New Japan Pro-Wrestling presented NJPW Resurgence from Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California on May 21, 2023. The show aired live on NJPW World
Fightful will provide updated results as the show goes along.
Here's the card:
NJPW Resurgence - May 21, 2023
- NJPW Strong Openweight Title Match: KENTA vs. Hikuleo (c)
- IWGP United States Title #1 Contender’s Tournament: Will Ospreay vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
- NJPW Strong Women’s Title Tournament Match: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Mercedes Moné
- NJPW Strong Women’s Title Tournament Match: Momo Kohgo vs. Willow Nightingale
- Tournament Finals to Crown the Inaugural NJPW Strong Women’s Champion
- Street Fight: Fred Rosser vs. Juice Robinson
- The Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta) and Umino Shota vs. Chaos (Rocky Romero, NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii)
- TMDK (Bad Dude Tito, NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr.) vs. Barbaro Cavernario and Virus
- Pre-show: Bateman vs. The DKC
- Pre-Show: Christopher Daniels vs. Alex Coughlin
Pre-show: Bateman vs. The DKC
DKC gets the advantage, and Bateman goes outside to regroup. When the action goes back inside, Bateman begins to overpower DKC and takes control. Bateman manages to keep DKC down until he finally starts to get back into the fight with some quick strikes and a cannonball. The action swings back in favor of Bateman again, but DKC gets in your fall with a crucifix driver. Eventually, DKC pins Bateman with a crucifix.
Winner: Bateman
Pre-Show: Christopher Daniels vs. Alex Coughlin
Christopher Daniels refuses to shake the hand of Coughlin. Coughlin continues to overpower the veteran throughout the match, but Daniels is able to use the ring to his advantage, hot-shotting Coughlin on the ropes. Daniels hits the Angels Wings but only gets a one. Coughlin eventually gets the win with a version of the Hellavator.
Winner: Alex Coughlin
- Fred Rosser introduces a video for the NJPW academy. The show goes on intermission before the proper start of the main card.
TMDK (Bad Dude Tito, NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr.) vs. Barbaro Cavernario and Virus
ZSJ and Virus start the bout, trading holds. They go back and forth, but Sabre Jr. gains the upper hand with a neck twist. Tito and Cavernario tag in. Cavernario does some push-ups, but shoulder blocks from Cavernario have no effect on Tito. Tito trips over Cavernario, who gets back into the action. Eventually, Tito slams Cavernario. TMDK eventually isolates Virus and grounds him. Virus is able to tag out. ZSJ tries to choke out Cavernario from the apron, but Virus intervenes. Virus and Cavernario double team Tito.
Sabre Jr. and Cavernario are both out following a hammerlock suplex. Sabre Jr. goes for an ankle lock, but Virus escapes. They trade shots. Virus drops Sabre Jr. with a clothesline. Tito and Sabre Jr. tag in and trade shots. Tito receives a two count with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Cavernario locks in a submission, and Virus prevents Sabre Jr. from breaking it up. Tito taps out.
Winners: Barbaro Cavernario and Virus
NJPW Strong Women’s Title Tournament Match: Stephanie Vaquer vs. Mercedes Mone
Mone and Vaquer battle it out. Vaquer gains an early advantage, but Mone fights back and traps her in a Crossface. Mone hits a springboard wristlock takeover, and Vaquer locks her in a hanging armbar. Mone hits a Meteora on the outside and gains the upper hand. Vaquer eadbuts Mone and goes for a knee attack, but Mercedes moves.
Mone goes for a crossbody, but Vaquer counters and locks in a Crossface. Mone rolls through a pin attempt and goes for the Mone Maker, but Vaquer blocks. Mone hits the Lungblower and follows it up with the Mone Maker for the win.
Winner: Mercedes Mone
NJPW Strong Women’s Title Tournament Match: Willow Nightingale vs. Momo Kohgo
Willow Nightingale and Momo square off, and the match is even early on. Nightingale dumps Kohgo with a slam and hits a crossbody, while Momo hits a Fisherman Suplex for a two-count. Willow hits a cannonball in the corner, Momo counters a powerbomb into a Hurricanrana, hits a DDT, and gets a near fall with a Crucifix Driver. Willow drops Momo with a Spinebuster. Nightingale hits a Death Valley Driver for a two-count. Willow wins with a Doctor Bomb.
