Fighting Spirit Unleashed (2021)

Last updated
Fighting Spirit Unleashed (2021)
Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021 poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Brand(s) NJPW Strong
DateAugust 16, 2021
(Aired September 18, 2021)
City Long Beach, California
VenueThunder Studios
Attendance144 [1]
Pay-per-view chronology
 Previous
Road To Summer Struggle USA 2021
Next 
Summer Struggle USA 2021
Fighting Spirit Unleashed chronology
 Previous
2020
Next 
2022

Fighting Spirit Unleashed (2021) was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event consisted of three different episodes taped on the same day and in front of the same audience at the Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California on August 16, 2021, and aired on September 18. The event was promoted as part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America's weekly TV show, NJPW Strong . [2] It was the fourth event held under the Fighting Spirit Unleashed branch.

Contents

Storylines

Fighting Spirit Unleashed featured professional wrestling matches on each show that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches. [3]

Results

Event 1
No.Results [4] StipulationsTimes [1]
1 Tomohiro Ishii defeated Alex Coughlin Singles match 9:13
2 Clark Connors, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Karl Fredericks defeated Stray Dog Army (Barrett Brown, Bateman and Misterioso) Six-man tag team match 13:33
3 Hikuleo defeated Juice Robinson Tables match 9:57
Event 2
No.Results [5] StipulationsTimes [6]
1 Yuji Nagata and Yuya Uemura defeated Kevin Knight and The DKC Tag team match 9:27
2 Jay White defeated Wheeler Yuta Singles match 11:29
3 Ren Narita defeated Fred Rosser Singles match 15:11
Event 3
No.Results [7] StipulationsTimes [8]
1 J. R. Kratos defeated Fred Yehi Singles match 9:13
2 Chris Dickinson defeated Royce Isaacs Singles match 11:08
3 Tom Lawlor (c) (with J. R. Kratos) defeated Lio Rush Singles match for the Strong Openweight Championship 16:19
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IWGP Heavyweight Championship</span> Championship of New Japan Pro-Wrestling

The IWGP Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. The title was introduced on June 12, 1987, in the final of an IWGP tournament. It was unified with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship on March 4, 2021 to form the new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship</span> Professional wrestling championship

The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world junior heavyweight championship owned by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. "IWGP" is the acronym of NJPW's governing body, the International Wrestling Grand Prix. Only wrestlers under the junior heavyweight weight-limit may hold the championship. NJPW currently controls two junior heavyweight championships: the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. The weight-limit for the title is 100 kg (220 lb). The current champion is Sho, who is in his first reign. He won the title by defeating El Desperado at The New Beginning in Sapporo on February 23, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Finlay (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

David Stephen Finlay III is a German-born Irish-American professional wrestler who performs under the ring name David Finlay. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and is the seventh and current leader of Bullet Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zack Sabre Jr.</span> British professional wrestler (born 1987)

Luke James Uggles Eatwell, known by his ring name Zack Sabre Jr. and its abbreviated form ZSJ, is an English professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the leader of the group The Mighty Don't Kneel and was the inaugural NJPW World Television Champion. He also makes sporadic appearances for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Owens</span> American professional wrestler

Steven Owens, better known by the ring name Chase Owens is an American professional wrestler currently signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Bullet Club. He is one-half of the current IWGP Tag Team Champion with Kenta and also won with Bad Luck Fale. Owens has also won the KOPW trophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great-O-Khan</span> Japanese professional wrestler

Tomoyuki Oka, better known by his ring name Great-O-Khan, is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the United Empire stable. He also wrestles for NJPW's United Kingdom based partner promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), where he is the former Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion. In NJPW, he is a two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hikuleo (wrestler)</span> Tongan professional wrestler

Tautuiaki Taula Koloamatangi is an American professional wrestler of Tongan descent. He is currently wrestling for the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and the American promotion Impact Wrestling under the ring name Hikuleo, he is a former Strong Openweight Champion and is a part of the Guerrillas of Destiny stable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fighting Spirit Unleashed (2018)</span> 2018 New Japan Pro-Wrestling event

Fighting Spirit Unleashed was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on September 30, 2018, at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California. It was the fifth event produced by NJPW in the United States and the first under the Fighting Spirit Unleashed branch.

