The NJPW USA Cup Final is here! This week will see us crown the first-ever STRONG Openweight Champion. Being their first-ever exclusive champion is quite the honor to be the man to fly the STRONG flag. This year’s tournament final will pit Brody King vs. “Filthy” Tom Lawlor. We have two exciting preliminary bouts in-store as well! This is certainly a week you don’t want to miss as we present the NJPW STRONG preview for 4/23/21!
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NJPW STRONG Preview for 4/23/21
First match:
TJP and Clark Connors vs. Chris Dickinson and JR Kratos
This one has all the makings to be a combustible opening match. Both sets of partners have had their issues lately. Clark Connors surprised his mentor and tag partner TJP in the qualifying rounds of the tournament with a win to gain a berth. On the other hand, Chris Dickinson (who is a member of Team Filthy along with Kratos) formed a bond with Brody King in Ring of Honor.
This made Tom Lawlor question Dickinson’s loyalty. To make matters worse, Dickinson’s refused Lawlor’s order to break Sterling Riegel’s arm in a tag match which saw Team Filthy take on Brody King and his proteges the Riegel Twins. This intriguing match may come down to which team can get along the best.
Second Match:
Rocky Romero vs. Wheeler Yuta
Rocky Romero has been on a rough stretch lately. He’s underperformed at just about every turn recently. His road doesn’t get any easier this week. Wheeler Yuta will be making his NJPW debut after some truly impressive performances in Michinoku Pro, as well as Ring of Honor. In Ring of Honor, he put in an inspiring effort in the Pure Tournament, and has been a regular in the division ever since.
However, the experience and desperation of Rocky Romero may be too much for the debuting Yuta to overcome. With the lights shining brightly, Yuta will need to keep his composure to make a strong first impression on the STRONG crowd.
NJPW STRONG Preview for 4/23/21
Main Event:
NJPW Cup USA Final/STRONG Openweight Championship
(“Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Brody King)
After surviving the first two grueling rounds of this tournament, it is finally time to crown a champion. Brody King was able to stop the dangerous Lio Rush last week with a devastating Gonso Bomb. That was after his impressive showdown with the menacing Chris Dickinson.
On the other hand, Team Filthy’s namesake Tom Lawlor didn’t have an easy path himself. He had to go through the Bullet Club’s Young Gun Hikuleo in the second round. That was after defeating the impressive young up-and-comer Ren Narita in the first round. Both men are sure to be exhausted, so this one could be a war of attrition. Who has the most left in the tank?
The prospect of being the first-ever STRONG Openweight Champion is sure to motivate these two determined competitors. Both know what a win could do for their careers, as well as how much of a setback a loss could be. Both men have insane knockout power, so it should be interesting to see who lands the biggest blow.
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