More World Tag League action continues tonight inside Korakuen Hall.
A World Tag League match main events, as the team of Jeff Cobb and Michael Elgin take on the team on SANADA and EVIL. Other tournament matches tonight include Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Zack Sabre & Taichi and Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka vs. Killer Elite Squad in a Suzuki-gun battle.
The undercard will feature a CHAOS vs. LIJ six man tag team match, with Kazuchika Okada and Roppongi 3K taking on Tetusya Naito, BUSHI and Shingo Takagi. There will also be a CHAOS vs. Elite six man match with Hirooki Goto, Beretta and Chuckie T vs. Hangman Page, Yujiro Takahashi and Kota Ibushi.
More matches in the undercard include WTL teams that aren’t competiting in tournament matches tonight, which include David Finlay and Juice Robinson, Guerillas of Destiny and more.
Join us for live action starting at 4:30 a.m. ET. There will be English commentary.
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JUICE ROBINSON & DAVID FINLAY DEFEATED YUYA UEMURA & YOTA TSUJI (5:58)
A quick match with a couple of cool spots. Tsuji and Uemura got a lot of offense.
The Young Lions scored some early offense on Juice. Juice reversed an irish whip, and Finlay and Juice took Tsuji down with a double dropkick. Each hit Tsuji with a senton. Tsuji missed a dropkick, but hit one on his second attempt, and was able to tag Uemura.
Uemura used a back elbow and a scoop slam on Finlay. Tsuji knocked Juice off the apron, and Tsuji and Uemura each took one of Finlay’s legs, applying a double crab. Juice broke it up with a dropkick.
Juice and Finlay hit a double flapjack on Uemura, and Finlay used a brainbuster on his knee to pin Uemura.
THE GUERILLAS OF DESTINY DEFEATED TOMOAKI HONMA & REN NARITA (8:23)
The crowd was into Honma. The match itself was just kind of there. Honma tried to do a little bit more than he has since his comeback, but there isn’t a lot he can do aside from selling.
Guerillas of Destiny went on the attack a few seconds before the bell. Jado accompanied them and used an air horn to signal them to attack. While Narita was sent to the floor, Honma made a comeback. He went for a kokeshi on Tonga, but Jado hit him with a kendo stick from the floor, cutting him off.
The Guerillas worked over Honma. Tonga hit a splash in the corner. Loa used a knee drop. Honma sold as though he was knocked out and unable to run the ropes. Tonga went for a kokeshi, but Honma moved. Honma went for a kokeshi, but Tonga moved. Honma hit a slow-motion DDT, then tagged Narita.
Narita hit a dropkick out of the corner, and followed with two more shotgun dropkicks. Honma hit a diving kokeshi on Loa, and Narita used a slam for a nearfall. Narita used a crab. Kado jumped on the apron. Tonga jumped in, but ate a kokeshi.
Narita used an O’Connor roll into a bridging cradle for a two count. Loa recovered and hit a lariat for a nearfall, then hit apeshit for the pin.
SATOSHI KOJIMA, HIROYOSHI TENZAN, TOA HENARE & TOGI MAKABE DEFEATED MANABU NAKANISHI, YUJI NAGATA, SHOTA UMINO & AYATO YOSHIDA (10:11)
Of the veterans in the match, Kojima, Makabe and Nagata can still go. Nakanishi and Tenzan, not so much. The match picked up in the last couple of minutes, but it was tough when the slower guys were in.
Henare and Nakanishi started off. Henare went for a backbreaker, but Nakanishi blocked it, forcing a tag.
Kojima and Yoshida tagged in. Yoshida dropped Kojima with a forearm, then hit a big PK. Yoshida missed a charge into the corner, allowing Kojima to hit his series of chops. Kojima hit a DDT, then tagged Tenzan. They hit some tandem offense. Tenzan used a vertical suplex for a two count.
