NJPW Strong Style Evolved Match Ratings And Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp

Roppongi 3K defeated So Cal Uncensored
5.5/10
 

• I love the way the venue looks.
• My first exposure to Scorpio Sky was the "Beat It" spot with Human Tornado.
• Kazarian slips on the ropes and holds his knee, but is okay after tagging out.
• Christopher Daniels' worst moonsault still may be better than anyone else's.
• Scorpio Sky lands on Yoh's leg on a tope con hilo and checks on him immediately.
• NJPW refs are made to look so stupid
• I love Roppongi's 3K finish, and the Dominator/Cutter
• Josh Barnett got caught saying "You're right JR, they need to get out of the fuckin' ring. They couldn't stay there that long" on a hot mic.

Juice Robinson & David Finlay defeated Gedo & Hirooki Goto
4.5/10

• Goto is busted open early.
• Gedo faced @IAmJericho at WCW Halloween Havoc way back in 1997. My first time ever seeing him.
• Production is missing a lot by not knowing when to switch cameras.
• It's amazing to see where Juice Robinson is now, because he was never going to get this break in NXT.
• A Juice full nelson slam and a Finlay stunner (Prima Nocta) win this match.

Killer Elite Squad defeated Chuckie T & Toru Yano
5.5/10

• Chuckie T is fresh off of his PWG Title loss.
• Remember when Archer was super over in the Impact Zone? 
• Davey Boy applied a great high angle Boston Crab after Lance Archer walks the ropes and does old school while tagging Smith.
• Chuckie T is getting the ass kicking of a lifetime, and Yano is too scared to participate.
• Billy Robinson double arm suplex. Pour one out.
• A big bright ass shining light in the camera isn't optimal.
• Yano gets tagged in and avoids Archer's offense, which ends when Archer softly knocks Yano out of the ropes. It didn't look very good. Chuckie T's tope con hilo did though.
• Yano isn't really my style, but you need it to break  up a lot of what NJPW has.
• Chuckie T hit a sick piledriver on Archer. I'm glad it was broken up instead of kicked out of.  Chuckie reversed a lazy Archer pin and almost won with a crucifix. 
• Killer Bomb on Chuckie. That's it.

Bullet Club (Cody & Marty Scurll w/ Brandi Rhodes) defeated Bullet Club's Guerrillas Of Destiny
6.5/10

• Cody says that the match will not happen because they're friends. He puts over the G.O.D.
• They beat up Cody, and Scurll celebrates it. "Someone forgot to tell him he's not Tongan"- Barnett.
• Cody rolls across the ring and gets caught by a Tama Tonga splash in the corner. Cool spot.
• Cody with a delayed elevated front suplex. 
• Scurll is super over and teases the chicken wing, but Cody tags himself in. He tries to Cross Rhodes Tonga, but eats one himself.
• I'll never get behind Tanga Loa no-selling strikes. His strength in superplexing Scurll was impressive.
• Cody emulates Omega while Brandi pounds the mat, but Loa spears the hell out of him.
• Cody gets Cross Rhodes on Loa for the win.
• G.O.D leave dejected. I expected a Too Sweet after that one.

LIJ defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Kushida, & Dragon Lee
5.25/10

• JR insinuating that a group of fans practiced a Tanahashi chant.
• I wonder why NJPW felt the need to fly so many guys over. They could have ran more one on one matches and saved a ton of money.
• This is a New Japan Pro Wrestling 8-Man tag team match, but it features a bunch of really talented guys, and it's harmless.
• Ankle Lock, Hoverboard Lock and Texas Cloverleaf all on in the ring. Three of my favorite holds.
• Naito pins Taguchi with Destino.
• LIJ are super over. 

Will Ospreay defeated Jushin Thunder Liger
5.75/10

• Rey Mysterio is at NJPW SSE. 
• "Torn bicep or tricep, or something bad." – JR. Fucking hell. Come on. 
• Mysterio says he'll come wrestle in NJPW as soon as he's able.  "I promise you, I give you my word because it is on my bucket list. I will come back as soon as I'm ready and I'll step in this ring and I will wrestle for New Japan."
• Rough production. Someone alert Sammy Hagar. They completely missed an Ospreay corner dropkick.
• Liger is still here doing it. He and Pillman were the first time I saw cruiserweight wrestling.
• Ospreay hurts his leg, does a handspring kick, but misses a 619.
• Liger hits an avalanche brainbuster, then connects a Shotei palm strike that Ospreay sells as well as anyone ever has. A+. However, the camera cuts to Mysterio in the crowd during a pin attempt.
• A Liger Bomb and an OsCutter wins it for Ospreay.
• Ospreay challenges Rey Mysterio, but Marty Scurll attacks. Rey tries to help, but Scurll unmasks him.

