NJPW Burning Spirit 2022 Results – Sept. 25, 2022 – David Finlay vs. Will Ospreay

Sep 25, 2022

September 25, 2022
Hyogo, Japan – Kobe World Hall
English Commentary – Kevin Kelly & Chris Charlton
Results via Chick Fritts of F4WOnline.com

Quick Match Results

BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, & Shingo Takagi defeated Hikuleo, KENTA, & El Phantasmo via Ground Cobra Twist (pinfall 8:43)
Toru Yano vs. Doc Gallows went to a Double Countout (3:45)
Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb defeated Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale via Imperial Drop (pinfall 7:57)
Dangerous Tekkers defeated SANADA & Tetsuya Naito via Gedo Clutch (pinfall 9:32)
TMDK (Bad Dude Tito, Shane Haste, & JONAH) defeated Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, & Kazuchika Okada via Torpedo (pinfall 12:09)
Jado & Tama Tonga vs. Taiji Ishimori & Jay White defeated Jado & Tama Tonga via Bone Lock (submission 10:39)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship – United Empire (Francisco Akira & TJP) (c) defeated Team Six or Nine (Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi) via The Leaning Tower (pinfall 12:43)
NEVER Openweight Championship – Karl Anderson (c) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi via Gun Stun (pinfall 13:37)
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship – Will Ospreay (c) defeated David Finlay via Stormbreaker (pinfall 28:22)

BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, & Shingo Takagi vs. Hikuleo, KENTA, & El Phantasmo

Bullet Club jumped LIJ after the opening bell, gaining an early advantage. ELP fumbled his team’s lead when he tried taunting Shingo with flips. LIJ gained a short edge, but Bullet Club’s willingness to bend the rules allowed them to slip back into control.

Hiromu caught KENTA after a back and forth for KENTA’s book with a dragon screw. A rally led by Shingo followed the opening, ending with a pumping bomber to ELP. Bullet Club broke up the pin.

LIJ cleared the ring of Bullet Club, leaving Shingo alone with ELP. ELP and Shingo went back and forth with quick pins before Shingo dropped ELP with a low blow and pin to close the match.

Winner: BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, & Shingo Takagi via Pinfall.

After the match, Shingo spanked ELP. After ELP escaped his post-match punishment, the pair then had a shouting match over who was “Daddy”. Ok.

Toru Yano vs. Doc Gallows

This was really bad.

Gallows beat down Yano as soon as the match started. Gallows threw Yano to the floor to continue his assault. After missing a boot, Gallows landed on a barricade, allowing Yano to remove a turnbuckle pad. Gallows chased Yano back into the ring, and Yano threw him into the exposed corner for a near fall.

After the scare, Gallows continued his beatdown. He took Yano back to the outside, and again, Yano gained an advantage by using the barricade. After splashing Gallows with water, the pair fought on the ramp. As the referee’s count continued to climb, Yano lost control. An enraged Gallows ignored the count as he laid into Yano. The referee soon reached the count of 20, resulting in a double count-out.

Winner: None.

Gallows continued beating down Yano even after the count-out, eventually leading the fight behind the curtain.

United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb) vs. Bullet Club (Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale)

This was okay.

Cobb’s offense was impressive as always, and O-Khan had some fun moments, but you can only get so much from a Fale/Owens match.

The match opened with a brawl that left O-Khan and Owens alone in the ring. Owens gained a lead over O-Khan, which he passed off to Fale and then worked to maintain isolation.

Once Cobb received the tag, he took out both opponents for a while. Cobb eventually fell to Fale and Owens working together, but O-Khan saved Cobb when the end was in sight.

O-Khan led an extensive comeback against Bullet Club. Once O-Khan established control over Owens and Cobb dropped Fale with a bodyslam, United Empire landed the imperial drop to close the match.

Winner: Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb via Pinfall.

SANADA & Tetsuya Naito vs. Dangerous Tekkers (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.)

This was a cute little match that won’t matter at all tomorrow.

