NJPW’s World Tag League 2021 tournament continued today in Ehime.
With only night of block action left in the tournament, Great-O-Khan and Aaron Henare needed a victory in the main event to maintain a chance to place in the top two and advance to the finals, barring an unlikely series of no contests and double DQs. They faced Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI, who looked to get to 16 points and remain in contention for the finals.
Here are the results from today’s show:
Yuto Nakashima drew with Kosei Fujita (10:00)
The Young Lions went to yet another time limit draw.
World Tag League: EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi defeated Minoru Suzuki & TAKA Michinoku (9:31)
Yujiro pinned TAKA after hitting Big Juice.
World Tag League: Tetsuya Naito & SANADA defeated Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask (13:56)
SANADA pinned Nagata after a moonsault press.
World Tag League: Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi defeated Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma (13:39)
Taichi submitted Honma with the Holy Cross Mausoleum (stretch plum).
World Tag League: Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defeated Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens (11:28)
Tama pinned Fale.
World Tag League: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (9:17)
Yano pinned Tenzan.
World Tag League: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare (19:43)
YH pinned Henare after Goto and YH hit their tandem finisher.
NJPW’s World Tag League 2021 tournament continued today in Okayama.
With only two nights left in the tournament, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa needed a victory in the main event to maintain a chance to place in the top two and advance to the finals, barring an unlikely series of no contests and double DQs. They faced Tetsuya Naito and SANADA, who looked to get to 14 points and remain in contention for the finals.
Here are the results from today’s show:
Yuto Nakashima drew with Kosei Fujita (10:00)
The Young Lions went to yet another time limit draw.
World Tag League: Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi defeated Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask (11:48)
Taichi submitted Tiger with the Holy Cross Mausoleum (stretch plum).
World Tag League: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano defeated Minoru Suzuki & TAKA Michinoku (10:37)
Tana used his Texas Clover Hold to submit TAKA.
World Tag League: EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi defeated Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma (11:18)
Yujiro pinned Honma after hitting Big Juice.
World Tag League: Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (12:43)
Henare pinned Kojima after hitting an Imperial Drop.
World Tag League: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens (11:46)
Goto pinned Owens after Goto and YH hit their tandem finisher.
World Tag League: Tetsuya Naito & SANADA defeated Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (18:30)
Katsuyori Shibata will make a “major announcement” at the December 15 NJPW World Tag League Finals and Best of the Super Juniors 28 Finals show in Sumo Hall in Ryogoku.
According to a post on the NJPW website, “Shibata has expressed he has a major announcement that he would like to deliver directly to the fans.”
Although Shibata faced Zack Sabre Jr. in a five-minute UWF rules exhibition match at this year’s G1 Climax finals on October 21, he has not had an official match since NJPW Sakura Genesis in April 2017.
After winning the 2017 New Japan Cup, Shibata was challenging Kazuchika Okada at Sakura Genesis for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. During their match, Shibata suffered a subdural hematoma and had to have emergency surgery as a result of the injury. His in-ring career was thought to be over, though after he got physical during an angle with KENTA at the 2019 Power Struggle show, it was reported that he had sought to be medically cleared to return to the ring.
In an interview with NJPW’s website, Shibata said that he treated the October grappling match with Zack Sabre Jr. as a comeback match.
“I mean, Budokan felt like a comeback to me. That grappling match was Katsuyori Shibata’s pro-wrestling. Everything about these last four and a half years was Katsuyori Shibata’s pro-wrestling, and I’m proud of it, all of it. Now whether it counts within some official rules or not, I don’t know, but take from it what you will,” Shibata said.
“But that wasn’t the end point. There’s more to this.”
Shibata has served as the head coach at NJPW’s LA Dojo in Los Angeles, California since 2018.
NJPW’s World Tag League 2021 tournament continued today in Yamanashi.
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toru Yano faced Tama Tonga and Tang Loa in today’s main event. In a switch from the usual Young Lion vs. Young Lion opener, Yamanashi native and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi faced Young Lion Ryohei Oiwa.
Here are the results from today’s show:
Shingo Takagi defeated Ryohei Oiwa (10:18)
Shingo won with a Boston crab.
World Tag League: Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens defeated Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask (9:52)
Owens pinned Nagata with a package piledriver.
