Big junior heavyweight main event this week
NJPW STRONG this week sees the Fighting Spirit Unleashed series roll on, and a junior heavyweight main event clash that’s well worth attention.
Watch STRONG Saturdays 8/7c on NJPW World!
Main event: Taiji Ishimori vs Alan Angels
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori is in the main event this week as he takes on Alan Angels. Ishimori got himself involved in post match scenes on last week’s STRONG, when he couldn’t resist landing a Bloody Cross on KUSHIDA, giving him another black mark on his so called ‘assessment’ of the potential challenger to the title he won in May and hasn’t defended since the start of the summer. As time runs out for the Bone Soldier to declare a challenger for his title, Ishimori will look to show his own worth against an opponent who has everything to prove.
Alan Angels made his STRONG debut a couple of months ago in the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship tournament, and suffered a hard fought first round exit at the hands of eventual winners Aussie Open. Building on the experience though, Angels is ready to make a significant impact in arguably the biggest singles match of his career. Can he upset the champ and instantly propel himself to title contention?
3rd Match: Ren Narita vs Jakob Austin Young
Jakob Austin Young makes his NJPW STRONG debu tin the second match of the evening. A rising star in the Nevada independent scene, J.A.Y will be put to the test by Ren Narita this week. After a year full of trials, Narita seems nearer the full maturation of his LA excursion than he is the beginning, and is now putting a newcomer’s feet to the fire. Will Young impress tonight?
2nd Match: Christopher Daniels & Yuya Uemura vs TMDK (Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito)
Speaking of Cinderella runs, Yuya Uemura and Christopher Daniels’ streak to the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship finals had to have been one of the biggest tournament upsets in 2022 worldwide. Their streak may have ended at the hands of Aussie Open in the finals, but was highlighted with a huge win over the TMDK team of Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls.
The Australian side vowed revenge, and though Nicholls is not in Hollywood on this week’s episode, Bad Dude Tito is. Tito and Haste have had great chemistry all th way through the Burning Spirit tour in Japan, and now will look to show the same efficacy in two on two action, but can they overcome the heart and experience of Daniels and Uemura?
1st Match: QT Marshall vs Keita 
STRONG is full of surprises every week, but one of the least welcome was the shocking appearance of QT Marshall during the High Alert series. Before being punked out by Shota Umino, Marshall ‘graciously’ gave a young local talent an opportunity, quickly dispensing of his opposition before running down the town of Charlotte. This week, Marhsall is in Hollywood and is taking on another local talent, but will have a much taller task ahead of him. The accomplished Keita is sure to give QT a run for his money tonight, and could shut Marshall up before the Factory leader takes on Umino in Vegas.
