Tag: njwtl

New Japan continued the World Tag League today with the second day of Block B.

Today’s event was held at Chichibunomiya Memorial Gym in Kanagawa and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 1403.

Pre-show match: Yasutora Yasuda vs. Daiki Nagai went to a 10 minute time limit draw.

Match 1: Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino beat Shoma Kato, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto. TM 4 beat Kato with a chicken wing.

Match 2: Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Katsuya Murashima, Ryusuke Taguchi & Alex Zayne. Oiwa pinned Murashima after The Grip.

Match 3: Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens & KENTA beat Jacob Austin Young, Callum Newman & Jeff Cobb. Owens pinned Young after a package piledriver.

Match 4: BUSHI, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi beat Gedo, SANADA & Gabriel Kidd. BUSHI pinned Gedo after Fable.

World Tag League Block B:
Match 5: Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls beat Tome & Stevie Filip. Haste pinned Tome Filip after Electric Blue.
Match 6: Ren Narita & EVIL beat TAKA Michinoku & Taichi. Narita pinned TAKA after Double Cross.
Match 7: HENARE & Great-O-Khan beat Jado & Hiroshi Tanahashi. HENARE beat Jado with Ultima.
Main Event: Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano beat Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsiuya Naito. Yano pinned Naito. UPSET ALERT!!! They gotta give Yano one…
After 2 days Narita/EVIL lead at 2-0, 4 points. Everyone else is 1-1, 2 points except Jado/Tanahashi at 0-2, 0 points.

The next event is tomorrow at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo with Block A. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET. This will also be a live ABEMA broadcast in Japan.

In other news, it’s now official-assuming he is medically cleared and can return in time for it, Kenny Omega vs. Gabriel Kidd has been added to WRESTLE DYNASTY on 1/5 at the Tokyo Dome.

New Japan continued the World Tag League today with the second day of Block A.

Today’s event was held at Yokohama Budokan in Yokohama and can be watched on demand on New Japan World. This was a Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan. (UPDATE: Correction-On demand is currently unavailable due to technical issues. No estimated time of availability)

The announced paid attendance was 667.

Pre-show match: Shoma Kato beat Daiki Nagai.

Match 1: Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls beat Taiji Ishimori, Tome & Stevie Filip. Haste pinned Ishimori after Electric Blue.

Match 2: DOUKI, TAKA Michinoku & Taichi beat Dick Togo, Ren Narita & EVIL. DOUKI beat Togo with Italian Stretch 32.

Match 3: Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano beat BUSHI & Tetsuya Naito. Oleg pinned BUSHI after Kamikaze.

Match 4: Jacob Austin Young, HENARE & Great-O-Khan beat Katsuya Murashima, Jado & Hiroshi Tanahashi. HENARE pinned Jado after Native Knee.

World Tag League Block A:
Match 5: Callum Newman & Jeff Cobb beat Ryusuke Taguchi & Alex Zayne. Cobb pinned Taguchi after Tour of the Islands.
Match 6: SANADA & Gabriel Kidd beat Chase Owens & KENTA. Kidd pinned Owens after Drill-A-Hole Piledriver. Afterwards, Kidd promo addressed a recorded challenge from Kenny Omega for a potential match that, if Omega is medically cleared to return in time, could happen on 1/5 at WRESTLE DYNASTY at the Tokyo Dome.
Match 7: Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino beat Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. Umino pinned Sabre after Death Rider. 1/4 implications/build.
Main Event: YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi. YOSHI-HASHI pinned Takagi.

After 2 days it’s Bishamon & United Empire (Newman/Cobb) leading at 2-0, 4 points. 4 are tied at 1-1, 2 points while Tauchi/Zayne & Owens/KENTA are 0-2, 0 points.

The next event is tomorrow at Fujisawa City Chichibunomiya Memorial Gym in Kanagawa with the second day of Block B. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1 AM PT/4 AM ET.

New Japan ran Day 2 of the World Tag League today, kicking off Block B action.

Today’s event was held at Funabashi Arena in Chiba and can be watched on demand on New Japan World. This was a Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.

The announced paid attendance was 565.

Pre-show match: Yasutora Yasuda vs. Daiki Nagai went to a 10 minute time limit draw.

Match 1: Jacob Austin Young, Callum Newman & Jeff Cobb beat Katsuya Murashima, Ryusuke Taguchi & Alex Zayne. Newman pinned Murashima after a fisherman buster.

Match 2: Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens & KENTA beat Gedo, Sanada & Gabriel Kidd. Owens pinned Gedo after C Trigger.

Match 3: BUSHI, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi beat Shoma Kato, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto. BUSHI pinned Kato.

Match 4: Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino. Oiwa pinned TM 4 after The Grip.

