The marquee match of the fourth episode of New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) Strong saw Ring of Honor (ROH) roster member PJ Black face Bullet Club member Chase Owens.
Black recently made his NJPW debut on the second episode of NJPW Strong and was prime to make a statement in his first singles match with the company.
Chase Owens fell to David Finlay during the first round of the New Japan Cup 2020 USA tournament and dropped a fall to Brody King during the third episode of New Japan Strong.
With this episode being the Road to Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2020 it represented an opportunity for both wrestlers in a prominent position of either of the two cards during the featured event that takes place on September 4th and September 11th.
Owens attempted to control the pace of the match by wasting, rolling out of the ring on several occasions — ensuring Black wasn’t able to gain momentum through his superior speed.
His tactics were successful at thwarting Black, who would seemingly take control of the match when Owens wasn’t resulting in unsportsmanlike methods.
Owens strategy was similar to Jay White and Pure Heels in the United States in the 70s and 80s who used their minds to frustrate their opponents into making mistakes.
Eventually, Chase was able to string together a chain of maneuvers ending with his Package Piledriver technique that earned him the fall at the 11 minute and 10-second mark.
The victory is Owens’ first since returning to action since NJPW talent based in the United States returned to action. The continued momentum by Bullet Club sets the faction as the current dominant force in both NJPW brands.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Owens interact further with Bullet Club members Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Hikuleo, and Jay White in the upcoming weeks.
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