Makabe tagged in and continued to work over Yoshida. Yoshida hit a kick to the stomach and tagged Nagata. Nagata hit Makabe with a series of kicks, then a boot in the corner. Nagata hit an exploder, but Makabe popped right up and hit a lariat, into a double down.
Umino and Henare got tags. Umino ran wild, then triple-teamed Henare with help from Nakanishi and Yoshida. Kojima broke up a pinfall attempt. Umino hit a dropkick. Henare hit a rugby tackle, then Yoshida broke up a pinfall attempt on Umino.
Everyone jumped in and hit a big move, then cleared the ring, leaving Henare and Umino the legal men. They traded strikes. Umino hit the ropes, right into a Samoan drop for a two count. Henare then used a uranage for the pin.
KOTA IBUSHI, HANGMAN PAGE & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI DEFEATED BERETTA, CHUCKIE T & HIROOKI GOTO (9:58)
Goto challenged Ibushi to start the match with him, but Ibushi declined, teasing that Ibushi doesn’t think Goto is a worthy opponent. This would play into the post-match.
Good match. It would have been even better with about five more minutes, as it felt like they crammed a lot into their allotted time.
Yujiro hit Beretta with a boot to the face. Beretta came back with a sunset flip off the second.
Page tagged in and went crazy, hitting a springboard lariat, a pescado, and a suicide dive. Beretta quickly cut him off, then the CHAOS team went to work on Page.
Page went for a springboard move, but Beretta caught him and hit a bridging suplex for a two count. Chuckie worked Page over with a chinlock, hit a dropkick, then went back to the chinlock. Beretta got a tag, took his flip into the corner, then ran into a lariat.
Goto and Ibushi got tags. Ibushi hit a standing moonsault, a snap rana, then a slingshot splash for a two count. Goto hit an ushigoroshi, then tagged Chuckie. Chuckie hit a corner clothesline and a pop-up powerbomb for a two count.
Ibushi was able to tag Yujiro. Chuckie and Beretta hit stereo pescados. Yujiro hit a dropkick. Ibushi hit Goto with a missile dropkick. Page hit a buckshot lariat on Chuckie, and Yujiro followed with pimp juice for the pin.
After the match, Goto asked Ibushi if he wants the next shot. Ibushi was non-committal. Goto said fine, no shot for you. Then Ibushi changed his mind, and accepted the challenge for the NEVER title.
KAZUCHIKA OKADA & ROPPONGI 3K DEFEATED SHINGO TAKAGI, BUSHI & TETSUYA NAITO (11:11)
They had a really good six-man. There was a palpable buzz every time Okada and Naito faced off.
Okada and Naito started off. They traded quick cradles, then Naito hit his tranquilo pose. Shingo and YOH tagged in, locked up, then traded strikes. SHO jumped in and they doubled up on Shingo. BUSHI and Naito jumped in to even the odds, and the match broke down into a ringside brawl.
SHO got whipped hard into the security fence, which nearly impaled him. Back in the ring, Naito and Shingo worked over YOH. Naito used a weird-looking single-leg crab thing on YOH. Shingo used a brainbuster. He tried to use a dragon screw, but YOH reversed and hit one himself.
SHO got a tag and ran wild on Shingo. He hit a low dropkick and took BUSHI off the apron. SHO used a knee lift. SHO and Shingo traded strikes. Shingo went for the pumping bomber, but SHO ducked and hit a spear.
Shingo hit a haymaker and a lariat, then tagged BUSHI. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick and a DDT. BUSHI hit an enziguri and a backstabber, forcing Okada to break up a pinfall. Okada then sent Naito into the barricade on the floor.
SHO and YOH hit a suplex on Shingo, then tagged Okada. Okada hit a neckbreaker on BUSHI for a nearfall. Naito jumped in and traded shots with Okada. SHO and YOH hit stereo knees on Naito and Shingo, then stereo pescados to both.
