Iron Grip Pro Wrestling: “Clash of Kingdoms”
📍 Live from the Tokyo Dome – Attendance: 52,480
🎙️ Commentary: Excalibur, Mauro Ranallo, and Nigel McGuinness
1. Swerve Strickland vs El Phantasmo (ELP)
Match Summary:
A fast-paced opener, mixing ELP’s flamboyance with Swerve’s cold aggression. ELP dazzles with a moonsault to the outside early, but Swerve takes over with precision strikes. They trade poison ranas, a superkick duel, and a wild avalanche Spanish Fly. ELP nearly steals it with “Sudden Death” (superkick with the loaded boot), but Swerve counters mid-air into the JML Driver.
Winner: Swerve Strickland (via pinfall – JML Driver, 15:34)
Post-match, ELP offers a handshake… Swerve flips him off and walks away, building toward a potential heel turn.
2. Malakai Black vs Ricochet vs Adam Cole vs Damian Priest vs LA Knight – #1 Contender IC Title
Match Summary:
A chaotic 5-way brawl that sees Ricochet shine with aerials, Priest and Knight slug it out, and Cole playing opportunist. Malakai introduces mist and uses his calm, precise strikes to dismantle the pace. Ricochet hits a double 630 onto Cole and Priest outside. In the ring, Malakai hits The Black Mass on Knight, but Cole sneaks in, throws Malakai out and tries to steal the win. However, Ricochet recovers just in time to stop him and lands a Shooting Star Press.
Winner: Ricochet (via pinfall over Adam Cole, 16:45)
Ricochet is now the #1 contender to the Intercontinental Title.
3. Bobby Lashley’s Iron Grip Pro Wrestling Debut
Bobby Lashley vs Karrion Kross
Match Summary:
Lashley issues an open challenge. Kross answers with Scarlett. The crowd roars for the confrontation. They brawl immediately, with heavy slams and stiff strikes. Kross controls early with Saito suplexes. Lashley mounts a comeback with spinebusters, a stalling vertical suplex, and corner spears. Kross locks in the Kross Jacket but Lashley powers out. After a brutal sequence, Lashley counters the Doomsday Saito into a Dominator, then follows up with the Hurt Lock.
Winner: Bobby Lashley (via submission – Hurt Lock, 9:13)
Massive pop for Lashley. Post-match, he stares down the camera and declares “I’m here to dominate.”
4. Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly vs Motor City Machine Guns vs War Raiders – Match 1 in Best-of-5 Series
Match Summary:
This is tag team chaos at its finest. War Raiders dominate early with their size, but the Machine Guns use tandem speed to control the pace. Strong & O’Reilly focus on leg attacks and sharp strikes. Highlights include: Hanson’s springboard clothesline to both Guns, Strong’s backbreaker combo, and O’Reilly’s triangle choke. In the closing stretch, Machine Guns hit Skull & Bones on O’Reilly, but Strong breaks the pin. War Raiders toss everyone and hit Fallout on Shelley.
Winners: War Raiders (via pinfall on Shelley, 14:50)
War Raiders lead the Best-of-5 series 1–0.
5. Kenny Omega, Young Bucks, & Santos Escobar vs Rey Mysterio, Konosuke Takeshita, Andrade, & “Speedball” Mike Bailey
Match Summary:
Insanity from bell to bell. Every man gets their shine, especially Speedball and Santos with their fast-paced exchanges. Omega and Takeshita tear it up mid-match with strike flurries. Andrade and Escobar reignite their lucha feud with a double moonsault spot. Bucks hit superkicks on everyone, but Rey dodges and lands a double 619. The crowd comes unglued. In the climax, Bailey hits a Tornado Kick on Matt Jackson and Ultima Weapon on Nick to score the pin.
Winners: Rey, Takeshita, Andrade & Speedball (via pinfall – Bailey on Nick Jackson, 19:23)
Respect handshake teased between Omega and Takeshita post-match.
