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Dominion

Going into Dominion, both the IWGP Tag Team titles and the STRONG Openweight Tag Team titles were under hot contention. Bullet Club and Bishamon would swap the IWGP Tag titles back and forth, while TMDK and Guerillas of Destiny were trading claims on the STRONG Tag titles. These two feuds would collide at Dominion in a massive 4-Way Tornado Elimination Tag Team Match for both sets of tag titles. Yes, once again, the IWGP and STRONG Tag titles would come together.

The match was as hectic as you’d expect, and with both the current champions being eliminated first (Bullet Club being the IWGP Tag champs and GoD being the STRONG Tag champs), the final fall would guarantee a title change for both sets. Between Bishamon and TMDK, the ultimate winners of the match would be TMDK, capturing the STRONG Tag titles for the 2nd time, and the IWGP Tag titles for the first time in their careers.

Capital Collision & Royal Quest

TMDK’s next STRONG Tag title defense came at the next US New Japan show: Capital Collision. There, they defended the titles against the CMLL team of Hechicero and Virus. They were formidable opponents, but TMDK was able to overcome the technical twosome. 

On the same show, there was a three-way tag match to determine the next contenders for the STRONG tag titles. There, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii defeated the teams of Bad Dude Tito & Robbie Eagles and the Grizzled Young Vets to become #1 contenders for the STRONG Tag titles. They would have their title match in London at Royal Quest, but once again, TMDK managed to successfully defend the STRONG Tag titles.

Fighting Spirit Unleashed

Their next challengers were no mystery. Earlier in the show, the Grizzled Young Vets sent a video announcing their intentions to challenge for the STRONG Tag titles at Fighting Spirit Unleashed, and since TMDK prevailed over Tanahashi & Ishii, that would be the team they’d be facing. Grizzled Young Vets were the team that were neither pinned nor submitted in the three-way #1 contender’s match at Capital Collision, so they had a pretty good case for being the next contenders to the titles. At Fighting Spirit Unleashed, the Vets proved their case, winning the match and taking the STRONG tag titles off of TMDK, earning their first taste of New Japan gold.

Strong Style Evolved

The Grizzled Young Vets’ first defense came at an ROH show against MxM Collection, which the Vets won, but their next challengers were already established. The West Coast Wrecking Crew have been feuding with Tom Lawlor and Fred Rosser since the break up of Team Filthy earlier this year. They traded wins back and forth all year, but WCWC ended the feud with their victory in their 2 out of 3 falls match at Fighting Spirit Unleashed, the same show where Grizzled Young Vets won the STRONG Tag titles. After their victory, the Wrecking Crew challenged the Vets to a STRONG Tag title match, taking place at the last US New Japan show of the year. Thus, at Strong Style Evolved, the Grizzled Young Vets would take on the West Coast Wrecking Crew, and to cap of 2024, the West Coast Wrecking Crew would, on their 5th attempt, finally capture the STRONG Openweight Tag Team titles, and take those titles into 2025.

Building to Battle in the Valley

Their first challengers for 2025 made themselves known after the match. Rocky Romero, a long time head of New Japan's LA Dojo and New Japan's American operations in general, came down to congratulate Nelson & Isaacs on their title win. He also announced that he and YOH would be their first challengers. The match is scheduled for Battle in the Valley, New Japan's first US show of 2025.