wrestling / TV Reports
Hamilton’s New Japan Strong (Best of Strong 2020) 12.26.2020 Review
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From NJPW Strong Episode 12 – Fred Rosser pinned Clark Connors in 6:00 (*¾)
From NJPW Strong Episode 10 – Lion’s Break: Crown – Final: Clark Connors submitted Danny Limelight in 12:36 (***)
From NJPW Strong Episode 15 – Tom Lawlor defeated Fred Rosser via referee stoppage in 11:13 (***¼)
From NJPW Strong Episode 12 – Jay White pinned Rocky Romero in 14:12 (***¼)
Cue titles, and we’re in the studio as Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov are joined by Rocky Romero and Fred Rosser this week, complete with some bickering as we’re told that we’ll see some of their favourite matches from the year.
Kevin Kelly’s pick – Clark Connors vs. Fred Rosser from episode 12…
Clark Connors vs. Fred Rosser
Kevin Kelly tries to draw comparisons between the LA Dojo and FCW, while Koslov just flat out brings up the Nexus. So much for everyone dancing around it! While this was going on, I took a look at Cagematch – Connors’ career is almost as long as Rosser’s time since he left WWE… after the “Make Darren Young Great Again” run. Time flies.
Connors takes Rosser out through the ropes at the bell, as the Lion’s Break: Crown winner was hot to start with. Back in the ring, Rosser grabs a side headlock, then took Connors down for a legdrop that gets a two-count. A crossface-like hold from Rosser ends in the ropes, but Connors comes back with a leg sweep and a spear that didn’t even get a one-count. Stomps from Connors are quickly cut-off, but Clark’s back with a dropkick that caught Rosser off guard. A headbutt takes Clark backwards, but the Young Lion’s back with more stomps before he rolled him in for a Dragon sleeper that’s quickly kicked away. An overhead belly-to-belly from Rosser turns it back around, as a slam lets him build up momentum ahead of a sit-down splash for a near-fall.
Rosser misses a clothesline and ends up running into a scoop slam before he got rolled into a Boston crab. Unlike others though, Rosser doesn’t tap and manages to make it to the ropes – he ain’t a Young Lion then! A European uppercut keeps Rosser down, but he counters a spear off the middle rope with a knee before a Fireman’s carry gutbuster puts Connors away. Your usual short TV match with Clark showing something, but it’s back to the L’s for this Young Lion. *¾
We’re back with the crew as Kevin Kelly asks Fred Rosser what he learned from that match. He puts over Clark Connors…
Rocky Romero’s pick? The Lion’s Break Crown tournament final.
Lion’s Break: Crown – Final: Danny Limelight vs. Clark Connors
Limelight tries to sting Connors with kicks early, but gets tripped down as an early pinning attempt came to nought. Connors falls into a kick as he was going for a takedown, but manages to recover as he took Limelight down with a wristlock, following up as he rolled him to the mat for a cross armbar that ended in the ropes. A side headlock from Connors leads to him getting shoved off, but he charges Limelight down. A backflip enziguiri from Limelight connects as he builds momentum, following up with flying headscissors off the top taking Connors outside for a springboard corkscrew crossbody to the floor.
Back inside, Limelight went for a double springboard DDT, but it’s countered into a slam as Connors nearly shut the door on him there. Shoulder charges keep Limelight in the corner for some chops as Clark was really unloading on him. Mudhole stomping keeps Danny down, as does a double chop to the back… but Limelight kicks out at one. A snap suplex follows from Connors, then a slam, before he teases a Boston crab, but Limelight spins into the ropes to save his skin. Kicks from Limelight follow, including some as Connors was trapped in the ropes, but he’s back with a big POUNCE that spun Limelight to the mat.
Limelight’s back with a ropewalk Meteora, then a half-and-half suplex, but misses a kick before he dragged Connors into a Dragon sleeper. That turns into a Roll the Dice for a near-fall, as Limelight then went up top, only to miss a flip legdrop. He’s able to leap over a spear from Connors as a Small Package Driver almost gets the win. Limelight’s almost chuckling at it as he hoped the referee would wave off the match, but when he didn’t another kick followed for a near-fall. That kick-out just seems to frustrate Limelight, as he went the springboard DDT again… and misses. A second go at the Small Package Driver is teased, this time off the top, but Connors fights free, then speared Limelight off the middle rope before he rolled him over to a Boston crab… but Limelight holds on, only to tap when Connors wrenched back. Clark wins the inaugural Lion’s Break: Crown tournament – one that was in all but name the Young Lion Cup USA, and decent for what it was, but it’s something of a consolation prize for Clark after last year’s Young Lion Cup proper. ***
Our Christmas present? The OG adverts with the Young Lions!
