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NJPW CAPITAL COLLISION PPV REPORT
APRIL 15, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C.
AIRED LIVE ON FITE TV
Announcers: Ian Riccaboni & Alex Koslov & Veda Scott
Gabriel Kidd got on the mic and challenged Clark Connors to show the fans what NJPW is all about before the match began.
(1) MIKE BAILEY & VOLADOR JR. & KUSHIDA & GABRIEL KIDD & KEVIN KNIGHT vs. CHUCK TAYLOR & CLARK CONNORS & THE DKC & LIO RUSH & ROCKY ROMERO – Ten Man Tag match
This was all action during the early going, but the announcers said the match was about the rivalry between Romero and Volador Jr. in CMLL. This was all action and they built up to Volador and Romero finally going one-on-one. Volador ended up wiping out Romero with a dive to end their exchange. They did a big sequence of dives capped off by Knight drop kicking The DKC off Kushida’s shoulders to the floor. WOW! Volador ended up catching Romero with a lung blower to earn a future shot at Romero’s title.
WINNERS: Mike Bailey & Volador Jr. & Kushida & Gabriel Kidd & Kevin Knight at 10:18. (***¼)
(Radican’s Analysis; This was a fine way to open the show. It reminded me a lot of the way Imapct PPVs used to open with fast-paced matches.)
After the match, Connors attacked The DKC. The announcers talked about how they are friends that live and trained together. Riccaboni asked why Connors was throwing it all away. Connors got on top of The DKC and punched him over and over. Connors waited for The DKC to get up and he measured him for a big spear. Connors smiled after hitting the spear.
(2) A.R. FOX vs. DAVID FINLAY
Fox controlled the action during the early going, but Finlay quickly slowed the place and eventually grounded Fox inside the ring. Fox fired back and both men were down on the mat. Fox rolled through on Finlay right into a cutter for a nearfall. The fans fired up and chanted for Fox. Fox went for a swan dive, but Finlay got his knees up and hit a blue thunder bomb for a nearfall and the fans applauded. Riccaboni noted that the move was called Black Thunder when FInlay hits it. Fox hit a twisting brainbuster on Finlay and then went up top and connected with a swan dive for another nearfall. Fox hit Lo Mein Pain and a 450, but Finlay kicked out. That’s crazy.
The fans chanted for Fox. They went back and forth. Fox blocked a Trash Panda attempt and hit a boot on Finlay. Finlay flipped Fox over his head into a stunner. He followed up with a big lariat for a two count. Finlay lifted Fox up and hit Trash Panda for the win.
WINNER: David FInlay at 10:28. (***½)
(Radican’s Analysis: Fox looked good here. He gave Finlay, who’s getting a big push as the new leader in Bullet Club in Japan, all he could handle before falling short in the end.)
Finlay got on the mic after the match and the fans booed. Finlay told D.C. that they suck. Finlay called Clark Connors down to the ring. Finlay said Connor had been here all these years and NJPW hasn’t done anything with him. Finlay said Katsuyori Shibata was taking opportunities that Connors should have. Finlay said Bullet Club had lost their ways. He said he wasn’t looking for cool guys that could move t-shirts. He said he was looking for savages like Clark Connors. He said Connors would not be looked over anymore after tonight. He put up the too sweet gesture and said, “Welcome to my Bullet Club.” Connors joined in on the too sweet to end the segment.
The announcers said The DKC beatdown earlier on the show makes sense now.
(3) ZACK SABRE JR. vs. TOM LAWLOR – NJPW TV Championship match
Sabre took the action to the mat and had Lawlor tied up, but he managed to roll into the ropes to break the submission attempt. Both men traded leg submissions on the mat. They began slapping each other across the face from the seated position. Both men finally slapped each other in the face at the same time and were down on the mat after. They got up and traded blows on their feet. Sabre got the upper hand and went after Lawlor’s arm. Lawlor ended up bleeding from his mouth and he tried to fire up on Sabre. Lawlor ended up hitting a judo throw on Sabre for a two count.
Sabre managed to counter Lawlor and hit a PK, but he ended up hurting his damaged ankle in the process. Lawlor set up for a submission, but Sabre countered him and appeared to be on the verge of locking in a nasty double arm submission, but Lawlor got to the ropes and the fans applauded. Sabre got a backwards bridging pinning combination for a near fall. Lawlor kicked out and grabbed a choke. Sabre appeared to be in big trouble, but he managed to get to the ropes.
