NJPW World Tag League results: Night three

Night three of NJPW’s World Tag League took place today in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall before an announced crowd of 1,504. 

Here are full results and match recaps:

WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: TOGI MAKABE & TOMOAKI HONMA DEFEATED HIROOKI GOTO & KARL FREDERICKS

Fredericks and Makabe started the match. Fredericks out-powered Makabe on shoulder blocks, and Makabe quickly tagged out. Honma took over on Fredericks after Fredericks missed a dropkick. 

Fredericks made a comeback and hit a dropkick on Honma. Goto saw his first tag of the match and worked over Honma. Honma managed a tag to Makabe, who hit a Northern Lights suplex on Goto for a near fall. Fredericks tagged back in and again got the best of Makabe, using a spinebuster for a two count. 

The match broke down and all four jumped in. Goto and Fredericks used a tandem Russian leg sweep/blockbuster for a near fall. Honma hit Goto with a diving kokeshi. Makabe then hit the King Kong Knee Drop on Fredericks and pinned him. 

This was a solid opener, largely due to Fredericks. Makabe sold a ton for Fredericks as well. 

After the match, KENTA ran in to attack Goto, so that could be a NEVER title program going forward. 

WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: JEFF COBB & MIKEY NICHOLLS DEFEATED YUJI NAGATA & MANABU NAKANISHI

Nicholls and Cobb got virtually zero offense for the first several minutes. Nagata and Nakanishi worked over Cobb, focusing their attack on his left leg. Cobb came back with a superkick on Nagata, then managed a tag to Nicholls. Cobb’s selling of his leg was excellent. 

Nicholls hit two sliding lariats on Nagata. Nagata countered with a Nagata Lock. Cobb made the save for Nicholls with a superkick to Nagata. Cobb tagged in and ate an exploder suplex from Nagata, who tagged out. 

Nakanishi nearly dropped Cobb on his head on a suplex. He locked Cobb in the Argentinian backbreaker, but Cobb raked the eyes. Cobb and Nicholls hit a double back suplex on Nakanishi for a two count, as Nagata saved. 

Cobb used an Angle Slam on Nakanishi for a two count as Nagata and Nicholls brawled on the floor. Cobb then hit Tour of the Islands for the pin. 

WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: HIROYOSHI TENZAN & SATOSHI KOJIMA DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI & TOA HENARE

Henare and Tanahashi really went all out in selling for Tenzan and Kojima here. 

Tana and Tenzan started out. Tana sold Tenzan’s Mongolian chops big. Tana used a quick cradle for a two count and played some air guitar. 

Henare and Kojima entered. They traded chops and shoulder tackles. Kojima missed a slingshot senton and the tide turned. Tana jumped in and hit Mongolian chops on Tenzan. Henare hit machine gun chops on Kojima. Henare and Tana used their double crab. 

Kojima made a comeback after a vertical suplex and a DDT on Henare. Tenzan got a tag and hit a brainbuster on Henare for a two count. Tana tagged in for a flying forearm. He teased a slingblade, but Tenzan blocked it with a wheel kick. 

Kojima tried a cutter on Tanahashi, who reversed it into a Twist and Shout. Henare tagged back in and Kojima hit him with chops and a top rope elbow for a near fall. 

The finish saw Kojima hit a rolling elbow and a Koji Cutter for a near fall. Tanahashi entered and took a double flapjack. Kojima hit a lariat on Henare for the pin. 

Not a great match, but more entertaining than you might expect. 

WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: TORU YANO & COLT CABANA DEFEATED MINORU SUZUKI & LANCE ARCHER

This was mostly Suzuki-gun beating Yano and Cabana all around the arena in a comedy brawl. Yano sold as though he was scared of Suzuki and Archer. Cabana and Suzuki had an entertaining sequence where each crossed the other up on a trademark spot. 

Archer had Yano pinned after a Blackout, but he pulled him up at two to inflict more punishment. Archer tried the EBD Claw, but Cabana saved for Yano. Yano hit a low blow and used a schoolboy while Cabana jumped on top of Archer, giving Yano and Cabana the victory. 

WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: KENTA & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI DEFEATED BAD LUCK FALE & CHASE OWENS

This was an inter-faction battle. Yujiro and Owens started off trading cradles. Pieter jumped on the apron to distract Owens, allowing Yujiro to use a schoolboy for a near fall. 

