Tom Lawlor defended the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship against Fred Rosser at NJPW Collision in Philadelphia in a bout that was the culmination of a bitter feud.
Rosser has been chasing Lawlor’s title for quite some time now, and “Filthy Tom” has taken every opportunity to humiliate his rival; he even shaved Rosser’s head at one point. But in a high-stakes bout at the event on May 15, Rosser defeated Lawlor to win the gold. If the challenger lost the match, he would have been forced to leave NJPW STRONG.
With the victory, Rosser became the second STRONG Openweight Champion; Lawlor was the first and inaugural titleholder, as he won the gold at the conclusion of the New Japan Cup USA in April 2021.
The match between Rosser and Lawlor will air on an upcoming episode of NJPW STRONG.
