NJPW World Tag League night two results: Suzuki-gun teams face off

NJPW’s World Tag League continued today in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall in front of an announced sellout crowd of 1,725. 

The show featured all Tag League matches, with all 16 teams in action. Here are full results and match recaps:

JUICE ROBINSON & DAVID FINLAY DEFEATED HIROYOSHI TENZAN & SATOSHI KOJIMA

Finlay and Tenzan kicked things off. They traded shoulder tackles and knockdowns. Kojima got a tag and hit machine gun chops in the corner. Kojima missed a charge into the corner, which enabled Finlay and Juice to take over. 

Finlay hit Kojima with uppercuts. Juice used a senton for a two count. Kojima came back with DDTs on both Finlay and Juice, then made a hot tag to Tenzan. Tenzan hit Finlay with Mongolian chops, then used a brainbuster for a near fall. 

They traded strikes. Tenzan used a wheel kick, then slapped on an Anaconda Vice. Juice made the save for Finlay, breaking the hold. Juice tagged in. Tenzan and Juice traded strikes. Juice hit a spinebuster. Tenzan answered with a Mountain Bomb, then tagged out. 

Kojima hit Juice with machine gun chops, a top rope elbow, and a Koji Cutter. He covered, but Finlay made the save for Juice. The match broke down and all four jumped in. Tenzan and Finlay brawled to the floor. Kojima hit Juice with a brainbuster for a near fall. 

Juice ducked one lariat, but Kojima connected on another for a near fall. Finlay jumped in. Juice and Finlay hit a double dropkick on Kojima, who no-sold it. 

The finish saw Juice hit the Left Hand of God into a Stunner by Finlay, into a Pulp Friction from Juice, who pinned Kojima. This turned into a heck of an opener by the end. 

TOGI MAKABE & TOMOAKI HONMA DEFEATED YUJI NAGATA & MANABU NAKANISHI

Sadly, three of these four guys have no business being in the ring, with Makabe the only exception. Honma looked as good as he has in a long time, but Nagata seems to have aged five years since his last tour, and Nakanishi is immobile. 

The match was built around Honma missing kokeshis. He scored some early chops and shoulder tackles on both Nagata and Nakanishi, but missed kokeshis on both. 

Nagata and Nakanishi took over on Honma. Makabe finally got a hot tag and hit 10 punches in the corner and a lariat on Nagata. Nagata answered with an exploder suplex. 

Nakanishi hit a splash on Makabe for a near fall. Nakanishi put Makabe in the Argentinian backbreaker, while Nagata used a Nagata Lock on Honma. Makabe responded with a double lariat, then Honma and Makabe hit Nakanishi with a double lariat. 

The finish saw Honma hit a kokeshi on Nakanishi. Makabe then hit a lariat for a near fall, a sloppy slam, then the King Kong Knee Drop for the pin. 

BAD LUCK FALE & CHASE OWENS DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI & TOA HENARE

Fale and Owens attacked before the opening bell, sending Henare outside. Tanahashi made his own comeback. Henare and Tanahashi used a tandem crab on Fale, which Owens broke up with thumbs to the eyes. 

Fale and Owens isolated Henare. Fale eventually missed a splash, which allowed Henare to make a tag to Tanahashi. Tana hit Fale with strikes, a dragon screw, and tried for a cloverleaf, but Fale fought it off. 

Tana tried a slam on Fale, but collapsed with Fale on top of him. Fale missed a splash, which led to Owens and Henare getting tags. 

Henare hit a Samoan drop, then used a diving chop for a near fall. Owens blocked a charge into the corner, and Fale entered for a double team. Owens hit a second rope elbow for a near fall. Tana and Henare suplexed Fale. 

Tana hit a slingblade on Owens, and Henare covered for a two count. Tana rolled outside to brawl with Fale. Fale tripped Henare from the floor, allowing Owens to hit a shining wizard. Owens then hit a package piledriver and pinned Henare. 

HIROOKI GOTO & KARL FREDERICKS DEFEATED KENTA & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI

Let’s all pitch in and buy Yujiro a new hat for Christmas this year. The one he wears during his entrance has seen better days. 

They could be setting up a Goto/KENTA NEVER title match. This whole match was built around the two of them and the finish makes no sense otherwise. 

KENTA stalled in the early going, avoiding Goto. Fredericks again worked most of the match for his team. He scored early offense with an uppercut forearm and a diving chop. KENTA and Yujiro then turned this into a brawl around ringside, leading to a lengthy bit of getting heat on Fredericks. 

Fredericks blocked a Pimp Juice attempt by Yujiro, then both tagged out. Goto hit some trademark offense on KENTA. Yujiro tried to jump in for a double team, but Fredericks hit him with a spinebuster. Fredericks also hit a blockbuster off the second rope. 

Goto tried an ushigoroshi, but KENTA raked his eyes. KENTA used Game Over, but Goto reached the ropes for a break. The finish saw KENTA take the ref. Yujiro jumped in with his cane, but Goto blocked a shot and hit him with an ushigoroshi. Goto then pinned KENTA after two GTRs. 

TORU YANO & COLT CABANA DEFEATED TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA

Yano and Cabana argued over who would start. Yano began but quickly tagged out. Tonga hit a neckbreaker on Cabana on an illegal double team, which led to a lengthy beatdown on Colt by GOD. 

Yano finally got a tag and untied a turnbuckle pad. All four did some comedy spots. Yano and Cabana both took Tongan Twists. The ref took a bump, which allowed Jado to jump in and hit Yano with a kendo stick. 

The finish saw Cabana take the referee, which allowed Yano to hit low blows on both Tonga and Loa. Yano rolled Loa up with a schoolboy, then Cabana jumped on top with a Superman pin to earn the victory. 

This didn’t have enough comedy to be a good comedy match. It also didn’t have enough brawling to be a good brawl. 

TOMOHIRO ISHII & YOSHI-HASHI DEFEATED JEFF COBB & MIKEY NICHOLLS

Ishii and Cobb started off by no-selling each other’s power moves. Nicholls and YH got tags. Nicholls took over on YH after a lariat. YH came back with a headhunter, allowing both to tag out. 

Ishii and Cobb exchanged heavy strikes and chops. Cobb hit a massive brainbuster, then tagged Nicholls. Nicholls hit Ishii with clotheslines in the corner. He tried a brainbuster, but Ishii slid out. Ishii hit some hard strikes, but Nicholls countered with a spinebuster for a near fall. 

Ishii ducked a lariat, then hit a vertical suplex. Cobb and YH both jumped in and hit superkicks. YH used a backstabber on Nicholls into a German by Ishii. Ishii hit a lariat and went for a cover on Nicholls, but Cobb broke it up. 

YH hit a dragon suplex on Cobb. Cobb popped up and hit Ishii and YH with lariats. Cobb and Nicholls hit stereo standing moonsaults on Ishii for a two count. Nicholls hit Ishii with a DVD, then hit a sliding lariat for a near fall. 

Nicholls teased a Mikey Bomb on Ishii, but YH jumped in to make the save. YH hit Nicholls with a lariat. Ishii then hit a sliding lariat for a two count, while Cobb and YH rolled outside. Ishii then hit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster for the pin. 

This was a great match worth going out of your way to see — if only for the one-man show that is Tomohiro Ishii. He is unreal. 

ZACK SABRE JR. & TAICHI DEFEATED MINORU SUZUKI & LANCE ARCHER

There is honor among stablemates, as neither side used an attack before the bell. 

After the bell, however, all bets are off. Suzuki and Taichi started off in the ring. Suzuki went after Taichi’s hair. Taichi responded by sending Suzuki into the barricade and hitting him with a chair. Sabre used a heel hook on Archer on the outside. 

Archer and Suzuki made a comeback. Suzuki used a chair on Taichi and sent him into the barricade. Archer and Sabre brawled all over the building. Back in the ring, Suzuki and Archer took turns working over Taichi in their half of the ring. 