Taichi and SANADA opened with a short sequence before turning into a pushup competition. Instead of having an honest contest, Taichi jumped SANDA before completing one pushup. SANADA did his pushups regardless while being held in a Taichi Boston crab.

Naito took a short lead, but ZSJ tagged in to challenge his rival. The pair went back and forth with ZSJ-led grappling.

SANADA and ZSJ had an extensive sequence, continuing even through tags. Taichi dropped Naito with a sumo throw and an axe bomber before trying to rip off his pants. SANADA interrupted Taichi’s pants-removal ceremony only for Taichi to roll up SANADA, using his half-equipped pants for leverage. Taichi’s pin worked so well, he was able to do his pushups after the three count.

Winner: Dangerous Tekkers via Pinfall.

Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, & Kazuchika Okada vs. TMDK (Bad Dude Tito, Shane Haste, & JONAH)

This wasn’t a fantastic match or anything, but New Japan’s presentation of Jonah made this match feel important. Jonah feels like a credible monster ahead of his second shot at Okada. Good stuff.

Jonah and Okada opened the match with a competitive back and forth. This played out again with Honma and Tito, Makabe and Haste.

TMDK worked together to overwhelm Makabe, establishing the match’s first lead. Once Okada tagged in to save Makabe, he went to war with Jonah once more. Jonah scored a near fall with a knee strike, but Okada answered with a dropkick. Okada escaped with a tag to Honma, who somehow had much more success at taking on Jonah. After a pair of KoKeShi, Honma scored a near fall.

A miscommunication between Makabe and Honma allowed Jonah to retake control. Jonah dropped Okada with a throw and Honma with a lariat. Jonah delivered a ring-shaking splash from the top rope to Honma, bringing this match to a close.

Winner: TMDK via Pinfall.

Jado & Tama Tonga vs. Taiji Ishimori & Jay White

This was fine. Jado, Kushida’s last-minute replacement, was better in this than I would have expected.

Bullet Club started the match by jumping their opponents, leading to a prolonged period of heel control.

After minutes of isolation, Jado eventually reached Tama for the hot tag. Tama chased White to the floor and whipped him into the barricades. Then, back in the ring, Tama’s offense continued. White blocked the gun stun, buying enough time for a tag into Ishimori.

Ishimori forced Tama to tag out. Jado held strong against Ishimori for some time, eventually locking in the crossface. Ishimori transitioned from the crossface into the bone lock, forcing Jado to submit.

Winner: Taiji Ishimori & Jay White via Submission.

As the match ended, White choked Tama with a camera cable.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
Team Six or Nine (Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi) vs. United Empire (Francesco Akira & TJP) (c)

This was a formulaic Six or Nine title match.

TJP and Wato opened with a quick sequence, but Akira jumped Wato to establish an early lead for his team. With Taguchi’s aid, Wato withstood the early onslaught, evening things out.

Akira and TJP cornered Taguchi to launch a long control segment. A tag to Wato slowed United Empire but couldn’t end their advance. An avalanche rana forced a pin breakup from Taguchi. This bought Wato enough time to escape United Empire’s next move and respond with a superplex.

Wato took out TJP with a dive to the floor as Taguchi tried to end the match with an ankle lock in the ring. TJP recovered in time to interrupt an attempt at number 9. United Empire dropped Taguchi with a leaning tower to close the match and retain their titles.

Winner: United Empire via Pinfall to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.

NEVER Openweight Championship
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Karl Anderson (c)

With all of the interference, this match was hectic.

The match opened with an extended feeling-out process. Tanahashi gained the first semblance of a lead before Doc Gallows provided a distraction, allowing Anderson to connect with a cutter into ropes. Gallows then choke slammed Tanahashi into the ring apron, and Anderson followed up with a period of arrogant control in the ring.

Tanahashi started to fight back, landing strikes, slams, and dives to work his way into the match. Gallows provided another distraction and ate a dragonscrew for his troubles; regardless, this bought Anderson enough time to land a spinebuster and a TKO, re-establishing his lead.

Anderson set up for gun stun, but Tanahashi blocked it, reversing into a pair of dragonscrew leg whips. Tanahashi locked Anderson in the Texas cloverleaf. Gallows distracted the referee as Anderson tapped out, buying him another chance.

