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NJPW STRONG REPORT: RUSH VERSUS PHANTASMO, ONE WEEK TO MOXLEY/KENTA

By Richard Trionfo on 2021-02-20 10:00:00

We are in Los Angeles, California and your announcers are Shigeki Kiyono and Hiroshi Tanahashi (in Japanese) or Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov (in English).

Match Number One: Rocky Romero, Misterioso, and Adrian Quest versus DKC, Barrett Brown, and Rey Horus

Brown and Quest start things off and they lock up. Brown with a wrist lock and Quest with a reversal. Brown backs Quest into the ropes and Quest with a waist lock. Quest avoids a slam and hits a head scissors take down. Brown with a clothesline for a near fall. DKC tags in and punches Quest. They hit a double shoulder tackle and DKC gets a near fall.

DKC witih kicks and forearms. Quest with a knee and forearms. Misterioso tags in and he punches and chops DKC. DKC with a chop and knee. Misterioso with a forearm. DKC with a kick and punches. DKC with a chop and hip toss followed by a chop for a near fall. DKC goes for a slam but Misterioso blocks it. DKC with forearms and chops. DKC with an Irish whip and he misses a splash. Misterioso with a one arm power slam for a near fall. Romero tags in.

Romero kicks DKC and gives him a snap mare followed by a drop kick for a near fall. Quest tags in and he punches DKC and slams him followed by an elbow drop for a near fall. Quest with forearms and Misterioso tags in and he kicks DKC. Misterioso with shoulders in the corner followed by chops. Misterioso with a Finlay roll and moonsault for a near fall.

Misterioso with a forearm and knees. Romero tags in and he slams DKC. Romero sets for a single leg crab and locks it in. Brown hits Romero to break up the hold. Romero with an Irish whip and infinity clotheslines to DKC but DKC with a drop kick and both men are down. Horus and Quest tag in and they exchange forearms with Horus getting the advantage and hits a series of kicks followed by a leg drop for a near fall. Quest with a forearm and full nelson. Horus moves and Quest drop kicks Misterioso.

Horus with a slingshot rana to Misterioso on the floor. Horus with a cross body to Quest for a near fall. Quest with forearms. Horus misses a discus clothesline and Quest hits a Saito suplex. Romero tags in and hits a clothesline for a near fall. Romero goes for sliced bread but Horus escapes. Horus with an enzuigiri and both men are down.

Brown tags in and hits a running back elbow and follows with a snap mare and a drop kick for a near fall. Brown gets another near fall. Brown with forearms. Romero goes for a belly-to-back suplex but Brown escapes. Brown with a German suplex. Horus with a series of kicks and DKC with a back fist. Brown with a drop kick for a near fall. Misterioso with a handspring double back elbow to Horus and DKC. Misterioso and Quest with pescadsos onto Horus and DKC. Brown with an inside cradle and a jumping knee. Romero gets Brown into a cross arm breaker and Brown taps out.

Winners: Rocky Romero, Misterioso, and Adrian Quest

After the match, DKC, Brown, and Horus are in the back. Brown says he worked so damn hard to get here and he hasn’t won this year. He didn’t get past the first round of the Super J Cup. He says he is fighting for a job.

Match Number Two: Fred Rosser versus Hikuleo

They lock up and Hikuleo sends Rosser into the corner. Rosser with punches and kicks as he avoids punches from Hikuleo. Hikuleo with a clothesline. Hikuleo with a forearm and head butt. Hikuleo chokes Rosser in the ropes and misses a clothesline. Rosser with a sleeper and he gets on Hikuleo’s back. Rosser tries for a cross face chicken wing but Hikuleo backs Rosser into the corner to escape. Rosser with forearms from the turnbuckles. Hikuleo with a boot that knocks Rosser off the turnbuckles and sends him to the floor.

Hikuleo follows Rosser to the floor and he punches and kicks Rosser. Hikuleo tries to send Rosser into the ring post but Rosser escapes. Hikuleo with a power slam on the floor and the referee checks on Rosser. The referee restarts his count and Hikuleo with a bow and arrow around the ring post. Hikuleo punches Rosser in the ribs and then he stretches Rosser around the ring post again. Hikuleo with a knee to the midsection followed by a boot to the chest. Hikuleo with a near fall. Hikuleo with forearms across the chest. Hikuleo with a forearm and Rosser with a chop that has little effect. Hikuleo chokes Rosser in the ropes. Hikuleo with forearms. Rosser pushes Hikuelo and Hikuleo with an Irish whip and clothesline in the corner. Hikuleo with a slam and leg drop for a near fall. Hikuleo slaps Rosser in the back of the head Hikuleo with an abdominal stretch and a claw on the ribs.