Okada hit BUSHI with a dropkick, then hit the rainmaker for the pin.
WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. & LANCE ARCHER DEFEATED MINORU SUZUKI & TAKASHI IIZUKA (11:25)
They had the crazy brawl that you would expect from two Suzuki-gun teams.
Suzuki and Iizuka tried to get the jump on Smith and Archer before the bell. Suzuki fared better, as he applied a heel hook over the barricade on Archer. In the ring, Smith used a delayed vertical suplex on Iizuka. All four men went to the floor, and Suzuki and Iizuka used chairs.
Back inside, Suzuki and Smith were declared the legal men. Suzuki went for the Gotch on Smith, but Smith backdropped him over the top to the floor. Smith sent Iizuka into the railing, then Smith and Archer double-teamed Suzuki. They brawled into the crowd, and Smith used a chair on Suzuki.
Archer and Iizuka continued to brawl outside. Suzuki hit Smith with a boot in the corner, then a series of PKs. Smith demanded more. Suzuki hit three, then picked up a nearfall. Suzuki hit a knee to the chest, then used a rear naked choke.
Suzuki went for the Gotch again, but Smith blocked it. Suzuki used a guillotine, but Smith suplexed out of it, then tagged Archer. Archer taunted Suzuki, then traded palm strikes with him. Suzuki slipped out of a chokeslam, then tagged Iizuka.
Suzuki took Iizuka’s muzzle off, and he bit Smith and Archer. Suzuki took the ref, allowing Iizuka to use a rope to choke Archer. Iizuka grabbed the iron glove. Smith and Archer took Suzuki out. Iizuka bit Smith and Archer again.
Archer hit Iizuka with a pounce, then Smith and Archer hit Iizuka with the killer bomb, and Archer pinned Iizuka.
WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: ZACK SABRE JR. & TAICHI DEFEATED TOMOHIRO ISHII & TORU YANO (16:29)
This was excellent when Sabre and Ishii were in. The Taichi and Yano comedy worked pretty well, but Taichi’s regular offense doesn’t look very good.
Taichi and Yano started off, but neither wanted to lock up. They stalled for almost two minutes. Sabre tagged in, Yano escaped a chain wrestling sequence with his life, then immediately tagged Ishii.
Ishii and Sabre exchanged strikes, and Ishii dropped Sabre with a forearm. Sabre and Ishii had a nice sequence of moves and reversals, ending when Sabre cranked on Ishii’s neck with his feet. Sabre continued to work over the neck and the right arm of Ishii, while Taichi took Yano to the floor, then brawled into the crowd with him.
Taichi and Sabre continued to work over the right arm. Sabre then attacked the left arm. Taichi got a tag and stomped away at the right arm. Ishii threw chops with the right arm, but sold them. Ishii hit a powerslam, then tagged Yano.
Yano untied a corner pad, then another. Taichi used a pad as a weapon, knocking Yano down. Taichi raked the eyes, but Yano sent him into the exposed buckle. Yano took Taichi’s pants off, shoved him into an exposed buckle, then used a roll-up for a nearfall.
Ishii tagged in, and chopped away at Taichi. Ishii missed a charge into the exposed buckle. Taichi used a series of kicks on Ishii’s left leg. Ishii hit a headbutt, but ran into a lariat, allowing Taichi to tag Sabre.
Sabre cranked on the right arm of Ishii, then stomped on it. Ishii blocked a PK, then dropped Sabre with a forearm. Ishii got sent into the buckle. Sabre applied an octopus, while Taichi kicked at Ishii’s head. Ishii fought for the ropes, then finally made it.
Yano jumped in and hit a fireman’s carry on Taichi, then one on Sabre. He used an inverted atomic drop on Sabre. Ishii went for the sliding lariat, but Sabre caught him and applied a double wristlock. Yano broke up the hold.
