NJPW Strong Style Evolved: Results for Mercedes Mone vs. Hazuki, Jack Perry & Konosuke Takeshita vs. Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji, more

NJPW STRONG STYLE EVOLVED
DECEMBER 15, 2024
WALTER PYRAMID
LONG BEACH, CAL.
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD

I’m a late fill-in tonight and my ability to post at length is limited, but here are some thoughts about tonight’s action…

Walker Stewart and Veda Scott were on the call. The building was around 50-60% capacity, though my ability to eyeball these things is hit and miss.

(1) MINA SHIRAKAWA vs. JOHNNIE ROBBIE

Robbie worked an early heat sequence on Shirakawa’s neck. Shirakawa took control and worked the knees, and showcased some of her saucy charisma. Robbie got some late near-falls as she desperately fought from underneath, but couldn’t fight off Shirakawa’s Glamorous Driver. Nice action in our brief opener.

WINNER: Mina Shirakawa in 8:00. (**1/2)

(2) GRIZZLED YOUNG VETERANS (Zack Gibson & James Drake) (c) vs. WEST COAST WRECKING CREW (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) – Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship match

WCWC, though generally more on the heelish side of things, were de facto babyfaces here, and Stewart commented as much. Nelson played the early face in peril. Isaacs tagged in but got the same treatment as Gibson and Drake raked the eyes and worked like old-school heels. There were long tornado sequences with no semblance of order established. WCWC found their fighting spirit late and escaped with the win and the titles after a match totally dominated by GYV.

WINNERS: West Coast Wrecking Crew in 12:00. (***)

Rocky Romero went out to the ring and put over WCWC and congratulated them on the win. It wouldn’t be a Strong show without audio problems, and the mic made him sound like he had a pillow over his face. He said as a man he congratulates them but as a wrestler, he wants to be their first opponent, along with Yoh. He kept it respectful and tried to take his leave, but Isaacs snatched him from behind and gave him a suplex, reaffirming that the Crew were working babyface for one night only.

(3) TJP vs. CLARK CONNORS vs. KUSHIDA vs. KOSEI FUJITA

This is a preview of the four-way match that will take place for the Junior Heavyweight tag team championships at Wrestle Kingdom. Kevin Knight was originally booked in this one, but his partner Kushida is here instead. Fujita got the early shine in a battle with TJP while the others battled outside. When TJP took control, Connors picked his spot and picked the bones of both. The crowd played along and booed Connors as he worked over the faces. Kushida got his moment next and a pair-off followed with TJP. TJP worked a double-submission and Kushida, the free man, broke it up. Fujita had the match won but TJP rolled him up to steal it from the Ichiban Sweet Boy.

WINNER: TJP in 12:00. (***1/2)

(4) HECHICERO vs. LIO RUSH

They got into things slowly and Rush did some light mockery of Hechicero’s act, establishing his heeldom in this match. Hechicero got some of the best pops of the night to this point. Once they finally made contact, they moved quickly through the opening minutes. Hechicero maintained control with his power every time Rush seemed to get something going. Hechicero hit a swinging backbreaker for two as the match moved to near-falls. They sped up again and exchanged more impactful moves. Hechicero trapped Rush to finish.

WINNER: Hechicero in 12:00. (***3/4)

(5) HIROMU TAKAHASHI & TITAN vs. TEMPLARIO & JAKOB AUSTIN YOUNG

TJP cornered Templario & Young. United Empire jumped Hiromu & Titan because you can’t play faces against those guys, no matter who you are. Hiromu took control and dumped everyone and hit cross-bodies on UE members over and over on the outside. Titan and Templario, no strangers to one another, got a lot of time opposite the other throughout the early going. Templario is now an official member of United Empire, though like Titan, he likely will only head over for the relevant leagues, Fantastica Mania, and perhaps another bonus tour or two. It practically became a singles match as the others worked on the outside. Templario got the win for his new stable by trapping Titan in the end. Hiromu doesn’t usually lose in these essentially meaningless tag matches, but new stablemates usually get their flowers, so I guess that was more important. Excellent stuff between the luchadors here.

