Hamilton’s New Japan Strong (Collision 2022) 06.11.2022 Review

Quick Results
Killer Kross defeats Yuya Uemura via referee stoppage in 7:50 (**)
Karl Fredericks pinned QT Marshall in 8:24 (***¼)
Hikuleo, Jay White, Juice Robinson, Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson pinned Rocky Romero, Chuck Taylor, Tomohiro Ishii, Mascara Dorada & Ren Narita in 12:44 (***¼)

— If you’re on Twitter, give me a follow over on @IanWrestling – and check out the GoFundMe that’s still open for Larry’s family.

We’re coming from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia for this batch of tapings… the opening video for this tour’s tagging the wrestlers in each shot, like it’s a soap opera or something. Ian Riccaboni and Matt Rehwoldt are on commentary for this run. Commentary that seems to have been dubbed in duplicate. I don’t even know how you’d do that…

Yuya Uemura vs. Killer Kross
Well, get this one out of the way, eh? Kross was last around over ‘Mania weekend, where he was swept aside by Minoru Suzuki.

The audio issues are incredibly distracting by the way. It’s like I’ve got this streaming on two tabs at the same time. How’s this get missed?! Anyway, we open with a lock-up as Uemura works the arm, only to get rolled down as Kross went for a rear naked choke… but it’s by the ropes as Uemura broke instantly.

Uemura stays on the mat to pull Kross back down, but Kross rolls into the mount before he backed off, threatening to punch Uemura in the face. A lock-up from Uemura ends in the ropes, with the Young Lion slapping Kross on the break. Kross snarls and grabbed Uemura for a German suplex, following up with some forearms in the corner before Uemura fought back with a dropkick.

Forearms from Uemura have Kross staggering into the corner, but a Saito suplex out of it’s blocked as Kross elbowed free. Uemura stays on him with uppercuts and chops, before the Saito landed for a near-fall… with a cross armbar following instantly after the kickout.

Kross rolls free and punches Uemura to break out, only for an arm breaker and a German suplex to nearly win it for Uemura. Kicking out, Kross’ chokeslam attempt’s countered into a cross armbreaker, then into a triangle choke as Kross ended up powerbombing his way free. A lariat from Kross followed for a near-fall, before a powerbomb and a Saito suplex left Uemura in a heap.

Uemura’s barely able to get to his feet, as he’s knocked down with a clothesline to the back of the head, before forearms to the back of the next led to the referee stoppage. Unwatchable because of the audio issue, and I wasn’t a fan of the finish either. **

QT Marshall vs. Karl Fredericks
They fixed the commentary!

Fredericks surprises Marshall with a shotgun dropkick before the bell, but his early flurry was quelled when Aaron Solo pulled Marshall to the outside. Solo eats a right hand as Fredericks gave chase, before a trip back inside allowed QT to catch Karl with a kick to the gut. A leapfrog/crossbody from Fredericks, then a Kitchen sink put him right back in it, before he clotheslined Marshall to the outside… where a tope wiped out Nick Comoroto at ringside.

Another trip back inside allowed Fredericks to wipe out Solo with atope, before Marshall ran into a gamengiri. That distracts the ref as Comoroto wiped out Fredericks… the referee didn’t see it, but ejects Solo and Comoroto anyway. Marshall takes things back inside, stomping on Fredericks’ head, then taking him into the ropes for a back elbow that gets just a one-count.

A handspring enziguiri from Marshall catches everyone off guard for a near-fall, as Fredericks tried to get his way back in… eventually doing so with a backbreaker. Fredericks Goozles Marshall and slaps him a la Tim Thatcher, as we lead to a nice back body drop that took Marshall into the corner. Fredericks keeps going with a Stinger splash, forearms and some face-washing kicks, before the hesitation dropkick smashed into QT in the corner.