Rosser with a forearm and a belly-to-back suplex for a near fall. Hikuleo kicks Rosser and chokes him in the ropes. Rosser moves and Hikuleo crotches himself on the top rope on a boot attempt. Rosser with a knee off the turnbuckles. Rosser tries to get Hikuleo up on his shoulders but cannot get him up. Hikuleo with a choke slam for a near fall.

Hikuleo gets Rosser on his shoulders and Rosser escapes. Rosser with a backslide for the three count, with some help from the hair.

Winner: Fred Rosser

After the match, Hikuleo argues with the referee over the result of the match. Hikuleo attacks the ring crew and he gives one of them a choke slam.

Hikuleo goes to the back and he says Rosser cheated. I am the bad guy. My shoulders weren’t down and he pulled my hair. I want a rematch with a new referee.

We go to the cleaning and disinfection break.

Match Number Three: El Phantasmo versus Lio Rush

Phantasmo offers his hand and Rush kicks it away. They lock up and Rush backs Phantasmo into the ropes and gives a clean break. They lock up and Phantasmo gives a clean break but Rush pushes Phantasmo and Phantasmo with a light slap to the face. They lock up and Phantasmo with a side head lock take down and Rush with a head scissors and Phantasmo escapes. Rush with a side head lock take down and Phantasmo with a head scissors and Rush escapes.

Phantasmo with a waist lock and take down into a reverse chin lock. Phantasmo with a wrist lock. Rush with a reversal and drop toe hold into a front face lock. Phantasmo escapes but Rush with a wrist lock. Phantasmo with a single leg sweep and he applies a bow and arrow.

Rush counters with a lateral press and gets a near fall. Phantasmo with a leg sweep and cover for a near fall. Phantasmo offers his hand again and Rush goes for the leg. Phantasmo goes for the nipple to escape and he applies a side head lock. Rush with a slingshot head scissors and Phantasmo lands on his feet and then both men go for drop kicks at the same time.

Phantasmo and Rush push each other. Rush with a boot and he gets a near fall. Rush kicks Phantasmo in the corner and Phantasmo with an Irish whip but Rush sends Phantasmo to the apron and hits a handspring kick to knock Phantasmo off the apron. Phantasmo breaks the referee’s count and then goes back ot the floor. Rush with a front face lock and chiop followed by kicks and he gets a near fall. Rush with a reverse chin lock and body scissors. Rush with a waist lock into a front face lock. Phantasmo grabs the leg and flips Rush over and Rush lands on his feet. Rush with a DDT for a near fall.

Phantasmo with chops and forearms in the corner. Phantasmo chokes Rush in the ropes. Phantasmo chokes Rush again and the referee warns Phantasmo and checks on Rush. Rush with a head butt to the midsection but Phantasmo with a back rake and he shows his nails to the camera. Phantasmo with an Irish whip that sends Rush sternum first into the turnbuckles. Phantamso with another back rake. Phantasmo with boots to Rush. Phantasmo with a chop in the corner.

Phantasmo with an Irish whip but Rush slides into the corner and he kicsk Phantasmo. Rush goes for the rebound cutter but Phantasmo blocks it. Rush with a DDT for a near fall. Rush with punches Phantasmo blocks an Irish whip and Rush with a kick and chop. Rush with an Irish whip and Phantasmo floats over and hits a springboard cross body for a near fall. Phantasmo lands on his feet on a moonsault attempt. Rush with a rebound cutter for a near fall.

Rush pulls Phantasmo into the corner but Phantasmo keeps Rush from going up top by grabbing the leg. Rush goes up top and he goes for a frog splash but Phantasmo gets his boots up and Rush sees it so he lands on his feet. Phantasmo goes for a punch to the naughty bits and Rush blocks it and then gets a near fall with a crucifix. Rush wit a boot to the back. Rush is pushed into the referee and the referee goes down. Phantasmo with a super kick and he gets the three count.

Winner: El Phantasmo

After the match, Phantasmo tells Kevin Kelly to say it again that I beat Lio Rush. I am going to give it to you. You are good and you are a go getter. You are successful in what you do. You have accomplished a lot in professional wrestling. I am Mr. Back to Back. I am the Ace of the Junior Division. If you want to come into my company and in my division, you have to get through me. Japan is waiting. Best of Super Juniors is waiting for the Man of the Hour. Phantasmo says he is the Man of the Century and the Multiverse.

We go to credits.

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