NJPW Strong: Collision Tour Episode 39 Review

There are two kinds of wrestling fans: ones who love the story, the flash, the drama, and the energy, and those who appreciate submissions, grapples, spots, chemistry, and ring work. I grew up with the dazzle and lights of WCW, ECW, and WWE, but now I have a chance to see why NJPW is so loved and respected by the rest of the world. NJPW Strong is not their signature Japanese brand event, but an American spin-off featuring some of the best indie wrestlers of today.

I have seen a few tour events of NJPW and I thought the wrestling was gritty and intense. The wrestlers don’t have the loud lights and booming Titantron as a crutch. Everything done in the ring matters.

So how does the Strong brand compare with the main NJPW brand?

Recap: Filthy Tom Lawler won the first  Openweight Strong title against Brody King.

This is the Collision Tour in the United States. The commentary team revealed that it is the longest-running tour in NJPW. This episode will feature three tag-team matches.

1st Match
The DKC/Kevin Knight v. Barrett Brown/Adrian Quest

Summary: An eight-minute match of quick chain wrestling, followed by some strong style throws. Brown and Quest are the ones with the more impressive spots.

Positive: Brown starts off with a rolling jackknife. Quest nails a 360 crossbody. Knight hits a surprise dropkick to reverse a tope. Quest hits jumping ranas with ease. Knight has great form and crispness with his frog splash. A very nice spinning DDT from Brown reversing a backbreaker.

Negative: Some ugly reversals and moves from DKC.

Winner: Brown and Quest via Quest’s standing moonsault

Grade: C

Quest and Brown are the best-looking wrestlers in the match, while Knight and DKC had trouble keeping up. The biggest letdown of these matches is the feeling that none of the opponents have any stake in it. A match for the sake of having a match is not entertaining for me and that is what this felt like.

Brown and Quest argue after the match. Brown is angry that he didn’t get the pin. Brown attacks Quest from behind and pummels him.

2nd Match
Royce Isaacs/Jorel Nelson vs. Misterioso/Jordan Clearwater

Summary: Isaacs and Nelson spend most of the match punishing Clearwater. Misterioso tries to use his quickness to make a comeback, but miscommunication leads Isaacs and Nelson to a surprising victory.

Positive: Good bulldog from Clearwater to start things off. Misterioso flips out of an armdrag. Misterioso’s roll-through dropkick was lightning fast. Isaacs’ powerful clothesline looked great. Misterioso’s brutal knee to the face and slingshot made the other wrestlers look slow by comparison. He then fires up a DVD/moonsault combo. To cap it off, MIsterioso hits a satisfying superkick to Nelson. Nelson uses Isaac’s back as a jump-off to hit a big elbow.

Negative: Slow parts of the match. Lots of corner kick spots. Nelson’s moves really didn’t add anything to the match. Clearwater did not really shine in this match either.

Winner: Isaacs and Nelson via death valley driver into Nelson’s knees.

Grade: C-

Once again, the high flyers and the power throwers made the match interesting, while Nelson and Clearwater slowed it down. I didn’t understand the hype around Jordan Clearwater.

Backstage: Isaac and Nelson call themselves the West Coast Wrecking Crew. They only care about beating people up and winning matches.

LA Dojo shoots a commercial about wiping cloths. Pretty funny.

3rd match
Yuji Nagata/Ren Narita vs. Jon Moxley/ Chris Dickinson

Fun Fact: Nagata is the respected legend who will fight Moxley for his US IWGP Championship on the May 12 edition of AEW: Dynamite.

Fun Fact: Jon Moxley’s theme music sounds like early 90’s WCW themes.

Summary: The spotlight is on Nagata and Moxley as they strike each other with fury. Narita and Dickinson are there to add some grapples and clotheslines. The match had a good belly fire through and through.

Positive: Nagata bursts into some great strike work. Moxley fires back with great fists and forearms. Moxley has some credible sells on Nagata’s chops, showing respect to the legend. Moxley hits a hard running chest kick. Narita’s exploder belly to belly to Moxley looked smooth. Nagata is old school with his kicks. Narita does a series of bridged suplexes.

Negative: Dickinson did his best to complement Moxley, but this match was clearly about Nagata and Moxley duking it out.

Winner: Moxley and Dickinson, Via Moxley’s Deathrider

Grade: B

There was a taste of the signature NJPW style in this match and it went down smooth and easy. Nagata and Moxley’s rival chemistry was great from bell to bell. The suplex work from Nagata and Narita added to the speed and intensity of the match, while Moxley looked like he was having a blast thrashing on Nagata.

Moxley slaps Nagata after the match. Nagata puts him into a Nagata headlock. The backstage crew has to break them up.

Final Thoughts: One of the reasons that shows like NXT and Impact are so easy to watch is because they have fabricated energy from pumping music, expensive light kits, and caffeinated commentators. NJPW Strong doesn’t have that so all the excitement and action needs to be organically produced in the ring. To the fan who loves seeing great chain wrestling and spontaneous suplexes, NJPW Strong will never disappoint. But if NJPW Strong wants to truly elevate their roster and make the wrestling fan care about their weekly show they need to add more flavor and danger to their matches. Moxley and Nagata brought the best match of the night and you could tell that two veterans were in the ring.

Next week: An eight-man tag team elimination match featuring Filthy Tom Lawlor and TJP.