SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
RADICAN’S NJPW RUMBLE ON 44TH STREET PPV REPORT
OCT. 28, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
AIRED LIVE ON FITE TV
Announcers: Matt Rehwoldt, Alex Koslov, and Ian Riccaboni.
(1) HOUSE OF TORTURE (Sho & Yujiro Takahashi) vs. CHAOS (Yoh & Rocky Romero)
Romero had the advantage late, but Sho used the ref to create a distraction and nailed him with a knee strike. HOT used dirty tactics to get the upper hand on Romero face nice again. He mounted a comeback, but Sho hit him with a wrench from the floor and Takahashi rolled him up for the win.
They went to double team Yoh after the match, but the lights went out and a video played on the screen and when the lights came on Lio Rush was in the ring running wild. The fans chanted for Rush, who bumped hands with Yoh.
WINNERS: Yujiro Takahashi & Sho at 7:42. (**)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was fine, but Rush saving Yoh post match definitely made this a much better opening to the show.)
(2) AUSSIE OPEN (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs. LA DOJO (The DKC & Kevin Knight) vs The MCMG (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) -Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship match
Fletcher and Davis had full control of the match for a long period of time. They worked over Knight and eventually the action broke down late. The MCMG hit the Dirt Bomb on Knight later in the out of nowhere for the pin.
WINNERS: Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin at 13:42 to become the new Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions
(Radican’s Analysis: This was good, but the match ended out of nowhere and the fans seemed surprised by the finish. I’m never a fan of when the champions lose without being pinned, but that’s what happened here.)
Alex Coughlin came out and cut a promo on J.R. Kratos. Coughlin said Kratos had been talking about him for four months while he had been injured. Coughlin said he had a warning for everyone in New York and Japan. He’s being billed as The Android. He said at World Tag League he would be back because he’s programmed for war. The fans applauded lightly as he posed on the ropes.
(3) FRED ROSSER vs. JONATHN GRESHAM – Strong Openweight Chanpionship match
Rosser went for a STF, but Gresham got to the ropes. The match got more physical and they traded slaps to the face. Rosser connected with a big slap and a Gresham went down. Gresham fired back and went after Rosser’s knee. Riccaboni said Gresham had won matches with that particular leg submission. The announcers talked about how Gresham has finished opponents in many different ways and didn’t just stick to one finisher. Rosser got to the ropes finally to break the hold. They went to the apron and Rosser dropped Gresham spine-first onto the apron.
Gresham got another leg submission and prevented him from reaching the ropes. Rosser really struggled and finally got to the ropes. Gresham got on a roll hitting some big forearms for near falls, but Rosser cut him off with a clothesline for a nearfall. Rosser finally hit clothlines back and forth on Gresham and then finished him off with the Sidewinder for the win.
WINNER: Fred Rosser at 14:37 to retain the Strong Openweight Championship. (***3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a really good match featuring hard-hitting action and mat wrestling.)
They went to a special message from NJPW. A video package aired saying NJPW was returning to San Joe on Feb. 18, 2023 for Battle in the Valley.
(4) SHOTA UMINO & HOMICIDE & WHEELER YUTA vs. TOM LAWLOR & JOREL NELSON & ROYCE ISAACS
They brawled to the floor and Yuta eventually hitting a running flip five to the floor off the stage to wipe out Lawlor and Nelson. Team Filthy isolated Homicide and worker him over in the ring. Homicide tagged in Yuta and the pace picked up as the faces took control of the action. Yuta and Umino hit a combination of moves on Lawlor. Team Filthy fired back and hit a triple powerbomb on Umino, but Homicide made the save. Homicide sent Lawlor to the floor and wiped out Lawlor and Isaacs with a cannonball through the ropes. Umino then quick wiped out Nelson inside the ring and finished him off with a Death Rider.
WINNERS: Homicide & Wheeler Yuta & Shota Umino at 12:15. (***3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a very good match that built from segment to segment. The energy in this match and pacing was great start to finish. Umino looked really good finishing off Nelson in the end.)
Minoru Suzuki came out first. Connors was shown walking backstage and he ran into Ken Shamrock, who told him to get it done. Riccaboni said Shakrock was arguably Suzuki’s biggest rival.
(5) CLARK CONNORS (w/Ken Shamrock) vs. MINORU SUZUKI
Suzuki was winning the strike battle when Connors caught him with a shot to the gut. He then caught Suzuki with a spear on the apron. Connor tried to work him over with chops, but Suzuki shook them off and dropped him with a forearm on the floor. Connors fired up after taking several strikes and Suzuki brushed his hair aside and plastered him with a slap to the face.
Both men had bruised chests. They went to a big strike battle and Suzuki plastered Connors with an elbow to the jaw. Connors went down. He then fired back and the pace really picked up as they traded counters. Connors slipped out of a choke and got the ankle lock. Suzuki struggled to get to the ropes and finally got there and the fans applauded. Suzuki blocked a spear attempt and eventually got a choke. Suzuki let go and hit a forearm. He then hit the GSP for the win.
WINNER: Minoru Suzuki at 15:50. (****)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was tremendous from start to finish. These two beat the crap out of each other.)
