WTL hits its second half in Kakogawa
After Osaka’s joint league event Friday, December 3 sees Kakogawa in Hyogo host the heavyweights, with a cheering crowd on hand.
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Main event: Be-Bop Tag Team (Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano) (3-2) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito & SANADA) (4-2)
Tag record: 1-0 Naito & SANADA 
At 3-2, and 4-2 with the forfeit of Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens, Tetsuya Naito and SANADA have been consistently inconsistent in the first half of their campaign, but they inarguably have gotten the highest quality win possible in the league to date. their main event victory over Aussie Open Friday in Osaka have kept them firmly in the mix, but Be-Bop Tag Team have been creeping up.
Incurring their own two losses at the start of their campaign, and without the benefit of a guaranteed forfeit two points, Tanahashi and Yano have won their last three, and want to join their opponents tonight on eight points. That would put both teams with backs against the wall, but still with victory a possibility that they will fight to cling onto.
7th Match: Suzuki-Gun (Lance Archer & Minoru Suzuki) (3-2) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi) (0-5)
EVIL and Yujiro are mathematically eliminated
Fans in Osaka Friday night had expected a violent drag out affair between TMDK and Lance Archer and Minoru Suzuki. What they got was violent, but not a drawn out affair. A shock flash pin saw Shane Haste get the W over Minoru Suzuki in under 90 seconds, and incurred Suzuki-Gun a loss that they will look to furiously avenge here in Hyogo. As EVIL and Yujiro takahashi are now officially out of the WTL running, might they seek to exploit Suzuki-Gun anger to put this duo out as well?
6th Match: Bishamon (YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto) (3-2) vs United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare) (4-2)
Tag record: 1-0 Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
After a night’s break, the refreshed Bishamon head to face Great-O-Khan and Aaron Henare. This is a duo Goto and YOSHI-HASHI beat in last year’s league, and with Henare and O-Khan having had to work for their points yesterday as a forfeit win led to a much deserved Bihsamon break, the CHAOS side will be the favourites this evening.
4th Match: Gabriel Kidd & Alex Coughlin (0-5) vs Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) (5-1)
Kidd and Coughlin are mathematically eliminated
Two ends of the table meet in the first league match of the evening. Friday night’s loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toru Yano put Gabriel Kidd and Alex Coughlin’s elimination from World Tag League out of any doubt. Yet there is still a lot to fight for for the LA Dojo duo. After Naito and SANADA proved that Aussie Open can indeed be beaten with an impressive Osaka victory, Kidd and Coughlin could instantly wipe away bad memories of their poor World Tag League start with an upset victory to start the official matches in Hyogo.
4th Match: Kevin Knight, KUSHIDA, Master Wato & Tomoaki Honma vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (SHingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, BUSHI & Titan)
Eight man action will see Hontai and LIJ do battle. With Kevin Knight’s newfound attitude and confidence going up against the likes of SHingo Takagi and Hiromu Takahashi, there’ll be added spice to this eight man bout.
3rd Match: Suzuki-Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado & DOUKI) vs BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori, Gedo & Ace Austin)
El Desperado and Taiji Ishimori engage in a six man preview of Wrestle Kingdom’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight four way tonight. As Ishimori enlists Gedo and Ace Austin, will Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI, unable to claim points in Super Junior Tag League, get results for Suzuki-Gun?
2nd Match: Kosei Fujita & Oskar Leube vs TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls)
After Bad Luck fale and Chase Owens were forced to withdraw from World Tag League, TMDK pick up two points by forfeit tonight, but will still have their working boots on against Young Lions, Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls looking to deliver some harsh lessons in tag team wrestling.
1st Match: Ryohei Oiwa vs Bad Luck Fale
Bad Luck Fale will still be going to work as well tonight, albeit earlier than expected against Ryohei Oiwa. He’ll be fighting for an early night as well, as he takes out frustrations at his team’s trophy forfeiture.
