The following are spoilers from Monday’s TV taping for New Japan Strong, held in Los Angeles, CA.
Tomohiro Ishii defeated Alex Coughlin in a Challenge Series match
Chris Dickinson defeated Royce Isaacs
Hikuleo defeated Juice Robinson in a tables match. Robinson was favoring his left shoulder and also hit the back of his head on a table during a senton spot. The finish came right after that.
Yuji Nagata and Yuya Uemura defeated The DKC and Kevin Knight
Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks and IWGP U.S. Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Bateman, Barrett Brown and Misterioso. After the match, Fredericks called out Will Ospreay. The two had a face-off and then brawled. Ospreay hit the Hidden Blade and accepted Fredericks’ challenge for the upcoming Dallas show.
JR Kratos defeated Fred Yehi
Ren Narita defeated Fred Rosser
NEVER Openweight Champion Jay White defeated Wheeler Yuta in a non-title match. Afterward, White called out Ishii and they faced off. The two had words and then brawled before White hit a low blow and a Blade Runner before leaving.
NJPW Strong Champion Tom Lawlor defeated Lio Rush. Afterward, Lawlor asked who his next challenger would be and Narita came out. After dismissing him, Narita dropped Lawlor and left.
There are new Super Junior Tag League winners after today’s NJPW Summer Struggle event.
El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Taiji Ishimori in the main event of today’s show to win the 2021 Super Jr. Tag League. Kanemaru used a schoolboy to pin Ishimori and win the tournament.
Both teams involved in today’s final finished the tournament with eight points, but Desperado and Kanemaru took the tiebreaker by virtue of the head-to-head win.
The two teams have spent the bulk of the last year trading the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag titles, with both teams having two reigns with the titles since September 2020. They will meet again at a later date in another title match.
Here are the final standings for the tournament:
Final Super Jr. Tag League 2021 standings —
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru 8 points (4-1) *winners*
The NJPW Super Junior Tag League wrapped up today at Summer Struggle at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Seven wrestlers being pulled from the card due to COVID-19 protocols forced a series of changes to the event.
Shingo Takagi and BUSHI missed a third straight show awaiting the results of PCR testing after both had fevers and were pulled from Sunday’s event.
Shingo, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito and SANADA faced EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo and Dick Togo in an eight-man tag on Saturday’s untelevised Summer Struggle show. Shingo, BUSHI, Naito, SANADA, Gedo, Togo, and Yujiro were pulled from today’s show.
A double forfeit took place on the final night of Super Jr. Tag League. With Gedo and Togo unable to compete and SHO and YOH dissolving as a team yesterday, their bout was ruled a double forfeit.
The other two scheduled Super Jr. Tag League matches went on as planned, with El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru facing Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo in the main event, plus Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask taking on Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato.
NJPW has announced the lineup for this Friday’s NJPW Strong. The show will feature two notable in-ring debuts.
Indie star Daniel Garcia will make his NJPW debut in a six-man tag. Garcia faced Darby Allin on last week’s AEW Dynamite, but on Strong he will team with Fred Rosser and Fred Yehi against Clark Connors, Ren Narita and TJP.
In Friday’s opener, Matt Morris will make his in-ring debut for NJPW. The former Aiden English was on commentary for this past Saturday’s NJPW Resurgence event, but he will be in the ring against Alex Coughlin on Strong.
In the main event, Team Filthy’s West Coast Wrecking Crew, Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs, will face Brody King and Chris Dickinson of Violence Unlimited.
Strong airs Fridays at 10 p.m. Eastern time on NJPW World and is available on demand shortly after airing.
Here is Friday’s full lineup:
NJPW Strong Summer Struggle USA, Friday, August 20 —
Brody King & Chris Dickinson vs. Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs
Clark Connors, Ren Narita & TJP vs. Fred Rosser, Fred Yehi & Daniel Garcia
COVID-19 protocols have forced changes to an NJPW event for a third consecutive day.
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, BUSHI, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo and Dick Togo were all originally scheduled to take place in Tuesday’s Summer Struggle event at Korakuen Hall. All have been pulled from the show.
Shingo and BUSHI presented with fevers at Sunday’s untelevised show and were pulled from that event. The two underwent PCR tests, but NJPW said in a statement that they are still awaiting the results of the tests. The other five were close contacts after sharing a ring with them on Saturday, so they were pulled from Monday and Tuesday’s shows, though those five were allowed to work Sunday’s event. EVIL was pulled from Monday’s event, but was not scheduled to wrestle on Tuesday’s show.
Gedo and Togo were already mathematically eliminated from the Super Junior Tag League, but were forced to forfeit Monday’s tournament match. Their scheduled tournament match for Tuesday has been ruled a double forfeit following SHO and YOH’s dissolution as a team on Monday’s show.
Shingo is currently still scheduled to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight title against EVIL in the main event of Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome on Sunday, September 5.
