By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “World Tag League”
November 28, 2024 in Ibaraki, Japan at Lily Arena MITO
Streamed live on New Japan World
This is night eight of the 15-show, month-long tournament. This year’s field features 16 teams in two eight-team blocks. It is a round-robin tournament, so each team has seven matches in the Block round. Tonight, just the B Block is in tournament action. We have a five-way tie with five teams at 2-1, while Jado and Hiroshi Tanahashi are in last place at 0-3 and are facing elimination today.
Walker Stewart provided commentary, and he said the kickoff match was canceled due to an injury. This is a big gym; two of the three sides in the upper deck are full (there is no upper deck on the fourth side, as that is the auditorium stage.) The crowd is maybe 800.
1. Alex Zayne, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Katsuya Murashima vs. Shoma Kato and “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi. The Young Lions shoved each other before the bell and they opened. Goto entered and he worked over Murashima. Zayne entered and hit a Cinnamon Twist corkscrew senton at 4:00. Taguchi and Kato tagged in at 6:00, with Taguchi hitting a flying buttbump for a nearfall. Taguchi applied an ankle lock, and Kato tapped out.
Alex Zayne, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Katsuya Murashima defeated Shoma Kato, Hirooki Goto, and Yoshi-Hashi at 7:55.
2. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, and Bushi vs. “United Empire” Jakob Austin Young, Callum Newman, and Jeff Cobb. Tsuji and Cobb opened. Jakob entered and hit a missile dropkick on Yota at 2:30. Cobb and Shingo tagged in and hit shoulder tackles, and Cobb hit a standing moonsault. Newman tagged in at 4:30, but Shingo hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on him. Bushi tagged in and he tried to tie up Newman, but Callum hit an enzuigiri, then a Shining Wizard for the pin on Bushi. That was a sprint.
Jakob Austin Young, Callum Newman, and Jeff Cobb defeated Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, and Bushi at 7:12.
* Ryohei Oiwa beat Kenta in a singles match at “Fighting Spirit Unleashed” on Nov. 8 in Massachusetts, and apparently it has driven Kenta mad! He is focused on getting revenge!
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita (w/Ryohei Oiwa) vs. “Bullet Club” Chase Owens and Kenta. Sabre and Kenta opened, but of course, Owens jumped in the ring and attacked. On the floor, Kenta shoved Oiwa, who wore his street clothes. Chase tripped Kosei on the apron at 2:30, then he whipped him into the guardrails. Meanwhile, Kenta and Sabre also were brawling at ringside. In the ring, the BC worked over Fujita. Sabre entered at 5:30 and hit some European Uppercuts on Chase, then snapped Owens’ neck between his ankles. Owens hit a senton on Sabre. They traded Mafia Kicks, and Owens hit a C-Trigger knee strike. Sabre hit a Pele Kick to the left shoulder and they were both down at 7:30.
Kenta again attacked Oiwa; Stewart noted that it has become a distraction for Kenta. Fujita hit a moonsault from the apron to the floor on Kenta. Fujita hit a springboard dropkick on Kenta in the ring. Fujita accidentally chopped the ref. Kenta hit a DDT on Kosei. Oiwa hopped in the ring and hit a double clothesline. However, the ref got to his feet and saw that, and he disqualified TMDK! Good action throughout.
Kenta and Chase Owens defeated Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita via DQ at 9:45.
4. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Gedo, Sanada, and Gabe Kidd vs. Tiger Mask, Shota Umino, and Tomoaki Honma. All six brawled at the bell and it immediately went to the floor. They passed the guardrails and went into the crowd. They returned to the ring at 4:00, with Kidd and Tiger Mask brawling. Shota got a hot tag and battled Shota. Shota hit a tornado DDT on Sanada. Shota and Kidd traded forearm strikes and this has been an inspired undercard match. Umino hit an Exploder Suplex and they were both down at 7:00. Honma and Gedo tagged in. (Gedo is quite proficient in swearing in English!) Honma missed a Kokeshi. However, he hit a flying headbutt, then a second-rope Kokeshi for the pin on Gedo! Honma gets a win! The crowd popped for this. The other four were brawling in the crowd and weren’t even aware the match was over!
Tiger Mask, Shota Umino, and Tomoaki Honma defeated Gedo, Sanada, and Gabe Kidd at 8:40.
* Chase Owens joined Stewart on commentary.
5. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi (4) vs. “Bullet Club Rogue Army” Stevie Filip and Tome Filip (2) in a B Block tournament match. Not sure why this isn’t the main event. Tome (the tan brother) opened against Hiromu. LIJ whipped Tome into a guardrail. Hiromu hit a running crossbody block on Stevie on the floor, too. In the ring, Naito tied up Tome on the mat. Tome hit a hard clothesline on Hiromu at 2:30 and he tagged in Stevie. The Filips worked over Hiromu. Chase and Walker talked about how Bad Luck Fale have taught the Filips at his dojo. Hiromu hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 5:30 and he tagged in Naito. Tetsuya pushed one brother into the other, then he hit a basement dropkick.
Tome hit a spinebuster and they were both down at 7:00. He hit a flip dive to the floor on Takahashi! In the ring, Tome hit an Air Raid Crash on Naito. Stevie hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a believable nearfall at 9:00, but Hiromu made the save. Naito got a jackknife rollup for a nearfall on Stevie. Naito hit a tornado DDT on Stevie, then the Destino for the pin. Easily the best the Filips have looked so far, but they came up short.
Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi (6) defeated Stevie Filip and Tome Filip (2) at 10:23.
6. Boltin Oleg and Toru Yano (4) vs. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan and Henare (4) in a B Block tournament match. Oleg and Henare opened and traded shoulder tackles, until Oleg knocked Henare down. Henare hit a senton on Yano at 2:00, while O-Khan and Oleg brawled on the floor. Oleg tossed O-Khan around in his arms before hitting a gut-wrench suplex, then he hit a Stinger Splash into the corner, then a splash to the mat on O-Khan for a nearfall at 4:30. O-Khan hit a gut-wrench suplex on Oleg! Henare tagged in at 6:30 and hit some stiff kicks to Oleg’s spine, then more to the chest. Oleg hit a German Suplex. Yano tagged in and hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Henare.
Oleg hit an overhead belly-to-belly suplex on Henare. “I hope I never wrestle Oleg,” Owens quipped. Yano got a schoolboy rollup for a nearfall on Henare. UE hit stereo kicks on Yano. Oleg entered and hit a double dropkick. Yano went for a low blow but Henare blocked it. UE hit the Imperial Drop (team neckbreaker) and pinned Yano. Good action. Like their prior match, Oleg was in the majority of the match, which makes for compelling viewing. United Empire remains tied for first.
Henare and Great-O-Khan (6) defeated Toru Yano and Boltin Oleg (4) at 10:32.
7. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls (4) vs. “House of Torture” EVIL and Ren Narita (w/Dick Togo) (4) in a B Block tournament match. TMDK came out first; HoT attacked from behind at the entrance, and I started my stopwatch at first contact. They brawled through the crowd. They got in the ring and we have a bell at 1:30 to officially begin. However, Haste and Ren fought right back to the floor and they were throwing chairs. Stewart said these guys were risking a double DQ. In the ring, HoT worked over Haste. Mikey made a hot tag at 7:00. He hit a DDT on EVIL for a nearfall. TMDK hit the Power Bottom team slam on EVIL. Dick Togo hit Haste from behind.
Ren hit his flying Guillotine (knee across the thoat) on Haste for a nearfall at 9:30. Nicholls hit a sliding clothesline on Ren for a nearfall. Ren shoved Mikey into the ref, and the ref was down. Togo hopped in the ring and helped beat up Nicholls and was loudly booed. Togo hit a knife-edge chop to Nicholls’ groin. Ren hit a flying Guillotine to the throat for a believable nearfall at 12:00. Ren swung and missed with his push-up bar. EVIL hit a low blow on Nicholls, and the HoT hit a team suplex. Nicholls hit a spinebuster on Ren. Ren hit Nicolls with the push-up bar, then he nailed the Double Cross (X-Factor) faceplant and pinned Nicholls! As good as you can hope for from a HoT match; this exceeded expectations. “You do what you got to do to put points on the board,” Chase said.
EVIL and Ren Narita (6) defeated Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls (4) at 13:17.
8. “Just 4 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Taichi (2) vs. Jado and Hiroshi Tanahashi (0) in a B Block tournament match. The NFL has flex scheduling to put a marquee match in a prime spot; NJPW should have done the same thing here and put a different match in the main event instead of a 1-2 team facing an 0-3 team. Taka and Jado opened with a basic tie-up. Taka tied up Hiroshi on the mat. Tanahashi hit a second-rope crossbody block on Taka at 6:30. Jado entered and hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Taichi. Taka hit a superkick on Jado at 8:30.
Taichi hit a Helluva Kick on Jado. Taichi hit a series of blows to the head that Jado no-sold; Jado hit a clothesline and they were both down. Tanahashi tagged back in at 12:30. These guys are doing almost nothing in the ring but are keeping the crowd engaged. Tanahashi hit his second-rope somersault senton for a nearfall. Taichi hit a clothesline on Hiroshi and they were both down. Taka got back in at 14:00 and hit some Mafia Kicks; Tanahashi hit some Twist-and-Shout neckbreakers on Taka. Taichi hit a high back suplex on Tanahashi, and Taka got a cover for a nearfall. Tanahashi put Taka in a Texas Cloverleaf, but Taka reached the ropes at 16:00.
Taka hit a superkick for a nearfall, then the Michinoku Driver for a believable nearfall at 17:30, but Jado made the save. Taka tied up Tanahashi on the mat, but Hiroshi reached the ropes at 19:00. Tanahashi hit a Michinoku Driver on Taka, then a Sling Blade clothesline on Taka, then one on Taichi. Tanahashi hit the High Fly Flow (frogsplash) to pin Taka. That did top my expectations, although I will reiterate they had the less-is-more philosophy here; no one really did all that much, but they made it work and kept the crowd into it.
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jado (2) defeated Taichi and Taka Michinoku (2) at 20:03.
Final Thoughts: With Hiroshi and Jado’s win, every team now has at least one win and one loss. We have a three-way tie at 3-1 for first place. I’ll go with LIJ-Filps for best match and HoT/TMDK for second. While I think the A Block is far superior, this was decent night of action from the B Block.
The A Block is back in action on Friday with Shingo and Tsuji vs. Cobb and Newman in the main event. After a day off, the B Block returns to action on Sunday.
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