Tonight’s special “Championship Friday” edition of AEW Rampage will feature four title matches from three different promotions — none of which are AEW.
AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo will look to extend his 500+ day reign as titleholder as he defends against Komander and Dralistico in a three-way. This will be Vikingo’s fifth match in AEW.
Fresh off another title defense on ROH TV, inaugural NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. will defend his gold against Action Andretti. Sabre Jr. bested Rocky Romero Thursday as his recent run in ROH continues.
Inaugural NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale will have her first title defense as she takes on Emi Sakura. Nightingale won the title by defeating Mercedes Mone last month in a tournament.
After his successful defense against Alex Coughlin on Thursday, ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata will look to fend off the title challenge of Lee Moriarty and earn his third title defense.
**********
Taped in San Diego, California. Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone and Excalibur were on commentary for “Championship Friday!”
El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Komander defeated Dralistico (w/ Jose the Assistant) to retain the AAA Mega Championship (10:07).
Vikingo’s 500 days into his title reign, or halfway into a ridiculous celebration and his cousins turning on him. Dralistico got the first near fall of the match with a slingshot senton. The crowd was very into this match. Komander got hung up in the ropes, and Dralistico took him out with a double stomp. Vikingo then flew into the action with a moonsault to the floor, which popped the crowd. Vikingo hit an implosion hurricanrana, then followed up with a Phoenix Splash (started outside of the ring and facing the wrong way, no big deal). JR is so impressed with the action he will give the winner a barbeque sauce. He should throw in his seasoning, too. That stuff is great.
During the split-screen break, Jose helped Dralistico set up a table on the floor. Well, Jose is an assistant.
After the break, Dralistico and Komander worked in the ring while Vikingo hid on the floor, continuing the pattern of two guys working in the ring while the third hid. Komander tried a crazy springboard hurricanrana, but it didn’t really work. Dralistico took a bump to the floor anyway. Komander followed his opponents out ot the floor with a rope walk moonsault to the floor. Badk in the ring, Komander hit a rope walk 450 for a near fall. Vikingo took Komander down with an inverted hurricanrana, then put him through the table with a 630 springboard senton.
Back in the ring, Vikingo countered a powerbomb from Dralistico with a hurricanrana and a cradle and got the pinfall.
Spectacular insanity.
– Let’s go back to January when Aubrey Edwards made some fair calls that didn’t go Jeff Jarrett’s way. And then six months later, Karen Jarrett kept Aubrey Edwards from doing the same thing at Double or Nothing by thwacking her with a guitar. Backstage, Mark Briscoe and Aubrey Edwards attacked Jarrett and his crew in the middle of an interview with Lexi Nair.
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Action Andretti to retain the NJPW Television Championship (10:15)
Crowd was behind Sabre. Andretti tried to hang with Sabre, but he was very clearly out of his depth on the mat. Sabre got a wristlock on Andretti, who tried four different escapes before one finally worked. Andretti hit a springboard tornio for a near fall, then sent Sabre to the floor with a springboard hurricanrana. Sabre tied up Andretti in the ropes with an armbar, then sent Andretti down to the mat by yanking down on his arm. Sabre continued to work over Andretti’s arm and leveled him with forearms in the corner. Sabre locked in a hammerlock and a body scissors, but Andretti was able to power Sable over with a suplex.
Andretti hit a springboard kick for a near fall. Sabre caught Andretti with a kick to the arm to regain the advantage. Andretti hit a jumping enziguri and an avalanche hurricanrana for a near fall. Andretti picked up Sabre in a torture rack, but Sabre countered by grabbing him in a choke. Andretti hit a superkick and a poisoned rana for a near fall. Andretti hit a shotgun dropkick and a spit-legged moonsault for a near fall. Andretti came off the ropes with a springboard, but Sabre yanked him out of the air with an armbar, then tied both of Andretti’s arms up with his legs and got the submission. Great match!
Willow Nightingale defeated Emi Sakura to retain the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship (8:00 aired)
JR wished Mercedes Mone a speedy recovery on commentary. Both women fought over a suplex on the ring apron, but Sakrua used an eye poke to get the advantage. She sent Nightingale to the floor with a crossbody, then threw her into the barricade as the show went to break.
After the break, Nightingale hit a shotgun dropkick off the middle rope for a near fall. Sakura hit a CrossRhodes variation for a near fall, then a twisting senton for a near fall. Nightingale hit a low crossbody for a near fall. Sakura tried for La Magistral’s cradle, but Nightingale powered out. Sakura hit a sitout Jay Driller, but Nightingale came back with a pounce and a cannonball. Nightingale finished off Sakura with a lariat and an awesome Doctor Bomb to get the pinfall. The crowd was very into this match as well.
– New for Dynamite Wednesday: MJF makes an appearance, and Jungle Boy & Hook take on Dralistico & Preston Vance in a Texas Tornado match.
– The next Ring of Honor pay-per-view, Death Before Dishonor, was announced for July 21st in Trenton, New Jersey.
Katsuyori Shibata defeated Lee Moriarty to retain the ROH Pure Championship (9:09).
The pure rules: a 20-count outside the ring, each competitor gets 3 rope breaks, and no closed fist strikes.
Periodically a timer is shown on the screen. It’s barely a minute into the match before Moriarty had to use his first rope break. Moriarty caught Shibata with a dropkick to the knee. Moriarty worked over Shibata’s knee during the split screen break.
After the break, Shibata had Moriarty locked in a figure-four, and Moriarty had to use his second rope break. Shibata hit a diving dropkick in the corner on Moriarty, then suplexed him out of the corner for a near fall. Moriarty used his third rope break (I don’t think he meant to), but then locked in the Border City Stretch. Shibata countered with a cradle, then ran into a forearm. Shibata locked Moriarty in a sleeper. Moriarty faded, and Shibata finished him off with a PK kick for the pinfall.
After the match, Daniel Garcia came to the ring and stood face-to-face with Shibata, who held his Pure Championship belt up for the crowd.
Final Thoughts:
This show was excellent in the ring and the crowd was into every match.
A “Championship Friday” edition of AEW Rampage will feature four title defenses — none of which will include actual AEW titles.
In the featured bout, AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo will put his title on the line against Dralistico and Komander in a three-way. Vikingo has held the gold for more than 540 days and this will be his fifth appearance on AEW TV.
NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. will make his AEW Rampage debut when he defends against Action Andretti. Sabre Jr. will defend his title Thursday against Rocky Romero as part of ROH TV on HonorClub.
