Hamilton’s New Japan Strong (Road to Fighting Spirit Unleashed) 08.29.2020 Review

New Japan Strong is back in the mystery location, as we start with the opening titles… and this time we’re joined at the start by Kevin Kelly and Jay White?! Jay’s got the perfect t-shirt, and the reaction to the two-parter Fighting Spirit Unleashed show being called a tour…

White addresses the challenge from Flip Gordon, and seemingly dismisses him as nothing but a tune-up match ahead of whenever Jay can get back to Japan.

New Japan Strong Quick Results

Danny Limelight pinned Jordan Clearwater in 6:00 (**¾)
Misterioso, Barrett Brown, Blake Christian & Adrian Quest pinned Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks, ACH & TJP in 12:00 (***½)
Chase Owens pinned PJ Black in 11:10

Now we get a video package to build up the Fighting Spirit Unleashed pair of shows… and then it’s straight to action. Kevin Kelly and Alex Kozlov are on commentary…

Jordan Clearwater vs. Danny Limelight

Clearwater’s the big lad from the opening tag two weeks ago who stood out for being, well, tall…

Limelight throws some kicks early, but gets charged into the corner by Clearwater, who proceeds to toss him across the ring. Some slaps from Limelight just annoy Clearwater, who then took a Rocky Romero-ish ‘rana before Jordan came back with some armdrags. A third one’s avoided as Limelight instead ate a neckbreaker, before he came back with a low dropkick that spun Clearwater to the mat.

A DDT to the leg sees Limelight try to keep the big man off his feet, before he threw an uppercut and fell onto Clearwater for a convenient two-count. Knee drops target Clearwater’s left leg, before Limelight took it into the corner for some kicks. Clearwater fires back with clotheslines that spin Limelight to the mat, but Danny’s back with a roundhouse kick that keeps the big lad down.

Limelight goes for a flying DDT, but Clearwater catches it and turns it into a powerslam for a two-count, before a spinebuster lands for another near-fall. In the end though, Clearwater misses a big boot in the corner, and ends up falling to a springboard tornado DDT as Limelight left with the win. Short, competitive and pretty good as commentary dropped hints of Limelight being in some sort of deal with Rocky Romero. **¾

During the entrances for the next match, commentary announces Brody King vs. Hikuleo and Misterioso vs. Karl Fredericks for the Fighting Spirit Unleashed shows.

Misterioso, Barrett Brown, Blake Christian & Adrian Quest vs. TJP, ACH, Karl Fredericks & Clark Connors

Misterioso and Fredericks start us off, teasing next week, as they head into the ropes for a clean break.

They hit the ropes as Fredericks returns with a shoulder tackle, before he resisted Misterioso’s equivalent, as armdrags and leg sweeps take us into a stand-off. Tags bring in ACH and Blake Christian, with Blake getting charged down before a ‘rana took Blake to the mat. Chops keep ACH ahead, but Blake returns fire with a dropkick and a low 619, before he was caught with a tiltawhirl backbreaker for a two-count.

ACH drags Christian into the corner as TJP takes over with uppercuts, but a pop-up cutter from Christian and a wheelbarrow into a stomp got him ahead, as a tag brings Quest in. Adrian’s quickly caught, but he recovers with a satellite armdrag before tags bring in Connors and Brown. A superkick and a dropkick from Barrett get a two-count, before he followed up with chops that riled up the Young Lion.

Connors tries to fight back, but he’s caught with a suplex into the buckles before Brown missed a dropkick as he crashes and burns. The ring fills as Connors’ team ganged up on Brown, as Clark’s spear and a leaping elbow from Fredericks almost gets it done. More shots from brown end with him getting hiptossed into the wrong corner, as Fredericks tags in to help with some double-teaming.

A double shoulder tackle puts down Brown for a two-count, before ACH came in with a pendulum backbreaker to keep the pressure up. A chinlock stretches Brown, as does a Cobra Twist, but Barrett manages to hiptoss his way free. ACH stays on him though, dragging him into the corner as TJP tags back in, slamming him ahead of a senton atomico that misses… before a wheelbarrow facebuster bought Barrett time.