Back from the break, Alex Koslov forgets his Secret Santa gift, so instead he picks his match – and it’s one of the better matches from the show, even if the star ratings don’t show it…
Tom Lawlor vs. Fred Rosser
Lawlor had Rust Taylor and JR Kratos out in his corner, while he tried the Iron Shiek’s old Iranian club gimmick to warm-up. It’s a pretty cool re-debut for Lawlor, who’d only been on the precursor to NJPW Strong…
Rosser shoves Lawlor before the bell, which feels like a bad idea. Lawlor goes for Rosser at the bell, taking him into the corner for some kicks, before a headlock takedown had Lawlor on the mat. He extricates himself and stomps Rosser’s arm in a hammerlock, as Lawlor began to trash-talk the former Nexus man. Uppercuts keep Rosser in the corner, but Rosser headbutts his way free ahead of some clotheslines to Lawlor in the corner. A slam and a seated splash are next for just a one-count, with Lawlor fighting back with some forearms that looked to aim for Rosser’s nose. He then just stands on him in the corner, but Rosser’s back with headbutts and chops as the tide continued to shift.
Elbows from Lawlor have him back on top, before he hung Rosser in the ropes for a rear naked choke. They head into the apron, with Rosser getting free ahead of a back suplex onto the apron. A second rear naked choke’s quickly broken via the ring post, with Rosser then trying his best to keep Lawlor from getting back inside, as knees keep Lawlor down in the corner. Another sit-down splash gets Rosser a two-count… but he goes to the well once too often as Lawlor catches that splash and turned it into a cross armbreaker, but it ends in the ropes. Lawlor stays on top of Rosser with stomps and kicks, before uppercuts to the arm and an armdrag takedown resumed the focus on that limb.
Lawlor keeps stomping on the left arm, then went back to the cross armbar, but Rosser quickly scoots to the ropes before the hold was properly applied. With one arm, Rosser tries to fight back, but another arm whip yanks him down, as a kick to the back kept him firmly on the defensive. He avoids a PK and tries to roll-up Lawlor, getting near-falls, before Lawlor kicked out and rolled into an omoplata, forcing Rosser to swivel into the ropes. Lawlor absorbs some shots and comes back with an Exploder to Rosser, then leapt in with a guillotine choke. Rosser gets free, but quickly is taken down with an Eye of the Hurricane for a near-fall, following up with some clotheslines to Rosser, who replied with a rolling elbow for a near-fall of his own. Rosser looks to put Lawlor away with the Gut Check, but Lawlor counters out and replies with a Cloverleaf, then transitioned out… only to have to fight another Gut Check, with Rosser landing it at the third attempt.
Rosser looks for a PK afterwards, but Lawlor caught it and pulled him down, tying up every limb as the referee ended up waving the match off. Technically a stoppage rather than a submission, but this was a damn good redebut for Lawlor. ***¼
Fred Rosser gets his pick – he couldn’t decide between JR Kratos vs. Jeff Cobb and this one, but ultimately succumbs to peer pressure.
Rocky Romero vs. Jay White
Jay White mouths off at Rocky after being eliminated last week… and gets slapped at the start as Rocky almost made this a short main event. Back inside, Rocky comes close on a crucifix, before White just knees him into the corner… but Rocky’s quickly back with some Forever clotheslines, until White ducks and hits back with a Manhattan drop and a DDT. Chops and a forearm to the back keep White ahead, before he lifted up Rocky in a hanging neckbreaker, then a swinging neckbreaker for a two-count. A grounded bear hug keeps White ahead, but Rocky gets up and elbowed his way free… only for White to kick out the knee ahead of a backbreaker for another two-count.
White pulls up Rocky for a chop, taking him into the corner, before some endless taunting led to White just dropping Rocky with an elbow. Wash, rinse and repeat, except this time Rocky fires back with elbows, before a satellite DDT send White sailing outside. Rocky holds back and dropkicks White between the ropes as he came back in, ahead of a springboard dropkick to the draping Kiwi for a near-fall. Kicks from Rocky and elbows wear down White some more, before he wrapped White’s arm around the rope. A springboard kneedrop to the arm out of the corner’s next, before some stomps keep White in the corner.
Rocky looks for a tornado DDT, but White pushes away and comes back with a tiltawhirl backbreaker instead, before a Blade Buster dropped Rocky for a two-count. Chops are next, but White lifts Rocky up top, only to get caught in an armbar, which White freed himself with via an eye rake. Back on the mat, White eats an uppercut in the corner, then a back elbow as Rocky nails a spinning DDT instead. Rocky tries to go for a suplex, but it’s blocked as White looked to counter with a Dragon screw, and got pulled into a cross armbar instead. White eventually forces a rope break, before Rocky’s attempt at a Shiranui was blocked. He comes back with a kick and a slap, before the Shiranui was caught… a Blade Runner’s teased, but Rocky backslides White for a near-fall.
A running Shiranui surprises White for a near-fall, before a regular Shiranui was caught and turned into a nasty backbreaker. From there, White picks up Rocky for a Blade Runner, and that’s your lot. In front of, say, a Korakuen crowd this match would have been white hot, just like the Rocky/ELP match last year, as the ever-dependable Romero almost pulled out the upset. ***¼
There’s no NJPW Strong next week – instead the show returns on January 8 to start a new run: Lion’s Break Contender. I’m assuming this is where the “newer” content starts… but we have Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov squaring up to each other before they hugged on Christmas.