World Tag League Block B:
Match 5: Tome & Stevie Filip beat Jado & Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tome Filip beat Jado with a Figure 4.
Match 6: TAKA Michinoku & Taichi beat HENARE & Great-O-Khan. Taichi pinned Khan after Black Mephisto.
Match 7: Ren Narita & EVIL beat Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano. EVIL pinned Yano after Magic Killer.
Main Event: Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito beat Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls. Naito pinned Haste after Destino.

The next event is tomorrow at Yokohama Budokan in Yokohama with Block A. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET. This will also be a Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.

New Japan began the World Tag League, their annual year-end Heavyweight tag team tournament, today. The opening day featured Block A matches..

Today’s event was held at Ashikaga Municipal Gym in Tochigi and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 573.

Pre-show Match: Shoma Kato beat Yasutora Yasuda.

Match 1: Taiji Ishimori, Tome & Stevie Filip beat Katsuya Murashima, Jado & Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tome Filip pinned Murashima after Mother Of All Bombs.

Match 2: Dick Togo, Ren Narita & EVIL beat Tiger Mask, Boltin Oleg & Toru Yano. EVIL pinned TM 4 after Magic Killer.

Match 3: DOUKI, TAKA Michinoku & Taichi beat Jacob Austin Young, HENARE & Great-O-Khan. DOUKI beat Young with Italian Stretch 32.

Match 4: Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls beat BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsiuua Naito. Haste pinned BUSHI after Electric Blue.

World Tag League Block A:
Match 5: Callum Newman & Jeff Cobb beat Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino. Cobb pinned Honma after Tour of the Islands.
Match 6: Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi beat Alex Zayne & TBA (mystery partner), revealed at match time to be Ryusuke Taguchi. Tsuji pinned Taguchi after Gene Blaster.
Match 7: YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Chase Owens & KENTA. Goto pinned Owens after Shoto.
Main Event: Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. beat SANADA & Gabriel Kidd. Oiwa pinned Kidd.

The next event is Thursday at Funabashi Arena in Chiba. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET. This will be a Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.

New Japan announced the field for the World Tag League today, the annual year-end Heavyweight tag team tournament. This year there will be 16 teams divided into 2 blocks of 8, with the winner of each block advancing to the Finals and the winners getting an IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship shot, unless current champs HENARE & Great-O-Khan win. It will be a standard round-robin format event. Here is the field:

Block A:
Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI (3-time defending champions)
Chase Owens & KENTA
Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma
Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman
Alex Zayne & TBA
Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji
Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa
Gabriel Kidd & SANADA

Block B:
HEANRE & Great-O-Khan (IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions)
TAKA Michinoku & Taichi
Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls
Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Jado*
Tome & Stevie Phillip (TAMASHII)
Toru Yano & Boltin Oleg
Ren Narita & EVIL
*-This was to have been Tanahashi & El Phantasmo but Phantasmo is out indefinitely due to being diagnosed with cancer recently

The tournament starts on 11:19 and ends on 13/8. There is no guarantee the winners get their title shot at Tokyo Dome on 1/4.

New Japan wrapped up the World Tag League today with the Finals. This will almost certainly set up an IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match for Tokyo Dome on 1/4.

Today’s event was held at Grand Messe Kumamoto in Kumamoto and can be watched on demand on New Japan World in Japanese. They planned for English as well but due to ongoing technical issues with the relaunched service it will be on demand at a later date. This event aired in Japan as part of WORLD PRO WRESTLING LIVE 2023 on TV Asahi.

The announced paid attendance was 2658.

Pre-show Match: Boltin Oleg & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Asosan & Kodai Nozaki. Taguchi pinned Asosan with Kid Clutch. The losers were local wrestlers from regional independent promotions and this was billed as a Frontier Zone match.

Hiromu Takahashi made a special appearance to open the event.

Match 1: Master Wato, Soberano Jr. & Atlantis Jr. beat Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls. Wato pinned Fujita with a Tsutenkaku German suplex hold.

Match 2: Alex Zayne, Lance Archer, Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata beat Gabriel Kidd, Alex Coughlin, Jack Bonza & bad Luck Fale. Zayne pinned Bonza after Blackout Sauce.

Match 3: Callum Newman, HENARE, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb beat Oakar Leube, Yuto Nakashima, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii. Cobb pinned Leube after Tour of the Islands.

Match 4: Sho & Ren Narita beat Tiger Mask & Shota Umino. Sho pinned TM 4.

Match 5: Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL beat Tomoaki Honma, Ryohei Oiwa & Kaito Kiyomiya (Pro Wrestling NOAH). EVIL pinned Honma after EVIL.

Match 6; Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada beat Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun. Okada pinned Liona after Rainmaker.

Matchb7: BUSHI, Yota Tsuji, Zandokan Jr., Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Kaito beat TAKA Michinoku, DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA. BUSHI pinned TAKA after MX. Afterwards, Kanemaru attacked Taichi and made a KOPW 2023 Title challenge.

