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NOV.17.2021

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World Tag League Update night 2

Four teams lead the way after two nights

The main event saw Dangerous Tekkers face Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens. With a throwback to their G1 encounter, Owens challenged Taichi to a sumo contest at the bell with very little luck, though Fale would fare rather better with a big shoulder tackle that sent Taichi down. Ultimately though it would be Sabre and Owens getting down to business proper, and British and American old school styles were pit against one another, Sabre stretching Owens before a lariat from Fale on the apron stopped the Briton from building speed. 

The match went to the floor where BULLET CLUB had control before Sabre was brought to the Tongan Massage Parlour back inside. Sabre was controlled until rollin gout the way of a Fale elbow, and Taichi was waiting for the tag with a sumo takedown on Fale and hook kick to Owens. The resourceful Crown Jewel battled back and escaped the Dangerous Backdrop to bury a pair of knees to the gut of Taichi, but a jumping high would bring Sabre back inside and ZSJ would go for the submission kill. 

Sabre ruthlessly targeted the shoulder and arm; as Owens tried desperately to hang on and prevent a cross arm bar, Taichi would trap Fale into the Seitei Jujiro. Fale’s power would see the Holy Emperor muscled into the corner and Sabre crushed with an elbow drop, and BULLET CLUB prepared for the Grenade Launcher, but Taichi would break up the attempt as the match grew more frantic. 

His arm badly hurting, Owens desperately struggled to avoid Sabre’s clutches, a C-Trigger scoring but Fale’s assistance quickly being dispatched with. A German suplex and Ore ga Taue combination connected for two, and then the Holy Zack Driver saw Dangerous Tekkers to victory.   

The semi main event of the night saw LIJ and Suzuki-Gun’s long held rivalry continue with Tetsuya Naito and SANADA meeting Minoru Suzuki and TAKA Michinoku. TAKA’s woes from Korakuen continued at the outset as we was isolated by Naito and SANADA, but this time Suzuki was much more pro-active in coming to TAKA’s aid, bringing SANADA out to ringside and torturing Cold Skull’s arm. 

SANADA would be in all sorts of trouble in the Suzuki-Gun corner before a dropkick brought Naito in to turn the tide. A Tijeras to Michinoku, and SANADA followed up with a plancha, but Suzuki picked Naito’s leg off the apron, while Michinoku countered a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch into the Just Facelock. Working smoothly, Michoinoku kept his composure as Naito broke up the hold, and countered a Skull End attempt to allow for a Suzuki double boot, but when SANADA went back to the hold there was no escape. Cold Skull swung TAKA violently and Michinoku had no choice but to tap while Naito took pleasure in holding a furious Suzuki at bay. 

The United Empire side of Great-O-Khan and Aaron Henare, and HOUSE OF TORTURE’s EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi both came into Toyama winless and eager to get to work, with Henare in particular opening up with stiff punches to EVIL, the crowd in the rare position of encouraging the Ultimate Weapon, and the Dominator as O-Khan tore at EVIL’s hair and shoulder. A rake of the eye though, and O-Khan and Henare both would crash into the suddenly exposed H.o.T corner. 

O-Khan would be punished in the wrong part of town, but frustrated HOUSE OF TORTURE with his tenacity in kicking out before taking EVIL down by the ears and bringing Henare back in. The Ultimate Weapon’s momentum would be slowed by a yank of the heels from Togo, but only momentarily as the Rampage tackle scored. O-Khan landed his own STO to EVIL as the match grew chaotic, but as he and Henare threatened, the referee would go down. Still, EVIL’s attempt at a chair shot to O-Khan was broken up by a mighty boot from Henare, and O-Khan would use his own wooden board found ringside to smash Yujiro , leading to a double team Streets of Rage dubbed the Imperial Drop for the victory.  

The ‘Team be-Bop Highschool’ combination of Toru Yano and Hiroshi Tanahashi once again headed to the ring in throwback high school garb to take on Great Bash Heel, but Togi Makabe would set a serious tone as he transitioned through holds on his once Dojo junior. A missed Kokeshi though, and it would be Tomoaki Honma taking punishment as he was stuck in the red, and the exposed neutral, corner. 

Honma would evade Yano in the corner steel and took both he and Tanahashi down to get Makabe back inside. The Unchained Gorilla’s bruising offense would allow Honma to recover, and score with a Kokeshi on his second try, but the Ace would stop Honma’s growing momentum with a basement dropkick, Dragon Screw and the Texas Cloverleaf. Makabe broke up the hold, and a double clothesline would sandwich Tanahashi before a Kokeshi Rocket for two, but when Makabe was taken out the equation, a High Fly Flow sealed the deal on Homa. 

TenCozy looked to go two up against Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI. The CHAOS team’s fluid combinations put the former 6 time champions to the mat but a spinning heel kick from Tenzan brought Kojima in with Machine Gun chops and the Bakayaro elbow. Tenzan would bring some hard hits, and a Mountain Bomb in the face of YOSHI-HASHI’s Butterfly Lock before sinking in the Anaconda Vise, but the Headhunter blocked a TenCozy Cutter attempt, and as the match broke down Violent Flash hit Kojima, and Shoto scored on Tenzan. 

The night’s first league match saw Tiger Mask and Yuji Nagata face the Guerrillas of Destiny. A fast start put Tiger in instant trouble, until a barrage of kicks put the fired up Nagata into the fray. When Tiger was back legal, a Tiger Driver scored to Tama, and a crucifix bomb with Nagata’s assist for two on Loa before stereo submissions threatened the 2020 winners’ first loss. Tiger’s luck ran out on a missed double stomp though, and a spear followed by a Blue Thunder Bomb and the OJK gave Loa the tapout victory. 

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