NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

NEWS

APR.11.2021

#TOPICS

New Japan CUPdate USA: round 1 【NJoA】

Final four set on NJPW STRONG

NJPW STRONG this week saw the first round of New Japan Cup USA competed as eight became the final four in contention to become the first STRONG Openweight Champion. 

First to wrestle for a spot in the semifinals were Lio Rush and Clark Connors. With an accomplished high school amateur background, going up against the rigorous tempering undertaken in the LA Dojo, both men went to their mat wrestling backgrounds in the early going, Connors coming up with a headlock. Connors would bowl Rush over with a tackle, and though Rush would respond with a dropkick, Connors hit harder with a misdirection, tackle and stomps in the corner. 

Connors kept up the pressure on Rush but the Man of the Hour was able to respond with a headscissors whip before laying in some stiff strikes of his own and a suplex and axe kick for two. A pounce from Connors would launch Rush into the ropes and the mat in a violent collision however, with Connors rattling off chops to Rush in the corner where a spear and release Northern lights would get two for the LA Dojo alum. 

A second spear was sidestepped however, and Rush brought the pace with a low roundhouse, before sending Clark to the floor where an Asai moonsault and crossbody was next in store. Rush looked for Rush Hour; the move was countered by Connors, who hit a huge spear on a second attempt. Connors found a Boston Crab over the ropes but could not secure victory, a suplex countered with a pair of kicks, and Rush Hour scoring for the three. 

Ren Narita and Tom Lawlor were next in action in the first round. Narita had a surprising upper hand over the MMA veteran, outgrappling Lawlor in the early going and pressuring the Team Filthy leader in the corner before Lawlor was able to come up with the arm of his opponent with a hammerlock. Yet it was Narita with the upper hand both on the mat and in standup exchanges, with Lawlor struggling before a DDT on Narita’s leg sending a shockwave of pain through the young stars body. 

Lawlor capitalised on the opening, heavy shots connecting before a cravate combined with knees and a suplex that got two. Narita doggedly tried to escape his opponent’s clutches but was caught with an exploder and an arm triangle. Lawlor transitioned down to the knee of Narita, and despite a brie fcounter to Narita Special #3, a figure four was the result for the Filthy one. 

Narita gutted out the hold and struck free before escaping a front chancerie and lacing the wrists of Lawlor for a suplex and then Narita Special #2. the LA Dojo representative tried to choke out Lawlor, but was countered into an arm bar and a pair of arm drag takedowns. Now with a bloody nose, Narita did all he could to battle his way to victory, but was dumped with a backdrop suplex, a PK, and the rear naked choke for a victory. 

There was no love lost between Fred Rosser and Hikuleo as they headed into the third match of the night. Hikuleo charged at Rosser before the opening bell even rang, booting him from the apron as both men brawled outside. Hikuleo would hurl the Suntan Superman over the ringside guardrail and onto the conrete floor, and after Rosser was thrown onto the gurdrail, it looked as if the match may be over before it even started. 

When the bell finally officially rang, Hikuleo was in full control, the Young Gun piling on strikes and stinging chops. Frantic, Rosser pulled at the hair of the Young Gun and sent Hikuleo into the apron before hitting his signature side suplex onto the iron frame of the ring. A hard knee would connect to Hikuleo’s head in ring, and Rosser would fight free of a chokeslam attempt, but a powerslam lay in wait, and Hikuleo followed with the Tongan Driller to claim victory. 

The main event saw another heavyweight slugfest, as Chris Dickinson battled Brody King. At a rare size disadvantage, Dickinson tried to take King down to size in the opening moments, but King hit harder, with heavy forearms and a senton squashing his opponent. Dickinson outmaneuvered King though, taking his opponent down to the mat, and controlling his leg with a half crab before tying up the limb in the ropes. 

Dickinson kept up the pressure with a Figure Four, shutting King down with a Dragon Screw when he tried to fight out. Badly hobbled, King tried to throw hands from underneath, and finally did so with splashes in the corner and the cannonball to get two. King almost clinched his place in the semifinals with a piledriver, but Dickinson responded with an incredible swinging DDT before negotiating an STF. 

A scintillating deadlift German Suplex seemed to end the match, but Brody still refused to lose. As both stood up, instene strikes were exchanged, but Dickinson made a fatal error with a missed enzuigiri. A German suplex was the result for King, and when Dickinson came off the ropes, King was waiting with a thunderous lariat that secured victory. 

Hikuleo will face Tom Lawlor, and Brody King will take on Lio Rush in the semifinals, taking place next week on STRONG. 

 

 

 

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