Main Event: World Tag League Finals: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI beat El Phantasmo & Hikuleo to win the tournament. Goto pinned Phantasmo after Naraku. They went 40 1/2 minutes. Bishamon 3-peat after it seemed dead earlier on. Based on post-match happenings, this likely means a Double Title rematch at Tokyo Done for the IWGP Heavyweight and STRONG Tag Team Championships.

The next event is Road To TOKYO DOME, which this year will be a year-ending doubleheader on 12/21 & 12/22 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET both days. This will end their 2023 schedule.

New Japan ran the penultimate day of the World Tag League today with the Semifinals.

Today’s event was held at Kirishima City Makizono Arena in Kagoshima and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 1104.

Pre-show Match: Boltin Oleg beat Katsuya Murashima.

Match 1: Taiji Ishimori, Jack Bonza & Bad Luck Fale beat Oskar Leube, Yuto Nakashima & Master Wato. Bonza pinned Nakashima after Napalm Thunder Bomb.

Match 2: Alex Zayne, Lance Archer & Minoru Suzuki beat Callum Newman, HENARE & Great-O-Khan. Zayne pinned Newman after Taco Driver.

Match 3: Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Sho & EVIL beat Ryusuke Taguchi, Ryohei Oiwa & Kaito Kiyomiya. Kanemaru pinned Taguchi.

Match 4: Yujiro Takahashi & Ren Narita beat Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino. Narita pinned Honma after a modified face buster. This went just 43 seconds. Another Narita/H.O.T. beatdown on Umino followed.

Match 5: Soberano Jr., Atlantis Jr., Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun beat Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada. Liona pinned Yano after Fall From Heaven.

Match 6: DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA beat BUSHI, Zandokan Jr., Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi. Uemura pinned BUSHI with a Kannuki suplex hold.

World Tag League Srmifinals:
Match 7: El Phantasmo & Hikuleo beat Dhane Haste & Mikey Nicholls. Hikuleo pinned Haste after Godsend.
Main Event: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI beat Gabriel Kidd & Alex Coughlin. YOSHI-HASHI pinned Coughlin.

As a result, the Finals will be G.o.D. vs. Bishamon.

The Finals are Sunday at Grand Messe Kumamoto in Kumamoto. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin Saturday at 10 PM PT/1 AM ET. There may be live results posted. The live stream may only be available outside Japan as TV Asahi will also have a live broadcast.

New Japan ran Day 14 of the World Tag League today, wrapping up Block B and filling out the Semifinals.

Today’s event was held at Hayamizu Park Sports & Cultural Center in Miyazaki and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 1288.

Pre-show Match: DOUKI beat Shoma Kato.

Match 1: Callum Newman, HENARE & Great-O-Khan beat Yuto Nakashima, Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun. HENARE pinned Nakashima after Rampage.

Match 2: Sho, Yujiro Takahashi & RVIL beat Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & Shota Umino. Sho pinned TM 4. Ren Narita laid out Umino post-match.

Match 3: Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada beat Boltin Oleg, Tomoaki Honma, Ryohei Oiwa & Kaito Kiyomiya. Yano pinned Honma.

Match 4: Taiji Ishimori, Gabriel Kidd & Alex Coughlin beat Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls. Coughlin pinned Fujita after a jackhammer.

World Tag League:
Match 5: Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata beat Jack Bonza & Bad Luck Fale. Suzuki pinned Bonza after a Gotch-style piledriver.
Match 6: Soberano Jr. & Atlantis Jr. beat Zandokan Je. & Yota Tsuji. Soberano pinned Zandokan after Soberano Driver. Zandokan/Tsuji now OUT. Afterwards, Tetsuya Naito suggested Zandokan joining LIJ may not happen.
Match 7: El Phantasmo & Hikuleo beat Alex Zayne & Lance Archer. Phantasmo pinned Zayne after Super Thunder Kiss 86. As a result, Phantasmo/Hikuleo win Block B and advance to the Semifinals.
Main Event: YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Yuya Uenura & Taichi. YOSHI-HASHI pinned Uenura after Shoto. As a result, Bishamon finish 2nd in Block B and advance to the Semifinals.

The Semifinals will be Kidd/Coughlin vs. Goto/YOSHI-HASHI and Phantasmo/Hikukeo vs. Haste/Nicholls.

The Semifinals are tomorrow at Kirishima City Makizono Arena in Kagoshima. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET.

New Japan ran Day 13 of the World Tag League today, the final day of Block A which would determine the first 2 teams making the Semifinals.

Today’s event was held at Karatsu City Cultural Gym in Saga and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 907.

Pre-show Match: Oskar Leube beat Shoma Kato.

Match 1: Taiji Ishimori, Jack Bonza & Bad Luck Fale beat Ryusuke Taguchi, Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata. Bonza pinned Taguchi after Napalm Thunder Driver.

