Time for some catch-up from New Japan, as we’ve got another round of block B action from this year’s World Tag League.
Again, New Japan World have only uploaded the tournament matches from Friday’s show in Hiroshima, but we do have some interesting match-ups in the mix…
World Tag League 2016, Block B: SANADA & EVIL vs. Billy Gunn & Yoshitatsu
One of the many matches that Billy Gunn’s involvement in this tournament has thrown at us, and it started with Gunn shoving SANADA into the corner from the opening lock-up.
SANADA used an eye rake to get back into things, before Gunn hit a hiptoss that looked like a neckbreaker for a near-fall. Tagging in Yoshitatsu led to another hiptoss, then an armdrag for SANADA, who then took the upper hand after dropkicking Yoshitatsu’s knee. EVIL came in to keep up the pressure, before SANADA isolated Yoshitatsu away from Gunn. EVIL briefly grounded Yoshitatsu in a chinlock, but the former NEVER champion lost out and ended up being the brunt of a series of clotheslines from Gunn. Gunn threw EVIL into the corner via a choke, before SANADA took a powerslam off the ropes. Billy set up EVIL for the Famouser, but it misses as EVIL shoved him into the corner.
Yoshitatsu tagged back in with SANADA, and he took down his foe with a spinning heel kick for a near-fall. An attempted Pedigree failed as SANADA backdropped his way free, before kicking Gunn in the ropes, leading Yoshitatsu vulnerable to some double-teaming. Gunn had to make the save from a back suplex as SANADA had him down for a near-fall, and the ensuing melee led to an amazing ref bump as Gunn was shoved into the corner, sending the official flying.
With the referee down, EVIL brought in a couple of chairs for Yoshitatsu – and he took the baseball bat spot as EVIL sent one chair flying off his neck with another, before a TKO saw SANADA pick-up a near-fall. From the kick-out though, SANADA locked on the Skull End, giving Yoshitatsu no choice but to tap out. A decent tag match, but nothing spectacular – played safely! ***
World Tag League 2016, Block B: Bad Luck Fale & Bone Soldier vs. Kenny Omega & Chase Owens
The battle of the Bullet Club followed, but first, it’s time for a little bit of Bad Luck bullying the ring announcer!
We started with a three-way discussion between Fale, Owens and Omega – leaving the Boner out of it – as they decided how to handle it. Omega demanded that the Boner go down for him, and the crowd booed as that happened… only for the Boner to pop up at the count of two as Owens tried to make the pin. Yes, I’m deliberately wording it like that…
Enraged, Omega demanded that Fale beat some sense into the Boner, but instead Omega tagged in and repeated the lay-down spot with the Boner. Again, the Boner went down, but he rolled up Omega for a near-fall, leading to a tantrum from the Bullet Club leader. Quickly though, the Boner was taken down with a dropkick, before the Boner looked to take the One Winged Angel… only for Fale to make the save. Omega chewed out Fale, but got swiped away, then shoved into the ropes as Chase Owens unwisely came in to attack Fale.
Omega hit the “I’m sorry, I love you” superkicks to Fale, sending him into the ropes, but Fale recovered and tried for a Grenade. That didn’t work as Omega countered with a knee strike, before turning around into a uranage from the Boner for a near-fall. The Boner tried to capitalise with a swandive headbutt, except he missed, allowing Owens to get tagged in.
More double-teaming followed as the Boner took a double superkick, before the Flatliner/leg lariat combo saw the Omega-pairing take a near-fall. Another roll-up got the Boner a two-count, but Chase hit back with a package piledriver and that’s the win. It wasn’t much of a match, outside of the dissension within the Bullet Club, but at least the bulk of the comedy went onto the guy who was already a joke. **
World Tag League 2016, Block B: Katsuyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata vs. Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe
Shibata and Makabe started out with the veteran’s usual shoulder tackle spot, before Shibata swung for – and missed – a kick after he’d been sent down. Some tags shortly after brought in Honma and Nagata, with the former quickly going for – and missing – a Kokeshi.
Shibata returned to kick Honma, then knock Makabe off the apron, as he and Nagata worked to isolate Honma… as Makabe stayed on the arena floor for some reason. Perhaps its because he knew he’d just get kicked off again? Nagata continued to pepper Honma with kicks and slaps, before being taken down by a jumping Kokeshi. Makabe finally tagged back in and connected with some corner mounted punches on Nagata, before being taken into the corner with a series of kicks to the chest. The pair traded forearms back and forth before Makabe’s clothesline sent both men down, before Honma came into keep up the attack on Nagata with a bulldog out of the corner… only to miss a following-up Kokeshi.
