BULLET CLUB beat FinJuice, Suzuki squashes Kaleb, Rocky and Raju do battle on IMPACT
New Japan Pro-Wrestling was well represented on IMPACT this week, 48 hours before IMPACT’s Josh Alexander and Moose make the trip to Battle in the Valley.
The night would kick off with FinJuice taking on the Bey-F-Fs of BULLET CLUB’s El Phantasmo and Chris Bey. Along with Hikuleo, Bey and ELP ruined a non title encounter between FinJuice and the Good Brothers one week prior with an indiscriminate barrage of low blows, leading to this number one contender’s bout to determine who would be next to challenge Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows for the IMPACT Tag Team Championships.
The match started with Finlay moving fast against bey to counter the arrogant Finesser and land a knee drop before bringing in Juice to take over. Continuing the antagonism that played out STRONG this past Saturday, Phantasmo grabbed a handful of Juice’s hair to assist Bey, and when Robinson went to the floor and the referee was drawn, Hikuleo dropped the Flaboyant one across the guardrail outside.
They Bey-F-Fs landed back rakes that were as spectacular as they were humiliating, but when ELP went for the dreaded Purple Nurple, the Left hand of God struck. With tags made on both sides, a Blue Thunder Bomb got two for Finlay on Bey, and Juice would get back in for some classic old school double teams. ELP would defuse the Doomsday Device attempt, leading to a Finlay dive onto Hikuleo instead, and Bey would secure a Victory Roll on Juice. Robinson rolled the hold back the other way, but tasted Sudden Death from Phantsmo, and the three count was rendered.
With Bey and ELP now set to wrestle the Good Brothers at IMPACT’s Turning Point event on November 20, the BULLET CLUB duo, and Hikuleo would get involved in a brawl with the tag team champions as IMPACT rolled on.
Kaleb (that’s with a K) was in the unenviable position of wrestling Minoru Suzuki on the broadcast. Sporting a neckbrace, Kaleb acted in the best interests of self preservation by avoiding contact before trying for a quick suplex, only to be taken down into a Fujiwara armbar. Kaleb made the ropes and then tried to throw his best forearms, but was quickly taken into a rear naked choke and the Gotch Style Piledriver, Suzuki picking up the win in a trim 95 seconds. Suzuki will wrestle Josh Alexander on next week’s programme.
Rocky Romero followed up on his AEW Dynamite outing against Bryan Danielson by facing Rohit Raju in X Division action on IMPACT. After both men went hold for hold and tackle for tackle in the opening moments of the match , Romero got the upper hand in trademark Sneaky Style with a poke to the eyes before a head scissors and then a dive over the ring steps.
Raju would fire back, connecting with a rolling Fisherman’s suplex for two, and when Romero got close to the ropes, Raju’s second Raj Singh would choke the CHAOS member. Raju would target Rocky’s arm, but the Forever clotheslines would gain Romero valuable space and time for a guillotine dropkick through the ropes. A DDT followed, and Romero went for Sliced Rocky, but was schoolboyed for another Raju nearfall; a Diablo Armbar attempt followed for Rocky but Singh again got involved, paying for the interference with a tope suicida.
Romero got back inside to hit Sliced Rocky, but only got two. A rewind kick scored in follow-up, but Raju responded with a knee to the jaw and then a drive-by kick to pick up the win.
