NJPW Royal Quest III was a jam packed show with great action and setups for the future, here are some key highlights of the night.
First the night kicked off with the in ring return of Taiji Ishimori who manged to defeat former British Cruiserweight Champion Robbie X as he builds momentum for his championship match against Hirmou Takahashi at “Power Stuggle”.
Speaking of Jr Heavyweights, The Jr Heavyweights Tag Team titles where on the line on the night. Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney, the Champions representing the Bullet Club Wardogs, managed a successful defense of their IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (V3) when they beat Cameron Khai & Leaon Slater. Their victory came when Moloney pinned Cameron Khai in a thrilling contest (12:02) utilizing his devastating Full Clip move. This win solidified their reign as champions, keeping the titles firmly within the grasp of the Bullet Club Wardogs and up next for the champs will be “SUPER Jr TAG LEAGUE 2023”.
The show also saw the first preview of Wrestle Kingdom 18 Main Event with a tag team match pitting SANADA and DOUKI against Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI. The bout commenced with a showdown between the Tokyo Dome champion and the challenger, where the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion swiftly gained the upper hand, drawing DOUKI into the action. In the midst of the chaos, BUSHI entered the fray, slyly distracting the referee while Naito mischievously tugged on DOUKI’s hair. SANADA later managed to ensnare Naito in his signature Paradise Lock, and Naito, in turn, found himself trapped in the excruciating Italian Stretch 32, coming dangerously close to submitting to the delight of the chanting crowd, fervently urging on the ‘DOUKI Chokey.’ However, BUSHI intervened to rescue his partner, and the momentum shifted rapidly. This shift culminated in a swift and decisive Destino delivered to the resilient DOUKI, securing Naito’s team their first victory on the path leading to Wrestle Kingdom at Tokyo Dome.
The Semi Main saw a hard hitting singles affair and the first time this rivalry has takken place outside of Japan. The immovable object vs the unstoppable force is a suitble description of the clash between Shingo Takagi ad Tomohito Ishii. Both men gave it their all hitting each other with everything they had. In the end it would be Shingo picking up the win (21:26) with his Last of the Dragon finisher for the victory. Following the match, Tama Tonga came out to to issue a challenge to Shingo for Tama’s own NEVER Openweight Title. This was due to them having a score to settle after they had a time limit draw at the G1 tournament. Of course never one to back down, Shingo accepted and proposed for the match to take place on October 28th in Las Vegas at “Fighting Spirit Unleashed”!
In the Main event it was a battle for the “Best of British” whith of course the IWGP UK (US) Heavyweight Championship on the line. As the next chaper of this historic rivalry took place as Will Ospreay faced off against Zack Sabre Jr. It was a match worthy of the Main Event and more then the labbled “Best of British” could have been in the Best of the World conversation. After pulling out all the stops in a thrilling bout, Ospreay emerged victorious in a fiercely contested showdown with Zack Sabre Jr. triumphing in what can only be described as an absolutely incredible main event. Ospreay successfully defended his IWGP US/UK Heavyweight Championship (V2), securing the victory with his signature Storm Breaker and getting the pin (31:19)
Following the match, Ospreay thanked ZSJ for everthing due to his uncertain future, wwe may have wittnesed their last encounter against each other. He then boldly extended an open challenge for the IWGP UK Title. In response to this challenge, Shota Umino stepped forward, expressing his desire to face Ospreay for the title on November 4th at “POWER STRUGGLE 2023” in Osaka. Ospreay, with his usual flair, accepted the challenge but with one condition: he requested that Great O-Khan be granted a match against Jon Moxley on the very same night, November 4th. Shota, showing his eagerness, accepted this condition, setting the stage for an exciting future matchup.
With everything being rapped up the show ended or so we thought but, Ospreay’s night didn’t conclude there. As the UK Champion started sharing his thoughts in a backstage interview, he found himself unexpectedly ambushed by none other than Gabe Kidd. Kidd proceeded to choke Ospreay and sternly conveyed, ‘You’ve been doing way too much talking,’ referring to a recent social media post by Ospreay. In that post, Ospreay hinted at the sands of the hourglass dwindling for his time in British wrestling. Kidd continued, ‘Those sands are running out on your career.’ Ospreay is undoubtedly not one to let this assault slide, but the specifics of when and where this rivalry will unfold remain shrouded in uncertainty after a chaotic conclusion to the evening.
You can find the rest of the nights results below.
NJPW Royal Quest III Full Results (October 14)
- Taiji Ishimori defeats Robbie X
- El Desperado defeats Trent Seven
- Yota Tsuji defeats Luke Jacobs
- IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Clark Connors & Drilla Moloney (BULLET CLUB War Dogs) (c) defeat Cameron Khai & Leon Slater
- El Phantasmo, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (Guerrillas Of Destiny) defeat Alex Coughlin, David Finlay & Gabe Kidd (BULLET CLUB War Dogs)
- Ren Narita & Shota Umino defeat Francesco Akira & Great-O-Khan (United Empire)
- BUSHI & Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeat DOUKI & SANADA (Just 5 Guys)
- Eddie Kingston, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Oku defeat HENARE, Jeff Cobb & TJP (United Empire)
- Shingo Takagi defeats Tomohiro Ishii
- Main Event – IWGP UK (US) Heavyweight Championship Match: Will Ospreay (c) defeats Zack Sabre Jr.
Author: Rohit Singh Karir