Match 2: BUSHI, Zandokan Jr., Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi beat Tomoaki Honma, Tiger Mask, Soberano Jr. & Atlantis Jr. Takagi pinned TM 4 after Pumping Bomber. Afterwards, Tsuji & Zandokan apparently unnasked-or tried to-the Mexicans.

Match 3: Master Wato, Alex Zayne & Lance Archer beat Jado, El Phantasmo & Hikuleo. Wato beat Jado with Vendeval.

Match 4: YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada beat DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA. Tanahashi pinned DOUKI after High Fly Flow.

World Tag League:
Match 5: Toa Liona & Bisbop Kaun beat Ryohei Oiwa & Kaito Kiyomiya. Kaun pinned Oiwa after Fall From Heaven.
Match 6: Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL beat Ren Narita & Shota Umino. EVIL pinned Umino after EVIL. During & after the match, Narita turned on Umino and joined House Of Torture.
Match 7: KENARE & Great-O-Khan beat Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii. HENARE pinned Ishii after Streets Of Rage.
Main Event: Gabriel Kidd & Alex Coughlin beat Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls. Kidd pinned Nicholls after a hijack piledriver. As a result, Kidd/Coughlin win Block A and Haste/Nicholls finish 2nd. Both advance to the Semifinals.

The next event is tomorrow at Hayamizu Park Sports & Culture Center in Miyazaki for the final day of Block B. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2 AM PT/5 AM ET.

New Japan ran Day 12 of the World Tag League today, the penultimate day of Block B.

Today’s event was held at Kochi Prefectural Gym in Kochi and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 801.

Pre-show Match: Master Wato beat Katsuya Murashima.

Match 1: Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Sho beat BUSHI & Shingo Takagi. Kanemaru pinned BUSHI with Samson Clutch.

Match 2: Boltin Oleg, Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun beat Oskar Leube, Ryohei Oiwa & Kaito Kiyomiya. Liona pinned Leube after Fall From Heaven.

Match 3: Callum Newman, HENARE & Great-O-Khan beat Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii. HENARE beat Honma with Ultima.

Match 4: Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL beat Ryusuke Taguchi, Ren Narita & Shota Umoni. EVIL beat Taguchi with a scorpion deathlock.

Match 5: Taiji Ishimori, Gabriel Kidd & Alex Coughlin beat Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls. Ishimori beat Fujita with Bone Lock.

World Tag League:
Match 6: Jack Bonza & Bad Luck Fale beat Yuya Uemura & Taichi. Fale pinned Uemura after Bad Luck Fall.
Match 7: El Phantasmo & Hikuleo beat Soberano Jr. & Atlantis Jr. Phantasmo pinned Soberano after Super Thunder Kiss 86.
Match 8: YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata. Goto pinned Nagata.
Main Event: Zandokan Jr. & Yota Tsuji beat Alex Zayne & Lance Archer. Tsuji pinned Zayne after Gene Blaster. Tetsuya Naito was a guest on commentary for the main event.

Standings:
1-Hikuleo/Phantasmo, 4-2, 8 pts
2-Taichi/Uemura, 4-2, 8 pts
3-Archer/Zayne, 4-2, 8 pts
4-YOSHI-HASHI/Goto, 3-3-1, 7 pts
5-Zandokan/Tsuji, 3-4, 6 pts
6-Soberano/Atlantis, 2-4-1, 5 pts (OUT)
7-Bonza/Fale, 2-5, 4 pts (OUT)
8-Suzuki/Nagata, 1-6, 2 pts (OUT)
The Top 2 advance to the Finals. It’s a little more open here than in Block A but not too complicated. It’s actually simple-the Hikuleo/Phantasmo-Zayne/Archer winner next time out advances. Same for the Taichi/Uemura-YOSHI-HASHI/Goto winner…BUT…if Hikuleo/Phantasmo-Archer/Zayne is a time limit draw and Bishamon win, YOSHI-HASHI/Goto would lose the tiebreaker as they lost to both other teams. Also, Zandokan/Tsuji still have a chance thanks to tiebreakers. They must win their final match (Atlantis/Soberano) AND Hikuleo/Phantasmo-Archer-Zayne MUST END IN A NO CONTEST/DOUBLE DQ. Something that means no points for both…AND Bishamon must win. If all that happens, Tsuji/Zandokan have a chance. They do lose tiebreakers right now to Archer/Zayne though.

The next event is Wednesday at Karatsu Athletic Stadium in Saga for the final day of Block A. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET.

The promotion has also announced that, due to ongoing bug fixes/improvements since the New Japan World update/relaunch, Sunday’s Finals live broadcast will be in Japanese only with English on demand as soon as possible after the event. The plan was Japanese and English live but that won’t happen now.