Saitama played host to the third set of World Tag League matches, and it’s the New Japan Dads in action!
World Tag League 2017 – Block A: Bullet Club (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi) vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
Like all good temporary tag teams, Nakanishi and Nagata have a mash-up theme, and credit to whomever’s on the fixed camera for at least trying to make the entrances noticeable!
Nagata’s distracted at the bell, but quickly hits back with a stuttering dropkick and an attempted crossface as Hangman Page is made to pay for his rather disingenuous handshake offer. Tags take us to Nakanishi and Yujiro, with the latter eagerly biting away on the veteran before falling to a shoulder tackle. A sunset flip attempt works… when Page slides in and slingshots Yujiro into Nakanishi’s groin. Hey, that’s at least different! Nakanishi’s worked over until Yujiro tries for the Fisherman’s suplex, which is easily reversed, but Hangman Page comes in and distracts the ref from seeing Nagata’s tag in. Good ol’ heel tag team work!
For whatever reason, Nakanishi’s being kept in a lot… which means we’re dangerously close to the lumbering match I just watched in Lion’s Gate Project. The Bullet Club pair try to suplex Nakanishi, but of course it’s reversed, and finally Nagata comes in to kick away at Page. An Exploder gets a solid two-count, before Page hits back with a death valley driver that keeps Nagata down for a near-fall too.
Page accidentally nails Yujiro, which allows Nagata to hit him with an enziguiri and tag Nakanishi back in. Oh dear. He at least brings all the chops, before the Dads double-team with a clothesline and boot at the same time for another two-count. However, things quickly descend into a Parade of Strikes, before Nakanishi fell into a back suplex version of the 3D for a near-fall.
Nagata broke that up, but gets taken outside for a shooting star headbutt from Page as Nakanishi’s left in by himself again… and it’s Page who nearly seals the win with a slingshot lariat, before Yujiro’s Pimp Juice proved to be enough. This wasn’t anywhere near as bad as that Lion’s Gate match, but Nakanishi was in for far too long for my liking. **
World Tag League 2017 – Block A: Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens) vs. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroshi Tenzan
Remember how last year, Fale had BONE SOLDIER as a partner? Well, last year, Chase Owens was also in Best of Super Juniors, and neither of those two are things anymore… so Fale has an upgrade!
Owens starts off trying to shoulder tackle Tenzan, but instead takes a shotcut before finding out the hard way… Tenzan has a hard head. Mongolian chops add to his discomfort, before Kojima gets a go. Yeah, Chase hasn’t learned as he tries the Machine Gun chops, and quickly gets barged down before Fale comes in to help.
By which I mean, “he throws Kojima outside and into the crowd”. Hey, if it works, it works!
Back in the ring, the clubbering continued on Kojima, leading to the dreaded nerve hold! Yes, it is very much 2017… Eventually Kojima comes back, laying out Owens with a DDT, as Tenzan tagged back in for more Mongolian chops, then a Mountain bomb that almost put Chase away. Fale wanders back in to break up an Anaconda Vice as Kojima’s still recovering on the apron, before missing a charge into the corner. Tenzan’s able to escape and tag Kojima back in for the Machine gun chops (hey, Chase missed out on his receipt!), and Kojima even gets off the top rope elbow… but it’s nowhere near enough to put away Fale.
However, it’s back to the double-teaming as a running knee from Owens nearly gets the win for Fale. An accidental superkick from Chase puts Fale down, and earns Owens a TenKoji Cutter, before Fale returned to try a Bad Luck Fall… Kojima wriggles out and hits a Koji Cutter, but things fall apart for him as Fale stuffed a clothesline before hitting the Bad Luck Fall for the win. Better than the other match of the day, but not spectacular. **½
Now block A’s had their first round of matches, here’s the standings:
Block A:
Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens; Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi; Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI; Sami Callihan & Juice Robinson (1-0; 2pts)
EVIL & SANADA; Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima; Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata; Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka (0-1; 0pts)
Block B:
Beretta & Chuckie T; Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb (1-0; 2pts)
Togi Makabe & Henare; David Finlay & Katsuya Kitamura; War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe); Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.) (0-0; 0pts)
Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa; Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano (0-1; 0pts)
I’m usually charitable with these New Japan tours, but this is one you can get away with skipping. The World Tag League has an iffy reputation – and outings like this… live down to it.
Night four is on Tuesday in Yamanashi – with block B matches between David Finlay & Katsuya Kitamura vs. the Killer Elite Squad, and War Machine vs. Togi Makabe & Henare. We’ll have coverage of those once they’re posted to NJPW World!