Shibata came in and unloaded on Honma with uppercuts and chops in the corner, before softening him up for a diving dropkick. After an STO, Honma was caught in a guillotine, but he powered up, only for Shibata to take him back down again, as Makabe eventually broke up the hold and dragged Honma to the corner for a tag. Nagata kicked away Makabe’s attempt at a powerbomb on Shibata as the momentum kept changing, before Makabe finally got that powerbomb for a near-fall. Makabe hoisted up Shibata for a Doomsday Kokeshi, but the NEVER champion worked free and slipped out to grab a rear naked choke on Makabe. After Makabe elbowed free, he took a back suplex from Nagata, then a Backdrop Hold from Shibata for a near-fall, as he then went back to the rear naked choke and the PK… but Honma popped up in time to act as a human shield! Instead, Shibata just kicked Honma onto Makabe, as he then took a barrage of stomps and kicks.
Eventually, Honma fired up, but took a back suplex from Nagata before a Nagata brainbuster and a PK from Shibata finally scored the win. A really good match once it got going! ***½
World Tag League 2016, Block B: Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI
Well, we had the battle of the Bullet Club earlier – today’s main event is a battle between CHAOS, and it was a long one!
Goto and Okada opened up with a ground-based exchange, leading to the usual Okada mockingly-clean break in the ropes. We had the same with Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI, before they exchanged shoulder tackles, ending with Ishii getting knocked down as YOSHI-HASHI unwisely put the boots to him. Goto worked over YOSHI-HASHI with forearms in the corner, before landing a top rope elbow drop for a near-fall. Poor YOSHI-HASHI was in there for a while taking punishment, before reversing an Ishii brainbuster into a Bunker Buster! Okada got the tag in and cleared Goto off the apron before knocking Ishii down, only to see a neckbreaker slam attempt blocked as Ishii tried to counter with a powerbomb.
Ishii kicked away Okada on the top rope, before following with a release German suplex, only for the champion to hit back with a flapjack as both men crashed to the mat. Goto and YOSHI-HASHI return and Goto’s forced to kick-out after a dropkick in the ropes, before he’s caught in a butterfly lock whilst Okada tried to hold back Ishii. Eventually Goto reached the ropes, but the pressure was maintained as YOSHI-HASHI set-up for a senton bomb, only for Goto to roll away.
That sparked a comeback with Goto getting a near-fall from a back suplex, before landing an ushigoroshi and a Russian legsweep with an Ishii lariat for a near-fall. Ishii scored a deadlift superplex on YOSHI-HASHI for a near-fall, before a brief comeback saw YOSHI-HASHI land a kick and finally make a hot tag to Okada. Okada rushed into Ishii with a shotgun dropkick, then a death valley driver for a two-count, before blocking an ushigoroshi as he and YOSHI-HASHI dropped their opponents with simultaneous reverse DDTs. They combined later as YOSHI-HASHI slingshotted Ishii into an Okada DDT for another two-count, before Ishii blocked a tombstone, only to eventually be knocked down by a dropkick.
A Rainmaker attempt was ducked as Ishii and Goto followed up with an ushogoroshi and a sliding lariat for a near-fall. Some interference was YOSHI-HASHI was curtailed by a massive lariat from Goto, who then worked with Ishii again for the powerbomb/GTR on Okada, who kicked out at two after that. An elevated GTR from Goto and Ishii was blocked as Okada hit a neckbreaker slam on Goto for a near-fall, but a missed lariat from Ishii opened the door for a German suplex… but not a Rainmaker, as he instead took a headbutt. Impressively, Okada blocked a brainbuster and landed a tombstone on Ishii, before YOSHI-HASHI’s diving Meteora and a Rainmaker from Okada earned the champion’s team the win. This took a while for me to get into, but once it clicked… boy did it click. A fine tag match to end the sixth day of tournament action. ***¾
With both blocks having had three rounds, both blocks now have a clear leader at the top… for now!
Block A:
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima – 3-0 / 6pts
Brian Breaker & Leland Race, Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa, War Machine – 2-1 / 4pts
Tetsuya Naito & Rush, – 1-2 / 2pts
Henare & Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Juice Robinson – 0-3 / 0pts
Block B:
EVIL & SANADA – 3-0 / 6pts
Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii, Billy Gunn & Yoshitatsu, Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI – 2-1 / 4pts
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma, Yuji Nagata & Katsuyori Shibata, Kenny Omega & Chase Owens – 1-2 / 2pts
Bad Luck Fale & Bone Soldier – 0-3 / 0pts
Thankfully, day six’s action is available to view as individual matches – really, it’s only the main event that you need to see with Honma/Makabe vs. Nagata/Shibata a close second. With the tournament rolling on, we should hopefully start seeing a lot less filler as the progress towards the final days!