Adrian Quest comes in with a springboard ‘rana to spark a Parade of Moves, leading to a neckbreaker and a running shooting star press for a near-fall on TJP. Quest goes for a reverse ‘rana, but TJP avoids it and hits a back suplex before Christian came in with a springboard clothesline. He floats over ACH and lands a powerslam… then a Quebrada, forcing Connors in to break up the pin.

Another Parade of Moves broke out with Brown hitting an Asai moonsault to TJP on the floor, before Fredericks’ neckbreaker dropped Quest. ACH dropkicks Misterioso outside ahead of a pescado, before Christian topped it off with a springboard 630 splash. Holy crap, that was insane!

Back inside, TJP goes for a Detonation kick on Quest, but it’s avoided… before he came back in with a tombstone piledriver. TJP lands a Mamba splash, but Misterioso breaks up the cover before tagging in. He’s largely been away from the match, and seems fresh, but a roll-through neckbreaker’s caught with a spinning heel kick from TJP.

In comes Connors to help with a Hart Attack Blockbuster for a near-fall, before the obligatory Boston crab looked to force a finish… but Misterioso’s able to drag himself to the bottom rope for the break. Misterioso flips out of a German suplex before he superkicked Connors… then swiftly put him away with a back cracker for the win. That finish was a bit out of nowhere, but an otherwise enjoyable eight-man tag with a little bit of everything in there. ***½

Post-match, there’s some afters between Misterioso and Fredericks before they went to the back…

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Chase Owens vs. PJ Black

Chase is cowering in the corner as we get going. He’s taken to ground by Black, but counters out in a hammerlock before PJ switches out and rolls him to the mat for an early one-count.

Owens rolls outside, then back in, but he’s taken down again as Black went for a cross armbar… but it ends in the ropes for a quick break. A hammerlock from Chase gives him an opening, as they then go back-and-forth on wristlocks until Black headed to the top rope for a springboard armdrag to free himself.

Black can’t follow-up though, as Chase took him into the corners… before some headscissors took Owens outside for a plancha that almost went awry. Back inside, Black looks to go airborne again, but Chase rolls outside and teases walking out. Slowing down the pace even more. Commentary takes this break to tell us that Fred Rosser debuts next week – the former Darren Young, as the old Nexus continues their slow invasion.

A slow chase around ringside gives Owens the upper hand, as he charges down PJ back inside before they struggled over a hiptoss. Black sweeps him down, then stomps the back before the pair trade chops. They keep going as Owens misses a Shining Wizard, before clocking Black in the ropes with a knee ahead of a neckbreaker.

Owens sneaks in a punch from a headlock, before he bounces PJ out of the corner as a stomp to the gut keeps the South African down. A back body drop dumps Black for a near-fall, but Chase can’t keep the momentum as his charge into the corner is pushed down by Black… but again Chase rolls away when PJ went up top.

Instead, Black drops down and head into the corner, before he ran into another boot as Chase used a side Russian legsweep to take him into the buckles. It’s enough for a near-fall, before Chase teased a package piledriver… which is countered out of with a back body drop. Chops from PJ continue to sting Chase, before a spinning leg lariat and a forearm kept Chase on the back foot.

Owens gets taken to the corner as PJ finally heads up top for a crossbody for a near-fall. A springboard moonsault gets a similar result, before a second lands on Chase’s knees… leaving PJ open for a Jewel Heist clothesline for a near-fall, a knee strike, and finally a package piledriver for the win. Technically this was fine, but it just felt so slow and plodding, especially compared to what we already had on the show. **¾

All they announce for next week: Jay White vs. Flip Gordon – and who knows what else in the first half of two Fighting Spirit Unleashed shows.

6.7

The final score: review Average

The 411

A solid show, but this didn’t really need to be tagged as the “road to” anything as I fear that constantly making each NJPW Strong special is going to make none of them special in the long run.