NJPW Lion’s Break Collision Episode One
July 3, 2020
Los Angeles, California
You can follow me on Twitter @TheHootsPodcast
Commentators: (Kevin Kelly, Gino Gambino, and Chris Charlton)
Transcription by Josh Lopez
Kevin Kelly Interviews Karl Fredericks
Kevin Kelly: So, i’m proud to have my guest here with me. Karl Fredericks, who’s 2019 was a stellar campaign in New Japan Pro Wrestling, part of the Young Lions System. Went on to win the Young Lions Cup. And 2020 was off to a fast start, getting the first win of the new year, and being on track to compete in his first ever New Japan Cup before everything got put on hold. And now, he’ll have to wait until next year’s New Japan Cup. But Karl, it’s great to see you, you look fantastic, how you feeling?
Karl Fredericks: It’s great to see you too, Kevin. I miss you, I miss everybody. I’m feeling good, you know, going into the cup, it was a little crazy, maybe coming back possibly a little too soon about five and a half weeks removed from separating my shoulder, but now we’re five months and i’m ready to be back.
Kevin Kelly: I do notice a little bling on the ear, is that part of the Young Lion dress code or you beyond that now?
Karl Fredericks: Yes, so, a lot of people don’t know this, but, you know, i’ve been given the green light to just step out of that shell. And preparing for that match with Kenta, I knew that I was ready to step out of that, I was ready for more. But I also knew that my arsenal, you know, my offense wasn’t enough, so I went straight from this injury in that tour of America and I asked to go back to Japan because I wanted to be in the dojo and rehabbing there. I started kickboxing with Shibata san, I was training for hours everyday, and I think he saw that, and he saw how serious I was and that I was ready for more. Yeah, you know, i’ve been given that green light and it’s sink or swim, now.
Kevin Kelly: Tonight, I think will be a great benchmark after so much time away from the ring. You get a tag team opportunity, teaming with a veteran partner in TJP against Jeff Cobb and Rocky Romero. You’re familiar with everybody in this match. What’s your mental and physical approach heading into the main event?
Karl Fredericks: You know, doing this, this re-debut in the New Japan Cup against Kenta was, like I said, it was an opportunity to shock the world, right? But there’s levels of intensity and physicality, new things that I would have had to channel in order to do that and I feel like I got there. And even though that opportunity is gone, I absolutely have to be that same person. You know, luckily, teaming with TJ is something i’ve done a handful of times and that’s also an LA Dojo thing. So, that’s comfortable, that feels good, i’m excited about that. But, I can’t think of a better way to come out or to make a statement than to come out and punch one of the biggest, baddest dudes in our company right in the mouth. You know, not that Rocky’s a side note, if he happens to be in the ring standing across from me, he can get it, too, but the statement that I need to make is gonna be against Jeff Cobb.
Kevin Kelly: Well, Cobb certainly unable to make good on his opportunity to be in the New Japan Cup, you know he’s going to be hungry as well. I can’t wait to see what’s gonna happen. I want to thank you so much for your time. And I want to wish you the best of luck. We’ll be seeing more of you in New Japan Pro Wrestling and also right here on Lion’s Break Collision. Thanks, Karl.
Karl Fredericks: Thanks, Kevin.
First Match: Alex Coughlin vs. Clark Connors
Feeling out process after the bell rings. Standing Switch Exchange. Connors with a waist lock takedown. Coughlin applies a front face lock. Connors backs Coughlin into the blue turnbuckle pad. The referee calls for a clean break. Test Of Strength. Connors with a single leg takedown. Connors applies a toe and ankle hold. Connors works on the left leg of Coughlin. Coughlin applies the single leg crab. Collar and Elbow Tie Up. Coughlin grabs a side headlock. Coughlin applies a wrist lock. Connors with a drop toe hold. Connors applies a wrist lock. Connors transitions into a deep hammerlock. Connors grapevines the leg of Coughlin. Connors applies a rear chin lock. Connors follows that with a bow and arrow stretch. Coughlin falls on top of Connors for a one count.
Coughlin applies a wrist lock. Coughlin with an arm-ringer. Coughlin with a rolling double wrist lock. Connors puts his foot on the bottom rope which forces the break. Coughlin kicks Connors in the face. Coughlin maintains wrist control. Coughlin cartwheels into The Anaconda Vice. Back to the collar and elbow tie up. Connors applies a side headlock. Connors with a side headlock takeover. Coughlin answers with a headscissors neck lock. Connors handstands back to a vertical base. Coughlin dodges the basement clothesline. Coughlin stomps on Connor’s chest. Coughlin applies the cravate. Following a snap mare takeover, Coughlin with a forearm shiver into Connor’s back. Coughlin applies a rear chin lock. Connors with heavy bodyshots. Connors runs into Coughlin. Connors with a short knee lift. Connors drops Coughlin with a shoulder tackle for a one count.
Connors punches Coughlin in the back. Connors slams Coughlin’s head on the blue turnbuckle pad. Connors with clubbing shoulder blocks. Knife Edge Chop Exchange. Connors with a Hip Lock TakeDown. Connors follows that with an elbow drop for a two count. Connors goes for a Bodyslam, but Coughlin blocks it. Coughlin bodyslams Connors for a two count. Coughlin connects with The Bridging Fallaway Slam for a two count. Coughlin applies a leg trap stretch. Connors grabs the bottom rope which creates separation. Coughlin with a blistering chop. Coughlin uppercuts Connors. Connors PowerSlams Coughlin. Connors applies The Boston Crab. Connors transitions into a single leg crab. Second Knife Edge Chop Exchange. Connors goes for The Spear, but Coughlin counters with The GutWrench Suplex for a two count. Coughlin with The Side Russian Leg Sweep. Coughlin applies The Cross-Arm-Breaker as time expires.
