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NJPW STRONG INDEPENDENCE DAY: NIGHT 1 PPV REPORT
JULY 4, 20223
TOKYO, JAPAN
KORAKUEN HALL
AIRED LIVE ON PPV ON NJPW WORLD
Announcers: Ian Riccaboni and Chris Charlton
(a) TAKAHIRO KATORI & DRAGON LIBRE & KENGO vs. RYUSUKE TAGUCHI & OSKAR LEUBE & YOH
Kengo was wrestling out of Pro Wrestling Eagle and Libre and Katori were representing Freedoms. Later on during the match, Taguchi assaulted Katori with his plush bunny. Libre stood out here as did Leube. Yoh got the win after hitting the direct drive on Libre.
WINNERS: Ryusuke Taguchi & Oskar Libre & Yoh at 10:45. (**1/2)
(1) BAD DUDE TITO vs. THE DKC
The announcers mentioned Tito is recovering from a separated shoulder, but didn’t want to miss this show. Tito was wrestling with a big brace on his shoulder. Despite being NJPW Strong originals, this is the first time these two have wrestled each other in a singles match. Tito dominated the early going, but the fans really fired up for The DKC’s comeback. The DKC is now a singles wrestler primarily since his former partner Kevin Knight is now tagging with Kushida. Tito said The DKC wasn’t going to get up from this one and he was right as he planted The DKC with the Steiner Screwdriver for the win.
WINNER: Bad Dude Tito at 7:29. (**3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: Tito looked good here and the crowd was great adding heat to the match for both men.)
(2) TEAM FILTHY (Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson & J.R. Kratos) vs. ALEX ZAYNE & RYOHEI OIWA & LANCE ARCHER
Team Filthy controlled the action early. They cleared the apron and flexed for the fans to a chorus of boos. Team Filthy worked over Zane for a long period of time. They built up to Kratos and Archer tagging in at the same time. The fans fired up when they both tagged in and they began trading bombs in the middle of the ring. Archer eventually got the upper hand and slammed Oiwa into Kratos.
Archer choke slammed Zayne onto Kratos, but Kratos caught him on his back and stood up and hit a slam! Kratos ended up getting busted open. He wiped out a bunch of men with a cannonball off the apron. Oiwa decked Nelson with a big drop kick inside the ring and the fans applauded. Isaacs ran into the ring to save Nelson. Nelson ended up catching Oiwa with a cutter out of the corner for the win.
WINNERS: Team Filthy at 10:26. (***1/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a lot of fun and the crowd was once again great for the action. It must mean a lot to the NJPW Strong wrestlers to get this kind of reception.)
(3) KOSEI FUJITA vs. TOM LAWLOR
Lawlor made his entrance wearing USA themed attire. The announcers talked about Lawlor’s heartbreak last week when Adam Cole had to bow out of their match at Forbidden Door due to having the flu.
Lawlor took off entrance attire and revealed small American flag tights. The fans chanted Lawlor’s name. Fujita has decided to skip his excursion and is a member of TMDK. Lawlor worked over Fujita’s ankle during the early going. Both men went back and forth. Fujita got on a roll and hit a suplex and locked in a Kimura when Lawlor kicked out at two.
Fujita went for a backwards bridging pinning combo, but Lawlor grabbed a rear naked choke. Fujita got out of it, but Lawlor caught him with a couple of big knees to the head. He then hit the NKOTB for the win.
WINNER: Tom Lawlor at 8:59. (**3/4)
(4) EDDIE KINGSTON & ROCKY ROMERO vs. KENTA & GEDO
Eddie Kingston wore a Jay Briscoe t-shirt to the ring. The announcers said the last time Kingston was in Japan he teamed with Fire Ant. They hilariously said whatever happened to Fire Ant and decided the world may never know. This match should serve as a preview for Kingston vs. Kenta for the Strong Openweight Championship on night 2. There is we a lot of cheap tactics used by Gedo and Kenta behind the ref’s back.