World Tag League: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Minoru Suzuki & TAKA Michinoku (10:09)
YOSHI-HASHI pinned TAKA.
World Tag League: Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare defeated Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma (12:17)
Henare pinned Honma after an Imperial Drop.
World Tag League: Tetsuya Naito & SANADA defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (11:32)
SANADA pinned Tenzan with an O’Connor roll.
World Tag League: EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi (17:10)
EVIL pinned Taichi after Everything is EVIL and the usual Bullet Club shenanigans.
World Tag League: Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano (14:47)
NJPW’s World Tag League 2021 tournament continued today in Saitama.
Tetsuya Naito & SANADA faced Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi for sole possession of first place atop the tournament block in today’s main event.
Here are the results from today’s show:
Kosei Fujita drew with Yuto Nakashima (10:00)
The Young Lions went to a time limit draw.
World Tag League: Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma defeated Minoru Suzuki & TAKA Michinoku (10:11)
Honma and Makabe won the battle of winless teams after Honma pinned TAKA with a kokeshi.
World Tag League: Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (10:45)
Fale pinned Kojima with a Grenade.
World Tag League: Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare defeated Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask (10:11)
Henare pinned Tiger after an Imperial Drop.
World Tag League: EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi defeated Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (11:15)
EVIL pinned Tama Tonga after Everything is EVIL.
World Tag League: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano (11:24)
The match is not available on video on demand for several more hours, but Goto pinned Yano, possibly after blocking a low blow.
World Tag League: Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi defeated Tetsuya Naito & SANADA (29:49)
With just seconds left in the time limit, Sabre pinned SANADA after a Tensho Zack Driver to claim sole possession of first place for Dangerous Tekkers.
This year’s World Tag League and Best of the Super Juniors tournaments will run concurrently for the second year in a row.
NJPW confirmed the two tournaments this morning. They will start on November 13 in Korakuen Hall and will conclude on December 15 in Ryogoku Sumo Hall. This will be the 28th installment of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament, which dates back to 1994. NJPW has ran the World Tag League since 2012.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing NJPW to postpone the Best of the Super Juniors tournament last May, the company decided to run both BOSJ and the World Tag League concurrently last year. Hiromu Takahashi won last year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, defeating Desperado to win the tournament for a second time. The Guerillas of Destiny defeated FinJuice to win the World Tag League tournament for the first time.
NJPW’s next tournament is the 31st G1 Climax, which starts on September 18 in Osaka and concludes on October 21 at Budokan Hall in Tokyo.
The finals for World Tag League 2018 were set at this morning’s show in Akita.
Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) defeated Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii and SANADA & EVIL defeated Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) this morning, meaning it will be Guerrillas of Destiny vs. SANADA & EVIL in the finals. There had been a four-way tie for first place between those teams heading into today’s show.
At the end of today’s event, Guerrillas of Destiny called out SANADA and EVIL. Tonga, Loa, and Jado attacked SANADA and EVIL and laid them out.
Guerrillas of Destiny defeated SANADA & EVIL in their match during this year’s tournament. SANADA & EVIL defeated Guerrillas of Destiny in last year’s finals.
Guerrillas of Destiny are the current IWGP Tag Team Champions. If SANADA & EVIL defeat them in the finals, SANADA & EVIL will challenge for their titles at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in some form.
The World Tag League finals will take place in Iwate on Sunday and air live on New Japan World. Hirooki Goto defending the NEVER Openweight Championship against Kota Ibushi has also been announced for the show.
The final days of the World Tag League are upon us as the tournament heads to Yamagata for the fifteenth day of events.
Scheduled for tonight’s card is Shota Umino & Ayato Yoshida vs. Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii, Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata vs. Jeff Cobb and Michael Elgin, Yujiro Takahashi & Hangman Page vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer, David Finlay & Juice Robinson vs. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan, SANADA and EVIL vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka and Best Friends vs. The Guerrillas of Destiny.
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada will team up in the main event, pairing with KUSHIDA and Rocky Romero to take on Jay White, Back Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori and Gedo.
At this point in the tournament, the Guerillas of Destiny are in the lead, commanding eighteen points in first place. EVIL & SANADA, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano and the Killer Elite Squad are not too far behind with sixteen points. It’s still anyone’s game.
