Chicago, IL – 4.12.2024
Commentary is provided by Chris Charlton, Walker Stewart & Veda Scott.

Kickoff Match
Matt Vandagriff vs. Zane Jay

This match is billed as a “STRONG Survivor Match”, pitting prospects from the NJPW Academy against one another on a bigger, more visible stage. This is the fourth STRONG Survivor Match, and Vandagriff has won all three. Zane Jay is a NJPW Academy student, competing and losing to the DKC and Bad Dude Tito on the previous Showcase events. Vandagriff gets an early two count with a back handspring elbow and a standing shooting star press. Jay catches Vandagriff coming off of the middle rope and gives him a fallaway slam. Jay then gets two with a running Diamond Dust. Vandagriff Koppu kicks Jay to the floor and follows with a tope con hilo. Jay cuts off Vandagriff with a dropkick back in the ring and drops him with a Rydeen Bomb for two. Vandagriff walks up the ropes to escape a backslide, turning it into a Styles Clash for the pin at 3:33. Phenomenal ending (pun intended) to a fun, quick match. Again, though, what does the Strong Survivor series lead to? **

Kickoff Match
Mina Shirakawa & Viva Van vs. Alex Windsor & Trish Adora

Shirakawa is one-third of the Artist of STARDOM champions. Toni Storm had approached her at the STARDOM event in Philadelphia the previous weekend, setting up a possible match between them in the future (likely Forbidden Door.) She gave a big smooch to Toni Storm’s protege and her former partner in STARDOM Mariah May on AEW Dynamite two days prior. Shirakawa wears down Adora’s left leg. Windsor saves Adora from a submission, and Adora pump kicks Shirakawa into a side Russian leg sweep from Windsor. Adora armdrags Shirakawa into a basement dropkick. Shirakawa cuts her off with a rope assisted enzuigiri. Van gets in a few shots on Windsor before sweeping out her legs and delivering a forward roll overhand chop. Windsor angrily blasts Van with a strike after taking a spinwheel kick. Shirakawa saves Van from a sharpshooter and with Van delivers a double hip attack. Adora cleans house with German suplexes. Shirakawa takes out Adora with a Backfist. Van Sole Foods Windsor. Windsor ripcord headbutts Van, and Shirakawa saves her from a piledriver. She DDT’s Windsor, passing her off to Van for a slingshot butterfly suplex. Adora uses Shirakawa to break up the pin, and both of them fight to the floor. Windsor escapes an electric chair position. She takes out Van with a rolling clothesline and drops her with a GTF (spinning fisherman’s brainbuster) for the pin at 7:03. This was a solid and compact tag match, with a very clear focus on Shirakawa and Windsor. I definitely anticipate them participating in more significant roles on future NJPW shows. **½

Minoru Suzuki vs. Ren Narita

This is Narita’s first match in the U.S. since Fall of 2022. Since then, Narita won the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Titles in early 2023 with Suzuki and El Desperado, and then in late 2023, Narita joined the House of Torture stable after turning on Shota Umino during the World Tag League. Suzuki instantly boots Narita as he enters the ring and beats him up around ringside. Suzuki continues to beat him down in the ring, pinning him with a PK for two. Narita gets the ropes to escape a sleeper hold just before passing out. The referee has to pry Suzuki off of Narita. Suzuki argues with the referee after, and Narita catches him off guard with a running knee strike to the chest. Suzuki avoids being thrown into a chair in the corner. The referee pulls the chair out of Suzuki’s hands, and while he is disposing of it, Narita jabs Suzuki in the throat with the push-up board he brought to the ring, which was gifted to him by Katsuyori Shibata in the LA Dojo. The Double Cross (X-Factor) gets Narita the pin at 7:43. A brutal, hot match that got the crowd the chance to see Suzuki and re-establish Narita as a Rudo on U.S. soil. A fun match to start the PPV. **½

NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship
Stephanie Vaquer vs. AZM