WINNERS: Templario & Jakob Austin Young in 12:00. (***3/4)

(6) RYOHEI OIWA vs. GABE KIDD (c) – Strong Openweight Championship match

Kidd shot in a few times and Oiwa begged off. Kidd was slightly set off at the crowd, per usual. Oiwa snapped on a headlock after a test of strength. Action spilled outside, where Kidd tends to shine, and he took Oiwa out there and snuck in to go for the countout. Kidd maintained control once Oiwa hit the ring, and he worked slowly. Kidd dominated much of the match as Oiwa, still not far removed from being a Young Lion, fought from underneath. At one point Oiwa seemed to have it won, but Clark Connors bumped the ref and took out Oiwa. He attempted to DDT Oiwa on a chair, but Kosei Fujita flew in with a springboard dropkick on Connors and then dragged him to the back. The ref was resurrected and the two went to some strong style spots, hitting a lot of lariats and more impact stuff. Kidd hit a piledriver for 2.99999 in a very believable near-fall spot. He hit the Madman Bomb to finish.

WINNER: Gabe Kidd in 14:00. (***3/4)

Good stuff here as the new generation tries to get over the hump. Kidd’s unlikely to lose on the way to his match with Kenny Omega, but I think they got away with some of the near-falls. Kidd cut a promo on Omega after the match. He said Omega will wish the diverticulitis killed him off, and then he went low with a series of f-bombs, as he loves to do.

(7) SHOTA UMINO & DIRTY WORK (Fred Rosser & Tom Lawlor) vs. TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito)

They went with the Wrestle Kingdom preview early as ZSJ & Umino paired off. They worked to a stalemate and made way for Lawlor and Haste. The big men laid in some chops and tackles. Rosser and Tito paired off next. Tito took control and taunted the crowd as they continued to try anything to make Umino the conquering hero that NJPW wants him to be. Haste and Rosser went at it again and before long, things broke down and everyone was involved on the outside, where Sabre had Umino in a cobra twist. It cleared up and Umino tangled with Haste, and ZSJ tagged in again and the two had another preview. Everyone else brawled on the outside as the two got their minutes. Since that can’t be the finish, Tito and Lawlor tagged in. Dirty Work set up their finisher on Tito but it was broken up. Lawlor splashed Tito for two. Once again it was a mess of activity and ZSJ hit a Zack Driver on Umino to clear him out. The crowd was hot for underdog Tito as he worked with Lawlor and hit a nasty piledriver and actually got the pin. Wow. Very cool for Tito to have a moment here when the real story was elsewhere. Now I’m antsy to have Tito on another tour.

WINNERS: TMDK in 17:00. (***3/4)

Zack and Umino continued to have a moment on the outside afterward, with ZSJ being the instigator as Umino tried to take the high road. I still think the way to make Umino a star is through a loss and a total meltdown, but I fear New Japan is committed to an Umino win too early.

(8) JACK PERRY & KONOSUKE TAKESHITA vs. SHINGO TAKAGI & YOTA TSUJI

Perry worked some Memphis heat early to garner some boos. Walker Stewart played the part of the smark, as New Japan commentators often do, and said people “don’t want Jack Perry anywhere near the Wrestle Kingdom main card.” Takeshita and Takagi got their own preview in early, like Umino and ZSJ before them. LIJ had the early advantage until Perry snatched Takagi from the ring and charged him to a barricade. Perry got a few minutes to showcase his heel act as he slowed things down in the opening half of the match. Takeshita tagged himself in by striking Perry’s back as I guess the odd couple thing is in full effect. Again, Takeshita and Takagi paired off, this time with Takeshita working the offense. Perry came in and spent a lot of time taunting the crowd as he hit Takagi with dropkicks and strikes. Takagi ducked a shot and hit a DDT to find his moment to tag Tsuji. Tjuji absorbed a throat chop and hit a curb stomp for two. Perry hit a neckbreaker and tagged Takeshita back in. Takagi entered as well and the preview began anew. The underdog Takeshita got the crowd behind him and he hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a long two. The two hit their feet and exchanged rights, forearms and lariats. Poison rana, pumping bomber, and a fighting spirit comeback by Takeshita. Both laid out on the mat, then made the tag.

