Jay White victorious over Christopher Daniels in main event
The main event of NJPW STRONG’s Nemesis series would see Jay White take on Christopher Daniels this week as his ‘U-S-of-Jay Open Challenge’ got underway. After verbal barbs from the arrogant White, Daniels was quick to deliver a hard slap across the face of the Switchblade. Ever wrestling’s most proficient counter puncher though, White would elevate a rushing Daniels all the way out over the top rope to the floor to take control, with offense focused on the knee.
Daniels would find respite with a DVD to White, and followed up with a Koji Clutch and a Blue Thunder Bomb. After an enzuigiri and STO, Daniels would drop White with a Cataclysm, but could not get Angel’s Wings, as his opponent bailed to the floor. There Daniels went for the move again, but a back body drop would instead send the living legend connecting hard with the concrete floor.
Back inside, White connected with the Bladebuster for two, but found his jackknife pin countered with Angel’s Wings for a nearfall as Daniels’ knee buckled on impact. The Grand Slam winner would rally with a uranage and snap sleeper suplex before the Kiwi Crusher, but Daniels still refused to lose, escaping Bladerunner and landing a Complete Shot before going for the Best Moonsault Ever.
The BME would only find Jay White’s knees though, and the Bladerunner followed, Jay White gaining victory. Despite being pushed hard by the veteran Daniels, White was far from charitable to his opponent post match. Decrying AEW for sending a ‘washed up’ opponent from their roster, White demanded someone ‘truly Elite’, ending the evening by stating that ‘bay-bay, it’s still my era’
This week’s STRONG also saw the last match of Alex Coughlin’s own Open Challenge series, graduating from Young Lion status against JR Kratos. After even grappling, the match quickly turned to strikes, Coughlin throwing solid shots, but being quickly dropped by the Most feared. Keeping pressure up on the floor, Kratos would send Coughlin careening into the barricades outside, before landing a massive release vertical suplex back in the ring.
Coughlin would finally wriggle out the back door of another suplex attempt and threw bombs at Kratos, before an insane gutwrench suplex landed. Kratos would catch a flying Coughlin into a Fujiwara Armbar, but Coughlin responded by transitioning into a German Suplex, picking up a shock pinfall.
Ariya Daivari took on Alex Zayne in the opening bout of the evening. Daivari would withstand Zayne’s innovative offense and landed an impressive hammerlock DDT as well as the magic carpet ride. Yet Daivari still couldn’t get the pin, and as frustration mounted, would grab the ringbell from outside. In a crisis of conscience, Daivari considered dropping Zayne with the bell, but Zayne took advantage of the hesitation, and landed the Taco Driver for the win.
