November 8, 2024, the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) organized its annual event Fighting Spirit Unleashed at Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Massachusetts. This show brought together talent from NJPW and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), giving fans an evening packed with action and twists. Let’s discover together the notable results and highlights of this 2024 edition.
Title changes and exceptional performances
The evening featured several title changes, the most notable of which occurred in the tag team division. THE Grizzled Young Veteranscomposed of James Drake and Zack Gibson, managed to dethrone the reigning champions TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) to win the STRONG Openweight team belts. Their victory by pinfall with their finishing move “Grit Your Teeth” electrified the crowd present.
In other championship matches, Konosuke Takeshita retained his AEW International title against TJP in a high-flying technical clash. Likewise, Gabe Kidd managed to retain his STRONG Openweight title by defeating Kosei Fujita in the main event of the evening.
Here is a summary of the main championship results:
- Grizzled Young Veterans def. TMDK (New champions STRONG Openweight per team)
- Konosuke Takeshita def. TJP (Conserve le titre International AEW)
- Gabe Kidd def. Kosei Fujita (Conserve le titre STRONG Openweight)
Confrontations and challenges for the future
The event also saw several confrontations that point to exciting clashes for months to come. After his victory in a four-way match, Hazuki became the number one challenger for the STRONG women’s championship held by Mercedes Moné. The two wrestlers clashed verbally and physically, promising an explosive match at the next event Strong Style Evolved.
In the men’s division, Shota Umino has solidified his position as challenger for the IWGP world heavyweight title held by Zack Saber Jr. Their showdown is scheduled for January 4, 2025 at Wrestle Kingdom 19 at Tokyo Dome. Jon Moxley’s surprise intervention via the giant screen added an extra dimension to this rivalry, promising twists and turns before the big day.
Here is an overview of the future matches announced:
| Event | Match | Stake |
|---|---|---|
Individual performances and surprises of the evening
Several wrestlers left their mark with their exceptional performances during Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2024. Lio Rush took his revenge on Mustafa Ali in a fast and spectacular match, concluded with a sequence of two consecutive Frog Splashes. This result reverses that of their previous meeting at NJPW STRONG Resurgence in May 2024, where Ali won quickly.
The surprise of the evening came from Ryohei Oiwawho achieved the feat of beating veteran KENTA by a small margin. This unexpected victory could well propel the young talent to the forefront. Moreover, Oiwa was quick to capitalize on this momentum by challenging Gabe Kidd for his STRONG Openweight title at the end of the show.
Other highlights of the evening:
- David Finlay won his non-title match against Kevin Knight
- West Coast Wrecking Crew a vaincu Dirty Work dans un match 2 out of 3 Stages of Hell
- Los Ingobernables de Japon defeated The Undisputed Kingdom
The impact on the international wrestling landscape
The event NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2024 not only delivered quality matches, but also set the course for the future of the Japanese promotion and its relationship with AEW. The presence of AEW champions like Konosuke Takeshita and Jack Perry shows the growing collaboration between the two organizationsenriching the offer offered to wrestling fans around the world.
The challenges launched for the next major events, in particular Wrestle Kingdom 19 et Wrestle Dynastypromise an explosive end to 2024 and start to 2025 for NJPW. The involvement of stars like Jon Moxley, even remotely, adds an international dimension to these future clashes.
Eventually, Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2024 kept its promises by offering a varied show rich in emotions. The title changes, remarkable individual performances and predicted matchups have laid the foundation for an exciting time for fans of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. With high stakes and rising talent, the future looks bright for the Japanese promotion and its international partners.
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