The tenth night of the World Tag League tour saw a return to Korakuen Hall – and we finally got a stand-out match in the tournament, as the Best Friends went to war with Jeff Cobb and Big Mike.
Ren Narita & Shota Umino vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
Given that Shota Umino’s struggling to even get draws against his fellow Young Lions, I don’t rate his chances. He did start out taking chances, shoving Nagata into the ropes, before tagging in Narita to try some overhand chops. Yeah, it goes badly for him, as Nakanishi tags in and chops some sense back into the kid.
The Dads double-team Narita for a spell, blasting him with a pair of shoulder tackles, before Nagata just kicked Ren down to the mat. That prompts a tag back to Umino, who runs into Nagata with back elbows in the corner, before turning him over for a Boston crab. Nakanishi wanders in to break it up with ease, and the turn around slowly starts there, with more chops coming from the lover of big breakfasts.
Umino manages to knock Nakanishi down with a dropkick, but Narita’s attempt at a belly-to-belly was massively optimistic. It worked though, after a little help, but we’re back to form as Nakanishi hits a double suplex before the Dads trap their kids in submissions like abusive parents, with Narita tapping to the Argentine backbreaker. Basic, but this was like the runts of the litter losing with a little fight here. **
Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Hangman Page, Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Juice Robinson, Sami Callihan & Tomoyuki Oka
A traditional undercard tag, but this isn’t building up to anything for Friday’s matches in Aichi – it’s just an excuse to get the Bullet Club all in one match. Page brought out his share of the ROH six man title belts, just because.
There’s a jump start here, thanks to Tomoyuki Oka sprinting to the ring first and throwing himself to the lions. He’ll learn eventually. Page and Callihan start out by being disgusting, before throwing in near-misses for their big stuff, as Page’s discus forearm earned him… a kiss. You can guess the drill here: everyone tags in, does their stuff, like a boiled down version of everyone’s Greatest Hits, they were all here: Tenzan’s Mongolian chops, a save from the falling headbutt/elbow combination, the works.
The Bullet Club target Tenzan for a spell, frequently exchanging tags so everyone had a turn to soften him up. Things start going off the rails when Leo Tonga runs into a Mountain bomb though, before Kojima resumes the Greatest Hits with Machine gun chops, only for the ring to fill as his elbow off the top is stopped.
Kojima manages to respond with a Koji Cutter to Tonga, before Oka comes in and throws some uppercuts… but Leo dropkicked him away. Oka’s forced to avoid a package piledriver as Owens tagged into the match, with Oka hitting an overhead belly to belly instead as he then went for the Boston crab. No, it didn’t work here either as the ring again filled to break it up, before clearing in time for Chase to package piledrive oka for the win. A fun diversion, but otherwise a by-the-numbers undercard tag match – poor Oka, whose plans went from “taking the losses in Tag League” to “taking the losses on Tag League undercards”… **¾
Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado) vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
Newly-inducted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, Minoru Suzuki engaged once against with Hirooki Goto in this match. Remember, Goto beat Suzuki at the start of this tour, and there’s some trains of thought thinking that this’ll lead to a NEVER title match at WrestleKingdom.
For a change, Goto jumped Suzuki at the bell as they both gave as good as they got in terms of kicks and forearms. Things break down to the point where the referee AND YOSHI-HASHI need to get involved separating the pair, before they eventually tagged out to give us El Desperado and YOSHI-HASHI… with the latter finally hitting a ‘rana. The rope-hung dropkick to Desperado’s good for a two-count, but it just leads to YOSHI-HASHI getting caught with an armbar in the ropes as Suzuki reverted to form before resuming his battle with Goto on the outside. Despy joins them, with fans having to flee their chairs… mostly so they could be used on the CHAOS pairing.
Back in the ring, it’s more of the same, with Suzuki taking his shots at YOSHI-HASHI, but there’s some fight back as YOSHI-HASHI nails a reverse spin kick to break free for a tag-out… and the first thing Goto does is stop Suzuki from tagging out! Goto counters a counter to his ushigoroshi, and almost wins with a back suplex, before the pair start throwing forearms at each other once more.
