CIMA was a surprise name in the 2022 New Japan Cup – and he’s brought his Strongheart allies tonight to wage war with Suzuki-Gun. Add in that El Desperado has recently called for El Lindaman to challenge him for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship – and you have an interesting little match. T-Hawk rounds out the Stronghearts unit, while Desperado brings DOUKI & Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
Stronghearts Crush Suzuki-Gun In Show Of Force
El Lindaman carries the brand new G-Rex Championship to the ring, having won the belt just last week in GLEAT. Desperado and Lindaman compared belts in the ring, but Kanemaru & T-Hawk started the match… only for Desperado and DOUKI to strike from behind. T-Hawk would fight back, before having his knee stomped by the Heel Master.
He’d get the tag to Lindaman, who came off the top rope with a shotgun dropkick. Stronghearts took Suzuki-Gun off the apron, before CIMA tagged in and hit a senton over the top rope. A leg lock was applied to Kanemaru, but he found the bottom rope – forcing the hold to be broken.
T-Hawk would tag back in, only for Kanemaru to hit a suplex. Desperado & Lindaman got the tags and were able to properly face off, with Desperado getting a two count off a heavy spinebuster. Lindaman wanted Locomotion German Suplex, but Guitarra de la Muerta was hit instead. CIMA would hit the ring alongside DOUKI and take a big knee drop, but survived to hit the Daybreak DDT.
T-Hawk made the save, and Night Ride into the Meteora would get the win for Stronghearts! CIMA starts his New Japan Cup tomorrow, facing TAKA Michinoku tomorrow evening – and considering how bad the luck of Michinoku has been in NJPW lately? He’s got a great chance of atleast making round two.
United Empire Are Unstoppable When At Full Power
Back in Japan is Will Ospreay, and back from injury is Jeff Cobb – which puts the United Empire back to full power. Kota Ibushi was supposed to stand alongside Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Yuji Nagata – but both Ibushi & Tenzan were not cleared to compete tonight. Taking their place instead are young lions Yuto Nakashima & Kosei Fujita.
Nagata would start this match alongside Will Ospreay, quickly taking him down with a dropkick to the knee. Nakashima tagged in and would get yanked outside and driven into the barricade by Aaron Henare. Fujita was being mauled by Great-O-Khan on the other side of the ring, before Ospreay would bully Nakashima in the ring.
United Empire would isolate Nakashima in the corner, before Jeff Cobb just launched him across the ring. Henare would get some heavy kicks, but with the crowd behind him – Nakashima would keep fighting and nailed a hard elbow strike.
Kojima got the tag and would catch Ospreay with some Machine Gun Chops – and Nagata would follow suit on Henare. Ospreay and Cobb were taken out by Kojima, before Cobb blocked Koji-Cutter. Great-O-Khan would tag in, and they’d pick up where they left off with their recent singles meeting.
Kojima would get the cutter and look for that lethal lariat – but Fujita would ask for the tag and got it. Great-O-Khan would take a dropkick, and the Young Lion got a two count. Boston Crab was applied, and Ospreay was unable to make the save as he ended up in Nagata Lock II. Great-O-Khan fought free, before hitting a double suplex on both Young Lions. Eliminator Slam would follow – and this one was over.
Will one of the members of United Empire win the New Japan Cup? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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