By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “World Tag League”
December 2, 2025, in Yamanashi, Japan, at Aimesse Yamanashi
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart provided commentary. The lights were low and I really couldn’t see the crowd at all, but the ring was well-lit.
* 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. Just the A Block was in action on this show. Any team that has three losses is all but mathematically eliminated.
The B Block is significantly better than the A Block. Two days ago, the B Block was headlined with a dazzling Zack Sabre Jr. match, while this show — checks notes — has 55-year-old Satoshi Kojima in the main event.
1. Zane Jay and “Monster Sauce” Alex Zayne and Lance Archer vs. Katsuya Murashima, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and El Phantasmo (w/Jado). Tanahashi and Zane Jay opened; it sure is painful to watch Tanahashi run the ropes. ELP entered at 2:00, playing air guitar, then locking up with Zayne. ELP hit a huracanrana and played more air guitar. Lots of silliness as Zayne got his hands on the air guitar. Archer tagged in at 4:00 to battle Murashima; Katsuya wanted to tag out, but his partners vanished to the floor.
Murashima tried some shoulder blocks, but Lance didn’t budge. The size difference here was more than I anticipated. Archer knocked Murashima down with a shoulder tackle. Zane entered and hit some chops; Murashima put him in a Boston Crab. ELP superkicked Alex Zayne, and Tanahashi hit a Sling Blade on Zayne. Murashima hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Zane, and he again put Jay in a Boston Crab. Jay tapped out! Murashima got the win for his team!
Katsuya Murashima, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and El Phantasmo defeated Zane Jay, Alex Zayne, and Lance Archer at 8:27.
2. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman, and Jakob Austin Young vs. “House of Torture” Ren Narita, Sanada, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. The HoT attacked from behind, and we’re underway! The HoT worked over Newman in their corner. O-Khan entered at 2:30 and slammed Ren for a nearfall. He slammed Kanemaru face-first, too, then hit his Mongolian Chops on Ren. Sanada tried to tie O-Khan in the Paradise Lock, but O-Khan fought it off. Young entered and chopped Sanada in the corner. Young went for Jakob’s Ladder, but Sanada avoided it. Sanada hit a low-blow mule kick on Jakob. Kanemaru got his whiskey, but Young hit a low blow on Kanemaru. Young went to kick Sanada, but Sanada intentionally lifted Jakob’s leg up to make it ‘look’ like Jakob hit a low blow. The ref disqualified Young. A flat finish.
Ren Narita, Sanada, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman, and Jakob Austin Young via DQ at 5:57.
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson vs. “Unaffiliated Bullet Club” Yuto-Ice, Oskar, and Daiki Nagai. Zack Sabre has the night off. Our first time seeing Fujita on this tour; he and Nagai opened, and Kosei tied him up. Oiwa entered at 2:00 to battle Oskar. Yuto-Ice entered and hit some roundhouse kicks to Oiwa’s chest. Hartley entered at 5:00 and traded big shoulder blocks with Oskar, and Jackson finally dropped him.
Jackson hit a suplex for a nearfall. He hit a senton; Kosei covered Oskar for a nearfall. Daiki got back in and hip-tossed Kosei across the ring and got a nearfall at 7:00. Oskar hit a big bodyslam on Oiwa. Nagai hit a Spinebuster on Fujita and put him in a Boston Crab, but Kosei reached the ropes. Kosei slapped him in the face and applied a Walls of Jericho (vertical Boston Crab), and Nagai tapped out. Decent match.
Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson defeated Yuto-Ice, Oskar, and Daiki Nagai at 9:56.
4. Yuya Uemura, Shota Umino, and Shoma Kato vs. “Unaffiliated Bullet Club” Hiromu Takahashi, David Finlay, and Gedo. Shoma and Gedo opened, but Hiromu jumped in and attacked Kato from behind, and we’re underway! Shota entered and twisted Gedo’s arm. Shoma hit a dropkick at 3:00 and was fired up. Finlay got the hot tag and hit some running back elbows and a back-body drop. Finlay whipped Hiromu, making him do a rolling cannonball in the corner. He kicked Hiromu in the gut and slammed him onto Kato for a nearfall at 5:00. Shoma got a backslide on Finlay, but Finlay hit a Dominator faceplant to pin Kato. That was quick and fun.
