Speaking of Strong Style

Battle in the Valley Delivers, New Beginning Sells Out

This week, Steven and Jeremy discussed the excellent Battle in the Valley show, which had a little bit of everything. It had an great brawl with Gabe Kidd and Tomohiro Ishii, a technical classic with Zack Sabre Jr. v Hechisero, an emotional roller coaster in Sumie Sakai's retirement match and more. They also looked ahead to Blue Justice XV, talked about upcoming main events, and looked at Steven's souvenir haul from Tokyo.
 
 
 

Lyric Wrestling on Wrestle Kingdom and Dynasty Fallout

Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone are joined by Lyric Swinton! This week, Lyric shared her thoughts on Wrestle Kingdom, Wrestle Dynasty and the fallout from the big shows. The trio also discussed how New Japan is doing with their women's titles, Mayu Iwatani's future, the Chris Charlton controversy and how Zack Sabre Jr. can be the champion to transition the company from the past generation to the new one, Plus, the shared experience of attending a Wrestle Kingdom weekend in person and a Battle in the Valley preview. 
 

Wrestle Dynasty Post show recap | Speaking of Strong Style

Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway are back with a Wrestle Dynasty edition! It’s episode 145 of Speaking of Strong Style, and the pair discussed each match from the Jan. 5 event. Kenny Omega and Gabe Kidd put together a match for the ages, and the pair talked about the deep psychology in the match, and how its story impacted the crowd. They also looked at a thrilling Tomohiro Ishii-Konosuke Takeshita match, and the good news we’ll be seeing more of Takeshita to come. Plus, rehab wins for David Finlay over Brody King and Shota Umino over Claudio Castagnoli, a “grappling” match with no grappling between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Katsuyori Shibata, Mercedes Mone versus Mina Shirakawa and more. A fun show so check it out!

Wrestle Kingdom 19 post show recap | Speaking of Strong Style

Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone recap Wrestle Kingdom 19 in Episode 144! Steven gave his live-in-Tokyo perspective of a tremendous card headlined by Zack Sabre Jr. v Shota Umino. They broke down the entire card, discussing the ramifications of each match. They talked of the inner turmoil on display in the main event, the heavy psychology of the Tetsuya Naito v Hiromu Takahashi battle, why David Finlay and Yota Tsuji both stepped up big, the feel-good El Phantasmo and Hirooki Goto stories, the heartbreak of DOUKI’s injury and why Mayu Iwatani and AZM should have gotten more time, and the reasons they didn’t. It’s the best recap of New Japan’s biggest night!

Wrestle Kingdom 19 & Wrestle Dynasty preview with Chris Samsa | Speaking of Strong Style

Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway are joined by Chris Samsa for episode 143 of Speaking of Strong Style! This week, Steven joined from his Tokyo hotel room. The trio previewed the Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasties cards match by match. They discussed the possible winners of key matches such as Shota Umino v Zack Sabre Jr. and Yota Tsuji v David Finlay. They also talked about the futures of Tetsuya Naito and Konosuke Takeshita, and what they expect from Kenny Omega’s return. Every match gets some time in this preview of New Japan’s biggest weekend!

Road to Wrestle Kingdom with Sam from Powerbombshells

Sam from Powerbombshells joined the pair as they discussed news from the recent Korakuen Hall shows, including El Phatasmo's happy return, Hiroshi Tanahashi's unwanted haircut, and a ladders, chairs and...desk match? They looked at the order of the cards and where the women's matches might end up. They also gave their predictions on a few key matchups and championships going forward. It's a special Fight Game Media crossover episode!
 
 
 

Strong Style Evolved, Does AEW Respect NJ?

Steven and Jeremy discussed Strong Style Evolved, and how Mercedes Mone and Hazuki tore the house down. The Young Bucks, Jack Perry, Konosuke Takeshita and other AEW stars were also a part of the show, but does AEW respect New Japan? Is this partnership worthwhile? They also looked forward to the last two Korakuen Hall shows of the year, featuring a strange KOPW title match with Taichi and Great O-Khan.
 
 
 

Naito's Health, Hiromu Wills LIJ to Big WK Match

World Tag League ended with a twist, as a three-way match determined the finalists. Steven and Jeremy talked about how Hiromu Takahashi carried a wounded Tetsuya Naito through the tournament and into an important Wrestle Kingdom 19 match. They also discussed Naito's surgery and Zack Sabre Jr.'s historic MVP award from Tokyo Sports.  Plus a Strong Style Evolved preview, including the a main event of Mercedes Mone versus HAZUKI. 

World Tag League, Injuries, Shota's Hero Journey

After a week off, the guys discussed World Tag League and its consequences, which may be severe after HENARE and Callum Newman seem to have been injured. They talked about SANADA's heel development and his team with Gabe Kidd, why it's sad to see Jado and Hiroshi Tanahashi, why Bishamon are so crucial to New Japan's tag team division and whether we've seen the peak of Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste. Plus, does Shota Umino need to win at Wrestle Kingdom?
 
 
 

Hiroshi Tanahashi Career History

Steven Conway brings you this "Best of" episode with his career history of Hiroshi Tanahashi. Over the course of several episodes, Steven discussed the 20-plus year career of the Ace. Now, for the first time, that history is all in one place. A great show for historians!