Vaquer has been champion since 3.10.2024 and this is her first defense. This is AZM’s NJPW U.S. debut. She is a three time former Artist of STARDOM champion and two time former STARDOM High Speed champion. She utilizes that High Speed to pick up the pace and ground the champion with a basement Sick Kick. Vaquer steps on AZM’s face when AZM tries a sunset flip and then dropkicks her in the side of the head. Vaquer humiliates the challenger by pulling her hair and skullf*cking her into the canvas. She steps on AZM’s face and shoulder. AZM keeps coming back with forearm strikes despite Vaquer shoving her down. AZM withstands a flurry of headbutts and takes down the champ with a suplex. Vaquer damn near snaps AZM’s right leg off with a dragonscrew leg whip. AZM however uses Vaquer’s own positioning to pull off an enzuigiri from the floor and a double stomp off of the apron. In the ring, AZM hyper extends Vaquer’s arm while twisting on her wrist. Vaquer avoids a double stomp and blasts AZM with a dropkick. AZM retaliates with another enzuigiri, but Vaquer pulls her into a belly-to-back suplex. AZM cradles Vaquer to evade a cross armbreaker. Vaquer then rolls AZM into a headlock choke. AZM gets her toe on the rope behind her to escape. Vaquer snap suplexes AZM for two. AZM cuts her off with a superplex and successfully delivers the super double stomp, but it only yields a two count. AZM La Mistica’s Vaquer into her AZM Sushi for two. Vaquer unloads more headbutts in the corner and drives her knees into AZM. AZM goes for La Mistica again, and Vaquer counters into a Package Backbreaker for the pin at 10:50. This was portrayed as a speed vs. power battle and that’s exactly how it played out. AZM won over the crowd with her determination and grit, and it made Vaquer’s domination over her all the more effective. AZM having her leg worked over went nowhere, but no one seemed to care. A rock solid first defense for Vaquer, and a very good match overall. ***½

Alex Windsor makes her way to the ring after the match and challenges Vaquer to a title match at Resurgence. Vaquer accepts. Sure!

NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship
Guerrillas of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) vs. TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) vs. The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) vs. Fred Rosser & Tom Lawlor

The Guerrillas of Destiny have been champions since 10.9.2023 and this is their sixth defense. TMDK showed their team acumen to start, dominating the champs. Hikuleo cuts them off, but Rosser and Lawlor interject. The WCWC cut them off and begin running roughshod. They, along with Rosser and Lawlor, wear down Phantasmo, until he cuts off Isaacs with an enzuigiri and kicks Isaacs into Nelson. Hikuleo wipes out the WCWC with big boots and a double lariat. TMDK ducks a double clothesline and drops the big man with a backdrop/neckbreaker combo. Lawlor escapes a tank buster and with Rosser locks TMDK in double crossface chicken wings. Hikuleo uses a double clothesline to take down TMDK and then utilizes a double Godsend on Lawlor and Rosser. Isaacs tripled Phantasmo to stop Sudden Death on Nelson. Nelson stuns Hikuleo, with Isaacs then sending him outside with a clothesline. WCWC have Phantasmo pinned with Hush Money, but Lawlor breaks up the pin at the last minute. WCWC are enraged at their former leader costing them the bout, and they go face to face with Rosser and Lawlor. A brawl ensues, ending with all everyone but Nelson taken outside. Phantasmo superkicks Nelson into Godsend from Hikuleo. Haste blind tags in as Phantasmo lands a skyscraper Thunder Kiss ‘86 onto Nelson. Nicholls puls Hikuleo to the floor as Haste jackknife pins Nelson for the pin and the titles at 9:56. This burned hot and fast and the crowd loved it. Strangely, it was neither the current or new champions that was the focus of this match, but rather WCWC establishing dominance and Rosser and Lawlor showing growth as a tandem. G.o.D. made the most of their time in the ring, and TMDK were effective as the thieves in the night that walk away cha,pst, so all is well. It was time for a change. ***

WCWC attacks Lawlor and Rosser after the match. Nelson asks why right in Lawlor’s face before he passes him off to Isaacs for a piledriver. Nelson punctuates that with an elbow drop. He grabs a pair of scissors and cuts Lawlor’s hair, just like they did with Rosser two and a half years earlier, and shoves it into Rosser’s mouth. That is serious dirty pool. It’s great to have this formal split of WCWC from Team Filthy, especially one that heats up this rivalry to another level. It sucks not seeing these four in Japan proper more often, but I am glad the U.S. shows have this as a hook.

