NJPW hits the Nashville Fairgrounds today for the Music City Mayhem pay-per-view on FITE TV as part of Starrcast weekend.
In the main event, Jon Moxley faces El Desperado in a no DQ match.
In the semi-main, former tag partners KUSHIDA and Alex Shelley will do battle.
IWGP Tag Team Champions FTR make their NJPW debut as a duo in a trios match, teaming with Alex Zayne against United Empire’s TJP, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis.
Hiromu Takahashi will be in action against Blake Christian.
Fred Rosser will put the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship on the line, facing Big Damo (the former Killian Dain in WWE and NXT).
In an MLW National Openweight Championship match, Davey Richards defends against Rocky Romero.
In the trios match opener, Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura & Fred Yehi will face LA Dojo’s Kevin Knight, The DKC & Ren Narita.
Our live coverage begins at 3 PM Eastern.
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Fred Yehi, Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura defeated Kevin Knight, Ren Narita & The DKC
This was a fun open. It was a little busy at times, but an enjoyable watch regardless.
Before the match started, the teams engaged in a tense stare-down, almost resulting in an all-out brawl. Once the bell sounded, Narita and Yuya had an exciting back-and-forth. Narita eventually gained the upper hand and passed the momentum to his teammates.
Knight and DKC worked together to cut the ring in half, isolating Yuya from his team. Yuya eventually landed a dropkick, buying him enough time to score a hot tag to Yehi. Yehi led an intense offensive sequence but ultimately fell to his opponent’s numbers advantage.
Narita and Umino tagged into the match and immediately began to trade strikes before escalating to bigger and bigger moves. After a tag, DKC, Narita, and Knight hit the ring to target Umino; this led to minutes of chaos with brawls on the outside and multiple back-and-forths in the ring.
Eventually, Umino and DKC found themselves alone in the ring. After trading blows, Umino dropped DKC with Death Rider and secured the pin to win the match.
MLW National Openweight Championship: Davey Richards (c) defeated Rocky Romero
This was fine.
The match opened with a competitive wrestling sequence. After being out-wrestled, Romero took the action to the outside, landing a leaping knee from the apron; this had virtually no effect on the match, as Richards took control as soon as the pair stepped back between the ropes. Richards focused his attention on Romero’s leg.
Romero began a comeback, landing a rana and a pair of corner clotheslines. A tornado DDT scored Romero a near fall. Romero continued to make advances after this, with particular attention paid to Richards’ shoulder.
Romero secured an armbar, but Richards slipped free, turning it into an ankle lock. Richards hit a brainbuster that he turned into another ankle lock after the kick-out. Romero tried rolling through the submission, turning it into a pin. Richards turned Romero’s pin into a pin of his own to bring this match to a close.
After the match, the pair teased a brawl but hugged instead.
NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship: Fred Rosser (c) defeated Big Damo
This was bad.
The match opened quick, with Damo using his power and unusual speed to gain an early advantage; then, the match slowed to a near halt. On the outside, Damo slammed Rosser on the floor and into the barricade before continuing his domination between the ropes. Damo was so far ahead that he took a break to flash the crowd with his cheeks before continuing the beatdown.
A barrage of forearms dropped Damo for the first time. Rosser maintained his newfound momentum with a bunch of hip attacks before attempting an STF. Once Damo powered out, the pair traded standing strikes, with Rosser eventually winning out.
A spinebuster from Damo followed by a senton set Rosser up for a Vader bomb. Rosser interrupted Damo on the top, loaded him on his shoulders, and hit a sidewinder to retain his title.
Hiromu Takahashi defeated Blake Christian
This wasn’t a match for me, but there is no denying it was filled with electric sequences and remarkable athletic feats. Christian looked like a star throughout; Hirmou gave him everything but the win.
The match opened with a high-impact sequence filled with explosive offense and dives. Hiromu slowed the match with head scissors in the ropes. A slam to the floor led to Hiromu working over Christian on the mat.
A quick kick from Christian opened the door, leading to a handspring kick, a single-under hook suplex, and a wild dive to the floor. Christian, now bloody, turned to slower offense to solidify his lead.
Hiromu began to fight back in a back-and-forth forearm exchange. Hiromu tried for Time Bomb, but Christian reversed. Hiromu then landed a lariat, but Christian popped up and landed a lariat of his own. Christian hit a 450° for a near fall.
Christian attempted a second 450°, but Hiromu avoided the move. This initiated an insane sequence with Hiromu and Christian going back and forth, trading high-impact moves and convincing near falls. A giant lariat from Hiromu and Time Bomb 2 brought this to a close.
Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis & TJP (United Empire) defeated Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood (FTR), & Alex Zayne
This match was great.
Zayne and TJP opened the match with an animated sequence before tagging out to Dax and Fletcher. Fletcher had great success against Dax, with help from his United Empire partners. Fletcher passed the momentum to Davis, only to lose it once Wheeler tagged into the match.
A short, explosive brawl on the outside allowed United Empire to take complete control. The heel trio worked to isolate Wheeler. A goliath lariat, a pair of knees, and an over-head through from Wheeler took out all of his opponents, leading into a Dax hot-tag.
Dax dropped Davis with a lariat. Fletcher and TJP tried to hit the ring, but FTR and Zayne hit a triple suplex. Zayne hit a corkscrew after FTR connected with tandem offense, which forced the breakup; from the fog, United Empire took control once more.
Zayne landed a double rana, and FTR cleared the ring, leaving Zayne and Fletcher alone in the ring. Zayne hit a giant powerbomb for a near fall. Dax hit the ring for some reason, causing a mix-up. This miscommunication allowed United Empire to catch Zayne in the Fidget Spinner, leading to a pinfall victory.
After the match, Aussie Open (Fletcher and Davis) challenged FTR to an IWGP title match. FTR accepted the challenge.
Time-Limit Draw: KUSHIDA vs. Alex Shelley
This was a fun match filled with Time Splitters callbacks.
The former partners opened the match with a sequence that expressed their familiarity with each other. The lively exchange intensified as holds turned to strikes.
KUSHIDA established some control on the mat, trying for multiple holds, contorting Shelley in various ways. Shelley fought back into the match with legwork, landing dragonscrews, whips, and holds on KUSHIDA’s pre-damaged limb.
KUSHIDA landed a neckbreaker to open Shelley up. KUSHIDA led a quick offensive sequence before trying for the hoverboard lock. Shelley powered through, attempting a hoverboard lock of his own. KUSHIDA freed himself and hit Shelley with a cradle shock.
KUSHIDA climbed to the top rope and attempted a hoverboard lock in the ropes. Shelley escaped the hold, landing an inverted super atomic drop before locking in the border city stretch. Once KUSHIDA found the ropes, the pair continued to go back and forth.
With the clock ticking down, KUSHIDA tried for border city stretch himself. Shelley escaped and landed shellshock for a near fall. After kicking from Shelley’s finisher, KUSHIDA locked in the hoverboard lock. Shelley held on, outlasting the match’s 20-minute time limit.
No Disqualification: Jon Moxley defeated El Desperado
This was advertised as a “no disqualification match”, but this was a deathmatch.
This was brutal; this was excellent.
The match opened with boards covered in barbed wire placed in the corner. Moxley and Desperado teased throws into the boards from the beginning.
After gaining a slight lead, Moxley tried removing Desperado’s mask. This enraged Desperado, leading to a passionate turnaround for Desperado. Once Moxley was rocked, Desperado grabbed a bouquet of roses; from the roses, he pulled a bundle of wooden skewers. Desperado drove the skewers into Moxley’s head, drawing blood. Desperado continued his attack, running Moxley’s face into the barbed wire.
Desperado locked in a cloverleaf; Moxley forced Desperado to break the hold by tearing at his mask once more. Moxley interrupted a Desperado suicide dive with a gnarly guitar shot. Moxley continued his assault by repeatedly driving a piece of the guitar into Desparado’s forehead.
Desperado reset the match with a spear into a barbed wire board. Moxley answered with a dropkick that sent Desperado crashing through a barbed wire board. A piledriver from Moxley yielded a near fall.
Both men rolled to the outside. Moxley set up a table while Desperado grabbed a chair. After flattening Moxley with the chair, Desperado placed Moxley on the table and climbed to the top rope. Moxley sprung to his feet and threw Desperado from the top rope, through the table, and to the floor. Looking to finish, Moxley grabbed a board covered with cut aluminum cans, onto which he through Desperado; Desperado kicked out.
Desperado caught Moxley in a stretch muffler. Moxley transitioned from the hold into an armbar. After escaping the armbar, Desparado stomped Moxley’s skull before landing a frog splash for a near fall.
After Moxley kicked out, the pair exchanged strikes. Desperado survived the barrage, landing a Pinche Loco; instead of attempting a pin, Desperado tried a second. Moxley answered with a lariat and Death Rider. Instead of pinning Desperado, Moxley locked in a choke, but Desperado refused to tap out, flipping the bird as his consciousness wained. Desperado passed out, leaving Moxley victorious.
Moxley tried to close the show with a promo, but the microphone was broken.
