By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “World Tag League”
November 25, 2025, in Fukushima, Japan, at Big Palette Fukushima
Streamed live on New Japan World
The venue is a really small gym with a crowd of maybe 600-800. The lights were on, and it was easy to see. Walker Stewart is finally back, and he provided commentary.
* This year’s tournament features 16 teams, divided into two Blocks of eight squads. It’s a round-robin tournament, so each team has seven matches. The winners of each Block will then face off in the finals. Today, just the B Block is in tournament action.
1. “House of Torture” Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. “Unaffiliated Bullet Club” Gabe Kidd, Yota Tsuji, and Gedo. Kidd and Chase opened. Yujiro hit a guillotine leg drop on Gedo for a nearfall at 2:30, and the HoT worked over Gedo. Kanemaru hit a basement dropkick on Yota’s knee at 4:30. Tsuji rolled up Kanemaru out of nowhere for the pin! I didn’t see that coming!
Gabe Kidd, Yota Tsuji, and Gedo defeated Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 5:02.
2. Taichi, Satoshi Kojima, and Masatora Yasuda vs. El Desperado, Shuji Ishikawa, and Shoma Kato. Taichi and Desperado opened, as Walker reminded viewers they were Suzuki-Gun teammates. Kojima and Ishikawa, with a combined age of 105, entered at 2:00, and Kojima hit his rapid-fire chops in the corner. Ishikawa bodyslammed him. The Young Lions locked up at 3:30. Yasuda hit a series of bodyslams on Kato. Walker just dropped that combined age stat I wrote down! Yasuda hit a dropkick on Despe. Satoshi hit a Koji Cutter on Desperado. Shoma dropkicked Taichi. Despe low-bridged Kojima to the floor. Yasuda put Despe in a Boston Crab at 7:00, but Ishikawa broke it up. Despe and Shuji hit a team powerbomb move to pin Yasuda. Solid.
El Desperado, Shuji Ishikawa, and Shoma Kato defeated Taichi, Satoshi Kojima, and Masatora Yasuda at 7:41.
Chase Owens joined Walker Stewart on commentary. He immediately started making excuses for why he and Yujiro are off to an 0-2 start… they haven’t teamed in a while!
3. “Unaffiliated Bullet Club” Shingo Takagi, Drilla Moloney, and Daiki Nagai vs. “House of Torture” EVIL, Don Fale, and Dick Togo. The HoT attacked before the bell, and we’re underway. All six immediately fought to the floor. In the ring, Togo and Nagai traded arm holds. EVIL entered at 1:30 to battle Shingo. Shingo hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip. Shingo and Moloney hit a team shoulder tackle to drop EVIL. Shingo set up to do a knife-edge chop to the groin! That’s Togo’s move! The HoT broke that up. Funny. Sure enough, Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Daiki’s groin. Fale hit the Grenade (pop-up heart punch) and pinned Daiki. Another match that wrapped up quickly and unexpectedly.
EVIL, Don Fale, and Dick Togo defeated Shingo Takagi, Drilla Moloney, and Daiki Nagai at 4:50.
4. Yoshi-Hashi, Hirooki Goto, and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg, and Katsuya Murashima. Yoshi-Hashi and Yano opened. Murashima entered and battled Goto. Oleg entered at 2:30 and cleared the ring. He hit a splash to the mat on Matsumoto for a nearfall. Matsumoto put Oleg in a Boston Crab, but Boltin powered out, and he chopped the Young Lion. “He looks pissed!” Chase said. Boltin applied the Boston Crab, and Matsumoto tapped out. That has to be the shortest average match time of preview tag matches ever. Wow.
Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg, and Katsuya Murashima defeated Yoshi-Hashi, Hirooki Goto, and Tatsuya Matsumoto at 5:06.
5. “Monster Sauce” Lance Archer and Alex Zayne (2) vs. “United Empire” Callum Newman and Great-O-Khan (w/Jakob Austin Young) (0) in a B Block tournament match. Zayne and Callum opened and traded some quick reversals as Chase and Walker talked about the imploding United Empire and the frustration that faction has felt with its struggles; Stewart talked about the injuries and absences of other UE members. O-Khan entered at 2:30 and hit his Mongolian Chops on Alex. Zayne hit a double dropkick. Lance tagged in at 4:00 and was fired up. He grabbed each UE by their throat, but they broke free. Lance hit a double crossbody block! He hit running back elbows in opposite corners.