Romero eventually sent Kenta into the guardrail with a drop kick on the outside. That left Kingston alone in the ring with Gedo and it wasn’t long before he wiped him out with a backfist for the win.
WINNERS: Eddie Kingston & Rocky Romero at 9:29. (**1/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: Not much to this match. There was some decent action, but overall the match did a decent job of building up Kingston’s shot at the Strong Openweight Championship on night 2. )
(6) GIULIA & THEKLA vs. WILLOW NIGHTENGALE & MOMO KOHGO
Giulia blew off a handshake from Nightengale prior to the bell. Giulia will challenge Nightengale for the Strong Women’s Championship on night 2. Momo took a beating during the early going. Nightengale tagged in and hit a big spinebuster on Giulia for a nearfall. Willow decked Giulia with a clothesline, but she got right up and nailed Willow with a running boot.
Thekla got the tag and grabbed a submission on Willow, but Momo made the save. Thekla wiped out Nightengale and Momo with a dive off the top to the floor. Nightingale went up top and Momo got into her arms. Nightingale launched Momo into Giulia and Thekla and the fans fired up. Nightengale took her straps down and finished off Thekla with Babe with the Powerbomb.
After the match, Giulia chopped Nightengale and Nightengale decked her when she turned around. Nightengale offered a handshake once again, but Giulia refused it and rolled to the floor.
WINNERS: Willow Nightengale & Momo Kohgo at 9:54. (***1/2)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a really good high-energy tag to set up Willow’s title defense against Giulia on night 2.)
(6) BISHAMON (Yoshi-Hashi & Hirroki Goto) vs. WAR DOGS (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd) – NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship match
The War Dogs grabbed the belts from the ref before the match started and laid out Bishamon with a double belt shot. They yelled at the ref to make the count. The ref called for the belt and Kidd covered Hashi for a nearfall. The War Dogs took Bishamon to the floor and began working them over on the outside. Kidd flipped the fans off and they booed. Kidd eventually tossed Hashi back into the ring and the War Dogs continued to work him over. Kidd worked over Hashi in the ring while Coughlin put a beating on Goto on the outside. The crowd tried to rally behind Hashi as the five minute mark came and went with the War Dogs in total control for the entire match. Hashi finally kicked at Coughlin’s leg and hit a neck breaker. He made the tag to Goto, who ran wild.
Goto went up top and dropped a big elbow to Kidd’s mid-section. Goto and Kidd began trading big forearms. They both hit clotheslines at the same time multiple times, but neither man would go down. Kidd hit some big slaps to Goto’s face, but Goto nailed him with the Ushigoroshi! Hashi tagged in and hit Kidd with some hard chops and forearms in the corner. BIshamon was about to finish off Kidd, but Coughlin made the save. They sent Coughlin packing and went to finish off Kidd again, but he fought out of their grasp and hit a suplex on Goto. Coughlin hit Hashi with a chair from the floor and Kidd rolled him up, but Goto made the save! Goto went at it against War Dogs, but got nailed with a double chokeslam. War Dogs hit a double muscle buster on Hashi, but they did not go for the pin. They then hit the Hijack Piledriver for the win.
WINNERS: War Dogs at 12:17 to become the new Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions. (***¾)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was really good. The War Dogs came out with their guns blazing, but Bishamon mounted a big time comeback and nearly had Kidd finished. The War Dogs made a final comeback and were able to beat Bishamon.)
After the match, Kidd grabbed a single leg crab on Hashi with Goto down on the floor. The young lions tried to help, but Kidd drove them away. Kidd held up Hashi and Coughlin nailed him with a belt shot. They then went to the floor and did the same to Goto. The War Dogs then got into the ring and raised their titles and flipped off the fans, who booed. It will be quite interesting to see how the second leg of their series plays out tomorrow with the IWGP Hvt. Tag Team Championship on the line.
