Karl Fredericks looks to take his first piece of gold in New Japan, as he takes on Tom Lawlor for the Strong Openweight title.
Quick Results
Wheeler Yuta & Fred Yehi pinned Kevin Knight & The DKC in 7:47 (***)
Clark Connors pinned Rocky Romero in 12:04 (***)
Tom Lawlor pinned Karl Fredericks in 18:04 to retain the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship (***¾)
After the opening titles, Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov voice over some B-roll to build up today’s matches… and it’s off to the ring.
The DKC & Kevin Knight vs. Wheeler Yuta & Fred Yehi
These teams are on opposite sides of the draw for next month’s Tag Team Turbulence, and it’d be fair to say this probably isn’t going to be a preview of the final…
Yehi and DKC start, with Yehi working over the arm early on before Knight tagged in and helped with a double hiptoss. It doesn’t get a one-count though as Knight keeps Yehi down, before DKC returned for a double shoulder block that did get a one-count. DKC keeps it on the mat as he cradled Yehi while looking for an armbar, but Yehi manages to get in a hold before an Exploder suplex tossed DKC to the corner. Knight’s back to get chopped as Yuta came in for a back senton. That and some stomps lead to a two-count, with a hammerlock keeping Knight down.
Yehi’s back with slingshot knees in the corner, while Yuta’s knee drop keeps the momentum going. A chinlock from Yuta’s fought out of as Knight leaps up for a dropkick – landing it as he comes down with snow. THE HEIGHT on that thing! Both men tag out as DKC and Yehi trade forearms, but DKC pulls ahead with armdrags and a falling chop for a two-count, before he went for a triangle. The hold’s escaped as Yehi then had to defend some crucifix pins, before a modified Anaconda Vise had Yehi in trouble… but Yehi rolled free and into the ropes for a break. Kevin Knight comes in to help as Yehi’s battered with a flurry of double teams, including a standing splash for a two-count, before an Angle slam from Yuta took care of DKC.
Yuta tags back in to trade strikes with Knight… a sunset flip’s sat down on as the pair trade more pinning attempts, before a slam from Knight left Yuta laying. A standing frog splash misses, allowing Yuta to come in with a seatbelt pin for the win. Some good pace here, with the Young Lions posing more than a problem here – but the Yuta & Yehi team scrape the win and have some momentum going into the tournament. ***
Clark Connors vs. Rocky Romero
This was set up after a scuffle between Connors and Romero a few weeks back.
Connors takes down Rocky early as the pair felt each other out. A side headlock from Romero is pushed off, before Clark invited Rocky to throw some kicks. Clark’s response sees him get taken into the corner for some elbows, but he switched it around with chops before he hung onto the ropes to avoid a Rocky dropkick. A shoulder tackle has Rocky down as Clark slowed the pace down. He heads up to the middle rope for a double sledge to Rocky’s back, prompting Romero to fire back with kicks… but one’s caught as Connors ducked an enziguiri and a rewind kick. The back elbow has Rocky back down for a two-count, but Rocky’s able to avoid the POUNCE and hit a clothesline to get back in it.
Rocky’s forearms take Connors into the corner, but the Forever clotheslines were cut off early… so Rocky chucks him through the ropes for a springboard dropkick. That gets Rocky a two-count, as did a flying DDT out of the corner, before Rocky went up top for a flying knee into Connors’ arm. A powerslam off the ropes from Clark is avoided, as he’s taken outside by Rocky’s headscissors… another flying knee connects, before Connors is rolled back inside for a swift running Shiranui for a two-count. Rocky looks to follow up with a Diablo armbar, but it’s by the ropes and a break’s instantly called for, before Connors’ bid for a suplex was countered into an inside cradle.
Romero keeps going with a backslide for a two-count, before another series of kicks from Romero had Connors on the deck… another Shiranui’s pushed off, with Connors able to return with a big spear. A powerslam’s next, before a Trophy Kill powerbomb gets the win. That’s gotta go down as an upset, with Connors able to break Rocky’s methodical pace to eke out the win. ***
Ad time. Naito’s still mad with over-dubbed themes, as he and Takaaki Kidani circle each other, undressing in what’s meant to be an ad for that upcoming mobile game. It could have gone a much darker route.
