By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
NJPW Collision in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 2300 Arena
Streamed April 16, 2023 on FITE TV
Ian Riccaboni and Veda Scott and Alex Koslov provided live commentary. This show was a sellout in advance and it looks great on video.
However, the lineup has been shuffled a bit in the past 24 hours. TJP had travel issues, Hiroshi Tanahashi has a broken rib, and Juice Robinson has been ‘suspended’ because of his violent attack on Fred Rosser a day ago. Rosser moves into the four-man tournament to determine a new No. 1 contender for Kenny Omega’s IWGP U.S. Title.
1. Volador Jr. and El Desperado defeated Kevin Knight and Delirious at 10:21. Delirious, of course, went crazy at the bell, and he charged at Desperado. Knight and Volador entered and traded quick lucha reversals. Delirious tripped Desperado, allowing his team to take control at 3:30. Knight hit a diving forearm for a nearfall, and they kept Desperado in their corner. Desperado hit a back suplex on Knight and tagged in Volador at 6:00.
Volador hit a head-scissors takedown on Delirious. Delirious applied a Cobra Clutch at 8:00, but Volador escaped and tagged out. Desperado nailed a spinebuster on Delirious. Volador hit a superkick and a lungblower on Delirious; Desperado immediately hit his Angel’s Wings faceplant on Delirious for the pin. Veda and Ian agreed that Desperado made a mistake by not trying to pin Ishii a day ago after hitting that move. Good opener.
2. Alex Coughlin defeated Tracy Williams in an ROH Pure Rules match at 12:50. Ian quickly told the backstory of Coughlin wanting to face Shibata for the Pure title. No on-screen graphics; usually a Pure Rules match shows how many rope breaks each has remaining. Coughlin tied up the legs on the mat early on. They traded forearm shots at 6:00. Williams hit a Saito Suplex. Coughlin hit a standing powerbomb at 8:00. Williams had Coughlin’s legs tied up as they wrestled on the mat.
If you haven’t seen it before… Coughlin picked up Tracy while seated on the mat, and got to his feet while still holding Tracy upside down, before hitting a vertical suplex at 10:30. Just a great show of power. Tracy fired back with a crossface, but Coughlin powered to his feet and hit a Samoan Drop for a believable nearfall at 12:00, and we have our first “This is awesome!” chant of the day. They traded forearm shots, and Coughlin nailed a German Suplex with a bridge for the pin. Nice, hard-hitting match. The three rope break rule never came into account, which is fine.
* David Finlay and Clark Connors entered the ring. Connors is wearing his new Bullet Club shirt. Finlay got on the mic and said he got rid of the disloyal El Phantasmo last week, and he’s upgraded by replacing ELP with Connors. “If you’re not loyal, you’re gone!” he declared. “My Bullet Club is for killers and savages only.”
3. Clark Connors defeated The DKC at 6:38. DKC charged into the ring and immediately started brawling. DKC hit three rolling sentons for a nearfall. Connors hit a spear and dominated the offense. The commenators spent most of the match talking about Finlay’s re-imagined Bullet Club. Connors hit another hard spear at 5:30. The ref checked with DKC, who struggled to get to his feet. Connors hit another hard spear for th pin. Koslov called it a “definitive win.”
4. “Team Filthy” Tom Lawlor, Royce Isaacs, and Jorel Nelson defeated “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Bad Dude Tito, and Shane Haste at 16:29. These six squared off yesterday in a singles and tag match. The ref confiscated weapons he found on Team Filthy. Sabre and Isaacs started. Tito entered and hit a series of chops on Jorel. Lawlor and Nelson held Tito upside down in the ring, whle Isaacs walked around ringside with an opponent upside down in his arms, showing off his strength. Nelson hit a backbreaker over his knee on Haste at 4:30. Isaacs slammed Haste on the ring apron, and Team Filthy worked Shane over.
Sabre made the hot tag at 6:30, and he tied up Nelson’s legs. Lawlor got in and he traded forearm shots with Sabre. Tito and Isaacs entered and beat on each other with multiple mid-ring clotheslines at 10:00, and Tito hit an Exploder Suplex. Isaacs hit a Saito Suplex on Tito. Haste and Jorel entered and traded blows, as the pace of this match has really picked up. Haste hit a nice dropkick on Nelson. Lawlor hit a series of chops on Sabre, but Sabre staggered him with a European Uppercut.
Sabre applied a mid-ring Octopus on Lawlor. Nelson hit a top-rope elbow on Sabre for a nearfall. Lawlor applied a rear-naked choke on Sabre at 14:00, but Zack escaped. Tito tagged in and hit a back suplex on Lawlor, then a dive to the floor on Tom. In the ring, Tito hit a double spear. Haste hit a reverse suplex, dropping Jorel stomach-first to the mat. Tito hit a Flatliner faceplant. However, Lawlor hit his kneestrike to the back of Tito’s head to score the pin. That was shockingly good; yes, these guys can go, but this just topped my expectations.
