Handicap bout to determine Rosser’s fate Friday night
The main event of this week’s NJPW STRONG saw Fred Rosser, Alex Coughlin and the DKC take on Tom Lawlor, JR Kratos and Royce Isaacs. With Coughlin and Kratos, and Rosser and Lawlor in the midst of their own deeply personal rivalries, it wasn’t long at all before the match broke down, and with effective double teams on the floor coupled with the sheer strength of Coughlin, ‘Team Fred’ had early control.
When Isaacs was legal however, Rosser only had eyes for Lawlor, and his lack of focus led to Team Filthy taking control, first on Mr. No Days Off, and then on DKC as the LA Dojo member was launched across the ring. Eventually Rosser would get a hold of Lawlor, suplexing him on the floor to create a chance for his team, and as Kratos and Coughlin battled on the floor, it was down to DKC and Isaacs in the ring. The DKC would unleash DK Fire, but a super powerslam from Isaacs would end his night.
Post match, Rosser once again demanded a chance at the STRONG Openweight Champion Tom Lawlor, and once again was told ‘no’ by the Filthy One, before he relented, telling Mr. No Days Off he would get a shot if he can beat both members of West Coast Wrecking Crew on a special Friday edition of STRONG this week.
JONAH took on Blake Christian on the night. All Heart would try to out pace his bigger opponent, but the power of JONAH would see the Top Dog clip Christian’s knee on a leapfrog, and send him into the ringpost on a plancha attempt. Christian would come back with some resourceful DDTs in ring and on the floor, before a springboard 450 for two, but JONAH would catch his foe in midair with a huge spear, a powerbomb and the Tsunami to pick up the win.
The evening’s action kicked off with the Stray Dog Army team of Bateman and Barrett Brown taking on BULLET CLUB’s Hikuleo and Chris Bey. With his Mutiny match against Jay White looming, Hikuleo was a somehwta reluctant partner to Bey, but an effective one nonetheless, and the two would keep Bateman firmly in place after a huge bott from the Young Gun. Stray Dog army would battle back, but a tope con giro from Bey took Bateman out on the floor, allowing for a Hikuleo lariat and chokeslam to end Brown’s night.
