The Super Junior Tag League got an almost throwaway match today, as the tournament played catch-up in Shizuoka.
We’re going to “Larry” the rest of the tournament here, with English commentary here coming from Kevin Kelly and Gino Gambino. The venue? It’s the Twin Messe in Shizuoka – the venue where you can see the New Japan tour coaches opposite the hard cam! On the undercard, we saw Yota Tsuji bust out a new submission hold – think of a hanging suplex with crossed legs and a lot of compression.
Unique submission from Tsuji! #NJPW #njpst https://t.co/4ULitIni5Z pic.twitter.com/JDbKDmeOaZ
— LARIATOOOO!! (@MrLARIATO) October 30, 2019
Super Junior Tag League 2019 – Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Tiger Mask & Yuya Uemura
I’d be stunned if Roppongi 3K fell here… especially as a loss would eliminate them with a match left.
We open with YOH and Tiger Mask exchanging armdrags. My internet craps out here, and resumes with YOH some figure four headscissors to force Uemura into the ropes, as the former junior tag champions looked to isolate the Young Lion. Some slams from SHO get a couple of near-falls, before an attempted fightback from Uemura was quickly snuffed out.
A dropkick from Uemura gave him some more breathing space, allowing him to tag out as Tiger Mask came in to kick away at SHO. A buzzsaw kick is ducked, but SHO’s caught in a heel hook that forced YOH into break up, as Tiger Mask was pushing on here. Forearms are exchanged as Tiger Mask maintained the momentum, cracking SHO with a knee after faking out a Tiger Driver, only for SHO to respond with a clothesline.
In comes YOH, who nearly won with a Northern Lights suplex, before Uemura’s tagged back in as the Young Lion tried to force the upset with a leaping forearm, then a Boston crab. YOH easily breaks out of the crab though, then took down Uemura with a Dragon screw… but Uemura’s able to fight back, using some double-teaming from Tiger Mask before he rolled YOH into another Boston crab. This time YOH can’t push out, and gets caught in a single leg crab as Uemura almost did the unthinkable…
Despite getting to the ropes, YOH’s still in trouble as Uemura got rid of SHO with a German suplex, before he almost countered a counter on YOH to start a series of flash pins… but it wasn’t to be, as Red Shoes came agonisingly close to counting a three, before YOH fought back with a bridging German for another near-fall. In the end, a Dragon suplex was enough to get the job done as Uemura did a fine job of having everyone bite for his near-falls… one day, that’ll lead to a monstrous reaction, but he’s a long way from that! ***¼
1. Bullet Club (El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori) (5-1; 10pts)
2. Birds of Prey (Will Ospreay & Robbie Eagles); Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi; Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH); Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (4-2; 8pts)
6. Volador Jr. & Titan (3-3; 6pts)
7. Tiger Mask & Yuya Uemura; TJP & Clark Connors (0-6; 0pts)
Everyone’s now had six matches, but the final round will be split – Aichi on Thursday gets the battle of the Young Lion teams, as TJP and Clark Connors take on Tiger Mask and Yuya Uemura to see who leaves with the wooden spoon… while everyone else still in the hunt for the top two spots wrestle on Friday in Osaka, with Suzuki-gun vs. Birds of Prey looking like a sure-fire decider…=