Shota Umino challenged Ospreay to an IWGP US title match after Ospreay’s successful defense against Sabre, Jr. at “Royal Quest III.” He asked Ospreay to bring both the US and UK titles with him, as Umino has a special connection to both. Power Struggle is in Osaka, where he met his mentor and partner Jon Moxley, and the UK is where he spent considerable time on Excursion and became the competitor he is today. Ospreay defeated Umino at Royal Quest II last year due to the referee’s decision, and then again during his first U.S. title reign at the NJPW/STARDOM Historic X-Over event.

IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
Will Ospreay vs. Shota Umino
NJPW Power Struggle 2023 – Osaka, Japan – 11.4.2023

Ospreay has been champion since 6.25.2023 and this is his third defense. Umino had his attacks focused on Ospreay’s neck and back to start, with Ospreay shutting him down when he could, also going after Umino’s neck and back. He maintained control over the challenger, but the match took a turn after Ospreay landed two back-to-back Cheeky Nando’s Kicks, with the second breaking Umino’s nose. Even with his nose broken, Umino smiled upon feeling the blood coming out of his nose and confidently approached Ospreay, walking through chops as Ospreay threw them. Umino repeatedly stomped on Ospreay’s head and threw several back kicks, ending with a slingshot DDT on the ring apron. Umino’s rampage continued by throwing Ospreay into multiple rows of chairs and throwing a timekeeper’s table at his head. Earlier in the match, Umino had set up a table ringside, and had decided not to use it earlier. He placed the second table next to the previous table and had Ospreay hooked for the Death Rider, but Ospreay clotheslined him back into the ring from the apron to avoid it and nailed him in the back of the head with a flying forearm smash. Umino blocked Ospreay with a shooting star press by getting his knees up, but when he went for a dropkick, Ospreay caught him in mid-air with a sit-out powerbomb. Umino does however dropkick Ospreay out of mid-air to block an OsCutter. He even takes down Ospreay with his own OsCutter to earn a two count. Ospreay goes for broke with a Phoenix Swanton, hurting his back in the process, and only getting a two count. Umino blocks an OsCutter on the apron by pulling Ospreay face first into the turnbuckle. He tries for a Death Rider through the two tables set up earlier, only for Ospreay to put Umino through them with a Tiger Driver. Umino kicks out of another OsCutter in the ring, as well as a Hidden Blade. Ospreay repeatedly strikes Umino’s in the head, even at one point trapping Umino’s arms underneath his legs so he has no chance to block the strikes with them. This is when Jon Moxley appears ringside to fire up Umino, telling him not to quit. Umino is able to power up from the mat and turn Ospreay inside out with a clothesline. He also pulls Ospreay up into a guillotine DDT. Umino counters a Storm Breaker with another DDT, and then tornado DDT’s Ospreay before springing him out into a fourth DDT, but all of that still only yields a two count. Umino successfully pulls off an Avalanche Death Rider. Ospreay lunges his foot to the bottom rope to avoid being pinned for good. Umino gets retribution from earlier, trapping Ospreay’s arms under his knees as he reigns down with forearm strikes to the head. Ospreay in a daze makes it to his knees before a count of ten, and Umino rocks him with a diving European Uppercut. Ospreay pops up momentarily after being dropped with a Death Rider and smashes Umino with a Hidden Blade. As they fight back to their feet, Ospreay attempts a Storm Breaker, which Umino counters with a Frankensteiner. Ospreay rolls through a shotgun dropkick and nails another Hidden Blade. Umino impressively kicks out at one, so Ospreay instantly gives him a Death Rider. He maintains the double underhook and gives him a Storm Driver ‘93 for yet another two count. Another Hidden Blade and the StormBreaker finally get Ospreay the pin at 40:16. This was a leveled up version of their first title match. It included similar facets of that match, including Ospreay winning the match the same way, but the ferocity from both competitors, Umino’s rampage, and Moxley’s presence added a lot to the proceedings. If I wasn’t already, this match made me a believer in Shota Umino. He has the skill and poise to be the potential next top star for New Japan. Just looking at who he was in the first match, a man fresh from excursion, and who he was in this match, a man who has spent the past year battling New Japan’s best, tells the story. I think this did a lot to raise Umino’s already high stock in the fan’s eyes, and hopefully open up others who may not have seen it in him before. It just falls under Omega vs Ospreay from Wrestle Kingdom on my match of the year list, and I recommend it highly. ****½

