By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Super Junior Team League – Night 8”
November 2, 2024 in Aichi, Japan at Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart provided commentary. This appears to be a small arena; the lights are low but the ring is really well lit.
* This year’s SJTL is a 12-team tournament. There are two Blocks with six teams in each Block. It is a round-robin tournament, so each team has five matches. The winners of each Block will advance to the finals. This is Night 8 of the tournament, and the B Block is in action with the final three tournament matches. However, all six teams are 2-2, and the tie-breaker scenarios are beyond my comprehension. (I suggested on Twitter/X that we have a draw or a double DQ, so we finish with two teams at 3-2, two at 2-2-1 and two at 2-3.)
1. Masatora Yasuda and Shoma Kato vs. Nagai Daiki and Katsuya Murashima. Yasuda and Daiki opened. The thicker Murashima beat down Yasuda. Daiki put Shoma in a Boston Crab at 6:00. However, Shoma put Daiki in a Boston Crab, and Daiki tapped out. Okay.
Masatora Yasuda and Shoma Kato defeated Nagai Daiki and Katsuya Murashima at 8:08.
2. Tomoaki Honma, Tiger Mask, and Capitan Suicida vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Gedo, Drilla Moloney, and Clark Connors. Suicida is back in his yellow-and-black “Fuego Del Sol” gear. BCWD attacked to open the match, and they all brawled to the floor. In the ring, the BCWD took turns working over Tiger Mask, with Gedo loosening his mask. Drilla hit a sit-out powerbomb on Suicida for a nearfall at 6:00. Honma hit a second-rope diving Kokeshi headbutt and pinned Gedo. Okay.
Tomoaki Honma, Tiger Mask, and Capitan Suicida defeated Gedo, Drilla Moloney, and Clark Connors at 8:03.
3. Dragon Dia, Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg, and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. “House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, and Ren Narita (w/Dick Togo). El Phantasmo was slated to be in this match, and I certainly wish him well as he gets cancer treatment; Oleg replaced ELP. The HoT attacked to open. EVIL worked over Tanahashi’s left arm. They all brawled to the floor. Tanahashi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Narita at 5:00. Oleg entered and cleared the ring by hitting a series of shoulder tackles. Ren hit his Guillotine (flying knee to the throat) on Oleg at 6:30. Yano entered but was beaten down by the heels. Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Yano’s groin. Yano hit a low blow on Takahashi, and rolled him up for the pin out of nowhere. Acceptable.
Dragon Dia, Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg, and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated EVIL, Sho, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, and Ren Narita at 7:52.
4. Jado, Master Wato, and Shota Umino vs. “Just 5 Guys” Sanada, Douki, and Taichi. Like a day ago, Shota stood near Sanada and glared at him, but Sanada ignored him and looked out at the crowd; they’ve built this feud nicely. Those two opened and traded quick offense. Wato twisted Sanada’s left arm. Douki tagged in at 3:00 and battled Wato. Gedo’s team took turns working over Taichi. Sanada hit the Magic Screw neckbreaker on Shota at 7:00. Taichi hit a superkick on Gedo for the pin. Okay.
Sanada, Douki, and Taichi defeated Jado, Master Wato, and Shota Umino at 8:09.
5. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, and Robbie Eagles vs. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, and Shingo Takagi. This is just Sabre’s second match on this tour. LIJ attacked to open. Naito hit a standing neckbreaker on Kosei at 3:00. Shingo entered and hit some suplexes on Kosei. Sabre tagged in and battled Shingo, trading forearm strikes and European Uppercuts. Sabre tied him in an Octopus Stretch. Shingo hit a clothesline and they were both down at 6:30. TMDK took turns working over Bushi in a corner. Oiwa hit a back suplex for a nearfall. Oiwa then hit the discus clothesline to pin Bushi. Good match.
Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, and Robbie Eagles defeated “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, Hiromu Takahashi, and Shingo Takagi at 8:40.
