Csonka’s NJPW New Beginning USA in Charlotte 2019 Review

Csonka’s NJPW New Beginning USA in Charlotte 2019 Review (2.01.19)

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Clark Connors vs. Karl Fredericks went to a Time Limit Draw @ 10:00 [***]
– Colt Cabana & John Skyler defeated Lance Archer & Shane Taylor @ 10:13 via pin [***]
– Great O-Kharn defeated Tracer X @ 8:57 via pin [**½]
– Villain Enterprises (Brody King & Marty Scurll) defeated Jeff Cobb & Jonathan Gresham @ 13:46 via pin [***¾]
– Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Alex Coughlin @ 10:08 via pin [**¾]
– Lifeblood (David Finlay & Tracy Williams) defeated CHAOS (Chuck Taylor & Rocky Romero) @ 17:08 via submission [***½]
– IWGP United States Heavyweight Title Match: Champion Juice Robinson defeated Trent @ 27:29 via pin [***¾]

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Clark Connors vs. Karl Fredericks: They work into some back and forth grappling and end in a stalemate. They work a lot of grappling in the opening minutes, sowing off those young lion fundamentals, and it’s nice and clean work as neither man can gain an advantage. That is until Karl starts throwing chops, they trade and light each other up and Clark grounds things, attacking the legs. Coach Shibata watches on at ringside, as Clark maintains control, working a bow and arrow. Karl finally counters back with strikes, a dropkick and takes over, picking up a near fall. He grounds things, and follows with a spinebuster and half crab before transitioning to a knee bar. Clark fights for the ropes and follows with the spear and crab as time expires. Clark Connors vs. Karl Fredericks went to a Time Limit Draw (10:00) [***] This was a good clean an basic lions opening draw, with both guys looking good in front of a receptive crowd.

Colt Cabana & John Skyler vs. Lance Archer & Shane Taylor: The big lads attack at the bell and take control, as we brawl to the floor. They pair off as Shane isolates Skyler in the ring, tossing him around until Skyler cuts him off. Shane quickly stops that, Colt tags in and double teams follow. They run wild on Shane, until he hits a tower of London on Skyler. Lance tags in and takes control, just pummeling Skyler and following with corner attacks. Shane tags in and follows with a slam and leg drop for 2. Skyler tries to battle back, but is leveled with a clothesline as double teams follow. Lance dumps Colt, Skyler fires back and Lance just destroys him with strikes. Shane follow with more punishment, they double team Skyler until he low bridges Lance. The tornado DDT to Shane follows and Colt tags in, he runs wild until Lance counters the flying asshole, It breaks down, Colt misses the moonsault, lariat by Lance and that gets 2. Skyler attacks, straps down and he eats a pounce. Colt cuts off Shane, hits the uranage and running splash and that gets 2. Colt counters into a backslide and Lance makes the save, Skyler takes him out and Shane follows with the knee strike until Colt cradles Shane for the win. Colt Cabana & John Skyler defeated Lance Archer & Shane Taylor @ 10:13 via pin [***] I was surprised to see the big lads team lose here, since the Cabana & Skyler team was so random and at the time, Lance was the NKPW regular teaming with an ROH talent. The match was good and a fun time.

– The heels attack post match and lay out the winners.

Great O-Kharn vs. Tracer X: Great O-Kharn is former young lion Tomoyuki Oka who went on excursion to the UK and turned into a crazy homeless man that takes pictures of manhole covers. O-Kharn easily overpowers him to begin until tracer picks up the pace and hits a RANA and dropkick. The high cross follows for 2. O-Kharn cuts that bullshit off with a flapjack and splash for 2. He follows with chops, bullies him around and covers for 2. O-Kharn follows with Mongolian chops, and ten grounds things, working a choke until Tracer makes the ropes. Tracer battles back, hits a running double stomp and quickly gets cut off with strikes. He manages to fire back with kicks, and code red follows for 2. O-Kharn counters back, hits the skull-crushing finale and a slam for 2. Tracer cradles him for 2, hits a slingshot flatliner and again covers for 2. He heads up top and misses the 450, but rolls through into John Wooooooooo. O-Kharn cuts him off and finishes him with a chokeslam. Great O-Kharn defeated Tracer X @ 8:57 via pin [**½] This was designed as a showcase match for O-Kharn, but unfortunately, he didn’t showcase much of anything. It was solid. Tracer X looked way better that O-Kharn.

