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NJPW STRONG REPORT: THE FINALS ARE SET, AND MORE

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

Match Number One: Jeff Cobb versus Jordan Clearwater

Clearwater wants to pose for the crowd before the match starts and Cobb takes off Jordan’s robe for him. Jordan with a forearm and the match starts. Jordan with an enzuigiri to send Cobb to the floor. Cobb pulls Jordan to the floor and Jordan with forearms. Cobb pushes Jordan in the chest and Cobb is sent into the ring post and then back into the ring. Jordan gets a near fall. Cobb runs Jordan into the turnbuckles and then tosses him to the mat. Cobb with forearms.

Cobb goes for a suplex and he gets Jordan up despite Jordan’s attempts to block it. Cobb gets a near fall. Cobb with another near fall. Jordan with punches that have no effect. Cobb with a forearm and a short arm clothesline. Cobb misses a standing moonsault when Jordan move.

Jordan with clotheslines that do not move Cobb. Cobb with a waist lock and Jordan with a back elbow. Cobb catches Jordan on a cross body. Jordan with a jumping knee and running neck breaker for a near fall. Jordan misses a running boot and Cobb with an elbow into the corner followed by a belly-to-back suplex for a near fall. Jordan with a back lbow and a rollup for a anear fall. Cobb catches Jordan when he tries for a jumping knee and hits a belly-to-back suplex followed by Tour of the Islands for the three count.

Winner: Jeff Cobb

Match Number Two: Fred Yehi versus Bateman

They lock up and Yehi with kicks and a single leg take down into a side head lock and take down. Yehi with a chop and Bateman chops back and it sends Yehi to the mat. Yehi with a kick and Bateman with forearms and a chop. Bateman with an Iris whip and then he sends Yehi face first to the mat. Bateman slams the arm itno the mat. Yehi with an abdominal stetch but Bateman with a hip toss. Yehi with a leg wringer and kicks to Bateman.

Yehi with shoulders in the corner followed by work on the shoulder. Bateman with a forearm and yehi goes down. Bateman with a knee drop to the head and he works on the fingers and applies an arm bar but Yehi gets to the ropes. Bateman with a kick but Yehi with kicks and knees in the corner. Yehi with a front face lock and suplex for a near fall. Yehi with a head scissors and he gets a near fall. Yehi with a boot to the shoulder. Yehi with a snap mare and reverse chin lock. Yehi with chops and Bateman with a forearm. Bateman with a chop.

Bateman with forearms in the corner and yehi with forearms. Yehi works on the shoulder and kicks Bateman in the leg. Yehi with a chop and he goes for a slam but Bateman escapes. Yehi with a sleeper and bateman backs yehi into the corner. Bateman with an elbow and a brainbuster. Yehi kicks Bateman in the leg. Yehi with a back fist and the Koji Clutch and Bateman taps out.

Winner: Fred Yehi

Match Number Three: Barrett Brown and Misterioso versus Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis in a NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship Tournament Semifinal Match

Fletcher and Brown start things off. Brown with a forearm and chop followed by more forearms and chops. Brown with a back heel kick and a drop kick to the head. Misterioso tags in and they kick Davis. They Irish whip Davis and Brown with an uppercut and a second one. Misterioso with a running double knee strike. Misterioso lands on his feet on a hip toss and he gives Kyle a hip toss followed by a quebrada. Misterioso gets a near fall. Misterioso kicks Kyle in the leg and gets him on his shoulders for a Finlay roll and he goes for a moonsault but Kyle with a super kick. Brown is knocked off the apron.

Kyle and Davis with a double chop and Kyle with a kick and Davis with a back senton for a near fall. Kyle sends Misterioso into the turnbuckles and punches him and follows with a forearm. Misterioso with a chop and Kyle with a forearm. Davis with a chop. Davis knocks Brown off the apron to the floor. Misterioso with chops and forearms. Davis with a slam and he teases a cover. Kyle tags in and he kicks Misterioso in the corner. Kyle with a slam and he knocks Brown of the apron one more time. Kyle with an elbow to the collarbone and a reverse chin lock. Brown kicks Kyle and Davis sends Brown to the floor and gives Brown a back drop driver onto the apron. Kyle chops Misterioso and he follows with forearms. Davis tags in and he chokes Misterioso in the corner. Kyle tags back in.

Misterioso with forearms to Davis and Kyle. Davis gets Misterioso up and Misterioso blocks a kick from Kyle. Misterioso with a handspring double back elbow and everyone is down. Brown tags in and he avoids a kick from Davis and hits a forearm on Kyle followed by a thrust kick to Davis. Brown with a boot to Davis and a knee to Kyle. Brown with a missile double drop kick.

Brown with a suicide dive onto Kyle and Davis. Misterioso with a flip dive onto both men on the floor. Kyle kicks Brown and goes for a suplex but Brown lands on his feet. Misterioso with a super kick and lungblower. Brown with a flying boot for a near fall. Misterioso with a forearm and Davis with an enzuigiri. Davis blocks a kick and Kyle with a super kick. Davis with a forearm and Kyle with a clothesline into the corner. Davis with a running forearm in the corner. Davis with a dragon screw to Misterioso in the ropes and then Kyle drop kicks Misterioso to the floor. They connect with forearms to Brown and then they get him up for a double choke slam bomb for the three count.

Winners: Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis (advance to Finals)

After the match, Fletcher and Davis ask for the mic. Fletcher says wherever Aussie Open has been, they have held tag team gold. New Japan Strong is going to be no different. We will be taking those titles home. Aussie Open and the United Empire are going to run the world.

