Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
World Tag League Day 10, Korakuen Hall
Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata defeated Ren Narita & Shota Umino. This was a big test for the young lions. They showed lots of fire, as they tried to stay in the match. Umino came in off a hot tag and fired up brilliantly on Nagata. He was soon taken down, leading to the finish where Nagata applied a crossface to Umino and Nakanishi made Narita submit to the Argentine Backbreaker.
Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, Hangman Page, Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga defeated Tomoyuki Oka, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Sami Callihan & Juice Robinson. There wasn't a dull moment in this one. Bullet Club made the jump before the bell. We then had a heated exchange between Callihan & Page. From there it was endless tags in and out with everyone getting to hit their signature stuff. Oka tried to make Owens submit to a Boston Crab, but Bullet Club interference led to Owens finishing him with a Package Piledriver.
Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated El Desperado & Minoru Suzuki. This was a really good, physical match. Suzuki-Gun controlled a lot of it, first working over YOSHI and then Goto. Goto & Suzuki had some great strike exchanges, with Suzuki hitting some really hard slaps and forearms. YOSHI saved Goto from a Piledriver, which then allowed Goto to hit Ushigoroshi on Desperado. The CHAOS team then hit an assisted GTR on Desperado to get the win. It really looks like Goto will be challenging Suzuki for the NEVER title at Wrestle Kingdom, which is a waste of Suzuki. No matter what he's done all year, Goto always seems to land himself a big Tokyo Dome match.
SANADA & EVIL defeated Hirai Kawato & Hiroshi Tanahashi. This was great. Kawato didn't get out of the blocks and had to work to get the tag to Tanahashi. The Ace got in and took control until the numbers caught up to him. He was reluctant to tag Kawato back in, but he eventually did. Kawato then looked absolutely incredible as he fought off both LIJ members. He survived everything SANADA hit him with. Tanahashi was taken out with a Magic Killer. Kawato had one last flurry and almost stole it with a small package until SANADA beat him with Skull End.
Will Ospreay, Gedo & Kazuchika Okada defeated BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito. This started with Okada sneaking up behind Naito and dropping him on his head with a German suplex. LIJ soon took control of Gedo. Ospreay received the hot tag and had an outstanding exchange with Hiromu. This came to an end after Ospreay attempted a hand spring only to be caught in a German. Okada & Naito went after each other. Naito went for Destino, only for Okada to counter into a new submission, a Cobra Clutch with a body scissors. Okada has talked about introducing a new hold to counter the move. He choked Naito out in the hold, while Ospreay pinned BUSHI after the OsCutter. This match was all about establishing Okada's new hold and just how dangerous it could be. Mission accomplished. This is the sort of simple storytelling that sets NJPW apart from the rest.
Block B
Tanga Loa & Tama Tonga defeated Katsuya Kitamura & David Finlay. This was good stuff. Kitamura looked like a beast. He floored Tonga with a chop straight away and he sold it like death. GOD had to work to get an advantage over him. Finlay made an explosive tag. He and Tonga had a lightning quick exchange that was impossible to keep up with. Kitamura bounced GOD around, even gorilla pressing Tonga. He was finished when Loa hit Ape Shit.
Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano defeated Henare & Togi Makabe. This was a decent match, that kicked into high gear when it got down to Henare vs Ishii. Henare probably had the best performance of his career to date. He was able to drop Ishii several times and looked like he might steal a win. Ishii nailed him with lariats, but he kept fighting back. Makabe tried to help him with some double team, but Yano got involved. Just as Ishii was about to finish it, Henare hit a huge spear that got a huge pop. After some Yano interference, Ishii got the pin after a Brainbuster. Great stuff from Henare and Ishii.
Beretta & Chuck Taylor defeated Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin. This was an outstanding match. An absolutely incredible babyface performance from Beretta here. The story of this match saw Elgin & Cobb use their power to dominate the match, as Best Friends hung on and scrapped for any chance they could get. Taylor was taken out of the equation for a while, leaving Cobb & Elgin to hit every combination imaginable on Beretta, as he sold and gained more and more sympathy with every kick out. Finally after an Elgin Bomb off the top, Taylor made the save. Taylor then countered an Elgin Bomb into a rana off the top. Cobb & Elgin then just manhandled both guys, who hung on and fought for an opening. Taylor hit a desperation Piledriver on Cobb. Beretta fought out of a doomsday position and was able to hook Cobb up in the Dudebuster, as Taylor came off the top to hit Strong Zero and score a big win. This is well worth going out of your way to see. Thai was one of the best matches Taylor has ever had.
War Machine (Hanson & Ray Rowe) defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr & Lance Archer. If you like a good hoss battle, this is the match for you. This was four large men, going all out and absolutely destroying each other with everything they had. It was exactly as you'd expect. It was impossible to keep up with at times, and there was no real story, but every minute of it was blast to watch. Rowe was able to deadlift powerbomb Archer, who was then splashed by Hanson. KES hit the Hart Attack. War Machine hit Fallout on Smith, but Archer made the save. KES hit the Killer bomb on Rowe, but Hanson made the save. Hanson took out Archer with a suicide dive, allowing War Machine to hit Smith with a second Fallout to score the points and a win over the IWGP Tag Team Champions.
This show is available to watch now at NJPWWorld.com.
Current standings:
A Block
~Juice Robinson & Sami Callihan [6 points]
~Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens [4 points]
~Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi [4 points]
~Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima [4 points]
~Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI [4 points]
~Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka [4 points]
~SANADA & EVIL [4 points]
~Yuji Nagata vs Manabu Nakanishi [2 points]
B Block
~Raymond Rowe & Hanson [ 6 points]
~Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. [6 points]
~Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa [6 points]
~Barreta & Chucky T [6 points]
~Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb [4 points]
~Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano [4 points]
~Togi Makabe & Henare [ 0 points]
~David Finlay & Katsuya Kitamura [0 points]
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