After seeing Goto escape from a rear naked choke, Suzuki just kills him with a knee, before throwing in a PK as Desperado almost grabbed the win with a diving uppercut. A spear pushes Despy closer, before the CHAOS pair mounted a swift comeback, ending with a double-team reverse GTR onto Despy for the win. That’s another W over Suzuki-gun for Goto, and given Suzuki’s reaction afterwards, I’m convinced the Tokyo Dome is in their sights… ***
Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirai Kawato
With “Switchblade” Jay White not on this tour, Tanahashi’s got the unenviable job of having to keep interest going for that on his lonesome… as you’d expect, plucky Kawato talked his way into starting the match, and had some success against EVIL in the early going, at least until SANADA tried to interfere from the apron.
Things ended up outside for the obligatory guard rail spots, and that left Kawato at a disadvantage back inside, as SANADA and EVIL started to wear through him. Tanahashi couldn’t help much either, as SANADA tied him to the ropes with a Paradise Lock, leaving him helpless as Kawato continued to take a beating.
Once referee Marty Asami had untied the Intercontinental champion, things turned around, with Kawato tagging him in for the comeback, which led to a double Dragon Screw on the Ingobernables. EVIL avoids a Slingblade and takes down Tanahashi with a little help from the ref.
After initially refusing to make the tag out, Tanahashi brings Kawato back in for a furious onslaught of offence, leading to the swandive dropkick from the Young Lion on SANADA… but of course, he has to try the Boston crab, and it actually works, as Tanahashi stops EVIL’s interference with a Cloverleaf. Once freed, SANADA was able to drop Kawato with a back suplex for a near-fall, but his Skull End is stopped by Tanahashi… who then found himself taking a Magic Killer for good measure.
With nobody to help, Kawato ALMOST wins with an inside cradle out of a Skull End, but you sensed that his number was up as SANADA swung him around the ring in that Dragon sleeper, forcing the submission. This was pretty much what I’d expected, as Kawato continues to creep ever closer to that first win… but still so far away from it. ***
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs. Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay & Gedo
Our last non-tournament match for the day continues the teasing for WrestleKingdom, along with Naito’s attempts to kill Hiromu by throwing a briefcase at him.
Okada jumped Naito at the bell, taking his next challenger down with a German suplex before going after the other two. Poor BUSHI’s triple-teamed as Marty Asami just watches on as Ospreay’s standing moonsault nearly ended things early… and then we’re back to the outside as Okada took Naito into the crowd.
Things turn around for the Ingobernables without Okada being around, as BUSHI chokes away on Gedo with a t-shirt, before Hiromu swung Gedo around by his beard. Ospreay swings back around with a handspring overhead kick to BUSHI and Hiromu, before hitting an over-the-ropes 619 to the man who’ll be joining him in that four-way for the junior heavyweight title in the New Year.
Another handspring from Ospreay gets caught and turned into a German suplex as Hiromu figured out his tricks, before the ring filled as we had another burst between Naito and Okada. Naito tries for Destino, but it’s countered into what looked like a Million Dollar Dream, neutralising Naito as an OsCutter put away BUSHI for the win. This felt surprisingly brief, but Okada breaking out a new submission hold is a nice new wrinkle ahead of their title match – it’s not just his usual stuff you need to watch out for now! ***¼
Good news everybody – there’s no intermission!
World Tag League 2017 – Block B: Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) vs. David Finlay & Katsuya Kitamura
Sans facepaint, you could be forgiven for thinking that the GOD might be taking this a little too lightly. Not that you’d blame them, given their opposition today…
Tama Tonga throws the first punch, which Kitamura shrugs off before issuing a retort… chopping Tama to the mat. It’s fair to say, Tama wasn’t expecting THAT. Tanga Loa offers himself up next, but it’s a cheapshot that Kitamura fell for, before succeeding with a shoulder tackle that barged Loa into the corner. The inexperienced pairing followed up with a double-team backdrop suplex that only got a one-count on Loa, who swiftly replied with a German suplex of his own to turn things around. In the meantime, Tama Tonga took Finlay into the crowd, just because, where he used a fan’s bag to beat him down with. For Finlay’s sake, I hope there wasn’t anything heavy in it…
The GOD’s tactic of isolating Kitamura worked, as did their tribute to Tomoaki Honma, with a Kokeshi headbutt earning a near-fall. After Kitamura fought back into it, Finlay got the tag in and hit a Thesz press that looked more like a pair of high knees, but Tanga Loa’s able to shrug it off, only to find that yes, Kitamura CAN throw him around with ease.
