NJPW New Japan Strong (New Japan Showdown) Episode 1 Results – November 5, 2022
Location: Hollywood California
Venue: Vermont Hollywood
Attendance: 336
Kicking off this week’s Strong with West Coast Wrecking Crew cutting a promo ahead of the Fatal 4 Way Tag Team #1 Contenders match later on tonight
Rocky Romero vs. Christopher Daniels
Match starts off with a Christopher Daniels clubs away on Rocky Romero then a drop down from Romero just earns him some stomps too, while a back body drop attempt from Romero was easily kicked away as he struggled to get going.
Romero’s taken into the corner for chops and elbows before he hooked himself in the ropes and baited Daniels to the outside. A tope followed from Romero then a 2nd and a 3rd, before he began to slap Daniels around then there’s a school back rake too, and a chest rake, before Rocky took it back inside for a brainbuster.
Daniels kicks out at two from that but his attempt to begin a comeback sees him stopped with a manjigatame that forced him to shuffle to the ropes for a break. There’s a chop in the ropes from Romero who then wound up for a poke to the eye, before Daniels just hotshotted him into the ropes.
A back elbow from Daniels knocks Romero down by the ropes while a slam led to an Arabian press for a two count. Daniels keeps Romero grounded with a cravat, but a rewind enzuigiri helped Rocky free as he began a comeback with chops and a tijeras & that leaves Daniels in the corner for the obligatory Forever clotheslines, but Daniels popped his way free as Romero then missed a clothesline off the top.
Romerto recovers, sending Daniels between the ropes for a dropkick off the middle rope Daniels pushes away a Shiranui but couldn’t avoid a tornado DDT that nearly won it. Daniels ends up in the corner as Romero finally busts out those Forever Clotheslines, before a STO snuffed it all out.
Romero tries to get back in it though, but a Shiranui’s pushed away as Daniels rolls up Romero for the victory.
Winner: Christopher Daniels (9:24)
Strong Openweight Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Fatal 4 Way Match
Stray Dog Army vs. TMDK vs. West Coast Wrecking Crew vs. The DKC & Kevin Knight
Jorel Nelson & The DKC start us off, trading holds as Nelson’s attempted pop up powerbomb was blocked and turned into a rana by The DKC. Kevin Knight’s in now for a double team hiptoss and the twisting standing frog splash that nearly shut this one down in a hurry. A quick turnaround isolated Knight as Royce Isaacs came in The DKC’s attempted save was for nothing as Knight ended up taking a double team back body drop.
A stalling suplex from Isaacs sees him walk Knight around the ring but Knight slipped out and shoves Isaacs into the corner. Misterioso tagged himself in as he charged down Knight, as the Stray Dog Army took their turn double teaming Knight. A hiptoss from Misterioso sees Brown cannonball into the corner for a two count, before Knight was held in a full nelson only for him to escape as Brown accidentally chopped his own man.
Knight’s springboard armdrag/headscissors takedown bought him some time, as did some tiltawhirl headscissors and a body slam but he misses the frog splash as Shane Haste tagged in from Misterioso. Haste dumps Knight with a back suplex before Bad Dude Tito’s Blue Thunder bomb nearly gets the win. A senton atomico from Haste keeps Knight down, as did a snap suplex and a low dropkick before Tito’s senton brought in Jorel Nelson to break up the pin. Tito charges Knight into the corner as TMDK continues to control, with Haste’s kicks wearing down Knight.
Knight finally begins to fight back, taking Haste down with a dropkick but he couldn’t tag out as the The DKC had been pulled off the apron. Presumably by Jorel Nelson. Instead, Knight tagged out to Royce Isaacs, who cornered Haste with clotheslines then Tito too as he tried in vain to break it up. The aprons are cleared as Isaacs nearly wins with a t bone suplex, before Isaacs’ Falcon Arrow & Nelson’s elbow drop drew in Tito to break up the cover.
Nelson & Haste keep going, with Haste’s Saito suplex giving him time but with no Tito on the apron tags bring in Barrett Brown & The DKC. A spinning heel kick from The DKC before the DK Fire chops left Brown laying for a near fall.
A pendulum DDT from Knight nearly wins it for the DKC as everyone else dove in to break up the pin, leading to a Parade of moves with Bad Dude Tito press slamming Kevin Knight into a pile outside before he dove onto it himself. Misterioso keeps the aerial stuff going with a Whisper in the Wind leaving us with Brown & The DKC in the ring. Misterioso quickly returns as DKC chopped them both only for a back cracker from Misterioso and a Busaiku knee from Brown gets the win for Stray Dog Army.
Winners & #1 Contenders To The Strong Openweight Tag Team Titles: Stray Dog Army (12:36)
We’ve a video of Gabriel Kidd, talking about how Hiroshi Tanahashi would get the dojo lads a cheat meal at the end of a long tour but today they’ll be more likely to break bones than bread. Kidd calls himself, Alex Coughlin & Clark Connors this generation’s 3 Musketeers and fancied himself as the Ace in that pack before he vowed to win the big one at some point.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Gabriel Kidd
Match begins with some wristlocks then Hiroshi Tanahashi takes down Gabriel Kidd but headscissors get Kidd free as he grounded Tanahashi with a hammerlock, rolling him into a pin for a quick two count. A side headlock from Tanahashi sees him drag Kidd to the mat, before Kidd took it to the corner for some chops. Tanahashi hits back with a crossbody out of the corner though, before Kidd took him back to the ropes for some chops on the break.
A dropkick off the ropes knocks Tanahashi down as Kidd began to have his own fun, which Tanahashi cut off with a dragon screw.
Kidd’s sent outside from that, with Tanahashi following him only to get posted after Kidd kicked out the knee. Back inside Kidd targets the knee, then squashed Tanahashi with a leaping elbow drop before a Cobra Twist provided the basis for more air guitar mockery. Tanahashi again makes it to the ropes before he mounted a comeback with a leaping forearm off the ropes.
Bodyshots and forearms from Tanahashi see him build up some steam while a slam and a flip senton out of the corner earned a two count. Kidd fires back with the bull lariat off the ropes for a near fall, before he hit the ropes for a springboard moonsault that similarly had Tanahashi in danger. Tanahashi blocks a piledriver, then began trading strikes with Kidd only for a low dropkick from Kidd shutting things down as Tanahashi looked to be pulling ahead.
Tanahashi’s able to get back up, but eats a sucker punch from Kidd, prompting Kidd to declare that he’s the new ace & that just fires up Tanahashi as he countered another bull lariat into a Slingblade following with a Twist & Shout while a 2nd Slingblade dropped Kidd for a near fall. A trip up top rope leads to a High Fly Flow to get the win.
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi (11:30)