Here is the updated card for Tuesday’s show:
NJPW Summer Struggle, Tuesday, August 17, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
Super Jr. Tag League: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo (4-0) vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (3-1)
Super Jr. Tag League: Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask (3-1) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato (2-2)
Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki & DOUKI
A major angle closed today’s NJPW Summer Struggle event in Korakuen Hall.
Roppongi 3K split in the midst of losing their Super Junior Tag League match to El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru when SHO turned on YOH.
The Roppongi 3K duo have been on a losing streak, now losing all four of their Super Jr. Tag League matches. The two worked as a unit for the bulk of the match, but Desperado and Kanemaru worked over YOH’s left knee. YOH missed a year of action due to a torn ACL in the knee.
SHO entered the match to perform a tandem move on Desperado. As YOH ran the ropes, his knee buckled.
From that point on, SHO gave up on the match.
Desperado put YOH in his Numero Dos stretch muffler submission hold. SHO jumped in as if to save, but then backed away and allowed Desperado to continue using the hold. YOH fought for a rope break, but then fell to Desperado’s Pinche Loco finisher.
After the bout, SHO hit YOH with his Shock Arrow cross-armed piledriver to cement the turn on his tag partner.
SHO and YOH both joined the NJPW Dojo in 2012. They were opponents and tag partners as Young Lions, eventually forming something of a permanent unit in 2014.
The duo were sent to CMLL and ROH for their international excursion in 2016 at the conclusion of the NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania tour. They worked as The Tempura Boyz in ROH.
They returned to the main NJPW roster in October 2017 with the Roppongi 3K name, managed by Rocky Romero. They defeated Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi to claim the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship at King of Pro Wrestling in their first match back in Japan.
Roppongi 3K are one of the most decorated junior heavyweight teams in NJPW history, with five IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship reigns and three Super Jr. Tag tournament wins. Only three teams have more combined days as IWGP Jr. Tag champs. Only The Young Bucks have more IWGP Jr. Tag title reigns as a unit.
Three teams remain alive heading in to tomorrow’s final night of Super Junior Tag League action.
Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo remain undefeated following today’s NJPW Summer Struggle show in Tokyo. They defeated the previously unbeaten Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask. El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru also won, meaning that tomorrow’s main event could decide the tournament winner.
Here are the scenarios:
If Ishimori and ELP defeat Desperado and Kanemaru tomorrow, they win the tournament.
If Desperado and Kanemaru beat Ishimori and ELP tomorrow and Eagles and Tiger lose to Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato, Desperado and Kanemaru will win the tournament.
If Desperado and Kanemaru win and Eagles and Tiger also win, there would be a three-way tie at the top of the block by virtue of Eagles and Tiger holding a win over Desperado and Kanemaru.
A playoff match three-way would then likely be announced for next week’s Summer Struggle events.
Here are the updated standings and schedule for the tournament:
The NJPW Super Junior Tag League continued today at Summer Struggle at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Eight wrestlers being pulled from the card due to COVID-19 protocols forced a series of changes to the event.
Shingo Takagi and BUSHI missed a second straight show awaiting the results of PCR testing after both had fevers and were pulled from Sunday’s event.
Shingo, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito and SANADA faced EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo and Dick Togo in an eight-man tag on Saturday’s untelevised Summer Struggle show.
Despite Naito, SANADA, Gedo, Togo, Yujiro and EVIL all working on Sunday, a day after their close contact with Shingo and BUSHI, they were pulled from today’s show.
Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato were awarded two points in a forfeit win over Gedo and Dick Togo in the Super Junior Tag League. Taguchi and Wato then worked today’s opener against Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma.
After not being scheduled for this leg of the tour, Kazuchika Okada was called into action for today’s show, teaming with Toru Yano against Chase Owens and Jado.
The other two scheduled Super Jr. Tag League matches went on as planned, with El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru facing SHO and YOH in the main event, plus Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask taking on Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo in a matchup of the two remaining undefeated teams in the tournament.
Following the main event, SHO turned on YOH, laying him out with a Shock Arrow.
COVID-19 protocols continue to force changes to NJPW cards.
Eight wrestlers have been pulled from Monday’s NJPW Summer Struggle event at Korakuen Hall. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and BUSHI will miss the show after also missing Sunday’s Summer Struggle event due to having fevers. Both have undergone PCR testing and are waiting for the results.
The other six wrestlers who were in the ring with Shingo and BUSHI on Saturday’s event have been pulled from Monday’s show due to contact tracing. Those talents are Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo and Dick Togo.
Naito, SANADA, EVIL and Yujiro worked on Sunday’s event despite being in close contact with Shingo and BUSHI on Saturday.
Gedo and Togo had been slated to participate in a Super Junior Tag League match on Monday’s show. Instead, they will forfeit the match to Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato. Taguchi and Wato will now face Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma in the opener.
Originally not slated to wrestle on this leg of the tour, Kazuchika Okada will now team with Toru Yano against Chase Owens and Jado on the show.
Shingo is currently still scheduled to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight title against EVIL in the main event of Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome on Sunday, September 5.