KENTA tagged in and demanded that Owens lay down for him. KENTA explained that since he was the NEVER champ and the leader of Bullet Club, Owens should lay down for him. Owens acted like he was going to, but then tried to cradle KENTA. 

All four huddled together and acted like they had agreed to walk out on the match for a double countout. As they walked to the back, Owens ran back to the ring. Fale held KENTA and Yujiro by the trunks. KENTA broke free and just beat the count. 

KENTA used Game Over to tap out Owens. This was funny. 

TETSUYA NAITO & BUSHI DEFEATED JAY WHITE & GEDO

BUSHI pinned Gedo after an MX in the only non-tournament match of the night. 

WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: TOMOHIRO ISHII & YOSHI-HASHI DEFEATED SHINGO TAKAGI & EL TERRIBLE

Ishii and Shingo started doff with an intense striking battle. Terrible and YH got in and Terrible took over on YH with strikes. YH managed a tag to Ishii, and Ishii and Shingo again traded. Both hit shoulder blocks — and both refused to go down. 

Shingo hit a lariat, into a double down. Terrible and YH tagged in and Terrible hit his punch/chop combination sequence in the corner. YH hit a standard headhunter, then used another off the second rope for near falls. 

Ishii got a tag and went toe-to-toe with Terrible. Ishii tried a sliding lariat, but Terrible moved out of the way. Shingo then jumped in and hit a sliding lariat of his own on Ishii. Shingo hit a DVD on Ishii. Terrible hit a top rope splash for a two count. 

All four guys jumped in. Shingo hit noshigami on Ishii. YH hit a backstabber on Shingo into a German by Ishii. Ishii then hit Terrible with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster for the pin. 

The last few minutes of this were excellent. 

WORLD TAG LEAGUE MATCH: ZACK SABRE JR. & TAICHI DEFEATED JUICE ROBINSON & DAVID FINLAY

Sabre and Finlay started the match. Sabre tried to strike with Finlay and Juice, who took the early advantage. Finlay hit a back elbow. Suzuki-gun eventually turned this into a brawl around ringside. In the brawl, Sabre posted Finlay’s left shoulder and arm. 

Back inside, Sabre worked over the damaged left arm of Finlay. Finlay came back with a back elbow and tagged out. Juice missed a cannonball in the corner and Sabre locked him in the octopus hold. 

Juice slipped out of the octopus and tried a Juice Box. Sabre avoided the move and tagged Taichi. Taichi used an eye rake. Juice countered with a leg lariat before tagging Finlay back in. 

Finlay hit an interfering Sabre with a dropkick, then used a uranage on Taichi for a near fall. Taichi avoided a double flapjack attempt. Sabre jumped in and hit a PK on Finlay. Taichi used another PK for a near fall. 

Sabre locked Juice in a triangle while Taichi used a guillotine on Finlay. Juice broke the triangle with a powerbomb, then made a save for Finlay. Sabre and Juice rolled outside. Taichi teased a Last Ride, but Finlay hit a back drop. 

Juice hit Taichi with the Left Hand of God. Sabre took out Juice with a kick to the arm. Finlay hit Sabre with a spear and all four men went down. 

Taichi and Finlay traded strikes. Finlay used a schoolboy for a two count, then used a cradle for another. Finlay tried a Stunner, but Taichi rolled through into a Gedo clutch for a near fall. 

The finish saw Finlay and Taichi botch a first attempt at a Zack Mephisto, which is a combo Black Mephisto from Taichi and Zack Driver from Sabre. They got it on their second attempt and Taichi pinned Finlay. 

A forgettable end to a forgettable show. 

CURRENT WORLD TAG LEAGUE STANDINGS:

  • Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI — 6 points (3-0)
  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi — 4 points (2-1)
  • Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma — 4 points (2-1)
  • David Finlay & Juice Robinson — 4 points (2-1)
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima — 4 points (2-1)
  • Toru Yano & Colt Cabana — 4 points (2-1)
  • Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls — 4 points (2-1)
  • KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi — 4 points (2-1)
  • EVIL & SANADA — 2 points (1-0)
  • Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens — 2 points (1-2)
  • Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer — 2 points (1-2)
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare — 2 points (1-2)
  • Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks — 2 points (1-2)
  • Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa — 0 points (0-1)
  • Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi — 0 points (0-3)
  • Shingo Takagi & Terrible — 0 points (0-3)