all breaking loose in DC! This match is no good by the way. We get another door in the ring propped up in the corner and Royce tries to do something before they go to the outside…again. Trashcan on Lawlor sets up some chair shots from the Crew. Back in and Royce piledrives Rosser onto a chair but then Lawlor comes in with a chair and then we get a suplex tease on the top turnbuckle but it gets cutoff by a choke I guess and then Lawlor and Nelson fall into the table on the outside and Rosser powerslame Isaacs through the table on the inside for 3.

½*

Bad, zero creativity, played-out no DQ match with no heat, bad selling, and poor pacing. Shockingly sloppy work from Lawlor as well who I don’t remember being THIS bad. Quarter star for paying off the first door and another quarter star for having Nelson be a jerk about a second door only to fall victim to it.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Titan

Background: ZSJ won the G1 and is building momentum for a title match. Titan is a LIJ associated luchador that’s respected by the lucha-loving crowd quite a bit. Titan has the Mexican colors on his mask and gear and Zack is in the orange.

The Match: We start with some holds and Zack can’t stop yapping to the crowd. Stalemate and both guys shake it off. Zack lets Titan take the leg and load up a kneebar but ZSJ massages Titan’s ankle and yaps. Another reset and more hugging follows. Titan counters a headscissors into a crab and Zack makes the ropes. Headlock next from Zack and an international but they just rotate through some technical stuff again and they do another standoff. Yawn. And Zack throws an uppercut five minutes in! And Titan gets a kick! And we immediately transition to some stuff that was not at all established by the opening technical business with Titan teasing a tope but Zack cutting him off and getting a neck-twist with his legs. And then a headscissors and I guess ZSJ is working the neck. And then more ankle massaging from Sabre. Rope break and we reset. They slug it out with Titan selling big and Zack doing the arrogant “gimme more” stuff. And then Zack walks into a jump kick and a weak tope to follow as he was rope-a-doped, fooled, bamboozled! And then Titan massages Zack’s ankle. Sabre slips out and they trade holds while both guys look bored out of their gourds. Slugfest follows and Titan gets a loose kick combo and then a tornado DDT into another kick. Titan goes up and goes for a double stomp, but instead of stomping Zack he splits his legs around ZSJ and lets the Brit get an ankle lock in possibly the most contrived spot of the year. I hate this match. They trade drop toeholds and rollups and that lets Zack massage Titan’s neck until the luchador hits the ropes. Another tornado DDT by Titan is countered into a PK by Zack and then we get back to rollups until Titan gets a superkick and then a terrible running clothesline to a cornered Zack where Titan slips to the outside. Diving double stomp follows and Titan doesn’t randomly separate his legs this time and gets 2.5 and then a Muta Lock attempt but Zack gets his own wacky submission and Titan submits.

DUD

This stank out loud. Zack’s style has always been soft and non-threatening, but Titan going for some loosey-goosey lucha submissions was not the proper opposition to it. Nobody sold nothing, none of it built anywhere, it was too long, and all of it looked crummy. Bad match and if I cared about the credibility of wrestling I’d scream about it being business-exposing but it was just instead very, very bad.

TJP vs. Tetsuya Naito

Background: So TJP is repping the United Empire, which he is, to the commentators insistence, not the leader of, but the captain (!?). I think this is about a junior who is massively overstating his importance trying to find his place and prove his worth against the IWGP champion, who is of course, Naito, we know who he is, and if you don’t, he’s lazy and hates everything except his buddies and the kids and he slowly takes off a suit, it works, and I can write a lot of words about why. But a guy who is trying VERY hard in TJP versus a guy who is very pointedly not trying at all in Naito is a spicy setup. TJP is in black trunks with belts hanging off of them and Naito is in a t-shirt (oh no) and trunks.

The Match: Hot start as TJP jumps a disrobing Naito and throws him into the turnbuckle and bites him! That sick freak! Naito goes for a wristlock but gets foiled by the speed of TJP who poses and then throws a kick before Naito out poses him! Naito chokes TJP a bit against the ropes but the junior uses them to do his stuff and we get a plancha and TJP posts the champ and works over the knees on it. TJP works his…own count as he waits outside the ring for 19 count while he stares down a wounded Naito. Unique spot and a clever one. More rope-assisted pain from TJP on Naito and the champ can’t even take a whip as he collapses off of one and TJP just tears at him like a piranha and cranks in a sasori-gatame…and then a deathlock as the Captain snaps it down a few times before cranking in a Muta Lock that Naito breaks and gets the ropes. TJP taunts the downed Naito and even rips off his shirt and puts it on…and Naito does his comeback with a delayed neckbreaker and fights the pain to his knees by adjusting his wristband. Armdrag, flying ‘forearm’ and a few other ‘running’ moves keep Naito in control before landing another neckbreaker…and steals back his own shirt. Ha. Some stomping continues and then a flying whatever from Naito loads up the comeback before TJP shuts it down with a manji-gatame. Naito gets the break and it’s TJP with the tatlong magkakaibigan before he goes up but Naito dodges the splash and gets a tornado DDT to get a double-down. Naito blocks a TJP tornado DDT though and we get a ref bump…that sets up a TJP mist! Running knee and that gets 2.7. Frog Splash gets 2.8! And then TJP gets a figure four and Naito is actually selling here. Ropebreak but TJP keeps the hold on for a while before breaking. TJP goes for a fireman’s carry something but Naito gets the Destino for 2.8! Enzuigiri and then a rolling cradle gets 3 for Naito.

