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NJPW STRONG INDEPENDENCE DAY: NIGHT 2 PPV REPORT
JULY 5, 2023
TOKYO, JAPAN
KORAKUEN HALL
AIRED LIVE NJPW WORLD
Announcers: Ian Riccaboni and Chris Charlton
(a) MASTER WATO & BOLTIN OLEG & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI vs . DRAGON LIBRE & TAKAHIRO KATORI & REKKA
Taguchi revealed he had Katori’s stuffed rabbit tucked into his pants prior to the start of the match. Oleg ended up getting the rabbit and he stuffed it into his trunks. Wato eventually tagged in and Oleg handed him the bunny. Wato shoved the bunny into his pants. Katori took a sustained beating, but eventually he cut Taguchi off and got his stuffed bunky back. Wato ended up hitting Rekka with the Tsutenkaku German for the win.
WINNERS: Boltin Oleg & Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguichi at 11:37. (**1/2)
Both teams jawed after the match: Katori ended up slamming his bunny on the floor and he walked off angrily.
(1) SATOSHI KOJIMA vs. OSKAR LEUBE
Leube put up a good fight and even blocked Kojima’s lariat with a running kick, but Kojima fired right back and connected with another lariat attempt for the win. The announcers mentioned Leube did as well as he could considering he had planned on facing J.R. Kratos, who was replaced by Kojima on short notice.
WINNER: Satoshi Kojima at 5:23.
(2) HOMICIDE & RYOHEI OIWA vs. CATCH 2/2 (TJP & Francisco Akira)
Homicide got the fans to chant his name during the early going. Oiwa took a beating, but he eventually made the hot tag to Homicide much to the delight of the fans. Homicide eventually got knocked to the floor and Catch 2/2 put Oiwa away with their double drop kick to the front and back of a kneeling opponent.
WINNERS: Catch 2/2 at 12:09. (***)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a good match. It seemed to be missing a middle portion as they went up three or four gears for the finishing stretch after a slow beginning.)
Before the match started, Rocky Romero congratulated The War Dogs to put their tag titles on the line. An official came out and Drilla Moloney accepted the challenge.
(3) THE WAR DOGS (Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors) vs. ROCKY ROMERO & YOH – IWGP Jr Hvt. Tag Team Championship match
The War Dogs jumped Romero and Yoh and the ref called for the bell. Yoh took a sustained beating from The War Dogs. Romero got the tag and wiped out Connors. He hit the Forever Clotheslines back and forth on Moloney and Connors and the fans fired up. They set up for 3K on Moloney, but he blocked it. Connors ran into the ring and hit an eliminator on Romero a short time later for a nearfall.
Romero jumped over a spear from Connors and got a pair of nearfalls with a series of pinning combinations. They had a crazy exchange and Yoh and Romero hit 3K on Connors and Maloney came in at the very last second to break up the pin. Maloney hit Romero with the Drilla Killa. He then lifted him up for the spear from Connors off the turnbuckles.
WINNERS: Clark Connors & Drilla Maloney at 12:05 to retain the IWGP Jr Hvt Tag Team Championship. (***1/2)
(Radican’s Analysis: This started slowly and finished with a fantastic second half.)
(4) TMDK (Bad Dude Tito & Kosei Fujita) vs. ALEX ZAYNE & LANCE ARCHER
Tito tagged himself into the match and said he wanted Archer, so he also tagged in. Archer took down Tito with a shoulder tackle and tagged in Zayne, who was quickly cut off. Archer eventually got the hot tag and ran back and forth across the ring hitting elbows on Fujita and Tito. Archer and Zayne hit a choke slam/moonsault combo on Fujita for a nearfall.
The action continued at a rapid pace. Tito caught Zayne going for a five and slammed him into the guardrail, but he managed to recover in time to save Archer from a pin attempt from Fujita. Zayne hit a running flipping leg drop and then Archer finished him off with a running clothesline for the win.
WINNERS: Lance Archer & Alex Zayne at 9:31. (***¼)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a fun tag match. I wanted to see more of Archer and Tito, but they didn’t have much time alone in the ring.)
Archer got on the mic and said their team name is Monster Sauce. He said today was his 23 year in wrestling. He said he was proud to celebrate in Tokyo and he promised they would be back.
Team Filthy came out for the next match dressed in USA themed entrance attire. J.R. Kratos joined the English commentary team.
(5) TEAM LAWLOR (Tom Lawlor & Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs w/ J.R. Kratos) vs. HIROSHI TANAHASHI & TOMOHIRO ISHII & THE DKC
Kratos talked about how much this meant to the Strong roster. He mentioned they performed in front of no fans during the pandemic and now they’re here in Japan. Isaacs paraded around the ring with The DKC and Lawlor and Nelson held up Tanahashi in a double suplex at the same time. Tanahashi took the double suplex and then Nelson dumped The DKC to the floor on the outside and the fans fired up.