Sabre hit a PK, teased a Zack driver, but Ishii slid out and hit a standing lariat, then a sliding lariat for a great nearfall. Ishii went for the brainbuster, but Sabre turned it into a triangle. Ishii tried to power out, but he kept the hold.
Yano jumped in to break the hold, but Taichi cut him off, nailing him with the mic stand. Ishii refused to tap out, but the referee called for a stoppage, giving Taichi and Sabre the win.
WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: EVIL & SANADA DEFEATED MICHAEL ELGIN & JEFF COBB (17:40)
A really good main event with some great nearfalls.
Cobb and SANADA started out with some mat work. Cobb hit a huge throw on SANADA, then tagged Elgin, and they hit a double backbreaker, picking up a quick two count.
SANADA hit Elgin with a low dropkick to the knees, then tagged EVIL. Elgin used a delayed vertical on EVIL, then tagged Cobb, who took hold of EVIL and continued it. Cobb tagged Elgin, who then finally delivered the suplex.
Elgin used an O’Connor roll, but EVIL kicked him off, right into a dropkick from SANADA from the apron. The match spilled to the floor. EVIL placed a chair around Elgin’s neck, then sent him into the post.
Back inside, SANADA hit a snap suplex on Elgin for a two count. EVIL and SANADA hit a double back elbow, then EVIL hit a senton for a nearfall. Elgin hit a couple of short elbows, but EVIL raked his eyes. SANADA jumped in. Elgin made his own comeback, including using EVIL as a springboard while he hit SANADA with a DDT.
Elgin hit a dropkick on EVIL, then tagged Cobb. Cobb hit an overhead belly to belly, then a side suplex. He went for a standing moonsault, but EVIL got his knees up, then tagged SANADA.
SANADA hit his leapfrog dropkick on Cobb. SANADA took the Flair corner flip, missed a springboard dropkick, then Cobb hit a throw. Elgin tagged in and hit discus forearms on SANADA, then a tope to EVIL.
They nearly botched it, but Elgin is a stong dude, and he eventually hit a gutwrench backbreaker on SANADA, who sold it as though he was broken in half. EVIL broke up a buckle bomb attempt. SANADA flipped out of a brainbuster attempt and used skull end on Elgin. EVIL used a choke on Cobb, who then threw EVIL into SANADA, breaking the hold.
Cobb lifted SANADA as if he was going to hit a last ride, but instead, Elgin jumped up and hit SANADA with a backstabber. EVIL broke up the pinfall. SANADA hit a dropkick, then used skull end. EVIL and SANADA used a magic killer, but Cobb broke up the pinfall attempt on Elgin.
SANADA missed a moonsault, and both Elgin and SANADA made tags. EVIL and Cobb exchanged strikes, and Cobb dropped EVIL with a lariat. Cobb hit a modified bossman slam for a nearfall. Cobb and Elgin hit EVIL with forearms in the corner. Elgin used a superplex into a standing moonsault from Cobb, who picked up a nearfall on EVIL.
SANADA nailed Elgin with a missile dropkick. Cobb went for tour of the islands on EVIL, but SANADA broke it up. EVIL and SANADA hit a second magic killer on Cobb, then EVIL hit everything is EVIL, and got the pin.
CURRENT STANDINGS
EVIL & SANADA 2
YUJI NAGATA & MANABU NAKANISHI 2
JUICE ROBINSON & DAVID FINLAY 2
BERETTA & CHUCKIE T 2
TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA 2
DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. & LANCE ARCHER 2
ZACK SABRE JR. & TAICHI 2
MICHAEL ELGIN & JEFF COBB 0
TOMOHIRO ISHII & TORU YANO 0
MINORU SUZUKI & TAKASHI IIZUKA 0
HANGMAN PAGE & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI 0
AYATO YOSHIDA & SHOTA UMINO 0
TOGI MAKABE & TOA HENARE 0
HIROYOSHI TENZAN & SATOSHI KOJIMA 0
