SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NJPW THE NIGHT BEFORE RUMBLE ON 44TH STREET PPV REPORT
OCT. 27, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
AIRED LIVE ON FITE.TV
REPORT BY SEAN RADICAN, PWTORCH COLUMNIST
Announcers: Ian Riccaboni & Matt Rehwoldt
Rocky Romero was shown backstage with his therapist, who had his face blurred out. He was went into a trance and dreamed about his days teaming with Alex Koslov as Forever Hooligans. Romero woke up and Koslov was shown saying once a hooligan, forever a hooligan.
Alex Koslov and Rocky Romero them came out to a good reaction from the crowd, but it was hard to hear the crowd and the music.
(1) THE DKC & KEVIN KNIGHT vs. FOREVER HOOLIGANS (Alex Koslov & Rocky Romero)
Koslov looked to be in really good shape. Hooligsns went for the contract killer but Knight pushed Koslov into Romero in the corner. The Hooligans hit the Contract Killer on Knight, but DKC made the save. Knight ended up rolling up Koslov for the win.
WINNERS: The DKC & Kevin Knight at 16:02. (***1/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: Good showcase for The DKC ahead of their shot at the Strong tag titles tomorrow.)
Crowbar came out next. Strong Openweight Champion was out next to face him.
(2) FRED ROSSER vs. CROWBAR – non-title match
This is Crowbar’s NJPW debut. He looked great and built up to a spot where he hit a Frankensteiner on ROSSER for a two count. This went back and forth until the end when Rosser hit the Emerald Flowsion for the win.
WINNER: Fred Rosser at 14:43. (***1/2)
(Radican’s Analysis: Rosser continues to impress. Crowbar I as good as well. This was a lot of fun.)
Rosser cut a promo after the match and asked who would challenge him for the title next. Jonathan Gresham’s music hit. Gresham told Rosser how much he respected what he’s done in NJPW and challenged him to a match. Rosser accepted his challenge. Rosser said this is his house and he will put wrestle him or swat him out of the sky if he tries to fly.
Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis, The Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions came out next.
A video package for The Maximos aired. They said they were the best in the world and they would prove it in NJPW.
They made their entrance surrounded by their spot monkeys.
(3) AUSSIE OPEN (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs. SAT (Jose & Joel Maximo)
Aussie Open jumped The SAT right away. The Spot Monkeys tried to get involved, but they got wiped out on the outside. The SAT countered a sunset bomb attempt from Fletcher at one point and hit him with a Doomsday Device variation to the floor. SAT mounted a comeback and hit the Spanish Fly off the top on Fletcher, but Davis broke up the pin. Aussie Open eventually hit Corealis on Joel for the win.
WINNERS: Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis at 7:44. (**3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was short, but good while it lasted.)
(4) MIGHTY MONTE vs. SMILEY vs. MASCARA DORADA vs. MIKE BAILEY – Tornado match
Dorada came out dressed like Jushin Liger. This was all action and all four men looked good here. Monte and Smiley got a chance to shine working with two bigger names in Dorada and Bailey. The finish was absolutely bananas as Smiley had Monte up on his shoulders. Bailey ended up coming of the top with the shooting star double knees on Monte, which was good for the pin.
WINNER: Mike Bailey at 10:38. (***1/2)
(Radican’s Analysis. The crazy finish definitely took this match up a notch, as it was a fun spot heavy match, but then the finish really brought this match to a strong conclusion.)
Tracy Williams was out next and his opponent was Minoru Suzuki.
(5) TRACY WILLIAMS vs. MINORU SUZUKI
They had a chop battle that went to the floor and back into the ring. Suzuki took control of the action and went for a PL, but Williams blocked it and eventually hit a suplex to take control of the action. Williams hit a sick DDT up top onto the top turnbuckle. He then locked in a STF, but Suzuki got got to the ropes. Williams eventually went for try GSP, but Suzuki backdropped his way out of it. Suzuki fired back and got the choke. He let go and nailed Williams with a forearm. He then hit a delayed GSP for the win.