Team Filthy worked over The DKC and hit a triple pose standing over him and the fans chanted USA. Nelson tore off his USA shorts to reveal smaller trunks underneath. The DKC finally managed to tag in Ishii, who went at it with Isaacs trading shoulder tackles. He took Isaacs down. He then took Lawlor down a short time later. Isaacs ended up decking him with a shoulder tackle off the second turnbuckle. Ishii and Isaacs had a really good exchange as both men no-sold Germans. They then collapsed after hitting each other with clotheslines at the same time.
Isaacs got Tanahashi alone in the ring and he hit him with a running knee for a nearfall. Tanahashi sent Isaacs into Nelson on the aprons he then sent Isaacs into Lawlor. Ishii grabbed Lawlor with a choke and Tanahashi rolled up Isaacs for the win.
WINNERS: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii & The DKC at 13:10. (***1/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: Isaacs was really good during this match. Team Filthy wanted to finish off Tanahashi late, but he fended them off in impressive fashion on his own to win the match.)
The Wrestle Kingdom 18 logo was revealed to the crowd on a screen in the venue. It was announced Wrestle Kingdom 18 would take place at The Tokyo Dome on Jan. 4.
Willow Nightengale offered Giulia a handshake prior to the start of the match, but Giulia went head-to-head with her before backing off. The bell rang and Giulia hit a running dropkick, but Willow didn’t go down.
(6) WILLOW NIGHTENGALE vs. GIULIA – Strong Women’s Championship match
The bell rang and Giulia hit a running dropkick, but Willow didn’t go down. She went for an arm drag a short time later, but she couldn’t get Nightengale to go down to the mat. Giulia finally managed to trip Willow to get her down and she went for a leg submission, but Nightengale got to the ropes quickly. Nightengale mounted a comeback and Giulia tried to go for a slam, but Nightengale fell on top of her for a two count. The fans chanted for both women after that sequence. Nightingale went for a suplex, but Giulia turned it into a DDT and the fans fired up again.
Giulia went up top and decked Nightengale with a shotgun dropkick. The fans went back and forth chanting for both women once again. A short time later, Willow caught Giulia with a pounce. Willow went for the Babe with the Power Bomb, but Giulia blocked it. Nightengale went for it again, but Giulia countered, so she nailed her with a buckle bomb instead for a two count. Gilia caught Nightengale in a combination headscissors/arm submission, but Nightengale eventually struggled to the ropes. Giulia and Nightengale began exchanging big slaps to the face. Giulia hit several slaps to the face in a row and Nightengale was staggered. She bounced off the ropes, but Willow hit her with a clothesline. Giulia popped right back up to her feet only to eat another clothesline. Nightengale made the cover, but only got a two count.
The fans fired up and chanted for both women again. Nightengale went for Babe with the Powerbomb again, but Giulia turned it into a destroyer at the last second. She tried to lift Willow once again, but she couldn’t get her over. She countered Nightengale and hit a Saito suplex for a nearfall a short time later. They battled up top a short time later. Giulia got the double underhooks and hit an avalanche butterfly suplex for a nearfall! Nightengale missed a lariat and Giulia hit a big knee to her chest. Giulia finally lifted Nightengale and slammed her and it was good for the win.
WINNER: Giulia in 14:00 to become the new Strong Women’s Champion. (***¾)
Giulia showed respect to Nightengale after the match.
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a really good match. The story here was that Giulia couldn’t hit her power moves on Nightengale for much of the match. She lifted Nightengale several times for a slam during the course of the match. She finally hit an avalanche butterfly suplex late in the match and a short time later she hit a Glorious Driver that was good for the win.
I was hoping for a longer reign for Nightingale, but there’s no shame in losing to one of the best female talents in the world in Giulia.)
(7) BISHAMON (Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto) vs. THE WAR DOGS (GABE KIDD & ALEX COUGHLIN) – IWGP Hvt. Tag Team Championship match
The War Dogs tried to ju mp Bishamon as they made their entrance, but BIshamon was ready for them. Goto and Hashi aggressively attacked The War Dogs on the floor. Goto choked Kidd with his ring jacket before tossing him into the ringpost. Kidd and Hashi ended up in the ring and the ref called for the bell. Coughlin finally tripped Goto from the floor and dragged him to the outside to work him over. Kidd sent Hashi off the apron and worked him over on the other side of the ring. Coughlin tagged in Kidd. Coughlin held Goto’s arms so that Kidd could nail him with a giant chop to the chest. Coughlin used power moves to wear down Goto inside the ring. The fans tried to rally behind Goto. Goto managed to side step a kick from Coughlin and he wiped him out with a lariat.