Ring of Honor Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata will defend his title against Lee Moriarty. That is coming on the heels of a Shibata title defense against Alex Coughlin, also on ROH TV on HonorClub.
Inaugural NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale will have her first title defense as she takes on Emi Sakura.
Here’s the lineup being taped Wednesday in San Diego, California:
AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo defends against Dralistico and Komander in a three-way
ROH TV Champion Katsuyori Shibata defends against Lee Moriarty
NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale defends against Emi Sakura
NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Action Andretti
The lineup for this Thursday’s Ring of Honor on HonorClub TV show will feature three title matches.
NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. will continue his recent ROH run as he defends against Rocky Romero. Sabre Jr. is 2-0 in TV titles defenses in the red and black promotion and is coming off a tag team win alongside ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe last week.
ROH Women’s Champion Athena will look to extend her long winning streak as she defends against Kiera Hogan. Athena is entering her sixth month as champion and hasn’t lost since last September’s AEW All Out — a stretch of over 40 matches.
ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata will attempt to earn his second title defense since winning the gold in March as he takes on Alex Coughlin in a teacher vs. student match.
In what should be an exciting trios encounter, AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo will team with Komander & Bandido against Jack Cartwheel, Angelico & Serpentico.
Here’s the full lineup:
ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata defends against Alex Coughlin
ROH Women’s Champion Athena defends against Kiera Hogan
NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Rocky Romero
The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) vs. The Infantry (Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo)
Kip Sabian and The Butcher & The Blade vs. Shogun, Bryce Saturn & Jakob Austin Young
El Hijo del Vikingo, Komander & Bandido vs. Jack Cartwheel, Angelico & Serpentico
Brian Cage vs. Willie Mack
Action Andretti & Darius Martin vs. The WorkHorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry)
Dark Order (Alex Reynolds, John Silver & Evil Uno) vs. The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch) and Stu Grayson
The respective TV Champions from Ring of Honor and NJPW will team up on this week’s ROH on HonorClub TV.
ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe and NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. will face Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal where if Daniels and Sydal win, they earn TV title shots of their own.
Thursday will feature two Proving Ground matches as ROH World Champion Claudio Castagnoli will face Serpentico while ROH Women’s Champion Athena takes on Promise Braxton. If either challenger wins or survives the time limit, they will earn a future title shot.
Ahead of his special referee gig at Sunday’s Double or Nothing, Mark Briscoe will face JD Drake while new NJPW Strong Women’s Champion Willow Nightingale will take on Hyan.
The 19-match lineup will also feature former ROH Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez against Dream Girl Ellie, and ROH Tag Team Champion Penta El Zero Miedo going one-on-one with Slim J.
**********
Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, and Nigel McGuinness are on the call for this supersized edition of ROH on Honor Club, coming from the set at Universal Studios.
Mark Briscoe defeated JD Drake (w/Anthony Henry)
The WorkHorsemen continue to impress in singles matches. They have made themselves highlights of these Honor Club shows. This was a great singles match to start off this week’s show.
Briscoe started the match by opening himself up for a chop, which started a chop battle that Briscoe won before booting Drake into the corner. The announcers talk about Briscoe’s role as guest referee for the AEW Tag Team Title match at Double or Nothing as Drake threw Briscoe across the ring. Briscoe came back and sent Drake to the floor. Briscoe booted Drake off the apron before hitting a corkscrew senton to both Workhorsemen on the floor to a big reaction.
Back in the ring, both men traded slaps. A technical error shortly killed my feed here, but it came back quickly to Drake clubbering on Briscoe in the corner while talking trash to the crowd. Drake hit a Bossman Slam for a nearfall, following it with a bottom rope Vader Bomb for another nearfall. Drake brought Briscoe to the top rope, but Briscoe fought him down with chops before hitting a missile dropkick.
Briscoe chopped Drake into the corner before bringing him to the top rope. Drake blocked the Iconoclasm but ran into the Uranage from Briscoe for a nearfall. Briscoe called for the Jay Driller, but Henry interrupted him from the apron. Briscoe took Henry down with a baseball slide, but Drake took Briscoe down with a rebound forearm. Drake hit a moonsault in the ring, but Briscoe kicked out at two.
Drake went for the Jay Driller, but Briscoe fought out and hit a rolling DVD. Briscoe followed it with the Froggy Bow for the win. After shaking hands with Drake, Briscoe made sure to call out Samoa Joe to the camera.
– Backstage, Dasha was with Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal. Daniels says that while Samoa Joe and Zack Sabre Jr. think they’ve thrown a curveball, they’ve put themselves on the back foot against former World Tag Team Champions. Sydal said that he felt the titles pulling him closer, and he would get to one of them before long.
ROH World Title Proving Ground Match: Claudio Castagnoli defeated Serpentico
Castagnoli toyed with Serpentico in a test of strength, but Serpentico scored with a pair of headscissors. Castagnoli rolled to the floor, where Serpentico followed him with a dive. Serpentico hit a high crossbody in the ring for a nearfall. Castagnoli dumped Serpentico to the floor, where he sent Serpentico hard into the steps.
After gutwrenching Serpentico back into the ring, Castagnoli hammered Serpentico with short-arm clotheslines. Serpentico gave him the middle finger, so Castagnoli continued with the clotheslines before hitting a measured final clothesline for the win.
Kiera Hogan defeated Vertvixen
Vertvixen looked solid here. She’s got a good look, good offense, and the crowd took to her. Hope to see more of her. Hogan as Athena’s next victim is fine enough.
ROH Women’s Champion Athena made her way to the stage to watch this one. Vertvixen took Hogan down with a dropkick, but Hogan dropped her into the ropes and hit a hip attack. Hogan hit a step-up legdrop for a nearfall before noticing Athena on the ramp. Vertvixen hit a flatliner and transitioned into a Koji Clutch, with Hogan quickly reaching the ropes.
Vertvixen hit a springboard kick for a nearfall. Hogan came back with a running forearm and a sliding kick in the corner for a nearfall. Vertvixen sent Hogan into the corner and hit a Yakuza kick before hitting the Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Hogan fought out of a hold and hit a Saito suplex for the win. She made sure to stare down Athena during the cover.
Athena and Hogan shared words before Athena piefaced Hogan over the fallen Vertvixen and exited stage left.
Kyle Fletcher (w/ Mark Davis) defeated AR Fox
Kyle Fletcher is going to be a big deal, and after the news of Aussie Open signing with AEW, his time may be imminent. This was a great match.