English commentary will return on tonight’s show, which will feature Kevin Kelly and the debuting Excalibur. The show begins at 4:30 a.m. EST.
This was a fun sprint. They heavily teased an upset, and the crowd loved the false finishes.
Umino and Yoshida jumped Yano and Ishii before the bell, looking to gain the early edge. Yano and Ishii recovered quickly. Ishii and Umino had an intense exchange, and Umino dropped Ishii to one knee, but Ishii took him down with a shoulder tackle.
Yano untied a corner pad. Umino missed a charge into the corner, and ran into the exposed buckle. Umino hit a missile dropkick, then tagged Yoshida. Yoshida landed a PK for a nearfall. Umino hit a second missile dropkick after a tag.
Yano tagged Ishii, who applied a crab to Umino. Umino made the ropes. Ishii went for a second crab, but Yoshida jumped in and kicked him in the back, and he collapsed into a cradle by Umino for a close nearfall.
Umino hit a beautiful bridging german on Ishii for a nearfall. Ishii hit a brainbuster Umino used a la magistral cradle for a nearfall. Ishii applied another crab and got the tapout.
JEFF COBB & MICHAEL ELGIN DEFEATED MANABU NAKANISHI & YUJI NAGATA (8:58)
Not bad. Lots of power stuff with Cobb and Nakanishi.
Nagata and Elgin grappled to a stalemate, then tagged Nakanishi and Cobb. They did a knuckle lock, and Nakanishi won that battle. Nakanishi hit a tackle, but Cobb scoop slammed him, then tagged Elgin. Elgin delivered some punishment, then tagged Cobb.
Cobb and Nakanishi exchanged headbutts. Elgin and Cobb used a series of quick tags, working over Nakanishi’s back and neck. Nakanishi hit a lariat, then tagged Nagata, who went to work on Elgin with kicks. Nagata hit a boot in the corner and an exploder for a nearfall.
Nagata applied a crossface, but Cobb jumped in to break it up. Elgin hit a superkick and a falcon arrow into a double down. Cobb and Nakanishi tagged in. Nakanishi hit a pair of strikes to the throat and hit a short lariat for two.
Nakanishi used a torture rack on Cobb, while Nagata put a Nagata lock on Elgin, but they escaped. Elgin hit Nagata with an enziguri. Cobb and Elgin hit a double suplex on Nakanishi, but Nagata broke up the pinfall.
Cobb used an Angle slam into a standing moonsault on Nakanishi, and pinned him.
LANCE ARCHER & DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. DEFEATED YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & HANGMAN PAGE (10:41)
This picked up near the end, really when Page tagged in.
Smith went nuts on Page with suplexes at the outset. Killer Elite Squad tried to take the fight to the floor, but that backfired. Yujiro and Page hit stereo suicide dives. Smith and Archer came back with a Hart attack.
Smith and Archer worked over Yujiro, both scoring nearfalls on him. Smith used a chinlock. Archer beat on Yujiro with forearms and palm strikes to the chest. Yujiro finally got to his corner and tagged Page. Page hit a pescado on Smith. He went to the top for a moonsault. He teased one from the post to the floor, but Smith cut him off. Page fought off Smith and hit Archer with a moonsault in the ring.
Yujiro hit a sliding dropkick to Archer, and Page hit a standing shooting star for two. Page hit the ropes, but right into a pounce from Archer. I love the pounce.
Smith and Yujiro got tags. Yujiro hit a bulldog and a low dropkick to Smith’s leg. Yujiro went for a fisherman buster, but Smith countered into a low dropkick. Yujiro and Page hit stereo dropkicks, then Yujiro got the fisherman buster for a two count.
Page hit a buckshot lariat. Archer and Smith hit an assisted splash and an assisted powerslam for a nearfall, then hit the killer bomb on Yujiro for the pin.
ZACK SABRE JR. & TAICHI DEFEATED DAVID FINLAY & JUICE ROBINSON (9:23)
Not great.
Sabre and Taichi jumped Fin Juice before the bell. Juice and Finlay recovered, and both hit planchas. Juice missed a cannonball on Sabre. Sabre started stretching Juice in the ring, while Taichi and Finlay fought in the crowd. Taichi used a chair to attack Finlay. Sabre took Juice to the outside, and Taichi hit him with a chair.