The fans fired up and Goto tagged in Hashi. Coughlin also tagged in Kidd. Hashi wiped out Kidd and then cleared Coughlin from the apron. The fans fired up with Hashi in control. Hashi went to bounce off the ropes, but Coughlin nailed him with a chairshot just as he did last night to save Kidd from a double team attack. The War Dogs hit a double muscle buster on Hashi for a nearfall. Coughlin and Kidd yelled at Red Shoes and shoved him to the floor. The fans booed as Kidd jawed with the crowd. Hashi and Goto mounted a comeback. Bishamon set up for a double team attempt, but Kidd sent Hashi into Goto up top to break it up. He decked Hashi with a big punch and both men were down.
Kidd went for a piledriver, but Hashi backdropped his way out of it. The fans fired up once again. Both men got up and hit each other with clotheslines at the same time multiple times. Kidd bit Hashi’s head and the fans booed, but Hashi fired back and decked him with a double chop. Coughlin thwarted a double team attempt, but Goto managed to hit an Ushigoroshi on Kidd that sent him right into Coughlin, who was down on the mat. They then hit Shoto on Kidd with Coughlin down on the floor and it was good for the win.
WINNERS: Bishamon in 11:30 to retain the IWGP Hvt. Tag Team Championship. (***½)
(Radican’s Analysis: Bishamon was more prepared for The War Dogs after their first encounter the previous night. The match did a nice job of playing off spots in their encounter at NJPW Independence Day Night 1 where things went wrong for Hashi and Goto, but on this night they fought with more of an edge and were able to turn the tables on Coughlin and Kidd and get the victory in a hard fought back and forth encounter.
Hiroshi Tanahashi was shown in the Japanese commentary booth prior to the Kenta vs. Eddie Kingston match.
(8) KENTA vs. EDDIE KINGSTON – Strong Openweight Championship match
The bell rang and the fans chanted for Kingston. Kenta slapped Kingston across the face when he had him backed up against the ropes. Kingston chased him around the ring and Kenta nailed him with a boot once Kingston tried to slide back into the ring. Kingston missed a chop and hit the ringpost. The announcers pointed out that is the hand Kingston uses for his finisher. Kenta got a hammerlock on Kingston’s injured arm and drove it into the barricade. Kingston mounted a comeback and couldn’t hit a suplex due to the damage on his arm. Kingston went to grab Kenta, but he had put a shirt around his own throat. The ref took the shirt from Kingston and Kingston raised his hands to say he had nothing to do with it. Kenta then shoved Kingston from behind into the ref.
Kenta hit a DDT and the fans booed. Kenta got the Strong Openweight Championship and tried to hit Kingston with it, but Kingston cut him off. Kingston grabbed the title, but had second thoughts. Kingston went to give the belt to an official at ringside. Kenta went under the ring and grabbed the DEFY Championship and hit Kingston with it and the fans booed. Kenta went up top and hit the double stomp for a nearfall. Kingston got a stretch plum and cranked on Kenta’s arm, but he managed to get to the ropes. They began trading overhand slaps to the face, but Kenta got the better of the exchange and grounded Kingston. Kenta went for the Busaiku Knee, but Kingston collapsed before he could hit it. Kenta lifted Kingston and connected with the Busaiku Knee on the second attempt. Kenta made the cover and Kingston kicked out at the last second.
Kenta went for a GTS, but Kingston blocked it. Kingston hit an enzugrui and a Backfist. Kenta stayed on his feet, so Kingston hit another backfist for a nearfall. Kenta no-sold another backfist as they went back and forth. Kingston bounced off the ropes and hit a HUGE lariat, but Kenta kicked out at the last second. Kingston had Kenta on his knees. Kenta flipped off Kingston, who hit another backfist. He then hit the Glorious Driver, which is the same move Giulia hit to beat Nightengale.
WINNER: Eddie Kingston in 13:30 to become the new Strong Openweight Champion. (***½)
(Radican’s Analysis: This match was a little slow to get going. It looked like they were going to tell the story of Kenta working over Kingston’s arm for the bulk of the match, but instead they went away from that and really played up the physicality and then they traded big moves and nearfalls late. This was really good once it got going.)
Kingston appeared emotional after he was presented with the title. Homicide then ran down to celebrate with Kingston as the fans applauded. That was a fun post-match moment.
