NJPW Lonestar Shootout results and notes: NEVER Openweight Title match set for Wrestle Kingdom

November 11, 2023 Neal Flanagan NEWS
Photo Courtesy: NJPW

New Japan Pro Wrestling presented Lonestar Shootout, its latest US-based live event, on Friday night.

The Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas, hosted five title matches and some big names, including Zack Sabre Jr, Mayu Iwatani, Jon Moxley, Eddie Kingston, and Shingo Takagi.

The event also led to an addition to Wrestle Kingdom 18. Shingo Takagi, who successfully defended his IWGP NEVER Openweight Championship against Trent Beretta in the main event, will face previous holder Tama Tonga on January 4th.

At the close of the event, Takagi took to the microphone to call out his next opponent. The man he won the title from, Tama Tonga, came out to accept the challenge. Takagi agreed to the match for Wrestle Kingdom.

Elsewhere on the show, Eddie Kingston was attacked by Bullet Club’s Gabe Kidd after Kingston defeated Satoshi Kojima to retain the NJPW STRONG Openweight Title.

Kidd hit a piledriver on Kingston and said he wanted his title. A match is yet to be made official.

Across the card, there were five championship defences, all successful. Mayu Iwatani retained her IWGP Women’s Championship against Stephanie Vaquer in possibly the best match on the card.

Zack Sabre Jr retained his NJPW World TV Title against ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey in a fast-paced encounter, finally winning close to the 15-minute time limit by appearing to dislocate a couple of Bailey’s fingers.

Hikuleo and El Phantasmo of Guerillas of Destiny fended off a challenge from West Coast Wrecking Crew’s Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson to hold onto the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships.

In other tag-team action, Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta of AEW’s Blackpool Combat Club defeated Bullet Club’s KENTA and David Finlay.

Lonestar Shootout 2023 full results

  • NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) def. Trent Beretta
  • IWGP Women’s Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) def. Stephanie Vaquer
  • NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) def. Mike Bailey
  • Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta (Blackpool Combat Club) def. KENTA & David Finlay (Bullet Club)
  • NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship: Eddie Kingston (c) def. Satoshi Kojima
  • Mistico def. TJP
  • NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: Hikuleo & El Phantasmo (c) def. Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs (West Coast Wrecking Crew)
  • Chase Owens, Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors & Gabe Kidd (Bullet Club) def. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight
  • Toru Yano def. Joey Janela
  • Mascara Dorada, Tiger Mask & Atlantis def. Ultimo Guerrero, Rocky Romero & Hechicero
  • Pre-show: Fred Rosser def. Tom Lawlor
  • Pre-show: Matt Vandagriff def. Barrett Brown

Karen Peterson & Bruce Lord will present a full review of NJPW Lonestar Shootout for POST Wrestling Café members later on Saturday.

About Neal Flanagan 804 Articles
Based in Northern Ireland, Neal Flanagan is a former newspaper journalist and copy editor. In addition to reporting for POST Wrestling, he co-hosts The Wellness Policy podcast with Wai Ting and Jordan Goodman.
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