The recent history of the IWGP United States Championship has been wild. There has been many title changes already this year, with Juice Robinson now being in his third reign as champion after joining BULLET CLUB. He was set for a big singles match tonight, but a bout with appendicitis would take him out of action – and Ryohei Oiwa stepped in for a singles match instead. Further updates on Robinson and his title reign will be coming soon.
Ryohei Oiwa Steps In For Juice Robinson In Losing Effort
Oiwa would grab a headlock to start this match, before being thrown off the ropes. He’d hit the shoulder tackle to drop Honma, before Honma hit a body slam. Oiwa would nail a dropkick in the corner, before Honma simply hit an elbow drop.
Running face wash in the corner landed on Oiwa, before a dropkick to the neck. Oiwa would hit the deadlift gutwrench suplex, before locking on the Boston Crab. The Young Lion failed to get the submission, before taking a rocket Kokeshi, and the second rope falling variant for the victory.
Zest Friends Claim The Win In Tag Team Action
This year had a nice batch of first timers in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. None of them were able to make the finals, but most will be gladly welcomed back. We have a team of first time entrants here tonight in the opening match, with new best friends Ace Austin & Alex Zayne joining up with El Lindaman & AEW’s Wheeler Yuta. Robbie Eagles meanwhile brings CHAOS ally YOH, Clark Connors, and Titan. It’s eight man tag team action, as these eight men look to cap off this tour with a great showing.
Eagles would start up against Yuta, hitting an armdrag and looking for the early Ron Miller Special, but was easily blocked. Lindaman & YOH got tags, with YOH getting the drop toehold. Titan sprung in before ducking a lariat and hitting the jumping back kick, only to take a dropkick to the neck.
Ace Austin would slice the fingers of Titan with the ace up his sleeve, before tagging in Zayne for the double dropkick. Titan would block Baja Blast and hit a dropkick, before Connors burst into the ring. Austin took the Jeep Flip, and Zayne the German Suplex. YOH & Eagles would feed Zayne into a spear from Connors, before multiple dives to the floor.
Connors hit the powerslam in the ring, before looking for Trophy Kill. Instead Yuta made the save with PainThriller, before Austin hit the double jump roundhouse to set up Cinnamon Twist for the victory. Eagles & Yuta argued over a potential upcoming title match, perhaps at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, or ROH Death Before Dishonor soon?
United Empire Beat The Champs
Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi both failed to make much of a splash in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and every loss potentially set them up for title defences of their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. Notably, TJP & Francesco Akira of The United Empire earned a shot all the way back on the first night of B-Block action, when TJP absolutely dominated Master Wato. Now, TJP & Akira will face Team Six Or Nine in their tag team debut, and look to show they can actually beat the champions.
United Empire started fast, best Wato hit a double dropkick and sent both to the floor. TJP was sent back into the ring, before a hip attack dropped him. Akira tripped Taguchi up before an Asai Moonsault to the floor. Isolating the veteran in the ring would allow the United Empire to beat him down, including a running face wash from TJP.
Wato would find a tag, and would send the United Empire to the floor and nail the dive. Springboard uppercut in the ring would land, before Six Or Nine hit the drop toehold and elbow elbow drop. Wato helped set up both opponents for B-Triggers, before Taguchi applied an ankle lock on TJP.
TJP would be freed by Akira, before Taguchi was sandwiched with kicks in the corner before a Doomsday Device cutter into Pinoy Stretch. United Empire beat the champs, and this could be a sign of things to come.
Will United Empire soon be champions? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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