Quick Results
Fred Rosser & Ren Narita pinned Kevin Knight & Alex Coughlin in 12:36 ( ¼)
Karl Fredericks pinned Clark Connors in 18:19 ( ½)
A lot’s been made of the LA Dojo since Katsuyoru Shibata took over as head coach following his retirement… and its very presence has helped New Japan during the pandemic too, with the dojo trainees being the backbone of this NJPW Strong strand. This week, in the fall-out from the New Japan Cup USA final, they get the spotlight all to themselves…
We open with Katsuyori Shibata introducing footage from the drills at the LA Dojo, along with mini promos of the current crop of trainees, before Kevin Kelly (and his New Japan tracksuit jacket) and Alex Koslov open the show.
NJPW Strong
Streamed April 30, 2021 on New Japan World
A new opening aired, showcasing the wrestlers of the LA Dojo, which was the theme of the episode. Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov checked in on commentary to begin the show. Kelly said these are some of the brightest stars we will see and then ran down the card.
1. The DKC vs. TJP. The DKC rushed his way to the ring in his Young Lion gear. Kelly said the money has to be on TJP. The two locked up in the center of the ring. The DKC worked TJP’s left arm, but TJP landed a spinning head-scissors. The DKC came back with a head-scissors of his own. TJP morphed into a head-stand and rolled out to take control with a bow-and-arrow.
In the main event, Karl Fredericks will take on Clark Connors.
Fredericks was the winner of the 2019 Young Lion Cup in NJPW, while Connors was the winner of the inaugural Lion s Break Crown tournament. The two have met twice before in singles competition, with Fredericks winning one and the other contest a draw.
In the second match, Fred Rosser will team with Ren Narita against Alex Coughlin and Kevin Knight. Narita is coming off a loss to eventual winner Tom Lawlor in the New Japan Cup USA 2021 tournament, while Rosser lost to Hikuleo in a Cup match.
In Friday s opener, TJP will take on The DKC.
NJPW Strong
Streamed April 16, 2021 on New Japan World
The broadcast team of Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov ran down the card to start the show.
1. The DKC, Kevin Knight, Alex Coughlin, and Karl Fredericks vs. Jordan Clearwater, Adrian Quest, Barrett Brown, and Misterioso. Kelly noted how he’s paying attention to Barrett Brown throughout the match. Brown and Coughlin started the match. The two traded control before Clearwater and The DKC went after each other after tagging in.
Quest and Knight then tagged in and traded control before Knight hit a bodyslam for a two-count. The DKC tagged in and landed a pin for a two-count. Brown tagged in and hit a kick on The DKC before hitting a body-slam for a two-count. Misterioso then tagged in and worked over The DKC in the corner, ending up with a double knee.
Jordan Clearwater, Adrian Quest, Barrett Brown & Misterioso defeated The DKC, Kevin Knight, Alex Coughlin & Karl Fredericks
Both teams got chippy with each other before the bell. LA Dojo s Alex Coughlin and Barrett Brown were in first. The DKC and Clearwater were in together after that, and DKC was extra fired up tonight. He stomped the taller Clearwater s foot before tagging out to Adrian Quest. DKC tagged out to Kevin Knight, who made a fundamental bodyslam look more impressive than you d imagine. Very strong dude, this Kevin Knight.
Brown and Quest double-teamed DKC until Coughlin got involved briefly. Later, Misterioso tagged in and worked over DKC some more. He was the whipping boy in this match, taking the brunt of the abuse from the opposite team until he was able to finally tag out to Karl Fredericks. He and Clearwater will probably have a barnburner of a singles match together down the road. Same goes for Brown and Knight, who looked good together towards the end.