Super Junior Tag League continued with night six in Niigata on October 30. The main event of the night saw the unlikely alliance of El Desperado and Master Wato continue as they took on the soaring Kevin Knight and KUSHIDA in a match with potentially huge tie-breaker implications, these two teams the only two capable of toppling the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions thus far.
Master Wato and KUSHIDA started the match, the pair jockeying for the best position with KUSHIDA able to trap his opponent and Knight hitting a strong basement shoulder charge. Tumbling to the outside Wato’s punishment continued as KUSHIDA slammed his foot and arm into the unmoving ring post, Knight carrying on back in the ring with a splash. It took almost 10 minutes but Wato finally found an opening to land a bulldog and tag in El Desperado for the first time in the bout, Desperado instantly getting to work with a neckbreaker and taking aim at Knight’s leg with plans of Numero Dos.
El DespeWato remained on top, Wato locking Knight in several submissions to keep the high-flying superstar grounded, but once Knight got moving his athleticism shone and he was able to tag in KUSHIDA. Wato and KUSHIDA now the legal men the action was rapid, Wato flying in with a springboard uppercut and KUSHIDA immediately hitting back with a cartwheel dropkick allowing Knight to stun with the electric chair dropkick and assisted springboard crossbody. El DespeWato now vulnerable, KUSHIDA locked in the Hoverboard Lock, Wato desperately searching for the ropes and instead being saved by Desperado, who would lock in Numero Dos on KUSHIDA. Back on his feet Wato lofted KUSHIDA to the rafters with a mighty Tsutenkaku Suplex, forcing Knight to make a last-ditch save.
Tags on both sides had Knight and Desperado do battle; Knight spending more time in the air than on his feet as the crowd came alive for his unbelievable flying feats, Sky High almost earning the three count at the fifteen minute mark. The defiant Desperado answered with a spinebuster, back body-drop and finally Numero Dos, but Knight once again dazzled by escaping the hold with a Canadian Destroyer. With Desperado vulnerable it was Wato’s turn to make the save, launching Knight with a German suplex and taking KUSHIDA out with a topé, allowing Desperado the time needed to hit successive El Pinche Locos to pick up the win and ensure El DesperWato stay at the top of the league- an achievement emotionally marked as El Desperado acknowledged expectation for Master Wato to be the Ace of the junior heavyweight division before the crowd went home happy.
The semi-main event had a special guest in attendance as Tetsuya Naito once again sat ringside to support his Los Ingobernables De Japon parejas Titan and BUSHI as they took on UNITED EMPIRE’s Catch 2/2, Franceso Akira and TJP. The opening moments would be to the favour of Catch 2/2, the ever-smooth TJP able to get the better of Titan with quick tags and tandem offence keeping them firmly in command. Wisely, Titan took aim at TJP’s weakened neck when the opportunity revealed itself, a strategy BUSHI followed up on with a low dropkick before ripping the doctor’s tape away and locking in a leg-scissors submission. A desperation tornado DDT allowed TJP to tag in Akira, the Nova Fireball living up to his name as he exploded around the ring and took out both of his opponents, culminating in a top rope crossbody earning a near fall. Tags on both sides had TJP and Titan the legal men once again, TJP able to overcome Titan to hit the Mamba Splash, but when the UNITED EMPIRE men attempted the Leaning Tower TJP’s neck gave way; LIJ quickly taking advantage of the misfortune to attempt Angel Immortal, but TJP was able to avoid the finish. With Titan trapped in a wrenching Octopus Stretch, BUSHI broke up the submission and inadvertently caused the referee to be collateral damage. BUSHI crafitiy spat mist in Akira’s face whilst the referee was down, the distraction allowing Titan to capture TJP in a creative pin to swiftly get the win.
The night continued with Musashi Komatsu, YOH and MUSASHI, taking on TMDK’s Ichiban Sweet Boys, Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita, with both teams level at two points each heading into the bout. A cautious start saw each team try to one-up the other, MUSASHI ultimately being the catalyst for his team to take the upper-hand thanks to a quick-thinking blind tag which allowed Musashi Komatsu to wear down Eagles as they tactfully kept him away from his partner. A suplex from Eagles finally led to a tag to Fujita, the TMDK man steaming in with his echoing southpaw chops and a springboard dropkick, and double team offence almost got the three count. The action frantic as all four men charged into the ring, an elevated spike DDT from Fujita left MUSASHI vulnerable for Eagles’ sniper 450 splash to the leg, and the Ron Miller Special earned Ichiban Sweet Boys victory by submission.
Incensed from losing in their previous league match, War Dogs’ Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney wasted no time sinking their teeth into the Just 5 Guys duo of DOUKI and TAKA Michinoku, scrapping across both levels of Tsubame-shi Physical Education Center before expertly isolating TAKA in the ring. DOUKI was finally tagged in and instantly quickened the pace, a trio of topés and a footstomp off the top rope allowing the Italian Stretch 32 to be locked in, but a forceful Connors’ powerslam levelled the field. Back-and-forth action between Moloney and TAKA ultimately saw War Dogs in prime position; Hi-Lo struck hard and a deadly Gore saw the chamber loaded for Full Clip to be hit and War Dogs achieve their fourth victory of the tournament.
The first league match of the evening saw The DKC and Ryusuke Taguchi’s Funky Fire combination attempt to blaze past HOUSE OF TORTURE’s SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. In the early proceedings a series of hip attacks and karate chops gave Funky Fire the advantage, but Taguchi’s expectation of interference distracted him long enough for the HOUSE to take control and keep the ring cut in half. Tags on both sides had DKC running rampant with the DKCannonball and a single leg dropkick, DK-Fire chops almost picking up the victory. SHO would throw the referee in harm’s way leading to inevitable interference from Yujiro Takahashi, EVIL and Dick Togo, the trio delivering a beatdown and Devil’s Chop. A fightback from DKC though spirited wouldn’t be enough, whisky mist in the face and Shock Arrow giving HOUSE OF TORTURE another two points.
