Resurgence (2023)

## Resurgence

Promotional poster featuring Stephanie Vaquer, Mercedes Mone, Momo Kohgo and Willow Knightingale

## Information

### City

Long Beach, California

**Resurgence (2023)** was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling's New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America (NJoA). The event took place on May 21, 2023, at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California, United Sates.

This was the second event under the Resurgence name, with the first occuring in August 2021. The event featured a tournament to crown the inaugural Strong Women's Championship. The event also featured wrestlers from NJPW partner promotions All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL).

## 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*. The event was announced on March 9, with tickets going on sale on April 9, costing from $29 to $299. The ticket sale was announced on April 9, due to delay caused by changes in seat and staging layout. The venue also took site on the most recent event being the 2019 Super J-Cup. On May 12, it was reported that Mercedes Mone would take part in the event to help boost the ticket sales for the event.

On April 28, NJPW announced the creation of the Strong Women's Championship, with it being contested in a singles-elimination tournament and with the bracket being revealed on the same day. The tournament matches being contested at the event through NJPW's weekly television show, *NJPW Strong* series. The tournament features wrestlers from NJPW's partner promotions and its sister promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom (Stardom), featuring Mercedes Mone, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) wrestler Stephanie Vaquer, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) wrestler Willow Nightingale and World Wonder Ring Stardom (Stardom) wrestler Momo Kohgo.

### Storylines

The Resurgence 2023 features 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.

At Battle in the Valley, Fred Rosser lost the Strong Openweight Championship after Juice Robinson attacked Rosser with the *Left Hand of God* to cost Rosser the championship. Rosser then in a pre-taped vingette, vowed revenge on Robinson, with Rosser inviting Robinson's wife Toni Storm at Capitol Collision. Robinson was set to take on Rosser at the event, only to the match end in a no-contest after Robinson assaulted Rosser and the referee nearby, leaving Rosser with stiches around his hear. This led on April 16, NJPW sanctioning Robinson with a suspension and Rosser taking his place in the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship #1 contendership tournament. At the next day, the match was turned into a street-fight; due to the stipulation, Robinson interfered aiding Archer to defeat Rosser. In another pre-taped vingette, both men vowed revenge on each other, with Robinson later affirming that Rosser paid the price for invoking the name of a man's wife and that he did not care about the consequences due to being hired by AEW and not NJPW.

On April 10, NJPW announced a four-man single-elimination tournament to determine the number one contender for Kenny Omega's IWGP United States Championship. At Resurgence, Hiroshi Tanahashi would face Will Ospreay in the semi-finals.

Other matches featured, Hikuleo taking on KENTA for the Strong Openweight Championship in a rematch from Wrestling Donataku, and a predule match between Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta and Shota Umino and CHAOS' Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Rocky Romero. On May 1, NJPW announced that the former IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley from AEW was set to appear at the event, marking his first NJPW appearance since October 2022. On May 4, it was revealed that Moxley would team with Umino and Yuta to face CHAOS (Okada, Romero and Ishii) in a six-man tag team match.