Villain Enterprises (Brody King & Marty Scurll) vs. Jeff Cobb & Jonathan Gresham: King and Cobb begin, locking up and trading tackles. They continue to collide, King mows him down and Cobb returns the favor as they end in a standoff. Marty and Gresham tag in, they lockup and work into counters and end in a standoff. They work into standing switches, and we get another standoff. Gresham attacks with kicks and a dropkick, King attacks and Cobb follows and the big lads battle as King dumps him and on the floor, takes control. VE take over, isolating Gresham until Cobb joins in for double teams. He takes control, working over Marty and just overpowering him with ease. Marty tries to fire back, but Cobb cuts that off and then misses the standing moonsault. Gresham tags in, sleeper suplex on Gresham by Marty and King gets the tag. He runs wild with strikes, chops and a RANA. LUCHA BRODY! He follows with a tope and back in, Marty joins in for double teams on Gresham. The sunset German combo follows and King takes out Cobb on the floor as Marty locks on the crab. Gresham fights, counters out and King cuts him off as double teams follow for 2. It breaks down, Cobb is dumped and Gresham battles back, King tags in and Marty accidentally takes him out. Cobb tags in, runs wild with suplexes and works over both opponents with running uppercuts. The Angle slam follows and the standing moonsault gets 2. Marty cuts him off and double teams follow for 2. Cobb battles back, tags in Gresham and he runs Marty into King, hits the springboard moonsault, suicide dive and it completely breaks down into mayhem as Gresham hits the Cornette cutter for 2. Cobb is dumped and Marty snaps Gresham’s fingers, and takes out Cobb as King finishes Gresham with the ganso bomb, Villain Enterprises (Brody King & Marty Scurll) defeated Jeff Cobb & Jonathan Gresham @ 13:46 via pin [***¾] This was a very good, all action sprint styled tag that allowed everyone some time to shine and was easily the best thing on the show so far,

Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Alex Coughlin: Smith overpowers Coughlin early on, and then starts to outwrestle him and takes control. Coughlin works into some slick counter work, grounding Smith until Smith counters out and takes top control with a kimura. Coughlin makes the ropes, but Smith grounds things again. Coughlin counters out and Smith attacks with strikes, Coughlin fires back with chops and slaps as Smith continues to unload and dump him. He works him over on the floor, peels up the mats and follows with a suplex. Smith follows with kicks, breaking down Coughlin and back in, maintains control. The northern lights follows for 2. Smith grounds things, Smith misses the running boot as Coughlin takes out the knee and grounds him. Smith counters out, but Coughlin backslides him for 2. He then cradles him for 2. Smith cuts him of with the big boot, but Coughlin counters into a crab, but Smith makes the ropes. He follow with strikes, a powerslam and covers for 2. The suplex follows, he pulls Coughlin up and finishes him with a powerbomb. Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Alex Coughlin @ 10:08 via pin [**¾] This was a solidly enjoyable star vs. lion match, with Coughlin continuing to show great potential. Smith is such an odd performer, as at times he shows flashes of greatness, and other times he’s just there; like here.

Lifeblood (David Finlay & Tracy Williams) vs. CHAOS (Chuck Taylor & Rocky Romero): Remember when Finlay was in Lifeblood, got hurt, and never came back? Good times. Chuck and Williams begin, locking up and working into counters until Chuck hits knee strikes, Williams counters the dropkick and follows with a cradle for 2. Chuck cuts him off, they work into lucha passes and Chuck follows with the dropkick. Rocky tags in and Finlay joins him. They play to the crowd and work into counters until Finlay hits a tackle. The dropkick follows and he delivers strikes, Rocky fires back and the eye poke connects but Finlay cuts him off and hits the senton for 2. Williams tags back in and hits the suplex for 2. He starts attacking the arm, but Rocky makes the ropes. They trade and Williams hits a slam and starts attacking the leg to ground things. Rocky fights, but Williams maintains control and tags in Finlay. Rocky fires back, gets cut off and Finlay follows with the suplex for 2. Rocky counters back into a tornado DDT, tags in Chuck and he runs wild, hits the missile dropkick and soul food. The powerslam follows and that gets 2. Williams cuts him off, but Chuck suplexes Finlay into him and picks up a near fall. Finlay counters back into a back suplex, and they trade strikes. Finlay counters and hits the flying uppercut for 2. Chuck cuts him off with a suplex and Rocky tags in and delivers strikes, a dropkick and the draping dropkick for 2. Rocky dumps Williams and sliced bread is countered until Rocky hits the rewind kick and but Finlay hits the backbreaker. Williams tags in, takes over and delivers chops. He follows with leg kicks, more chops and strikes until Rocky fires up and they trade center ring. They light each other up and Rocky hits the knee strike but Williams cuts him off with the Saito suplex. Rocky fires back, they work up top and Williams hits the buckle DDT and rolling lariat for 2. It breaks down, Chuck is tossed and Rocky counter s back and fights for his life until he’s double teamed and Finlay takes out Chuck on the floor. Rocky keeps fighting back, but they maul him in the corner until he battles back with RANAs on both. Forever clotheslines follow and Chuck tags in. They run wild with double teams and Rocky hits a suicide dive as Chuck hits the pop up powerbomb for 2. They double team Williams but strong zero is countered by Finlay until Chuck piledrives him. Williams then piledrives Chuck and that gets 2. The crossface follows and chuck is done.

