Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are back with Speaking of Strong Style! This pair talked about the Despe Invitational and how the bonkers show from Korakuen Hall was a lot of chaos and a lot of fun. They also discussed the new format of the G1 in a bit more detail and theorized how Zack Sabre Jr., Shingo Takagi and others could have a big impact on the tournament. Will there be room for guests from AEW or NOAH? They previewed All Together, featuring Tetsuya Naito versus Jake Lee, and the New ...
Jun 14, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 84
Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are back with a special edition of Speaking of Strong Style to break down the 2024 edition of Dominion. The pair discussed each match from the big Osaka show, headlined by El Desperado versus Taiji Ishimori in the Best of the Super Junior Finals, Jon Moxley versus EVIL in a Lumberjack Deathmatch for the IWGP World Heavyweight title, a NEVER Openweight showdown between HENARE and Shingo Takagi, more title matches. They looked at the results from Dominion and wha...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 83
Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are back with a special edition of Speaking of Strong Style to break down the 2024 edition of Dominion. The pair discussed each match from the big Osaka show, headlined by El Desperado versus Taiji Ishimori in the Best of the Super Junior Finals, Jon Moxley versus EVIL in a Lumberjack Deathmatch for the IWGP World Heavyweight title, a NEVER Openweight showdown between HENARE and Shingo Takagi, more title matches. They looked at the results from Dominion and wha...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 82
Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway return with Speaking of Strong Style! The pair talked about the semifinals of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and how DOUKI, TJP, Taiji Ishimori and El Desperado were all helped by the tournament, a testament to New Japan's strong booking of BOSJ. They also previewed the big Dominion card this Sunday, featuring the BOSJ finals, an IWGP World Heavyweight title Lumberjack Death match between Jon Moxley and EVIL, plus two can't-miss matches with Jeff Cob...
Jun 07, 2024•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 81
Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are back with Speaking of Strong Style! The pair discussed the latest in Best of the Super Juniors action. They discussed the intricate booking of the A block, highlighted by El Desperado, TJP, Blake Christina, Titan, Kevin Knight and more. They talked about how the booking built the drama perfectly in the block, keeping almost everyone involved in it until the last day of action. They also looked at the B block, and how injuries and substitutions may have chan...
May 31, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 80
Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway return with Speaking of Strong Style! The pair talked about the recent batch of Best of the Super Juniors matches, focusing on how the standings could shake out to the end of the tournament. They talked about TJP and Hiromu Takahashi's recent run of good results and if it will result in a semifinal appearance for them. They also broke down the logjam in each bracket, using the last matches to read the tea leaves regarding El Desperado, KUSHIDA, Clark Connors, K...
May 24, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 79
Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are back with Speaking of Strong Style! The pair discussed the recent Resurgence show, featuring an excellent match between Jon Moxley and Shota Umino, and how the match was done differently than most mentor-student battles. They also talked about the chaotic tag team situation, Jeff Cobb's terrific TV title match with Lance Archer, Shingo Takagi's beatdown of Yuya Uemura, and more. Jeremy and Steven looked at the current IWGP title situation with EVIL, and wea...
May 17, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 78
Jeremy Finestone is back with Steven Conway for Speaking of Strong Style! This week, the pair talked about the two nights of Dontaku in Fukuoka, including Jon Moxley's title defense against Ren Narita, Jeff Cobb's win over Zack Sabre Jr., plus Nic Nemeth's wild ride versus Hiroshi Tanahashi and David Finlay. They also discussed the All Together show and why Gabe Kidd may be terrorizing a merch stand near you. Steven and Jeremy also looked ahead to Best of the Super Juniors, giving their predicti...
May 10, 2024•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 77
This week, Steven talked about the recent shows in Kagoshima and Hiroshima and how Yuya Uemura's win could change what we see from the KOPW title. He also previewed Dontaku, featuring title matches such as Jon Moxley versus Ren Narita, Jeff Cobb versus Zack Sabre Jr., Shingo Takagi facing Gabe Kidd, and Nic Nemeth defending against Hiroshi Tanahashi. He also took a look at the All Together card, plus the Best of the Super Junior Blocks and matchups. He also took a look back at the history of the...
May 03, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 76
Scott Edwards joins Steven this week to discuss Jon Moxley's IWGP title defense, TJP's big night uniting the Empire and a look ahead to two title matches in Hiroshima and two more at Satsuma no Kuni. They also discussed Jake Lee's surprise attack on Tetsuya Naito, plus looked at the state of STARDOM going into its big show, All-Star Grand Queendom, featuring a dream match between Mayu Iwatani and Sareee, and a potential nightmare match for Natsupoi and Tam Nakano.