Ospreay calls Jon Moxley into the ring after the match. The two of them go face to face , with Ospreay admonishing Moxley for making the IWGP U.S. title irrelevant in 2020. Suddenly, David Finlay attacks both of them, as well as Callum Newman, with a shillelagh. He tells Moxley that nobody steps into the ring without his permission. He then turns to Ospreay and says they have unfinished business. Finlay said he was going to end Ospreay and he is going to make good on that promise. Finlay then smashes both the IWGP US and IWGP UK titles with a hammer in the middle of the ring to make a point about how meaningless the titles are to him, with Ospreay watching the destruction while he lays on his back. Finlay holds up both titles as Gedo tells the crowd in Japanese that they are going to make a new title for a new era, the era of the Rebel. Shortly after, a match would be made official for Wrestle Kingdom 18 between Ospreay, Moxley, and Finlay, designated as an IWGP US (UK) Title match, with the understanding that the winner would receive a newly introduced title that night. It was officially announced on December 11th that the winner of the triple threat on January 4th would become the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion.

Garland, TX – 11.10.2023

Commentary is provided by Walker Stewart & Veda Scott.

Kickoff Match
Matt Vandagriff vs. Barrett Brown

This match is billed as a “STRONG Survivor Match”, pitting prospects from the NJPW Academy against one another on a bigger, more visible stage. Last month was the first match of this type, and Vandagriff defeated Buck Skynyr. Brown had a run on New Japan STRONG as part of the Stray Dog Army, which all but seems to be dead, but he did train at the New Japan Academy when it opened back in 2018. Vandagriff’s speed keeps him one step ahead of Brown right from the jump. Not only does it help him avoid a clothesline right at the bell from Brown, but he catches Brown off guard with a tiger feint kick and a double jump moonsault. Brown cuts him off with a suplex into the turnbuckles. Vandagriff also takes a half-nelson suplex, but takes back control by floating over a clothesline attempt, giving Brown a buckle bomb, and then turning him inside out with a lariat. Brown evades a 450 Splash and nails the .50 Caliber Kick, following up right after with a brainbuster for two. Vandgriff roundhouse kicks Brown after escaping a double underhook and puts away Brown with a 450 Splash at 4:44. This had more energy from last month’s bout, which speaks to Brown being a more suitable opponent for Vandagriff. I like that Vandagriff won the same way he did last month, and if this STRONG Survivor Series serves as a show-to-show gauntlet match, I think that would be an interesting way in which to integrate new names into the main STRONG show. It is worth mentioning Brown is still very good. **½

