By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Super Jr. Tag League”
October 28, 2025, in Niigata, Japan, at Sado City General Gymnasium
Streamed live on New Japan World
This year’s tournament features 12 teams in two six-team Blocks. It’s a round-robin tournament, so each team will have at least five matches. This tournament plays out in just over a week with only two off-days. Just the A Block is in tournament action tonight. Two teams are 3-0 and seemingly on a collision course to decide who wins the Block.
This show is in a large, tan gym and the lights were on. The crowd was maybe 500-600 and it’s fairly packed. Walker Stewart provided commentary and he immediately said they haven’t been on this island since 1994! He said they took a boat to get to this island. Stewart said Robbie Eagles will join him later.
1. Zane Jay and Shoma Kato vs. Masatora Yasuda and Tatsuya Matsumoto. Jay and Matsumoto opened. Jay unloaded a series of chops on Yasuda. Yasuda hit a dropkick on Jay at 6:00. Matsumoto hit some bodyslams on Jay. Yasuda and Matsumoto worked over Kato. Matsumoto put Kato in a Boston Crab, but Shoma reached the ropes at 9:00. Kato then put Matsumoto in a Boston Crab, and he tapped out.
Zane Jay and Shoma Kato defeated Masatora Yasuda and Tatsuya Matsumoto at 10:10.
2. “Bullet Club” Taiji Ishimori, Robbie X, Oskar, and Yuto-Ice vs. Toru Yano, Desperado, Kuukai, and Katsuya Murashima. Ishimori and Desperado opened and I have to wonder how many times these two have locked up. (A hundred? More? Okay, Cagematch.net records say this is meeting No. 103!) Robbie fought Kuukai. Yano got in and playfully slapped Oskar on the back of his head at 2:00, which seems like a death wish to me. Yuto-Ice hit a series of roundhouse kicks to Yano’s chest in the corner. Kuukai dropkicked Ishimori off the apron to the floor. He dove through the ropes onto Robbie at 4:30.
In the ring, Ishimori hit a jumping knee on Kuukai. They set up for the Magic Killer, but Desperado made the save. Robbie hit a Pele Kick on Kuukai, but he couldn’t hit a Lethal Injection. Murashima entered for the first time at 6:30 and hit a dropkick on Oskar. He traded forearm strikes on Yuto-Ice. Murashima hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Yuto-Ice for a nearfall. He couldn’t bodyslam Oskar, but Oskar bodyslammed him. Yuto-Ice hit a running Penalty Kick to pin Murashima. (That’s a pretty weak finisher). Good preview tag action, though.
Taiji Ishimori, Robbie X, Oskar, and Yuto-Ice defeated Toru Yano, Desperado, Kuukai, and Katsuya Murashima at 8:57.
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Robbie Eagles, Kose Fujita, and Hartley Jackson vs. Tiger Mask, Boltin Oleg, and Yamato. Fujita and Yamato opened, and they traded forearm strikes. Tiger Mask and Eagles locked up at 2:30. TMDK kept Tiger Mask in their corner; Walker noted that with Tiger Mask’s retirement set for summer 2026, this is, in all likelihood, his final Super Junior Tag League. Hartley flattened TM with a senton for a nearfall at 5:00. Tiger Mask hit a backbreaker over his knee on Robbie.
Yamato got back in and hit a dropkick in the corner on Fujita. Yamato and Eagles traded kicks. Boltin finally got in at 7:30, and he traded shoulder blocks with Hartley, then chops. Boltin finally knocked him down with a shoulder tackle, but he couldn’t get Hartley up for a gut-wrench suplex. Instead, Oleg hit a suplex and a splash to the mat. Boltin finally got Hartley up and hit the gut-wrench suplex! “Holy hell!” Walker exclaimed. Oleg put Hartley across his shoulders and hit the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) for the pin. That is some impressive raw strength. Some good undercard matches today.
Tiger Mask, Boltin Oleg, and Yamato defeated Robbie Eagles, Kose Fujita, and Hartley Jackson at 11:03.
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kushida, and Yuki Yushioka vs. “House of Torture” Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Walker noted that because it’s been so long since NJPW has been here, this is Tanahashi’s debut on this island. Togo and Kushida opened. Tanahashi twisted Gedo’s arm. Togo bodyslammed Yoshioka on the thin mat at ringside and tossed him back into the ring at 4:00, and the HoT worked over Yuki. Kushida got a hot tag and hit a handspring-back-elbow at 7:00. He hit a basement dropkick on Togo, then a Frankensteiner on Kanemaru.
The HoT now began working over Kushida and kept him in their corner. Tanahashi got in and hit his second-rope somersault senton on Yujiro at 9:00. The HoT took turns hitting strikes on Hiroshi in their corner, and Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Tanahashi’s groin for a nearfall. Tanahashi hit a Sling Blade, then some Dragonscrew Legwhips. Yuki and Kushida hit stereo planchas. It left Tanahashi to hit a High Fly Flow frogsplash on Yujiro for the pin. (Yujiro was in the center of the ring, and Tanahashi came up a bit shorter than you’d like on that landing.) Satisfying match.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kushida, and Yuki Yushioka defeated Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 11:42.
