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Csonka’s NJPW NJ Cup (Day 2) Review
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Csonka’s NJPW NJ Cup (Day 2) Review
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– NJ Cup Tournament Match: Lance Archer defeated Toa Henare @ 11:15 via pin [***]
– NJ Cup Tournament Match: Mikey Nicholls defeated HIKULEO @ 9:00 via pin [**½]
– NJ Cup Tournament Match: Will Ospreay defeated Bad Luck Fale @ 11:40 via pin [***]
– NJ Cup Tournament Match: Kazuchika Okada defeated Michael Elgin @ 24:10 via pin [****¼]
– Follow all of my reviews at this link.
Toa Henare vs. Lance Archer: Archer attacks right away, but Henare cuts him off and sticks him with a powerbomb for 2. The apron cannonball connects, and they brawl at ringside. They work back into the ring, but Archer fights off the Samoan drop and hits a big boot. Archer then slings Henare into the barricade and starts punishing him on the floor. Henare barely beats the count, but Archer is waiting on him and delivers chops. Shoulder blocks follow, and Archer lays in ground and pound. Archer now hits old school. Henare fires up with strikes, but Archer cuts him off. Henare hits s desperation lariat, follows with strikes, and the Samoan drop for 2. Henare up top and leaps into a punch from Archer. Henare counters and hits a suplex for 2. POUNCE by Archer, and the uranage gets 2. The chokeslam connects, but Henare kicks out. They trade strikes, head butt by Henare, but Archer kills him with a lariat. He looks for blackout, hits it and Henare is done. Lance Archer defeated Toa Henare @ 11:15 via pin [***] This was good, with Henare showing a lot once again in loss.
Mikey Nicholls vs. HIKULEO: Jado is out with HIKULEO. HIKULEO goes to the power game right away, lays in rights, and Nicholls fires back as they trade chops. Jado with a distraction and HIKULEO dumps Nicholls. Jado attacks with the kendo, HIKULEO follows and whips him to the barricade. He then posts him. They work back into the ring, and HIKULEO lays the boots to him. HIKULEO follows with chops, Nicholls fires back, but HIKULEO hits a back breaker. The side slam follows for 2. The camel clutch follows as HIKULEO grounds things. Nicholls escapes, but runs into a suplex. Nicholls avoids a charge, follows with clotheslines, takes out Jado and hits another clothesline. The suplex follows for 2. Nicholls up top and misses a moonsault. HIKULEO hits a clothesline and big boot. The leg drop gets 2. Nicholls fights off the choke slam, Kendo shot by Jado and they work into a double down. They trade strikes, Nicholls connects with a DVD and sliding clothesline for 2. The blue thunder bomb finishes HIKULEO. Mikey Nicholls defeated HIKULEO @ 9:00 via pin [**½] This was a solid match, with HIKULEO showing a lot of improvement.
Bad Luck Fale vs. Will Ospreay: Jado is out with Fale. Ospreay attacks with John Wooooooooooo and follows with strikes. Kicks connect, Jado trips him up and that allows Fale to attack. Fale follows him to the floor, posts him, and then pummels him against the barricades. Ospreay beats the count back in, but Fale is right back on the attack. Ospreay fires back, but Fale continues to work over his back. Fale grounds the action, stands on Ospreay’s back, and then follows with a slam. He then works the nerve pinch, but Ospreay fires up and hits the back handspring kick. The corner dropkick connects, and then the springboard forearm finally takes Fale down. Ospreay now lays in kicks, Fale cuts him off, but Ospreay hits a switch kick. Off the ropes and Fale runs him over. The corner splash and running splash connect for 2. Fale looks for the grenade, Ospreay counters out and hits an enziguri. Fale pulls the ref in the way for the ref bump. Kendo shot by Jado. Jado in the ring, Ospreay fights him off and attacks Fale with kendo shots. The Robinson special connects, and the oscutter is blocked. Spear by Fale, grenade, but Ospreay kicks out. Ospreay counters bad luck fall into a RANA and cradle for the win. Will Ospreay defeated Bad Luck Fale @ 11:40 via pin [***] This was good overall as they played the size difference well. I could have done without the Jado bullshit, but at least Ospreay overcame and stood tall.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Michael Elgin: Thy lock up and Elgin overpowers him to begin. Elgin follows with forearms, they trade shoulder tackles and Elgin follows with a back elbow and follows with a suplex for 2. Elgin follows with a missile dropkick, they work to the floor and he slams Okada into the ring apron. Back in and Elgin starts working the arm, grounding Okada. The neck breaker follows for 2. Elgin hits the slam, misses a slingshot splash, and that allows Okada to mount his comeback. He lays in chops and back elbows, but Elgin returns fire with chops. Okada cuts that off with a slam and senton atomico for 2. Okada grounds the action, but Elgin powers out and they trade until Elgin hits a powerslam. The overhead belly to belly connects, and the northern lights gets 2. Elgin hits corner clotheslines, Okada counters the cross face and gets a cradle for 2. The DDT connects and that gets 2. Okada heats up top, hits the elbow drop but Elgin rolls him into the crossface. Okada makes the ropes, Elgin lights him up with clotheslines, but runs into a flapjack. They trade, Elgin lays in chops and Okada is down. Okada fights off a powerbomb, hits the neck breaker, and covers for 2. Okada heads up top, hits the elbow drop. Elgin fights off the rainmaker, hits rolling Germans, and then a dragon suplex; the tiger bomb follows for 2. The crowd is really into this now, Okada catches Elgin with an uppercut but Elgin cuts him off with a superkick. Elgin takes him up top, follows, but Okada sips out and hits a dropkick. Okada hits the buckle bomb and sitout powerbomb for 2. Elgin manages to counter the rainmaker with a lariat, hangs on, but Okada counters burning hammer and the dropkick follows. Elgin counters rainmaker into a powerbomb for a great near fall. Crossface by Elgin, Okada rolls and makes the ropes. Elgin hits the buckle bomb but Okada counters back out and they trade counters, back fist by Elgin and Okada is down. Okada counters a second and hits a tombstone. The rainmaker finishes Elgin. Kazuchika Okada defeated Michael Elgin @ 24:10 via pin [****¼] It started a bit slow, but slowly but surely developed into a war with the crowd becoming more invested as things went along. Elgin looked really good here, and always looks competitive with Okada, just enough that you can buy he has a real chance to win. Unfortunately for him, it was another case of close but not enough.
– In round two we’ll see:
* Taichi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
* YOSHI-HASHI vs. Chase Owens
* Lance Archer vs. Will Ospreay
* Mikey Nichols vs. Kazuchika Okada
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns after a long hiatus to the 411 Podcasting Network. On today’s show, 411’s Larry Csonka discuses Jushin Liger’s retirement, Tommaso Ciampa’s neck injury, previews the WWE Fastlane PPV, and discusses his recent medical issues, which led to his absence in early 2019. The show is approximately 33 minutes long.
Intro
Liger – 3:30
Ciampa – 6:20
Fastlane – 9:40
Personal Update – 23:45
