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We begin with comments from Lio Rush. He says it is official that he will be part of the New Japan Cup USA if he can get past Rocky Romero.
Rocky says he respects Lio as a competitor and a human being.
Lio says that Rocky has been a great competitor in New Japan and one of the best Junior Heavyweights. New Japan Cup USA is my goal.
Rocky says step 1 is beat Lio Rush and get into the tournament. Step 2 is win the Cup and then I will raise up the cup and I will turn down the IWGP US Championship Match and I will ask for the title that has eluded me my entire career, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Lio says he does not think anyone expect it to go this way. I need to pick myself up and do what I do best. I need to prove that I am the Man of the Hour. Rocky Romero, all respect to you, but you are standing in my way. I will see you soon.
Rocky says there is no denying him and his quest to become IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.
We are in Los Angeles, California and your announcers are Shigeki Kiyono and Hiroshi Tanahashi (in Japanese) or Kevin Kelly and Alex Koslov (in English).
Match Number One: Karl Fredericks and Alex Coughlin versus Clark Connors and Kevin Knight
Knight and Coughlin start things off and they lock up Coughlin with a wrist lock and Knight with a reversal. Coughlin with a hammer lock take down. They lock up and Knight backs Coughlin into the corner and Knight with a chop. Alex with a kick and European uppercuts. Knight with European uppercuts. Alex fires back. Alex with kicks and the referee warns him. Knight with a hip toss for a near fall.
Coughlin with a single leg take down into a knee bar and Knight escapes. Connors tags in and so does Fredericks. They lock up and Fredericks backs Connors into the ropes and Fredericks with a clean break. They lock up and Fredericks with a side head lock. Fredericks with a shoulder tackle but Connors does not move. Connors with a shoulder tackle and Fredericks with a kick. They exchange chops.
Connors with a European uppercut and Fredericks with one too. Fredericks with forearms and a leap frog when Connors gets up. Connors with a power slam for a near fall. Connors with a kick to the back. Connors with a European uppercut and he sends Fredericks into the corner. Knight tags in and kicks Fredericks and hits a shoulder tackle for a near fall. Frederick with a punch and Knight with a forearm. Knight misses a drop kick and Coughlin kicks Knight. They hit a double shoulder tackle on Knight and Fredericks gets a near fall.
Fredericks with a kick to the head and Coughlin tags in and kicks Knight and hits a wrist lock slam for a near fall. Coughlin works on the legs and then applies a bow and arrow and bridges. Coughlin with a bow and arrow but Knight escapes. Fredericks tags in and kicks Knight and follows with a snap mare and kick to the back. Fredericks with kicks to the back and he gets a near fall.
Fredericks with a slam and elbow drop for a near fall. Fredericks with a forearm and he blocks a slam. Knight with a slam and he tags in Connors. Alex tags in and Connors with chops and Alex with European uppercuts. Connors with a kick and forearm. Connors with a POUNCE and he sends Alex into the corner. Connors misses an elbow and Fredericks with a splash and then Knight with a splash to Fredericks. Coughlin puts Connors on top of Knight and hits a double gutwrench suplex. Coughlin gets Connors up and Connors with a spear.
Knight and Fredericks tag in and they exchange forearm. Fredericks with a European uppercut and Knight with a drop kick for a near fall. Knight kicks Fredericks and goes for the Boston Crab and locks it in. Fredericks gets to the ropes to force a break. Knight kicks Fredericks in the back. Frederick with a knee and he tries for a suplex but Knight counters with an inside cradle. Knight with a rollup for a near fall. Fredericks with a spinebuste for a near fall. Alex sends Connors to the floor. Knight with chops and forearms to Fredericks. Frederickws with a sleeper followed by an Impaler DDT for the three count.
Winners: Karl Fredericks and Alex Coughlin
After the match, Coughlin and Fredericks are in the back. Fredericks says it felt good to be back on NJPW Strong and to be in the ring with Coughlin. He is the man until someone proves otherwise. Coughlin says it has been seven months that he is out. He says he couldn’t think of a better man to share the ring with for his return match. He says he went through a dark period while watching his friends in the ring. He says he did not know if he could get back in the ring with them, but he is back. He will never take this for granted.
Match Number Two: Tom Lawlor versus DKC in a New Japan Cup USA Qualifying Match
Lawlor with a kick to the chest and DKC with a drop kick and kicks to Lawlor. Lawlor pulls DKC to the floor and connects with a chop and forearm. Lawlor misses a clothesline and DKC with a slam on the floor. They return to the ring and Lawlor blocks a kick but DKC with a back fist and slam followed by a fist drop for a near fall. DKC with a kick but Lawlor with a punch. DKC with a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall.
