Fighting Spirit Unleashed (November 8) full card, preview
Main event: NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship Kosei Fujita vs Gabe Kidd
An intense showdown is on the horizon as Gabe Kidd defends his NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship against rising star Kosei Fujita. After a relatively easy defense against Anthony Henry in ROH, Kidd issued an open challenge for his title at Togane. This call was answered at King of Pro-Wrestling, when Fujita stepped up, inspired by Zack Sabre Jr.’s encouragement to pursue championship glory backstage. Kidd eagerly accepted the challenge on social media, reminding Fujita that he once mentored him and it’s time to bring the young punk down a notch. Can Fujita claim his first championship, or will Kidd prove his dominance over the young contender?
9th Match: AEW International Championship- Konosuke Takeshita vs TJP
After an open challenge issued online by AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita, ‘The Alpha’ returns to the cerulean blue for the first time since the G1 Climax to face TJP. A first time ever meeting of power and technical skill carries as its background the complex issue of the wider landscape in the United Empire. During the summer, Takeshita teamed effectively, if not entirely voluntarily with United Empire members, but recent events in AEW mean that fragile alliance has apparently been shattered.
Takeshita remains loyal to Don Callis and his family in AEW, along with former United Empire member Kyle Fletcher. Fletcher apparently removed himself from even tangential ties to UE recently though when he attacked founder Will Ospreay and estranged himself from Aussie Open partner Mark Davis. Now the United Empire ‘captain’ wants to not only take International gold, but to bring a brand pf physical diplomacy to United Empire on both sides of the Pacific.
8th Match: TMDK (Bad Dude Tito & Zack Sabre Jr.) vs Tomohiro Ishii and Shota Umino
Power Struggle on November 4 ended in chaos after Zack Sabre Jr. retained the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. Shota Umino would confront the champion amid a chorus of boos to challenge before Ricochet issued his own challenge to ZSJ for January 5 and Wrestle Dynasty. As the dust settled, Sabre made it clear that if Shota thought he would be able to challenge him in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom January 4, he would have a lot of work to do, and that work may well start tonight in Lowell. What happens in this tag affair?
7th Match: Ryohei Oiwa vs KENTA
Ryohei Oiwa faces KENTA in what promises to be a hard-hitting battle. Fresh off an impressive return from a domestic excursion, Oiwa credits much of his growth to his experience in NOAH. Recently, Shane Haste of TMDK compared Oiwa’s potential to that of the legendary Kenta Kobashi — a comparison that Kobashi’s protégé, KENTA, takes personally. This pairing promises a violent encounter, but can Oiwa prove to both his opponent and the fans that these comparisons were well-deserved?
6th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) vs Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett)
Yota Tsuji and Shingo Takagi are set to team up for an explosive tag match against the Undisputed Kingdom’s Matt Taven and Mike Bennett.
After a very hard fought narrow loss in the Power Struggle main event, Shingo Takagi will reset in tag team action, and this Tsuji and Takagi combination could be one to look out for as a potential World Tag League tandem. World Tag League winners typically get an IWGP Tag Team Championship shot at the Tokyo Dome, but it isn’t just Wrestle Kingdom this year; with AEW involved in Wrestle Dynasty on January 5, that opens the door for the Undisputed Kingdom, and former IWGP Champions in their own right, Taven and Bennett. Might the Undisputed Kingdom stake their own claim at the Tag League, or Wrestle Dynasty with a big win in Lowell?
5th Match: NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship No1 Contender’s 4 Way match- Hazuki vs Koguma vs Anna Jay vs Trish Adora
The stage is set for a thrilling four-way match to decide the next top contender for Mercedes Moné’s NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship. Anna Jay, the first announced participant, carries big match experience from a recent AEW Collision title bout with AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May. She’ll face fierce competition tonight though from STARDOM’s Hazuki and Koguma, close friends and frequent Fukuoka Double Crazy tag partners now forced to clash in pursuit of championship glory. Rounding out the match is Trish Adora, who is determined to earn another title shot after a narrow miss earlier in the year.
4th Match: 2 out of 3 Falls- West Coast Wrecking Crew (Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson) vs Dirty Work (Fred Rosser & Tom Lawlor)
Tag record: 1–1
A heated rivalry reaches its peak as the West Coast Wrecking Crew takes on Dirty Work in a best-of-three falls match. After a backstage attack on Fred Rosser and Tom Lawlor, Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs demanded one final battle to settle the score. The match opens with a tables match for the first fall, followed by a submission-only second fall — a stipulation where BJJ Black Belt Tom Lawlor is likely to have an edge. If the bout reaches a third fall, it will culminate in a brutal strap match. This grueling encounter promises to end their long-standing feud once and for all.
3rd Match: Lio Rush vs Mustafa Ali
Singles record: 2–0 Ali
Lio Rush is set to clash with Mustafa Ali in a highly anticipated showdown in Lowell. During Resurgence in Ontario this past May, Ali secured a win, only to witness an unexpected transformation in Lio Rush, to his sinister Blackheart alter ego. Ali retaliated at Capital Collision, ambushing Rush backstage after his NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship challenge and demanding a rematch at Fighting Spirit Unleashed. Rush has since hinted that the Blackheart may emerge once more in this heated showdown to settle things between them.
2nd Match: NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) vs Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake & Zack Gibson)
The NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships will be on the line as TMDK defend their titles against the Grizzled Young Veterans. After a frustrating NJPW debut at Capital Collision, James Drake and Zack Gibson issued a challenge to TMDK following the champions’ successful title defense at Royal Quest. For the second month in a row, TMDK have to make a difficult turnaround to defend both the IWGP and NJPW STRONG Tag Team Championships in the same week in two different countries; can they keep the gold around their waists?
1st Match: David Finlay vs Kevin Knight
Just after defending his IWGP Global Championship at Power Struggle, David Finlay will square off with the high-flying Kevin Knight. The Jet may still be feeling the effects of the grueling tournament schedule, but is now casting his own sights at the Tokyo Dome. If victorious, Knight could find himself high up in the pecking order for both junior tag gold and heavyweight singles success by mid-November. That’s a global size ‘if’ however- can the Jet soar past the Rebel King?
Kickoff Match: Strong Survivor- Matt Vandagriff vs Seabass Finn
Matt Vandagriff, boasting an impressive 6–0 record as STRONG Survivor is set to open the show by defending his streak against rising talent Seabass Finn, who appeared in last year’s NJPW Academy summer showcase. Will Seabass claim his place as the new STRONG Survivor, or will the Aerial Chemist push his record to 7–0?
