NJPW Strong Style Evolved: Results, Grades, and Analysis

NJPW has returned to the United States with their second big show in the country. They have opened their Los Angeles dojo, and the expansion into the US is in full swing.

In a main event match that some doubted we would ever see, The Golden Lovers vs. The Young Bucks was sure to tear the house down. Hangman Page also challenged Jay White for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, looking to make his mark and move up the ranks in NJPW.

Roppongi 3K (Sho, Yoh, & Rocky Romero) (CHAOS) vs. SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, & Scorpio Sky)

Daniels got a very big reaction, as he’s the legend that everyone loves. At 47 years old, he still wrestles like he’s in his 20s. An ageless legend, to say the least. The crowd clapped along with RPG3k’s theme, which was great, too.

Some good opening exchanges that saw RPG3k with the advantage, leaving Kazarian calling for a time out. Poor Kazarian botched his springboard legdrop, but the crowd was rather merciful, and any chants were shut down quickly. Daniels hit a really nice split legged moonsault to the outside of the ring onto Yoh. It wasn’t too long after that that Yoh managed to make the hot tag to Rocky Romero.

Rocky went for a sliced bread, but got caught in the tombstone position by Kazarian. Daniels followed it up by hitting the Best Meltzer Ever, but the pinfall was broken up. It wasn’t too long after this that Sho and Yoh hit the 3K on Scorpio Sky for the pinfall. Good opening match.

Result: Roppongi 3k

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

This was a very fast paced opening tag. A perfect way to open NJPW Strong Style Evolved

David Finlay & Juice Robinson vs. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & Gedo)

Juice got a nice reaction. Has there ever been a career turn-a-round like Juice? Leaving NXT and becoming a young lion in NJPW proved to be one of the best choices of his life. He has become a legitimate star in NJPW. Goto got a very big pop, which is nice to see, as folks don’t often appreciate him enough.

Goto’s mouth was bleeding badly within a few minutes, as him and Juice exchanged some really hard hitting blows to open the match. The crowd shows their appreciation for his toughness by chanting his name. Goto just gets angry when he’s bleeding, so this probably doesn’t bode well for Juice and Finlay. Gedo managed to avoid Juice’s big jab with a poke to the eyes, and Juice returned the favour to cheers from the crowd.

David Finlay then managed to hit a stunner, pinning Gedo. Juice left Goto laying on the outside of the ring, which was a great way for them to build their match. This was very fun.

Result: David Finlay & Juice Robinson

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5