Countdown to MetLife continues
The second of a four night stretch in Korakuen Hall this week sees more maneuvering on the road to Wrestle Grand Slam in the MetLife Dome on September 4 & 5, as well as the second matches for new Young Lions Oiwa and Fujita.
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Main event- Elimination Match: CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask) vs Suzuki-Gun (Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Our main event will see eight man elimination action, as Dangerous Tekkers continue to prepare for their IWGP Tag team Championship defence against CHAOS’ Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI, together with Tetsuya Naito and SANADA in a scheduled three way. After Goto was victorious in last night’s six man main event, he and YOSHI-HASHI sent both champions packing with GYR and GYW, but will history repeat tonight?
Yet another issue will surround El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru looking for revenge against Flying Tiger. Weeks after Robbie Eagles took IWGP Junior Heavyweight gold from El Desperado in the Tokyo Dome, the former champion and Kanemaru would still hang tight to their tag team reputation heading into Super Jr. Tag League, only to be defeated by the new combination of Eagles and Tiger Mask. Flying Tiger’s win would be the sole blemish on the eventual winning team’s league record, and Suzuki-Gun’s juniors want to right that wrong tonight.
4th Match: Kazuchika Okada & Tomoaki Honma vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan)
Kazuchika Okada continues to count down toward his MetLife Dome showdown with Jeff Cobb in our semi main event as the Imperial Unit teams with Great-O-Khan to face Okada and Tomoaki Honma. Tuesday night saw Cobb and O-Khan run through their competition before Hiroyoshi Tenzan was planted with Tour of the Islands. Honma has suffered under the heel of the United Empire in several tag clashes over the last few months, but can he upset Cobb and O-Khan with Okada at his side?
3rd Match: Togi Makabe & Toru Yano vs BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens & Jado)
Just a couple more meeting seperate Toru Yano and Chase Owens from their KOPW 2021 I Quit match on September 4. Preparing, Yano is teaming with former Most Violent Players partner Makabe tonight. Yano has vowed to show Owens just how serious he can get; Tuesday night saw Yano throw some intense strikes before uncharacteristically throwing referee Marty Asami from the ring. Owens would handcuff Yano, but the Master Thief commandeered Jado’s kendo stick and threw heavy shots to draw a DQ. Will this tag bout be another sign of things to come?
2nd Match: Suzuki-Gun (DOUKI & Minoru Suzuki) vs BULLET CLUB (El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori)
After a defeat to El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru to give Suzuki-Gun the win in Super Junior Tag League, BULLET CLUB’s Cutest tag team are set to undertake a begrudging defence in the near future. Yet El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori have a long term plan for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. Signed to appear in Texas at Autumn Attack in their debut as a tandem on NJPW STRONG, ELP and Ishimori have promised to defend their titles against the best teams that the US has to offer.
First though, can they get past Despe and Nobu? Or indeed their opposition tonight? DOUKI is fired up as he approaches a singles bout Friday night against Hiromu Takahashi, while Minoru Suzuki… Is Minoru Suzuki. It could be a tough few days for the champs.
1st Match: Ryohei Oiwa vs Kosei Fujita
Singles record: 0-0-1
New Young Lions Oiwa and Fujita have their second bout in the opening match of the evening. In their debut bouts Tuesday night, Fujita has the upper hand for more of the match, securing a pair of solid dropkicks, and cinching in a Boston Crab that had Oiwa in trouble before the time limit expired. In this second go-around, will one of these young men gain the upper hand and establish themselves as superior early?
