Tonight’s NJPW Resurgence pay-per-view features a double main event.
In one of the top-billed bouts, Mercedes Mone defends the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship against AZM and Mina Shirakawa in a three-way.
In the other half of the double main event, Hirooki Goto defends the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against former title holder Zack Sabre Jr.
Three more title bouts are also set for the show.
Konosuke Takeshita defends the NEVER Openweight title against El Phantasmo, Tomohiro Ishii puts his NJPW Strong title on the line against Drilla Moloney, plus The World Class Wrecking Crew defend their NJPW Strong Tag titles against TJP and Templario.
The Young Bucks return to NJPW action on the show, teaming with The Good Brothers against Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, Clark Connors, and Gedo.
Fred Rosser faces Matt Vandagriff in the main card opener at 10 p.m. Eastern time.
Allan Breeze takes on CJ Tino in the pre-show match at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time.
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Pre-show
CJ Tino defeated Allan Breeze
Breeze maintained control in the early goings, but Tino defeated him by a Sunset Flip.
Bea Priestley versus Viva Van
Making her shocking return to NJPW, announcing that the 90-day non-compete clause from WWE was now finished. Van kept Priestley at bay, at least until Priestley made a comeback courtesy of a stomp from the top rope. Priestley planted Van with a Plan Bea for the pinfall.
A welcome surprise to kick off the night. Priestley hasn’t lost a step after being benched as the former Blair Davenport.
Main Card
Fred Rosser defeated Matt Vandagriff
Rosser attempted to charge Vandagriff, but he was ready, eventually dropping him with a dropkick. Rosser gained momentum, dropping his full weight on Vandagriff on the apron, buying himself some time. He then proceeded to target the younger opponent’s legs as they laid trapped under the steel barricades. Vandagriff rocketed between the ropes onto Rosser, tormenting him on the outside before bullying him in the ring. The veteran endured the kicks of Vandagriff before tossing his hips at his skull.
Confident his Buckle Bomb was enough to down Rosser, the weary yet experienced wrestler threw a lariat. Vandagriff suffered a Rolling Elbow to deliver a Gut Check that couldn’t put away Rosser. The elder tossed in a Gut Check of his own, to the same result. An unforgiving Rosser tapped Vandagriff out with a Crossface Chickenwing for the win, and nearly didn’t let go.
When I first saw Vandagriff wrestle, he seemed akin to the WWE style of things, but as he’s put himself together, he’s become a more complete version of himself. Against Rosser, all that learned experience meshed well with the Dirty Work tag team member. The future is bright in NJPW of America for young Vandagriff.
United Empire (Templario & TJP) defeated The World Class Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) (c) for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship
WCWC spared no second in attacking their opponents, but TJP and Templario were ready, dropping Isaacs with an assisted Bulldog. Nelson distracted himself with the audience as Isaacs lost control after having targeted TJP’s back. United Empire combined their efforts to Isaacs on the outside. Templario ate a lariat by Isaacs. Isaacs tossed TJP over Nelson’s shoulder, leading to a spirited defense by Templario. He followed up with a German suplex to Nelson.
Templario hit Nelson with a Powerbomb, followed by a Mamba Splash by TJP. A recovering Isaacs on the outside toppled back over to a plancha by TJP. Nelson slammed Templario with a pop-up powerbomb followed by an assisted Backstabber. Nelson raked the eye of TJP, hoping for a backward crossbody, thwarted by an inside cradle by his victim. United Empire are the new STRONG OpenweightTag Team Champions.
World Class Wrecking Crew are the staple of the NJPW STRONG label. Consistently great tag team performances show after show. As for United Empire, TJP wearing red in contrast to Templario’s dark green was distracting. Still, Templario fits United Empire like a glove.
The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) & The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) defeated BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors, David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & Gedo)
As the Bucks and Good Brothers set up for a Too Sweet, the War Dogs charged to bite. Scattering amongst the arena, the teams clashed in pure violence. Once Matthew and the Good Brothers wrangled up the War Dogs, Nicholas took to soaring to topple the new generation of BULLET CLUB. The War Dogs isolated their opponents to the ring posts and rained punches down upon them.
After taking apart their opponents one by one, the War Dogs guarded Kidd as he talked trash on the microphone. Anderson singlehandedly fought off each unleashed War Dog before tagging in Gallows who continued the mounted comeback. The Bucks united their efforts onto Kidd and Finlay, with the former defiantly surviving. Gallows tested his mettle against him, but it was merely bait for Anderson’s Gun Stun. Tossing aside Finlay and Connors, Gallows sent Gedo into the Young Bucks, who slammed him down with a Meltzer Driver. The Good Brothers complimented this with a Magic Killer, ending the match in their favor.
Post-match: The previous generation of BULLET CLUB put up the Too Sweet gesture, inviting the War Dogs. This new generation performed the gesture only to themselves and walked away.
Admittedly, I was initially invested in the novelty of The Good Brothers against the War Dogs, but this match went beyond those expectations for something rather exciting. That sole Karl Anderson last stand added unbelievable hype.
Tomohiro Ishii (c) defeated Drilla Moloney for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship
Champion and challenger bartered strikes, with Moloney punishing Ishii in a corner. The defender tripped up Moloney on the apron, sealing an envelope of pain with a lariat to the outside. He baited the BULLET CLUB War Dogs member into destructive offense, and ate a nasty Piledriver for his efforts. Ishii suplexed Moloney off the top rope, and though he drew his ire, Ishii maintained his control. Moloney trounced this with a Made in Birmingham, to no avail.