Shota Umino vs. Jack Perry

Perry made a surprise NJPW debut at “Battle In The Valley” attacking Umino after the opening six man tag team match. Perry would make his in-ring debut during the New Japan Cup, defeating Umino in the opening round, and joining the House Of Torture stable. The crowd chants CM Punk at the match graphic, resulting in a riot squad coming out before Perry makes his entrance. He has a jacket with “Cry Me A River” written out on the back. If you know you know. The Chicago crowd is hostile towards Perry when he’s in control of the match, especially when he antagonizes them right back with a front facelock. Umino mocks Perry’s Jungle Boy taunt after suplexing him. Perry got distracted by the crowd, which allowed for Umino to give him a slingshot DDT onto the ring apron. Perry low blows Umino while he grabs the referee during a waistlock exchange. Perry then drops Umino off the apron with a DDT to the floor. Umino awakens after kicking out of a Tiger Driver, and then fires up after Perry spits on him during a strike exchange. He dropkicks Perry before delivering a reverse brainbuster for two. A pop-up knee and running neckbreaker also gets a two count.Perry evades the Death Rider. He superkicks Umino and then spikes him with a reverse Frankensteiner. Perry ducks the Blaze Blade and drops Umino with a Killswitch for two. The Glassjaw knee gets Perry a very close nearfall. Perry signals for the Go 2 Sleep. Umino counters into a spike DDT. He fires up in the corner and blasts Perry with the Blaze Blade. The Death Rider follows to give Umino the pin at 15:04. The atmosphere for this match was nuts, and I really like that Perry antagonizing the hostile crowd backfired. Umino had the physical advantage over Perry, as evidenced by Perry needing to take shortcuts like eye pokes and low blows, and once Umino had the mental advantage too, it was curtains for Perry. Umino’s win came off as a significant achievement, and it gives me hope that he can be someone to rebuild Western interest in New Japan. ***¾

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Mustafa Ali

Ali challenged Takahashi back during “Battle In The Valley” and the match was confirmed that same night for this event. Ali is the current TNA X-Division champion. Takahashi has Daryl Jr. in his corner, who is now buff as hell. At one point Takahashi tries to get him to replace him in the match. Ali humors Takahashi for a minute, and Takahashi ends up drop toe holding Ali into a dropkick to the side of his head. Ali catches Takahahsi on the floor, giving him a draping DDT from the apron to the floor. In the ring, Ali forward rolls up into a neckbreaker for two. Takahashi takes another neckbreaker and comes back with a headscissors. He dropkicks Ali into the barricades from the apron. In the ring he gets two with a Falcon Arrow. Ali Sick Kicks Takahashi in the corner twice, but Takahashi cuts him off with a lariat when he goes for a third. Ali comes back with a tornado DDT for two. Takahashi tries to shove Ali to the floor. Ali backflips off the top and lands on his feet, and then surprises Takahashi with a suicide dive into the barricades. Takahashi avoids the 054. Takahashi dropkicks Ali’s knee out, sending Ali crashing head first into the turnbuckle and busting him open. Takahashi places Ali on the top turnbuckle. Ali headbutts Takahashi to the mat and delivers a sunset bomb when Takahashi tries to run back up. The 054 connects and gets Ali the pin at 15:08. It was quite a dynamic shift from laughs over Daryl to that kind of ending. Ali’s backflip to the floor and him fighting through being busted open won over the Chicago crowd big time, and they were delighted to see him pull off the victory. I also like that Ali was consistent in attacking Takahashi’s neck throughout the match. Ali isn’t in BOSJ, but it would be really cool if he could be a kayfabe co-host of another All Star Jr. Festival, or bring back the Super J-Cup to the U.S. ***½

Riot Rules Match
Eddie Kingston, Homicide & United Empire (Jeff Cobb & TJP) vs. BULLET CLUB (Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, KENTA & Clark Connors)

This match came about after Kingston and Kidd wrestled to a Double Count Out at “Battle In The Valley.” Riot Rules is a fancy branded way of saying No DQ. Kidd and Kingston are the team captains, and their partners were a surprise until they came out of the entrance. United Empire and the War Dogs have been feuding in Japan, making them a great pick for Kingston. Worth mentioning here that War Dog member Alex Coughlin has retired, which completely sucks. Finlay takes out Kingston’s knee with a shillelagh early on. Chekov’s table is set up in the ring as everyone continues to brawl ringside, or in Homicide and Kidd’s instance, around the arena. When he gets to the ring, Kidd uses a ladder to wipe out his opponents until Cobb surprises him with a German suplex. Connors Gores Cobb before wrapping his own head in barbed wire and headbutting TJP with it. TJP blasts Connors with red mist and digs the wire into his eyes. KENTA stops Homicide’s fork stabs on Connors and delivers hesitation dropkicks to both Homicide and TJP. KENTA takes out TJP with the Go 2 Sleep. Finlay shoves Cobb shoulder first into a chair. Kingston then wallops Finlay with a kendo stick repeatedly, firing himself up right before he and Kidd blister one another with chops. Kidd bites at a kendo stick wound on Kingston’s forehead. Kingston halts a whip into the table, and instead puts Kidd through it with an exploder suplex. The rest of BULLET CLUB swarms Kingston just as he is ready to use some barbed wire on Kidd. Finlay digs a chain into Kingston’s mouth. Homicide interjects, dropping Kidd with an Ace Crusher. Finlay clobbers Homicide with the Shillelagh. Kidd gives Homicide a piledriver and pins him right in front of Kingston at 17:58. Some of these brawls have way too much down time or just drag, and this did neither. The ferocity of the War Dogs and having eight people constantly in motion helped quite a bit. It was a great way to get momentum going for Kingston and Kidd’s inevitable rematch, which was set up after a post-match brawl for Resurgence on May 11th, in a special No Ropes, Last Man Standing bout. ***¼