Archer chokeslammed Callum onto O-Khan, then he slammed Zayne onto O-Khan. Jakob Austin Young jumped in the ring, so Lance slammed him onto O-Khan, too! Funny. Callum hit a top-rope doublestomp to Zayne’s gut for a nearfall at 6:30, but Archer made the save. Callum hit a fisherman’s buster on Zayne for a nearfall. Zayne hit a swinging faceplant on Callum. Archer again slammed Zayne onto Callum for a nearfall. Chase wondered why you would want to be Archer’s partner when all he does is toss you around. Accurate. Zayne hit a corkscrew Asai Moonsault onto O-Khan and Young! Young tripped Zayne! Callum immediately hit a doublestomp on Zayne’s head and pinned him. Walker was incredulous at the cheating.
Callum Newman and Great-O-Khan (2) defeated Alex Zayne and Lance Archer (2) at 8:59.
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi and El Phantasmo (0) vs. “Unaffiliated Bullet Club” David Finlay and Hiromu Takahashi (2) in a B Block tournament match. Tanahashi and Finlay opened. Hiroshi hit a second-rope twisting crossbody block. Tanahashi and ELP hit stereo bodyslams. Chase reminded viewers that he is 1-0 in singles matches against Tanahashi. Hiromu targeted Tanahashi’s left arm and twisted it. Finlay slammed Hiromu onto Tanahashi for a nearfall at 5:00. “What’s up with all these teams using teammates as weapons?” Chase asked. Hiroshi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Finlay, and they were both down. ELP tagged in and hit some punches on Finlay, then a huracanrana. He hit his Lionsault for a nearfall at 7:30.
Finlay tossed Hiromu, but ELP moved so Hiromu crashed to the mat; Hiromu got up and shoved Finlay in frustration. ELP hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor onto both opponents. In the ring, ELP put Finlay across his shoulders and spun him to the mat for a nearfall at 9:00. Finlay hit the Northern Irish Curse backbreaker over his knee, but David sold the pain in his knee, too. Hiromu and Hiroshi tagged in. Takahashi hit a basement dropkick, and he stomped on Hiroshi. They traded chops. Tanahashi hit a Sling Blade at 11:30, and he went for the Texas Cloverleaf, but Finlay broke that up. ELP and Tanahashi applied stereo Texas Cloverleafs! Finlay pushed ELP into Tanahashi to break it up.
Tanahashi climbed the ropes, but Hiromu grabbed him. Hiroshi hit a Twist and Shout swinging neckbreaker on Hiromu. Hiromu hit a superkick on ELP (it came up a bit short). Finlay hit a release suplex, tossing ELP across the ring. He once again slammed Hiromu onto ELP for a nearfall. All four fought in the ring. Hiromu and Finlay argued again! Finlay kicked him in the gut and threw Hiromu to the floor and onto Tanahashi. Finlay and ELP traded rollups for believable nearfalls. Hiromu helped push Finlay on top in an inside cradle for the pin! That was really entertaining.
David Finlay and Hiromu Takahashi (4) defeated El Phantasmo and Hiroshi Tanahashi (0) at 15:44.
7. “House of Torture” Sanada and Ren Narita (0) vs. “Bullet Club” Oskar and Yuto-Ice (0). The BC charged into the ring and attacked the HoT, and we’re underway. All four fought on the floor and we had a bell to officially begin at 00:22, even though no one was in the ring. (I beg for some consistency on that!) In the ring, Yuto-Ice mounted Ren and repeatedly punched him. Oskar dropped Ren with one loud chop, and he got a nearfall. Ren whipped Yuto-Ice into an exposed corner at 2:30. All four again fought to the floor. Ren and Yuto-Ice resumed fighting in the ring. Sanada hit a low blow on Oskar.
Sanada tagged in at 4:30, and he choked Oskar. He jabbed a chair in Yuto’s gut on the floor and got a nearfall in the ring. Ren choked Yuto-Ice in the ropes, as the HoT kept him in their corner. Sanada went for Skull End (Dragon Sleeper), but Yuto escaped and suplexed him. Oskar finally got a hot tag at 7:30 and hit some shoulder tackles that sent the HoT flying. He hit a scoop bodyslam on Ren, and Narita rolled to the floor. He hit a guillotine leg drop on Sanada for a nearfall. Sanada couldn’t apply the Paradise Lock, so he hit some dropkicks.