Toru Yano came from outside, attacking Gallows and evening the odds.

Anderson tried to land gun stun again, but Tanahashi blocked it. Tanahashi landed a slingblade and tried for a high fly flow, but Anderson blocked the finisher with his knees.

Gallows grabbed the leg of Tanahashi, preventing anything resembling a comeback. Anderson hit the gun stun and pinned Tanahashi to win the match and retain the title.

Winner: Karl Anderson via Pinfall to retain the NEVER Openweight Championship.

After the match, Jay White hit the ring and beat down Tanahashi with help from Bullet Club. This lured Tama Tonga to the ring. Hikuleo walked to the ring, staring down his brother. When forced to choose between blood and Bullet Club, Hikuleo chose blood. Hikuleo threw White into Tama for a gun stun. Tama and Hikuleo posed with the IWGP World and NEVER Openweight championships.

IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
David Finlay vs. Will Ospreay (c)

Immediately following the opening bell, the sprint started. After a rapid sequence of strikes, the action spilled to the floor, where Finlay established a lead by whipping Ospreay into barricades. Ospreay answered by leaping over a fence, grabbing a table, and throwing it in the face of Finlay.

Ospreay set up two tables on the floor, but Finlay interrupted Ospreay’s scheme with a spear into the guardrail.

Back in the ring, Ospreay connected with strikes, establishing control once more; this slowed the pace significantly. Finlay eventually fought back into the match with some strikes of his own but couldn’t connect with anything substansial. A high kick from Ospreay ended Finlay’s in-ring control.

Finlay retook control after connecting with a blue thunder bomb. Finlay hoisted Ospreay to the top, looking for a superplex, but was stuffed. Ospreay and Finlay fought on the apron, looming over the tables Ospreay set up earlier. The tables were spared as Ospreay landed an apron powerbomb and sky twister to the floor.

Ospreay positioned Finlay near the table. Ospreay missed Finlay grabbing his shillelagh, which he used to crush the champion’s fingers. Finlay then slammed Ospreay’s hand into any hard object as he cried out in pain. Back in the ring, Finlay stretched the fingers, continuing to work Ospreay’s now disabled hand.

Ospreay landed an enziguri, buying him enough time for United Empire to tape up his hand. Ospreay landed another enziguri before Finlay could take full advantage of the break. Now on the apron, the pair struggled for control. Finlay won out, landing a German on the ring’s edge. Still on the apron, Finlay hit a standing shiranui into the tables; they did not break.

After both men sold the move for some time, Finlay sprung into action, power bombing Ospreay through the tables; this time, they broke. Finlay re-entered the ring, allowing the referee’s count to climb. Ospreay beat the count, but Finlay was ready with a spear and an Acid Drop; Ospreay kicked out.

Finlay turned to strikes after his finish failed to put Ospreay away. Ospreay reversed Trash Panda, turning into a sequence of quick pins. Ospreay tried for OsCutter, but Finlay reversed. Ospreay caught Finlay’s attempt at follow-up with a Spanish fly. Finlay bounced back, landing Trash Panda immediately after; Ospreay found the bottom rope to break up the count.

After the near fall, Ospreay hit a confused Finlay with a hidden blade. Both men, now grounded, traded strikes. As strikes turned to bigger and bigger moves, Finlay landed an OsCutter of his own; Ospreay kicked out. Finlay tried for Acid Drop again, but Ospreay reversed into a super OsCutter. Ospreay landed a pedigree and front-facing elbow strike; Finlay kicked out. Finally, Ospreay pulled out a Stormbreaker to close the match and retain his championship.

Winner: Will Ospreay via Pinfall to retain the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.

After the match, Naito walked to the ring. Naito congratulated Ospreay on his win and challenged him to a match. Before Ospreay could answer, Zack Sabre Jr. strolled to the ring and claimed he should be Ospreay’s next challenger. Zack Sabre Jr. challenged Naito for Royal Quest; the winner gets the next shot at Ospreay.