**½

Solid work from TJP who fully played the role of overlooked junior who tried his hardest to take it to the champion and getting foiled by Naito just not caring until he had to. Ultimately there’s only so much you can do with t-shirt Naito, but this was very much a fine wrestling match where both guys played their characters.

TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) (c) vs. Hechicero & Virus – NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship

Background: Fantasticamania fallout as Hechi and Virus beat Zack and Tito (Tito? Lose?!) and now we got some lucha vs. aussie action. Virus looks like an evil KISS impersonator and Hechicero has the gimp mask going on. Shane has tattoos and charisma while Mikey has the Roderick Strong deal.

The Match: Hechi and Mikey start and The Wizard immediately does the Inoki and takes Nicholls ankle with it. More grappling and Hechicero takes the arm and then gets a sunset flip and sets up a wristlock. Stalemate and then we get the double-tag and it’s Haste and Virus, and good lord, Virus might be five foot two. Haste taunts him a bit but Virus takes him down and styles on the charismatic Aussie. Haste tries to get something going but we get another takedown by Virus and this is just comical looking. I hate to clown on a look but VIrus looks like Danny DeVito here. TMDK finally get it going on Virus as they beat on him in the corner. Backdrop/neckbreaker combo cuts off a Virus rally and we get Haste cranking in an armbar, Virus turns a double on its head with a springboard back elbow and then ducks a kick by standing still and we get Hechi hot tag with a series of springboard dropkicks and a ton of posing as Hechicero is feeling himself with a crucifix stretch on Haste and then Mikey breaks it up. They put VIrus on the rope -rope so they can stare him in the eye and chops him down but Hechi is over so he ain’t selling nothing and takes everybody out and we’re breaking down and get a diving Viruscanrana that looks absolutely terrible. Power Bottom from Haste (yes that’s what it’s called don’t ask) gets 2.5 on Hechi but before Haste can capitalize the Wizard gets a tilt-a-whirl driver thing…and Mikey breaks it up but the lucahdors take him out and isolate Shane. Whacky cazadora combo sets up a DDT and then a surfboard neckbreaker on Haste gets a 2.6 but Nicholls gets a Blue Thunder Bomb before getting taken down by Virus…but it doesn’t matter as TMDK hit a Big Ending/Jumping DDT combo called the Tankbuster on Virus and that’s 3.

*½

Bizarre match, both teams had no chemistry with each other and nobody seemed to know what they were doing. Hechicero and Virus were the faces but TMDK weren’t really heeling it up. Virus just looked and wrestled ridiculously, and while Hechi has a lot of talent, him leaning into the babyface role led to way too much hotdogging and grandstanding and it just didn’t work for what makes him fun from what I’ve seen. Weird, bizarre, bad match.

Afterwards we get Ishii and Tanahashi coming down and they talk some noise as the new number one contender.

Mustafa Ali vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Background: So Mustafa has just left TNA and is a freelance guy now, and Hiromu has been the top junior in New Japan over the last half-decade. If you wondered if this match had any stakes, Hiromu will have to say Ali was the top junior heavyweight in wrestling if Mustafa wins tonight. Also Ali beat them in their last 1v1.