Apr 26, 2024•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 75
Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway return with Speaking of Strong Style! This week, the pair looked at the Wrestling World show from Taiwan, and how Oleg Boltin exceeded any expectations for a Young Lion by winning a belt before his theoretical "graduation." They also looked at how Hiroshi Tanahashi and Satoshi Kojima were welcomed by the crowd and Bishamon's title defense against Yuya Uemura and SANADA. They also talked about Tama Tonga's big WWE push and the sad news that YOH has been forced t...
Apr 19, 2024•59 min•Ep. 74
Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are back with a special edition of Speaking of Strong Style covering Windy City Riot! The guys were joined by Josh from the We Work Stiff podcast just after end of the big event from Chicago. Josh gave his thoughtful perspective on New Japan's storylines and how they shape the upcoming year in NJPW. The trio discussed Jon Moxley's victory over Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight title, and why this could be a unique opportunity for both New Japan and A...
Apr 13, 2024•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 73
Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway are celebrating their 100th episode! This week, the pair were joined by Justin Knipper, an expert on the Japanese wrestling scene and the co-host of "Write This Down" with Fumi Saito. Justin has also been on the NOAH English commentary team, so he was the perfect guest to bring on to discuss two NOAH wrestlers participating in the 2024 Best of the Super Juniors, Ryohei Oiwa, Giulia and other names associated with NOAH and New Japan. Steven and Jeremy also broke...
Apr 12, 2024•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 72
This week, Steven and Jeremy previewed the Sakura Genesis card, headlined by the IWGP World Heavyweight title match between Tetsuya Naito and Yota Tsuji. They looked at possibilities for the rest of the matches, including SHO versus YOH for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, a three-way match for the junior heavyweight tag team titles, Bishamon challenging Bullet Club for the heavyweight tag titles, plus Jon Moxley teaming with Shota Umino versus Jack Perry and Ren Narita. Jeremy and Steven gave...
Apr 05, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 71
This week, Jeremy and Steven were joined by "Filthy" Tom Lawlor who discussed his time with New Japan Pro Wrestling as the first NJPW Strong Champion, his time as an entrant in the G1, favorite memories working with STARDOM talent, and goals for his career moving forward. After, Steven and Jeremy discussed All Together, the cooperative between NJPW, NOAH, Dragon's Gate, Stardom and other promotions in Japan. Finally, the pair took listener questions about the tag division and 6-man titles, befor...
Mar 29, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 70
This week, Steven and Jeremy talked about the finale of the New Japan Cup, and how the story of Yota Tsuji and Hirooki Goto gave the company a strong finish to a weak tournament. They also looked at how far Goto was going to go, and whether David Finlay's illness changed the company's plans for the tournament. They also discussed some upcoming matchups, including Jon Moxley teaming with Shota Umino, and if we'll be calling Moxley the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion soon. They also talked about t...
Mar 22, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 69
Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway return with Speaking of Strong Style! The pair discussed the past week's New Japan Cup action, with EVIL, Ren Narita, Jack Perry and the rest of House of Torture making a big impact on the bracket. They also talked about who is more likely to win among contenders such as David Finlay, Shingo Takagi, SANADA and Zack Sabre Jr. They also look at the efforts of Chase Owens, Hikuleo, Yota Tsuji and Gabe Kidd. Steven and Jeremy also covered Stephanie Vaquer's NJPW St...
Mar 15, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 68
Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are joined by Chris Samsa for the latest edition of Speaking of Strong Style! The trio looked at the first two nights of action from the New Japan Cup, one of which was the 52nd Anniversary show. They discussed Tetsuya Naito's drawing power after a strong crowd showed up for the heavyweight champion's match against junior heavyweight champion, SHO. They also discussed tournament matches such as TJP versus David Finlay, Jack Perry's NJPW debut against Shota Umin...
Mar 08, 2024•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 67
The New Japan Cup is approaching, and Jeremy and Steven discussed their thoughts on the bracket and who might advance to the final. Jeremy had some interesting thoughts on TJP versus David Finlay, while Steven just hoped for Tomohiro Ishii versus Hirooki Goto in the second round. They also talked about the Shota Umino-Jack Perry first round matchup, plus the prospects for stars such as Yota Tsuji, EVIL, Shingo Takagi, Yuya Uemura, Gabe Kidd, Zack Sabre Jr. and others. Other topics include: Anniv...
Mar 01, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 66
Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are back with Speaking of Strong Style! The pair review the two New Beginning in Sapporo shows from New Japan Pro Wrestling, featuring a mixed bag of matches. STARDOM stole the show on the first night with a title defense by Mayu Iwatani. A pair of former WWE wrestlers, Nic Nemeth and Matt Riddle, made their debut in Japan while Kazuchika Okada and Tama Tonga made their farewells. On the second night, we saw five singles matches between Los Ingobernables and Ju...