Lifeblood (David Finlay & Tracy Williams) defeated CHAOS (Chuck Taylor & Rocky Romero) @ 17:08 via submission [***½] Everyone here is really good, Chuck and Rocky are great tag team workers, and at the end of the day, they had a really good and highly enjoyable match; one of the best on the show.

US Champion Juice Robinson vs. Trent: Hey, remember when Juice was the leader of Lifeblood in ROH and then peaced out over poor pay and shoddy treatment, never to come back? Good times. They lock up and work to the ropes for the clean break. Lockup again, back to the ropes and Trent follows with chops. Juice fires back, they trade and Trent grounds things. Juice fights, working to his feet and follows with a tackle. He teases pulp friction but Trent counters out and dumps him. The house show dive follows and Trent then delivers strikes as he works over Juice at ringside. Back in and Juice dumps him, slams him off the barricades and back in, follows with a backbreaker. The senton connects for 2. Juice controls, picking up near falls until Trent battles back and dumps him. Trent then scores with the big tope and drapes Juice over the barricade for the flying dropkick from the apron. Back in and Trent covers for 2 before grounding things. Juice fires back, but Trent counters into the northern lights for 2. He follows with the corner elbow attack, but Juice counters the DDT and dumps him off the ropes. He fires up and delivers jabs, but Trent cuts off the left hand of God but Juice follows with a lariat. The juice box follows and that get 2. Juice heads up top, and follow with the flying head butt and powerbomb for 2. The Tenzan crab follows, Trent fights and counters out. Juice hits another powerbomb but Trent kicks out. To the apron they go and Trent takes out the knee, hits the sliding Bill Murray knee and follows with the tornado DDT on the floor. Back in and Trent misses the running knee, German by Juice and they trade Germans. DDT by Trent and that gets 2. To the apron they go and they trade strikes and chops until Trent hits an apron piledriver. Back in and Trent hits the Bill Murray knee and piledriver for 2. Trent is pissed he didn’t finish things, but struggles to rebound which allows Juice to hit the left hand of God. Trent fights off pulp friction once but Juice hits it the second time and both men are down. They fight to their feet, Juice follows with strikes, they trade and light each other up until Juice hits jabs, a backdrop, the left hand of God and pulp friction… for 2. The lariat follows and then the cannonball. Juice hits another but Trent then cuts him off with the Bill Murray knee and strong zero for 2. He follows with chops, takes Juice up top and delivers more chops as he follows him up. The RANA follows but Juice sunset flips him for 2. The left hand of God and pulp friction connects to finally finish it. Champion Juice Robinson defeated Trent @ 27:29 via pin [***¾] This was a very good main event, with both guys working hard to deliver in the main event spot. I really enjoyed this, both guys looked good, but I feel they went a few minutes too long, working past the match’s optimal peak.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 112. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka & Steve Cook go retro, looking back on the first NWA Clash of the Champions events. Jerome Cusson then joins for a Dark Side of The Ring: David Schultz and The Slap Heard Round the World review. The show is approximately 156-minutes long.

* Intro
* Clash of The Champions I Review: 4:09
* Clash of The Champions II Review: 41:36
* Clash of The Champions IIII Review: 1:13:30
*Dark Side of The Ring: David Schultz and The Slap Heard Round the World Review: 1:38:14

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* Google Play

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

These were the first NJPW USA branded shows, the ones plagued by VISA issues and card reshufflings. The show had a 2.5-hour run time, and overall, the NJPW New Beginning USA in Charlotte 2019 event was a good show, with three really good matches worth the time to check out.