By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “World Tag League”
December 5, 2024 in Miyazaki, Japan at Nobeoka Arena Sub-arena
Streamed live on New Japan World
This is night 13 of the 15-show, month-long tournament. This year’s field features 16 teams in two eight-team Blocks. It is a round-robin tournament, so each team has seven matches in the Block round. Tonight, just the A Block is in tournament action for their final round-robin matches. Hopefully today is a better day of tournament action, as I would contend a preview tag on Wednesday was better than any of the four B Block tournament matches.
This is a big gym. Walker Stewart provided solo commentary as the show began. The crowd is maybe 400.
1. Daiki Nagai vs. Shoma Kato. Kato applied a Boston Crab, and Nagai tapped out. More basic action from the Young Lions.
Shoma Kato defeated Daiki Nagai at 7:24.
2. “Just 4 Guys” Taichi, Taka Michinoku, and Douki vs. “Bullet Club Rogue Army” Gedo, Stevie Filip, and Tome Filip. Taka and Tome opened, and the BCRA worked over Taka early on. Taichi entered and battled Stevie, hitting a clothesline at 6:30, and they were both down. Douki entered for the first time and battled Gedo. Douki applied the Douki Chokey, but the Filips made the save. Douki reapplied the hold, and this time Gedo tapped out. Very basic.
Taichi, Taka Michinoku, and Douki defeated Gedo, Stevie Filip, and Tome Filip at 8:12.
3. Tiger Mask, Boltin Oleg, and Toru Yano vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste, and Mikey Nicholls. Oleg and Nicholls opened. Yano and Fujita traded offense. Oleg flipped Haste around in his arms, then hit a gut-wrench suplex at 3:00. Tiger Mask entered for the first time and faced Fujita and he applied a hammerlock on Kosei. Haste and Nicholls hit a team powerbomb move and pinned Tiger Mask. Okay match.
Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste, and Mikey Nicholls defeated Tiger Mask, Boltin Oleg, and Toru Yano at 6:35.
4. “House of Torture” Ren Narita, EVIL, and Dick Togo vs. Katsuya Murashima, Jado, and Hiroshi Tanahashi. The HoT attacked before the bell and all six fought in and out of the ring. EVIL choked Jado and worked him over. Tanahashi entered at 4:30 and hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on each opponent, then his second-rope somersault senton on EVIL. He hit a Twist-and-Shout neckbreaker. Murashima entered for the first time at 6:30 and hit a flying forearm on Narita, then a powerslam for a nearfall, then a Boston Crab. Narita basically put a leg in a cross-armbreaker type-hold, and Murashima tapped out.
Ren Narita, EVIL, and Dick Togo defeated Katsuya Murashima, Jado, and Hiroshi Tanahashi at 8:46.
5. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Bushi, Tetsuya Naito, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan, Henare, and Jakob Austin Young. A day ago, Takahashi superkicked Naito to trick the House of Torture into thinking he was turning on his LIJ teammate; will there be any long-term impacts from this trick? The UE attacked at the bell, and O-Khan grounded Bushi, and the UE worked over Bushi. Naito entered at 5:00 and hit a deep armdrag on Henare, and Henare immediately grabbed his right knee in pain and didn’t get up. At first I thought this was just selling, but the ref called for the bell. I rewatched it, and Henare did land hard, but I didn’t expect an injury from it, either. We’ll have to see what the long-term damage is. O-Khan was being held back so he wouldn’t go after Naito.
Bushi, Tetsuya Naito, and Hiromu Takahashi defeated Great-O-Khan, Henare, and Jakob Austin Young via ref stoppage at 5:46.
I’ll note we only see Jakob Austin Young and the Young Lions helping Henare out of the ring, not any actual medical personnel. Thus, I’m really hoping this is a work. The way O-Khan reacted makes me hopeful this is all a storyline.
* Brody King appeared in a video on the screen and made what appeared to be a direct challenge to David Finlay, saying the War Dogs are all bark and no bite.
* Shane Haste joined Walker Stewart on commentary.
6. Ryusuke Taguchi and Alex Zayne (4) vs. “Bullet Club” Chase Owens and Kenta (6) in an A Block tournament match. Both teams are 2-4 and are fighting for pride. The only storyline worth noting here is Kenta has been accidentally hit by Chase multiple times over the course of the tournament and isn’t happy about it! Chase and Taguchi opened and did some comedy while running the ropes. The BC ‘wishboned’ Taguchi’s legs at 5:00 and got a nearfall. Zayne got in and hit a spin kick from his hip on Chase at 7:00, then a Frankensteiner, and they were both down. Taguchi nailed a running buttbump on Kenta for a nearfall at 10:30. Taguchi and Zayne each applied an ankle lock. Kenta set up for Go To Sleep, but Taguchi blocked it and reapplied an ankle lock. Kenta hit a low blow; Taguchi hit a low blow back that sent Kenta crashing backward into Chase. Taguchi immediately rolled up Kenta, and got the pin! Not particularly good. Will Kenta blame Chase again for them bumping into each other just before the rollup?
Ryusuke Taguchi and Alex Zayne (6) defeated Chase Owens and Kenta (6) at 13:04.
7. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa (4) vs. “United Empire” Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman (6) in an A Block tournament match. Pretty shocking that both of these teams could finish with a losing record. Cobb knocked Oiwa down with a shoulder tackle to open. Callum entered and hit his sprinting Mafia Kick at 2:00. Callum hit a doublestomp on Sabre’s back and they were both down. Cobb tossed Zack and hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 6:00, and Sabre sold pain in his ribs. Oiwa hit a suplex on Cobb that popped the crowd, and they traded forearms. Cobb hit the Spin Cycle swinging back suplex. Newman hit a dropkick on Sabre. Sabre hit his Pele Kick on Callum’s shoulder, and Oiwa slammed him for a nearfall at 10:00.
Sabre hit a series of spin kicks to Callum’s left arm, then Zack tied him up on the mat and cranked back on his arms in a Rings of Saturn, but Callum reached the ropes. Cobb hit a German Suplex on Oiwa; Oiwa hit one back at 12:30. Newman hit a flying Meteora on Sabre, then a sit-out powerbomb on Zack for a nearfall. This has been really good. Sabre accidentally kicked Oiwa! Callum hit an OsCutter on Sabre for a believable nearfall at 14:00. Newman and Oiwa fought on the ropes, and Oiwa somehow twisted his knee and he fell to the floor. The ref ran over, checked on him, and immediately called for the bell. A second knee injury in one show. I again watched the replay and am just not sure what exactly happened that would have been out of the ordinary. (If it’s a work, and I think it is, it gives both teams a 3-4 record and a way to avoid a clean finish.)
Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa (6) defeated Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman (6) via ref stoppage at 15:12.
* There was actually medical staff that came over with a stretcher board, which made this injury look more legit than the Henare injury. He got actual medical treatment. So, if only one injury is a work, it’s Henare’s injury. Newman pushed the board away, but was helped to the back by Cobb and a Young Lion.
8. Tomoaki Honma and Shota Umino (4) vs. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Yota Tsuji and Shingo Takagai (8) in an A Block tournament match. The key storyline here is Shota rolled an ankle a few days ago (I again am doubtful on this). Shota and Shingo opened, and Shota hit a dropkick. Shingo hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip in the ropes. Meanwhile, Tsuji whipped Honma into the guardrail. In the ring, LIJ kept Shota grounded, and Umino was limping. Umino hit a standing neckbreaker at 6:30 but kept selling his leg injury. Honma tagged in for the first time and traded shoulder tackles with Shingo.
LIJ hit a team back suplex on Honma at 9:00. Tsuji hit a second-rope superplex on Honma, and Shingo immediately hit a sliding clothesline. Shota got back in and hit a missile dropkick on Tsuji for a nearfall at 11:00, then a twisting neckbreaker. He hit an Exploder Suplex, then a running neckbreaker at 13:00. Tsuji hit a Stomp for a nearfall at 15:00. Shingo entered and hit a wheelbarrow German Suplex on Umino. Shingo hit a Death Valley Driver on Honma, and Tsuji hit the Gene Blaster on Honma. Tsuji hit a top-rope doublestomp on Umino’s back or a nearfall at 17:00. Shingo nailed a Pumping Bomber clothesline on Shota. Tsuji accidentally hit the Gene Blaster spear on Shingo! Shota hit a Death Rider double-arm DDT and pinned Tsuji! As I expected, the LIJ loss means the winner of the main event advances to the finals.
Tomoaki Honma and Shota Umino (6) defeated Yota Tsuji and Shingo Takagai (8) at 18:38.
9. “Bishamon” Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto (8) vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Gabe Kidd and Sanada (8) in an A Block tournament match. The BCWD attacked from behind. Kidd and Goto fought on the floor. They got back into the ring, but fought right back to the floor, where Kidd whipped Goto into rows of chairs at 3:30. Back in the ring, Sanada worked over Goto. Goto hit a hard clothesline on Sanada, and they were both down at 7:00. Yoshi-Hashi entered and hit his Headhunter overhead flipping neckbreaker on Sanada. Kidd got back in and hit some chops on Yoshi-Hashi. Yoshi-Hashi hit a basement dropkick on Kidd’s knee at 11:00. Goto hit a back suplex on Kidd for a nearfall. He hit a hard clothesline and they were both down at 13:30, and the crowd came alive.
Yoshi-Hashi and Sanada got back in, and Sanada hit some dropkicks, then a plancha to the floor. BCWD set up for Shoto (Bishamon’s finisher!) but Yoshi-Hashi fought free. Bishamon then hit Shoto on Sanada for a nearfall, but Kidd made the save, and all four were down at 16:00. Sanada tied Y-H in Skull End, but Y-H escaped, so Sanada hit a Shining Wizard, but he couldn’t hit the Deadfall swinging faceplant. Kidd hit a low blow kick on Yoshi-Hashi, then a piledriver. Sanada then nailed Deadfall and pinned Yoshi-Hashi! The War Dogs have reached the finals, and Bishamon’s three-year World Tag League winning streak is over.
Sanada and Gabe Kidd (10) defeated Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto (8) to win the A Block at 18:52.
Final Thoughts: A very good main event; not great, but very good. I was cheering for Sanada and Kidd, as I wanted to see Bishamon’s streak end. UE vs. TMDK was really good, too, and I really hope I’m right that Callum’s knee injury is a work so neither team had to eat a pin there. Callum is maybe the most improved wrestler of 2024, so if it is a legit injury, hopefully it is minor. As expected, Shota carried his team to all the wins, while Honma ate all the losses.
The B Block wraps up on Friday with Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito vs. Great-O-Khan and Henare in the main event, and the winner heading to the finals on Sunday to face Kidd and Sanada.
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