Fletcher and Davis came out with the IWGP Tag Team Titles that they had vacated this past Sunday. Ian Riccaboni explained that New Japan officials allowed Aussie Open to come out with the titles one last time before the new champions are crowned at Dominion.
Fox got the upper hand with an offensive flurry, ending with a clothesline in the corner and a skin-the-cat dropkick. Fletcher booted Fox from the apron before pulling him to the apron as well. Fletcher hit a side suplex on the apron, then followed it up with a bodyslam on the floor. Fletcher continued with the bodyslams in the ring, but Fox caught him with a spinning suplex.
Fox fired up, hitting the rolling cutter for a nearfall. Fox went to the top rope, but Fletcher moved out of the way and countered another cutter with a half-and-half suplex. Fletcher hit a Mafia Kick and a brainbuster for a nearfall. As the crowd chanted This Is Awesome, Fox caught Fletcher with an enzuigiri before booting him to the floor. Fox went to the top rope and hit a senton to Fletcher on the floor.
Back in the ring, Fox went to the top rope and hit the 450 for a nearfall. Fox brought Fletcher to the top rope, but Fletcher brought Fox down with a top rope bodyslam for a nearfall. Fletcher hit a running kick in the ropes before hitting a spinning Tombstone for the win.
Willow Nightingale defeated Hyan
The announcers put over Nightingale’s NJPW Strong Women’s Title win, noting that she beat Mercedes Mone to do it. Ian Riccaboni noted that Nightingale didn’t have the title with her as New Japan was getting the nameplate set on the title. I appreciate Riccaboni’s attempts to cover these continuity errors.
Nightingale was in firm control early on. Hyan ducked a body block in the corner before hitting elbows in the corner. Nightingale fought back, hitting an enzuigiri and the body block she intended earlier. Nightingale followed with a shotgun dropkick and a cannonball. Nightingale dropped the straps and hit the Babe With The Powerbomb for the win.
The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) (w/Maria Kanellis-Bennett) defeated Mack Attack (Ninja Mack & Willie Mack)
Mack Attack is the kind of experimental team I want to see on ROH. Two guys not doing much on their own coming together to make a fun little team. They made a good pair here against the veterans in the Kingdom.
Willie started out with Taven, hitting several armdrags to start. Bennett and Taven took control with quick tags and fast offense. Willie fought out of a double team and powered his way to a tag. Ninja ran wild with offense on both Kingdom members. Ninja went for a Sasuke Special, but Bennett caught him and hit a German suplex.
The Kingdom blitzed Ninja with tandem offense, but Willie made sure to break up the pin after a Taven frog splash. Ninja fought his way free and made a tag to Willie, who took both Kingdom members down with a double clothesline. Willie hit corner clotheslines and a cannonball to Bennett before dropping Taven with a Samoan Drop and standing moonsault. Ninja tagged in and hit a double handspring moonsault over the ropes to both Bennett and Taven.
Ninja and Willie hit a 3D but had some miscommunication on the legal man. The Kingdom was able to take advantage, as Bennett hit a rebound forearm to Willie on the floor. The Kingdom hit the Proton Pack to Ninja to score the win.
Mercedes Martinez defeated Dream Girl Ellie
Martinez took down Ellie with a boot after some trash talk. She stomped on Ellie before hitting a side suplex. Martinez hit Ellie with short-range knees before putting her away with the Brass City Stretch.
– Dasha was backstage with Mack Attack. They hyped themselves up, saying that despite the loss, they were here to stay.
Ashley D’Amboise defeated Danielle Kamela
Kamela took control, dumping D’Amboise into the corner and hitting boots to the gut. She hit a squisher before tying D’Amboise in the ropes and kicking her repeatedly. D’Amboise traded forearms with Kamela before hitting a neckbreaker. D’Amboise hit a powerslam for a nearfall.
Kamela slipped out of D’Amboise’s grasp and hit a facebuster for a nearfall. Kamela hit another neckbreaker for a nearfall. D’Amboise fought off Kamela and hit a Burning Hammer for a nearfall. Not exactly as effective as Kenta Kobashi. D’Amboise followed up with a Uranage for the win.
Rocky Romero defeated Titus Alexander
Titus Alexander has gotten a lot of buzz on the west coast independent scene, so I made sure to watch him closely. His offense was impressive, and his selling was very good as well. He’s one to keep an eye on.
Alexander mocked Romero after a basement dropkick, then cut off the Forever clotheslines with a standing dropkick. Romero got the upper hand with a tornado DDT off the ropes. Romero landed kicks to the arm, then baited Alexander to the floor before hitting a dive. Romero hit the running Sliced Bread for a nearfall.
Alexander avoided a corner charge and hit a set of evasive kicks before landing a brainbuster for a nearfall. Alexander avoided another corner charge, but Romero caught Alexander with an enzuigiri. Romero pulled Alexander off the top rope and locked on the Diablo Armbar for the win.
Stu Grayson & The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent) defeated LSG, Marcus Kross & Vary Morales
A bit of a surprising turn here as Grayson worked well with the Righteous. This is a neat little undercard feud here with the Dark Order.
Grayson started quickly with Morales, hitting an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Morales made a quick tag to Kross, but Grayson got control of him. Dutch and Grayson hit a successful tag team combination to Grayson’s surprise. Vincent and Grayson hit another combo to Vincent’s delight.
LSG tagged in and got some offense in, but Grayson took down both LSG and Kross. Dark Order made their way to the stage as Dutch hit a Bossman Slam on Morales. Dutch and Vincent hit Autumn Sunshine on Kross before Vincent tagged in Grayson to finish the job. Grayson hit Nightfall for the win.
– Dasha was backstage with Zack Sabre Jr. & Samoa Joe. They were tense toward each other, with Sabre noting that he came to ROH to make his NJPW World TV Title the premier TV Title in wrestling. Samoa Joe said that like all of his other partners, he would have Sabre’s back tonight. I think that was sarcasm.
Shane Taylor (w/Anthony Henry & JD Drake) defeated Tracy Williams (w/Rhett Titus)
Williams and Taylor traded blows, with Taylor winning the exchange. Williams caught Taylor in an armbar over the ropes, but Taylor responded with a barge attack in the ring before dropping him with a forearm. Williams tried to catch Taylor with an armbar in the ring, but Taylor hit a side suplex out of it. Williams hit a set of strikes before dropping Taylor with a jumping DDT off the ropes for a nearfall.
