Here are some news & notes from Friday’s NJPW Windy City Riot event from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, which featured multiple title changes:
- Jack Perry faced Shota Umino on Friday’s undercard, coming to the ring with a “Cry Me A River” jacket. Perry adopted many of CM Punk‘s mannerisms including his GTS taunt, and tried for a GTS in the match as the crowd chanted about Perry being choked out or not choked out by Punk. Umino defeated Perry, and the two shook hands after the match.
- AEW’s Tony Khan attended the show.
- As covered here, Jon Moxley won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, and Shota Umino & Ren Narita were set up as potential challengers.
- Nic Nemeth defeated Tomohiro Ishii in the show’s semi-main in a match where Nemeth’s IWGP Global Championship was not on the line.
- Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Matt Riddle to reclaim the NJPW World TV Championship, becoming the first two-time NJPW TV Champion.
- Gabe Kidd‘s team defeated Eddie Kingston‘s squad in an eight-man tornado tag match. Kidd teamed with Bullet Club’s KENTA, Clark Connors & David Finlay, while Homicide, Jeff Cobb & TJP sided with Kingston. Kingston challenged Kidd to an NJPW Strong title bout for Resurgence on May 11 in a Last Man Standing match.
- Mustafa Ali made his NJPW debut on the show, defeating former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi.
- TMDK’s Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste won the NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team titles in a four-way that included the West Coast Wrecking Crew, Tom Lawlor & Fred Rosser, and El Phantasmo & Hikuleo. The WCWC attacked Lawlor & Rosser after the match.
- Stephanie Vaquer retained the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship, defeating Stardom’s AZM.
- Ren Narita defeated Minoru Suzuki in the main card opener, giving him a win before his involvement in the main event angle.
News & Notes from NJPW Windy City Riot Event
