League passes halfway in Fukushima
The Super Junior Tag League crosses the halfway line Saturday in Fukushima. Now as the field has separated somewhat, competition is tight for the top players to keep their spots, and the back markers to stay in the hunt.
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Main event: El DespeWato (Master Wato & El Desperado) (3-1) vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors) (3-1)
It’s the third main event in a row for El Desperado and Master Wato, a fact not lost on the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions in the BULLET CLUB War Dogs who face the somewhat shaky, yet still improving, team tonight in Fukuoka. A combination of the main event spot, and a begrudging acceptance on the part of Desperado of his tag team partner has seen the two to consecutive victories. Yet a whole new level of teamwork is going to be needed for Desperado and Wato to defeat the imposing tag team champions. Can they get the job done?
7th Match: Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA) (3-1) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Titan & BUSHI) (1-3)
While their run hasn’t been spotless, the Intergalactic Jet Setters continue to impress in the tournament, having put away the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions and continuing to rack up the points. Now top of the table at six, they could stand to move clear of the pack in Fukuoka. Their opponents Titan and BUSHI have had a harder time in the tournament thus far, with three straight losses a surprise for the masked duo with theoretically limitless potential. Can the LIJ pair turn things around?
6th Match: Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita) (1-3) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (3-1)
While Kosei Fujita returned from an Australian leg of his world tour full of confidence, he’s learned so far in this league that he can’t steamroll the junior heavyweight competition with Robbie Eagles just yet. Ichiban Sweet Boys will instead be looking for only their second win, and to avoid the bubble tonight as they look to stop the run HOUSE OF TORTURE is on. With SHO and Kanemaru picking up three wins straight, fans will be on tenterhooks for the Sweet boys to get a sweet pair of points tonight.
5th Match: Musashi Komatsu (YOH & MUSASHI) (2-2) vs Just Five Guys (TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI) (0-4)
Another loss in Saitama to Catch 2/2 has put Just Five Guys’ DOUKI and TAKA Michinoku on the crest of elimination at the earliest possible stage. With hopes of making the top two in extreme danger, they look to face the ‘Musashi Komatsu’ team of YOH and MUSASHI that are reeling from frustration themselves, turned away by HOUSE OF TORTURE’s underhanded tactics Thursday night. Both teams want to bounce back, but only one can tonight.
4th Match: The DKC & Ryusuke Taguchi (2-2) vs Catch 2/2 (TJP & Francesco Akira) (2-2)
After starting to mount a streak with a pair of wins in Korakuen Hall this week, DKC and Ryusuke Taguchi fell to the momentum of the Intergalactic Jet Setters to bring the pair to four points. For Catch 2/2 meanwhile, concern over TJP’s neck continues to surround the pair, but Akira and TJ were still able to pull off the win over TAKA Michinoku and DOUKI Thursday. Now with the benefit of a day’s clear rest, can the former champions stay on point and get to six?
3rd Match: CHAOS (Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo)
The forever war between CHAOS and HOUSE OF TORTURE sees another battle in Fukushima. Thursday night saw CHAOS take care of H.O.T, with a cathartic submission win for YOSHI-HASHI with the Butterfly Lock on Dick Togo. Will the House have revenge in mind tonight?
2nd Match: Ren Narita & Shota Umino vs Unietd Empire (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan)
Shota Umino and Great-O-Khan continue to count down to big matches at Power Struggle with Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley respectively. Umino used his ‘new’ Blaze Blade finish to get his first win of the tour in Korakuen early in the week, and followed with an STF Thursday in Kasukabe. As he shows his versatility with the IWGP UK Champion watching on, what message will the Roughneck look to send tonight?
1st Match: Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Oskar Leube, Boltin Oleg & Yuto Nakashima
With Young Lions looking to show their worth against veteran competition in the opener tonight, it’s a great start to a hot autumn night in Fukushima!