Williams went to the top rope, and after fighting off an intervening Taylor, hit a frog splash for a nearfall. Williams almost had Taylor up for a piledriver, but Taylor hit a back body drop. Taylor hit a headbutt and a uranage before hitting a standing splash for a nearfall. Taylor dropped Williams with a heavy forearm before hitting the Package Piledriver for the win.
ROH Women’s World Title Proving Ground Match: Athena defeated Promise Braxton
Braxton kept up with Athena early on, but after a stalemate, Athena caught Braxton with a high kick. Athena hit a big forearm. Braxton caught Athena in an octopus hold, but Athena got out. Athena hit a gourdbuster and a superkick for a nearfall that came after some bragging.
Braxton ducked a corner charge and fired up, hitting double knees to the back of Athena for a nearfall. Athena caught Braxton with a rana into the turnbuckles, then hit a corkscrew splash over the ropes for a nearfall. Braxton hit a pair of forearms, but Athena caught her with a big shot that knocked Braxton silly. Athena locked on a Cobra Clutch for the submission win.
After the match, Athena went to do more damage to Braxton before Kiera Hogan made the save. She dropped Athena face-first on the title as was Athena’s trademark before standing tall with the title.
Dralistico (w/Jose The Assistant) defeated Tony Deppen
I’ve been hard on Dralistico ever since he came into the AEW system, but this was his best performance to date.
Deppen literally kick-started this match, booting Dralistico to the floor and hitting a dive. Dralistico sent Deppen into the post before taking Deppen around ringside and doing damage with the barricade and the steps. Dralistico hit a springboard senton but pulled Deppen up on the cover. Dralistico booted Deppen in the corner before hitting a running superkick.
Dralistico went for a powerbomb, but Deppen slid out and hit a pump kick. Deppen avoided Dralistico on a charge and hit a twisting springboard gainer to the floor. Deppen hit a double stomp back in the ring for a nearfall. They traded chops before transitioning to palm strikes and forearms. Dralistico caught Deppen with a hurricane kick, but Deppen came back with a pair of German suplexes. Dralistico hit a German of his own before hitting a superkick and a poisonrana.
Deppen got some offense in, but Dralistico tied him up on the ropes and hit a hurricanrana. Dralistico hit La Mistica and got the submission win.
– Dasha was backstage with Nick Comoroto. He didn’t understand the hype around Blake Christian, calling him All Generic. He said that no one looked like him, and that would be the difference tonight in their match. He told ROH fans not to “simp for these wimps.”
Skye Blue defeated Miranda Alize
After a ringside chase, Alize cut off Blue with a low dropkick and a DDT for a nearfall. Alize hit a facewash and a corner dropkick before hitting a butterfly suplex for a nearfall. Blue cut off Alize with an elbow before scoring a nearfall with a kick to the head. Alize hit a throwing suplex for a nearfall. Alize locked on the Miranda Rights crossface, but Blue turned it into a pinfall to get out of it. Blue avoided a corner charge and rolled Alize up for the win.
– Lexy Nair was backstage with Athena, asking her how it felt to get a taste of her own medicine. Athena said that Kiera Hogan would get her title match next week before freaking out on some nearby barricades.
Darius Martin & Action Andretti defeated Cole Karter & Zack Clayton
Clayton and Andretti started off, with Andretti using his speed to take Clayton down. He hit a corkscrew splash for a nearfall before tagging Martin. Clayton cut off Martin with a clothesline before tagging in Karter. Martin got back in control with a dropkick. Martin and Andretti pinballed Karter before Andretti hit a tornado splash for a nearfall.
Andretti lost his footing on a springboard, allowing Karter to shove him to the floor. Clayton brought him back in with an outside-in suplex. Andretti dropped Clayton with a superkick before tagging in Martin who ran wild on both men. Martin hit a facebuster for a nearfall before running into a Clayton powerslam. Karter hit a frog splash for a nearfall that Andretti cut off. Martin helped Andretti hit a tornado DDT on Clayton. Martin and Andretti then hit a pendulum slam on Karter for the win.
Blake Christian defeated Nick Comoroto
While I’m not a huge fan of Comoroto’s new character, he looked good here as the big foil to Christian’s speed offense.
Comoroto flung his sucker at Christian to start, baiting Christian into a charge. Christian avoided a corner charge by backflipping to the floor. Christian led a chase on the floor that led to Comoroto running into the stairs. Christian hit a dive to the floor and followed it with a senton in the ring. Christian went for another dive, but Comoroto caught him and threw him into the post.
Comoroto flung Christian across the ring with a suplex for a nearfall. Comoroto controlled Christian, chopping Christian down as he tried to fight back. Christian hit an enzuigiri before ducking a corner charge to get things level. Christian low-bridged Comoroto to the floor before following him with a dive. Christian hit a double stomp to Comoroto’s back before hitting a frog splash for a nearfall.
Comoroto hit Christian with a spinebuster, but Christian caught Comoroto in an inside cradle for a nearfall. Comoroto hit Christian with a reverse Attitude Adjustment for a nearfall. Christian pulled a steel chair out from under the ring. Comoroto grabbed him, but Christian threw the chair into the ring. Comoroto went for the chair, but Christian caught him with a flash pin for the win.
Diamante defeated Trish Adora
Adora caught Diamante trying to cheap-shot her on a rope break and tied her up in a submission. Diamante fought out and sent her to the apron before hitting a neckbreaker in the ropes. Diamante hit a dropkick to Adora sending her to the floor. The women traded chops before Diamante hit an overhead throw, sending Adora to the corner. She hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall.
More forearm trading before Adora threw Diamante to the mat with an arm wringer. Adora hit a spinning fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Adora went for the Lariat Tubman, but Diamante hit a neckbreaker. Diamante locked Adora in a Cobra Clutch style submission for the win.
Penta El Zero Miedo (w/Alex Abrahantes) defeated Slim J (w/Ari Daivari, Jeeves Kay & Sonny Kiss)
These jokers think they’re slick, saving the Trustbusters for the semi-main event of this extra-long show just for me. Jokes aside, Slim J is a quality wrestler, and he had a solid match with Penta here.
Penta cut off Slim J on a transition, booting him while he was upside down. Penta went for a dive, but Slim J cut him off with a forearm. Slim J dumped Penta to the floor, allowing the rest of the Trustbusters to lay the boots in while he took the referee. Slim J hit the springboard reverse DDT for a nearfall.
