Ontario, CA – 5.92025

Commentary is provided by Walker Stewart & Veda Scott.

Kickoff Match
Allan Breeze vs. CJ Tino

This match is billed as a “STRONG Survivor Match”, pitting prospects from the NJPW Academy against one another on a more visible stage. This is the eleventh STRONG Survivor Match. Zane Jay had won the previous three, but forfeited his STRONG Survivor “spot” to train full-time in the Noge Dojo in Japan. Breeze lost a STRONG Survivor match to Matt Vandagriff at “Capital Collision” in August, and Tino lost the STRONG Survivor match to Jay last month at “Windy City Riot.” This was a competently wrestled but unexciting match. Breeze showed a little charisma and poise just before the match concluded, so I was hopeful for him to come out on top, but Tino ended up catching him with a sunset flip at 5:25. *

After this match, Bea Priestley makes a surprise entrance. This is her first match since being released by WWE in February. She also held multiple titles in STARDOM, New Japan’s sister promotion. She showed up to take on someone in the top women’s business today, and made an open challenge to anyone in the back. Viva Van answers the call.

Kickoff Match
Bea Priestley vs. Viva Van

Priestley dropkicks Van in the back of the head during her entrance pose. That energy was carried through the duration of the match, in which Priestley aggressively dominated Van for the majority of the time. Van got in some perfunctory offense, but ultimately fell to a top rope double stomp to the back followed by Plan B (a Regal plex driver) for the pin at 4:27. A strong, decisive victory for Priestley to establish her as a threat to the STRONG women’s division right off the bat. I’m still sad Van is nothing more than fodder for this division, but it is what it is. *¼

Fred Rosser vs. Matt Vandagriff

Rosser attempted to take Vandagriff under his wing, but Vandagriff turned on Rosser during their tag team match at “Battle In The Valley.” Vandagriff has updated his look, wearing mostly white with red and black accents, and a clown/devil entrance mask that reminds me of Crazzy Steve. He tried to get a win early with a suicide dive and hitting him with a Busaiku Knee back in the ring for two. Vandagriff also cuts corners with eye pokes and taunts Rosser with middle fingers. He has Rosser well scouted, avoiding both Rosser’s signature seated senton and apron backbreaker. Rosser sits on Vandagriff’s chest to block a sunset bomb off of the ring apron. Rosser then makes Vandagriff pay for his behavior by throwing him into the barricades twice and twisting up his middle finger as his wrist is placed through the barricade bars. After some fighting in the crowd, Vandagriff once again utilizes a suicide dive to take out Rosser. Rosser grabs Vandagriff’s foot to stop Vandagriff’s chest kick barrage. Rosser open hand strikes Vandagriff across the face and unloads with multiple clotheslines and hip attacks in the corner. Vandagriff slips to the outside and comes back in with a springboard forearm to Rosser’s neck. Rosser quickly shuts him down with a belly-to-belly suplex to the corner. Even though Vandagriff initially floats through a clothesline attempt and powerbombs Rosser into the corner, Rosser retaliates right after with a successful clothesline. Vandagriff again blocks one of Rosser’s key offensive maneuvers, turning Rosser’s Gut Check into his own standing moonsault. Rosser gets his knees up to block Vandagriff’s 450 splash, and then hits the Gut Check successfully for two. Vandagriff flips off Rosser after kicking out. Rosser angrily grabs his finger and locks in the Chicken Wing. Vandagriff taps out at 13:45. Rosser keeps the hold applied for several seconds after the bell rings before releasing. This was appropriately intense and rugged. Rosser was angry and seeing red, wanting Vandagriff to pay for his transgressions, and Vandagriff wanted to prove he made the right choice in abandoning Rosser. He also wasn’t afraid to take shortcuts which made the fans mad. This was easily the best Vandagriff looked, and I was perplexed that he lost. That was until after the match when Rosser intimated he was leaving NJPW and the LA Dojo. I expected Rosser to come out on top of this feud, but that the feud would last more than one match. A nice surprise! ***¼

NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship
World Class Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) vs. United Empire (Templario & TJP)

