There are new Super Junior Tag League winners after today’s NJPW Summer Struggle event.
El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Taiji Ishimori in the main event of today’s show to win the 2021 Super Jr. Tag League. Kanemaru used a schoolboy to pin Ishimori and win the tournament.
Both teams involved in today’s final finished the tournament with eight points, but Desperado and Kanemaru took the tiebreaker by virtue of the head-to-head win.
The two teams have spent the bulk of the last year trading the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag titles, with both teams having two reigns with the titles since September 2020. They will meet again at a later date in another title match.
Here are the final standings for the tournament:
Final Super Jr. Tag League 2021 standings —
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru 8 points (4-1) *winners*
The NJPW Super Junior Tag League wrapped up today at Summer Struggle at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Seven wrestlers being pulled from the card due to COVID-19 protocols forced a series of changes to the event.
Shingo Takagi and BUSHI missed a third straight show awaiting the results of PCR testing after both had fevers and were pulled from Sunday’s event.
Shingo, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito and SANADA faced EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo and Dick Togo in an eight-man tag on Saturday’s untelevised Summer Struggle show. Shingo, BUSHI, Naito, SANADA, Gedo, Togo, and Yujiro were pulled from today’s show.
A double forfeit took place on the final night of Super Jr. Tag League. With Gedo and Togo unable to compete and SHO and YOH dissolving as a team yesterday, their bout was ruled a double forfeit.
The other two scheduled Super Jr. Tag League matches went on as planned, with El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru facing Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo in the main event, plus Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask taking on Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato.
A major angle closed today’s NJPW Summer Struggle event in Korakuen Hall.
Roppongi 3K split in the midst of losing their Super Junior Tag League match to El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru when SHO turned on YOH.
The Roppongi 3K duo have been on a losing streak, now losing all four of their Super Jr. Tag League matches. The two worked as a unit for the bulk of the match, but Desperado and Kanemaru worked over YOH’s left knee. YOH missed a year of action due to a torn ACL in the knee.
SHO entered the match to perform a tandem move on Desperado. As YOH ran the ropes, his knee buckled.
From that point on, SHO gave up on the match.
Desperado put YOH in his Numero Dos stretch muffler submission hold. SHO jumped in as if to save, but then backed away and allowed Desperado to continue using the hold. YOH fought for a rope break, but then fell to Desperado’s Pinche Loco finisher.
After the bout, SHO hit YOH with his Shock Arrow cross-armed piledriver to cement the turn on his tag partner.
SHO and YOH both joined the NJPW Dojo in 2012. They were opponents and tag partners as Young Lions, eventually forming something of a permanent unit in 2014.
The duo were sent to CMLL and ROH for their international excursion in 2016 at the conclusion of the NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania tour. They worked as The Tempura Boyz in ROH.
They returned to the main NJPW roster in October 2017 with the Roppongi 3K name, managed by Rocky Romero. They defeated Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi to claim the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship at King of Pro Wrestling in their first match back in Japan.
Roppongi 3K are one of the most decorated junior heavyweight teams in NJPW history, with five IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship reigns and three Super Jr. Tag tournament wins. Only three teams have more combined days as IWGP Jr. Tag champs. Only The Young Bucks have more IWGP Jr. Tag title reigns as a unit.
Three teams remain alive heading in to tomorrow’s final night of Super Junior Tag League action.
Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo remain undefeated following today’s NJPW Summer Struggle show in Tokyo. They defeated the previously unbeaten Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask. El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru also won, meaning that tomorrow’s main event could decide the tournament winner.
Here are the scenarios:
If Ishimori and ELP defeat Desperado and Kanemaru tomorrow, they win the tournament.
If Desperado and Kanemaru beat Ishimori and ELP tomorrow and Eagles and Tiger lose to Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato, Desperado and Kanemaru will win the tournament.
If Desperado and Kanemaru win and Eagles and Tiger also win, there would be a three-way tie at the top of the block by virtue of Eagles and Tiger holding a win over Desperado and Kanemaru.
A playoff match three-way would then likely be announced for next week’s Summer Struggle events.
