11 matches official as NJPW STRONG returns to the Vermont
11 matches have been made official for Detonation, as NJPW STRONG tapings return to the Vermont Hollywood on November 20. With both STRONG Championships to be defended, and some big time international guests, it’s another huge set of matches for the rowdy California crowd to take in!
NJPW STRONG tapings: Detonation TICKETS
Fred Rosser puts his STRONG Openweight Championship on the line for the sixth time against JR Kratos. A fighting champion, Rosser continues to put his title up against a wide range of diverse opposition, and now goes from the grappling mastery of Jonathan Gresham at Rumble on 44th Street to the size and brute power of JR Kratos. The Most Feared presents a super heavyweight threat to the STRONG Openweight Champion, one that could easily see the title return to Team Filthy in Hollywood.
New STRONG Openweight Champions the Motor City Machineguns will be defending their titles for the first time in Hollywood as they take on the Stray Dog Army side of Barrett Brown and Misterioso. Misterioso and Brown took advantage of a chaotic four way contenders’ match last week on STRONG with the Hollow Point boot from Barrett scooping victory; in much the same way, Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin were able to keep their heads while all around lost theirs in a wild three way at Rumble on 44th Street to seize STRONG Tag gold for the first time. Now in a two on two environment, who will emerge with the gold?
As BULLET CLUB’s loose alliance with Team Filthy over common foes continues, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White teams with El Phantasmo and the West Coast Wrecking Crew to take on Tama Tonga, Hikuleo, David Finlay and Alan Angels. Angels is making his second appearance on STRONG to team with a hontai side that has nothing but hatred for BULLET CLUB; with Hikuleo still hunting for Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga having scored a big win over KENTA in Osaka on November 5, the BULLET CLUB quartet are in the firing line on the 20th.
Lucha tag rules will be in place when Rocky Romero and Adrian Quest take on two of CMLL’s best in Atlantis Jr. and Virus. With CMLL Fantasticamania back on the calendar for 2023, fans will get a spectacular preview of next February in Hollywood.
KENTA will take on Bad Dude Tito. After elimination from the NJPW World TV Championship tournament to SANADA, and a subsequent Osaka defeat at the hands of Tama Tonga, KENTA is on the back foot, and needs to end his year strong. Tito has also suffered his fair share of high profile singles losses this year, but has improved with each bout, and this reunion by proxy of KENTA and TMDK is one to keep an eye on.
Mascara Dorada will be teaming with the debuting Lince Dorado to take on the C4 combination of Cody Chhun and Guillermo Rosas. MLW World Middleweight Champion Dorado shares a WWE connection with Dorada, and the two could be set to become a powerful force on STRONG, should they get past an established team on the northwest scene.
Homicide faces Danny Limelight in singles action. Ever since Autumn Action in Las Vegas, the Notorious 187 has been embroiled in a vendetta with Team Filthy; tonight sees the latest chapter in a developing feud.
Juice Robinson will face Blake Christian. All Heart wants to end his year in the STRONGest form possible, and a win over Rock Hard Robinson would certainly achieve that goal.
The DKC will face Christopher Daniels. This past week on STRONG, Rocky Romero stepped up to defend LA Dojo honour in the face of Daniels, who claims he is the greatest product of southern Californian wrestling in history, and Katsuyori Shibata’s charges can’t hope to defeat him. That status was only defended with feet on the ropes last time out in Hollywood; can D-K-Fire put the legendary Fallen Angel away?
Jakob Austin Young will take on Bateman. As his Stray Dog Army charges battle for tag gold in Hollywood, Bateman will be testing young hopeful Young. Can J.A.Y defeat the S.D.A leader?
Rounding out the match announcements, Gregory Sharpe will face Kenny King. As the K-I-N-G continues his STRONG campaign, will he be able to put away the fast rising Sharpe?