6. “Velocities” Paris De Silva and Jude London (4) vs. “Bullet Club” Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori (4) in a B Block tournament match. BC attacked to open. Velocities hit stereo Helluva Kicks on Robbie X. London hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 1:00. Ishimori tied London in an abdominal stretch. Robbie hit a slingshot senton. Jude hit a moonsault on Robbie at 5:30 and he tagged in De Silva. Paris hit a head-scissors takedown on Ishimori and an enzuigiri on Robbie for a nearfall. London hit a Lethal Injection and De Silva hit a German Suplex. De Silva hit a tornado DDT on Ishimori for a nearfall at 8:30, but Paris missed a Shooting Star Press. Robbie hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash, and Ishimori hit a top-rope 450 Splash for the clean pin. Good match.
Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori (6) defeated Paris De Silva and Jude London (4) at 9:09.
7. Ninja Mack and The DKC (4) vs. “Catch 2/2” TJP and Francesco Akira (4) in a B Block tournament match. Mack and Akira opened. TJP entered, and C2/2 worked Mack over. Akira hit a Doomsday Senton for a nearfall at 5:00. DKC entered and hit a series of kicks on Akira. Mack powerbombed TJP on the ring apron at 8:00. In the ring, DKC hit a senton on Akira for a nearfall. Akira hit a sit-out powerbomb on Mack for a nearfall. TJP got the hot tag and hit his face wash kicks on DKC. TJP tied Mack in the Pinoy Stretch at 11:00. C2/2 hit the team X-Factor face plant on Mack. DKC hit a Doomsday flying kick on TJP, and Mack hit a corkscrew senton on TJP for a nearfall at 12:30, but Akira made the save.
Akira hit a flying neckbreaker on Mack for a nearfall. C2/2 hit a series of kicks on Mack. Mack hit a twisting kick on TJP, but he missed his top-rope corkscrew 630. Akira nailed the Fireball! C2/2 hit the running front-and-back kicks and pinned Mack. A very good match; Catch 2/2 has arguably had the best matches of the whole tournament.
TJP and Francesco Akira (6) defeated DKC and Ninja Mack (4) at 14:57.
8. “Jet Setters” Kevin Knight and Kushida (4) vs. Rocky Romero and Yoh (4) in a B Block tournament match. Romero and Knight opened. Basic offense from both teams early on. Yoh kept Knight grounded. Yoh hit a chop block on Knight and got a nearfall at 7:30; these guys are setting a pace to go 30 minutes. (Will my prediction of a draw be right?) Kushida applied a cross-armbreaker on Yoh. Rocky and Kushida hit stereo clotheslines and suddenly everyone was down at 11:00. Knight hit his jump-up Frankensteiner. Yoh and Romero hit a team Flatliner. Yoh hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Knight for a nearfall at 13:00.
Yoh tied Knight in a Figure Four. Knight hit a D’Lo-style Sky High on Yoh and they were both down. Romero hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread on Knight for a nearfall at 15:00. Kushida hit a basement dropkick on Yoh. Knight hit a springboard double clothesline. Knight then hit his assisted frogsplash for the pin. Good match, but not a great match.
Kevin Knight and Kushida (6) defeated Yoh and Rocky Romero (4) at 17:06.
* Because of the tie-breakers, TJP and Francesco Akira advance to the finals, as they beat both Knight and Kushida AND Robbie X and Ishimori. TJP and Akira got in the ring, and they were joined by A Block winners Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita! Eagles spoke, then TJP. TJP said Eagles has never “beaten me in most parts of the world.” TJP asked the crowd if they think Catch 2/2 is winning back-to-back tournaments. They jawed at each other and shoved each other but no punches were thrown as the show concluded.
Final Thoughts: A decent night of action. The main event started slow and didn’t pick up the pace until the very end. The three teams I thought that were winning today all won, but I don’t think those were hard picks, either. TJP and Akira have consistently had the best tournament matches, and they deserved to advance. The finals will take place on Monday!
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