Penta hit a pair of superkicks and a pair of Slingblades for a nearfall. Slim J fought out of the Fear Factor and hit the running Dudley Dog for a nearfall. Slim J went for punches in the corner, but Penta kicked his leg out and hit a double stomp to the chest for a nearfall. Slim J took advantage of a slight Trustbuster distraction to hit a wheelbarrow flatliner and a leaping reverse DDT for a nearfall. Penta cut off another Slim J springboard and hit the Fear Factor for the win.
Samoa Joe & Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal
This wasn’t much until the hot tag, after which this became a very fun flurry of a main event. It’s a shame that Daniels and Sydal lost because this match made me desperately want to see Sydal vs. Sabre.
Sabre started off with Sydal, who was able to match Sabre’s technical ability and hit a leg lariat. Daniels and Joe tagged in, with Joe’s tagging coming to his partner’s surprise. Daniels caught Joe with a flash pin for a nearfall, leading to Daniels and Sydal hitting a tag team combo. Joe quickly tagged back out to Sabre, but Daniels and Sydal hit him with a combination to keep control.
Sabre caught Daniels with a pair of boots before Joe booted Daniels in the ropes. Joe hammered Daniels with punches before hitting the corner enzuigiri. Sabre tagged in and stretched Daniels for a minute before tagging Joe back in. The two television champs showed off to each other, beating on Daniels in different ways. Daniels dumped Sabre into Joe and got a flash pin, but Sabre kicked out and tagged Joe in calmly. Joe hit a powerslam for a nearfall.
More quick tags, and more beating on Daniels. Daniels finally fought out, hitting an STO on Joe before tagging Sydal. Sydal ran wild with kicks on Joe, hitting a meteora for a nearfall that Sabre broke up with a neck crank. Sabre tagged in and went to work with uppercuts. Sydal turned a running uppercut into a backslide for a nearfall, then got another flash pin for a nearfall. Sydal hit La Mistica on Sabre, with Daniels catching Joe in a Koji Clutch, but Sabre got to the ropes.
Sabre met Sydal on the top rope and put him in a double wristlock. Daniels pulled Sabre out and they hit a Doomsday-style Meteora for a nearfall. Sabre countered a Daniels move and tagged out to Joe, who laid out Daniels with a lariat. Sydal took Joe out with a jumping knee, but Sabre caught Sydal and neck cranked him. Daniels hit Angel’s Wings on Sabre, but Joe hit the uranage in the corner and locked on the Coquina Clutch for the win. After the match, everyone shook hands, including the TV champions.
Zack Sabre Jr. will return to Ring of Honor TV on HonorClub Thursday to defend his NJPW TV title once again.
After appearing on the revived debut show, the inaugural NJPW TV Champion will put the gold on the line against AR Fox in pursuit of his seventh title defense.
In a no DQ Fight Without Honor match, The Kingdom’s Mike Bennett and Matt Taven will face Darius Martin and Action Andretti.
Former ROH Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez returns to action off the injured list for the first time since last December when she goes one-on-one with Ashley D’Amboise.
Former ROH Tag Team Champions Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal will continue their reformed run as they face Cole Karter and Zack Clayton.
In a high-flying affair, Rey Fenix will take on Gringo Loco.
Other action includes Willow Nightingale vs. Madi Wrenkowski, Lady Frost vs. Miranda Alize, and several tag team matches.
**********
– The show started with Dasha backstage with Willie Mack and Ninja Mack. They showed respect to each other and made the decision to team together.
This week’s Ring of Honor was taped at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman, and Nigel McGuinness were on the call.
Rey Fenix (w/Alex Abrahantes) defeated Gringo Loco
This was a great opener to the show. Loco was a great pickup by ROH, as his basing allows these high-flyers to really shine.
These two started off quickly, avoiding each other’s offense before Fenix scored the advantage with several kicks. Fenix sent Loco to the floor with an armdrag before following him outside with a springboard dive. Fenix hit a frog splash in the ring for a nearfall. Loco caught Fenix on a rolling move, picking him up in a gorilla press before slamming him down.
After going for the mask, Loco dropped Fenix with a facebuster for a nearfall. Fenix fought Loco off with a pair of thrust kicks before hitting his spinning back kick in the corner. Fenix followed up by running on the top rope to kick Loco in the head before landing another splash for a nearfall. Loco cut Fenix off, but Fenix hit the rewind kick through the ropes.
Fenix brought Loco to the corner and went for a rolling cutter, but Loco caught Fenix with a cutter of his own for a nearfall. Fenix scored with a rolling Frankensteiner for a nearfall before drilling Loco with a superkick. Fenix brought Loco to the top rope before hitting a double jump rana for a nearfall. Fenix brought Loco back to the top rope, but Loco knocked him down before hitting a step-up twisting Destroyer for a nearfall.
Loco brought Fenix up on his shoulders, but Fenix pulled him down with a poisonrana. Fenix hit the rolling cutter to win.
– Dasha was backstage with The Wingmen, Peter Avalon and Ryan Nemeth. They mock the Iron Savages and want to prove that ROH is Wingmen Country. Good luck with that.
– Ian Riccaboni announces that Katsuyori Shibata will defend his title against his protégé Alex Coughlin in two weeks on ROH television from Las Vegas.
Willow Nightingale defeated Madi Wrenkowski
Nightingale was in firm control to start, landing a senton. Wrenkowski got a boot in on Nightingale before choking her over the ropes. She brought Nightingale to the apron and covered her up with the apron itself, landing heavy strikes.
Back in the ring, Nightingale fired up, hitting a splash in the corner before hitting the spinebuster. Wrenkowski fought out of the Babe With The Powerbomb, forcing Nightingale into the corner. Nightingale caught Wrenkowski in powerbomb position, but Wrenkowski took her down by the head Billy Kidman-style for a nearfall. Nightingale moved out of the way of a boot and hit the Pounce. Nightingale followed that with the Babe With The Powerbomb for the win.
Iron Savages (Boulder & Bronson) (w/Jacked Jameson) defeated The Wingmen (Peter Avalon & Ryan Nemeth)
Jameson led the Savages out with an energetic introduction, hyping up the crowd for the Savages. Riccaboni noted that Nemeth will be playing Gino Hernandez in the new Von Erich movie that MJF also plays a part in. Currently, Nemeth was getting pounded on by the Savages. Nemeth desperately tagged out to Avalon, who got the advantage after Nemeth chop-blocked Bronson.
Nemeth took some time to swivel his hips, which was met with a spinebuster from Bronson. Boulder tagged in and ran wild on the Wingmen, landing a double flapjack. Boulder went for a moonsault, but Avalon moved and hit a splash of his own for a nearfall. Boulder repeatedly pressed Avalon to kick out before dropping both Wingmen with a crossbody. Bronson tagged in and scored the win after getting electric chair dropped onto both Wingmen.
Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal defeated Cole Karter & Zack Clayton
Daniels and Sydal got the advantage first, scoring an offensive combination on Karter. Clayton tagged in but met the same fate and took an offensive combo for a nearfall. Karter cut Sydal off on the ropes, allowing Clayton to hit a lariat on Sydal. Karter and Clayton worked over Sydal for a while, with Karter sending Sydal off the top rope into a powerslam from Clayton. Karter hit a splash for a nearfall that Daniels broke up.
Daniels tagged in and ran wild, landing a bulldog/clothesline combo. Karter cut off an Angel’s Wings attempt, bringing Sydal in to send Karter out. Daniels hit the STO as Sydal landed a dive on Karter on the floor. Daniels got the win with the Best Moonsault Ever.
Lady Frost defeated Miranda Alize
Both of these women maximized their minutes here. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of them in this women’s division.
A quick start to this one, as Alize drilled Frost with a rana before booting her in the gut. Alize hit a strong face wash boot in the corner, but only scored a one-count. Alize talked trash, but Frost hit a jumping knee and a cartwheel cannonball in the corner for a nearfall. Alize came back with a release suplex for a nearfall. Alize hit a Tiger Driver for a nearfall.
Alize set up a neckbreaker, but Frost fought out and cartwheeled into an Air Raid Crash. Frost went to the top rope and hit a corkscrew moonsault for the win.
Cheeseburger and Serpentico got started, with Cheeseburger getting the better of Serpentico with technical maneuvers. Angelico broke up Cheeseburger’s momentum before tagging in and showing off his llave submissions. SAP worked over Cheeseburger until he got a tag out to Isom. Isom ran wild, hitting a dive on Serpentico on the floor.
Luther booted Isom on the floor while the referee was focused in the ring. Angelico caught Cheeseburger in a leg vine submission for the quick submission win.
NJPW World Television Title Match: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated AR Fox to retain
All NJPW World TV Title matches have a 15-minute time limit, with the title remaining with the champion in the case of a draw. It was announced that the winner would defend the title against Jeff Cobb at NJPW Dominion on June 4th.
After an opening exchange, Fox caught Sabre with the double dropkick combo in the corner for an early nearfall. Fox sent Sabre to the floor and hit the superman dive to the floor. Fox hit a springboard dropkick for a nearfall. Sabre got a hold of Fox’s arm and slammed him down.
Sabre started the work on the arm, manipulating his wrist while in an armbar. Fox tried fighting back, but lost Sabre on an Irish Whip attempt due to the bad arm. Sabre did more work on the arm, twisting Fox into an armbar that Fox fought off. Fox caught Sabre with a jumping clothesline. Fox booted Sabre twice before hitting a swinging suplex for a nearfall.
Sabre went back to the arm, dropping Fox to all fours and stomping on his elbow. Sabre hit the Penalty Kick for a nearfall. Sabre toyed with Fox, allowing Fox to fight back and send Sabre to the floor. Sabre cut off a dive, but Fox superkicked him in the ropes. Fox hit a pendulum DDT for a nearfall. Fox brought Sabre to the top rope, but Sabre caught him in the Cobra Twist on the top rope. Fox popped back up, hitting the Lo Mein Pain for a nearfall.
At the 10-minute call, AR Fox went to the top rope, but Sabre rolled to the floor. Fox followed him with a big dive to the floor. Back in the ring, Sabre avoided a 450 and caught Fox in a European Clutch for a nearfall. Sabre started ripping at Fox’s legs, catching Fox in the Orienteering With Napalm Death submission for the win and his 7th successful defense of the title.
– In the ring, Dasha interviewed Sabre after his win. He said that he saw a chance to make history as the first NJPW World TV Champion, and he took it. He declared himself the best champion in wrestling, and the most active TV Champion in wrestling. ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe came out taking offense to this. Joe offered a fight against Sabre right now, but Matt Sydal and Christopher Daniels made their way to the stage. Daniels stated that he, Joe, and Sabre have all held TV Titles, but Sydal was overdue for a title shot of his own. Sabre offered up a tag team match, with a TV Title shot on the line for Sydal and Daniels if they won. Everyone seemed to agree, with Sabre saying that afterward, they’ll figure out which champion is better. I’m excited about all of these potential matches.
The Gates Of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) (w/Prince Nana) defeated Dalton Castle & Boy Brandon
This stems from the mystery attack on Boy Brent last week. Boy Brandon started off with Kaun and got the better of him in a grappling exchange. Kaun then tagged in Liona, who tackled Brandon and threw him with abandon. The Gates threw Brandon around for a while until Brandon caught Kaun with a low flatliner. Kaun cut him off and sent him into the ropes where Liona booted him.
The Gates clubbered on Brandon more until Brandon crotched Liona on a splash attempt. Castle got the hot tag and ran wild with offense. Liona took a half dozen splashes from Castle and Brandon, but Liona kicked out at one. Brandon got caught on a dive, with Kaun taking out Castle with a gutbuster. Liona and Kaun landed a double facebuster on Brandon for the win.
Shane Taylor & The Workhorsemen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake) defeated Midnight Heat (Eddie Pearl & Ricky Gibson) & Schaff
Henry caught Pearl with a heavy kick to the midsection for the first advantage in the match. Drake tagged in and flattened Pearl with a senton and a Vader Bomb. Schaff tagged in and used his size to run wild, but Taylor dropped him with a lariat. As the Workhorsemen took out Pearl and Gibson, Taylor hit the Package Piledriver for the quick win.
– Dasha was backstage with Vincent & Dutch. Quickly, Stu Grayson entered the frame to wonder why they’d been watching him lately. Dutch and Vincent said that while the Dark Order brought him back, they were also holding him back. The Dark Order came in to drive them away, but Grayson decided to give Vincent and Dutch one chance to impress him.
Mercedes Martinez defeated Ashley D’Amboise
Martinez couldn’t keep a hold on D’Amboise early on until she caught D’Amboise with a rolling forearm. Martinez hit the Three Amigos for a nearfall. Martinez clubbered on D’Amboise until D’Amboise avoided a corner charge. D’Amboise fought back until she walked into a spinebuster for a nearfall.
D’Amboise countered a Fisherman’s Suplex into a rollup for a nearfall. D’Amboise threw a bunch of strikes at Martinez. D’Amboise caught Martinez with a forearm in the ropes, then followed it up with a Burning Hammer for a nearfall. Martinez caught D’Amboise with a curb stomp, then scored the submission win with the Dragon Sleeper.
