Finlay’s crew with clear edge in Korakuen
Korakuen Hall was the backdrop for the ongoing feud between United Empire and BULLET CLUB War Dogs on February 4 as a series of singles matches and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag titles provided opportunity for a message to be delivered by either team.
One such message was delivered before action even began on the night. Jeff Cobb was taking the night off as a precaution with an injury to his leg, but was still present signing autographs. As he made his way to the back after the signing, he was jumped by the War Dogs, who tore at his leg and raised questions over whether Cobb would make it to the steel cage next Sunday.
Great-O-Khan would take his place on the night opposite Alex Coughlin. As both men grappled early, Coughlin surprised O-Khan with his expertise on the May, stretching the KOPW 2024 holder with an ugly bow and arrow stretch. Yet when the match came to power moves, O-Khan hung with his foe just as well, and a hearty exchange of suplexes brought the crowd to life. A wild affair would end when O-Khan was able to escape Coughlin’s Jackhammer and landed the Eliminator to pick up the win.
Gabe Kidd would face HENARE in perhaps the most hotly anticipated of the singles bouts. A battle of the two street fighters of their respective factions, the fight spilled everywhere, including well into the stands, where Kidd wanted to land a high cross over the stairs to HENARE but was punched right out of mid air.
Kidd would mock his trainer Katsuyori Shibata and even Antonio Inoki as he declared that he ‘ran’ NJPW, but had to bark back at the crowd who couldn’t help but cheer his undeniable fighting spirit. As Kidd beckoned HENARE to unleash deafening kicks, the Face of Fury similarly never backed down from brutal shots from his foe. Something had to give, and in the end it was the consciousness of both men.
With intensity building, Kidd spiked HENARE with a brainbuster, and then paused for a second to yell at the crowd, enough time for him to be surprised with a Death Valley Driver. With neither man stirring, the referee applied a standing ten count, but HENARE stopped the referee at nine. Moments later though, and a right sent HENARE careening into the ropes, rebounding with a headbutt, and with both men down, the double KO draw was the result.
After a mixed start, David Finlay was determined to make the last statement. With Callum Newman his opponent, Finlay looked to dominate, and while Newman had flashes of brilliance, he didn’t have the measure of the champion. As he built steam, Newman looked to the crowd before trying for an OsCutter but was hurled down to the back of his head, and Finlay shortly followed with a brutal powerbomb and then Overkill.
At the end of the night, Finlay and all the War Dogs put a brutal final exclamation point on the night. Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors captured the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championships, and afterward a violent attack on Catch 2/2 sent O-Khan and Cobb trying to assist. Instead, Finlay blasted O-Khan with his shillelagh, and another shot to the injured leg of Cobb did even more damage. A powerbomb onto steel chairs finished the deal for Akira, as Finlay went backstage to declare that Sunday’s steel cage bout would be under ‘War Dogs rules’ with timed entry ensuring a one man advantage for much of the bout. With Will Ospreay absent for the tour, and his team in physical and mental disarray, it feels as if disaster may be looming for United Empire February 11.