Lawlor with a waist lock and he sends DKC into the turnbuckles. Lawlor punches DKC and chops him in the corner. DKC with forearms but Lawlor with kicks. Lawlor with chops and DKC with a punch. Lawlor with punches and forearms followed by kicks. Lawlor with an arm bar and he connects with uppercuts to the arm followed by a belly-to-back suplex for a near fall. DKC kicks Lawlor but Lawlor kicks DKC in the leg. Lawlor with a kneeDT into a heel hook but DKC gets to the ropes.
Lawlor with a front face lock. Lawlor with a suplex for a near fall. Lawlor with a double wrist lock. DKC with a rollup for a near fall. Lawlor with a cravate and knees to the head. DKC escapes a slam and applies a sleeper. Lawlor with a side Russian leg sweep and he applies a figure four leg lock. DKC tries to reverse the hold but Lawlor rolls through. DKC with chops but Lawlor holds on and Lawlor goes for a hammer lock while he has the figure four locked in. DKC gets to the ropes and Lawlor releases the hold.
Lawlor with a forearm to the head but DKC with a rolup for a near fall. DKC with forearms. Lawlor pushes DKC away and DKC with a guillotine on Lawlor. DKC with a suplex and he gets a near fall. DKC with chops in the corner followed by a forearm. Lawlor with a choke slam and he signals that it is over. Lawlor with a sleeper but DKC rolls through and applies a cross arm breaker. Lawlor with a reverse power slam and he applies a sleeper followed by a running kick to the chest for the three count.
Winner: Tom Lawlor
We go to the cleaning and disinfecting break.
Match Number Three: Rocky Romero versus Lio Rush in a New Japan Cup USA Qualifying Match
Rush goes for the leg but Romero blocks it. Rush with a waist lock and Romero with a wrist lock. Rush with a reversal and drop toe hold into a front face lock. Romero with a take down and a step over knee drop to the leg. Rush with a side head lock and take down. Romero with a head scissors and Rush is able to power out of the hold into a lateral press and he gets a near fall. They lock up and Rush with a side head lock.
Rush with a shoulder tackle and Romero with a shoulder tackle. Both men go for drop kicks at the same time but Romero with a drop kick to the knee followed by a La Magistral for a near fall. Rush does his best to frustrate Romero with his speed and agility and then Rush hits a drop kick. Rush with a kick to the back and a punch. Rush kicks Romero in the corner and punches him. Romero with a chop and Rush chops back. Rush with a shoulder in the corner. Romero with a knee to the midsection followed by an elbow and slam. Romero with an elbow drop. Romero with chops and Rush with chops and a punch. Romero blocks a kick and flips Rush to his feet. Rush misses a forearm in the corner. Romero gets a near fall.
Romero works on the arm and he kicks Rush in the shoulder. Romero with more kicks. Rush with a back heel kick and Romero with a forearm. Romero with a wrist lock and he goes to the turnbuckles and hits a knee drop on the arm. Romero with kicks to Rush. Romero with a European uppercut and he works on the arm but Rush with forearms. Romero with an arm wringer and Rush with a rollup and spinning heel kick.
Rush with a running forearm or two. Rush goes for a belly-to-back suplex but Romero lands on his feet. Rush goes for a handspring move but Romero with a kick and then he puts Rush in the ropes and hits a springboard drop kick for a near fall. Romero with a kick to the head and back. Romero goes for sliced bread but Rush lands on his feet. Romero with Infinity clotheslines and then Rush with a flying clothesline off the turnbuckles.
Rush with a Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Rush with forearms to the back while Romero holds on to his ankle. Rush with a kick to the back and then he tries to get Romero on his shoulders but Romero escapes. Romero with running knees followed by a Shiranui for a near fall. Romero with kicks to the shoulder and he continues to work on the arm. Romero goes for Sliced Bread but Rush catches him and hits a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Rush with forearms and Romero fires back. They continue the exchange. Romero with a kick to the arm and he misses a forearm. Rush with strikes followed by a back heel kick and a spinning heel kick. Rush goes for the rebound cutter but Romero gets a near fall with a rollup. Romero with another rollup but Rush with an inside cradle for the three count.
Winner: Lio Rush
We go to credits.
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