Kidd got on the mic and said tomorrow they would be IWGP Hvt. Tag Team Champions. Coughlin got on the mic and said f–k you to Hashi and Goto as the fans booed. Kidd wiped out a young lion at ringside before going to the back. Riccaboni said he knew Coughlin for five years and this was unbelievable.
(7) CATCH 2/2 (TJP & Francesco Akira) vs. THE WAR DOGS (Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors) – IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Championship match
Both teams began shocking back and forth after the introductions and they went at it. The ref called for the bell to officially start the match a few moments later. Both teams quickly brawled to the floor. Riccaboni talked about how Connors was another man that had made his excursion in ROH and was now a completely different person. Both teams brawled high up into the stands. Connors took AKira even higher into the stands to the very top and drove him into a door. Maloney put a beating on TJP below and Connors came back down to join him.
The War Dogs were about to launch TJP down a stairway, but Akira came out of nowhere and wiped them out with a dive off the top of the tunnel with stairs leading down. Holy s–t! Catch 2/2 double teamed Connors and brought him back to ringside as the fans fired up. Moloney ran down into the ring, but got cut off immediately. Akira wiped him out with a big dropkick and the fans fired up and chanted for TJP. TJP lifted Akira for a double team move, but Connors hit TJP with a chop block. Akira took a sustained beating and the fans booed The War Dogs as they jawed with the fans. Akira mounted a comeback and tagged in TJP, who took Maloney out with a forearm off the top. He then hit several boot scraped on him in the corner followed by a running kick.
The fans fired up and asked for one more. Connors tried to interfere, but TJP got out of the way and he went flying into Moloney. TJP stacked them up and hit a double running face wash a short time later. TJP lifted Akira up once again for Take a Picture and he launched Akira off the apron and into The War Dogs and the fans went nuts. TJP and Akira got submissions at the same time on The War Dogs. COnnors finally drove Akira into TJP to break up the submission on Moloney, who was the legal man. The action broke down and TJP got isolated. They hit a high/low takedown on TJP, but Akira ran back into the ring to make the save!
The action broke down and Akira hit a destroyer off of Connor’s back onto Moloney. WOW! TJP and Akira hit a double team X-factor on Connors. Akira wiped out Maloney with a huge dive to the floor and TJP covered Connors, but he kicked out at the last second! They hit a double dropkick on Connors, but Moloney made the save again. Akira tried to hit a dive on Moloney, but he side stepped it and sent him into the barricade. Moloney went for a spear on TJP, but Akira dragged TJP out of the way and he speared Connors by accident. Moloney countered Akira and hit the Drilla Killa piledriver. TJP had nobody to tag and crawled towards an empty corner. Mooney kicked out of a pin from TJP right into an elevated DDT from Connors. Moloney held up TJP in a suplex position and Connors came off the top with a spear and it was good for the win.
WINNERS: Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors at 15:35 to become the new IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Champions. (****¼)
After the match, Connors and Moloney wiped the belts around their crotch and taunted the crowd.
Minoru Suzuki joined the Japanese announce team for the main event. The ring announcer read the rules of the main event to the fans. There are no rope breaks, no count outs, and the referee is only there to count the pin or call a stoppage in case of a life-threatening incident.
Homicide came out first. El Desperado came out second with a trashcan full of weapons wearing a torn mask. Charlton said the mask was torn because Desperado is ready to bleed.
Jon Moxley came out next and made his way to the ring through the crowd at Korakuen Hall. Riccaboni talked about the bloodbath Moxley and Desperado had last year. Moxley got into the ring and flipped off Desperado. Jun Kasai was out last and the fans celebrated his arrival. He came out with a board full of forks. This is his first NJPW match.
