New Japan Fighting Spirit Unleashed Boston preview

New Japan lands in Boston on Friday for the first stop on their Fighting Spirit Unleashed tour. Here’s what to expect at the event.

Karl Fredericks vs. Alex Coughlin

Karl Fredericks is coming off the biggest win of his career at Destruction in Kobe where he won the 2019 edition of the Young Lions Cup. Fredericks is set to make a huge impact in the next year and several wins on the Fighting Spirit Unleashed tour would go a long way towards securing a place at the top of the Young Lions division.

Alex Coughlin, another member of the LA Dojo alongside Fredericks, placed around the middle of the pack in the Young Lions Cup. Coughlin is a solid and gritty performer who will be looking to get a huge win here over the perceived ace of the Young Lions division.

This should be a solid match that will hopefully get the crowd pumped for the rest of the show.

Lance Archer vs. Ren Narita

Lance Archer is coming off one of the hottest streaks of his career and currently has the momentum of a juggernaut. Archer is one of the deadliest men on the roster and if his opponent doesn’t come for a fight then this may be a short match.

Ren Narita is one of the longest-tenured Young Lions on the NJPW roster at the moment. Narita placed third in the Young Lions Cup this year and will be looking to regain some momentum he has lost recently as he ventures out to the United States and the LA Dojo for his excursion.

On paper, this looks like a squash match but it could also end up being a solid exhibition for both men.

Juice Robinson & Mikey Nicholls vs. TJP & Clark Connors

Two former NXT stars and current NJPW stars team up as Juice Robinson and Mikey Nicholls join forces. Juice is set to take on Jon Moxley for a US Title match and a win here could help start to build some momentum to that match. Nicholls hasn’t had a breakout moment so far as a member of New Japan so a win here could help parlay him into a number of title matches.

TJP makes his second appearance for NJPW since his WWE exit as he teams up with Katsuyori Shibata’s ace student Clark Connors. TJP first appeared at the Super J Cup where he had a solid performance but he will be looking for another solid showing here to cement himself in the junior heavyweight rankings. Connors has a bright future but his stock has fallen since the Young Lions Cup. A win here against two solid veterans could go a long way. This could end up being a barn burner if given enough time.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express vs. Chase Owens & Jado

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express continue to make a place for themselves in the modern wrestling scene as Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson look to prove themselves against two NJPW mainstays. The Express are out of their element but look to have caught a break with their match being against two of the lower-tiered members of Bullet Club. The veterans have been known to be able to blow fans’ expectations out of the water and this match looks to be another recipe for a solid performance.

Chase Owens and Jado will be looking to show that Bullet Club has never been stronger and even some of the perceived “lower tiered” members can come away with a big win on this tour. Owens is one of most consistent and well-polished workers in Bullet Club and that skill combined with Jado’s unpredictability is a formula for a winning tag team.

While this has low expectations coming in, it could still leave fans happy.

Tomohiro Ishii & Amazing Red vs. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI

A dream tag team combining strong style and aerial attacks will be featured in Boston as Tomohiro Ishii teams with the legendary Amazing Red. Red had a hell of a performance at the Super J Cup against Will Ospreay and he will be looking to capitalize on that with another big win here. Ishii is fresh off losing his NEVER Openweight Championship and he needs to string together some wins to move back up the contenders bracket if he wants to win his old title back.

Los Ingobernables De Japon’s resident junior heavyweight tag team is set to team up once again. BUSHI and Shingo are now residing in two different weight divisions but their chemistry is nowhere near gone. This dynamic duo should be hard to topple but if anyone can it would be the dream team of Ishii and Red.

This will be a dream match for the Boston crowd and it should send the energy through the roof as a result.

Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Rocky Romero vs. Jay White, KENTA & Gedo

CHAOS looks to be lining the trenches for a match against Bullet Club’s elite. Goto and Jay White are set to collide soon and this match will definitely tease more issues between the two heavyweights.

The new IWGP Intercontinental Champion Jay White is set to make his first appearance in the States since winning the prestigious white belt. His rivalry with Goto has reached a fever pitch and this match can only ignite more sparks between the rivals.

This match should mostly revolve around Goto and White but will also showcase the other competitors well.

Guerrillas of Destiny vs. Roppongi 3K

G.O.D look to defend their IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against a solid junior heavyweight tag team. G.O.D faced off against R3K at the G1 Special in Dallas and made quick work out of the former Tempura Boyz. The Guerillas will be looking to put on a repeat of that performance for the Boston crowd.

R3K are looking get some revenge on G.O.D for their defeat in Dallas as well as showcasing that their skills and fighting spirit can transcend weight divisions.

If given the time and correct booking, this could be match of the night.

Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs. SANADA, EVIL & Tetsuya Naito

A dream union of three of NJPW’s biggest stars takes on LIJ in full force. Okada and Tanahashi have developed a partnership over the past year but the inclusion of Ibushi on their team is a bit of an unexpected move on NJPW’s part. Okada and Ibushi are tentatively set to do battle at the Tokyo Dome next year so some tension could arise between the two during this contest.

The three top members of the most cohesive unit in NJPW look to plant the LIJ flag in the Boston soil. Tetsuya Naito looks to refocus his attention on another feud while he recovers from losing his Intercontinental Title and EVIL will be zeroed in on his next big opponent, Ibushi. LIJ will be coming into this match with full attention on decimating their opponents and showcasing their overall strength and cohesiveness.This one is the most likely candidate for match of the night.

Ultimately, NJPW has put together a solid card which will more than likely thrill the Boston crowd from start to finish as the company looks to build a stronger foothold in the United States.