WINNER: Minoru Suzuki at 14:13. (***1/2)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a solid match with a lot of good hard-hitting exchanges, but the crowd sounds muted a bit and the hard camera is facing away from most of the crowd. It’s hard to see exactly how many people are tin attendance.)
Suzuki teased a GSP on the ref after the match, but stopped himself.
Jake Something came out next. Rehwoldt called him one of the hottest free agents in wresting. Shingo Takagi came out to face him.
(6) JAKE SOMETHING vs. SHINGO TAKAGI
Something has been a free agent since leaving Impact in March. Something took the attack to Takagi and the fans got behind him. Something dominated the first half of the match. Takagi eventually mounted a comeback and the fans fired up. Something blocked a sliding lariat and slammed him face first into the mat. He then hit a choke slam. He followed up with a falcon arrow for a nearfall. Shingo hit Made in Japan for a nearfall. Shingo went for a clothesline, but Something sucked and hit a Spicolli Driver and both men were down.
The action picked up and both men hit clotheslines at the same time, but only Takagi went down. Something then hit a huge clothesline for a nearfall. Takagi fired back a short time later and hit a Pumping Bomber after escaping a powerbomb, it he was too tired to make the cover and he fell to the mat. Shingo hit a sliding clothesline, but Something kicked out at one. He then hit the pumping bomber for the win.
WINNER: Shingo Takagi at 14:17. (****)’
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a fantastic hard-hitting match.)
Team Filthy was shown on the streets of New York City. Tom Lawlor was excited because they were going to dress like nurses for the main event.
It was announced that the main event was going to be an elimination match with eliminations coming from pins, submissions, and being thrown over the top rope.
The fans reacted big time when both teams faced off in the middle of the ring before the match began.
(7) TEAM FILTHY (Tom Lawlor & Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) & BULLET CLUB (Jay White & El Phantasmo & Juice Robinson) vs. EDDIE KINGSON & JON MOXLEY & AMAZING RED & HOMICIDE & YOH & KAZUCHIKA OKADA – 12 Man Elimination match
Team Filthy tried to exercise Homicide’s demons during the early going. Holocode took the holy water from Nelson and spot it in his face. The action broke down and the ref had trouble maintaining order with all 12 men going at it. Yoh took a sustained beating, but mounted a comeback after Nelson prayed over him. Yoh hit slams on just about everyone multiple times. Only Jay White avoided a slam, as he stayed out of the ring while Yoh ran wild. Yoh ended up getting eliminated by Team Filthy. Red put away Nelson with Code Red. Issacs then eliminated Red with a roll up. Homicide ended up pinning Issacs after a clothesline.
It was now down to four wrestlers on each side. Lawlor threw Homicide over the top and Isaacs and Nelson were still at ringside and they dragged him to the floor to eliminate him. Moxley tossed ELP over the top to eliminate him. Lawlor got a choke on Mox, but he countered it and hit several hammer elbows. He eventually pinned Lawlor after a Death Rider.
They built up top Moxley giving the hot tag to Okada, who ran wild. Okada hit a Rainmaker on Robinson, but White came from behind and tossed him to the floor. White was looking at Okada, so Mox covered Robinson for the pin to eliminate him. Kingston ended up hitting White with a spinning back fist. Moxley then hit the Death Rider on White. They both then picked White up and tossed him to the floor to win the match.
WINNERS: Jon Moxley & Eddie Kingston & Homicide & Yoh & Amazing Red & Kazuchika Okada at 29:14. (***3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: This match dragged a little in spots and there were some rapid-fire eliminations that seemed just to occur to get closer to the finish of the match. This was fun overall.)
Kingston told White to say what he had to say to his face. He said he can’t wait to see Okada pin White at Wrestle Kingdom.
Moxley put over New York and said there’s nothing like wrestling in New York. He said it means even more to wrestle in New York for NJPW. Kingston said tomorrow he is going to legit put a bullet in the back of the Bullet Club’s head.
Email Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @SR_Torch
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