(8) JUN KASAI & EL DESPERADO vs. JON MOXLEY & HOMICIDE – Exciting Encounter Doomsday No DQ match
Both teams went at it right away. They brawled up through the fans. Desperado and Moxley paired off and Homicide went at it with Kusai in the stands. Homicide hit Kasai with a trash can lid, but Kasai fired back and grabbed the lid and nailed Homicide with it. The fans were loud for the action in the stands. The action eventually came back to ringside. Moxley went after Kusai’s ear with a fork.
Kasai got a butcher blade and went to work on Homicide’s head with it. The fans fired up huge for Kasai cutting Homicide. Desperado worked over Moxley and busted him open. Kasai set up the fork board and went for a double underhook, but Homicide backdropped him onto the fork board. Ouch! Homicide got a fork and went to work on Kasai’s head with it. A short time later Desperado got slammed onto the fork board and the announcers gasped. The fans fired up huge for that spot. Moxley went after Desperado with a fork and Homicide did the same thing to Kasai. Riccaboni pointed out that forks were still stuck in Desperado’s back. Homicide worked over Desperado’s armpit with a fork while Moxley stretched him. A short time later, Homicide took a fork to Desperado’s groin.
Desperado mounted a comeback and tagged in Kasai. I wasn’t aware tags were necessary here. Kasai got the butcher blade again and went after Moxley’s head with it. Kasai went under the ring and got a razor blade board. He set it up in the corner of the ring. Moxley ducked a charge and Kusai went into the razor blade board head-first. He then hit him with a dropkick that sent Kusai into the razor blade. Moxley then hit a curb stomp for a nearfall. Hi Seth Rollins. Kusai blocked a Death Rider attempt and traded blows with Moxley. Moxley tagged in Homicide. Homicide set up for a Cop Killa on Kusai, but he blocked it. He shoved Homicide into Moxley, who was going up top. Kusai then tagged in Desperado to a big pop.
Homicide went for a dive, but Desperado nailed him with the trash can. Kasai sent Moxley to the floor and Desperado hit Homicide with Guittara De Angel, but Homicide kicked out at the last second! The fans went nuts as Kasai went up top and connected with a splash on Homicide. Desperado then hit Pinoche Loco, but Moxley made the save. Kasai took a bag out and he took out a bunch of skewers. He stuck them into Moxley’s head and they looked like a wooden mohawk. Homicide raked Desperado’s eyes and hit a low blow. He set up for a Cop Killa, but Desperado blocked it and nailed Homicide with a low blow. He then hit Pincohe Loco and held on for a second one through a trash can and it was good for the win.
WINNERS: El Desperado & Jun Kasai at 18:33. (****)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was an incredible hardcore style match. The fans carried the match with their energy and enthusiasm for the deathmatch legend Kasai. This got crazy at times with a board full of forks and later a board full of blades introduced into the match. I thought Kusai would get a good reaction, but his entrance and signature maneuvers during the match set the crowd on fire.
It was a lot of fun seeing Moxley and Homicide tag together as well. Homicide looked to be in good condition physically and held up his end of the match quite well. I’m not a big fan of death matches, but this was really good.)
Moxley told the camera he would see Desperado tomorrow at Final Death. Desperado got on the mic after the match and said it was an honor to wrestle a legend like Homicide and referred to Kasai tossing Homicide off the balcony in Korakuen Hall 20 years ago. He said whatever you call these types of matches, it’s a privilege to tag with Kasai. He asked Kasai to send the people home happy. The fans fired up and chanted for Kasai. He got on the mic and asked if they’re allowed to do this in NJPW. Desperado smiled and nodded yes. He said the people accepted and loved his style in NJPW, so they can do it in NJPW. He said this was the best night he could have imagined.
He said when he experienced a high like this, you want to do it again. He said he wants to tag with Desperado again and get one more hit. Desperado got on the mic and the Japanese fans chanted this is awesome. He said he would like to, but his hands are tied with a singles match tomorrow. He said he needs to take advantage of this emotion and energy and bring it into his match with Moxley tomorrow. He said after that, he would be willing to tag. Both men flipped each other off affectionately.
Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SR_Torch
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