Lio Rush vs Tom Lawler Set for NJPW STRONG Tapings

Former WWE Superstar Lio Rush will be challenging Tom Lawler for the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship. This was confirmed by NJPW for the upcoming NJPW STRONG tapings.

August 16 will see New Japan film Fighting Spirit Unleashed, the first show to have live fans in attendance for the US based STRONG brand. That show will see Lio Rush take on the MMA fighter for the Openweight belt.

NJPW sent out the following press release confirming the match:

Filthy Tom Lawlor’s fourth defence of the STRONG Openweight Championship will take place in Thunder Studios, at Fighting Spirit Unleashed and NJPW STRONG’s first matches in front of a live crowd.

After Tom Lawlor recently logged his third successful defence of the STRONG Openweight Championship against Satoshi Kojima; he was confronted backstage by Lio Rush. The Man of the Hour declared that he was not going to wait for any more championship opportunities to come his way; and that he would be calling his shot. Lawlor laughed off Rush, but this week on STRONG, Rush and Karl Fredericks scored a convincing victory against Lawlor and his Team Filthy partner Danny Limelight.

Can Rush be the Man of the Hour and claim his first NJPW Championship? Fighting Spirit Unleashed tapings are SOLD OUT August 16; but get set to watch the championship action in the coming weeks on NJPW STRONG!