By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the ten teams who will take part this year’s Super Junior Tag League. The round-robin tournament kicks off Saturday. Each team will have nine matches each leading up to the finals. Only three teams are back from the 2022 tournament, although 13 of 20 participants are back.
Here are the teams and my quick thoughts. First, the three teams that are returning from last year’s tournament.
1. “Catch 2/2” Francisco Akira and TJP. Last year they finished 6-3 and narrowly missed making the finals. They have been at or near the top of NJPW and I would expect a similar record, give or take a win.
2. “Los Ingobernobles de Japon” Bushi and Titan. LIJ also finished 6-3 last year, and Titan also reached the finals of the BoSJ. I
3. Kushida and Kevin Knight. While they finished just 2-7 last year, Knight was essentially finishing his Young Lion tenure. I wouldn’t be surprised if they finish 6-3 or 5-4 this year.
Seven wrestlers are back in the tournament with new partners.
4. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita. Last year, Eagles and Tiger Mask were 2-7. I’ll predict that Eagles and Fujita finish at 3-6, with Fujita eating most of the losses.
5. “Just 5 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Douki. Last year, Douki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru finished 4-5. I’ll predict a 4-5 or 3-6 record, with Douki scoring all the wins, and Taka eating all the pins.
6. Rysuke Taguchi and The DKC. Last year, Taguchi and Clark Connors finished 3-6. Taguchi lost nearly every match in BoSJ. DKC is fine but not spectacular. This team will finish 2-7 or 3-6.
7. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney. As I just noted above, Connors was 3-6 last year. I would not be surprised if BCWD finish 7-2 or 6-3.
8. Yoh and Musashi. Yoh and Lio Rush were 7-2 last year. Lio’s illness forced him pull out of the tournament, and Yoh has replaced him with Michinoku Pro’s Musashi. I am unfamiliar with Musashi’s work. I’ll predict a 5-4 record.
9. “House of Torture” Sho and Kanemaru. Last year, Sho and Dick Togo were a dismal 2-7, while Kanemaru was 4-5 with Douki. I would expect these two to cheat their way to a 5-4 record.
And the only new team this year, with neither in last year’s field:
10. El Desperado and Master Wato. This is intriguing, as these two have been brawling for the past month, finishing with a 3-3-1 record in a best-of-seven series of six-man tags. Wato offered his hand to Desperado, who reluctantly shook it. On Royal Quest III in England, Chris Charlton made a point of saying that “everyone is excited about them teaming up, except Desperado.” So, this oddball pairing could easily go 7-2, with a floor of 4-5. I am going to predict 7-2 and be at the top of the field with Catch 2/2 and Bullet Club War Dogs.
Overall… I feel like the lineup is solid but still missing a star team. Last year’s field featured “ABC” Chris Bey and Ace Austin (7-2) and El Lindaman and Alex Zayne (6-3). I wish either of those teams were coming back. Or imagine adding “Subculture” Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster, or maybe a British team of Michael Oku and Leon Slater. Or a U.S. team of Blake Christian and Jordan Oliver (he’s under 220 pounds, right?). Or a lucha team of Gringo Loco and any of Rey Horus, Laredo Kid, Aramis, Arez, etc. Point being… I feel like the lineup is missing one head-turning, fresh team from outside the NJPW world.
The tournament concludes, with the top two teams clashing a second time, at the November 4 Power Struggle event that is also slated to feature Will Ospreay vs. Shota Umino, Great-O-Khan vs. Jon Moxley, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. Taiji Ishimori.
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