Hiromu Takahashi, David Finlay, and Gedo defeated Yuya Uemura, Shota Umino, and Shoma Kato at 5:21.
5. “House of Torture” Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi (0) vs. Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg (4) in an A Block tournament match. The HoT attacked to open. Yano yanked them by their hair to the mat, and he removed a corner pad, but Chase struck him with the pad and got a nearfall at 2:00. Yujiro hit a sliding kick for a nearfall. Oleg finally got a hot tag at 4:30 and hit some shoulder tackles. He flipped Yujiro around in his arms, then the gutwrench suplex. Oleg hit the Vader Bomb on Yujiro for a nearfall. He set up for Kamikaze, but Yujiro escaped.
Yujiro dropped Oleg throat-first on the top rope. Chase got back in and hit some clotheslines on Oleg. He got a rollup with his feet on the ropes for a believable nearfall. The HoT hit a team suplex on Oleg, and Chase hit a C-Trigger running knee for a nearfall, but Yano made the save. Yano flipped Chase in the air; Oleg caught Chase and hit an F5 faceplant at 8:00. Nice! Chase hit another jumping knee and got a nearfall on Boltin. Chase set up for the package piledriver, but Oleg escaped, hit the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll), and pinned Owens. Far better than I expected; it didn’t drag anyway.
Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg (6) defeated Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi (0) at 9:00 even.
6. “House of Torture” EVIL and Don Fale (6) vs. “Bishamon” Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto (4) in an A Block tournament match. The HoT attacked, and we’re underway. EVIL opened against Goto. They fought to the floor, where EVIL tied Goto’s leg in the guardrail. In the ring, the HoT ‘wish-boned’ Goto’s legs at 2:30. Fale stomped on him. EVIL applied a half-crab. Goto hit a clothesline on EVIL at 5:00, but he collapsed and sold pain in his knee.
Yoshi-Hashi finally got in and hit some quick kicks and a standing neckbreaker on EVIL for a nearfall. Those two traded chops. EVIL hit a suplex. Fale tagged back in at 6:30, but he missed a splash in the corner. While on the floor, EVIL tripped Yoshi-Hashi. Yoshi-Hashi hit a second-rope Blockbuster on Fale for a nearfall at 8:00, and he applied a heel hook on the mat on Fale. Sho jumped in and attacked Yoshi-Hashi. Sho and EVIL hit a Magic Killer team slam on Yoshi-Hashi. Fale put Yoshi-Hashi on his shoulders, and he went to do a move, but Y-H got a Crucifix Driver rollup and pinned Fale. Not good, but at least this was also kept short.
Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto (6) defeated EVIL and Don Fale (6) at 9:37.
7. El Desperado and Shuji Ishikawa (6) vs. “Unaffiliated Bullet Club” Gabe Kidd and Yota Tsuji (6) in an A Block tournament match. Yes, this absolutely should be the main event. Yota and Shuji locked up to open, and I must repeat myself that Shuji is 6’5″ and 280 pounds; he towers over Yota. He knocked Tsuji down with a shoulder tackle. Kidd and Despe tagged in at 1:30 and immediately traded chops. Everyone brawled to the floor. Kidd slammed a chair across Despe’s back at 3:30. Kidd jabbed a chair in Shuji’s gut, then another blow across the back. In the ring, Yota put Desperado in a Boston Crab. Meanwhile, Kidd got a table from under the ring.
Everyone again brawled to the floor. Shuji whipped Yota into the guardrail at 7:00. Kidd threw Despe into the ring and tied him up on the mat. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees. Shuji hit a running knee in the corner on Kidd and got a nearfall at 8:30. Kidd hit a big suplex on Shuji, and they were both down. Despe hit a second-rope doublestomp to Tsuji’s gut, then the bigger Shuji also hit a second-rope doublestomp on Tsuji’s gut! Despe applied a Boston Crab on Yota at 11:00.