SuzukiGun (Zack Sabre Jr & Minoru Suzuki) defeated CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Tomihiro Ishii)
6/10

• We get a nice preview of next week's Okada vs. Zack Sabre Jr match for Sakura Genesis.
• A great reaction when Ishii and Suzuki get tagged in. 
• Ishii gets put in a Fujiwara armbar/bow and arrow combo, and OUCH.
• Zack Sabre's nonchalant kicks mean a lot less when he does them every match. I'm not big on the "waiting for a strike" trade, either. 
• Sabre counters a Reverse Neckbreaker into an inverted triangle. Very cool. Okada does get Ishii with a Reverse Neckbreaker, though. Another one of my favorite moves. 
• Ishii and Suzuki trade, then Suzuki applies a front choke. Ishii hits a hell of a suplex to counter it. Just simple grappling and it looked good. 
• Sabre applies a heel hook, wrist clutch combo on Ishii while Suzuki has Okada subdued. Afterwards Sabre and Suzuki attack Okada and the ref.
• NJPW announces they're running the Cow Palace on July 7 up against Ronda Rousey at MSG and Cormier/Miocic at UFC 226. How many tickets does NJPW sell for the Cow Palace before announcing any matches? WWF did 14,600 in the 80's, WCW between 12-13k in the 90's, WWE 11K in 2005 (3k in 05), and APW did 3k there last year.

IWGP United States Championship
Switchblade Jay White (c) defeated Adam Hangman Page
6.5/10

• Jay White applies the inverted STF the right way. Weight on his opponent's shoulder, applying a cravate.
• Page hits White with a half nelson, wrist clutch suplex. He follows up with a fireman's carry backbreaker.
• Not sure why Hangman is working heel here. Switchblade isn't over, much less as a babyface.
• Crickets from the crowd on this match.
• White hits a Flatliner to a running Page, then a German suplex.
• Page is wrestling circles around White.
• White German suplexes Page on the apron, and no pin attempt back in the ring. 
• Avalanche neckbreaker, bruh. Thats a @ShaneHelmsCom special.
• Piledriver from Page gets two. This is move after move after move, but nothing that has gotten the crowd going. 
• Still don't get the shooting star shoulderbreaker, but I get the Orihara moonsault, and so does the audience finally. I don't understand. It's very obvious JR isn't at all familiar with Page.
• Page gets killed with a half nelson suplex, then a nasty Kiwi Crusher. White had to deadlift Page. Hope Hangman is ok. 
• Page goes for Rite of Passage and White reverses it into the Switchblade for the win.
• Finlay comes out and attacks Switchblade, and challenges White for the U.S. title at Korakuen Hall.
• Oh…………..David Finlay and Switchblade…………..

Golden Lovers defeated Young Bucks
10/10

• The weight belts on Young Bucks crack me up.
• A GREAT series between Nick Jackson and Kota Ibushi. Ibushi works on Matt's back, but Omega wants him to stop. 
• Ibushi foils the Young Bucks Tope Con Hilo, but then Omega gets superkicked on a Terminator dive. "He got kicked so hard his goddamn feathers flew off!"- Barnett. Young Bucks follow up with an assisted somersault senton to the outside. 
• Nick Jackson has turned into one of the best strikers around. His short arm back elbow is particularly awesome.
• This is one sensible but impressive spot after the other. 
• A moonsault causes Omega and Ibushi to crack heads.
• Matt Jackson's back is a major part of this match. Omega back suplexes him onto the apron. Back inside the ring, Nick Jackson's striking is on display again. 
• A frankensteiner from Omega gives Nick the momentum to get Ibushi with a rope hung backstabber. Then the Bucks land an assisted Destino.
• An amazing double team superplex from the Golden Lovers. Omega is suplexed onto the apron, though. 
• Nick puts Omega on a table outside the ring, but Ibushi is in the ring. Nick is telling a torn Matt to jump on Omega, but takes too long and Ibushi puts a stop to it. Omega threatens a One Winged Angel through the table, but Ibushi top rope German Suplexes Matt!
• V-Trigger and Last Ride on Matt gets two. Nick breaks up the count after another V-Trigger.
• Matt fires up and applies a Scorpion Deathlock on Ibushi while Nick facebusters him. Nick also tornado DDTs  Omega outside. 
• More Bang For Your Buck looks to land, but Matt calls an audible and elbow drops Kenny Omega through the table!!
• The rope assisted 450 doesn't get it done for the Bucks.
• Snapdragon suplex from Omega, piledriver from Matt. Matt then Hogan's Omega with the weight belt. Omega refuses to use the belt. 
• Ibushi Last Ride powerbombs Nick through the table. Oh man I hope Nick's head didn't slap the concrete. Indytaker from Golden Lovers but Matt kicks out!
• Omega doesn't want to hit the One Winged Angel, but Matt makes him. Nick is alive and makes the save!!
• The Golden Trigger gets the win. 
• That was among the best tag team matches I've ever seen.
• Cody comes out and goes off on Matt Jackson, and pushes Nick down. Omega returns to the ring and Cody runs off.