Jun Kasai came out to do commentary before the main event. He sat down next to Tanahashi in the booth. Riccaboni said barbed wire was being loaded into the ring for the main event.
El Desperado came out first through the crowd with a bouquet of flowers and a guitar. The ring was loaded with plunder and boards for the wrestlers to use. The fans clapped for Desperado as he made his way into the ring.
Jon Moxley was out next and he also came out through the crowd. The announcers mentioned Moxley had a cut that was glued together from his tag match on night 1.
(9) EL DESPERADO vs. JON MOXLEY – Final Death match
Charlton said Desperado wanted to be in this match to become stronger as a wrestler and individual. Both boards set up in opposite corners of the ring are covered in barbed wire. Desperado avoided a whip into the board and slid to the floor, but Moxley sent him into the guardrail right away with a dive. Desperado fired back on the floor and got a table from under the stage at ringside. Desperado eventually got a second table and set the two tables up together near the stage. They battled for position and tried to toss each other through the two tables. Moxley finally hip tossed Desperado into the tables, but they didn’t break. He put Desperado on the tables and dropped an elbow, but they wouldn’t break. He went back up on the stage and dropped another elbow, but the table only caved in a little bit.
Moxley set up a bunch of chairs and tossed Desperado through them. Moxley set up Desperado’s ankle inside a chair and jumped on it from the apron to squash it inside the chair. Moxley got a fork and worked over Desperado’s eye with it. Both men traded counters, but it was Moxley sending Desperado into the barbed wire board, which drew the first holy s–t chant I’ve heard in NJPW. Moxley made a cover and Desperado kicked out at one. Moxley then applied a kimura and he eventually kicked Desperado to the floor when he tried to get to the ropes. Moxley grabbed Desperado’s guitar and nailed him over the head with it.
Moxley got back into the ring and dared Desperado to come in. Desperado got back into the ring and Moxley attacked him with the fork again.Moxley tried to whip Desperado into the other board, but Desperado eventually countered him and sent Moxley into the board and the fans fired up big time. Moxley came out of the corner with the barbed wire board stuck to his back and Desperado nailed him with several chairshots. Desperado went up top and hit Kasai’s frog splash for a nearfall. Desperado got his bouquet of roses and there was a cheese grater inside. He used it on Moxley’s head.
They set another barbed wire board over a table on the outside. Moxley and Desperado battled on the apron near the table. Desperado finally grabbed Moxley and hit a belly to back suplex that sent both men crashing through the table. The fans in Korakuen Hall fired up with this is awesome chants. Both men wrapped barbed wire around their fists and began punching each other while on their knees. Desperado took out some skewers from a bag and handed half of them to Moxley. They drove them into each other’s heads at the same time as the fans gasped. They traded blows and Moxley hit a cutter for nearfall. Moxley then dropped elbow after elbow into Desperado’s head. He then grabbed a bulldog choke. Desperado flipped off Moxley while in the submission and Moxley bent his finger backwards.
Desperado blocked a Death Rider attempt and eventually hit a back suplex. He then hit Pinche Loco, but Moxley kicked out at the last second! Desperado hit Pinche Loco and went for a second one, but Moxlkey countered it into Death Rider. Moxley made a deep cover, but Desperado kicked out! The fans went absolutely bonkers. Moxley hit a curb stomp and Desperado got right back up and flipped him off. Moxley wiped him out with a lariat and then hit Death Rider and it was good for the win. What a match!
WINNER: Jon Moxley in 21:40. (****¼)
(Radican’s Analysis: I’m not usually a fan of matches of this style, but this was amazing. Desperado was out to prove himself against Moxley and he fought with everything he had. The fans in Korakuen Hall went crazy for Desperado’s comeback after Moxley nearly pitched a shutout during the opening half of the match before Desperado mounted a comeback.)
Moxley got on the mic and said when he’s in Japan he’s the king of NJPW. He then calls the fans the real kings and queens of wrestling. He told the fans Korakuen Hall was the heartbeat of wrestling. Moxley said they know it all around the world. Moxley said he was born again in Korakuen Hall when he came there for the first time a few years ago. He said he came out a new man. Moxely said as long as his heart is beating, he will come to Tokyo and NJPW for the fans.
Moxley said Desperado is just as gnarly as any wrestler he’s had a deathmatch with. Moxley said it was special to wrestle Jun Kusai last night. He said Kasai was his friend Danny Havoc’s hero. He explained Havoc was no longer with us and said he felt a little closer to him wrestling Kusai last night. Moxley said he may lose, but he never loses twice. He told Desperado to remember that.
Moxley exited through the crowd and bumped fists with several people as he made his way out.
Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SR_Torch
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