NJPW Resurgence
May 9, 2025
By: John Siino
Toyota Arena in Ontario, California
Commentary: Walker Stewart & Veda Scott
RESULTS:
- STRONG Survivor: CJ Tino over Allan Breeze via pinfall (5:25) (The Buy In)
- Bea Priestley over Viva Van via pinfall (4:27) (The Buy In)
- Fred Rosser over Matt Vandagriff via submission (13:47)
- NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team: TJP & Templario over Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs (c) via pinfall to win championship (13:13)
- Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson over David Finlay, Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd & Gedo via pinfall (13:40)
- NJPW STRONG Openweight: Tomohiro Ishii (c) over Drilla Moloney by pinfall (13:40) (RECOMMENDED)
- NEVER Openweight: Konosuke Takeshita (c) over El Phantasmo via pinfall (17:48) (RECOMMENDED)
- IWGP World Heavyweight: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. ends in a double pin (17:22)
- NJPW STRONG Women’s Title: AZM over Mercedes Mone (c), Mina Shirakawa via pinfall to win championship (17:54) (RECOMMENDED)
Bea Priestley Appears On The Buy In
During the pre-show, Bea Priestley made a surprise appearance in her ring gear. She said it’s been about 4 years since she’s been back here and says her 90 days are finished today. She showed up in one of the top women’s divisions that there is in the business today, says she’s the Top Gaijin and always has been, when there have been many imitators. Since she’s dressed for the occasion, she puts out an open challenge that Viva Van accepts for an impromptu match. Priestley won the match after hitting the Plan Bea.
Matt Vandagriff vs. Fred Rosser
Matt Vandagriff attacks Fred Rosser before the bell rings, as we have a teacher vs. student dynamic in this match, with Vandagriff betraying his coach and going into heelish ways as he keeps throwing up middle fingers that Rosser doesn’t appreciate. They fight on the outside and apron for a bit as Vandagriff tries to powerbomb Rosser off, just for him to sit on his head to break up the attempt. They go back to fighting on the outside, as Rosser viciously whips Vandagriff into the guardrails. Vandagriff runs into the crowd, as Rosser follows him. Vandagriff takes control as the crowd seems split between him and Rosser. Veda Scott mentions Vandagriff’s family being by them, being very vocal for him. Vandagriff starts kicking away at Rosser, but he stops him and keeps him in the corner with chops and clotheslines. Vandagriff mounts a comeback, but gets tossed into the corner with a suplex. Rosser sets up for a clothesline, but Vandagriff reverses it into a buckle bump, just for Rosser to bounce back with a clothesline, as both men are laid out. They start trading forearms and punches until Vandagriff lands a kick, blocks a Gut Check, and hits a twisting splash for a two-count. Rosser puts his knees up to block a 450 Splash and hits the Gut Check, but Vandagriff kicks out at two. Rosser traps on the Chicken Wing, as Vandagriff taps out to end the match. (Sii-note: This was my first time watching Vandagriff in a more lengthy matchup with some story behind it, and he exceeded my expectations for the match. Also noticed Rosser’s theme has a lyric about ‘Nexus’. Neat.)
Winner: Fred Rosser by submission at 13:47
NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship: The World Class Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) (c) vs. United Empire (TJP & Templario)
They start brawling before the bell rings, before Jorel Nelson gets sent to the outside as TJP & Templario start double-teaming Royce Isaacs, including Templario suplexing TJP onto him, for a two-count. The World Class Wrecking Crew starts getting some heat working on TJP in their corner, before Isaacs holds TJP down in the middle of the ring with a stretch. Nelson goes and takes the headset from Walker Stewart and starts disrupting commentary as TJP fights Isaacs off and tags out to Templario, as Nelson joins in as well. Templario & TJP now start double-teaming Isaacs, with TJP sending him to the outside with a missile dropkick to the back, followed by a Wrecking Ball Dropkick and a dive from Templario. Isaacs & TJP end up in the corner as Isaacs hits a big superplex, followed by a clothesline, as Nelson hits an elbow drop for two. All four go at it next with Templario catching Nelson off the corner into a wheelbarrow suplex. They all continue until Templario hits a powerbomb/lungblower on Nelson, followed by the Mamba Splash by TJP, but Isaacs gets in just in time to break it up. TJP takes out Isaacs on the outside with a plancha, before putting Nelson on his shoulders as Templario walks the ropes and hits him with a forearm to the back of the head, for a two-count. Isaacs & TJP go back-and-forth with Tombstone attempts, until Isaacs hits it, followed by hitting a Death Valley Driver to Templario on Nelson’s knees. Isaacs then puts Templario on his back as Nelson jumps off of them. A bit of back and forth before Templario reverses a small package from TJP to Nelson, as we get the surprise pin and title change.