5. “Just Five Guys” Sanada and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Homicide and Rocky Romero at 14:24. Homicide and Sanada started. Kanemaru and Romero entered and traded offense at 4:00. Romero hit a back suplex. Homicide bit at Kanemaru’s wrist, so Romero did it, too! Romero hit a top-rope dropkick at 8:00, and they kept Kanemaru in their corner. Romero hit his Forever Clotheslines. Kanemaru finally hit a tornado DDT on Rocky, and Sanada made the hot tag at 10:30.
Sanada tried to apply the Paradise Lock, but Rocky fought free. Sanada got it applied in a second attempt, and he kicked Romero’s butt to break the hold and get a nearfall at 12:00. Homicide hit a T-Bone Suplex on Sanada for a nearfall. Sanada applied the Skull End dragon sleeper but Homicide got free. Romero dove through the ropes on Kanemaru; in the ring, Homicide hit a stunner on Sanada for a believable nearfall at 14:00. Homicide tried to get the Copkillah backslide driver, but Sanada escaped, got an O’Connor Roll, and pinned Homicide. Good match. Homicide was in disbelief he lost.
6. Orange Cassidy defeated Gabriel Kidd to retain the AEW International Title at 11:50. Ian pointed out that Cassidy’s right hand is taped up after being attacked by Buddy Matthews. The usual hands-in-the-pants antics from Orange, then his dropkick and a dive to the floor at 1:30. In the ring, Kidd took control and he mockingly gestured he was going to put his hands in his pants, drawing boos. The camera caught Finlay and Connors watching the match from the balcony. Kidd hit a senton for a nearfall, and he shouted at the crowd he was coming for Shibata.
Kidd hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 4:30. The commentators kept talking about Finlay and why would he be scouting this match. Orange did his slow-motion chops drawing the big reaction from the crowd. Oranage nailed a superkick, then the Orange Punch in the corner. Orange nailed a Tornado DDT. Orange hit the Stundog Millionaire stunner at 7:30. He went for a top-rope move, but Kidd caught him and hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Orange hit a Beach Break/modified Air Raid Crash for a believable nearfall.
Orange began removing the tape on his hand, and Ian wondered if it was swollen. Kidd choked Orange out as they fought on the ropes in the corner. Kidd missed a top-rope moonsault at 10:30, but he nailed a Tombstone Piledriver for a believable nearfall. Kidd hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Orange hooked both arms and got a Mousetrap rollup for the pin out of nowhere. The really good match you’ve come to expect from Cassidy.
7. “Los Ingobernobles de Japon” Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi defeated “Bullet Club” Kenta and Chase Owens at 12:30. The crowd chanted “holy shit!” just for the appearance of Naito. Chase and Hiromu started, but Kenta jumped Hiromu. LIJ began working over Chase. Naito did the ‘tranquilo pose’ on the mat, but Kenta jumped in the ring and stomped on him at 3:00, drawing massive heat. The BC began working over Naito and kept him in the corner. Kenta hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 6:00, and he slowed Naito down with a chinlock on the mat.
Naito hit his own standing neckbreaker, and they were both down. Hiromu made the hot tag and he hit a huracanrana on Kenta. Kenta hit a DDT on Hiromu. Hiromu hit a dragon screw leg whip on Kenta at 8:30. Owens got in and mockingly did the LIJ gesture, earning boos. Naito hit his swinging dropkick into the corner on Owens. Owens set up for the C-Trigger but Naito avoided it.
Owens hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Owens hit a running knee to the collarbone for a nearfall at 11:00. Chase set up for the Package Piledriver but Naito avoided it. Naito got a jackknife cover on Owens for a believable nearfall. Naito hit an assisted tornado DDT on Owens, then the Destino on Owens for the clean pin. Good match.
* Rocky Romero came to the ring and talked to Hiromu. He said that a junior heavyweight festival is coming … to Philadelphia! The crowd popped for this news. It will be held Aug. 19, and will feature juniors from around the world. Romero shook Hiromu’s hand and said, “Let’s put together a good card, you and me.”
* A video aired with Kenny Omega talking about the four-men tournament to become No. 1 contender to his IWGP U.S. Title. Omega was confident, saying he’s beaten everyone before. We then went to footage from a day ago, when Juice Robinson beat up Fred Rosser, which got him suspended and kicked out of the tournament, with Rosser taking his place.
8. Lance Archer defeated Fred Rosser in a semifinal tournament match at 14:26. Rosser’s head, left arm, and left ribs were all heavily taped; this should be an easy win for Archer, right? If he can’t beat Rosser in the shape he’s in, that severely damages Archer’s standing. Archer got on the mic and said, “I’ve got to hand it to you, you’ve got some balls.” Archer said they fought each other, last in 2009, and it was a hardcore match. Archer went under the ring and got two kendo sticks, and he tossed one to Fred. Archer demanded this be a Philadelphia street fight!