After the match, it looked like Shamrock was going to go at it with Suzuki, but they hugged. Connors recovered and Suzuki shook his hand.
They went to a video package. KiLynn King was interviews backstage. She said she was excited to be working for NJPW and Stardom. She said she was a striker and submission based wrestler. Mayu came into the picture with the SWA Championship. She spoke in Japanese and said she would bring the title back to Japan. King has a big height advantage on Iwatani.
(6) MAYU IWATANI vs. KILYNN KING -SWA Championship match
Scarlett Donovan is the first female ref in the history of NJPW and she is officiating this match. The announcers said the challengers to the SWA Championship had to be a different nationality than their opponent. King controlled the action for a long period of time. Iwatani ducked a charge in the corner and hit a dropkick. She hit another dropkick that sent Nojt to the floor. Iwatani hit a dragon suplex and a double stomp off the second turnbuckle for a two count. Iwatani went up top, but missed a moonsault. King got a nearfall with an inside out slam and the fans fired up for Iwatani.
They went back and forth and Iwatani finally hit a dragon suplex and a kick. She went up top and hit a frog splash, but King kicked out. She went up top and hit a moonsault and it was good for the win.
WINNER: Mayu Iwatani to retain the SWA Chanpionship at 11:47. (***1/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was slow to get going, but it got very good late. King was very good here in front of a crowd that was excited to see Iwantani. This was the first time a Stardom Championship had been defended on a NJPW show and it happened in the U.S., which is a really cool historical footnote.)
They went to a video package for the Shingo Takagi vs. ELP KOPW match.
(7) SHINGO TAKAGI vs. EL PHANTASMO – KOPW Provisional Championship Street Fight
ELP wore a Shingo is my Daddy shirt, but he took it off to reveal a ELP is My Daddy shirt. Shingo took control early and went up to the stage to grab some plunder as the fans sang ohhhh Shingo’s your daddy. ELP spit red mist at Takagi to cut him off. Shingo fired back and spit green mist in ELP’s face and decked him with a lariat. They battled near a chair and Takagi suplexed ELP through the chair for a two count. ELP kept going for more distance on a RVD style coast 2 coast dropkick, but Takagi recovers and tossed a trash can at him as he was set up on the top rope. Takagi then hit a superplex for a two count.
Shingo set up a ladder and table inside the ring, but ELP recovered. He wiped out Shingo and went up the ladder, but Shingo cut him off. They traded blows and ELP hit a low blow. He went to the top of the ladder and hit a big splash that looked really stiff, but Shingo kicked out at the last second. Takagi kicked out of a CR2 at the last second a short time later and then fans fired up and chanted his name. Shingo caught ELP’s leg and hit Made in Japan into a pile of chairs for a nearfall. Shingo hit a lariat into a chair ELP was holding and a pumping bomber for a nearfall.
Takagi set up a table I’ll the corner and tossed ELP into it. He spanked ELP and hit the CR2 for a nearfall. Takagi finally went up top and hit a Spicolli Driver through a table. He then finished off ELP with a Takagi Driver ‘98 (CR3) for the win.
WINNER: Shingo Takagi at 20:58 to retain the KOPW 2022 Provisioanl Championship. (***3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was very good. It dragged in spots as they set up weapon spots, but otherwise this was really good.)
A video package aired for the main event. It showed Jay White saying he could take care of Eddie Kingston and Kazuchika Okada at the same time.
(8) BULLET CLUB (Jay White & Juice Robinson) vs. KAZUCHIKA OKADA & EDDIE KINGSTON
Kingston got isolated and at one point Robinson held Kingston while White chopped him. Robinson went for a senton, but Kingston got his knees up. Okada got the hot tag and ran wild. Okada for on track against White and nailed him with a dropkick off the ropes.
The action broke down and Robinson caught Okada with a spinebuster. Kingston eventually ended up wiping out White and Robinson with a double clothesline a short time later. Okada and Kingston took turns punching White in’s side the ring. Okada sent White over to Kingdom and Okada shoved him forward into a chop several times. White hit a sleeper duplex on Okada and then Kingston. He set Kingston up for the Blade Runner, but Kingston turned it into a Saito Suplex. Robinson went for Pulp Friction, but Kingston hit him with a Saito Suplex.
White managed to recover and he hit Kingston with a chop block. Robinson also hit him with a chop block a short time later. Robinson tired up the ref and White went for a low blow. Kingston hit a backfist. The ref was still distracted and White hit a low blow and then the Blade Runner for the win.
White stared right at Okada on the floor as Robinson held him back as he made the pin.
WINNERS: Jay White & Juice Robinson at 20:15. (***3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was very good. The finish felt off, but otherwise this was a well-worked main event to set up Okada vs. White at Wrestle Kingdom)
White got on the mic. He said the king of New York needs to talk to his servants. He said he’s the king of NYC, not Eddie Kingston. White hit all his catch phrases and said Okada would breath with him at Wrestle Kingdom.
Overall score: (8.0) – This was a good show from start to finish with some very good matches up and down the card, but nothing stood out as being a blowaway match. The collective matches as a whole push this to a strong overall rating.
Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @sr_torch
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