6. Wardlow, Sammy Guevara, & Jack Perry (c) vs Finn Balor, Bronson Reed, & Kyle Fletcher – Trios Titles Elimination Match
Elimination Order:
- Jack Perry eliminated by Bronson Reed after Tsunami
- Bronson Reed eliminated via count-out after a powerbomb through the announce table by Wardlow
- Sammy Guevara eliminated by Finn Balor after Coup de Grâce
- Kyle Fletcher eliminated via Wardlow Bomb
- Finn Balor eliminated after a shock roll-up reversal by Wardlow
Winners and STILL Champions: Wardlow, Sammy Guevara & Jack Perry (32:02 – Wardlow pins Balor)
Massive performance by Wardlow, single-handedly eliminating 3 men.
7. DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) (c) vs Brody King & Buddy Matthews – Tag Team Titles
Match Summary:
DIY faces an uphill battle as Brody and Buddy dominate early with raw power. Gargano takes a brutal bump into the ring post. Ciampa mounts a comeback, trading stiff strikes with Buddy. Brody King hits a cannonball through the ropes on both men. DIY rallies with stereo superkicks and a Meeting in the Middle, but Brody kicks out! The crowd is electric. After a wild brawl, Buddy hits Murphy’s Law on Gargano and tags Brody, who crushes him with a Gonzo Bomb.
Winners and NEW Tag Team Champions: Brody King & Buddy Matthews (via pinfall – Brody on Gargano, 17:10)
Title Change #1 of the Night
Dark reign begins as House of Black takes over the tag division.
8. Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Kevin Owens – Intercontinental Championship
Match Summary:
Slow-burning technical storytelling. Owens plays the resilient underdog while Okada oozes cocky dominance. Early mat work gives way to hard strikes. Owens hits Pop-Up Powerbomb early but can’t get the three. Okada works the neck for Rainmaker. Owens blocks it and lands Stunner, Swanton, and Frog Splash, still no three. After a slugfest, Okada hits a dropkick mid-air and connects a Rainmaker. Owens kicks out! Crowd explodes. Finally, a Tombstone + Rainmaker 2.0 ends it.
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion: Kazuchika Okada (via pinfall, 21:00)
Okada salutes Owens in a rare sign of respect.
9. AJ Styles vs Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre – #1 Contender for the World Title
Match Summary:
Hard-hitting triple threat with no alliances. Orton is the opportunist, AJ the technician, Drew the powerhouse. A huge superplex tower spot leaves all three down. Drew hits Future Shock DDT on AJ, but Orton RKO’s Drew onto steel steps. AJ survives an RKO and hits a Phenomenal Forearm, but Drew breaks it up with a Claymore. AJ dodges a second and lands a Styles Clash on Orton for the win.
Winner and NEW #1 Contender: AJ Styles (via pinfall on Orton, 18:35)
Styles vs Ospreay is now official for Show 27.
10. CM Punk vs Cody Rhodes – No Holds Barred
Match Summary:
This is war. Punk brings a chair early, Cody uses kendo sticks. They brawl into the crowd, with Punk hitting a Pepsi Plunge off a railing. Cody bleeds early after a chair to the face. Cody suplexes Punk through a table. Punk hits a running knee into a trash can, then Anaconda Vice using a chain, but Cody gets the ropes (not that it matters). Cody hits Cross Rhodes on thumbtacks – 2.9! Punk low blows Cody and hits a brutal GTS onto a chair.
Winner: CM Punk (via pinfall – GTS on chair, 22:00)
Punk wipes Cody’s blood on his own chest and screams, “This is MY ring.”
Main Event – Will Ospreay (c) vs Hangman Adam Page – World Championship
Match Summary:
Epic. The match goes 30+ minutes of masterclass wrestling. Ospreay brings the speed and chaos, while Hangman brings grit and heart. They reverse each other’s finishers. Ospreay hits Oscutter and Hidden Blade, but Hangman kicks out. Hangman lands Deadeye and Buckshot Lariat –
Ospreay gets the rope! They fight on the top rope, where Ospreay lands a Spanish Fly followed by another Hidden Blade, then the Storm Breaker.
Winner and STILL World Champion: Will Ospreay (via pinfall, 31:22)
Ospreay celebrates as AJ Styles appears on the ramp, setting the stage for a dream match.
Show Summary:
- Title Change: Brody King & Buddy Matthews win Tag Titles
- Wardlow dominates the Trios Match
- Bobby Lashley makes a dominant debut
- Ricochet earns an IC Title shot
- CM Punk wins a war vs Cody
- AJ Styles to face Ospreay next
- Will Ospreay retains in a MOTY candidate