Archer backed him into the corner and hit a series of punches and chops. They went to the floor at 2:00. Rosser tossed a chair at Archer’s head, and he choked him with a cord! Archer bent Fred over the guardail and used the cane across his chest. They brawled along the guardrail, then into the crowd, going far from the ring. Archer hit a Mafia Kick to send Rosser over the guardrail and back to ringside at 6:30. Rosser grabbed the ring bell and hit Archer with it repeatedly. They finally got back in the ring, with Archer in control. Archer wedged a chair between turnbuckles in the corner.
Rosser tried to hit a dragon screw leg whip, but Archer shrugged it off. Archer charged toward the corner, but he crashed into the chair. Rosser got the kendo stick and he began hitting Archer across the back, and back of his knees. Rosser applied a modified STF, when Juice Robinson jumped in the ring at 13:00 and attacked Rosser. Ian pointed out the ref can’t do anything about it because this is a no-DQ match. Juice nailed the Left Hand of God punch on Rosser, knocking him out. Juice left. Archer hit a short-arm clothesline to score the cheap pin. Decent brawl.
Archer got on the mic and said, “Tony Khan, this message is for you and your Elite puppies.” He said it took outside interference for Omega to beat him in the past.
* Quick back story: Kyle Fletcher did a top-rope moonsault to the floor yesterday but he overshot the wrestlers and his torso landed across the top of the guardrail. He was partially caught but still, he landed hard. Yet, Aussie Open kept fighting and won the New Japan Strong tag titles.
9. “Aussie Open” Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis defeated Tomohiro Ishii and Lio Rush to retain the IWGP Tag Team Titles at 20:58. Again, this was supposed to be a six-man tag, but TJP and Tanahashi are off the show. Lio and Davis opened against each other, and Lio is just giving up massive size here. Ishii entered and traded forearm shots with Mark. Lio hit a running frogsplash on Kyle at 3:00, and Veda talked about Fletcher’s injured torso, and how any move to the stomach would hurt. Fletcher held Lio upside down, and he tagged in Davis, who took Lio and continued to hold him upside down, before hitting the delayed vertical suplex at 5:30.
Lio went to his corner, but Ishii ordered LIo to go and fight! Lio hit some forearms on Davis but they barely had an impact. Ishii accepted a tag at 7:30 and he unloaded blows on both of AO. He hit a shoulder tackle that dropped Fletcher. Ishii hit a Saito Suplex on Fletcher. AO picked up their opponents and slammed their backs together. Fletcher went to the top rope, but Davis ran over and stopped him from going for a moonsault. Funny. Lio hit a top-rope Frankensteiner on Kyle at 10:30. Ishii slammed Lio onto Fletcher and got a nearfall.
Lio missed his frogsplash. Ishii entered and traded clotheslines with Davis, then chops, and the crowd was loving this. Ishii nailed a brainbuster at 13:30, but he was too wounded to make the cover. Davis hit a back suplex on Ishii. Lio hit a dive through the ropes on Fletcher, then an Asai Moonsault. Ishii dropped Davis with a clothesline for a nearfall at 15:00. Davis hit a brainbuster on Ishii; Ishii popped up but Davis hit a Mafia Kick, and they were both down again, with the crowd chanting, “this is awesome!”
Ishii hit a German Suplex on Davis, and Lio immediately hit a tornado DDT on Mark, then the frogsplash for a believable nearfall, but Fletcher made the save at 18:00. Ishii hit a German Suplex on Fletcher. Davis hit a decapitating clothesline on Lio, and suddenly everyone was down. Lio got a rollup for a believable nearfall. AO hit double Mafia Kicks on Lio. Davis hit an enzuigiri on Ishii, and Fletcher immediately hit a Tombstone Piledriver. Davis hit his pull-up piledriver on Lio. AO hit their front-and-back clotheslines on Lio, then the Koryallis flipping slam on Lio for the pin. Fantastic match.
* Fletcher grabbed the mic and said, “Philadelphia you f**king rock, dudes.” He once again declared they were “the best team in the whole god-damn world. Eat your heart out, FTR.” He concluded by saying, “We run the world.”
Final Thoughts: The main event easily earns best match. I loved the spot where Fletcher went to the top rope for another moonsault, but his partner stopped him (and probably saved his life!) Ishii always brings a great fight, and Lio is surprisingly strong for his small frame and held his own.
If you would have asked me before the show, no way would I have guessed Team Filthy vs. TMDK would be second-best of the show, but they had an excellent six-man tag, and Team Filthy really needed this win after their losses to TMDK on Saturday. Despite never thinking for a second that Orange Cassidy was losing, his excellent match with Gabriel Kidd earned third place.
I am on record as saying the Sanada title change was needed, especially as a payoff for a story they had been telling for six or so months, when he and Taichi went from heated rivals to respected rivals. That said, putting Sanada in a tag match the middle of the show sends the wrong message. The champion needs to be in the main event; Sanada is already perceived as a mid-carder ‘visiting the top tier,’ and being booked in the middle of the show doesn’t help that perception.
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