Lawlor hit a knee to the chin and a roundhouse kick. Lawlor then hit a PK of his own for a nearfall and the crowd gasped. They announced three minutes were left in the time limit. Sabre went for a kimura, but Lawlor hit a Michinoku Driver. They traded pinning combinations, but neither man could get the three count. They traded pinning combinations again and this time Sabre got a deep trap on Lawlor’s arms and he got the pinfall.
WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr. at 13:12 to retain the NJPW TV Championship. (***¾)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a fun technical wrestling match with both men going for submissions in-between trading some big blows at different stages of the match. In the end, Sabre was able to get one up on Lawlor with a nasty pinning combination to win the match.)
(4) TOMOHIRO ISHII vs. EL DESPERADO
They had some hard-hitting exchanges early. Desperado then began going after Ishii’s knee. Desperado went for a stretch muffler, but Ishii got the ropes. Ishii fired back and hit a Saito Suplex to end Desperado’s momentum. Ishii told Desperado to bring it and he hit the forearm/chop combination on him in the corner. The crowd fired up for Ishii. Both men went to a forearm exchange in the middle of the ring and the fans fired up. Ishii set up for a brainbuster, but Desperado hit a suplex. Ishii got up and hit a powerslam. Desperado got up and took a kneeling powerbomb. Desperado got up and hit a spinebuster. Ishiit hit a German and Desperado got up, but then both men staggered and fell down at the same time and the fans applauded.
Ishii set up on the turnbuckles and hit his stalling suplex for a nearfall. Ishii missed a sliding lariat and Desperado eventually went back after Ishii’s knee. Ishii nearly got the brainbuster after an exchange of counters, but Desperado slid out and hit a chop block. The announcers noted Desperado had had three years to plan on how to beat Ishii since he lost to him in their last match during the pandemic era. Desperado got the upper hand and got the stretch muffler. He then got hold of both of Ishii’s wrists, but Ishii managed to roll out of the submission. Ishii kicked out of a pinning combination and got to his feet, but Desperado hit a basement dropkick.
Ishii no-sold a superkick to his leg. Desperado hit a kick to Ishii’s knee, but Ishii shrugged it off and dropped Desperado with a shoulder tackle. Desperado went for Pinche Loco a short time later, but Ishii countered and eventually nailed Desperado with a big headbutt. Ishii hit a big powerbomb for a two count. Ishii went for a brainbuster, but his knee gave out and Desperado got a pinning combination for a nearfall. He ducked a blow and rolled through right into Pinche Loco on Ishii. Desperado pumped his arms and turned Ishii over. Instead of pinning him and went for another Pinche Loco, but Ishii countered it and hit a sliding clothesline. Ishii made the cover, but Desperado caught him with a pinning combination for a nearfall. After kicking out. Ishii hit a diving headbutt from his knees and both men were down.
Ishii caught Desperado with a big clothesline a short time later. He then got the win with the brainbuster. That was one hell of a match.
WINNER: Tomohiro Ishii at 16:40. (****)
(Radican’s Analysis: This got off to a bit of a slow start, but by the end of the match they had the fans rocking to the beat of their back and forth war. There was some fantastic fighting spirit spots here. Ishii mounting a comeback after taking the Pinche Loco was phenomenal.
Juice Robinson attacked Rosser as he was making his entrance for their scheduled match. Robinson caught Rosser with a piledriver on the entrance ramp. The fans booed as Robinson kneeled on the floor. Robinson took his belt off and began whipping Rosser with it. Robinson grabbed a chair that was marked as reserved for his wife Toni Storm by Rosser.
Robinson got into the ring with the chair and nailed Rosser with it across the back. Robinson hit Rosser with the chair multiple times on the mat. The fans booed and Robinson flipped them off. Robinson grabbed a roll of coins out of his pocket. He set up behind Rosser and nailed him with a loaded Left Hand of God.Robinson got on the mic and told Rosser to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth. Robinson said it again and flipped off Rosser before leaving the ring.
(4) FRED ROSSER vs. JUICE ROBINSON
WINNER: No contest
Hiromu Takahashi and Sanada went face-to-face before the match began. Darryl joined the announce team.