The World Class Wrecking Crew have been champions since 12.15.2024 and this is their third defense. TJP challenged the WCWC to this match backstage at “Windy City Riot” after watching them successfully defend their titles. This is TJP and Templario’s first match together in New Japan, but they teamed previously one time in CMLL in 2021, losing to Titan and Volador Jr. The WCWC isolate and wear down TJP, the smaller member of the Empire team. TJP uses the ropes to evade an attack from Isaacs and takes him down with a Frankensteiner. Templario tags in and gets the match back in the Empire’s favor. He dropkicks Nelson to one side of the ring. TJP then tags in and dropkicks Nelson out with him. TJP uses a wrecking ball dropkick to rid of Nelson, leaving Templario to take out Isaacs with a suicide dive. Isaacs however does stop TJP from attempting a Mamba Splash on Nelson by bringing him down with a superplex. He turns TJP inside out with a clothesline into an elbow drop from Nelson for two. Templario saves TJP from being pinned after a Death Valley Driver onto the knees. Templario also wheelbarrow suplexes Nelson out of the corner and superkicking Isaacs to help TJP out of a bind. Templario powerbombs Nelson into a lungblower, and TJP hits the Mamba Splash right after. Isaacs jumps in to break up the pin just in time. Isaacs is disposed of once more before Templario hits a rope-walk Doomsday forearm to Nelson’s neck for two. Isaacs fights for an delivers a tombstone to TJP. Nelson and Isaacs then give Templario the Death Valley Driver onto the knees. TJP evades Movies On The Roof. TJP also backslides his way out of Nelson’s California Love Ace Crusher. Templario has gamengiri’d Isaacs to the floor. Nelson pulls TJP into a small package, but Templario reverses the cradle, making it so TJP pins Nelson in the small package at 13:12 to win the titles. This took some time to get going and for TJP and Templario to find their groove as a team. Once they found out, things got really good. Some fun counters, evasions, and top notch teamwork made for a fun match. The title change was unexpected, and I like the way they pulled it off. I anticipate and welcome a rematch. I also think it’d be neat to see some defenses in CMLL. ***¼

BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd & Gedo) vs. The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) & The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson)

This is the Good Brothers first match since October, and they were released by WWE in February. The Bucks and Good Brothers are all original BULLET CLUB members – Karl founding the group in May 2013, and the Bucks and Good Brothers joining in Fall 2013. The War Dogs attack the BC OG’s just as they’re about to “too sweet” each other, leading to everyone brawling around the building. Nicholas superkicks Finlay off of the stage into the arms of the other competitors (sans Gedo and Anderson), and then somersault sentons onto everybody. Connors finds himself at the mercy of the pair of brothers, with Matthew even surprising Finlay and Kidd with a crossbody to the floor during their beatdown of Connors. The four way “too sweet” is ruined by the War Dogs yet again, and we get ten punches from all of the War Dogs in the four corners. Anderson is then overwhelmed by the War Dogs in their corner. After they knock his partners off of the apron, Kidd gets on the microphone and says that it’s not 2013 and that these 40 year olds aren’t cool anymore. Anderson shuts him up with chops to the throat, only for the War Dogs to swarm again. Anderson though ducks a clothesline from Finlay and shoves him into Connors, and then drops Kidd with a spinebuster. Gallows is a one man wrecking crew taking out the Dogs. Kidd bites his scalp, and Gallows make him pay with a throat thrust and sit out double choke bomb. The Young Bucks double team Kidd and then Finlay. When a rope-assisted Swanton doesn’t do the trick, The Good Brothers call for the Magic Killer. Connors gores Gallows before it can happen, and Finlay gives Anderson a backbreaker. The Bucks double superkick Finlay and double DDT Connors. Kidd double clotheslines the Bucks after absorbing their double superkicks. Anderson cuts off Kidd with a surprise Gun Stun. Gedo asks for the tag from Finlay and gets it. He strings a chinbreaker and superkick on Anderson and then hooks him int he Gedo Clutch for a very close nearfall. Gallows sends Connors and Kidd crashing to the floor before kicking Gedo into the EVP Trigger from the Bucks. Gallows helps the Bucks deliver a skyscrape Indietaker to Gedo. The Bucks dive onto the other War Dogs outside, and the Good Brothers polish off Gedo with the Magic Killer at 13:39. As critical as I can be against The Good Brothers, they and the Bucks turned back the clock in this one. They had their working boots on and put together a very entertaining and enjoyable match. The Bucks also looked a lot more like the Bucks of yesteryear than their current EVP characters. This fits in a story where the old guard is trying to prove to the current crop who is superior. They also showed more cohesion and focus. Another nice surprise. ***¾

Gedo is helped to the back. The other War Dog members face off with the OG BULLET CLUB members in the ring. The Bucks and Good Brothers invite the War Dogs to “too sweet” them. It looks like they’re about to accept, but instead give each other the War Dogs inverted “two sweet” and leave. The original BULLET CLUB theme as the Good Brothers and Bucks take in the fans’ adulation. Gabe Kidd would then assist The Young Bucks on Dynamite five days later. Don’t ask me, dude.

NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Drilla Moloney

Ishii has been champion since 4.11.2025 and this is his first defense. Ishii defeated Moloney’s War Dog partner Gave Kidd last month to win the title. Moloney earned this title match by defeating Ishii during the New Japan Cup in March. This started similar to Ishii’s matches with Gabe, as Moloney and Ishii tested each others might. Moloney seemed pleased with his work, although less cocky than Kidd was. He went for the Drilla Killa on the apron, but Ishii swept out his legs and suplexed him on the floor. Ishii kept on top of the challenger back in the ring. Moloney halted him with a snap piledriver, but foolishly went back to trading strikes where Ishii came back out on top. Moloney, however, is able to fire up after a superplex, though Ishii cut off his spear and dropped him with a headbutt. Moloney catches a lariat attempt and muscles Ishii into Made In Birmingham for two. After a spinebuster, Moloney is able to successfully spear Ishii for two. Ishii ducks an enzuigiri and German suplexes Moloney, buying himself some rest time in the process. As they fight to their feet, Moloney lands the enzuigiri, and Ishii comes back with a lariat for two. Moloney grabs Ishii to block a Sliding D. They end up on their feet where Moloney roundhouse kicks Ishii. He gives Ishii a brainbuster, which Ishii fires up from, albeit in a daze. Moloney fights through a jump-up enzuigiri and two lariats. He slips out of a second brainbuster and goes for the Drilla Killa. Ishii escapes, but is hit with another spear, though he kicks out at one after the fact. Moloney tries a step-up Frankensteiner. Ishii powerbombs him into a Sliding D and gives him a brainbuster for the pin at 13:39. This was very much a formulaic Ishii match, but it worked. He had to fight hard to retain his title against Moloney who has become a formidable heavyweight. I appreciate that it was much more compact than the Kidd bouts. If Moloney is in the G1, I think he will bring the goods. ***½

NEVER Openweight Championship
Konosuke Takeshita vs. El Phantasmo

Takeshita has been champion since 1.4.2025 and this is his sixth defense. Rocky Romero is in Takeshita’s corner. This is a rematch from last year’s G1 Climax, which Takeshita won, and also a TV title defense from last weekend which went to a time limit draw. Once Takeshita got his knees up to block a lionsault from ELP, the focus of his attack went to ELP’s back and midsection. ELP got back in the driver’s seat by knocking Takeshita to the floor with an enzuigiri was perched on the top turnbuckle. ELP sent him into the crowd with a suicide dive, and when Romero stood in his way to block a second, ELP lept from the top rope onto Takeshita in the crowd. A momentary distraction from Romero did allow for Takeshita to side step an attack from ELP and drop him with a Blue Thunder Bomb. ELP quickly comes back with a cutthroat powerbomb. Their back-and-forth offense ends up with them on the ring apron, where ELP gives Takeshita a piledriver. ELP then sets up a table ringside. Just as it appears Takeshita is about to give him a Blue Thunder Bomb through it, just as he did at last year’s Forbidden Door, ELP finds safety in the ring. He finds no safety on the top turnbuckle, where Takeshita turns him inside out with a lariat. A tombstone piledriver followed by the Hitodenashi Driver only gets the champion a two count. ELP resists Raging Fire and lands Sudden Death. ELP looks for a tombstone piledriver, only for Takeshita to turn it into another Hitodenashi Driver. He follows up with a wheelbarrow suplex. ELP clotheslines Takeshita. He tries a springback crossbody but is knocked out of mid-air with a forearm smash. ELP spikes Takeshita with a reverse Frankensteiner and nails a rolling elbow for one. Two more Sudden Deaths and the CR-II Driver get ELP another two count. A crossbody into Thunder Kiss ‘86 also gets ELP two, but only because Romero pulled the referee out of the ring. ELP gets revenge by superkicking Romero and powerbombing him through the ringside table. ELP is close to winning the title with a small package back in the ring. Takeshita’s rolling forearm and Powerdrive Knee only got him a two, but one more forearm shot and Raging Fire get him the pin at 17:48. These two have exceptional chemistry and know how to get the crowd caught up in their matches. I also appreciate the small callbacks to their previous encounters, that won’t diminish the match if you didn’t see their other bouts. This maybe got a little too kick out crazy in the ending minutes but that’s my only real complaint. ****