The Match: Lockup to start and then they take it to the mat trading rollups and playing to the ref. A lucha sequence follows and Hiromu wins it with a dropkick to knock Ali outside but Mustafa dodges a dive…but his whip attempt is reversed and Ali bounces off the ringpost. Hiromu does his cat gimmick and Ali counters with a handstand DDT and then attacks Hiromu’s cat doll. Back in and we get the rolling neckbreaker by Ali and HIromu sells the neck (which has been broken in the past). Ali gets an inverted Muta Lock for a bit and then they chop each other until Ali provokes a forearm from Hiromu to set up a go behind and a German, Hiromu blocks but a bell clap by Mustafa gets a rolling cutter as Ali is hyperfocused on the neck. Takahashi powders while Mustafa jaws with the crowd but when Ali slides out Hiromu was playing possum and gets a German on the ring mats, and then a DDT! Double down on the outside and we tease a countout. Back in and Hiromu gets a headscissors and then some running offense as he ramps up the pace. Hiromu just kinda…stops though and plays to the crowd a bit before teasing his Time Bomb finish and we go back to the run and gun stuff with both guys slipping out of each others stuff before Hiromu stops Ali with a Falcon Arrow. Both guys slug it out but Ali gets a drop toehold and then a dropkick from the outside as the commentator makes a tasteless reference to the death of Perro Aguayo Jr., yuck. Ali does a framing taunt…but runs into a lariat from Hiromu who is still draped over the ropes. They fight around ringside and Ali gets a cutter on the barricade and then a tope to knock Hiromu back over it. Back in and Ali goes for a 450, but stops to talk trash to the crowd and Hiromu evades it and then suplexes the American into the corner. Another reset and we go head to head before slugging it out again, a gamengiri from Mustafa, a lariat from Hiromou, a superkick from Mustafa, a lariat from Hiromu…but Ali takes the leg when Takahashi poses in victory and loads up a STF. Hiromu makes the ropes and Ali is looking frustrated and jaws with the crowd some more, and he *gasps* swears a little bit. Powerbomb attempt by Ali is countered…but Mustafa gets the Cheeky Nandos (with a dropkick instead) and then takes Hiromu out of the corner with a Gory Special…into a Weapon X (?!). But that’s only good for 2. Ali goes for another powerbomb but Hiromu slips out and after a struggle gets a double-underhook piledriver that Ali barely bridges out of…Hiromu with a Time Bomb attempt again but Ali gets the poison rana and Takahashi takes a pratfall bump and Ali goes for another 450…but eats knees and Hiromu rolls into the Time Bomb and that’s 3.

***

Pretty good match, it’s a shame that the neck work didn’t go anywhere, but Ali being too arrogant and irritated with the crowd and getting caught going to the well too often. Hiromu remains utterly underwhelming as a personality and worker, but he was a warm body and at this point Ali is that good to make up for it even if his constant jawing with the crowd routine is played out on a card that has multiple War Dogs matches on it. That said this stipulation absolutely gave the ending of the match away.

Post-match we get more shenanigans with the cat.

Gabe Kidd (c) vs. Lio Rush – NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship

Background: Gabe is the disrespectful heel champion who is doing a Poundloud Conor McGregor impression, he’s also in the War Dogs if that matters. Lio Rush is from Washington DC so he’s doing it for his family and city. Lio is tiny but quick and confident and Gabe is a brawling cheater. Gabe is in simple black trunks and Lio has black baggy pants and facepaint.

The Match: Lio starts fast but Gabe cartwheels out of a flying headscissors and slaps Rush down. Lio recovers with a handspring kick though and gets a few dives on the Brit. But Gabe gets a slam on the apron and then a powerbomb on the apron as he’s slowed down the challenger. Game poses and taunts the crowd and goes at Lio in the corner with some punchy-kicky. Lio reverses out of another powerbomb though and gets a rebound kick and goes up…and misses the frog splash and Kidd takes him down with a jumping kick and then, shockingly, stops to pose and taunt and insult and jaw with the crowd. We get some suplexes from Gabe and, yes, more taunting. Lio tries to squirm into a rear naked choke to counter the suplexes and we get a tease of a chokeout until Gabe slams Lio into the corner…but Rush reverses the suplex and we get a double-down. Back up and Lio teases a cutter but Gabe avoids and they throw strikes, Rush’s springboard back elbow is countered with an inverted suplex but Lio slips out of the followup and gets a Falcon Arrow. Rush goes up again but Gabe rolls out before Rush can hit the frog splash, so Rush goes at Gabe on the apron but I do believe the champion was goldbricking and ambushes Lio on the apron and loads up the move that crippled Eddie Kingston but Rush slips out and uses speed to take out Gabe and bring him in. Rush tunes up the band (?!) and gets a superkick but he doesn’t slap the leg so it sounds flat. The springboard back elbow is countered again though and Gabe gets a backdrop driver and then…trash talks the crowd and swears and flips them off. Sigh. Gabe loads up a hanging choke on the top turnbuckle and then a super Doctor Bomb…that Rush gets a rana out of and follows it up with a spear (?!) and then his springboard back elbow lands, except it isn’t a back elbow it’s a springboard stunner and my eye just started twitching. Anyway that only gets 2.9 and Lio looks flustered at this. Rush climbs up again and Gabe cuts him off and they slug it out on the top turnbuckle with a nice boo-yay spot. And Gabe lands a monster belly-to-belly superplex but it only gets 2.6. Gabe gets a chair and brings it in…only to hit himself with it as it rebounds off the ropes, this loads up a Lio Rush frog splash that gets 2.99 on the champ. Rush cranks it up again with some strikes as he’s taking it to the champ. They do some rope-running and run and gun stuff and Gabe finally takes off Lio’s head with a lariat and then Gabe pulls down the kneepad and gets a straight running knee and a brainbuster for 2.8. Piledriver by Gabe gets 2.8! And Kidd is bugging out. And the commentator breaks this up by making a terrible political reference during this match. A second piledriver attempt is reversed into a jackknife by Lio for a near fall, but another piledriver and the Doctor Bomb get 3.