Fight Without Honor: Action Andretti & Darius Martin defeated The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) (w/Maria Kanellis-Bennett)
This was one hell of a battle in this main event. Everybody took a beating in this one, and they did some sick spots here too. This is one to seek out for sure.
The Kingdom menaced Andretti on the ramp, but Martin jumped them from behind to kickstart this match. The plunder came out quickly, with Bennett catching a double dropkick with a chair in the face. Taven took a drop-toe hold into the chair, with Martin launching off of Taven’s back for a dropkick to Bennett. Andretti and Martin clubbered on Taven with weapons as he was trapped in a garbage can, but Maria involved herself, allowing Taven to dropkick a ladder into their faces. Martin got on the apron, but Maria hit a low blow, allowing Bennett to drill Martin with a chair.
Bennett got lacerated but didn’t let that stop him from hitting a spinebuster to Andretti on top of a trash can. Taven hit Just The Tip on Martin with a ladder in his face, but the Kingdom brought out a table to do more damage. They went for the big Doomsday Device to the floor, but Martin moved, leading to Taven taking out Bennett. Andretti hit an Arabian Press to both Kingdom members on the floor.
Back in the ring, we got a train of offense that left Dante Martin standing. Taven took down Martin with a chair to the back. The Kingdom hit a Hail Mary to Martin on top of chairs. Andretti fought out of the Proton Pack, hitting a bulldog on Taven. Andretti put Taven on a table, hitting a springboard 450 throu…onto the table. Andretti finished the job, suplexing Taven through the table for a nearfall that Bennett broke up.
Bennett and Andretti traded strikes, leading to Bennett hitting a spear and a DVD through the table. Martin fought his way up, but Taven dropped him with the Purple Thunder for a nearfall. Andretti and Martin got sent to the floor. Maria hit Martin with a pipe and held him up for chops from Bennett. Bennett went for the rebound forearm, but Martin moved, and Maria took the shot instead.
Martin and Andretti fired up, dropping Taven on a chair. They hit Bennett with a Doomsday Device off of the ladder to win. After the match, The Kingdom offered a handshake, which was accepted.
The NJPW TV title will be on the line this Thursday on Ring of Honor TV as Zack Sabre Jr. will defend against AR Fox.
Sabre Jr. was part of the first ROH TV show on HonorClub in a successful title defense against Blake Christian. The inaugural TV Champion will be looking for the seventh defense of his title.
Former ROH Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez will make her return to action after dealing with an injury as she faces Ashley D’Amboise. This will be her first match since losing the title to Athena at last December’s Final Battle.
In a Fight Without Honor (no DQ) match, The Kingdom (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven) will take on Darius Martin & Action Andretti in a feud that began while Dante Martin was still healthy before his recent ankle/foot injury.
The 11-match lineup will also feature ROH Tag Team Champion Rey Fenix against Gringo Loco in their third-ever singles match.
Here’s the full lineup:
The WorkHorsemen & Shane Taylor vs. Schaff, Ricky Gibson & Eddie Pearl
The Kingdom vs. Darius Martin & Action Andretti in a Fight Without Honor
NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against AR Fox
Lady Frost vs. Miranda Alize
Gates of Agony vs. The Boy & Dalton Castle
Angelico & Serpentico vs. Eli Isom & Cheeseburger
Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal vs. Cole Karter & Zack Clayton
Shane Taylor & The WorkHorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry) defeated Schaff & Midnight Heat (Eddie Pearl & Ricky Gibson)
Kyle Fletcher (w/ Mark Davis) defeated Tony Deppen
Dark Order (Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, John Silver & Alex Reynolds) defeated The Trustbusters (Slim J, Sonny Kiss, Jeeves Kay) & Josh Woods
ROH Women’s Champion Athena defeated Skye Blue to retain the title. The match had plenty of time to build for some late drama. Post-match, Athena shook Blue’s hand before knocking her down and gloating.
Show 2:
Mark Briscoe defeated Shane Taylor
Willow Nightingale defeated Madi Wrenkowski
Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal defeated Zack Clayton & Cole Karter
Lady Frost defeated Miranda Alize
Angelico & Serpentico (w/ Luther) defeated Eli Isom & Cheeseburger
NJPW TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defeated AR Fox to retain the title. It was on the line with the winner defending at NJPW Dominion. In a post-match interview with Dasha, Sabre Jr. said he’s the best TV Champion which brought out ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe who was ready to fight. Sydal and Daniels interrupted and offer to face the two and if either of them win, they would get a TV title shot of their own.
Gates of Agony (Kaun & Toa Liona) (w/ Prince Nana) defeated Dalton Castle and one of the Boys. Castle was thrown off that he only had one Boy.
Mercedes Martinez defeated Ashley D’Amboise. This was Martinez’s first match since last December’s Final Battle.
Action Andretti & Darius Martin defeated The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) (w/ Maria Kanellis) in a Fight Without Honor that features a trash can, chairs, ladders and kendo sticks. The crowd gave a “That was awesome chant post-match for both teams.
GCW has booked an interesting clash of styles for its return to Los Angeles in June.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Nick Gage will take place at GCW Thank Me Later on June 17 from the Ukrainian Cultural Center. The show will air live on FITE. It will be the first time the two have wrestled each other.
Also booked for the show are Maki Itoh and Rina Yamashita.
ZSJ is scheduled to make his GCW debut at Brooklyn: Fight Night on May 11. The week prior he will defend his Strong Openweight Championship against Jeff Cobb at NJPW Wrestling Dontaku on May 3.
As for Gage, he dropped the GCW title to Masha Slamovich at Eye for an Eye on March 17. He hasn’t wrestled since teaming with Itoh and defeating BUSSY (Effy & Allie Katch) at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 7. However, Gage is booked to make his DEFY debut in Seattle on May 13.
NJPW has announced that Zack Sabre Jr. will defend his NJPW World Television Championship against Jeff Cobb at the Wednesday, May 3 event. The Strong Openweight Championship will also be up for grabs as KENTA faces Hikuleo.
The championships being on the line in these matches became official after successful title defenses at NJPW Capital Collision in Washington, D.C. Sabre retained against Tom Lawlor, while KENTA retained against Eddie Edwards.
Sabre became the first-ever NJPW World Television Champion by defeating Ren Narita in the finals of a tournament at Wrestle Kingdom 17 this January.
KENTA won the Strong Openweight Championship from Fred Rosser in February. Wrestling Dontaku will be the first time the title has ever been defended in Japan.
