NJPW Announces Four Matches For 1/15 NJPW STRONG ‘The New Beginning’

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) has announced a few matches for “The New Beginning” taping of NJPW STRONG, which will be held on January 15 in Seattle, Washington.

In the fittingly named “US of Jay Open Challenge”, former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White will host an open challenge. Plus, TJP will face Clark Connors, Yua Uemera will take on Brody King, and Matt Rehwoldt will clash with El Phantasmo.

The preview, courtesy of NJPW’s official website, is as follows:

January 15 sees NJPW STRONG make its debut in Seattle’s Washington Hall. The northwest will see a stacked night of action, with the first four matches of 2022 for STRONG revealed right here!

Jay White will face a mystery opponent in the ‘US of Jay Open Challenge’. After losing the NEVER Openweight Championship to Tomohiro Ishii at Battle in the Valley, White changed focus, instead calling out competition from any promotion anywhere in the ‘US of Jay’ in a bid to prove that it is indeed ‘still his era’. For Nemesis, White called out Christopher Daniels, the Fallen Angel responding at the Vermont in Hollywood. Who will step up to the plate and face the Switchblade in Seattle?

Matt Rehwoldt will go head to head with El Phantasmo. After wrestling during the Summer Struggle series, the Drama King turned to the broadcast position, where he was a little too honest in his opinion of some of El Phantasmo’s tactics for the Headbanga’s taste. ELP returns to the US after doing battle in the Tokyo Dome potentially as one half of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions once more; will Rehwoldt’s return to in-ring action on STRONG see success or a Sudden Death?

Clark Connors goes head to head with TJP in Seattle. As the United Empire’s war with the La Dojo has waged on, Connors and TJP have been at the heart of the conflict. In Texas, the Public Enemy turned his back on his former protege and friend to align himself with the United Empire. In Philadelphia, a tainted victory saw TJP victorious, but with much unsettled. In Riverside a heinous attack on Connors knee saw the Wild Rhino wounded, and even angrier than before. Could Seattle solve everything this January?

Yuya Uemura’s excursion continues at new Beginning USA, as he faces Big Bad Brody King. Uemura has been eager to face the biggest possible competition. Win or lose, he has faced the likes of Josh Alexander and Jay White in recent weeks alone, and pushed both hard enough to confirm that the future of NJPW is in his hands. Should he make his mark on Brody King, the present could be his for the taking as well.

As previously announced, Ring of Honor’s lead broadcaster Ian Riccaboni will be calling the action.

WrestleZone will provide more details as they become available.

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