Hamilton’s New Japan Strong (Summer Struggle USA) 08.20.2021 Review

Quick Results
Matt Morris pinned Alex Coughlin in 8:32 (**¼)
Ren Narita, Clark Connors & TJP pinned Daniel Garcia, Fred Rosser & Fred Yehi in 12:09 (***)
Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson pinned Chris DIckinson & Brody King in 9:51 (***)

— 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.

Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov do their usual thing of voicing over some B-roll as we’re still running out stuff that’s already in the can.

Alex Coughlin vs. Matt Morris
The former Aiden English worked some matches under this name – and tried to go by it on commentary at Resurgence last week, but the graphic makers seemed to ignore it!

Coughlin struck first with a shoulder block, but Morris feigned being winded to give himself an opening… only for Coughlin to hit back with an overhead belly-to-belly. Morris gets worn down with chinlocks as Coughlin proceeded to chop him silly. Morris throws his way free, then caught out Coughlin, throwing him into the corner ahead of a senton back into the ring.

A clothesline dumps Coughlin to the outside, with a cannonball off the apron next, but Coughlin blocks a move back inside, then rolled through a crossbody, turning it into a bridging fallaway slam. Morris kicks out at two, then came back with a diving kick before a falling front DDT – the Director’s Cut – got the win. A winning debut for Morris, who took a beating against a Young Lion – which seems to be a template for debutants here… **¼

Daniel Garcia, Fred Rosser & Fred Yehi vs. Clark Connors, Ren Narita & TJP
A show debut for Garcia, who’s been in the Wheeler Yuta steps of being hot lately while also having matches for Strong in the can…

They played up the Narita/Rosser exchanges from Resurgence last week, as Garcia and TJP start proceedings. A hammerlock from Garcia has TJP down, but headscissors offer an escape before he bridged out of a headlock, maneuvering Garcia into an Octopus stretch. Garcia walks into the corner, as Connors tagged in after the hold was broken, but Garcia couldn’t escape a brief double-team as the Dojo lads picked up a quick one-count.

Connors is taken into the opposite corner and stomped on by Yehi, with Rosser then coming in with knees into the corner. Getting free, a misdirection shoulder tackle just about took Rosser down, before Ren Narita tagged in to get him some. Stomps keep Rosser in the corner, as quick tags made sure he couldn’t break free. A chinlock from TJP’s fought out of, as Rosser clears the opposite corner to try and get him some breathing room, but TJP trips him down as Connors and Narita cleared Yehi and Garcia off the apron.

Rosser eventually slammed and sat down splash’d Connors, prompting Yehi to tag in to try his luck with stomps. It worked, too, as TJP came in to make a save… only to get clubbed away as chops keep Connors on the back foot. Connors’ powerslam gave him an opening as TJP came in to help double-team with a Detonation kick ahead of a spear on Yehi.

Garcia runs in to spark a Parade of Moves as things calm down with a swinging DDT from TJP to Yehi. Tags bring in Narita and Garcia, with Garcia’s big boots stunning Narita ahead of a chop. Narita kicks out at two, then hit an overhead belly-to-belly for a near-fall, before a rear naked choke pulled Garcia back up… Garcia rolls back to try and steal a win, but Narita ends up responding with a Cobra twist, before he pulled Garcia into a Narita Special #4… Garcia kicks out at two, but gets hit with it again, this time for the win. I get Narita’s on excursion, but that fall really didn’t age well since this was put in the can! ***

West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) vs. VLNCE UNLTD (Brody King & Chris Dickinson)
Nelson and Isaacs joined Team Filthy just before Resurgence – as we get some overspill from what was meant to have happened last week (had King not had to miss Resurgence).

Dickinson and Isaacs start us off, but Dickinson’s early offence ends when Jorel Nelson attacks him from behind. Brody King makes a save, but gets dropkicked to the floor, before Nelson broke up a cross armbar on Isaacs to resume the offence. Nelson’s caught with chops and kicks from Dickinson, but jacks the knee to stop things.

King’s drawn into the ring to distract the ref as Isaacs and Nelson make a phantom tag to keep Dickinson down, with a leg lock rolling Dickinson into the Crew’s corner. Dickinson eventually fights free with elbows to Isaacs, before an enziguiri and a German suplex led to Dickinson finally making the tag.

King clears house, squashing Isaacs and Nelson in the corner with clotheslines, before a death valley driver sends Nelson into Isaacs for a near-fall. A Hart Attack dropkick has Nelson down for a Boston crab, with Dickinson’s knee drop adding some extra mustard, but Isaacs breaks it up to spark a Parade of Stuff. Dickinson tags back in as Nelson’s double-teamed, taking a tiltawhirl backbreaker and a dropkick, while a nasty brainbuster from Dickonson looked to lead to the finish…

…but Isaacs comes in as King distracts the ref. A forearm drops Dickinson, with Isaacs then tagging in, but King stops another double-team before he clotheslines the Crew to the outside. Isaacs gets rolled back inside so Dickinson could put him away, but the ref is grabbed as JR Kratos attacks King on the floor, while a German suplex from Isaacs and a top rope elbow from Nelson gets the win. A solid main event, just a little on the short side. ***

6.7

The final score: review Average

The 411

A solid episode of Strong, but you know the score. Hopefully those new episodes of Strong with a crowd aren’t too far away, as that should move us away from any booking choices with independent talent that have aged like milk left outside on a summer’s day!