Tsuji dominated Perry early and went for the Marlowe Bomb but missed. Perry hit a low blow away from the ref’s view, then hit the Scapegoat to win. Ha.

WINNERS: Jack Perry & Konosuke Takeshita in 17:00. (***3/4)

Hiromu made the save afterward, but almost immediately after, the Young Bucks hit the ring and attacked him to boos. The crowd, unlike the one that was dead for the reveal of the Bucks in Japan, had a big reaction. The Bucks got mic time and cut a promo first on Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega, who are “injury prone,” and then about their match at Wrestle Dynasty on January 5th.

(9) HAZUKI vs. MERCEDES MONE (c) – Strong Women’s Championship

I love this spot for Hazuki, who’s just excellent as has never seemed to rise up to the level of being in the wrestling zeitgeist.

It took a minute, but they got into a lockup. Hazuki played with the crowd early, fearlessly, despite being opposite Mone. They got going slowly, and Mone tripped Hazuki and laid in a series of knees, gaining some heat in the process. Hazuki threw a couple of body slams and then covered after a third for two. Hazuki laid in some boots against the ropes, asking for the crowd to get loud. Hazuki worked a chinlock and Mone hit a jawbreaker to get back into it. Mone hit double knees and a meteora for two. Hazuki ducked a shot and hit a DDT over the second rope and Mone went to the outside. Hazuki hit a tope suicida, then a second and a third. Hazuki sat on the apron and made the “I have the belt” motion as the ref made the count.

Mercedes milked it to 19 and then finally made it back into the ring. Hazuki hit a springboard dropkick for two. She snapped on a crossface and Mone escaped and hit the Statement Maker until Hazuki reversed it for another crossface. They rolled a few times and Mone reached a rope and it was broken up. They reset.

The two couldn’t connect on big moves, so it devolved into slaps and strikes. Mone hit Three Amigos. She did the shimmy afterward. Mone went up and hit the frog splash for two. The two went up in a corner and jockeyed for position. Hazuki hit a superplex and covered for two. She transitioned to a crossface, and then the rings of Saturn, and Mone got to a rope to break. Hazuki took her time with a top rope senton, and Mone moved out of the way. Mone hit double knees in a corner, then went up and hit Meteora for two. Mone put her hands in her hair because that’s what people do when they’re frustrated. The two reversed attempts at finishers and then got hung up in a corner. Hazuki hit a Codebreaker and then went up and hit a big senton for a very long two that had me half-convinced. Hazuki went up once more and hit a diving Codebreaker and hit an even longer two, with Mone weakly shifting weight to kick out, called as much by Veda Scott.

After some selling, Mone hit a couple of backstabbers and hit a powerslam for two. Mone Maker was good for…oh god, Hazuki got a foot on the ropes! Mone dragged her for a cover, which was another two. Mone set up another Mone Maker and Hazuki rolled her up for another long two. Mone finally hit the Mone Maker to finish.

WINNER: Mercedes Mone in 26:00. (****1/2)

(Wells’s Analysis: This is one of the best women’s matches I’ve ever seen. Hazuki wasn’t likely to win the championship out of the gate, but she’s exactly the level of talent they need to make it look like there are true challengers to Mone’s championship. My adoration for Hazuki is justified here as she went out there and had a match more than worthy of any main event. Mone can have a pretty good match with anyone, given her level of talent, but VERY few can have this match with her)

Mone had some mic time, and she called for a challenger. Mina Shirakawa showed up, after the women bookended this show, to answer the call. Shirakawa said Mone wants money and fame and main events, but does she want Mina? She made a challenge for Wrestle Dynasty. Mone told Shirakawa to defend her championship so they can put them up against one another on January 5th.

FINAL THOUGHTS: There wasn’t a lot of action that felt…critical?…until late, but they got there with the main event. I thought Mone and Hazuki would have a nice match together but this was the best case scenario. I wish Hazuki had the match at Wrestle Dynasty as well, but Shirakawa is younger and more likely to win the championship, so I get it. These shows have a quality of feeling forgettable and unnecessary, but as these shows go, this one was strong throughout and hard to beat.