Wrestling Dontaku is being held at the Fukuoka Convention Center and will air live on NJPW World. Here’s the updated card for the event:
IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA defends against Hiromu Takahashi
NEVER Openweight Champion Tama Tonga defends against David Finlay
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Ren Narita defend against Kazuchika Okada and two mystery partners
NJPW World TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Jeff Cobb
Strong Openweight Champion KENTA defends against Hikuleo
The 35-year-old is coming off a successful defense of his NJPW World Television Championship at Sakura Genesis. He defeated Shota Umino on the show. Umino had eliminated ZSJ from the New Japan Cup last month.
Umino vs. ZSJ at Sakura Genesis was given a star rating of 4 and 1/4 by Dave Meltzer, the same rating their New Japan Cup match got less than a month earlier.
ZSJ is scheduled to defend his belt on Saturday at NJPW Capital Collision against our own “Filthy” Tom Lawlor. Lawlor and Team Filthy will then face ZSJ and other members of TMDK the following night at Collision in Philadelphia.
A match for the New Japan World Television Championship is now set for Battle in the Valley.
In a vignette posted on New Japan’s social media, Clark Connors is shown watching Sabre win the championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17 last month. Connors said he was an afterthought in the tournament and that he had studied Sabre. He said he was ready for a fight like this and challenged him to a match for NJPW’s event in San Jose on February 18.
A big time challenge!@clarkconnors has answered Zack sabre Jr.'s open challenge for the @njpwworld TV Championship at battle in the Valley!
Sabre recently defended the title for the first time, defeating Tomohiro Ishii at The New Beginning in Sapporo event on February 5. Each title defense will have a fifteen minute time limit, and all matches will be posted in full on social media.
Here is the current lineup for Battle in the Valley:
NJPW Battle in the Valley, Saturday, February 18, 10 p.m. Eastern time on FITE TV PPV —
IWGP Women’s Championship: KAIRI (c) vs. Mercedes Mone
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada or Shingo Takagi will defend the title
Strong Openweight Championship: Fred Rosser (c) vs. KENTA
Strong Tag Team titles: Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs. World Class Wrecking Crew
NJPW World Television title: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Clark Connors
Eddie Kingston vs. Jay White
Filthy Rules: “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Homicide
Mascara Dorada, Josh Alexander, Adrian Quest, and Rocky Romero vs. KUSHIDA, Kevin Knight, Volador Jr., and The DKC
NJPW Battle in the Valley pre-show, Saturday, February 18, 9:20 p.m. Eastern time, free on YouTube and FITE TV —
Filthy Four Daily with Bryan Alvarez and Tom Lawlor is back with tons to talk about including Tom and Syuri vs. Giulia and Zack Sabre Jr., more notes from New Japan X Stardom and the Stardom PPV the night before with a wacky TLC match, Smackdown from Friday, New Japan Strong and so much more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
The first semifinal match in the NJPW World TV title tournament is set.
The tournament continued on Thursday from Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall. EVIL defeated YOSHI-HASHI in the semi-main event and Zack Sabre Jr. defeated David Finlay to close out the show. ZSJ and EVIL will face off against each other in the semi-finals on November 5.
The final two quarter-final matches in the tournament will take place Sunday, October 30 from Chiba. SANADA will face KENTA and Toru Yano will take on Ren Narita on the show.
NJPW TV Championship tournament results:
David Finlay defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru (October 14)
Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Alex Zayne (October 14)
Yoshi-HASHI defeated Jeff Cobb (October 15)
EVIL defeated Aaron Henare (October 15)
SANADA defeated Taichi (October 16)
KENTA defeated Hirooki Goto (October 16)
Toru Yano defeated Great-O-Khan (October 26)
Ren Narita defeated Tomohiro Ishii (October 26)
Zack Sabre Jr defeated David Finlay (October 27) (quarter-final)
Toru Yano vs. Ren Narita (October 30) (quarter-final)
Zack Sabre. Jr. vs. EVIL (November 5) (Semi-final #1_
Semi-final #2 (November 5)
Finals (January 4)
NJPW also announced on Thursday that for the first time in three years, Fantasticamania will return in 2023. CMLL stars will travel to Japan for the tour beginning on February 22 in Tachikawa and concluding with two back-to-back shows from Korakuen Hall on February 27 & 28.
NJPW has revealed the full cards for their upcoming Royal Quest II shows in London next month.
The first night on October 1 will be headlined by FTR defending the IWGP Tag Team Championship against Aussie Open, with Will Ospreay facing off against Shota Umino in the co-main event. The second night on October 2 will see Tetsuya Naito facing off against Zack Sabre Jr., with the winner facing Will Ospreay for the IWGP United States Championship at a later date. In the co-main event, Hikuleo will team with his brother Tama Tonga and Hiroshi Tanahashi to take on Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Jay White.
Other highlights from the cards include Gabriel Kidd making his first appearances back in NJPW since earlier this year, facing Dan Maloney in a singles match in night one and competing in an eight-man tag on night two. The IWGP Women’s Championship tournament will officially begin on the second night, as Jazzy Gabert will face Ava White.
Several Rev Pro Wrestling stars will also appear on the cards, including the new British Heavyweight Champion Ricky Knight Jr..
Here are the full cards for both shows:
Night 1:
IWGP Tag Team Championship: FTR vs. Aussie Open
Will Ospreay vs. Shota Umino
Hikuleo, Jado, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tama Tonga vs. Gedo, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Jay White
Tomohiro Ishii and Kazuchika Okada vs. JONAH and Bad Dude Tito
Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito vs. DOUKI, El Desperado, and Zack Sabre Jr.
Gideon Grey and The Great-O-Khan vs. Ricky Knight Jr. and Michael Oku
Kanji and Jazzy Gabert vs. Alex Windsor and Ava White
Gabriel Kidd vs. Dan Moloney
Night 2:
Tetsuya Natio vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Hikuelo,Tama Tonga, and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, and Jay White
Kazuchika Okada vs. Bad Dude Tito
Tomohiro Ishii vs. JONAH
Gabriel Kidd, Shota Umino, Ricky Knight Jr., and FTR vs. Gideon Grey, Great-O-Khan, Will Ospreay, and Aussie Open
IWGP Women’s Championship tournament: Jazzy Gabert vs. Ava White
Hiromu Takahashi and SANADA vs. Young Guns (Ethan Allen and Luke Jacobs)
DOUKI and El Desperado vs. Michael Oku and Robbie X