Winners: United Empire (TJP & Templario) by pinfall at 13:13, to become NEW NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions
BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Clark Connors, Gabe Kidd, David Finlay & Gedo) vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) & The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson)
In The Good Brothers’ first match since leaving WWE, they are teaming up with The Young Bucks for the first time since episode 100 of AEW Dynamite on September 1st, 2021. They brawl before the bell rings (a recurring theme tonight) as all eight men immediately take it into the crowd and to the entrance ramp, where Nicholas Jackson hits a dive from off the stage. The Bucks & The Brothers take control here, beating up Clark Connors before they all pose in the corners as this California crowd gives them a pretty good reaction throughout. The War Dogs come back with all four hitting ten punches in the corners. They stay in control as Gabe Kidd gets on the mic and starts talking down to his opponents, calling them old and The Young Cucks. Kidd then tells Karl Anderson that he’s the ‘bald white guy’ here now. Doc Gallows takes out Connors & David Finlay with a crossbody before hitting a sitout powerbomb on Kidd. The Bucks start double-teaming on Kidd, before attacking Finlay in the ropes for a two-count. Everybody goes at it next with superkicks a-plenty until Kidd takes out the Bucks with a double lariat. We have a bald-off as Kidd fights off Gallows & Anderson before being taken out with a Gun Stun. All eight continue here with Gallows fighting everybody off until the Bucks hit the EVP Trigger on Gedo, followed by the Meltzer Driver, off of Gallows’ shoulders. The Good Brothers follow with Magic Killer on Gedo, as Anderson gets the pin and the win.
Winners: The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows) & The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson) by pinfall at 13:40
After the match, The Good Brothers & the Young Bucks put up their too sweets, and when it looks like the War Dogs will do it, they don’t and walk off as we hear the classic BULLET CLUB theme.
NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Drilla Moloney
They start the match exchanging blows, as commentary mentions the last time these two faced off was in the New Japan Cup earlier this year, where Drilla Moloney came up victorious, which should be of concern for Tomohiro Ishii here in his first title defense. They get into the corners and exchange chops as Moloney gains control and goes to piledrive Ishii on the apron, but Ishii escapes and trips Moloney off to the outside, where Ishii hits a powerslam. When they enter, they go to the top rope where Moloney hits a superplex, followed by Made in Birmingham for a two-count. They trade off some more chops and kicks before Ishii stops Moloney with a big lariat for two. Moloney stops Ishii with a dropkick, followed by a brainbuster, but that only hulks Ishii up more as he eats a lariat from Moloney and kicks him down. Ishii follows with a lariat for a two, some more back-and-forth before Moloney hits a gore, just for Ishii to kick out at one. Powerbomb from Ishii, followed by a sliding lariat and a brainbuster as Ishii gets the pin and the win.
Winner: Tomohiro Ishii by pinfall at 13:40, to retain
NEVER Openweight Championship: Konosuke Takeshita (c) (w/ Rocky Romero) vs. El Phantasmo
This is a rematch from their Wrestling Dontaku match from last week that went to a 15-minute draw. This match has a 60-minute time limit. They start the match by running the ropes and testing each other before Konosuke Takeshita takes out El Phantasmo with a hard strike. ELP comes back with some springboard moonsaults before he gets clotheslined to the outside, where Takeshita meets him with a dive. Takeshita ends up on the top rope, but gets dropkicked off before ELP meets him with a tope suicida, sending Takeshita into the crowd, where ELP jumps off the top rope and meets him in the crowd. As they go back inside, Rocky Romero gets on the apron and distracts ELP, as Takeshita hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. ELP comes back with a Canadian Hammer for two before they exchange kicks and both fall to the mat. They battle on the apron where ELP hits a piledriver before setting up a table next to the ring. They go back-and-forth before Takeshita hits a Tombstone, followed by a Bastard Driver for two. Takeshita continues with another Bastard Driver, but ELP bounces back with a lariat for a two. Takeshita catches ELP off the ropes with a forearm, but he kicks out at one. Poisonrana and rolling elbow from ELP, as Takseshita kicks out at one. ELP hits the CR2 for two and the Thunder Kiss ’86, but Romero pulls the referee out of the ring before he can make the three. ELP takes out Romero and powerbombs him through the table, but as he enters the ring, he runs into a knee from Takeshita. Takeshita comes back with a rolling elbow and the Power Drive Knee for two. Takeshita stays on top and hits the Raging Fire to pick up the pin and the win.