Fighting Spirit Unleashed is a series of professional wrestling events produced annually in September by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), a Japanese professional wrestling promotion, in the United States. NJPW first produced the event in 2018 and has since produced four editions, with the 2019 having been held as a three-event tour in Lowell, Massachusetts, New York City, New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from September 27 to 29, 2019 and the most recent being held in closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic from September 4 to September 11, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Fletcher</span> Australian professional wrestler (born 1998)

Kyle Fletcher is an Australian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is the current ROH World Television Champion in his first reign, and a former one-time ROH World Tag Team Champion. Fletcher also appears regularly for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former IWGP Tag Team Champion and inaugural and record-setting two-time Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion, and British promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), where he is a two-time Undisputed British Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Davis (wrestler)</span> Professional wrestler

Davis Passfield, better known by his in-ring name Mark Davis, is an Australian professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling and Ring of Honor, where he is a former one-time ROH World Tag Team Champion. He also appears for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former IWGP Tag Team Champion, and record-setting and inaugural two-time Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion and Revolution Pro Wrestling, where he is a former two-time Undisputed British Tag Team Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship</span> Mens professional wrestling championship

The Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. The title is exclusively featured on NJPW's United States based television program NJPW Strong Live. The current champions are Guerrillas of Destiny Hikuleo and El Phantasmo, who are in their first reign as champions. They defeated Bullet Club War Dogs members Alex Coughlin and Gabriel Kidd to win the championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fighting Spirit Unleashed (2023)</span> 2023 New Japan Pro-Wrestling event

Fighting Spirit Unleashed (2023) was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place at the Sam's Town Live venue in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 28, 2023. It was the sixth event held under the Fighting Spirit Unleashed branch. Besides wrestlers from NJPW, the show featured talent from Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonestar Shootout 2023</span> 2023 New Japan Pro-Wrestling event

Lonestar Shootout (2023) was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas, on November 10, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonestar Shootout 2022</span> 2022 New Japan Pro-Wrestling event

Lonestar Shootout (2022) was a two-night professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place at the Farimont Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on April 1, 2022 and aired on May 7. The event was promoted as part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America's weekly TV show, NJPW Strong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fighting Spirit Unleashed (2022)</span> Professional wrestling event

Fighting Spirit Unleashed (2022) was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event consisted of four different episodes taped on the same day and in front of the same audience at The Vermont Hollywood in Los Angeles, California on August 21, 2022, and aired between September 10 and October 1. The event was promoted as part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America's weekly TV show, NJPW Strong. It was the fifth event held under the Fighting Spirit Unleashed branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The DKC</span> American professional wrestler

Dylan Barrales, better known by his ring name DKC is an American professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling, mainly appearing into the NJPW Strong brand.

References

  1. 1 2 Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 16, 2021). "NJPW STRONG #58 - Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021 - Tag 1". cagematch.net. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  2. Haulotte, Kellie (September 18, 2021). "NJPW Strong: Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021 Results: Hikuleo Vs. Juice Robinson". wrestlinginc.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  3. Grabianowski, Ed. "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications . Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  4. NJPW (September 18, 2021). "FIGHTING SPIRIT UNLEASHED 2021 SAT. SEPTEMBER. 18". njpw1972.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  5. "ON SALE NOW: Fans come to STRONG for Fighting Spirit Unleashed! 【NJoA】". NJPW1972.com. New Japan Pro-Wrestling. June 30, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  6. Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 16, 2021). "NJPW STRONG #58 - Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021 - Tag 2". cagematch.net. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
  7. Bryant, Steve (August 17, 2021). "NJPW Strong – 16 August 2021 – Results". socaluncensored.com. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  8. Kreikenbohm, Philip (August 16, 2021). "NJPW STRONG #58 - Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021 - Tag 3". cagematch.net. Retrieved September 18, 2021.