Big card coming to Vegas
October 28 will see NJPW return to Sam’s Town Live in Las Vegas. With four titles on the line, the celebration of a lucha legend and much more besides, it’s a loaded card to come this Halloween weekend.
Fighting Spirit Unleashed Saturday October 28 Sam’s Town Live TICKETS
Watch live in English on FITE Japanese on NJPW World)!
Main event: NEVER Openweight Championship- Shingo Takagi vs Tama Tonga
Singles record: 0-0-1
The main event of the evening will pit Tama Tonga against Shingo Takagi for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Back in the G1 Climax, this meeting was one of the most anticipated of the hard hitting C Block, but one that ended in a time limit draw with much left unsettled. After Tama Tonga finally vanquished David Finlay on October 9 in Ryogoku, the now three time NEVER Openweight Champion saw an opportunity to settle that account with Shingo, who for his own part battled Tomohiro Ishii in a memorable war at the Copper Box in London this weekend. After Takagi got his hand raised in victory over the Stone Pitbull, he would be confronted by Tama, and the two agreed to battle in Vegas with the NEVER title on the line. After years of being regarded as the ‘BMF’ title, the NEVER Openweight Championship identity might have been somewhat altered in recent months, but this is a match that should tick all the traditional NEVER boxes and some.
8th Match: Just Five Guys (SANADA & Yuya Uemura) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi)
The long road to Wrestle Kingdom continues for SANADA and Tetsuya Naito as they face off in tag team action in Vegas. Hiromu Takahasi and Yuya Uemura are tangling for the first time since the 2020 Best of the Super Jr. tournament, and ‘Heat Storm’ is ready to show the Time Bomb just how far he’s come over the last three years.
7th Match: STRONG Openweight Championship- HENARE vs Eddie Kingston
Singles record: 1-0 Kingston
Eddie Kingston and HENARE finally face off for the STRONG Openweight Championship October 28. HENARE has been clamouring for a rematch against Eddie Kingston since a hard fought contest during the G1 Climax, an issue that led to the two man brawling in Ryogoku at the finals weekend. Both verbally agreed to a match in Las Vegas, but never could get pen to paper; in the meantime the STRONG Openweight Champion Kingston added the ROH World title to his possession, and racked up a series of defences on AEW television.
What at first angered HENARE as he felt the Mad King was ducking the Face of Fury, steadily turned to appreciation and respect, as Kingston’s efforts certainly elevated the gold that’s on the line tonight, as well as the attention focused on this singles confrontation. Now, will that added attention be present to see a new STRONG Openweight Champion crowned?
6th Match: STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship- Guerrillas of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) vs Monstersauce (Alex Zayne & Lance Archer)
New STRONG Openweight Champions El Phantasmo and Hikuleo will defend for the first time when they face Alex Zayne and Lance Archer. After ELP and Hikuleo picked up the STRONG Tag gold October 9 in Ryogoku, they were greeted backstage by cans of energy drink and packets of hot sauce- clear references to the Monster Sauce combination of Zayne and Archer. These two joined forces back in July at Independence Day in Korakuen Hall, and while it seemed like an odd couple on paper, they were effective to say the least in ring. Now we have a gripping stylistic matchup- two mirror image teams composed of a giant monster and stylish high flying spice. Which will prove the better team in Sam’s Town Live?
5th Match: STRONG Women’s Championship- Giulia vs HYAN
The STRONG Women’s Championship is on the line when Giulia defends against HYAN. Since becoming the second STRONG Women’s Champion on July 5, the Beautiful Insanity of Giulia has had a vice grip on the gold through defences in STARDOM, as well as at Multiverse United 2 back in August. After her latest defence against Ami Sohrei in Korakuen Hall though, it would be HYAN rolling the dice as the next challenger. Texan HYAN has put together a highly noteworthy year, with her appearances in IMPACT Wrestling and RevPro in the UK seeing her star on the rapid rise. Could she be the measure of one of the world’s very best in Vegas?
