Calm under pressure sees Taichi and ZSJ extend their reign
A three way for the IWGP Tag Team Championships on day two of Wrestle Grand Slam saw Dangerous Tekkers defend against Tetsuya Naito and SANADA, as well as Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI in a match that was hectic from the opening bell.
With only two wrestlers legal to compete at any one time, and three teams involved, the early fight was about just who would be legal to start. That led to a melee involving all six man before Taichi and Goto finally became the consistent legal men in the bout.
Taichi gained control of Goto until the CHAOS member had enough of Taichi’s ‘Greco Roman throat hold’, prompting other competitors to very clearly choke the Holy Emperor. As Zack Sabre Jr sought to intervene and was turned away, Naito would suggest an alliance with Goto and YOSHI-HASHI, but that was not to be in the CHAOS gameplan.
Taichi stayed in the CHAOS corner before creating distance between himself and YOSHI-HASHI, who was unwittingly tagged to take himself out of the match and out Naito and LIJ in. With a Paradise Lock from SANADA, Taichi couldn’t catch a break, Goto returning the Ingobernables ‘favour’ from earlier to blind tag SANADA and keep up the punishment.
A hook kick from Taichi, and the tag champion could finally bring in ZSJ, who brought rapid fire offense before almost pinning Goto. With Naito and SANADA saving the match for themselves, the match quickly got hectic once more Dangerous Tekkers keeping control of the ring to set up the Holy Zack Driver, but after a YOSHI-HASHI interruption, Naito tagged Goto to put LIJ in the plus position. As a floored Sabre sought solace in a neutral corner, he was blind tagged by YOSHI-HASHI, who planted Naito with a sit out powerbomb. GYW followed and got two from the referee, but Sabre broke up the fall as bodies flew all over once more.
The match passing the 20 minute mark, SANADA was legal with YOSHI-HASHI, and Cold Skull was on the receiving end of the Violent Flash from the CHAOS side. As Goto dove onto Dangerous Tekkers to take them out of the equation, the Headhunter went for the kill, but was served up by Naito into a TKO. The tag champions once again made it to the apron, but were once again sent packing, Naito walking up Taichi to deliver a swing DDT to Sabre, as SANADA locked in Skull End.
YOSHI-HASHI was fading fast, but wanting to stop any interference, SANADA opted to end the match quickly with a Moonsault. Yet he would climb the Dangerous Tekkers corner to do so. Taichi would touch SANADA’s boot to tag himself in, and SANADA’s perfectly hit Moonsault did not count for the challengers. A Taue and Kawada combo would put SANADA down, and as Sabre tied up Naito, the Black Mephisto would secure victory for the IWGP Tag Team Champions.