Here is the updated card for Monday’s event:
NJPW Summer Struggle, Monday, August 16, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
Super Jr. Tag League: El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. SHO & YOH
Super Jr. Tag League: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo vs. Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask
Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano vs. Chase Owens & Jado
Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr, Minoru Suzuki & DOUKI
NJPW has pulled IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and BUSHI from today’s Summer Struggle event due to both having a fever.
NJPW announced that the two would be undergoing PCR tests and would be absent from the show. They were scheduled to take part in an eight-man tag main event on the untelevised event in Shizuoka.
Shingo and BUSHI are currently also scheduled to take part in eight-man tags at Monday and Tuesday’s Summer Struggle events in Korakuen Hall. No announcement has been made regarding their status for those shows.
Both appeared on Saturday’s untelevised show in Nagano. They teamed with Tetsuya Naito and SANADA in the main event, defeating EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo and Dick Togo.
Shingo is still currently scheduled to defend the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against EVIL in the main event of night two of Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome in Saitama on Sunday, September 5.
Hiroshi Tanahashi has now won every major heavyweight title in NJPW history.
Tanahashi defeated Lance Archer to win the IWGP United States Championship in the main event of NJPW Resurgence Saturday night to claim the title for the first time.
Tanahashi used two High Fly Flows to put Archer away in 19:26 and claim the US title. Following the match, Archer asked Tanahashi to give him a rematch in AEW. Tanahashi appeared to accept the proposition, but no date was announced for the potential AEW debut of Tanahashi.
Jon Moxley sat ringside for the Archer vs. Tanahashi main event. Moxley is a former two-time IWGP US Champion. His most recent reign with the title ended on the July 21 edition of AEW Dynamite, where he lost to Archer in a Texas death match.
The victory adds the US title to a list of championship wins that includes eight IWGP Heavyweight Championships, two IWGP Intercontinental Championships, a NEVER Openweight Championship, three IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, three G1 Climax tournament victories, two New Japan Cups, plus three NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team title reigns.
Yuji Nagata and The Guerillas of Destiny made surprise appearances at tonight’s NJPW Resurgence event in Los Angeles.
Nagata appeared as Jon Moxley’s mystery partner against Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson. Nagata ultimately ate the pin in the match after a Good Brothers Magic Killer.
Nagata and Moxley had previously faced off on the May 12, 2021 edition of AEW Dynamite, a match that Moxley won.
Following the match, Gallows and Anderson cut a promo. They were still speaking when the microphone was cut off. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa of G.O.D. appeared and made their way to the ring to confront Gallows and Anderson. There was no physicality in the angle, as the two teams simply stared at each other before The Good Brothers left the ring.
Tonga and Loa are current members of Bullet Club, while Gallows and Anderson were members of the faction during their first NJPW run. Since returning to the promotion earlier this year, their status with the group has been unclear.
Will Ospreay returned to NJPW at Saturday’s Resurgence event and declared himself the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
In a promo, Ospreay said that he was medically cleared to return, but that he would not be returning to the main NJPW unit or participating in the 2021 G1 Climax tournament.
Instead, Ospreay said, he will be appearing on NJPW Strong and defending the IWGP title on that show. Ospreay said he was never pinned and never submitted, therefore he is still the rightful IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
Ospreay said that he broke his neck for NJPW, and all he needed was four months away to rest up, but the company decided to strip him of his title. He said that when Jon Moxley could not defend the IWGP US title due to travel issues, NJPW showed favoritism and refused to strip Moxley, but they stripped him the first chance they had.
Ospreay’s Resurgence return marks his first NJPW appearance since May 4, when he successfully defended the IWGP World title against Shingo Takagi on night two of Wrestling Donatku. NJPW announced on May 20 that Ospreay was vacating the title due to a neck injury and returning to the UK.
The Stone Pitbull is coming back to the United States.
Tomohiro Ishii has been announced for a set of NJPW Strong tapings to be held in Riverside, California on November 15.
NJPW announced the tapings during tonight’s Resurgence event in Los Angeles. Ishii defeated Moose at the event.
Ishii will also be a part of the Strong tapings set for this Monday in Long Beach, California.
No matches have been announced for the Strong tapings, but the event will be branded as NJPW Detonation.
NJPW’s US expansion efforts are back in full force this fall, with events now scheduled for Texas in September, Pennsylvania in October and now California in November.
Tickets for the tapings will go on sale Tuesday, August 17 at noon Eastern time.
Here is the full talent list advertised for Riverside:
NJPW announced a return to California during tonight’s show.
NJPW Battle in the Valley will take place on Saturday, November 13 at the San Jose Civic in San Jose, California.
Among the talent announced for the show are AEW’s Jon Moxley, plus NJPW’s Jay White and Tomohiro Ishii. Tickets for the event will go on sale Tuesday, August 17 at noon Eastern time.
A full card will be announced for the event at a later date.
Battle in the Valley will mark the first NJPW event in the San Jose area since the 2019 New Japan Showdown event. Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay defeated Kota Ibushi and Amazing Red in a tag match in the main event of that show.
Here is the full list of talent advertised for the show:
