The VOD portion of World Tag League continued as… oh God, it’s another intra-Bullet Club tag.
Act city Hamamatsu in Shizuoka is the venue for today’s batch of matches… which we’re watching after night ten’s thanks to New Japan’s scheduling.
World Tag League 2019: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & Terrible) vs. Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks
We’re straight in with the dubbing for Terrible… and Shingo might have mislaid his furry coat?
Fredericks and Shingo start us off, with the LA Dojo trainee looking to work over Shingo’s legs using a deathlock, before standing up into a side headlock. Shoulder tackles became the order of the day, but Fredericks ended up getting sent outside as Shingo began to force his way into the match.
Terrible tags in to help with a legdrop as Fredericks was stretched over Goto’s knees, as LIJ pushed on. Chops from Terrible find their mark, but Shingo rushes in to break up a pin after Fredericks landed a spinebuster, as Goto eventually tagged in and tried to clear house, suplexing Terrible onto Shingo for good measure. A bulldog awaits Shingo too, but it’s only enough for a near-fall, as the pair tussled over a finisher… leading to Shingo taking down Goto for a sliding lariat.
Goto finds his mark with a clothesline on Terrible, then tagged in Fredericks who more than matched Terrible’s chops… then took him down with a second spinebuster for a near-fall. A single leg crab from Fredericks looked to force a submission, but Shingo broke it up as he helped Terrible into a powerbomb for a near-fall, before low bridging Goto to the outside. With no Goto to help, Terrible blasted Fredericks with haymakers for a near-fall, before a Pumping Bomber from Shingo, and a splash off the top from Terrible proved to be enough for the win. A solid opener, but we’re past the point where either of these teams can win… so ultimately they’re playing for nothing but pride. ***
World Tag League 2019: Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
This should be pretty straightforward, given these two teams are at opposite ends of the league right now.
We start with a tie-up into the ropes as Ishii slapped Nagata… whose back was marked heavily with the results of copious cupping treatment. Still, it didn’t stop the pair of them trading forearms and elbows, before Nagata tagged in Nakanishi, who made light work of a double suplex. Chops follow to YOSHI-HASHI, but Nakanishi got backed into the corner so he and Ishii could throw some more. Chops and elbows, that is, before a spear stopped Ishii in his tracks. Nagata’s back in to kick his way through Ishii, before a slap just woke up the Stone Pitbull. We’re back to elbows until Ishii slammed Nagata… who just popped right back up for an Exploder before a German suplex from Ishii left both men down.
YOSHI-HASHI tags back in, but he’s quickly on the deck as Nakanishi returned to throw some chops and double sledges. A torture rack follows to YOSHI-HASHI, as does more kicks as a splash from Nakanishi almost got the win. It’s back to the rack for YOSHI-HASHI, who then got thrown onto his own man, before some double-teaming took down Nakanishi for a running Meteora. Nagata makes the save to keep the match alive, before a Khali-like head chop looked to stun YOSHI-HASHI… but he’s right back in with a Western Lariat before a Butterfly lock forced the stoppage. This was all kinds of great when Ishii and Nagata were in, while Nagata and YOSHI-HASHI kept up their ends of the bargain to boot. ***
World Tag League 2019: Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima
There’s some spice here between Kojima and Suzuki, and we start with the obligatory jump-start.
Kojima recovered and took Suzuki to the ropes, only for the pair to end up outside as Suzuki gave us a tour of the venue while beating up Kojima on the way. That led to a count-out tease, but Suzuki beats it, and ended up having to try and get past a riled up Lance Archer… who just decked him with a forearm.
Archer mocks the Machine Gun chops in the corner, while Suzuki just didn’t hold back with his chops. Eventually, Suzuki’s met with a DDT as Tenzan came in to clear house with Mongolian chops. Tenzan’s caught with elbows as Suzuki looked to push on, using a PK to get a near-fall, before Archer returned to mock those Mongolian chops. Bad idea. A Mountain Bomb gets Tenzan back in it, with Kojima tagging in to issue some real Machine Gun chops… but Archer pops up to stop a top rope elbow, grabbing Kojima with an EBD claw that Tenzan broke up. A TenKoji Cutter stops Archer, as does a regular Koji cutter, but it’s only enough for a two-count, before a rear naked choke from Suzuki stopped a Cozy Lariat, with the EBD Claw sandwiched either side of the Blackout in return getting the US champion the win. This was okay, but nestled firmly in the “playing for pride” bucket, as a lot of the remaining tags on this tour likely will. **½
World Tag League 2019: Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls vs. Juice Robinson & David Finlay
Juice is sporting some extremely-visible bandages around his nose and eyebrow, as we got going with shoulder tackles.
A lot of evasions led to Nicholls going for a stalling suplex on Juice, before Cobb came in to land a slam… only to miss with his Gachimuchi-sault. Finlay tags in to give Cobb a kicking, before Juice returned and got tossed with an overhead belly-to-belly. Cobb’s back with a headbutt to Juice, then another suplex attempt, only for Juice to get free and hit a leg lariat. Finlay tags in and hits a running European uppercut, then a dropkick as he tried to go after Cobb and Nicholls at the same time… but he gets stopped after he flipped back into a back suplex from Nicholls, setting up for the Gachimuchi-sault for a near-fall. Nicholls avoids some double-teaming and rebounded as Juice ended up taking a Spin Cycle, then a sliding clothesline for a near-fall.
Juice gets left behind as Nicholls went for a Mikey Bomb, but Juice elbows free… and runs into a death valley driver for a near-fall. Finlay’s back for the save, but he’s pulled out by Cobb, leaving Juice behind to throw the Dusty punches before a Prima Nocta and a Pulp Friction got the win. By the numbers stuff, with the crowd not really backing either team whole-heartedly. It’s the right result though, as the top of the table’s kept interesting. ***
World Tag League 2019: Suzuki-gun (Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi) vs. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma
We get a jump start, as always, but Makabe’s double clothesline stopped that, as Honma actually lands a Kokeshi early on. What the hell?!
Honma keeps going with chops, but he’s taken down into headscissors by Sabre as Makabe and Taichi brawled off-camera. A cravat just makes Honma growl, as Sabre, then Taichi use it, before Sabre’s attempt at a Cobra twist was easily countered with a hiptoss. Makabe’s in to clothesline Taichi and Sabre in the corners, before a swivelling lariat took Taichi back down. Honma’s back with shoulder tackles, then a bulldog as Taichi was left laying… but Kokeshi misses. A buzzsaw kick from Taichi’s caught though, as Sabre’s attempt to help was smothered by Makabe, who then helped out with sandwich lariats on Taichi. Another slam from Makabe sets up Honma for Kokeshi, which connects, but Sabre stops Makabe from hitting a King Kong knee drop, and bought his partner some time.
A snapmare from Taichi and a PK from Sabre sets up for the buzzsaw kick, which dropped Honma for a near-fall, before Makabe broke up a Stretch Plum with some clubbing forearms. Honma struck back with a rolling clutch for a near-fall, before an attempt at Kokeshi Otoshi was blocked, with Taichi instead blocking some lariats as another enziguiri staggered Honma into the ropes. A Saito suplex drops Honma again for a near-fall, before Black Memphisto finished him off. A decent outing with Honma showing some flashes of his former self, but this may be too little, too late for the Suzuki-gun team. **¾
World Tag League 2019: Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens) vs. Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
Friends don’t let friends watch intra-Bullet Club tags on this tour. Especially when they all come out as one unit and have a match that goes over ten minutes.
To be fair, they didn’t go heavy on the “why we gotta fight each other?” shtick here, but there was some sly “nudge nudge” stuff in terms of them wrestling at half speed, like a sparring session. There’s a lot of swinging, missing, and evading from Chase and Tama, before tags got us to Tanga Loa and Bad Luck Fale, who went straight for the shoulder tackles. In a rib, Tanga Loa forces Fale to run the ropes like he was Taguchi, but eventually the bigger Tongan cottoned on, and just sat on Tanga Loa for a near-fall. Tama Tonga gets annoyed, then had Fale chase him around the room. Tiring out Fale’s not a bad tactic, if you can get it to work…
They wander over to the merch area, as Tanga Loa Snake Eyes Chase at ringside, before stopping to call everyone back. He got his wish, as Fale sprinted back to clobber him, ahead of some double-teaming. Things settle down as Tanga slammed Chase by the ropes so the champs could hit some slingshot sentons from the apron, before an assisted Tongan Twist nearly got the win. Fale’s back to squash fools, until Jado came in to make a save. It sort-of worked, as Tama and Tanga clothesline Fale to the outside… but Chase hit back with a closeline to Tanga, then a superkick… which just pissed off the Tongan. Chase keeps going with knee strikes, before his package piledriver was blocked, as Tanga ended up pulling him down into the OJK crossface for the tap. Well, at least it wasn’t all shtick, and it did raise a smirk… but yeah. Hard skip. *¾
World Tag League 2019: Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) vs. Colt Cabana & Toru Yano
A win for EVIL & SANADA would keep them at the top of the table, with an unbeaten 7-0 record.
Of course, we start with Colt and Yano arguing over who’d start, as we began with Cabana and SANADA countering armbars on the mat. They reach a stand-off, with Colt offering a handshake, but SANADA looked confused as he ended up falling for it… before he looked for a Paradise Lock. Colt tried to do one of his own, but he’s unable to figure it out, before Yano and EVIL got involved with some kicks from the apron.
Colt and Yano barrel roll across the ring to confuse LIJ, and eventually caught them out before they grabbed onto the ropes. SANADA stops Yano with a leg clutch roll, dizzying the “Sublime Master Thief”, before trapping Colt in the Paradise Lock. Yano got the same treatment, before dropkicks freed them… although Cabana getting caught in endless arm wringers probably meant he was happier in the hold. EVIL corners Colt with a lariat, following up with a Bronco buster for a two-count, before Colt had to punch his way free from EVIL, eventually diving into the corner to bring in Yano. You know what’s next: turnbuckle pads off, and it was time for Yano to throw furniture around the ring. Well, until EVIL caught him with a suplex, that is…
Referee Red Shoes Unno hugged the turnbuckle pads like they were his kids (sorry Shooter), while Yano began to poke fun at EVIL… who responded with a thrust kick instead. Colt tags back in to trap SANADA in the corner with a Flying Asshole, following up with a double-jump splash before EVIL blocked a Bionic Elbow… only to take one himself. From there, EVIL trips Yano to the outside as Cabana was left alone to take a Magic Killer, with Yano making the save at the last minute. Eye rakes follow as SANADA looked to finish off Colt with a Skull End, but a small package broke it up, before a second Skull End almost put Colt away…
Except SANADA let go and went for a moonsault. Yano tries to repeat the finish from earlier in the tour, but SANADA no-sells the turnbuckle pad before EVIL just smashes Yano in the face with it, allowing Colt time to get back to his feet. More double-teaming traps Colt ahead of a back suplex for a near-fall, as he then proceeded to kick away from a Magic Killer. The ref’s smart to Colt’s low blow attempts, but misses Yano’s as a pratfall and a Superman press got Cabana the massive upset! An enjoyable main event as LIJ were undone by the comedy tricks – and recorded their first loss of the tournament. ***¼
A show that’s not really worth your time unless you like seeing upsets. After that upset in the main event, it’s all change at the top!
1. David Finlay & Juice Robinson; Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (7-1; 14pts)
3. EVIL & SANADA (6-1; 12pts)
4. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (5-2; 10pts)
5. Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer; Toru Yano & Colt Cabana (5-3; 10pts)
7. Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls (5-4; 10pts)
8. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima; Shingo Takagi & Terrible (4-5; 8pts)
10. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi (3-4; 6pts)
11. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi (3-5; 6pts)
12. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma (3-6; 6pts)
13. Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale; Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks; Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare (2-5; 4pts)
16. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata (1-8; 2pts)