There’s no getting a big show from NJPW Strong without Team Filthy on the card. Tonight, Tom Lawlor will team with West Coast Wrecking Crew to face Wheeler Yuta, Homicide & Shota Umino. Yuta is a full member of Blackpool Combat Club, and you might as well consider Homicide & Umino as unofficial members of the faction, with both men having links to the likes of Jon Moxley & Bryan Danielson. Tonight, they’re united after Team Filthy tried to gang up on Homicide – with Yuta & Umino coming to his aid. They’ll need to learn how to mesh as a trio tonight, and might not be able to match the chemistry of Team Filthy tonight.
Battle In The Valley 2023 Announced For February 18th
Just before this match began, we’d see an announcement of Battle In The Valley 2023 – set for February 18th in San Jose, California. The 2021 event was main evented by Tomohiro Ishii winning the NEVER Openweight Championship from Jay White, with undercard matches like Buddy Matthews vs. Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay vs. Ren Narita.
Shota Umino Gets The Win For His Team
Homicide would kick this match off going three on one with Team Filthy, before it turned into an all out brawl on the floor. Yuta & Umino would take Lawlor up to the stage, chopping him down the stairs before Yuta dove onto West Coast Wrecking Crew with a flipping senton. Back in the ring, Homicide would be rocked by a lariat from Isaacs – before Lawlor kicked him in the spine.
Lawlor would look for a simple wrestling takedown on Homicide, but Homicide struggled making it a more rough takedown. West Coast Wrecking Crew would isolate Homicide by cutting the ring in half, before Lawlor hit the ring for a Russian Leg Sweep. Yuta & Umino were taken off the apron, giving time for the Filthy Pose – which the crowd was less than impressed by.
Homicide would catch Nelson with the Three Amigos, before Isaacs tried to stop him and took the triple vertical suplexes himself. Yuta got the tag and dove in with a double dropkick before the Manhattan Drop and Enziguri on Lawlor. Painthriller would follow, getting a two count.
Umino would assist with a double dropkick, before being dropped with the Uranage from Lawlor. A kick to the face would follow, before a Powerbomb toss into a German Suplex from West Coast Wrecking Crew. Triple team powerbomb from Team Filthy would have ended it, but Homicide made the save.
Homicide would hit a cutter on Lawlor, before a dive on the floor. Umino & Nelson were legal in the ring, and Umino would hit Swiss Death and the spinning neckbreaker before Death Rider for the victory.
Clark Connors Brings Ken Shamrock To A Battle With Minoru Suzuki
Clark Connors had a recent setback, suffering an injury during AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, where he met Malakai Black, Miro & PAC in a match for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship. However, a setback is just that – a simple bump in the road. Connors is back and ready to get into the mix once again, and would throw himself right into the deep end. He would call out the living legend of Minoru Suzuki to a match tonight at Rumble On 44th Street. Connors would even bring Ken Shamrock into his corner for this match – an MMA rival of Suzuki’s back in his Pancrase days.
Connors would remain calm as the bell rang, even when staring down death in wrestling form. Suzuki would go after the wrist of Connors, only to be countered and mounted. Connors would show some grappling skills that were previously unseen, showing some training with the legendary MMA fighter. Suzuki would get the leg trapped, but Connors was able to fight to his feet.
Connors would have to go to the ropes to avoid a takedown from Suzuki, before trading strikes with Suzuki. Suzuki would shush the crowd, before a snappy chop to the chest – sounding like the crack of a whip – but Connors remained on his feet. Connors threw a hard chop of his own, and Suzuki would smile before walking Connors to the ropes – showing no pain before dropping Connors.
Suzuki Remains King
Suzuki would look to apply a cross armbreaker in the middle of the ring, but Connors quickly repositioned to the bottom rope to break the hold. Connors would be caught in a Triangle Choke over the ropes, but fought free and sent Suzuki to the apron. He’d nail the spear off the apron, sending Suzuki crashing to the floor.
On the floor, Suzuki once again absorbed the chops of Connors before dropping him with a forearm smash. Suzuki would break the twenty count to keep the brawl going on the floor, with Connors taking a hard slap to the face. Connors would be locked into the Kimura in the ring, but was able to find the bottom rope with his foot to break the hold before Suzuki broke his arm.
Suzuki would hit a PK as Connors sat in the middle of the ring, but The Wild Rhino would rise after the kicks – showing some guts. A spear into the corner would be followed by a release Northern Lights Suplex – before a running splash for a two count. Suzuki would rise and catch Connors with a boot with the face before a proper PK for a two count.
More strikes would be exchanged in the middle of the ring, with neither man wanting to give up any ground. Suzuki would hit a KO worthy forearm smash, with Connors somehow staying in this match and blocking the Rear Naked Choke into a Shamrock Ankle Lock.
Connors would try to force the submission, but Suzuki found the bottom rope. Jeep Flip was blocked with a knee strike, before Suzuki got the choke applied, and nailed the Gotch Style Piledriver for the victory.
What is next for Clark Connors in NJPW? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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