Moloney reached for a Spinebuster combined with a Gore, but Ishii refused to give in. Unwavering in his rampage, Moloney’s drive dwindled from a German suplex. Adrenaline coursed through Ishii’s very veins as he charged with lariats. Moloney sent him to the mat with another Gore, but Ishii kicked out at 1. He slammed Moloney with a Powerbomb followed by a sliding lariat. Ishii retained his title with a Brainbuster for the pinfall.
So long as Ishii draws breath, his contemporaries benefit from working with him. The deterimination and spirit in his storytelling adds weight. Though Moloney lost, he left tonight with a moment that makes him feel like a star.
Konosuke Takeshita (c) defeated El Phantasmo for the NEVER Openweight Championship
Phantasmo and Takeshita wrestled to a stalemate. The challenger spilled to the outside after a quick Irish Whip but regained composure after a Tope Suicida. Takeshita tried for a Blue Thunderbomb, yet toppled to a Canadian Hammer. Chipping away at Phantasmo, Takeshita nearly sent him onto the apron, instead landing with a piledriver himself.
Takeshita lay helplessly, unaware that Phantasmo set up a table destined for him. On the top rope, the pair battled with Takeshita stiffly sent Phantasmo careening onto the cerulean mat with a clothesline. Komoritsui Otoshi Drivers nearly dashed Phantasmo’s dreams of gold, but couldn’t keep him prone. Phantasmo was within grasp of victory with a Thunderkiss ’86, but Romero pulled the referee out of the ring. As recompense, Phantasmo powerbombed him through the table from earlier. A Raging Fire, Power-Driver Knee, Rolling Elbow, and another Raging Fire sent Phantasmo back to the back. He is still the NEVER Openweight Champion.
Post-match: Takeshita approached Phantasmo to shake his hand, to which the Canadian obliged.
ELP and Takeshita are underrated and understated wrestling soulmates. If they had matches against each other for six, maybe twelve months, I would not complain.
Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship ended with a no contest
This New Beginning rematch opened with prime technical wrestling, with Goto escaping Sabre’s forte unscathed. Adjacent to the outside barricade, Goto absorbed Sabre’s strikes against the merciless barrier. Sabre disrespected the champion with intentionally pathetic soft kicks and pie faces, leading to an impassioned lariat that left his foe gasping for air. Seeking to wrench Goto’s arms behind his back, Sabre’s hopes were dashed by a rope break.
The opponents engaged in a war of elbows and forearms; Goto ended the tirade with a cruel lariat that left Sabre desperately gasping again. Instinctually, Sabre dropped Goto with a Zack Driver as TMDK teammate Shane Haste urged him back to his feet. Goto opted for an Ushigoroshi with a hopeful GTR follow-up, but Sabre trapped the champion’s arms and legs behind him. Goto saved himself (and his limbs) in the nick of time by a rope break. Sabre delivered a parade of strikes, broken only by lariat. Sabre pinned Goto with a bridge, but Goto did the same with a suplex hold; both men’s shoulders were down, leaving there no winner.
Post-match: An infuriated Sabre assaulted the referee, tossed Goto’s belt away from him, and shoved him. Goto, with nothing else to do, left the jeering crowd.
I’ll always maintain that Sabre is the best technical wrestler of the 2020s, but as far as what NJPW is about and will always be about, he embodies the strong style. He embodies NJPW’s entire spirit in its best ways. Tonight, they were consummate professionals, working in tandem to deliver a true, bitter contest.
AZM defeated Mina Shirakawa and Mercedes Mone (c) for the NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship
All three women locked up, with Shirakawa’s typical shenanigans breaking it up. She teamed with AZM to knock Mone out of the ring, leaving each other to trade intense, high-speed combat. Shirakawa used her active momentum to swing and throw Mone and AZM every which way, but Mone escaped by evoking Eddie Guerrero’s Three Amigos and using her knees to send AZM into Shirakawa.
Shirakawa targeted Mone’s historically vulnerable knee, with absolute flair. AZM for the first time demanded control by swinging her opponents around. Locking La Mistica on Mone, she added Shirakawa to the hold. Mone used all her strength to put both women’s shoulders on the mat. AZM hung her opponents on the middle rope and double-stomped them to the mat. She wrestled with Shirakawa in the center of the ring, leaving both open for Mone’s Backstabber.
Bitter to the CEO, both Japanese women sent a flurry of strikes, leading to a snarling comeback, complete with a Meteora to AZM. She did the same to Shirakawa to break her submission on AZM. Shirakawa clutched her competitors with a double figure-four leglock; the pair of victims held hands to withstand the pain. AZM overwhelmed Shirakawa and Mone with Azumi Sushis and Destroyers. Adamant to keep Mone out, Shirakawa kicked her off the apron. AZM kept rolling up Shirakawa for a desperate pin, earning one right as Mone slid less than halfway into the ring. AZM has won the STRONG Women’s Championship.
AZM has now positioned herself highly within STARDOM and NJPW with a defeat over such a high-profile duo. She’s grown into a hugely important asset to the joshi wrestling scene. The ovation from the Ontario, California crowd was very heartwarming. If Shirakawa is headed to AEW, the post-match chase could very well bring the rivalry to the company’s big comeback year.
Resurgence wasn’t mind-blowingly awesome, but it didn’t have to be. Everything was a thrill ride that told their stories well. Furthermore, the string of great shows NJPW’s been having in Japan and across the sea can’t be denied. The company is close to another big period, I can just feel it.