Winner: Willow Nightingale
Street Fight: Juice Robinson vs. Fred Rosser
The violence starts early on. Fred Rosser pounds on Juice and delivers the grapefruit claw to his nether region. Juice eventually comes back and begins choking Rosser with a belt. Juice drives Rosser through a door. The action spills to the outside. Rosser dumps trash onto juice and makes him bleed with a steel chair.
Robinson uses a kendo stick and tries to force-feed Juice cake from a trash can. Rosser hits Robinson with a steel chain, blasts him with a chair multiple times, and chokes him with a chain. Toni Storm enters the ring and tries to hit Rosser in the balls. Rosser was wearing a cup. He plants a kiss on AEW's Storm and picked her up in a Fireman's Carry, and that allows Robinson to hit him below the belt. Rosser traps Robinson in a chokehold, but Storm breaks a bottle on Rosser's head. Robinson sends Rosser through a door, and Juice drops Robinson with a DDT onto a chair for the win.
Winner: Juice Robinson
Kyle Fletcher reveals that Mark Davis is injured and cannot wrestle. As a result, Aussie Open cannot defend the IWGP Tag Team Championship at NJPW Dominion. They forefeit both the IWGP Tag Team Championship and the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions. Bishimon faces House of Torture at Dominion for both belts.
NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship: KENTA vs. Hikuleo (c)
Hikuleo nails KENTA with a big boot and controls the early portion of the bout. KENTA goes for a low blow, but Hikuleo has it scouted. They brawl up the ramp, and KENTA returns by himself. Hikuleo slams KENTA back-first into the barricade and grabs a table. KENTA sends Hikuleo over the railing and crashes through a table below. KENTA makes his way back to the ring, but Hikuleo fails to answer the 20-count.
Winner and new NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion: KENTA
Afterward, Eddie Kingston appears on the tron and issues a challenge to the NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, whoever it may be. KENTA says he'll fight anytime and any place.
- NJPW STRONG is headed to Japan for "Independence Day" on July 4 and 5.
The Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta) & Shooter Umino vs. Chaos (Rocky Romero, NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii)
Ishii and Umino start the bout, and trade strikes. Umino takes a cheap shot at Okada, who tags in. Okada grounds Umino, and Romero tags in. Eventually, the match breaks down as the two teams brawl. Moxley slams Romero onto the barricade, and Umino grounds the veteran. They get a near fall with a Hart Attack.
Ishii tags in and takes the fight to Moxley. Ishii takes over with a suplex and drops Moxley with a Brainbuster. Okada tags in and takes control. Umino catches Okada with a DDT. Okada gains the upper hand and slams Umino. Moxley squares off with Okada and they trade blows. Okada sends Moxley to the outside with a dropkick. Umino hits a Neckbreaker, but Ishii nails him with a lariat. Chaos all jump on Umino. Yuta drops Romero with a German Suplex. They go back and forth. Ishii and Moxley trade blows. Okada nails Moxley with the Rainmaker. Umino wins, pinning Romero after the Death Rider.
Winners: The Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta) & Shooter Umino
- Mercedes Mone hypes the main event in a backstage interview.
IWGP United States Title #1 Contender’s Tournament: Will Ospreay vs. Hiroshi Tanahash
Ospreay takes control with a diving crossbody to the outside, grounds Tanahashi, and maintains the advantage. Tanahashi rallies with a slam and dives onto Ospreay for a two-count. Ospreay drills Tanahashi with a forearm, and they trade blows. Ospreay hits Tanahashi with a double stomp, and Ospreay gets a near fall with an Os-Cutter. He hits the Hidden Blade and the Storm Breaker for the win.
Winner: Will Ospreay
Tournament Finals to Crown the Inaugural NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion: Mercedes Mone vs. Willow Nightingale
Willow and Mercedes square off, getting a standing ovation from the crowd in Long Beach. Mone dodges a splash. Willow powers Mercedes down with a pounce and takes control. Nightingale continues to overpower Mone and slams her to the mat. Willow locks in a Boston Crab, but Mercedes reaches the ropes. Willow drops Mercedes with a Superplex. Mone fires up, but Willow fires back and hits two Doctor Bombs for the win. Nightingale is very thankful after the match, noting that she has fought to get to this stage. She thanks everyone in the tournament and the fans and says this is only the beginning.
Winner and new NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion: Willow Nightingale
