Appropriately STRONG performance from Ishii this Saturday
Saturday night, NJPW STRONG was headlined by Tomohiro Ishii taking on Big Damo in a superheavyweight clash seven years in the making. As anticipated, it would be ahard hitting bout from the outset, but one that saw the Belfast native Damo in full control early. Ishii would turn the tables in the corner, but proved unable to take Damo off his feet for long, the beast able to score with a huge Fisherman’s Suplex from the top, but Ishii would roar back in defiance.
Re-applying pressure, Damo would land a surprising shotgun dropkick, and even a senton atomico onto Ishii, but the follow up Vader Bomb would only find empty canvas. Ishii took full advantage with a alriat for two, and then a German suplex and the Vertical Drop Brainbuster for a significant victory.
El Phantasmo and Alex Zayne were in opposite blocks during Best of the Super Jr., but they were in opposite corners of tag action this week on STRONG as Zayne teamed with Christopher Daniels and ELP combined with Bey-F-F Chris Bey. After Zayne matched, if not beat Bey in terms of finesse early, Daniels would get isolated and humiliated by the BULLET CLUB side until he was finally able to tag out to The Sauce. Zayne would ultimately be legal with Phantasmo, and though he was incredibly able to kick out of CR II, the Sudden Death ended the match.
Yuya Uemura and KEITA started the night against Kevin Blackwood and Lucas Riley. Riley and Blackwood were an impressive combination in their own right, but Uemura and KEITA impressed with their co-ordination, and the match ended with a surprise Frankensteiner on Riley for the victory.