By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Super Jr. Tag League”
October 27, 2026, in Koga City, Japan, at Hanamomo Gymnasium
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart and Francesco Akira provided commentary. This venue is a large auditorium with all seating on the floor. The crowd was 600. The lights were on, making it easy to see.
* This year’s field is comprised of 12 teams, divided into TWO six-team Blocks. This is a round-robin tournament, so every team has at least five matches. Today, JUST the A Block is in tournament action; three teams are 2-1 and three teams are 1-2.
I’m only checking out the tournament matches today. The results from the first four matches come from the NJPW website.
1. “House of Torture” Dick Togo, Sho, and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Yushin Hatazawa and “The Swirl” Blake Christian and Lee Johnson at 6:50. Yujiro applied a Boston Crab, and Hatazawa tapped out.
2. Yoh, Hyo, and Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated “The Unbound Co.” Daiki Nagai, Gedo, and Titan at 9:20. Hyo beat Gedo with “the Samson Driver.”
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita, and Robbie Eagles defeated “United Empire” Francesco Akira, Jakob Austin Young, and Zane Jay at 8:47. Hartley hit the Jagged Edge (Death Valley Driver) to pin Zane Jay.
4. Aaron Wolf, Boltin Oleg, and Toru Yano defeated Taichi, Taisei Nakahara, and Yuya Uemura at 10:10. Oleg hit the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) to pin Nakahara.
* Francesco Akira joined Walker here. Walker immediately asked him about the tension in the United Empire and how he’s not getting along well with teammate Jakob Austin Young.
5. Kuukai and Master Wato (2) vs. “The Unbound Co.” Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori (4) in an A Block tournament match. Ishimori and Kuukai opened and traded armdrags. Wato and Robbie X entered at 1:30, with Wato hitting a dropkick. Wato and Kuukai hit some quick team moves and kept Robbie grounded. Robbie hit an assisted standing moonsault on Wato, and Ishimori made the cover for a nearfall at 3:30. Ishimori snapped Wato’s neck between his ankles and got a nearfall.
Robbie hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 5:00, but Kuukai made the save. Robbie hit another standing moonsault for a nearfall. Kuukai hit a double armdrag and a shotgun dropkick. Walker stressed that if Wato and Kuukai lose, they are eliminated. Ishimori hit a handspring-back-enzuigiri on Kuukai, and they were both down at 8:30. Wato flew off the top rope and struck Robbie; the cameras really didn’t catch it. Wato and Kuukai hit stereo dives to the floor, and they were fired up!
In the ring, Kuukai hit a top-rope moonsault onto Robbie for a nearfall at 10:00. Wato hit a spin kick as Kuukai slammed Robbie, and they got a nearfall. Ishimori jumped back in and hit some strikes on both opponents. Kuukai accidentally kicked Wato! Robbie hit a Lethal Injection on Kuukai for a nearfall, and they were both down at 12:00. Ishimori hit a sliding German Suplex. Robbie hit a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall, but Wato made the save. Robbie hit a moonsault to the floor on Wato. In the ring, he nailed the X Express (Spiral Tap) to pin Kuukai. Really good action. Wato and Kuukai are the second team eliminated.
“The Unbound Co.” Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori (6) defeated Kuukai and Master Wato (2) at 13:39.
6. Kazuma Sumi and Ryusuke Taguchi (2) vs. Kushida and Nick Wayne (4) in an A Block tournament match. The younger guys, Wayne and Sumi, opened and traded standing switches. Walker reiterated that Taguchi and Sumi would also be eliminated with a loss. Kushida and Taguchi locked up at 2:00, and they traded slower reversals on the mat. Kushida hit a dropkick into the corner at 3:30. Wayne re-entered and targeted Taguchi’s left arm.
Sumi got back in at 6:00, and he hit a huracanrana that sent Wayne to the floor. Sumi hit a huracanrana on Kushida. He hit a top-rope twisting dive onto Wayne, Kushida, and a Young Lion, and he threw Wayne into the ring and got a nearfall. Kushida and Sumi traded chops. Taguchi finally got the hot tag at 10:00, and he hit a flying buttbump on Kushida, and the crowd was fired up. He hit a plancha to the floor on Kushida, then one on Wayne. In the ring, he applied an ankle lock on Wayne. He hit DDTs on both opponents at 11:30.
Sumi hit a 619 on Wayne, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Kushida applied a cross-armbreaker on Sumi, but Taguchi made the save. Kushida hit a basement dropkick to Taguchi’s face at 13:00. Wayne hit a frog splash while Kushida also hit a standing moonsault on Sumi, and they both got the nearfall. Sumi got some rollups on Kushida. Kushida hit a Pele Kick on Sumi. Sumi hit a Poison Rana on Wayne.
Kushida and Taguchi hit stereo clotheslines, and suddenly all four were down at 14:30. Taguchi hit a running buttbump on Kushida for a nearfall, and he switched to an ankle lock. Sumi hit a missile dropkick on Kushida. Wayne finally made the save. Kushida hit a running punt kick on Taguchi’s left arm. Nick hit the Wayne’s World stunner on Taguchi! Kushida applied the Hoverboard Lock on Taguchi, but Sumi made the save. Taguchi rolled up Kushida for the flash pin! That was really good action.
Kazuma Sumi and Ryusuke Taguchi (4) defeated Kushida and Nick Wayne (4) at 17:06.
7. Masatora Yasuda and Mistico (2) vs. “House of Torture” Douki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (4) in an A Block tournament match. The HoT came out first. Kanemaru attacked Mistico on the floor and struck him with a chair. The HoT threw Yasuda in the ring and the ref called for the bell at 00:36. Douki slammed Yasuda’s back against the ring post, then bodyslammed him onto the thin mat at ringside! They stomped on Mistico some more, too. Douki stomped on Yasuda in the ring, while Kanemaru worked over Mistico on the floor.
Kanemaru put Yasuda in a Boston Crab at 5:00, but Yasuda reached the ropes. Yasuda hit a suplex on Douki at 7:00, and they were both down. Yasuda hit a dropkick. Mistico limped his way to the ring and got on the apron, but Douki immediately knocked him down. Yasuda hit a scoop bodyslam on Douki, then a snap suplex and a vertical suplex for a nearfall at 8:30. Yasuda applied a Boston Crab on Douki. Mistico got in the ring for the first time and hit a double armdrag. He hit a backbreaker over his knee on Kanemaru.
Yasuda hit a sit-out powerbomb on Douki for a nearfall, then he put Douki in a Boston Crab. Kanemaru ran in and sprayed whiskey in Yasuda’s eyes. Douki tied Yasuda in the Darkness Stretch, but Mistico made the save. Douki hit his Dragon Suplex with a high bridge and pinned Yasuda. Decent action, but not really worthy of the main event. Yasuda and Mistico are now eliminated. Mistico continued to sell the beat-down after the match.
“House of Torture” Douki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (6) defeated Masatora Yasuda and Mistico (2) at 10:59/official time of 10:23.
Final Thoughts: When El Desperado announced his injury and was replaced by Yasuda, the match order should have been rearranged. Nick Wayne/Kushida’s match was easily the best of the three tournament matches, and that shouldn’t be a surprise. It should have gone on last. SO, in Block A, we have two teams at 3-1, two teams at 2-2, and two eliminated teams at 1-3.
After four straight days of tournament action, we have a two-day break, with action resuming Friday featuring the B Block. Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles will face Jakob Austin Young and Francesco Akira in the main event.
