NJPW New Japan Strong (Detonation Episode 3) Review – December 10, 2022
Location: Hollywood California
Venue: Vermont Hollywood
Kicking off this week’s Strong with a promo from Christopher Daniels. He doesn’t care if anyone’s upset about how he’s upset the LA Dojo as he’s all about showing people up.
Kenny King vs. Gregory Sharpe
Match starts off with Gregory Sharpe grabbing a hammerlock which Kenny King escaped as he came back in with an armdrag and an armbar. Sharpe gets free and hits armbars of his own, only to get thrown onto the apron he shrugged it off and came back in with a crossbody off the top for a two count, before a 2nd trip up top ended with King dropkicking the ropes to knock Sharpe off balance.
A neat snap suplex allowed King to roll over into some ground and pound as he kept the upper hand, following up with a take on an Arabian Clutch on the mat. That’s followed up with a camel clutch and some fish hooking but Sharpe fought free and knocked King into the corner with some forearms.
Sharpe’s misdirection kick off the ropes had King down ahead of a German suplex for a near fall. A Dragon suplex from King switches things around, as a spinebuster planted Sharpe for another near fall King tries for a Royal Flush but Sharpe escaped then caught King up top for a superplex.
King blocks it though, only for Sharpe to land it at the 2nd try as a low dropkick nearly led to the upset. Pushing on Sharpe goes for a crossbody but King rolls through and switched it up into the Royal Flush for the win.
Winner: Kenny King (9:43)
The DKC vs. Christopher Daniels
Christopher Daniels slaps The DKC on the head after rolling him to the mat early on.
After putting the referee between himself & The DKC, Daniels followed up with an armdrag as he began to target the left arm of The DKC. Mounting a comeback The DKC snapmared and kicked Daniels into the corner, before a tijeras took Daniels down. A handful of hair helped Daniels cut off The DKC, as did a clothesline, before The DKC was bounced into the corner by Daniels.
The DKC’s dumped with a neckbreaker for a two count as a chinlock keeps things going low and slow before an attempted dropkick from The DKC got nothing but air. Daniels chucks The DKC to the outside to slow things down even further. A running forearm knocks The DKC back to the floor but The DKC mounts a comeback with a running cannonball back in the ring.
The DK Fire chops keep Daniels down, as did a flying kick, before a cradle nearly put Daniels away. More chops from The DKC lead to a superkick for another two count before his charges into the corner led to Daniels lifting up and crotching The DKC on the top rope. From there, a uranage drops DKC before the BME connected for the win.
Winner: Christopher Daniels (9:15)
After the match Daniels escorted the ref outside before he cheap shot DKC with a piledriver.
8 Man Tag Team Match
Bullet Club & West Coast Wrecking Crew vs. Guerrillas Of Density,David Finlay & Alan Angels
Match starts off with Tama Tonga & Jay White but White instantly tagged out to El Phantasmo. David Finlay tagged in too then Finlay scoring a dropkick for an early two count. Alan Angels is in as ELP’s pinged around the opposite corner but ELP goes to the eyes to get free, only to eat a Slingblade Bulldog from Angels.
Mounted punches in the corner wore down ELP, but the Bullet Club took over after Jorel Nelson kicked Angels in the ropes. We’ve a pump kick from ELP as he & White double team Angels in the corner which set the tone for a while as Bullet Club & West Coast Wrecking Crew isolated Angels.
Angels bounces off of Royce Isaacs’ knee for a backbreaker as White returned and measured up Angels for a chop. ELP’s back to do back rake, ahead of the UFO but Angels escaped and countered with a standing Shiranui instead. Hikuleo makes the hot tag in as he cleared house with bodyslams, before he chopped ELP into the corner.
Phantasmo escaped a running boot as Jay White capitalizes on a downed Hikuleo with chops of his own. A dropkick to the knee keeps Hikuleo grounded, but he’s able to rise up with a chop from his knees before tagging in Tama Tonga who lands a dropkick and took things outside, where he threw White into the side of the ring. Back inside, a wild clothesline dumps White, as did a snap powerslam, before Tonga called for a Gun Stun.
White pushes free and countered back with a DDT as tags then brought in West Coast Wrecking Crew whose attempted double team on Tonga backfired at first. Isaacs’ overhead belly 2 belly drops Tonga as a parade of moves began in earnest, until Bobby Fish tripped up Finlay in the ropes to stop his momentum. Hikuleo’s in to chase White away, then chokeslam ELP into oblivion an attempted double chokeslam to West Coast Wrecking Crew is stopped, but Tonga’s still legal as he dumped White with a Tongan Twist.
West Coast Wrecking Crew continue to double team Tonga for a spell, leading to the Dominator/neckbreaker combo for a near fall. Angels is in to try a rana on Nelson, but he’s caught and passed off into an Isaacs German suplex as Tonga remained legal and avoided a similar fate as he crashed into Isaacs with a Gun Stun. Nelson tries to cut off Tama, but gets hit with the Gun Stun to get the win for his team.
Winners: Guerrillas Of Density,David Finlay & Alan Angels (13:20)
Next Week’s Strong
Bateman vs. Jakob Austin Young
Bad Dude Tito vs. Kenta
Strong Openweight Tag Team Title Match
Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs. Stray Dog Army