Kickoff Match
Fred Rosser vs. Tom Lawlor

This match was made during Lawlor’s backstage comments after his loss to Gabe Kidd at “Fighting Spirit Unleashed.” Rosser vs. Lawlor won the STRONG Match of the Year in 2020, 2021, and 2022, so they wanted to wrestle again before the year closed out. It speaks to where these guys are in the STRONG pecking order today when they’re now on the Kickoff after winning match of the year the three previous years, having a fourth match just to have it. Rosser immediately goes for Lawlor’s left leg. Lawlor throws Rosser by the back of his head into the turnbuckle and looks for an ankle lock, which Rosser quickly fights his way free. Lawlor uses a jumping knee to fight out of an apron suplex from Rosser. He goes for Rosser’s leg back in the ring, putting him in a standing heel hook before kicking the inside of his thigh. Rosser blocks a chest kick and takes down Lawlor with a dragonscrew leg whip. Lawlor cuts off Rosser with a dropkick and then brings him to the ring apron. Lawlor wears down Rosser in a Guillotine choke, but Rosser is able to muscle Lawlor up over the top rope and back into the ring. Rosser then pulls him back out and successfully pulls off a back suplex onto the ring apron. Back in the ring, Lawlor blocks the Gut Check and puts Rosser in an ankle lock. Rosser rolls forward, sending Lawlor crashing into the turnbuckle. He gives him a rolling punch before giving him the Gut Check and a running knee strike for a two count. Lawlor comes back with a diving tackle in the corner and carries Rosser out into a gutwrench slam for two. Rosser blocks a Kamigoye and delivers a running Death Valley Driver for two. He also only gets two with an Emerald Frosion, so he goes for the STF chickenwing, but Rosser grabs the ropes before it can be applied. Lawlor kicks at Rosser’s left knee to block another Gut Check. He then delivers a Kamigoye and NKOTB back-to-back, and yet, Rosser is able to kick out from those successive blows. Lawlor goes back to ankle lock, adding a leg scissors, which Rosser counters into a Mouse Trap pin variation to get the pin at 13:03. This was about on par with their first match, which makes sense as they were both cold matches. They brought the intensity you’d expect, but neither kept enough focus on their plan of attack to engage me. One interesting thing coming out of this match is that they’re tied 2-2, so I fully expect a tie breaker in 2024. ***½

Atlantis, Mascara Dorada & Tiger Mask vs. Rocky Romero, Hechicero & Ultimo Guerrero

Romero tossed Mask off of the top turnbuckle, allowing his Rudo squadron to beat him down in their corner, showboating to the Garland crowd in the process. Mask stops Romero’s Forever Clothesline and drops him with a Tiger Driver, giving him the opening to tag in Atlantis. Atlantis is able to use the Rudos to take down one another, finishing with an Atlantis Roll to send Hechicero to the floor. Dorada then wipes out Hechicero with a double jump crossbody. Romero had already taken three backbreakers from Atlantis by the time he got into the ring with Dorada, but that didn’t stop him from being able to take him down with a rewind roundhouse kick. Hechicero uses his feet to launch Dorada into a cradle, but only gets a two count. Hechicero saved a botched Frankensteiner from Dorada, swinging him around in a hammerlock. Dorada cuts him off with a backslide, and then spikes him with a crucifix driver before landing a shooting star press for the pin at 13:41. This was crazy sloppy compared to the other Lucha multi-mans we’ve seen on STRONG. The crowd was forgiving and the Rudos did such a good job in their roles at the antagonists that it wasn’t a total debacle, but it is far from the best CMLL representation featured on STRONG to date. **¼

No Disqualification Match
Toru Yano vs. Joey Janela

This is Janela’s NJPW debut, and Yano’s first match in the U.S. since February of 2020. He called out Yano in a pre-taped video of him at a bar throwing darts at a dart board with Yano’s photo on it. Janela attacked Yano at the bell and demanded a No DQ match, which Yano accepted by spraying cold spray in his eyes. Yano would make Janela regret his decision with a belly-to-belly slam on a pile of chairs Janela had put down himself. Janela however would come back with a package piledriver onto those same chairs moments later. Janela beefs it on an attempted apron Swanton, and Yano follows up with a powerbomb onto two chairs propped up in the middle of the ring. Yano tied up Janela to one of the chairs, but the referee freed Janela from it after Janela stalled Yano with a kick to the groin. Janela double stomped a chair into Yano’s ribs for only a two count. Janela pulled out Yano’s signature red chair from underneath the ring, and his attempt to nail Yano with it backfired as Yano ducked and the chair bounced off of the ropes into Janela’s face. Yano would then low blow Janela before rolling him up for the pin at 9:29. Going the route of No DQ was the right call given the individuals involved. The crowd was very into Yano which was a nice surprise, and I like that he won by Janela’s attempt to use his Yano’s own chair against him backfiring. **½

Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA) & Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) vs. BULLET CLUB (Alex Coughlin, Chase Owens, Clark Connors & Gabe Kidd)

