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OCT.19.2022

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Battle Autumn Night 9 (October 26) Preview

TV title tourney continues as cheers are back in Korakuen

 

 

October 26 will see the Battle Autumn series return for the first of two nights in Korakuen Hall. As the NJPW World TV Championship tournament continues, cheering crowds return to the Hall to see the end of the first round, before round two begins the very next night.

Watch Battle Autumn live or in English on demand on NJPW World!

Main event: NJPW World Television Championship Tournament- Ren Narita vs Tomohiro Ishii

Our main event will see Ren Narita wrestle his first singles match since his Homecoming, and in his first singles Korakuen Hall main event against no less intimidating a figure as Tomohiro Ishii. The Son of Strong Style is a nickname that gives every indication of the expectations placed upon him, as well as the echoes of his LA Dojo mentor Katsuyori Shibata, who wrestled more than a few classics with Ishii close to a decade ago. Yet as history aligns and hopes are high, Narita has not showed any signs of backing down or shrinking away from the challenge. Exploding out of the gates against Ishii in preliminary tags, Narita has adopted an ironically pitbull like attitude and determination to take down the Stone Pitbull himself. Can he tame Ishii, or will the hard nosed veteran put the Son of String Style in his place?

7th Match: NJPW World TV Championship Tournament: Toru Yano vs Great-O-Khan

Singles record: 2-1 Yano

The last United Empire member remaining in the TV title tournament, this nonetheless feels like a title and tournament created to symbolise the very same indomitable rise to glory that Great-O-Khan has experienced in NJPW over the last two years. That said, his survival in this single elimination format is far from assured when it comes to his opponent being Toru Yano. 

Three singles meetings between the two have all come in under the 15 minute mark, removing most speculation for a draw, but Yano has had O-Khan’s number, and a 2-1 lead over the Dominator. Their New Japan Cup 2021 meeting saw Yano make use of the ceremonial braid of his opponent, to try and get a countout win, O-Khan shearing his own hair to save himself but still coming up short. O-Khan would get some measure of revenge later in the G1 that autumn, but when that created a KOPW 2021 opportunity, Yano would defeat O-Khan in his own specialty of an amateur wrestling match. Now O-Khan seeks to draw even again with Yano, and make it through to round two in Makuhari October 30.

6th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI & Titan) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb, TJP & Francesco Akira)

In both the lead and follow-up to Titan and BUSHI issuing their challenge to IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Francesco Akira and TJP, Los Ingobernables De Japon have been able to handily beat United Empire combinations all the way through the tour, setting themselves up strong before their November 5 meeting in Osaka. Yet with all the will and alleged cuteness in the world, Lord Gideon Grey does not pass anywhere near the muster of Jeff Cobb as a partner. With a considerably stronger lineup, the empire will seek to strike back tonight in Korakuen.

5th Match: Togi Makabe & Master Wato vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi)

Still in the running in the TV title tournament, SANADA will get ready for his October 30 meeting with KENTA by teaming with Hiromu Takahashi against Master Wato and Togi Makabe. Wato and Hiromu could well be teammates just over a week later in Osaka, but how will they fare opposite one another tonight?

4th Match: Suzuki-Gun (El Desperado, DOUKI & Taichi) vs BULLET CLUB (KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo)

Were it not for an O’Connor Bridge with three seconds left on the clock in Nagaoka, Taichi would be slated to face KENTA one on one Sunday in Makuhari, but such is not the case. Still the two will be on opposite sides of six man action tonight, as will one half of our Wrestle Kingdom 17 IWGP Junior Heavyweight four way. Days before thy meet in Osaka’s Incredible Tag Match on November 5, Despe and Ishimori will not have any questions about allegiances tonight as they collide directly with one another in Korakuen Hall.

3rd Match: Hikuleo & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Dick Togo & EVIL)

With Hikuleo, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Ryusuke Taguchi set to face HOUSE OF TORTURE for the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships Sunday, we could be looking at two thirds of the new champion team greeting the cheers of Korakuen Hall tonight. Either way, as SHO and Yujiro Takahashi are in New York to battle YOH and Rocky Romero at Rumble on 44th Street this week, the numbers game won’t be an issue at last for Hontai, as the H.O.T duo have a tough match ahead of them before EVIL faces YOSHI-HASHI in Thursday’s TV title quarterfinal.

2nd Match: Alex Zayne, Tiger Mask & David Finlay vs Suzuki-Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, TAKA Michinoku & Zack Sabre Jr.)

October 27 will see Zack Sabre Jr and David Finlay do battle in the second round of the NJPW World TV title tournament, with tonight seeing what will be an intense preview between the two. Meanwhile Alex Zayne has been making overtures to TAKA ‘don’t call me legend’ Michinoku when it comes to learning the art of the Michinoku Driver II. Might lessons be learned tonight?

1st Match: Kosei Fujita & Yuto Nakashima vs United Empire (Gideon Grey & Aaron Henare)

Lord Gideon Grey has wrestled the Battle Autumn tour largely reaffirming the fact that he’s more effective pulling the strings of the United Empire than he is doing the fighting. Opposite Young Lion competition tonight, and with the Ultimate Weapon at his side, Grey has his best chance of victory yet, and having already had his paws in Young Lion careers during excursions, he might be doing some scouting in our opener as well.

 

 

 

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