Yota hit a jumping knee to Despe’s chin in the corner, but he missed the Marlowe Stomp. The ref got bumped! Despe hit a German Suplex on Yota, then a spear! Desperado looked around and realized we had no ref. Kidd hit an unprotected chair shot to the top of Desperado’s head at 13:30. Kidd and Shuji clanged chairs together, and Shuji hit Kidd across the back with his chair. Kidd and Shuji fought on the apron, above the table that Gabe opened several minutes ago!
Shuji hit a leaping piledriver off the apron and sent him and Kidd through the table at 15:00! In the ring, Despe hit a spear on Yota, and he got a believable nearfall. Despe hit a team powerbomb for a nearfall, but Kidd somehow recovered and made the save! Shuji went for an Ibushi-style Kamigoye, but Gabe blocked it. Despe went for a spear, but Kidd caught him with a flying knee! Yota hit a Gene Blaster (spear) on Desperado for the pin. Yes, that was really good, and I’m right that this should have been our main event. At 4-1, Kidd and Yota are leading the pack.
Gabe Kidd and Yota Tsuji (8) defeated El Desperado and Shuji Ishikawa (6) at 17:12.
8. Taichi and Satoshi Kojima (2) vs. “War Dragons” Shingo Takagi and Drilla Moloney (4) in an A Block tournament match. Drilla and Taichi opened. Shingo and Satoshi locked up at 2:00, and Kojima hit his rapid-fire chops on Shingo, then on Drilla, then again on Shingo. The WD hit a team shoulder tackle to drop Satoshi at 4:30. Satoshi hit a DDT on Drilla. Taichi hit a back suplex on Shingo at 6:30. They went to the floor, where Taichi whipped Shingo into the guardrail. In the ring, Taichi got a nearfall on Takagi. He hit some stiff kicks to the spine and stomped on Shingo.
Kojima hit a standing neckbreaker on Shingo for a nearfall at 8:30. Shingo and Taichi traded forearm strikes, and Taichi tied him in a Stretch Plum! Taichi let go to get a cover and a nearfall at 10:30. Shingo hit some jab punches and a clothesline that dropped Taichi. Drilla got back in and traded kicks and punches with Taichi. Moloney hit a dropkick, then a sliding dropkick to the floor on Taichi; Drilla got a nearfall back in the ring. Taichi hit a leaping enzuigiri to Drilla’s ear, and they were both down at 13:00. Moloney was going for the Drilla Killa, but Taichi escaped. Moloney slammed Taichi, and Shingo slammed Kojima, then they hit stereo second-rope elbow drops for nearfalls. Moloney hit a spinebuster on Taichi.
Shingo entered and unloaded jab punches and chops on Taichi in the corner at 15:30. Kojima tagged back in and again hit his rapid-fire chops on Shingo. Shingo hit a Death Valley Driver on Kojima for a nearfall at 17:00. Satoshi hit a Koji Cutter on Moloney, then one on Shingo. He set up for a clothesline, but Shingo cut him off. They hit stereo clotheslines, but only Shingo collapsed. Drilla hit a Gore on Satoshi. Shingo and Moloney hit a flipping powerbomb on Kojima for a nearfall. Satoshi hit another clothesline on Shingo for a nearfall at 19:30. Shingo hit a clothesline to the back of Kojima’s neck, then the Pumping Bomber clothesline for a believable nearfall. Shingo hit one more DVD and pinned Kojima.
Shingo Takagi and Drilla Moloney (6) defeated Taichi and Satoshi Kojima (2) at 21:15.
Final Thoughts: Two very bland tournament matches, followed by two really good tournament matches. I will stick to my opinion that Yota/Kidd’s tag match was the best match of the night, but the main event was really good. I think Satoshi having that day off a day ago really helped him. Kojima doesn’t really do much, but what he does, he did well here. The HoT matches don’t click, but at least Chase and Yujiro are 0-5 and aren’t picking up cheap wins. SO, Yota/Kidd are in first place at 8 points, but we have five teams at 3-2 (6 points), with Taichi/Kojima at 1-4 and Chase/Yujiro at 0-5, and those two teams are eliminated.
The B Block returns to action with their fifth match on Wednesday, with Yuya/Shota vs. Hiromu/Finlay in the main event.
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