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NEW JAPAN STRONG REPORT: LAWLOR VERSUS RUST, AND MORE

Your announcers are Ian Riccaboni and Alex Koslov (in English) and Shigeki Kiyono and Hiroshi Tanahashi. (in Japanese)

Match Number One: Karl Fredericks versus Ethan HD

They lock up and Karl with a waist lock take down. Ethan gets to the ropes and forces a break. Karl teases a chop but holds back. Karl with a wrist lock and Ethan with a reversal and drop toe hold followed by a hammer lock. Karl with a waist lock into a double wrist lock take down. Ethan leans back to get a near fall. They lock up and Ethan with a side head lock. Ethan with a shoulder tackle and Karl stays on his feet. Ethan tries again and has the same result. Ethan sets for a third one but connects with a back elbow first and then tries for a shoulder tackle but Karl bounces off the ropes and connects with a shoulder tackle.

Karl with a chop and snap mare followed by a kick to the back for a near fall. Karl with a European uppercut. Ethan with a kick and European uppercut. Karl drops down and Ethan holds on to the ropes. Ethan with a double stomp to the back for a near fall. Ethan with an elbow to the bridge of the nose followed by a kick. Karl with a forearm and European uppercut. Karl avoids a tornado DDT but Ethan with a super kick and lungblower for a near fall.

Ethan kicks Karl in the head and Karl with a forearm. They go back and forth with Karl getting the advantage. Ethan gets Karl on his shoulders but Karl escapes. Ethan with a springboard round kick for a near fall. Ethan kicks Karl in the back and Karl wants more. Ethan kicks him again. Karl tells Ethan to hit him again and does it. Karl with an enzuigiri. Karl with a forearm into the corner followed by more forearms and a hesitation drop kick.

Karl with a leaping elbow drop for a near fall. Karl with a front face lock but Ethan backs Karl into the corner. Karl sends Ethan to the apron and sends him to the floor. Ethan with a kick when Karl goes for a suicide dive. Ethan with a double jump moonsault to the floor. Karl with a knee as Ethan comes back into the ring and Karl with a European uppercut and springboard drop kick to the back for a near fall.

Karl with a front face lock but Ethan falls to the mat. Karl with a European uppercut and he goes for an impaler DDT but Ethan escapes. Ethan with a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Ethan goes for a package piledriver but Karl blocks it and connects with a forearm. They go back and forth with forearms. Ethan with a kick and Ethan with a head butt. Karl with a spinebuster and impaler DDT for the three count.

Winner: Karl Fredericks

Before the match starts, Rehwoldt takes the mic. He says the crowd is something else tonight. Rehwoldt says he understands if he lived in a fog covered crap hole like Seattle, I would be using people like me as an outlet. He says Cobain had the right idea. I can’t wait to get the hell out of this region where you do this.

Phantasmo takes the mic and tells Rehwoldt to watch his mouth. He says no one makes fun of this s*** hole but him. He says this is his region. He says he is the King of the Pacific Northwest. He says today is ELP day.

Rehwoldt kicks Phantasmo and the referee calls for the bell to start the match.

Match Number Two: Matt Rehwoldt versus El Phantasmo

Matt kicks Phantasmo and chokes him in the ropes. Matt sends Phantasmo into the turnbuckles and punches him. Phantasmo with a drop kick and a running back elbow into the corner. Phantasmo with a chop and then he hits a springboard head scissors take down. Phantasmo misses an elbow in the corner and he sends Matt to the apron. Matt sends Phantasmo into the turnbuckles and hits a slingshot senton and a flying boot to the head.

Matt chokes Phantasmo on the apron. Matt with an Irish whip and he hits a running back elbow into the corner. Matt with a running swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Matt with a punch and head butt. Matt chokes Phantasmo in the corner. Matt with an Irish whip and Phantasmo with a float over and springboard cross body followed by a quebrada for a near fall.

Phantasmo with a chop and reverse atomic drop. Phantasmo with a slam and an elbow drop from the turnbuckles. Phantasmo gets ready for the super kick but Matt blocks it. Phanatsmo goes for a Burning Hammer but Matt escapes and hits a sit out spinebuster for a near fall. Matt goes up top and Phantasmo with a kick to stop him. Phantasmo sets for a superplex but Matt with a back rake to send Phantasmo to the mat. Matt with a swanton for a near fall.