(5) L.I.J. (Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) vs. Just 5 Guys (Sanada & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Tetsuya Naito and Sanada have not wrestled in the U.S. since 2019. Takahashi challenged Sanada for a match for his title on April 8, but Sanada said he has to defend the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Championship against Kanemaru first before Sanada will accept his challenge. Takahashi will face Kanemaru on April 27 and Sanada on May 3. Sanada worked over Takahashi on the floor before tossing him back into the ring to Kanemaru for a suplex. Sanada got the paradise lock on Takahashi and he played to the crowd before wiping him out with a dropkick. Sanada mounted a comeback and hit a dragon screw on Sanada. The crowd fired up and Takahashi made the hot tag to Naito.
Naito went after Sanada and hit his signature corner combination. Sanada and Naito went to a back and forth exchange of counters until Sanada hit an anarchist suplex. Takahashi got the tag and wiped out Kanemaru. He then went after Sanada and whipped him into the barricade on the outside. Sanada followed him back into the ring to run a corner train on him with Kanemaru. Kanemaru finished a big sequence with an inverted DDT for a nearfall. The action broke down and Takahashi hit a falcon arrow on Kanemaru for a nearfall. Sanada held onto Naito and Kanemaru tried several pinning combinations before landing one successfully for the pin.
WINNERS; Just 5 Guys at 16:40. (***¼)
(Radican’s Analysis: This match featured a good dose of action to set up Takahashi’s upcoming matches against Kanemaru and Sanada.)
(6) KENTA vs. EDDIE EDWARDS – Strong Openweight Championship match
This is the first time these two have wrestled in 13 years. Kenta got the upper hand and hit several knees to Edwards’s head. He took down his knee pad and dropped another knee, but Edwards fired up and nailed him with several chops. The fans fired up and chanted for both men as they traded bows in the middle of the ring. Kenta eventually caught Edwards with a powerslam as he came off the ropes. Edwards hit a blue thunder bomb a short time later for a nearfall. Edwards hit a backpack stunner, but Kenta kicked out at the last second.
The fans booed Edwards and he made the GTS signal. Edwards went for a GTS, but Kenta raked his eyes. Both men traded running kicks off the ropes. Edwards hit Kenta with some brutal chops after taking a series of kicks to the head from Kenta. They went off the ropes and Edwards caught Kenta with a diving lariat. Edwards was unable to make the cover and both men were down as the fans applauded. Kenta caught Edwards with a draping DDT a short time later.
Kenta hit a stalling dropkick in the corner and the fans fired up. Kenta went up top and hit a double stomp for a nearfall. Kenta signaled for the GTS. Edwards tried to fire up, but Kenta hit Edwards with some open handed slaps to the ear. Kenta hit a running knee a short time later for another nearfall. Kenta lifted Edwards up, but he countered the GTS again. Edwards hit a buckle bomb on Kenta and a Tiger Driver for a nearfall and the fans applauded as the 15 minute mark came and went. Edwards hit a shining wizard and then a Diehard Flosion for a nearfall. Kenta shoved Edwards and he also hit the ref. Kenta pushed Edwards into the ref a short time later and hit a DDT.
Everyone including the ref was down on the mat. Kenta got his belt, but Edwards cut him off with a kick to the face and the fans booed. Edwards lifted the title and the crowd was split, but it seemed to favor Kenta. Edwards went for a belt shot, but Kenta hit a low blow. He then hit Edwards with a belt shot. Kenta woke the ref up with some slaps. He then hit a GTS on Edwards for the win.
WINNER: Kenta at 18:42 to retain the Strong Openweight Championship. (***½)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a good match with some hard hitting action. It dragged at times, but the crowd was into it down the stretch and the ref bump sequence worked because the other matches on the card were played straight. The split crowd for Edwards and Kenta was a bit of a surprise.)
Hikuleo was shown backstage. He congratulated Kenta for winning his match. Hikuleo said he was coming for Kenta at Wrestling Dontaku for the Strong Openweight Championship in Japan. The match is already signed, but it is not supposed to be for the title. Kenta got on the mic and said, “Hikuleo, let’s do it.” Koslov called Kenta a champion of honor for accepting Hikuleo’s challenge. The announcers referenced Kenta’s recent attack on Hikuleo. Veda Scott said the match would be a war.
Kazuchika Okada got the loudest pop of the night so far coming out for the main event.