Sanada nailed the Magic Screw (twisting neckbreaker off the ropes) on Oskar as the 10:00 call was spot-on. Yuto-Ice dropped Ren with a Mafia Kick. He hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest in the corner, then running double knees to the face in the corner for a nearfall. Ren grapevined the leg on the mat; Yuto grabbed the ropes. Yuto hit a running Penalty Kick for a nearfall at 12:00. Oskar hit a backbreaker over his knee on Ren for a nearfall, but Sanada made the save. Ren low-bridged Oskar to the floor.
Kanemaru distracted the ref and Ren grabbed his push-up bar, but Yuto blocked that. They got up and traded forearm strikes. The ref got bumped; the 15:00 call was a bit late. Ren hit a low blow on Yuto-Ice, then he hit him in the head with the push-up bar! Oskar jumped in and applied a sleeper on Narita. The ref got bumped again! Kanemaru sprayed whiskey in Oskar’s eyes! Sanada struck Oskar over the head with a guitar! Ren hit the Hell’s Guillotine (top-rope flying knee to the throat) and got the cheap pin on Oskar. The champs have started 0-2!
Sanada and Ren Narita (2) defeated Oskar and Yuto-Ice (0) at 16:40.
8. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa (2) vs. Yuya Uemura and Shota Umino (2) in a B Block tournament match. This could be special; we have a 30-minute time limit, and Walker noted there is always a possibility for a draw. Sabre and Yuya opened and immediately tied up on the mat. Oiwa and Shota tagged in at 2:30 and also tied up on the mat. Yuya twisted Oiwa’s wrist. Oiwa dropped him with a shoulder tackle at 5:30. TMDK kept Yuya in their corner as they took turns working over his left arm. Yuya hit a second-rope crossbody block on Oiwa, and they were both down at 10:00. Shota tagged in and bodyslammed Oiwa and dropkicked Sabre, and he was fired up.
Oiwa and Shota traded forearm strikes. Shota hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 12:00. Oiwa hit a double clothesline and tagged in Sabre. Zack hit some European Uppercuts. Walker noted that Sabre has held tag gold, but never won World Tag League. Sabre hit his neck-snap between his ankles. Shota and Yuya hit stereo dropkicks on Oiwa. Sabre tied up Shota’s arms on the mat and locked both behind the back as the 15:00 call was right on. Umino finally got a foot on the ropes. Zack hit some Yes Kicks and kept Shota on his knees. Oiwa hit a back suplex on Yuya. Shota hit a tornado DDT on Sabre and suddenly, everyone was down at 18:00.
Shota and Sabre got up and traded European Uppercuts; Chase wondered if that was a smart plan for Umino. Sabre switched to a sleeper! Shota and Yuya hit stereo German Dropkicks at the 20:00 call. Yuya hit a top-rope superplex on Sabre, and Yuya immediately hit a frog splash on Sabre for a nearfall. On the floor, Oiwa pushed Yuya into the guardrail, then clotheslined him over it. In the ring, Sabre and Shota traded rollups. Shota hit a shotgun dropkick. Sabre nailed a Zack Driver, but Yuya made the save at 22:00.
Oiwa hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Yuya; Yuya hit a clothesline. This place was going nuts, and you could hear the excitement in Walker’s voice. Shota dropped Oiwa with a headbutt. Sabre clotheslined Shota. Shota got an inside cradle for a nearfall. Oiwa clotheslined Shota; once again, Sabre floated over Shota, rolled him up, and pinned him. “That is professional wrestling,” Chase said. A helluva match.
Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa (4) defeated Yuya Uemura and Shota Umino (2) at 23:37.
* Oiwa spoke first. Sabre spoke extensively in Japanese.
Final Thoughts: A tremendous main event; that’s going to be considered top-five of the whole tournament when it’s all said and done. I fully believed, from the bell, that they were going to a time-limit draw, as all four have the gas tanks to easily go another six-plus minutes to get there. The Finlay/Hiromu tag earns second, and I’m enjoying that Hiromu is making clear he does not like being used as a human battering ram and a weapon to be tossed around.
I don’t think anyone minds that the preview tags were all kept short, especially as the last two matches were so long. The tournament only has a few off-days, and the A Block is back in action on Wednesday with Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto vs. Boltin Oleg and Toru Yano in the main event. (Yes, the A Block is far, far weaker than the B Block … Yano in the main event? Ugh.) They take Thanksgiving off and the superior B Block will be back on Friday.
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