Juice claims third IWGP United States Championship in Capital Collision main event
Watch the Capital Collision replay now!
The main event of Capital Collision was a violent four-way IWGP US Heavyweight Championship match that saw Hiroshi Tanahashi seek his first defence against “Rock Hard” Juice Robinson, Will Ospreay, and Jon Moxley. Before the bout, fans were treated to a special appearance by Tiger Hattori as he presented the title and presided over the contest.
Kicking off, Ospreay delivered a direct attack on Moxley as tensions quickly rose as Ospreay elbowed him to the floor. Tanahashi dove onto Robinson which sent the Ace into the guardrail early on. Moxley and Ospreay battled it out back inside. Moxley showed he didn’t want anyone to stand in his way, and went nose to nose with the Commonwealth Kingpin; swings at one another devolved quickly into an all out brawl, as Ospreay delivered a Backbreaker to Moxley only to be met with more suplexes.
Juice would look to some hardware to get himself back in the bout, making use of traditional long leashes on DQs in four ways to have Ospreay run himself into a steel chair on the ring apron; Robinson would then whip Moxley into the same steel, before biting him in a role reversal to their first meeting three years ago. The battle turned here and evolved as Juice took control and used steel chairs and tables too.
The use of all of these items sparked a melee as Moxley, Ospreay, Robinson, Tanahashi elevated their own tactics to gain an advantage over the other opponents. As bodies flew in quick succession, Tanahashi landed a double Dragon Screw on Ospreay and Juice, only for Moxley to appear, taking down the Ace with a cutter. Robinson tried to seize the means of production, and the product itself, grabbing the title and smashing it over Tanahashi’s head and face, but a pin was broken up by Moxley. Moxley threw Robinson from the ring and that gave Ospreay a chance to deliver a top rope 450.
With Ospreay and a now bloodied Moxley in better shape and center ring, both wanted to seize victory, but Moxley would avoid the Hidden Blade, and Osprey would definitively kick out of the Pulp Friction. Mox transitioned into the Bulldog Choke but the hold was broken by Tanahashi, who delivered a High Fly Flow to both men before sending an interfering Juice off the apron.
Moxley would fire off a shot to the Ace, but Tanahashi recovered and dropped the Purveyor of Violence with a Slingblade on the apron. Placing Moxley on a table outside, Tanahashi took flight with a High Fly Flow through the table on the floor, to the delight of the crowd, but to the Ace’s own downfall. Juice and Ospreay were left alone center ring, with the Briton preparing Hidden Blade, but Juice shoved the referee into Ospreay’s path before scoring a low blow, and landing his Rockslide finish.
The referee counted to three, missing Ospreay’s foot breaking the plane of the bottom rope. The call made, new champion Juice Robinson celebrated with BULLET CLUB, as a similar refrain of Ospreay protesting an unlucky call ended the night at Capital Collision.