Winner: Konosuke Takeshita by pinfall at 17:48, to retain
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (w/ Shane Haste)
Originally, this was slated to be the main event of this show, so not sure why the change; they might have something planned for the ending of the women’s match. They start the match a bit slowly, but Zack Sabre Jr. gets the crowd behind him while twisting Hirooki Goto’s head with his feet on the apron before kicking him outside. Back in the ring, Goto takes control and sends Sabre into the corners where he hits a spin kick and a suplex for a two. Sabre traps on an arm submission, but Goto crawls to the ropes to break it up. Sabre stays on top with strikes, but Goto comes right back with a Ushigoroshi. They slowly trade strikes as the crowd gets very quiet for this exchange. They start speeding it up as the crowd awakens before Goto hits a reverse GTO and a lariat as we hear that 10 minutes have passed. Sabre follows with a Zack Driver, but both men are laid out as Shane Haste tries to motivate Sabre to get up. Sabre slowly prepares to go after Goto, but he’s there to catch him in the corner. Goto follows with a big kick to the chest and another Ushigoroshi. Sabre reverses Goto into a pin attempt for two, before he starts twisting up Goto, pulling on all the limbs, but eventually Goto gets his foot on the bottom rope to escape. Sabre circles around Goto and lands kicks to the chest, before Goto eventually stops him with a headbutt, a lariat, and the GTW to get a two-count. A bit of back-and-forth and pin attempts, before they start hitting clotheslines to each other. Sabre goes to pin Goto, but it looks like Goto has Sabre’s shoulders down as well as the bell rings, and it looks like we have a double pin scenario.
Winner: The match ends in a double pin at 17:22, Hirooki Goto retains
NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship: Mercedes Mone (c) vs. AZM vs. Mina Shirakawa
They start the match with all three doing a test of strength, but this quickly breaks apart as Mercedes Mone’ goes right into the Statement Maker on AZM but Mina Shirakawa is there to break it up and includes both Mercedes & AZM to do her shimmy with her, but they don’t seem with it. Mercedes is getting a pretty negative reaction (besides a screaming woman in the front row), but this could be chalked up more to people supporting Mina. Mercedes goes for pin attempts before she hits a double meteora off the apron to both Mina & AZM. Mina & Mercedes go at it in the ring, as Mina starts attacking Mercedes’ knee. All three go at it, as AZM puts on a double La Mistica on Mina & Mercedes, but Mercedes turns this into a double pin for two. They all start fighting on the top rope, but AZM pushes them down and hits them both with a double stomp. AZM drags Mercedes to the center of the ring and hits another double stomp, but Mina is there to break it up. Mercedes comes back with a double backstabber. All three start trading strikes before Mina & AZM start double-teaming on Mercedes. Mercedes catches AZM right into a lung blower, but only gets two. Mercedes starts attacking AZM in the corner, hitting her with meteoras, but only gets two. All three go at it and go for pins, with Mina standing tall from this sequence. Mina puts AZM in a Figure Four, but Mercedes breaks it up with a Meteora. Mina stacks AZM on top of Mercedes and puts on a double figure-four before they are both able to reach the bottom rope. Mercedes rests on the outside as Mina hits a knee strike and a DDT on AZM for two counts. Mercedes re-enters as they all go at it for a while, trading pin attempts. Mercedes gets kicked to the outside, as AZM is able to roll up Mina to get the pin and the win.
Winner: AZM by pinfall at 17:54, to be come NEW NJPW Strong Women’s Champion