We get a highlight package of Karl Fredericks eliminating Tom Lawlor back in May – which earned him this Strong Openweight title shot.
NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Karl Fredericks vs. Tom Lawlor (c)
Not to wish anything away, but this pandemic really took the steam out of Karl Fredericks, right as they were about to pair him with KENTA in last year’s New Japan Cup.
Lawlor’s got his Candian tuxedo gear going on, and we start with Fredericks backing him into the corner as Lawlor tried to take the sting out of the match. When we got going, a waistlock from Lawlor takes Fredericks to the mat… Lawlor picks the ankle and looks for a leg lock, but Fredericks kicks his way free and came in for a cross armbar instead. Lawlor keeps hold of the arm to try and block it, before taking Fredericks into the ropes to avoid any follow-up. A wristlock’s countered out of by Fredericks, but Lawlor goes right to the ropes and rolled outside to kill Frederick’s momentum before it could even get going.
Fredericks stands on Lawlor’s hands as the champion tried to grab him from the floor – something that seemed to frustrate the champion. Back inside, Lawlor drives a knee into Fredericks, then an elbow, but Fredericks returned with a leapfrog/crossbody combo that had Lawlor backing away. Fredericks charges into the corner, but Lawlor lifts him over the top rope to the floor, with a somewhat hearty thud. Lawlor followed him outside to throw some chops and forearms as he wound down the 20-count on the floor… but opted to break the count before clotheslining himself and Fredericks over the barricades into the no-crowd.
Sending JR Kratos to keep guard, Lawlor trotted back into the ring… but Fredericks was able to climb over the rails and back into the ring. Fredericks throws some chops, but Lawlor cuts him off with a cravat, dragging Fredericks to the mat for a two-count, before he began to toy with Fredericks with kicks. A PK’s caught by Fredericks, who mounted another comeback with strikes… but got booted in the head before an attempted spinebuster was caught and turned into a guillotine. Lawlor drags them into the ropes as a break’s forced… but he’s right back with a standing head and arm choke that turned into a slam moments later.
Some chops leave Fredericks in the corner, but a quick turnaround has Lawlor on the deck before the champion nailed a Finlay-ish uppercut out of the corner. An ankle lock from Lawlor has Fredericks scrambling for the ropes, but Fredericks got to his feet and hit an overhead kick to force the break. Fredericks built to a hesitation dropkick in the corner for a two-count, but ended up sparking some fresh back-and-forth with Lawlor, trading elbows and falling behind. A rear spin kick led to a Fredericks spinebuster, before he tripped Lawlor into a STF… but Lawlor’s able to pull the hair to get free as he countered with a crossface.
Fredericks got back to his feet, but manages to pull Lawlor into the Manifest Destiny after a hair-pull… but Lawlor got a foot between the ropes to break the pin. From there, Fredericks looks to lift Lawlor up top, perhaps looking for an avalanche DDT, but Lawlor broke free to hit some chops before hitting a DDT of sorts out of the corner. From there, Lawlor pulls up Fredericks for a PK… and that’s all folks. A cracker of a match, and one that would have been buoyed with a crowd as Lawlor dominated for periods… but needed a massive stroke of luck to retain the title. It’s not Fredericks’ time yet, but with outings like this, it’s only a matter of when, not if… ***¾
Post-match, Lawlor lifted up Fredericks… but of course it wasn’t out of respect, it was so JR Kratos could waffle Fredericks with a clothesline. Of all people, Satoshi Kojima runs out to make the save, but Lawlor scarpers as he was headed for a Cozy lariat, and I guess that’s our next destination match – a battle of former MLW Champions, which I’m all here for, especially after Kojima went distinctly British in threatening to kick Lawlor’s arse…
We’ve got a date for when New Japan’s US arm will be back in front of fans – and it’s about time, as NJPW Strong continues to put on some of the most consistent bell-to-bell one-hour shows on (sorta) TV. Stick this match on the list of outings that I want to see run back when vocal crowds are a thing.