4th Match: Atlantis’ 40th Anniversary Match- Atlantis, Atlantis Jr., Mistico & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Rocky Romero, Soberano Jr., Tiger Mask & Adrian Quest
We celebrate a legend in Las Vegas on October 28 as a special eight man tag marks the 40th Anniversary of the inimitable Atlantis. This staple part of the Mexican lucha fabric forms quite the team of icons in his son Atlantis Jr., the Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi, and the incredible Mistico. Yet Rocky Romero, beloved as he is north of the border is quite the antagonist beneath it, and has been riling up CMLL’s tecnicos all year. That action spilled into a singles bout made between Rocky and Mistico on AEW Rampage October 20, and eight days later, these two colliding will create quite the subtext for a spectacular bout.
3rd Match: Tom Lawlor vs Gabe Kidd
A first time ever singles match sees Tom Lawlor battling Gabe Kidd. One year ago in Sam’s Town Live, Tom Lawlor and Team Filthy formed a losse alliance with BULLET CLUB in the face of common foes in the likes of Homicide and Eddie Kingston. One year on though, and we’re in a very different era of the group, one with David Finlay at its head, and Gabe Kidd as one of its most dangerous foot soldiers. Kidd and partner Alex Coughlin are reeling from losing their STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships, and the frustration has only served to make Gabe more dangerous. Whether Lawlor in Vegas tonight, or Will Ospreay backstage in London, Kidd wants to fight everyone, but has he bitten off more than he can chew against the first ever STRONG Openweight Champion?
2nd Match: Lluvia & Johnnie Robbie vs Stephanie Vaquer & Zeuxis
An international women’s tag team match will see the best of CMLL mix it up with hot NJPW Academy prospect Johnnie Robbie. Robbie has impressed in successive Academy showcases, and is finding her footprint steadily grow in the US and Mexico, with this the latest of a series of big opportunities. She and Lluvia will have an uphill climb however, in the face of tough competition. Zeuxis has been making her own mark in CMLL, and fans have been eager to see Stephanie Vaquer back in an NJPW ring since she was part of the STRONG Women’s Championship tournament back in May. Who makes the biggest mark tonight?
1st Match: STRONG Openweight Championship No.1 Contender’s Four Way- Satoshi Kojima vs Jeff Cobb vs Alex Coughlin vs Fred Rosser
Kicking off the evening will be a four way match to determine the next challenger for whoever walks out of Vegas the STRONG Openweight Championship. Be it Eddie Kingston or HENARE, their work will be cut out for them in the face of this meeting of four powerhouses- who will advance from this hard hitting four way battle?
Kickoff Match 2: Team Filthy (Danny Limelight, Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson) vs Jakob Austin Young, Baliyan Akki & Titus Alexander
Team Filthy are in force in six man action as Danny Limelight and the West Coast Wrecking Crew go to battle. Opposite them is quite the combination of promising independent talents; Titus Alexander has been making a name for himself on the West Coast indie scene, while Jakob Austin Young may be familiar with long time STRONG viewers. Meanwhile Baliyan Akki, a long time Japan resident and partner in crime to joshi star Mei Suruga recently connected with NJPW circles during recent CMLL matchups and looks to make a mark in his NJPW debut.
Kickoff Match 1: STRONG Survivor Match- Matt Vandagriff vs Buck Skynyr
Also kicking off Fighting Spirit Unleashed, Matt Vandagriff will take on Buck Skynyr in a ‘STRONG Survivor Match’. This new concept will see the most promising prospects from the NJPW Academy get an opportunity on a large stage; with Vandagriff and Skynyr both impressing the likes of Fred Rosser and Rocky Romero at the NJPW Academy Showcases, they will do battle in Vegas, with the sky the limit for the winner.
are they priming up Yuya to beat Timebomb?