**¾

Pretty solid finishing sequence, but Gabe’s discount Conor gimmick is so bad that it’s hard to enjoy matches until he turns it off. Lio remains a weird choice as a babyface, he’s tiny and energetic, but he’s also so natively smug and obnoxious it’s hard to really buy him as an underdog. Decent brawler/fast guy match but man with a little polish and a few different character choices it could have been more.

Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Momo Watanabe – NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship

Background: Mone of course is a big deal, and after injuring herself in the tournament for the first NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship, she finally won the belt from Vaquer and of course hold gold in AEW as well. Momo is an eternal bridesmaid in Stardom though she’s had success with secondary titles, she’s a heel working a sort of burnout gimmick as a teenage prodigy that’s turned bitter heel, the Black Peach, Momo is a kick wizard with a number of suplexes and is wearing a black outfit with straps and lace, while Mercedes is in an American flag getup.

The Match: Technical stuff to start with Momo going for the arm and Mercedes uses her speed to evade and sets up a springboard armdrag. We keep it at first gear so far with a fun spot as Momo counters a dropdown with a step on Mone’s neck, and then Mercedes repays her after a Momo dropdown. This irks Momo and now we get some strikes thrown and Momo takes Mone into the corner, Mone gets a floatover into a few rollups and then the crossface before Momo makes the ropes. Watanabe rests on the ropes and then Mone takes it to her with double knees, they tumble outside and Momo wears her on the apron and then grabs a chair and distracts the refs with it…which lets Momo hit Mone with a bat. Momo taunts her with the CEO dance and then wails on Mercedes with some big kicks and then cranks in a camel clutch-type thing. More heat on Mone as Momo wears her out and then goes for a chinlock before Mercedes breaks it with a jawbreaker and then a flying headscissors to set up a backstabber. Momo fights back with a suplex into the corner and Mercedes is trapped in the tree of woe…and Momo sits down in front of her and just slaps Mone in a fun visual before Mercedes slaps Momo back, dodges the PK, and then headscissors Momo into the turnbuckle and follows with a series of meteoras to stun the Black Peach. Mone sets up the Gory Special but Momo slips out and goes for her own meteora but Mone knows how to counter her own move and turns it into a Boston crab. Both go for a low dropkick on the knee at the same time and we get one of the odder set ups for a double-down I’ve seen. They slug it out but Momo stuns Mone with a high kick and then reverses a tilt-a-whirl into a Reverse B-Driver for 2.5. Momo goes for the Peach Sunrise (chickenwing/half-nelson suplex) but Mercedes gets the Bret rollup counter, but Momo lands it a second time and then a Meteora but it only gets 2.7. Rolling suplexes from Momo but Mercedes blocks the third and gets her own, but Mercedes can’t get the third and Momo gets a high kick and then finishes the third suplex. Momo goes up to set up her diving knee strike but Mone cuts her off and gets a superplex. Mone sets up the Monemaker but Momo slips out again and gets another high kick to drop Mercedes and Momo loads up the Peach Bomb (pumphandle driver) but Mercedes gets a cazadora and rolls into the crossface, Momo makes the ropes and grabs the bat she had before, but Mone grabs it and we get a ref bump, more of a struggle over the bat, and Mone uses it to flip out of the corner, loads up the Monemaker, and it actually looks halfway decent here! Anyway, Mercedes gets the crossface again and Momo taps.

***½

Well the best match I’ve seen from Mercedes under her post-WWE run, good heeling from Momo, maybe a tad too much nonsense but I think that sort of thing can be used right, and setting up early in the match and then paying it off at the end was a nice touch. Mone was awkward as a face, but y’know she’s mostly a heel so it makes sense. They had a nice agility vs. striker story as well. Good match, and clearly MOTN.

Well, that certainly didn’t change my mind about NJPW, but the Strong shows are always weaker than their main ones and this is certainly no different. Ah well, I’m sure those more into the New Japan roster would have a much better time than I did with it.