A surprise strike from the apron to KUSHIDA from Kidd allows for Owens to scoop him up into a rope-assisted backbreaker. Owens partners take out KUSHIDA’s partners so they can wear down the former IWGP Jr. Champion in their corner. It seemed like he had an opening when he took down Kidd with a palm strike, but then the rest of his team jumped into the ring. KUSHIDA however knocked down Coughlin and Owens with a double back handspring elbow, giving him clearance to tag in Tonga. Tonga had Kidd reeling in the corner, but Kidd dropped Tonga face first onto the top turnbuckle to escape his grasp and tag in Connors. Knight blind tagged himself in when Tonga was sent to the ropes, and he wiped out Connors and Kidd simultaneously with a springboard crossbody. Coughlin however turned him inside out with a clothesline. Loa would then take out Coughlin, but Owens would wipe him out with a Jewel Heist. Tonga countered a Jewel Heist with a Gun Stun. KUSHIDA Irabu punches Kidd into a spike DDT from Knight. KUSHIDA also helps him with a springboard crossbody, but Connors cuts him off in mid-air with a Spear. Coughlin then wiped out KUSHIDA and Connors pinned Knight with No Chaser at 10:52. Part of me thought this might be where Owens leaves BC to join GoD, but alas, it was not. Otherwise this was a fun, solid match, akin to what you’d find on the undercard of a regular New Japan touring show. I don’t have a problem with the choice, but I am not sure what is to be gained from Connors scoring the pinfall here. It was a match that just existed to exist. ***

NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship
Guerrillas of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) vs. The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs)

The Guerrillas of Destiny have been champions since 10.9.2023 and this is their second defense. After Phantasmo and Hikuleo’s first defense at “Fighting Spirit Unleashed”, Nelson and Isaacs attacked and made a challenge for the titles. This is their third attempt at the titles, previously falling to former champions Aussie Open and The Motor City Machine Guns. A wild brawl starts the match. The challengers get control when Nelson takes out Hikuleo with a suicide dive, and Isaacs, who had been carrying around ELP in a vertical position, suplexes him onto Hikuleo. As the giant Tongan recovers, the WCWC beat down ELP back inside the ring, doing quite a bit of showboating in the process. ELP eventually kicks Isaacs into Nelson and rolls forward to his corner to tag in Hikuleo. Hikuleo takes them out with a double clothesline. Even though Isaacs escaped Godsend, he could not escape ELP holding Isaacs so Hikuleo could deliver two hard chops. He then big boots Isaacs into a spin-out neckbreaker from ELP for two. Isaacs pulls Hikuleo into ELP’s Sudden Death superkick to take him out. Nelson then knee strikes ELP into a German suplex from Isaacs for two. They had ELP pinned with a piledriver and top rope elbow drop combo, but Hikuleo from the apron kicked Nelson onto Isaacs’ cover. Nelson cracks with one of the tag titles after Nelson low blows him. Isaacs holds ELP for Nelson, but Nelson accidentally nails his own partner with the title. ELP sends Nelson to the floor with Sudden Death and pins the laid out Isaacs at 14:02. Man was that a let down. That ending not only stunk but this match just lacked energy, especially from the challengers. I don’t know why that’s the case, but I am surprised. **¼

Mistico vs. TJP

TJP attacked Mistico’s arms, but that didn’t prevent Mistico from being able to utilize his Lucha offense to take out the former IWGP Jr. Tag team champion. Mistico seemed to be in a daze when he took out TJP with a suicide dive, though he shook that off and landed a springboard crossbody for two. TJP takes a page out of Ospreay’s book and surprises Mistico with a Cheeky Nando’s Kick when Mistico derails his Mamba Splash attempt. Mistico retaliates with his own superkick. TJP gets his feet up to block a moonsault, only for Mistico to shut him down with a powerslam. TJP escapes La Mistica and pulls him into a grounded Octopus Stretch variation, converting into a schoolboy for two. Mistico’s springboard crossbody after kicking out leads to him pulling of La Mistica successfully, and TJP tapping out to the armbar right away at 11:45. This was another match that lacked energy. Everything was competent but unremarkable and just failed to get the audience going. TJP’s arm work didn’t really go anywhere either. Just two guys doing stuff. **½

NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship
Eddie Kingston vs. Satoshi Kojima

Eddie Kingston has been the NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion since 7.5.2023 and this is his sixth defense. Kojima earned this title shot by winning a fatal four way #1 Contenders match at “Fighting Spirit Unleashed.” Kojima’s confidence grew early on when it appeared Kingston’s left shoulder was in bad shape. He uses his right arm to chop up Kojima, but of course, Kojima unloads with his own barrage of rapid fire chops in the corner. Kingston is quick to lunge when Kojima rolls him out of the corner and gives the Breadmaster his own flurry of chops to the chest. Kingston also punches Kojima off of the top turnbuckle and to the floor. Kojima DDT’s Kingston on the apron and back in the ring, making the champion land on his buggered shoulder. Kingston half-nelson suplexes Kojima twice before putting him in a Stretch Plum. Kojima is able to fight out, and also remains steadfast when Kingston throws a lariat at him. One lariat from Kojima knocks Kingston down to the mat. Kojima defiantly pulls Kingston up into the Koji Cutter for two. Kingston blocks another lariat and nails Kojima with three consecutive Backfists. Kojima lands one lariat before dropping to his knees. Kojima gets to his feet first and drops the champion with a brainbuster for two. Kingston uses his own clothesline to cut off Kojima’s lariat and then scoops up Kojima into a Northern Lights Bomb. When Kojima kicks out, Kingston blasts him with two more Backfists and then delivers a second Northern Lights Bomb to get the pin at 10:43. Now that’s more like it. This brought the intensity the rest of the card has lacked so far, and both guys brought it pretty much right away. It was a battle of attrition, each of them wearing each other down and doing their damndest to not succumb to the damage taken. Kingston threw everything he had at Kojima and it served him well. A really fun match. ***½

Gabe Kidd attacks Kingston after the match. He was scheduled to face Kingston back in April, and Kidd thinks Kingston is ducking him. He cracks Kingston in the head with his STRONG Openweight Title and says he will come for him whenever he wants. He then leaves Kingston laying with a piledriver and holds up the STRONG title while standing on his chest. Well that may be a bit complicated once the title is tied up in AEW’s Triple Crown.

Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta) vs. BULLET CLUB (David Finlay & KENTA)

This match was made as a result of Finlay attacking Moxley after Ospreay vs. Umino last week at “Power Struggle.” Finlay and Moxley, along with Ospreay, will meet in a triple threat at Wrestle Kingdom 18 for the new IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. KENTA and Moxley also have their own history from the early days of STRONG over the U.S. title, and KENTA also defeated Yuta for a shot at the STRONG Openweight Title back in January that led to KENTA winning the championship. The BULLET CLUB attack the BCC as they’re making their entrance and isolate Yuta in the ring. Yuta is able to cut off KENTA with a Manhattan drop and enzuigiri and tag in Moxley, who forearms and chops KENTA senseless before taking him down with a piledriver and throwing hammer and nail elbows at his head. Finlay saves KENTA from a sharpshooter, but Yuta takes him out and Moxley drops KENA with an Ace Crusher. Finlay does save KENTA from a spike piledriver and pushes Moxley into a PK from KENTA. Finlay looks down at Moxley as he pie faces him, and Moxley responds with a rolling lariat. Yuta takes out Finlay with a crossbody and a flying forearm, and then a rebound German suplex gets him a two count on the former NEVER Openweight Champion. Finlay cuts him off with a uranage backbreaker and then gets two with a running Dominator DDT. KENTA keeps up the head hunting with a DDT. Yuta slips out of a GTS and dropkicks KENTA, who tries to use his DEFY title belt as a weapon. Yuta ducks and drops KENTA with the Painthriller before finally tagging Moxley back in. He and Finlay go at it, until Finlay spears Moxley and tags in KENTA, who comes in with a top rope double stomp to Moxley’s mid-section. KENTA throws multiple open hand shots at Moxley’s head before lifting him up onto his shoulders. Moxley counters the GTS with the Death Rider to get the pin at 12:48. There were solid exchanges and good wrestling but a very incohesive match. This didn’t really do anything to make me any more excited for the Wrestle Kingdom three way. KENTA shockingly was probably the top performer, while Yuta was just kinda there. It was fine. ***