Fredericks keeps going with a hiptoss and a leaping elbow drop for a two-count, then a spinebuster and a STF that ended in the ropes. The pair jockey over a suplex in the ropes, but QT launched back in… caught Frederick’ crossbody before returning with a Lethal Combination. It’s good for a near-fall, before QT called for a Diamond Cutter…

QT can’t get it off though, but was able to catch a PK… Fredericks runs into a pop-up forearm before a powerbomb nearly won it for QT. The pair trade forearms, but it’s Fredericks who pulls ahead, shrugging off QT’s superkick before he landed an enziguiri. It knocked QT onto him though, with Marshall almost winning in a fluke…

Pinning attempts follow back-and-forth, with Fredericks eventually landing a PK for a near-fall, before he hit a Manifest Destiny for the win. This was an enjoyable TV match, with Fredericks getting a hard-earned win over the tormentor Marshall. ***¼

Post-match, Solo and Comoroto return to put the boots to Fredericks… before a masked man ran out to punt Nick low, before a uranage and a slipped mask led to a Best Moonsault Ever. Yup, Christopher Daniels made the save,

Bullet Club (Jay White, Juice Robinson, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Hikuleo) vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Chuck Taylor, Rocky Romero, Mascara Dorada & Ren Narita
Some awkward timing on this Dominion “warm-up” given Juice Robinson had to vacate the US title before this show…

Anderson and Dorada start us off, with Dorada getting taken into the corner for an eye rake. Dorada escapes, but gets kicked after a handspring, before returning with a Slingblade and a missile dropkick. Tags bring us to Doc Gallows and Tomohiro Ishii, which quickly breaks down as Ishii’s forearms end up earning him an uppercut and a suplex from Gallows.

Juice Robinson tagged in to capitalise, landing some Dusty punches and chops in the corner, not too unlike Ishii, before a shoulder tackle took Juice down. Ren Narita tagged in to put the boots to a cowering Juice… Jay White made a save, but got thrown outside as Narita rolled Juice down for a kick to the back. It doesn’t even get a one-count, as the pair then trade forearms, leading to a big boot from Narita, who then went to clear the Bullet Club apron.

The Bullet Club storm the ring to get instant payback, with Juice holding up Narita for a chop from White, who followed up with some more chops as Hikuleo, then Gallows tagged in for their shots. Juice returns as Narita found his second wind, only to stop him with a poke to the eye and a stalling suplex. Except Narita slips out into a rear naked choke, stopping to clear the apron again before he had to defend a back senton from Juice.

Chuck Taylor tags in and kicks Juice out of the corner, then nailed a tope con giro into Juice and Gallows on the outside. Rocky nicks in a gamengiri, then tagged in as Jay White ate a bunch of stuff in the corner. Hikuleo helps make the save, but Rocky sneaks out for headscissors to White, then to Juice, and finally to Anderson.

That left four of the Bullet Club team in corners for Forever lariats, ending with a big boot from Hikuleo as all hell broke loose. The turnaround takes Rocky to the corner for chops, kicks and cannonballs, leading to a back suplex/neckbreaker from the Good Brothers and a Hikuleo splash for a near-fall. Narita breaks it up and tries to choke out Hikuleo as a set-up for an Octopus stretch… but White stops it with a half-and-half suplex.

The Parade of Moves keeps going, leading to Ishii countersign a Magic Killer into a sheer drop brainbuster on Gallows. Hikuleo boots Ishii away though, then ate a missile dropkick from Dorada, who followed that up with a flip dive off the top to a Bullet Club-flavoured pile. Back inside though, Hikuleo’s with Rocky, eating a bunch of uppercuts ahead of a Shiranui attempt. Hikuleo’s block is turned into an inside cradle for a near-fall, before a scoop powerslam and a chokeslam planted Rocky for the win. ***¼

The Bullet Club stood tall afterwards, swarming Tomohiro Ishii and Ren Narita as they tried to make amends. A Blade Runner dropped Ishii as we closed out Strong with a “message to Okada” from Jay White…

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

Take out the opener, and this was a really good episode of Strong, with Marshall/Fredericks being a really pleasant surprise, in addition to the ten-man tag main event…