Good morning, and we are back!
It’s November 29th, and World Tag League returns to Korakuen Hall, THE wrestling arena in Tokyo. But tonight’s main event is not from the tournament, it’s the first ever (confirmed by New Japan’s advertising) teaming of HIroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada. As the once heated rivals team with Light Heavyweight champion, Kushida, their opponents will be Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, and, most likely the light heavyweight challenger, Taiji Ishimori.
I will see you next in ten days, when New Japan returns for Korakuen for the first teaming of Tanahashi & Okada against their heated rivals.
World Tag League matches:
1. Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb vs Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino
Still a bit puzzled over almost jobber/jobber team inclusion in this tournament. But their talent is certainly deserving. So far they have zero points. Let’s hope their first win comes over the two overbound, untalented Americans. Yoshida & Umino came very close to victory, but Cobb pinned Yoshida with a power slam. After the match Elgin patted Yoshida, shook Umino’s hand and applauded them, acknowledging the good effort.
2. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs Juice Robinson & David Finlay
Robinson & Finlay are out in new Robinson grey shirts. It makes Finlay look like an ugly version of Seth Rogen, and that’s saying something. Unbelievable spot, considering who was doing it. where Nakanishi hit a flying cross body off the top rope on both men. Double dropkick turned the tide for the Caucasians, Robinson punched Nakanishi, Finlay stunnered him and Juice pinned him after a Pulp Friction.
3. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Killer Elite Squad
Tenzan pinned Smith after a bodyslam and a moonsault. As beautiful as the moonsault was, I have to point out that Smith had to very obviously turn himself all the way around, so his legs won’t be in the ropes, after the bodyslam. This is a huge upset as the veteran team beat one of the top teams in the league and one of the top tournament leaders.
4. Togi Makabe & Toa Henare vs Best Friends
Well, that escalated quickly! The second time Chuckie T tagged in against Henare, he just went to town on him. He took him outside, piled a whole bunch of chairs and slammed Henare onto them. He put a table into the ring, climbed in, and with the ref saying no, hit Henare with a chair for a DQ loss. Makabe came in and was winning for a while, but Chuckie turned the side and went to town on him with a chair as well. After destroying Young Lions who tried to stop him, Chuck slammed Toa onto the table. Beretta yelled at him to stop, but Chuck seemingly ignored him and started choking Henare with a belt. Beretta came in to stop the beating, but Chuck nailed him, apparently without seeing who it was, but didn’t seem to care. Next, doing his best Sid Vicious impression, he left the ring. I wonder if we discovered who Jay White’s spy in CHAOS was.
5. Guerillas of Destiny (with Jado) vs Adam Page & Yujiro Takahashi
There was one star in this match, and it was Yujiro–he looked very smooth, since he finally had a chance to do offense, and non-comedic offense as that. Jado nailed him, which distracted Page, and the Hangman got lariated by Tanga Loa and Nightfalled for the pin.
6. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka vs Zack Sabre jr & Taichi (with TAKA Michinoku)
When Suzuki ended up going against Sabre, he tagged out. Sabre then tagged Taichi. Taichi tried to convince Iizuka to tag in Suzuki. As Iizuka turned around, Suzuki ripped his mask off and tried to get him to attack Suzuki, but Iizuka attacked Taichi instead. Eventually after a lot of creative twists, Sabre pinned Iizuka with a backflip cradle. After the match, Suzuki offered opponents to bump hands, both accepted, but Taichi hesitated for a bit.
7. Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs EVIL & Sanada
Excellent match. The finish came after Sanada blocked several of Yano’s attempts to low blow him or knock out the ref, and pinned him with a backflip cradle. This was a contest between two tournament leaders, so lots of effect for later on in the tournament and gives the Los Ingobernables team solo lead for now.
Non-World Tag League main event:
8. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada & Kushida vs Jay White, Bad Luck Fale and Taiji Ishimori (with Gedo)
Ishimori comes to the ring with an unknown belt and limping on a strange-looking black cast, which makes me wonder if he is hurt, and we’ll get Gedo instead. Okada comes down first for his team and gets in Jay White’s face, but all of OGs team to beat him up, until Tanahashi & Kushida rush the ring. Kushida was absolutely on fire in the match he had no business taking the lead in, but thank god he did, as the opening wasn’t very notable. When Tanahashi had to come in to save Kushida from Fale, he executed a dragon screw, at which point Jay White ran in, only for Okada to head him off and execute a dragon screw of his own. Nice! Kushida had Ishimori almost tap to the Hoverboard, but Jay White blade runnered him and one gutbuster later, OGs had won. Interesting choice, as I thought Fale was here to take the pin. Jay White managed to Blade Runner him. Tanahashi got in for the save, but, with help from Fale, he got the same fate.
Jay White got on the mic and said that a) he is facing Okada at WrestleKingdom b) they are the Bullet Club, not a version of it and c) this is the Cutthroat Era.