Tama Tonga takes a press slam that went much better than the one Michael Elgin had a few days ago, but Kitamura’s celebrating too much as he gets speared instead, as Tanga Loa quickly finishes him off with the sit-out tombstone. Exactly what you’d expect, but this felt like it had more urgency than the run-of-the-mill league matches we’ve sat through. You’ll be shocked, but Finlay and Kitamura are now eliminated… **¾
World Tag League 2017 – Block B: Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Togi Makabe & Henare
This really is a wash/rinse/repeat kind of a match, but then again, what were you expecting? At least Makabe got some offence in whilst Henare was getting thrown around ringside by Ishii.
In the middle of this, Yano’s undone the turnbuckle pad and hit Makabe with it, which gives him an exposed corner to throw Henare into as the Young Lion is found wanting here. To his credit, he did try to throw forearms at Ishii, but the receipts overwhelmed the New Zealander as he only had limited success until he knocked Yano down with a flying forearm.
Things improved once he tagged in Makabe, who was more than happy to throw right hands at Yano, before scoop slamming Ishii. He even outsmarted the numbers game briefly, hitting his double clothesline before peppering Yano with the mounted punches. Henare returns to go toe-to-toe with Ishii, with slightly better results, dropping Ishii with a thudding clothesline in the corner.
Makabe tries to capitalise, but he’s swiftly low bridged to the outside by Yano, before returning as they tease a double clothesline to Ishii. When that doesn’t quite work, Henare’s forced to dig deep for a spear and several headbutts, but Ishii quickly goes to form with a lariat for a near-fall, before finishing him off with a brainbuster. Pretty straightforward, despite the scares, and that’s Henare and Makabe out of the tournament too. ***
World Tag League 2017 – Block B: Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T) vs. Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb
Both teams came into this with a 2-1 record – and my feed crashes pretty soon into the match, so it’s an F5 job for me! We come back still in the early stages as Beretta took down Cobb with a ‘rana, before leaping into a powerbomb as the Best Friends took the big man’s powerbomb/slam combo.
Elgin keeps the pressure up with a slingshot splash, before slamming Beretta over Cobb’s knee for another two-count. The former Trent stays as a plaything, as Elgin and Cobb play pass the suplex/parcel with him, and these guys are doing everything to impress the Korakuen faithful, with their power game completely overwhelming the Best Friends.
A push-down stomp out of the corner gives Beretta some hope, but he’s got to land an enziguiri to Elgin before tagging out to Chuckie T, whose comeback saw him spike Cobb into a cornered Elgin with an overhead belly to belly. It’s back outside for the mandated series, where Elgin counters a tornado DDT off the guard rails into another pass-the-parcel spot, with Cobb teasing a suplex in the crowd.
Fortunately for all, that doesn’t happen, as Chuckie T instead leaps off the top rope and into everyone else in the crowd. To get a measure of payback for ruining their fun, Elgin splats Chuckie with a powerbomb on the floor, before Cobb swung Beretta around for fun into a swinging German suplex. So far this has been ten minutes of these guys swinging for the fences.
Just as I type that, Chuckie T’s wiped out once more with an apron powerbomb, leaving Beretta alone for even longer against the two powerhouses, who continue to throw him around like he’s nothing. Heavyweight? Are you sure…?
The intensity rises as Elgin and Cobb smell blood, with a teased superplex from Elgin planting Beretta for a standing moonsault… but you got the sense that this was perhaps going to be their downfall, as they’d go for too much rather than get the job done… and after an Elgin Bomb off the middle rope and a German suplex, we almost got a comeback from Chuckie T.
Chuckie keeps up though, countering a powerbomb off the middle rope and piledriving Cobb to nearly give Beretta a real “come from behind” win. A tornado DDT keeps Cobb on wobbly legs, but Big Mike’s back for a thunderous clothesline, only for Chuckie to return and take one too.