NJPW World Television Championship
Matt Riddle vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Riddle has been champion since 2.23.2024 and this is his third defense. Sabre initially declined Riddle’s challenge after Riddle won the title, saying he was beyond the 15 minute time limit rules that encumber the TV title, but Riddle defeating two of his TMDK stablemates resulted in Sabre changing his mind. Each man goes for the other’s legs, but both men are able to duck and dodge the other’s offense and not let their opponent stay on them for long. Riddle dodged in such a way that he grabbed Sabre in a gutwrench and suplexed him twice. The crowd booed Riddle as he missed a senton and Sabre quickly grabbed an armbar, which Riddle broke by grabbing the ropes. Riddle caught Sabre’s kicks and laid out Sabre with an open handed strike.Sabre snaps Riddle’s toes when he catches a kick and then repeatedly twists at his ankle and toes on the mat. Sabre stomps Riddle’s ankle into the canvas, and Riddle rolls to the floor in pain. Riddle briefly gets Sabre in a triangle choke in the ropes, but Sabre captures his flying knee strike and puts him in an ankle lock before Riddle quickly grabs the ropes. Riddle shifts into a German suplex, and then successfully lands his senton splash. They fight for an armbreaker until Riddle takes the mount and delivers some forearm smashes. Sabre goes from a triangle choke to scooping Riddle up into the Zack Driver for two. Riddle turns a PK into a half crab, and then lands a tumbleweed senton off the top turnbuckle for two. Sabre blocks a rib kick, but gets blasted with a knee strike. A ripcord knee strike follows, and Riddle then goes for the BroStone. Sabre rolls under and European Clutches Riddle for two. Sabre PK’s Riddle, but Riddle catches him off guard with a pumping knee strike. Sabre blocks another running knee and crucifix pins Riddle to win the match and the title at 13:15. It speaks to the crowd that they got into this technical showcase after watching a wild brawl. The story was well told, and the reversals were well done, and the crowd being behind Sabre (or against Riddle) enhanced the action. Signs point to Riddle’s time with New Japan being over, which I’m fine with, but he at least put in good showings each time out. I am ambivalent on Sabre being TV champ again, he certainly deserves to move into something greater than the title, but he was a great champion in its first run and anticipate the same this time around. ***½

After the match, Cobb challenges Sabre to a TV title match. They went to a draw last year during a title defense, Sabre then beat him in the rematch, but Cobb then defeated Sabre during the G1 Climax. They almost get into a brawl, but Sabre escapes, and promises Cobb a future title match while also complimenting his hair.