Match Result: Time-Limit Draw
Second Match: Jeff Cobb & Rocky Romero vs. TJ Perkins & Karl Fredericks
Romero and Perkins will start things off. Test Of Strength. Perkins brings Romero down to the mat. Perkins applies a wrist lock. Romero with a hip lock takeover. Romero applies a wrist lock. Perkins reverses the hold. Romero avoids the shot elbow drop. Misfire Dropkicks. That leads us to a quick standoff in the center of the ring. Collar and Elbow Tie Up. Romero with a single leg takedown. Romero applies a standing knee bar. Perkins with a HeadScissors TakeOver. HeadScissors Neck Lock Exchange. Romero drives his knee into the midsection of Perkins. Romero blasts Perkins with a knife edge chop. Romero with the irish whip. Perkins dives over Romero. Romero grabs a side headlock. Romero with a Running Hurricanrana. Romero sends Perkins to the corner. Perkins kicks Romero in the face. Romero drops down on the canvas. Perkins delivers The Sacrifice. Perkins tags in Fredericks.
Double Irish Whip. Double Shoulder Tackle. Fredericks with a cheap shot to Cobb. Fredericks with the lateral press for a one count. Fredericks stomps on Romero’s back. Romero with a forearm smash. Fredericks drives his knee into the midsection of Romero. Fredericks bodyslams Romero. Fredericks knocks Cobb off the ring apron. Fredericks kicks Romero in the back. Fredericks with a leaping foot stomp for a two count. Fredericks uppercuts Romero. Fredericks taunts Cobb. Romero creates distance with a Jumping Knee Strike. Romero tags in Cobb. Cobb with a knife edge chop. Forearm Exchange. Cobb with a chop/uppercut combination in the corner. Cobb whips Fredericks into the turnbuckle pad. Fredericks with heavy bodyshots. Cobb HeadButts Fredericks. Cobb whips Fredericks across the ring. Cobb scores the elbow knockdown for a two count. Cobb tags in Romero. Romero repeatedly stomps on Fredericks chest. Romero toys around with Fredericks.
Second Forearm Exchange. Fredericks uppercuts Romero. Romero dropkicks the left knee of Fredericks. Romero with a blistering chop. Romero with clubbing shoulder blocks. Romero tags in Cobb. Double Vertical Suplex for a two count. Cobb punches Fredericks in the back. Cobb with a forearm smash. Cobb rams his shoulder into the midsection of Fredericks. Cobb tags in Romero. Romero with a Flying Double Axe Handle Strike. Romero unloads two mid-kicks. Romero with forearm shivers. Fredericks hits The SpineBuster. Fredericks tags in Perkins. Perkins with an Inverted Atomic Drop. Romero reverses out of the irish whip from Perkins. Perkins with The Soaring Forearm. Perkins pops back on his feet. Perkins knocks Cobb off the ring apron. Perkins goes for The Detonation Kick, but Cobb gets in the way. The referee admonishes Cobb. Romero goes for a PowerBomb, but Perkins blocks it. Perkins slaps Romero in the chest. Perkins kicks Cobb in the gut. Perkins with an Arm-Drag/HeadScissors TakeOver Combination. Perkins connects with The Double ChickenWing GutBuster for a two count.
Romero fights out of the fireman’s carry position. Romero with The Rewind Kick. Forever Clotheslines. Perkins kicks the right shoulder of Romero. Romero with an Inside Out Lariat. Romero tags in Cobb. Perkins dives over Cobb. Perkins goes for a Tornado DDT, but Cobb blocks it. Cobb goes for a Delayed Vertical Suplex, but Perkins counters with a high knee strike. Perkins ducks a clothesline from Cobb. Perkins with a Spinning Back Kick. Perkins tags in Fredericks. Fredericks with forearm shivers. Fredericks kicks the left hamstring of Cobb. Fredericks with a short knee lift. Short-Arm Reversal by Cobb. Cobb kicks Fredericks in the gut. Fredericks dropkicks Cobb. Fredericks ducks a clothesline from Cobb. Fredericks with an Uppercut/Modified NeckBreaker Combination for a two count. Fredericks with a Running Boot. Fredericks follows that with forearm shivers.
Cobb with a waist lock go-behind. Fredericks decks Cobb with a back elbow smash. Cobb dropkicks Fredericks. Cobb tags in Romero. Romero with the irish whip. Assisted Leaping Back Elbow Smash. Cobb SuperKicks Fredericks. Romero hits The Standing Slice Bread for a two count. Cobb sends Perkins to the ring apron. Perkins slides under Cobb. Perkins dumps Cobb over the top rope. Perkins with a Rebound Dropkick. Romero responds with a Baseball Slide Dropkick. Romero with a Spinning Back Kick. Fredericks goes for a Bodyslam, but Romero lands back on his feet. Romero applies a waist lock. Fredericks with a back elbow smash. Fredericks with a mid-kick. Fredericks goes for The DDT, but Romero counters with a Jumping Knee Strike. Fredericks plants Romero with The Backslide to pickup the victory. After the match, Fredericks gets into a brawl with Cobb.
Winner: TJ Perkins & Karl Fredericks via Pinfall
Checkout Episode 212 of The Hoots Podcast
