NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

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SEP.25.2022

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Expectations dashed for Finlay as ZSJ, Naito muddy US title scene

Ospreay makes second defence, Sabre and Naito step up

he main event of the Burning Spirit tour closer on September 25 saw a thrilling, dramatic and emotional was for the IWGP United States Championship, Will Ospreay defending against David Finlay.

Watch the Burning Spirit replay now!

After provocation from Ospreay in the pre event press conference led to a chair levelled at his head courtesy of Finlay, the match started at a high pace, before Ospreay scored a table assisted receipt for the prior day’s steel chair attack.

Avoiding further disaster in the form of now two set up tables, Finlay sent Ospreay back and kidneys first into the steel guardrail, but Ospreay stayed on the offensive. As the match met the ten minute mark, Finlay was able to bring some offense, but Ospreay would shut his challenger down, the match only shifting significantly when the champion again went to the ringside furniture.

As a superplex by Finlay was blocked, Ospreay landed a sunset bomb over the corner to the floor. After a Sky Twister Press followed, Ospreay tried to again drive Finlay through the ringside tables, only to find Finlay’s shillelagh driven into his hand instead. As Ospreay howled in pain, Finlay began a relentless assault, drawing concern that Ospreay could not continue, and bringing Jeff Cobb and Gideon Grey to apparently reset a dislocated finger before taping together a rudimentary dressing.

Ospreay struck wildly to try and gain distance, but could not follow up, wincing as he tried to lift his opponent on the apron. Finlay would respond with a half and half on the hard ring frame, before driving Ospreay into the tables with an Acid Drop, following with a powerbomb through the wood entirely. Still though Ospreay willed himself into the ring, before kicking out of Finlay’s pinfall attempt. 

Ospreay looked for a series of flash pinfalls, trying to end the match as quickly as possible; Finlay counter punched with Prima Nocta, and then countered Hidden Blade with a backslide into Trash Panda; the three count would have been assured had it not been for Ospreay’s foot making the bottom rope. As desperation from both men mounted, hard strikes did not finish the match, and nor did a hurricanrana  counter to an Ospreay powerbomb from Finlay.

Ospreay caught another OsCutter with Prima Nocta but still only got two; a super OsCutter connected for Ospreay, and when he didn’t have enough lift in his hands, a Pedigree was the audible for Stormbreaker. The Hidden Blade only got two, but another attempt at Stormbreaker finally ended the match. 

The challenger had doubtless earned the champion’s respect, as Finlay had earned the respect of Kobe World Hall and the viewing world at large. Still, no charitable words could be spoken, as Tetsuya Naito interrupted Ospreay’s victory speech. After losing to Ospreay in the g1 semifinal, Naito wanted one more shot; before Ospreay could accept, Zack Sabre Jr. entered the fray. 

ZSJ suggested that he and Naito face off at Royal Quest II in London next weekend to decide just who the number one contender should be; neither Ospreay nor Naito offered a reply, but Ospreay instead drank in the moment along with the United Empire, who completed a perfect evening on top of the world in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. 

 

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