NJPW Strong: Collision Tour episode 41 results and review

Another promising episode of NJPW Strong, episode 41. After last week set up the Fred Rosser/Hikuleo feud and the Team Filthy swerve, I expect some good resolutions in this episode. Let’s get started.

Recap: Yuji Nagata is set to challenge Jon Moxley for his IWGP United States title, while Chris Dickinson will face Filthy Tom Lawlor for the NJPW Strong title. These are matches set for the future. Tonight we have:

Alex Coughlin vs. Bateman

Karl Fredericks/Brody King vs. JR Kratos/Danny Limelight

Fred Rosser vs. Hikuleo (No DQ match)

1st Match: Alex Coughlin v. Bateman

Fun fact: Coughlin looks like Ron Swanson if he were a 1920s bodybuilder.

Summary: The match starts with some chain moves and light submissions. Both men then get into strikes and knees. Bateman gets the upper hand and the men go back to submissions. Coughlin gets his second wind with a flying shoulder tackle and starts breaking into power strikes. Coughlin continues striking with Bateman coming back periodically. Bateman hits a near fall with a slam. His second attempt was a piledriver that put Coughlin away for good.

Positives: Bateman’s creepy carnival look is fun. Bateman hits the first good-looking slam almost six minutes into the match; a high-angle suplex. Coughlin has a nice deadlift gut wrench slam.

Meh: You can tell that Kevin Kelly and Koslov are getting a little bored with the pace of the match. Bateman performs most of the power grapples, while Coughlin is comfortable in his submission style wrestling.

Winner: Bateman via tombstone piledriver

Grade: C-

This match was low heat and the pace did not help it to take off. I understand that submission wrestling is an important part of NJPW’s LA Dojo, but it’s like dark chocolate for me. Good in small doses.

2nd Match: Karl Fredericks/Brody King v. JR Kratos/Danny Limelight

Summary: The match wastes no time, as Kratos and Limelight ambush their opponents. They have the advantage and pummel Fredericks in the corner. Karl then tries to come back with hard punches, but to no avail. Fredericks tags in King, who gets into a punch war with Limelight and Kratos. King cleans house with a gorilla slam on Danny dropping him on top of Kratos. The disorder spreads in the ring as both Limelight and Kratos start teaming up and cutting off the ring. Kratos and King spill outside of the ring, while Karl hits a sleeper and turns it into a Manifest Destiny DDT.

Positives:  Kratos hits a devastating face chop and Karl sold it very well. Limelight is lightning fast on his back kick. Fredericks’ spine buster looked nasty. King uses Limelight as a battering ram on Kratos who was sitting in the corner. Limelight hits a double stomp on King’s chest and rolls into a cutter on Karl.

Meh: Not as much intensity and high spots as last week’s eight-man tag, but still a positive display of what these men can do.

Winner: Fredericks and King win via Fredericks’ sleeper to Manifest Destiny DDT

Grade: B-

A  darn good reminder that the Fredericks/King feud is still going strong with Kratos/Limelight

Backstage: Brody and Karl gloat that Team Filthy couldn’t beat them.

Recap: Hikuleo called Rosser a cheater for pulling his hair. This is how the feud started months ago. 

NJPW Strong main event:

3rd Match: Fred Rosser v. Hikuleo (No DQ match)

Summary: Rosser runs into the ring with a leaping uppercut. Hikuleo stops him in his tracks with a powerslam. Hikuleo bashes Rosser’s head into the ring post hard. Rosser chokes Hikuleo with some camera cable. Hikuleo gets a chair and misses a few shots. Hikuleo goes back to slamming Rosser into ring posts and gates. He sets up a table. Rosser interrupts the table spot with some running chops and forearms. The fight spills out to the loading area. Rosser chokes Hikuleo with his arm tape, but Hikuleo slams him through a door into the parking lot. Hikuleo pushes Rosser into the back of a trailer truck. They exchange more blows in the trailer. Hikuleo drops the trailer door on Rosser, but when he opens the door again Rosser dives on him. Rosser and Hikuleo fight back into the ring exchanging chops, punches, and kicks. Hikuleo sets up the table after he slams Rosser. Hikuleo and Rosser fight on the apron until Rosser goes for a running bulldog onto the table. The table falls over but doesn’t break. Both men are exhausted. Rosser gets Hikuleo into the ring. He hits a double knee gutbuster and a running clothesline to end the match.

Positives: Great intensity from both men. From the beginning, Rosser was a force to be reckoned with. He looked good absorbing all that punishment from Hikuleo and coming back with rage. Rosser pulling out his double knee gutbuster finisher put a nice bow on the match.

Meh: The nature of the match promises lots of repetitive shoves, punches, and chops. Instead of Rosser slamming Hikuleo through the table, the table slid out of the way and both men fell hard. Very dangerous. If Rosser is a babyface then why does he resort to hair pulling so much?

Winner: Fred Rosser via a double knee gutbuster to a running clothesline

Grade: B

Rosser and Hikuleo were brutal to each other. This match had a very good fire to it. Will the feud continue between the two or is Rosser ready for new horizons? He is a good fit for NJPW Strong.

Next week: Filthy Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Dickinson for the Strong title