Lonestar Shootout (2023)

Promotional poster featuring KENTA, David Finlay, Shingo Takagi, Jon Moxley, as well as CMLL wrestlers, Místico, Atlantís and Último Guerrero

## Information

### Brand(s)

New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA)

### City

Garland, Texas, United States

**Lonestar Shootout (2023)** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on November 10, 2023 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas, Texas, United States. This is the second event under the Lonestar Shootout name.

## Background

### Production

On August 28, 2023, NJPW announced the Lonestar Shootout with the event being held at Curtis Culwell Center in Dallas, Texas, United States NJPW began usually promoting the Lonestar Shootout events since 2022, as part of the *NJPW Strong* televisions series, until its change in format in January 2023.

### Storylines

The event featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.

Lonestar Shootout was main evented by Shingo Takagi defending the NEVER Openweight Championship against Beretta. On October 28 at Fighting Spirit Unleashed, after Shingo Takagi defeated Tama Tonga to win the NEVER Openweight Championship, Beretta returned to NJPW in a pre-taped vignette, challenging Takagi to title match at Lonestar Shootout.

Also at Fighting Spirit Unleashed, Satoshi Kojima defeated Fred Rosser, Jeff Cobb and Alex Coughlin to determine the number one contender to the Strong Openweight Championship. Later that night, after Eddie Kingston successfully defended the title against HENARE, Kojima confronted Kingston, setting up the title match.

At the event, Guerrillas of Destiny (Hikuleo and El Phantasmo) defeated Murder Sauce Monsters (Lance Archer and Alex Zayne) to retain the Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, they were attacked by West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson and Royce Isaacs), who challenged them to a title match at Lonestar Shootout.

On October 12, it was announced that Mayu Iwatani would defend the IWGP Women's Championship at Lonestar Shootout. At Fighting Spirit Unleashed, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's Stephanie Vaquer challenged Iwatani to a title match at Lonestar Shootout.

Also on October 28, a pre-taped vignette, featured a mysterious wrestler in a bar throwing darts, with the target on the dart board being Toru Yano. That wrestler was revealed to be Joey Janela, with his debut match being set up at Lonestar Shootout.

On October 30, on a statement in his Twitter page, Mike Bailey challenged Zack Sabre Jr. to a title match for the NJPW World Television Championship. Later that night, NJPW officially announced the title match. The match will marks the first meeting between Bailey and Sabre since 2017, with Bailey never having gotten a win over Sabre, with the latter seeking to reach 20 successful title defenses.

## Matches

### Kickoff

 2P | Fred Rosser defeated Tom Lawlor | Singles match

* (c) – refers to the champion(s) heading into the match
* – refers to the video of that match
* **P** – indicates the match will take place on the pre-show