NJPW World Television Championship
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Mike Bailey

Sabre has been champion since 1.4.2023 and this is his sixteenth defense. Bailey goes hard with kicks to start the match. When he goes for a dive, Sabre cuts him off, twists both of Bailey’s ankles, and then uses his feet to snap Bailey’s neck. Sabre mocking Bailey’s style with a kick to the spine wakes up the challenger, but Sabre is able to counter a back handspring into a Fujiwara armbar, with Bailey turning to the ropes to break it before it can be fully applied. Bailey shoots Sabre across the ring with a missile dropkick and gets two with a standing shooting star press. Sabre picks Bailey’s leg after ducking a head kick, and also avoids a PK. They exchange snapmares until Bailey kicks Sabre in the back and then connects with a PK. Sabre gets his knees up to block Bailey’s Kneecolepsy, doing more damage to Bailey’s legs. Bailey’s adrenaline rush is stopped with a kick from Sabre to his knee, but Sabre also takes a moment to recuperate before stomping Bailey’s knees into the mat. He reverse figure seven’s Bailey’s legs meanwhile twisting on Bailey’s left foot, and then converts into an inverted Bow and Arrow until Bailey crawls to the ropes to break the hold. On the ring apron, Bailey crushes Sabre with a Kneecolepsy, and then wipes him out with a double jump corkscrew moonsault to the floor when Sabre gets to his feet. In the ring, Ultima Weapon gets him a very close two count. Sabre desperately drops him with a Michinoku Driver after a kick and gets two just at the two minute warning is called. They fight for a rear-naked choke on the ground, ending with Sabre European Clutching Bailey for two. Bailey’s Collision Course gets him two, and he feigns Kneecolepsy before hitting it onto Sabre’s spine. Sabre uses a flying armbar to cut off Bailey’s tornado kick. Bailey avoids a triangle choke, so Sabre puts on an Omoplata, twisting Bailey’s fingers and kicking at his head, breaking his pinky in time for Bailey to verbally submit at 14:54. That was a really fast fifteen minutes, and I mean that as a huge compliment. Each of their strengths played into each other perfectly, the crowd was really into what they were doing, and there was a sense of urgency all match long. This show was looking pretty dire overall, but thankfully there is at least one match worth seeking out. ****

IWGP Women’s Championship
Mayu Iwatani vs. Stephanie Vaquer

Iwatani has been champion since 4.23.2023 and this is her second defense. We got to get those numbers up! Vaquer challenged Iwatani after winning a tag team match at “Fighting Spirit Unleashed.” Vaquer is also the current CMLL World Women’s Champion and one-half of the CMLL Women’s Tag Team Champions, and comes to the ring with both titles. Each competitor has the other scouted in the early minutes, and the champion scores first with a roll-up into a Sick Kick. Vaquer responds moments later by grabbing Iwatani’s hair and blasting her with a superkick. Vaquer gives her a nasty looking dragonscrew leg whip out of the corner and a snap leg drop for two. She demeans Iwatani with a skull*ck for another two count, and then slams her face repeatedly into one of the turnbuckle pads. Iwatani headscissors Vaquer to the ropes and dropkicks her into them. Vaquer cuts off a dive with a gamengiri and lands a springboard crossbody back into the ring for two. Iwatani fights out of a package piledriver and superkicks Vaquer. Iwatani is able to take out Vaquer with her signature dragon suplex, but Vaquer rolls to the floor before she can attempt a pin. Iwatani’s suicide dive lands this time, and follows up with a frog splash back in the ring for two. Iwatani goes for a moonsault, but is caught by Vaquer upon landing into a triangle choke. Iwatani uses the ropes to escape. Vaquer grabs her by her head again and launches her behind her with a release German suplex. She crushes Iwatani with running double knees in the corner and is frustrated when the champion kicks out from the subsequent pin. Iwatani fights out of the package piledriver again and spikes Vaquer with a crucifix driver. She drops Vaquer with a tombstone piledriver and connects with a moonsault for the pin at 11:28. The dynamic of Vaquer’s power and confidence matched up against Iwatani’s tenacity and charisma made for a really enjoyable match. Once again Vaquer proved she could be the top woman in New Japan STRONG if they gave her the ball, and I would put her as a top candidate to unseat Giulia. It’s fun to see Iwatani come to the U.S. now and again, and she won over the crowd just as she has done in STARDOM. ***½