* Robbie Eagles joined Walker here. Walker just reiterated what I presumed… only the two teams at 3-0 are still mathematically alive. Every other team is 1-2 or 0-3 and is eliminated.
5. Ryusuke Taguchi and Dragon Dia (2) vs. “United Empire” Jakob Austin Young and Templario (2) in an A Block tournament match. Templario and Dia opened and traded some fast reversals. Templario hit a dropkick that sent Dia to the floor. On the floor, Templario dropped him face-first on the apron. Taguchi and Young entered at 2:00. The UE hit stereo dropkicks on Dia at 4:00. The UE worked over Taguchi and kept him grounded.
Dia got the tag at 8:00 and he hit a dropkick on Young, then a satellite headscissors takedown on Templario. Taguchi hit a flying buttbump on Templario. Dia hit a moonsault to the floor on Templario! In the ring, Taguchi got a rollup with a handful of tights to pin Young. Fairly basic but fine; at least Taguchi’s ‘comedy’ was kept to a minimum. Templario threw up his hands in frustration; Walker noted “the tension continues to build in the United Empire.”
Ryusuke Taguchi and Dragon Dia (4) defeated Jakob Austin Young and Templario (2) at 9:56.
* My prediction now, before these final two matches, is Douki and Sho win to go to 4-0, but Gedo/Hiromu wins the main event. That allows Yoh and Wato to win the block on the final day by beating Douki and Sho. We’ll see if that’s how it plays out.
6. “Unaffiliated Bullet Club” Clark Connors and Daiki Nagai (0) vs. “House of Torture” Douki and Sho (6) in an A Block tournament match. The HoT attacked, and we’re underway! They stomped on Nagai on the floor. They brought Daiki into the ring and each applied a half crab (this ref isn’t forcing one to get out of the ring all that quickly!). This match has been slow and dull. Connors finally got in at 7:30, and he hit a double shoulder block. Sho speared Connors. Connors hit a double spear! Nagai tagged right back in and hit a dropkick on Douki. Douki put Nagai in a Boston Crab at 9:30.
Connors stood on the floor and screamed at Nagai and urged him to reach the ropes, which he eventually did. Nagai now put Douki in a Boston Crab; Connors jumped in and powerslammed Sho to stop him from breaking it up. Sho got his wrench, but Nagai blocked him from using it. Connors hit Douki with his tire! Nagai hit a spinebuster on Douki, and he again applied the Boston Crab! However, Sho hit Nagai in the head with his metal sheet to knock him out; Douki covered the prone Nagai for the pin. Meh. This is what we’ve come to expect from a House of Torture match, right?
Douki and Sho (8) defeated Clark Connors and Daiki Nagai (0) at 14:01.
7. “Unaffiliated Bullet Club” Gedo and Hiromu Takahashi (2) vs. Master Wato and Yoh (6) in an A Block tournament match. They all shook hands, but then Gedo and Hiromu attacked from behind. Wato tugged on Gedo’s beard. The ABC worked over Wato. Hiromu hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 3:00. Walker noted this is just the second time Hiromu has competed in Super Junior Tag League (and imagine how exciting it would have been if Titan had stuck around to team with him!) Robbie Eagles reiterated he hasn’t really watched the A Block at all because he’s been so focused on doing well in the B Block.
Wato hit a leg lariat on Hiromu at 9:00. Wato and Yoh hit a team suplex on Hiromu. Gedo hit a flying double crossbody block at 11:00. ABC hit stereo buzzsaw kicks to the jaw, then they went for stereo Gedo Clutches and got nearfalls. Hiromu hit a Time Bomb (modified DVD) for a nearfall on Wato. Gedo went for a frogsplash at 13:00, but Wato got his knees up to block it. Gedo locked in a Figure Four. Yoh hit a superkick on Gedo at 15:00. Yoh and Wato hit a leg sweep-and-clothesline combo on Gedo for a nearfall. Yoh then hit a neckbreaker over his knee, and Wato covered Gedo for the pin. So, both undefeated teams remain that way, heading into the clash on the final night. Good match.
Master Wato and Yoh (8) defeated Gedo and Hiromu Takahashi (2) at 16:26.
Final Thoughts: The A Block is just rough watching, as it’s comprised of multiple makeshift teams that had never paired up before this tournament (and thus it makes sense that two regular teams are a combined 8-0). Once again, only the main event could muster a ‘good’ rating out of the three tournament matches. As I noted in a review last week… Jakob Austin Young, Gedo, Taguchi… they aren’t the reasons I tune in. The good news is we had a few above-average preview tags that made up for a lackluster tournament field.
This tournament is a grind, and the B Block will be back in action on Wednesday with Desperado and Kuukai taking on Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori; that should easily be better than any matches here today.
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