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Goto has been champion since 2.11.2025 and this is his sixth defense. Goto defeated Sabre to win the title in February, and Sabre then challenged Goto to this match five days earlier after Goto successfully defended his title against Callum Newman. Goto broke Sabre’s defense record with the Newman victory, which is why Sabre was eager to challenge after the defense. Shane Haste is in Sabre’s corner. Sabre uses his feet to twist up Goto’s neck twice. Sabre continues attacking Goto’s throat. Goto eventually shuts him down with a lariat. Goto gets in a corner spinwheel kick and some other offense before Sabre captures another lariat attempt and pulls him down into a Fujiwara armbar. Goto gets to the ropes to escape Sabre’s double armed submission. Sabre throws a couple of uppercuts. Goto counters an Irish whip into Ushigoroshi. Goto ends a strike exchange with a reverse GTR and lariat. Sabre surprises Goto with a Zack Driver when Goto peels him off of the canvas. When Sabre comes charging, Goto traps him in the corner and uses Sabre’s positioning to pull off Shoto. Goto goes for the GTR after another Ushigoroshi. Sabre evades and puts Goto in a double handlebar stretch. Goto once again gets the ropes. Goto grabs Sabre’s foot mid-Sabre throwing repeated chest kicks. Goto endures his open hand strikes and headbutts Sabre multiple times. A lariat and GTW get Goto a two count. They each tade multiple pinning combinations before going back to strikes. Sabre slips out of the GTR and O’Connor rolls Goto. Goto holds onto a waistlock while he is being pinned. The referee rules the match a double pinfall draw at 17:28. I was not expecting this to be close to their first match because this lacked all of the factors that made that match what it was. What I did not expect was the crowd also wasn’t very receptive to the bout. They were respectful but really didn’t get that into the match until they believed the referee counted two for Sabre when it should have been three (it shouldn’t have.) There wasn’t a real “flow” that led to the double pin either. They just kinda did stuff and then got into that inorganically. It was really good for what was essentially two guys filling time until the finish. ***¼

NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship
Mercedes Moné vs. Mina Shirakawa vs. AZM

Moné has been NJPW STRONG Women’s champion since 6.30.2024 and this is her fifth defense. Her last defense was at Wrestle Dynasty in January, where she defeated Shirakawa in a singles match, also taking Shirakawa’s RevPro Women’s title in the process. Shirakawa and AZM wrestled for the number one contendership for this title last month, but because that match resulted in a double count out, Rocky Romero made this a three way match. While the champion is at a disadvantage, Mercedes did successfully defend the IWGP Women’s title against AZM and Hazuki at Sakura Genesis 2023 in a three-way. There’s a fan legitimately SCREAMING for Moné all match long that is distracting and irritating. They did a pretty good job of giving everyone equal time to shine and rest. It had the usual trope of one person disappearing while the other wrestled, but plenty of time with all three competitors in the ring as well. AZM got to shine with a sweet looking headscissors onto Shirakawa into an armbar on Moné (like a La Mistica with two people) and double double stomp in a tree of woe to both opponents at the same time. She also kicked out of a Tenchi Crash and Meteora from Moné. That did lead to some double submissions or pins which didn’t make much sense from a “who wins in this scenario” perspective. It was cool, though, when a moment happened like Shirakawa putting both AZM and Moné in a sharpshooter at the same time. Shirakawa seemed to haze AZM out with a Glamorous Driver, but Moné interjected before Shirakawa could pull it off. AZM took out Moné with a Destroyer. Moné did break up a Skayde schoolboy on AZM. Shirakawa pitched her right back to the floor. AZM rolled up Shirakawa into AZM Sushi (her signature cradle), then did it again for a tighter hold, and got the pin and the title on Shirakawa. What a shock, Moné loses the title and isn’t involved in the fall. Three ways can be tricky and this one was a bit of a mixed bag. It had some good moments and never lost steam, but it also got uncoordinated and sloppy. Not to mention how much more satisfying AZM winning in a singles title match would’ve been, but that’s wrestling politics for you. I have high hopes for her title matches. This was slightly above the match before it, but still far from the Moné/Hazuki banger from December. ***½

AZM cuts a promo in Japanese, but ends with “it’s AZM time.”

Generally speaking, the matches I had low expectations for overperformed, and the matches I was looking forward to most underperformed. If you just look at what happened in-ring, this is a good show. The booking, though, is troubling. New Japan is still booking these shows under the assumption that a. Everyone watching stopped watching New Japan after January 4, 2019 when the Elite left and b. Everyone watching is a fan of AEW. Based on some of the match reactions, that may be true, but is it true because it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy? If you take away the IWGP World Title match, what on this show is of interest to a committed New Japan fan? If these shows are not for modern New Japan fans, but rather the AEW fans only come to see older NJPW wrestlers and current AEW talent, and New Japan doesn’t even bother bringing the few homegrown STRONG names they have to Japan, what is the point of these shows? If these shows stopped, would anybody care? A pointless show is much worse than a bad show, and that’s what the STRONG brand has more or less become. It makes me sad.