Back in the ring, Sabre and Taichi worked Juice over. Sabre used a guillotine and an octopus. Juice escaped and hit a Juice box, then tagged Finlay. Finlay hit a pair of back elbows on the mat, then a diving uppercut off the second rope on Taichi.
Sabre and Taichi used a series of kicks on Finlay, and Taichi picked up a nearfall. Taichi removed his slacks, then hit an axe bomber for a nearfall. Juice took Sabre to the floor. TAKA took the ref while Taichi went for the mic stand. Taichi missed with the stand, and Juice and Finlay made a comeback.
The ref took a bump, allowing Taichi to hit a low blow and use a Gedo clutch on Finlay for the pin.
HIROYOSHI TENZAN & SATOSHI KOJIMA DEFEATED TOGI MAKABE & TOA HENARE (9:58)
This was okay. Everyone worked hard. Tenzan was moving a little bit better than he has of late.
Tenzan and Makabe kicked things off. Tenzan was doing well until he attepted a kokeshi, which he missed. Both tagged out. Kojima hit a DDT on Henare, then tagged Tenzan. TenKoji worked over Henare. Tenzan hit a headbutt for a nearfall, then a leg lariat for another.
Kojima tagged in and used a neckbreaker for a series of nearfalls. Henare finally got a tag to Makabe. Tenzan hit him with a brainbuster for a nearfall. Tenzan and Makabe dropped each other with simultaneous lariats, then tagged out.
Henare and Kojima exchanged machine gun chops in the corner. Henare hit a Samoan drop for a nearfall. Henare hit the slowest, gentlest spear I’ve ever seen. Kojima popped up and hit a cutter. Tenzan jumped in and they hit the TenKoji cutter for a nearfall, but Makabe broke up the pin.
Makabe hit a double lariat. Henare hit a diving tackle off the turnbuckle for two. Tenzan and Makabe brawled to the floor, while Henare and Kojima went at it in the ring. Kojima hit a big lariat, and picked up the pin.
EVIL & SANADA DEFEATED TAKASHI IIZUKA & MINORU SUZUKI (10:53)
The last minute of the bout, when everyone jumped in and broke up finishers, was excellent. The preceding ten minutes was kind of a mindless brawl.
Suzuki and Iizuka jumped EVIL and SANADA before the bell. Iizuka used a chair on SANADA from the floor to the ring, allowing Suzuki-gun to gain the edge. They fought into the crowd, and Suzuki hit SANADA with a half dozen chairs. SANADA beat the count back in at 19.
Suzuki removed Iizuka’s muzzle, and Iizuka bit everyone. Suzuki hit SANADA with a chair on the floor. Red Shoes refused to count an Iizuka pin on SANADA due to the chair shot. SANADA took a flip into the corner, went over the ropes, then hit a springboard attack on Iizuka. SANADA used a dragon screw on Suzuki.
EVIL got a hot tag and ran wild. He hit a neckbreaker and a senton on Suzuki for a nearfall. Suzuki hit a boot in the corner and a PK for a nearfall. EVIL and Suzuki exchanged chops and forearms. Suzuki hit a pair of short elbows. EVIL hit a fisherman buster into a double down.
SANADA got a tag. Suzuki used a choke to get to his corner, then tagged Iizuka. Suzuki hit a PK, and Iizuka covered for a nearfall. Iizuka choked SANADA with a rope, and got a nearfall. Iizuka grabbed the iron glove, but SANADA ducked it and applied skull end. Suzuki grabbed him with a choke and went for the Gotch, but EVIL broke it up.
Iizuka bit EVIL and SANADA, but then fell victim to a magic killer. SANADA applied skull end while EVIL held Suzuki at bay, and Iizuka tapped out.
CHUCKIE T & BERETTA DEFEATED TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA (17:02)
A really good match. Beretta is an awesome worker. He always goes all out, and did even more so here in a semi-main spot.
The Best Friends hit stereo enziguris, but missed with stereo planchas. It looked as if the Guerillas of Destiny might take over, but Beretta hit an Asai moonsault, and his team remained in control in the early going.