(8) MCMG (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. AUSSIE OPEN (Mark Fletcher & Kyle Davis) vs. DREAM TEAM (Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada) – Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship match
They went to a fast exchange with men getting tossed to the floor left and right. Okada finally hit a DDT on Davis for a 2 count to end the sequence. Shelley went to get into it with Tanahashi and Okada before they turned around and he quickly went back to the apron and turned around like he was minding his own business. That was funny. Sabin and Shelley got the upper hand and wiped out Fletcher. Davis ran into the ring and The MCMG worked together to wipe him out as well and the fans fired up. Shelley took Fletcher down to the mat and lifted his arm up and worked bent his fingers backwards.
Aussie Open mounted a comeback and wiped out Shelley with a combination of moves. Fletcher hit a delayed vertical suplex on Shelley a short time later. Shelley finally tagged in Sabin, who ran wild on the Dream Team and United Empire. Sabin wiped out the United Empire with a big dive to the floor a short time later. Shelley and Sabin hit a missile dropkick/DDT combination on Fletcher for a nearfall. Fletcher countered Shelley and hit a suplex a short time later to break his momentum. Davis was down on the outside, so Fletcher had to tag in Okada.
Okada went to work on Sabin inside the ring. Tanahashi and Davis ended up going at it a short time later. Tanahashi hit a slam on Davis as the fans fired up. Tanahashi hit a senton off the second turnbuckle for a two count. Tanahashi began working over Davis’s leg as Koslov pointed out most of the wrestlers in the match were on the floor recovering. They did a multi person submission spot and the action broke down. Aussie Open ran Shelley and Sabin into each other after a big exchange across the ring. Aussie Open then ran Okada and Tanahashi together on the floor. Aussie Open hit a tandem cutter out of the corner on Tanahashi for a nearfall. WOW!
Okada hit a big slam on Davis. Okada dropped the elbow and Tanahashi went for a High Fly Flow, but Davis got his knees up! Sabin and Shelley dragged Davis to the floor and began working him over. Sabin wiped out Okada and Davis with a dive through the ropes. Kyle Fletcher went up top and hit a big moonsault to the floor, but he landed on the guardrail. That must have sucked. The fans fired up after Fletcher nearly impaled himself on the ring barrier.
Fletcher somehow got back into the ring and tagged Davis to make himself legal. Sabin countered Fletcher and Davis. He hit a DDT on Fletcher and used Davis as a base. MCMG got into the ring and hit a Doctor Bomb on Fletcher, but he kicked out. Shelley and Sabin sold shock. Sabin cut off Okada with a cutter and he rolled to the floor. The MCMG then wiped out Tanahashi with the Dream Sequence. Fletcher blocked a Sliced Bread attempt from Shelley and nailed him with a tombstone. Davis hit a piledriver on Sabin a short time later. Davis cleared the ring and Sabin was left alone in the ring. Aussie Open hit The Coriolis on Sabin and it was good for the win.
WINNERS: Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis in 26:00 to become the new Strong Openeight Tag Team Champions. (****)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a fantastic match that had a couple of lulls, but once the teams turned the pace up during the second half of the match, it was fantastic. I’m glad the MCMG dropped the fall instead of losing the titles with two other teams involved in the decision.)
Aussie Open held up their newly one titles in front of Okada and Tanahashi. Riccaboni asked if we could see a match between these two teams, as the Dream Team was not pinned or submitted in the match.
The fans chanted you deserve it after the match. Fletcher said he knew they did. He said they had seen the greatest Japanese wrestlers tonight and the greatest Japanese tag team was in their match, but they were standing here as your winners. Fletcher then screamed that they are the best tag team in the world. The fans chanted FTR and Davis got angry. Fletcher said that’s bulls—t. Fletcher then signed off and said they would build the best collection of belts ever. He concluded by saying, “We run the world.”
Overall thoughts: (7.5) – This was a very good PPV from NJPW in the U.S. The crowd provided a good atmosphere throughout most of the show. There weren’t any great matches on the card, but everything was good to excellent with Ishii vs. Desperado and the main event standing out the most.
The production was also good for this show. The team did a good job of replicating the camerawork and production values you’d expect to see from most non-major NJPW events. The U.S. announce team was very good as well, as Riccaboni, Scott, and Koslov have good chemistry and highlight the necessary information to fill in the holes for fans that might not be familiar with all the happenings in NJPW.
Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @SR_Torch
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