Match Number Four: Kevin Knight, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Fred Rosser versus Jay White, Hikuleo, and Chase Owens

Tanahashi and White start things off and then White has some words for Tanahashi. White tags in Owens before anything happens. Owens throws Tanahashi’s guitar into the crowd. They lock up and Tanahashi with a side head lock. Owens grabs Tanahashi’s hair but Tanahashi does the same to Owens. Tanahashi with a punch. Owens with an Irish whip and Tanahashi with an elbow and a cross body. Tanahashi with a wrist lock and Rosser tags in and comes off the turnbuckles with a double sledge. They hit a double shoulder tackle and it is time for some guitar work. Rosser with chops in the corner.

Rosser with a clothesline and then he biels Owens by the ears. Rosser with a snap mare and seated splash. Rosser with another seated splash for a near fall. Knight tags in and they kick Owens. Knight with an uppercut. Knight with a slam and he goes for a Boston Crab but Owens with a kick. Owens with a side head lock and shoulder tackle.

Owens blocks a hip toss and Knight holds on to the ropes on an O’Connor Roll attempt. Knight blocks a suplex and applies a Boston Crab. White come in and Knight with a Boston crab to him. Hikuleo with a chop to Knight and then he knocks Tanahashi and Rosser to the floor. White tags in and he connects with a double sledge to the back. White with a chop. White with another chop and he gets a near fall. White plays some air guitar in front of Tanahashi. Hikuleo tags in and White with a knee. Hikuleo with a chop to Knight.

Hikuleo sends Knight into the turnbuckles and gets a near fall. Owens tags in and he goes up top. Owens comes off and gives Knight a back rake. Owens with a snap mare and he leans back with his feet around Knight’s head. Knight with forearms and Owens with a facebuster and knee to the head. Owens with a swinging neck breaker. Owens slaps Knight in the head and Knight with a forearm. Knight with a forearm and Owens pie faces Knight. Knight with a European uppercut and Owens slaps Knight.

Knight with a forearm. Owens with a back slide and he rolls through for a package piledriver but Knight escapes and hits an enzuigiri. Owens stops Knight from getting to his corner but Knight lands on his feet and Owens catches a leaping Knight again. Owens with a back heel kick and Knight with a drop kick. White tags in and he stoops Knight but Knight kicks him away and Tanahashi tags in. Tanahashi kicks White and hits a running forearm. Tanahashi with forearms and punches to White. Tanahashi with a slam and he goes to he turnbuckles for a somersault senton. White grabs Tanahashi by the hair and White blocks a kick and hits a dragon screw leg whip. White with a running uppercut and he hits a twisting suplex for a near fall. White with a reverse chin lock. Tanahashi with elbows and White with a chop. Tanahshi blocks a kick and hits a dragon screw leg whip. Tanahashi blocks Blade Runner and Tanahashi with a swinging neck breaker. Hikuleo tags in and he connects with a forearm on Tanahashi and follows with an Irish whip. Tanahashi with a drop kick to the knee. Rosser tags in and they chop Hikuleo. Rosser and Tanahashi goe for a double suplex and hit it.

Tananashi and Roser with dragon screw leg whips on White and Rosser. Hikuleo with a double clothesline. Hikuleo misses a kick to Rosser. Rosser with a rolling elbow. Rosser with a dragon screw to Hikuleo. Knight tags in and hits a splash into the corner. Knight with kicks and Hikuleo goes for a choke slam but Knight with a victory roll for a near fall. Knight goes for a Boston Crab. Hikuleo with a chop and Knight falls into the ropes. Knight with a drop kick to Hikuleo. Tanahashi with sling blade to Hikuleo. Rosser with a seated splash to Hikuleo follows by a splash from Knight.

Knight goes for a Boston Crab and locks it in. Rosser with a crossface chicken wing to White while Tanahashi has Owens in a cloverleaf. Hikuleo escapes the Boston crab. Hikuleo grabs Knight by the throat and night with a kick. Hikuleo blocks a hesitation DDT and Hikuleo with a power slam and a choke slam for the three count.

Winners: Jay White, Hikuleo, and Chase Owens

After the match, White has something to say. Jay drops the mic and he picks it up and says he has something to say. Jay says he wants to enjoy this moment with all of you. This is proof that New Japan Strong has been a f***ing success. About a year ago, I made the decision to invest my time in Strong and in the States rather than Japan because I saw an opportunity and potential for myself and New Japan Pro Wrestling.

I saw the opportunity, potential, and hunger in the guys in the back. You keep coming back because you see it too. You come back for guys like Fred Rosser, Narita, Yuya Uemura, Tom Lawlor and Team Filthy, Clark Connors, Alex Coughlin . . .

Chase stops Jay and Jay says you see that and as a result of the last year, we now have this. Thank you because without you guys . . .

Chase and Hikuleo stop Jay again.

Jay says he made a mistake. He meant to say of course I was always going to win this, with or without you. Do you think I needed your support to win this? I was always going to win this. Do you think I needed you? Do you think I helped you succeed? Do you think I should be thanking you? You should be thanking me. I don’t need Strong, Strong needs me. Without me, this wouldn’t exist and you wouldn’t be here tonight. Without me, New Japan Strong wouldn’t be a thing. Nobody would have seen the lights if it wasn’t for the work I did over the last year. Guys like Rosser, Narita, Uemura, Lawlor, and the rest? There is one man who makes the wrestling world turn. That man is Switchblade Jay White, the number one asset in pro wrestling. I am King Switchblade. I am the only true grand slam champion. I am the leader of Bullet Club. I am the catalyst of professional wrestling. I am the IWGP World Champion. That means that now the world breathes with the switchblade because this is still my era.

We go to credits.

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