Tag: njpw strong openweight championship

Two matches added to Friday’s NJPW Strong Collision

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW has revealed the full lineup for this week’s Collision episode of Strong. 

El Phantasmo will be in action against Wheeler Yuta. Yuta lost to Rocky Romero in his Strong debut on the April 23 episode.

In Friday’s opener, Clark Connors will face AJZ. AJZ also lost to Romero in his Strong debut on the May 14 episode. Connors lost to Karl Fredericks in his last singles match on Strong on the April 30 LA Dojo Showcase edition of the show.

Friday’s main event was announced previously, as “Filthy” Tom Lawlor will make his first defense of the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship, taking on Chris Dickinson.

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 Openweight Championship: “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (c) vs. Chris Dickinson
  • El Phantasmo vs. Wheeler Yuta
  • Clark Connors vs. AJZ

Two matches added to NJPW Strong Road to Collision

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW has revealed the full lineup for this week’s Road to Collision episode of Strong. 

On the heels of last week’s elimination match main event, Team Filthy’s JR Kratos and Danny Limelight will take on Karl Fredericks and Brody King. 

Fredericks and Limelight were eliminated by Kratos and Limelight in last week’s main event. Team Filthy won that match, then kicked Chris Dickinson out of their group. 

Dickinson will face Team Filthy leader and NJPW Strong Openweight Champion Tom Lawlor in the main event of next week’s NJPW Strong. 

In this week’s opener, Alex Coughlin will take on Bateman.

Friday’s main event was announced previously, as Fred Rosser will take on Hikuleo in a no disqualification match. 

Strong airs Fridays at 10 p.m. Eastern time on NJPW World and is available on demand shortly after airing. 

Here is Friday’s lineup:

  • No DQ match: Fred Rosser vs. Hikuleo
  • Karl Fredericks & Brody King vs. JR Kratos & Danny Limelight
  • Alex Coughlin vs. Bateman

Three matches set for NJPW Strong Road to Collision

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW has revealed the full lineup for this week’s Road to Collision episode of Strong. 

El Phantasmo returns to action on this week’s show. He will team with Hikuleo against Lio Rush and Fred Rosser. Phantasmo has not wrestled on Strong since February. He was most recently in action on last week’s episode of Impact Wrestling. 

In Friday’s opener, Rocky Romero will take on the debuting AJZ. 

Already announced for the show’s main event, Tom Lawlor, Chris Dickinson, JR Kratos and Danny Limelight will face Karl Fredericks, Brody King, TJP & Clark Connors in an elimination match. Eliminations can occur by pinfall, submission, DQ or over the top rope with both feet hitting the floor. 

Strong airs Fridays at 10 p.m. Eastern time on NJPW World and is available on demand shortly after airing. 

Here is Friday’s lineup:

  • Elimination match: Karl Fredericks, Brody King, TJP & Clark Connors vs. Tom Lawlor, Chris Dickinson, JR Kratos & Danny Limelight
  • El Phantasmo & Hikuleo vs. Lio Rush & Fred Rosser
  • Rocky Romero vs. AJZ

NJPW reveals date for Strong Openweight Championship match

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW has revealed the main event for each Collision episode of NJPW Strong this month. 

Tom Lawlor will make his first defense of the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship against fellow Team Filthy member Chris Dickinson on the Friday, May 28 edition of the show. 

On the Friday, May 21 episode, Fred Rosser will take on Hikuleo in a no disqualification match.  The two also met in the New Japan Cup USA 2021 tournament, where Hikuleo came away with the victory. 

On the Friday, May 14 show, Lawlor, Dickinson, JR Kratos and Danny Limelight will face Karl Fredericks, Brody King, TJP & Clark Connors in an elimination match. Under NJPW rules, eliminations can occur by pinfall, submission, DQ or over the top rope with both feet hitting the floor. 

The main event for the Friday, May 7 episode had already been announced, as Jon Moxley and Dickinson will face Yuji Nagata and Ren Narita. Nagata will also challenge Moxley for the IWGP United States Championship on the Wednesday, May 12 edition of AEW Dynamite. 

Strong airs Fridays at 10 p.m. Eastern time on NJPW World and is available on demand shortly after airing. 

Here are the lineups announced for Collision so far:

Friday, May 7 —

  • Jon Moxley & Chris Dickinson vs. Yuji Nagata & Ren Narita
  • Misterioso vs. Jordan Clearwater vs. Royce Isaacs
  • Kevin Knight & The DKC vs. Barrett Brown & Adrian Quest

Friday, May 14 —

  • Elimination match: Karl Fredericks, Brody King, TJP & Clark Connors vs. Tom Lawlor, Chris Dickinson, JR Kratos & Danny Limelight

Friday, May 21 —

  • No disqualification match: Fred Rosser vs. Hikuleo

Friday, May 28 —

  • NJPW Strong Openweight Championship: Tom Lawlor (c) vs. Chris Dickinson

NJPW crowns first-ever Strong Openweight Champion

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Tom Lawlor defeated Brody King to win the New Japan Cup USA and become the NJPW Strong Openweight Champion on tonight’s NJPW Strong. 

Lawlor became the first-ever Strong Openweight Champion after beating King with a rear naked choke. King was unable to respond to the referee, who called for the stoppage finish at 20:05. 

Lawlor already has a surprising first challenger lined up as well. 

After being presented with the New Japan Cup USA trophy and the Strong title belt, Lawlor cut a promo with Team Filthy allies Chris Dickinson and JR Kratos by his side. He declared that no one in NJPW thinks they can beat him or is man enough to. Dickinson took the microphone from Lawlor and said that he is stepping up as Lawlor’s first challenger. 

Lawlor ran through Ren Narita, Hikuleo and King to win the 2021 New Japan Cup USA tournament. Dickinson lost to King in the tournament’s first round. 

Lawlor joins KENTA as New Japan Cup USA winners after the tournament was introduced in 2020. 

NJPW New Japan Cup USA 2021 finals set

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The finals are set for the 2021 New Japan Cup USA. 

Brody King and Tom Lawlor advanced to the finals with wins on tonight’s episode of NJPW Strong. King defeated Lio Rush with a Gonzo Bomb in 7:38, while Lawlor pinned Hikuleo in 8:58 with an inside cradle to punch his ticket to the final round. 

King and Lawlor will meet on the Friday, April 23 episode of Strong to decide the 2021 New Japan Cup USA winner, and also to crown the first NJPW Strong Openweight Champion. 

King carved his path to the finals with wins over Rush and Chris Dickinson, while Lawlor defeated Hikuleo and Ren Narita. 

In 2020, Cup winner KENTA became number one contender to Jon Moxley’s IWGP United States Championship and received a right to challenge briefcase. NJPW has gone in a different direction this year with the introduction of the Strong Openweight title, while Moxley has challenged Yuji Nagata for his next US title defense.