Feb 26, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 65
This week, Steven and Jeremy looked to two major shows in the next couple of days, as New Beginning in Sapporo approaches. These shows could point toward a new course for the company, and they previewed the shows match-by-match. That preview included a slew of title matches featuring Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Nic Nemeth and David Finaly in main events. They also speculated on the future of the CHAOS and United Empire factions as Kazuchika Okada has his final matches with the company. Plus, they pre...
Feb 23, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 64
After the emotional and sometimes brutal New Beginning in Osaka, New Japan took a lighter-hearted turn this week with Fantasticamania, when the stars of CMLL come to Japan for a brief tour filled with their brand of exciting lucha libre. It's also a time for some New Japan stars to loosen up, with Taiji Ishimori, Hiromu Takahashi, El Desperado, Hiroshi Tanahashi and others getting in on the act. Steven and Jeremy discussed seeing CMLL's Mistico, Mascara Dorada, Atlantis Jr., ,Volador Jr., Titan,...
Feb 16, 2024•59 min•Ep. 63
Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway are back with a special edition of the pod to break down the New Beginning in Osaka card! Topics covered include: Will Ospreay's farewell as a New Japan-contracted wrestler with a main event that set new standards for violence in today's NJPW, but was it a good match? How Ospreay and Francesco Akira and TJP worked hard to put over David Finlay's War Dogs crew, including Alex Coughlin, Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney. A look at how almost no one esca...
Feb 13, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 62
Jeremy and Steven were joined by Scott Edwards, one of the top experts on the Japanese women's wrestling scene to discuss STARDOM's firing of Rossy Ogawa and how it may impact New Japan. They discussed the issues Ogawa had with Bushiroad (the same conglomerate that owns New Japan), and the dilemma STARDOM wrestlers face between staying with the country's top joshi promotion and joining Ogawa's upcoming new company. They also discussed what stars such as Tam Nakano, Maika and others have said abo...
Feb 09, 2024•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 61
Steven and Jeremy discussed some recent New Japan results and previewed the upcoming Korakuen Hall shows, featuring the United Empire squaring off with the War Dogs in a series of matches, plus a special gauntlet match with Tetsuya Naito's Los Ingoberable faction facing SANADA's Just 5 Guys. They also discussed why they don't think we'll be seeing Brock Lesnar back in New Japan (thank goodness). They also looked at the NJPW women's titles. With Giulia on her way out of STARDOM, what should the e...
Feb 02, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 60
Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway return to talk about New Japan's New Beginning tour, and how it has a more literal meaning than ever. The pair discussed a rough Nagoya show that didn't hit on any cylinders, followed by two Korakuen Hall shows that went much better. They talked about an excellent main event featuring Shota Umino and Ren Narita, the captivating United Empire - War Dogs rivalry, the tired-out Ingoberables - Just 5 Guys series, and how Tama Tonga left the company a hero in storyl...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 59
Jeremy and Steven are back with an emergency episode following the news of Kazuchika Okada's decision to leave New Japan Pro Wrestling. Topics covered include: Discussion of the factors at play, Japan's economic conditions and the state of American wrestling today. A look at why Okada should be a special case and not treated the way other Japanese talent has over the years. What's ahead for Okada's faction, CHAOS? Should they continue with a new leader, or disband altogether? Talk of the lack of...
Jan 20, 2024•56 min•Ep. 58
This was recorded only an hour or two before the news of Kazuchika Okada leaving was posted on the New Japan site. We will have more reaction to that huge new soon. In this episode, Jeremy and Steven talk Battle in the Valley! Jeremy attended the show in person, and saw an outstanding night of wrestling. They discuss Okada v Will Ospreay, Eddie Kingston v Gabe Kidd, Jon Moxley v Shingo Takagi, Shota Umino, Giulia and much more. The pair broke down each match on the card and why it was significan...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 57
Jeremy Finestone is joined by guest host Paul Fontaine of the Wrestling Observer and Fight Game Media to discuss the week that was in New Japan. Jeremy and Paul discussed the major news and notes out of Wrestle Kingdom and New Year Dash before previewing Battle in the Valley and the announced matches for New Beginnings. Full video episode here: https://youtube.com/live/EuGBXoBudTU #njnyd #njbitv #sposs #speakingofstrongstyle #wrestlekingdom #njwk18 #njpw Subscribe to our podcast feeds (free): ht...
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 56
Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are working on short sleep, but they're happy to break down the wonderful WrestleKingdom 18 card. New Japan delivered an emotional, exciting event, with each match bringing something different to the table, along with some surprises. They break down all aspects of the show, from SANADA facing Tetsuya Naito in the main event, to a wild three-way featuring Will Ospreay, David Finlay and Jon Moxley, to the sublime rematch between Kazuchika Okada and Bryan Danielso...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 55