Here are the updated standings and schedule for the tournament:
The NJPW Super Junior Tag League continued today at Summer Struggle at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Eight wrestlers being pulled from the card due to COVID-19 protocols forced a series of changes to the event.
Shingo Takagi and BUSHI missed a second straight show awaiting the results of PCR testing after both had fevers and were pulled from Sunday’s event.
Shingo, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito and SANADA faced EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo and Dick Togo in an eight-man tag on Saturday’s untelevised Summer Struggle show.
Despite Naito, SANADA, Gedo, Togo, Yujiro and EVIL all working on Sunday, a day after their close contact with Shingo and BUSHI, they were pulled from today’s show.
Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato were awarded two points in a forfeit win over Gedo and Dick Togo in the Super Junior Tag League. Taguchi and Wato then worked today’s opener against Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma.
After not being scheduled for this leg of the tour, Kazuchika Okada was called into action for today’s show, teaming with Toru Yano against Chase Owens and Jado.
The other two scheduled Super Jr. Tag League matches went on as planned, with El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru facing SHO and YOH in the main event, plus Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask taking on Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo in a matchup of the two remaining undefeated teams in the tournament.
Following the main event, SHO turned on YOH, laying him out with a Shock Arrow.
The NJPW Super Junior Tag League continued today at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
Three tournament matches topped the card, with three-time tournament winners SHO and YOH taking on Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato in the main event.
The Summer Struggle tour continues tomorrow with a NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship match headlining. Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI and Tomohiro Ishii will defend against Tetsuya Naito, SANADA and BUSHI.
The Super Junior Tag League resumes on Monday, August 16.
The NJPW Super Junior Tag League continued today at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
Three tournament matches topped the card, with IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo taking on Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato in the main event.
Tag previews of the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag match coming up on Tuesday and the KOPW 2021 match coming up next month at Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome rounded out the card.
The Summer Struggle tour continues with shows both Monday and Tuesday.
The NJPW Super Junior Tag League began today at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
Three tournament matched topped the card, with IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo taking on SHO and YOH in the main event.
The second match featured a tag preview of Tuesday’s NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship match, while the opener previewed the KOPW 2021 match coming up at Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome next month.
The Summer Struggle tour rolls on with shows Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
NJPW has announced matches for their next nine Summer Struggle shows to be held in Korakuen Hall in July and August.
The key bout scheduled will be a NEVER Openweight Six-Man Championship match on August 1, with Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI defending the titles against Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. and Minoru Suzuki.
Also on August 1, Young Lions Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura will also have their final bouts before leaving Japan for their international excursion. Tsuji will face Tetsuya Naito, while Uemura takes on Kazuchika Okada.
The Super Junior Tag League will also return following a 2020 hiatus. Six teams will face off over five events from August 7 to August 17 in the tournament.
More matches will be announced for these nine events at a later date, as only the Tag League matches have been revealed for five of the nine events.
Here are the announced cards:
NJPW Summer Struggle, Tuesday, July 27, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. EVIL & Dick Togo
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, SHO & YOH vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
After not taking place in 2020, the NJPW Super Junior Tag League is returning for 2021.
NJPW announced today that the six-team tournament will kick off on the August 7 Summer Struggle event in Korakuen Hall.
Teams will be awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and no points for a loss. The winner of the tournament will be decided by highest point total. If teams are tied, tiebreakers will be used. If teams remain tied after tiebreakers, there will be a playoff match.
The teams will be:
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
SHO & YOH
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask
Gedo & Dick Togo
Here are the lineups for the tournament:
August 7 —
Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo vs. SHO & YOH
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask vs. Gedo & Dick Togo
August 8 —
Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
SHO & YOH vs. Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Gedo & Dick Togo
August 9 —
Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo vs. Gedo & Dick Togo
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask
SHO & YOH vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
August 16 —
Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo vs. Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. SHO & YOH
Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Gedo & Dick Togo
August 17 —
Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
SHO and YOH won both the 2018 and 2019 editions of the Super Junior Tag League. They also won the 2017 tournament when it was known as the Super Junior Tag Tournament.