NEVER Openweight Championship
Shingo Takagi vs. Trent Beretta

Takagi has been champion since 10.28.2023 and this is his first defense. After winning the title from Tama Tonga at “Fighting Spirit Unleashed“, Beretta challenged Takagi to a title bout via video and Takagi accepted instantly. Beretta was steadfast in his attack on Takagi early on, but that backfired when Takagi side stepped an attack and Beretta collided into the barricades. Takagi gave him a DDT on the floor before bringing him back inside of the ring where he wears down Beretta’s midsection. Beretta slips out to the apron and lawn darts Takagi to cut off his charge. After pulling off a moonsault to the outside, Beretta pulls a table from over the guardrail and smashes it into Takagi’s head twice, and then puts him through it with a Death Valley Driver into one of the corners of the ring. Beretta tries to attack him with a broken part of the table, only for Takagi to steal it away and beat Beretta with it thrice. This busts open Beretta, but it doesn’t stop him from ducking a punch and German suplexing Takagi twice back in the ring. A half-nelson suplex and a Busaiku knee earns Beretta a two count. Takagi DDT’s Beretta, and once Beretta is back on his feet, Takagi drops him with Noshigami before wheelbarrow suplexing the back of his head into the turnbuckle. Takagi scores big with a second rope Stay Dream. Beretta victory rolls his way out of a pumphandle, but Takagi comes back with a low lariat, a Pumping Bomber, and Made In Japan for a two count. Beretta blocks another Noshigami and pulls up Takagi into the Dudebuster for two. Beretta backslides Takagi to end a barrage of forearm strikes. He drops the champion with a GSP, but once again only yields a two count. He looks for the Dudebuster again, but Takagi turns that into an ugly Takagi Driver ‘98. Beretta gets his shoulder up right before the three count, folded over in pain. Beretta misses an enzuigiri. Takagi takes the opening to strike him in the side of the head with a forearm smash and he locks him into a modified Manriki! Beretta grabs the bottom rope to escape. Beretta looks for a lawn dart again. This time, Takagi catches him and drives him into the canvas with a falling elbow smash. The Last of the Dragon polishes off Beretta at 25:44. Each time Beretta has a singles match I feel like he kills it, and he always seems to deliver when he gets big matches such as this. The blood definitely helped the crowd get behind him and amped up the nearfalls in the last five or so minutes. The ending was slightly anticlimactic, and they definitely drew this out longer than it needed to be, but it was another great NEVER title defense from Shingo, and easily one of Beretta’s best singles matches. ****

Takagi tells Beretta “next time, No DQ”, to which Beretta nods in agreement. A tired Takagi then thanks the crowd and does his version of the CIMA DGUSA send off. Just like he did at Fighting Spirit Unleashed, he asks for his next challenger to make themselves known. This time, Tama Tonga, the man Takagi defeated for the NEVER Title, comes to the ring. He says that loss has been eating at him and says he wants to be the next challenger. Takagi says “yes, of course” and says the rematch will take place at Wrestle Kingdom 18. The first match rocked, so I’m good with that rematch.

This was probably the weakest STRONG card of the year. Once this becomes available on New Japan World, I recommend cherry picking your way through, but it is quite a slog until you get to the final three matches.