Big lineup for Strong Style Evolved 2021

With the New Beginning USA behind us, NJPW STRONG now moves onto Strong Style Evolved 2021, and the preliminary battles for New Japan Cup USA 2021. Starting Friday night, matches will be announced and take place to determine the field of eight that will compete in the single elimination tournament this April, and there are two huge matchups coming up this week!

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Main event: Rocky Romero vs Lio Rush 

The second qualifying bout tonight will emphasize that New Japan Cup USA, unlike its Japanese counterpart this year, will be an openweight tournament. We are guaranteed to have at least one junior heavyweight in the running, as Rocky Romero and Lio Rush do battle with much to prove. Rocky has talked long about having one more solid singles championship run in his career in NJPW, while Rush is just starting his NJPW journey. After Rush had to suck up painful defeats to El Phantasmo in the Super J-Cup and at New Beginning USA, can he reset and make his way through New Japan Cup USA to prove he is still indeed the Man of the Hour?

2nd Match: Tom Lawlor vs The DKC 

Team Filthy has become one of the most talked about forces in NJPW STRONG over the last several months, and after the group’s leader missed out on action at the start of 2021, he’s looking to make his presence felt in New Japan Cup 2021. His opponent Friday will be the LA Dojo’s new acquisition, the DKC. With Dylan Kyle Cox very early in his Young Lion journey, he will be the heavy underdog here on night one of the Road to Strong Style Evolved, but any thing can happen on any given night within the squared circle. Will Lawlor move on, or will his cup hopes end before they begin?

1st Match: Alex Coughlin & Karl Fredericks vs Clark Connors & Kevin Knight 

The opening bout Friday will see a pair of returns as Karl Fredericks comes back to the ring after a shoulder injury, and Alex Coughlin is back after missing the bulk of 2020 with a neck injury. Coughlin, now labelled by Katsuyori Shibata as the new captain of the LA Dojo will take on the former captain and new graduate, Clark Connors, as he teams with Kevin Knight. 

All four men will have a mutual respect for one another in this match, but also a competitive spirit that well let none of them lose. As Shibata plans to build not just a training system but a group to rival the very top in Japan and worldwide, everyone wants a hard fought matchup Friday, and that’s exactly what we should receive.