Nic Nemeth vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Nemeth is the current IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion. He was originally set to defend the title against Tanahashi last weekend at Sakura Genesis, but the match was canceled due to an injury to Tanahashi. Nemeth is committed to defending the title against Tanahashi, and thus is not putting the title on the line in this bout. Nemeth fights through the damage done from multiple strikes and a suplex to take down Ishii with a dropkick and neckbreaker. Ishii backdrops his way out of a piledriver attempt. Ishii absorbs Nemeth’s strikes. It only takes one forearm smash for him to take Nemeth off of his feet. Although Ishii pulls off a superplex, Nemeth reverses Ishii’s Saito suplex into an Olympic Slam. He spikes Ishii with a delayed DDT for two. Ishii counters a FameAsser with a powerbomb. Nemeth pulls it off on the second attempt after delivering a headbutt. Ishii blocks a superkick and takes down Nemeth with a jump-up enzuigiri. The Sliding D gets Ishii a nearfall. Ishii holds onto the corner to avoid the Danger Zone, but Nemeth quickly superkicks him afterwards for a two count. Ishii gets up right after taking a German suplex. He surprises Nemeth with his own Danger Zone. Nemeth uses the ropes to get to his feet, eating a lariat from Ishii. Nemeth kicks out at one and gets to his feet. He superkicks Ishii, and while Ishii also kicks out at one, he falls back down in exhaustion after getting to his feet. Upon recovering, he wins a headbutt battle with Nemeth, but can’t keep him down for three. Nemeth fights his way out of a vertical drop brainbuster. He blocks a lariat and swings Ishii into the Danger Zone for the pin at 14:07. If a match was needed to prove Nemeth can wrestle the New Japan house style, then mission accomplished. Sure it was basically any other Ishii match, but that is in no way a complaint. Trading hard strikes, the kicks out at one, Nemeth fighting for and eventually hitting the Danger Zone – it all worked for me and the Chicago crowd. It did a hell of a job warming up Nemeth for Tanahashi, that’s for sure. ****

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Tetsuya Naito vs. Jon Moxley

Naito has been champion since 1.4.2024 and this is his third defense. Moxley called out Naito after he defeated Shingo at “Battle In The Valley.” In their only other singles match, which was during the 2019 G1 Climax, Moxley defeated Naito. Moxley does not put up with Naito’s deliberate slow pace and mind games, taking the champion over the barricades where he pummels him on a production table. Naito Irish whips Moxley back first into the metal barricades. Moxley boots Naito as Naito taunts Moxley from a chair. Moxley sends him face first into the ring post before taking control in the ring. He wears down Naito’s knees with multiple kicks, figure four leg lock, and a cloverleaf. Naito smiles as he takes Moxley’s chest kicks after using the ropes to escape a bulldog choke. He briefly rakes Moxley’s eyes, but Moxley makes him pay by grabbing at his nose and eyes after taking him down with a suplex. Naito brings Moxley out of the corner with a neckbreaker and cranks on Moxley’s neck afterwards. Moxley takes him to the apron, where Moxley drops Naito with a double arm DDT. Moxley looks for a suicide dive, and Naito cuts him off with a surprise chair to the head. Moxley is now bloodied as Naito uses the ropes for a tornado DDT. Moxley turns Naito inside out with a lariat to counter Destino. Naito fights out of a sleeper, but Moxley curb stomps him into the canvas and then applies a rear naked choke. He converts into a Bulldog Choke. Naito gets to his feet and victory rolls his way free. He pulls Moxley into multiple elbow strikes to the head. Moxley blocks Destino with an Ace Crusher and drops him with a Paradigm Shift for two. Moxley hooks him for the Death Rider, but Naito escapes and pulls off Destino for two. Moxley blocks a second Destino and tags Naito with a pair of forearm strikes. He then delivers the Death Rider, but only for two! Moxley lariats Naito again for a one count. A dazed Naito fails to get his bearings before Moxley pulls him into another Death Rider for the pin and the title at 20:21. In some ways this mirrored the Umino/Perry match, in that once Moxley had both the mental and physical advantage, he was able to put away Naito. He had to fight like hell to do so, and even though it’s clear Naito is not as physically capable as he once was, he put in a good effort and had the fans buying into the nearfalls by the end/ His counter in the Destino from the Death Rider was terrific. I anticipated a title change here, and while I do feel like New Japan can be too beholden to AEW and lean on them a bit much for their U.S. events, Moxley has a lot of New Japan history and seems game to help elevate the next crop of top talent, so I’m for it. I’ll especially be happy if all of his title defenses are of this quality. ****

During his impassioned promo to the Chicago crowd, Moxley says he calls the shots in terms of who challenges him first. He’s defeated many Japanese legends over the past five years, so he wants the hungry young lions to step up. He tells his protege Shota Umino that facing him for the IWGP World Title will be his final exam. Before he can finish his thought, Ren Narita attacks Moxley with his push-up bar. Narita says he will be the next challenger and puts the boots to Moxley before Umino chases him off. Moxley is able to get the microphone and tell Narita that he’s a dead man. Umino insinuates that he is ready for the challenge before handing Moxley his title back and helping him to the back.

We’re two for two in excellent U.S. New Japan shows this year. The fact that it was their biggest U.S. crowd for a standalone event (meaning no G1 Supercard or Forbidden Door shows) helped significantly. Definitely give this show a watch.