Resurgence (2021)

Promotional poster featuring several NJPW wrestlers

**Resurgence (2021)** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling's New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA). The event was held on August 14, 2021, at The Torch at LA Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Resurgence was the first NJPW event to be held with an audience, following the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

The show was headlined by Lance Archer defending the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi. The second match of the show's "double main event" featured Jay White defending the NEVER Openweight Championship against David Finlay.

Wrestlers from American promotions All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Impact Wrestling, Major League Wrestling (MLW), the United Wrestling Network's Championship Wrestling from Hollywood (CWFH), and Ring of Honor (ROH) also appeared in the event, due to a working relationship between them and NJPW.

## Production

### Background

In October 2019, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) announced their expansion into the United States with their new American division, New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA). Since February 2020, due to restrictions COVID-19 pandemic imposed in the United States, NJPW began promting events under closed doors, as part of the *NJPW Strong*. Resurgence was announced on June 20, with the event taking place on August 14 at the Torch at LA Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. This event also marked the first NJPW show has held an event in the United States with fans in attendance since February 2020, due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tickets went on sale on June 30, costing from $39 to $299.

On July 21, it was announced that Matt Morris (formerly known as Aiden English in WWE) would be joinning the English commentary team. On August 14, NJPW announced that all the tickets for the event were sold out. Later that day, it was announced that Brody King would be unable to compete at the event, leading the match card to be changed.

### Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, other wrestling promotions began to cancel or postpone their shows in an attempt to prevent further spreading of the COVID-19 virus. At the end of February, following recommendations by the Japanese Ministry of Health regarding the coronavirus outbreak, NJPW canceled the events between March 1 and March 15, 2020, including the promotion's Anniversary Event and the first and the second round of New Japan Cup. Various wrestlers such as David Finlay, El Phantasmo, KENTA, the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa), Jay White, Juice Robinson, Will Ospreay, Rocky Romero, and Robbie Eagles were unable to work on NJPW events due to travel restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 6, NJPW announced that their Wrestle Dynasty event would be postponed to 2021, due to the effects of the 2019-20 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On June 19, NJPW held a weekly series called Lion's Break Collision that aired throughout the month of July, with the series airing on NJPW's internet streaming service NJPW World and digital network FITE TV worldwide. Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States, the shows were held behind closed doors without a live audience, with only essential personnel in the arena. The series would be replaced by *NJPW Strong*, which was also behind closed doors with essential staff and personnel due to the COVID-19 restrictions. NJPW's last show with a live audience was The New Beginning in USA in Atlanta, Georgia on February 1, at the Coca-Cola Roxy.

On July 31, 2021, Shota Umino who was originally scheduled to take part of the event, announced that would be unable to work at the event due to the travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic between the United Kingdom and the United States.

### Storylines

Resurgence (2021) featured professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.

On May 4, 2021, during the second night of Wrestling Dontaku, Jay White who had recently won the NEVER Openweight Championship, nominated David Finlay to be his first challenger for the title, before making his career, ever since both were trained by the NJPW Dojo and competed as "young lions". Finlay had previously defeated White on March 18, during the 2021 New Japan Cup. As part of NJPW's working relationship with Impact Wrestling, on July 17, White made his debut for the promotion at Slammiversary, confronting former Bullet Club leader Kenny Omega, and former Buller Club members The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson), before being attacked by David Finlay and Juice Robinson. However, before retrieving, White would lay out Finlay with the *Blade Runner*. The following week, White revealed that he was coming for Finlay due to their title match at Resurgence, before stating Finlay would never defeat him again, despite losing to him at the New Japan Cup. On July 30, at *Impact!*, White and Chris Bey, who recently aligned with White in the Bullet Club, attacked Finlay and Robinson at backstage following their match. Three weeks later White and Bey, would face Finlay and Robinson in a tag team match which would end in a disqualification after White hit Robinson with a chair.

On July 28, All Elite Wrestling's Fight for the Fallen, Hiroshi Tanahashi appeared in a pre-taped vignette challenging Lance Archer to a title match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship at Resurgence. Later that day, at AEW's Fight for the Fallen event, Archer successfully defended the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship against Hikuleo, confirming their match at Resurgence. The following day, NJPW officially announced that Resurgence would feature a double main event with the NEVER Openweight and IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship matches.

On July 30, The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson), who had recently returned to NJPW after five years, defeated Violence Unlimited (Brody King and Chris Dickinson) in the finals to win the Tag Team Turbulence. Following the match, Jon Moxley appeared in a pre-taped video challenging them to a match, while also promising to bring a surprise partner to his team. On August 1, The Good Brothers accepted Moxley's challenge. The following day, NJPW made the match official. Moxley had been in a feud with the The Good Brothers and Kenny Omega since January 2021, with Karl Anderson unsucessfully challenging Moxley to a title match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship on July 14 at AEW's Fyter Fest.

On August 8, NJPW announced a ten-man tag team match between Lio Rush, Brody King, Chris Dickinson, Fredi Yehi and Yuya Uemura and Team Filthy (Tom Lawlor, JR Kratos, Danny Limelight, Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs), after Rush had previously challenged Lawlor to a title match for the Strong Openweight Championship on July 23. On the August 6 episode of *NJPW Strong*, Kratos and Limelight faced West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs) in a winning effort. Afterwards, Lawlor, who was impressed by the West Coast Wrecking Crew performance in the match, invited them to join the Team Filthy, which they accepted. Meanwhile, Dickinson and King began feuding with Team Filthy, following Dickinson's addition to King's Violence Unlimited stable at ROH's 19th Anniversary, which Team Filthy was unaware, leading them to kick Dickinson out of the stable on May 14. On August 14, it was announced that King would miss the event, leading him to be replaced by Adrian Quest.

The event also included a rematch between Tomohiro Ishii and Impact Wrestling's Moose, who had previously faced each other in a match at NJPW/ROH's 2016 War Of The Worlds on May 9, 2016, where Ishii was victorious. Resugence also featured a match between Juice Robinson and Hikuleo, following Hikuleo's demand to face an opponent at Resurgernce, which Robinson accepted.