Taichi snapped and went after Suzuki’s throat, backing him into a corner. Sabre made a blind tag and used a kimura and stomped on Suzuki’s elbow. Suzuki’s facial expressions here were absolutely priceless. 

Suzuki fired back with strikes on Sabre. Sabre tried to respond with stiff forearms, but Suzuki got the best of it. Sabre hit a PK, but Suzuki no-sold it. Suzuki hit a PK, but Sabre no-sold it. This was great. Sabre and Suzuki knocked each other down with simultaneous high kicks. 

Archer and Taichi got tags. Archer teased the EBD Claw on Taichi. Taichi blocked and hit a kamiguri. He teased a buzzsaw kick, but Archer caught him in a black hole slam. 

Suzuki tagged in and slapped the crap out of Taichi. Taichi answered with a high kick, then made a tag to Sabre. Suzuki and Sabre squared off. Sabre dared Suzuki to hit a forearm. Suzuki did, dropping Sabre. Suzuki dared Sabre to hit him. Suzuki dropped to a knee from the strike. 

They continued to trade hard strikes. Sabre tried a neck twist, but Suzuki blocked and put him in an ankle lock. Sabre reversed into an octopus. Archer jumped in and hit a Pounce on Sabre. Taichi jumped in and ate a big boot from Suzuki. 

Suzuki hit Sabre with kicks. He tried a misdirection spot, but Sabre answered with a European clutch for a near fall. Suzuki got a rear naked choke applied. Sabre slid out. They traded a series of cradles, with Sabre finally using an inside cradle for the pin. 

This match ruled. My favorite tag match in weeks. 

EVIL & SANADA DEFEATED SHINGO TAKAGI & EL TERRIBLE

EVIL and SANADA established the early advantage on Shingo with some very basic offense. EVIL hit some shoulder tackles. Shingo came back with a lariat on EVIL, and all four brawled around ringside. 

Back in the ring, Shingo hit a slingshot stomp on EVIL, a knee lift, then a vertical suplex. Terrible and Shingo worked over EVIL’s left arm, cutting the ring in half. EVIL came back with a double bulldog, then tagged SANADA. 

SANADA used the Paradise Lock on Terrible. Shingo and SANADA exchanged strikes. SANADA teased a leapfrog dropkick, but Shingo blocked. Shingo tried a dragon screw, but SANADA reversed into one of his own. 

SANADA hit a springboard dropkick. EVIL got a tag and hit a lariat for a two count. EVIL and SANADA teased a Magic Killer, but Shingo fought it off, then hit both with a double lariat. 

Terrible came in for some double team spots. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber on EVIL. Terrible hit a top rope splash for a two count on EVIL, as SANADA made the save. 

Terrible hit his punch and chop combos on both EVIL and SANADA. EVIL and SANADA hit Terrible with a Magic Killer. Shingo jumped in to make the save, but SANADA locked him in Skull End. EVIL and SANADA then hit Shingo with a Magic Killer. 

The finish saw EVIL hit Everything is EVIL on Terrible for the pin. A good main event, but it had no chance at following the previous two matches. 

CURRENT WORLD TAG LEAGUE STANDINGS:

  • Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI — 4 points (2-0)
  • David Finlay & Juice Robinson — 4 points (2-0)
  • EVIL & SANADA — 2 points (1-0)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare — 2 points (1-1)
  • Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer — 2 points (1-1)
  • KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi — 2 points (1-1)
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima — 2 points (1-1)
  • Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls — 2 points (1-1)
  • Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens — 2 points (1-1)
  • Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma — 2 points (1-1)
  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi — 2 points (1-1)
  • Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks — 2 points (1-1)
  • Toru Yano & Colt Cabana — 2 points (1-1)
  • Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa — 0 points (0-1)
  • Shingo Takagi & Terrible — 0 points (0-2)
  • Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi — 0 points (0-2)