Gabe Kidd STRONG over Fujita in Lowell

Kidd moves to V4

The main event of Fighting Spirit Unleashed on November 8 in Lowell MA saw Gabe Kidd look for his fourth defence of NJPW STRONG Openweight gold against Kosei Fujita.

Watch the replay!

Kidd was in Fujita’s face right at the opening bell, talking trash until the Japanese Young Punk snapped with hard chops. Kidd responded in kind, and tried to get a hold on his young challenger, but was dropped with a shotgun dropkick; going for a quebrada on the floor though, Fujita was caught and dropped with a brutal suplex on the outside. Following up, Kidd hurled Fujita over the guardrails and into the announce position, continuing trash talk on the microphone as a twenty count was applied.

Fujita just barely made the 20 count, but only for the punishment to continue at the hands of the champion. Kidd mocked Kenny Omega on the microphone as the crowd got behind the challenger; Fujita somehow made his feet to trade incredible chops with the heavyweight Kidd, but a brutal blow caved the Young Punk’s chest in.

Fujita kept moving forward under brutal punishment, a left swat knocking the champion on his backside. A furious Fujita unleashed elbows and closed fists before a pair of German suplexes got two; a deadlift German bought Fujita a near two as the Lowell crowd roared in appreciation. A mammoth lariat from Kidd sent the challenger’s momentum to a crashing halt.

Fujita still, incredibly had fight left in him, and as Lowell chanted as one behind the challenger, Fujita withstood suplexes from Kidd to land Abandon Hope, albeit with no ability to make a cover. A second shot at the move and Fujita was able to make the pin, but Kidd got his boot to the bottom rope; with his go to offense not able to take down the larger Kidd, he tried for a German suplex off the second, and as he was turned away, escaped a Moonsault attempt from Kidd, but was rocked with a powerbomb and the O-Knee for two. Two piledrivers still didn’t do it, but the Mad Man Bomb did, and Kidd was victorious.

Post match, Kidd wanted to continue the punishment on Fujita, interrupted by Ryohei Oiwa. KENTA emerged to rescue his BULLET CLUB stable mate, but Oiwa cleaned house and landed the Grip on Kidd, issuing a challenge to the STRONG Openweight Champion for Strong Style Evolved.