Beretta hit the ropes, but Jado nailed him with a kendo stick from the floor, as the Guerillas took over. Jado continued to attack Beretta with the stick on the floor. Loa hit Beretta with an attitude adjustment on the apron.
Tonga sent Beretta into the corner, then hit him with a dropkick on the way out. Tonga and Loa continued their assault on Beretta’s back. Beretta hit Loa with a running knee out of the corner, and was able to tag Chuckie.
Chuckie hit a tope con hilo, then avoided a kendo stick strike. Chuckie hit a double stomp off the top rope for a nearfall on Tonga, as Loa broke up the pin. Tonga hit a spear out of nowhere, then tagged Loa.
Tonga hit a gun stun, and Loa hit an elbow drop for a nearfall. Chuckie hit soul food, then tagged Beretta.
Beretta hit a high cross off the top on Loa, then a diving lariat. He hit a back elbow in the corner and went for a tornado DDT, but Loa blocked it and dropped him on the top rope. Loa hit a blue thunder bomb, but did not attempt a cover.
Beretta escaped a death valley driver, turning it into a tornado DDT. Loa and Beretta traded strikes. Beretta flipped out of a german attempt, then got sent into the referee. The ref also took shots in the corner from Tonga and Loa, and rolled to the floor.
Jado jumped in and used the kendo stick on Beretta. Tonga and Loa continued to beat down Beretta, using a double neckbreaker. Chuckie jumped in and went crazy with chair shots on Tonga and Loa. He threw the chair into Loa’s head twice, and Loa got caught and started bleeding from the forehead.
Chuckie walked through a kendo stick shot, and laid out Tonga on the floor. In the ring, Beretta used a rollup on Loa, and pinned him.
SWITCHBLADE JAY WHITE, BAD LUCK FALE, TAIJI ISHIMORI & GEDO DEFEATED KAZUCHIKA OKADA, HIROSHI TANAHASHI, KUSHIDA & ROCKY ROMERO (16:40)
The Bullet Club found themselves overwhelmed at the opening bell. All but Gedo bailed to the floor, and everyone teamed up on Gedo. Tana hit him with a kokeshi. KUSHIDA and Rocky hit him with clotheslines in the corner. Okada used an elbow drop. Gedo finally avoided a corner clothesline from Rocky, and his teammates jumped back in to take control of the match.
White took Okada into the aisle and choked him with a banner. Gedo used the ring bell hammer on Tana. Rocky just beat a count back inside at 19. The Bullet Club worked over Rocky. They cut the ring in half, isolating Rocky.
Tana finally got a tag and went after Fale. He used a low dropkick to chop the big man down. He tried repeatedly to slam him, but eventually settled for twist and shout. Fale blocked a slingblade and tagged White.
White hit Tana with an uppercut in the corner. Tana blocked a dragon screw and hit one of his own, then tagged Okada. Okada nailed White with right hands and a back elbow. White escaped a flapjack, but Okada hit him with an air raid crash. Okada went for a tombstone, but White turned it into a Saito suplex. Okada escaped a brainbuster attempt, and hit a flapjack into a double down.
Ishimori and KUSHIDA got tags. KUSHIDA hit a buzzsaw kick and used a cross armbreaker. Ishimori used a crucifix for a nearfall, then a rollup for a nearfall. Ishimori hit a handspring elbow. Rocky jumped in and hit ranas on Ishimori and Gedo.
The match broke down, and everyone jumped in. Okada hit Fale with a dropkick. Tana hit White with a slingblade. Tana and Okada hit planchas. KUSHIDA ducked a brass knuckles shot from Gedo, then hit a back elbow. White jumped in and hit KUSHIDA with a blade runner. Ishimori hit KUSHIDA with a bloody cross for the pin.
WORLD TAG LEAGUE STANDINGS
EVIL & SANADA (9-3, 18 Points)
LANCE ARCHER & DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. (9-3, 18 Points)
(Winner of EVIL & SANADA vs. Archer & Smith on Friday advances to the final on Sunday)
TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA (9-3, 18 Points)
TORU YANO & TOMOHIRO ISHII (9-3, 18 Points)
(Winner of Tonga & Loa vs. Yano & Ishii on Friday advances to the final on Sunday)