Phantasmo with a forearm and Matt fires back. They go back and forth. Phantasmo with a series of kicks. Matt avoids a package piledriver and Matt with a rollup for a near fall. Phantasmo with a super kick and an arm trapped pedigree. Phantasmo goes up top and hits a swanton followed by a moonsault for the three count.

Winner: El Phantasmo

Match Number Three: Tom Lawlor (with Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs) versus Taylor Rust for the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship

They lock up and Rust with a wrist lock into a waist lock. Lawlor and Rust with standing switches and Lawlor gets Rust to the ropes. Lawlor with a clean break but he is ready to punch Rust if Rust does anything. Lawlor goes for a double leg take down but Rust blocks it with a front face lock. Lawlor with a take down but Rust with a counter and Rust tells Lawlor he came close to winning. They lock up and Lawor with a rake of the eyes and knees.

Rust with a clothesline and a side head lock take down. Lawlor with a rollup for a near fall. Rust with a wrist lock into a chin bar. Lawlor with a hammer lock into a double wrist lock. Rust with a side head lock take down and he poses. Rust with a side head lock take down into an arm bar. Rust with an abdominal stretch. Lawlor gets Rust up and backs him into the turnbuckles. Lawlor with chops and forearms. Lawlor misesa chop but he gives Rust a waist lock. Rust with kicks to the arm. Lawlor with a dragon screw leg whip to Rust off the turnbuckles.

Lawlor kicks Rust in the knee and follows with a knee drop to the leg. Lawlor kicks Rust in the hamstring. Lawlor with a chop and Rust with chops. Lawlor goes for a figure four leg lock and Rust blocks it momentarily but Lawlor is able to lock it in. Rust slaps Lawlor to get out of the hold. Rust with forearms but Lawlor with a kick to the leg. They go to the apron and Lawlor slams the leg into the apron. Lawlor does it again and then he connects with a forearm. Lawlor goes for a chop but misses and hits the ring post. Rust pulls Lawlor chest first into the ring post two times. They return to the ring.

Lawlor clips the leg while Rust is in the ropes. Lawlor wraps the leg in the ropes. Lawlor with a boot to the head and he kicks Rust in the hamstring again. Lawlor wit a boot to the chest and he sets for a Sharpshooter and after Rust blocks it for a moment, Lawlor locks it in. Rust gets to the ropes to force a break. Rust with an enzuigiri and kick to Lawlor. Rust has a kick blocked and Lawlor with an ankle lock.

Rust powers out of the hold and connects with forearms. Lawlor with an Irish whip and Rust floats over and connects with a round kick and a scissors kick. Rust goes for a snap mare but Lawlor gets to the floor. Rust with a suicide dive. Rust sends Lawlor back into the ring and Rust goes up top and misses a swanton. Lawlor with a splash into the corner and he goes to the turnbuckles but Rust with a bicycle kick to stop Lawlor. Rust sets for a superplex and hits it.

Lawlor with a forearm and Rust fires back. They continue the exchange. Rust with the advantage and he slaps Lawlor and connects with an uppercut to the arm. Lawlor with an exploder for a near fall. Lawlor with a front face lock but Rust backs Lawlor into the corner. Lawlor with a triangle and he poses on the turnbuckles. Rust with a sit out power bomb to get out of the hold. Nelson gets on the apron to distract Rust. Lawlor goes for a sleeper but Rust escapes and hits a flipping snap mare driver for a near fall.

Rust with kicks to the shoulder. Lawlor blocks a kick nad Lawlor with uppercuts to the leg. Lawlor with a spinebuster and both men are down. Lawlor gets a near fall. Lawlor with forearms. Rust with a float over into a cross arm breaker but Lawlor blocks it. Rust applies the cross arm breaker and turns it into an omoplata but Lawlor escapes. Lawlor with an enzuigiri and kick to the back of the leg. Lawlor with a knee to the back and he applies the sleeper and Rust is out so the referee calls for the bell.

Winner: Tom Lawlor (retains championship)

After the match, Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs celebrate with Lawlor.

Lawlor takes the mic and he says once again the reigning, first and only, strongest for the longest Openweight Champion. Just another in a long line of pretenders. Another traitor that learned you don’t bite the hand of New Japan Strong. Tom says he is left wondering who is going to be next to challenge the champion.

Tom says that nobody is coming out to catch a beating.

Music starts to play and Clark Connors makes his way to the ring.

Tom says if you are going to come out and disrespect us, we can do this now.

Tom asks for a referee and one comes ot the ring.

While the referee holds up the belt, Tom takes it and leaves the ring.

We go to credits.

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