Chuckie’s forced to make the save as Elgin tried a super Falcon Arrow on Beretta – and that comeback’s complete as Beretta finds a way to get Cobb into the Dudebuster, as Chuckie adds the finishing touch with the stomp off the top to finalise Strong Zero and the win. FINALLY we get a bloody awesome tag league match! Four guys going balls to the wall, and all it’s done is split them in the middle of the pack. A must watch in what has otherwise been a dour tournament… ****
World Tag League 2017 – Block B: Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) vs. War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe)
Who keeps giving these guys water? They’re beyond Chris Brookes levels of spitting here…
Archer and Rowe start off with trash talking as they try and bait the other into hitting hard… but Archer is just laughing it off as he contributes to the famed New Japan swear jar. The give-and-take part of the match ends when Archer just hits Rowe from behind, before a blind tag brings both halves of War Machine for some hard shots.
We quickly end outside for those mandated guard rail spots, which had the front row fearing the worst, as Smith frog-marched Hanson to the back for… reasons. They quickly return as the KES isolate Hanson in the ring, with the Bulldog wearing him down with holds rather than strikes. A brief exchange sees Rowe hit the ring and take Smith back to the outside with a shotgun knee, only for his dive out to get caught and turned into a nice Killer Bomb tease on the floor. Hanson breaks it up as we have more crowd brawling, before he single-handedly fought off the KES back in the ring as he built up towards those Forever lariats of his.
Smith quickly stops them though, and a high/low puts Hanson down as the tag champs again take over, using a backbreaker/body press combo to get rid of Rowe. They return again, with Rowe and Smith trading forearms, kicks and Exploders, before the Bulldog misses a legdrop out of the corner. There’s a reason he doesn’t climb those ropes often…
Rowe heads up next, and suffers a similar fate as he crashes and burns from a moonsault. Archer does a copy and paste job, before Hanson completes the hattrick of missed flips. Fortunately, the ring’s still standing after all of that! Clubbering clotheslines sees Hanson and Archer batter each other some more, but this time Hanson wins out, before Archer returns to shoulder tackle away a dive attempt as a Parade of Moves breaks out in the ring. Hanson ends it with a spinning leg lariat to Smith as War Machine teased Fallout… but instead it’s avoided as the KES hit their version of a Hart Attack.
That ever-swinging pendulum stays in motion as a Doctor Bomb and a big splash looked to have War Machine on the ascendency, before they finally hit Fallout on Smith for another two-count as Archer broke the pin up just in time. Of course, the favour’s returned as Hanson broke up the cover from a Killer Bomb, as War Machine looked to edge ahead with a pop-up slam to Smith, before a second Fallout finally put away the Bulldog!
This was exactly what you’d expect from a War Machine/KES main event – perhaps a little overshadowed from the prior match, but in a vacuum this was fantastic. All the good stuff, without too much in the way of the usual crowd brawling spots… and thankfully a clean, undisputed finish. ***¾
Well then! After so many matches that felt “there”, we finally had our stand-out, with the Best Friends surviving a beating en route to their biggest win in the tournament so far, whilst the main event wasn’t too far behind. Watch this, but skip to those last two matches!
As for the blocks, we’re back to a logjam as we have a four-way tie at the top of block B – before factoring in head-to-heads – whilst the two teams with Young Lions involved are now eliminated.
Block A:
Juice Robinson & Sami Callihan (3-1; 6pts)
Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens; EVIL & SANADA; Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi; Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI; Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka; Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2-2; 4pts)
Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata (1-3; 2pts)
Block B:
Beretta & Chuckie T; Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer; Hanson & Raymond Rowe; Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (3-1; 6pts)
Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb; Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano (2-2; 4pts)
David Finlay & Katsuya Kitamura; Togi Makabe & Henare (0-4; 0pts)
The World Tag League continues in the VOD-only format on Friday in Aichi, before continuing over the weekend in Osaka and Kochi. Our reviews of the league matches in Aichi should be up at some point on Saturday, featuring Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto, Sami Callihan & Juice Robinson vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka (there’s an interesting one… potentially!), Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. EVIL & SANADA, Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima.