Champs get to V4
The first of three championship matches November 4 at Power Struggle would see the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championships on the line, Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi defending the gold agaisnt TMDK’s Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls.
The early advantage in this title match would go to TMDK, a Shane Haste backdrop on the apron leaving Hiroshi Tanahashi weakened for Haste and Mikey Nicholls to exert their tag team experience. Keeping Tanahashi grounded and the ring cut off allowed TMDK to remain in control, but the Ace would fire back with a springboard crossbody which allowed the tag to Kazuchika Okada.
The Rainmaker entering the ring instantly turned the tide, taking out all three members of TMDK both in and outside the ring, culminating in a neckbreaker for a two count. Locking in the Money Clip Okada sought to wear Haste down, but the TMDK man answered with a big suplex. Nicholls now legal, double team offence seemed to level the field only for Okada to counter with a double DDT. Tags on both sides saw Ishii and Sabre charge in with a rapid flurry of counters, Sabre able to land a German suplex only to lose his head seconds later courtesy of a huge lariat.
A series of slick Sabre pins almost caught Ishii for the three count, however the Stone Pitbull stunned with his own ground cobra pinning combination. Back on their feet the two men exchanged sizzling slaps, Ishii landing a pinpoint enzuigiri before tagging in Tanahashi. Quickly getting to work, the Ace dismembered all of TMDK with a dragon screw each, Okada joining in for tandem offence only for Sabre to overcome the Dream Team. The action breaking down each man charged into the ring to deliver their best blow but the momentum would go to the champions, the trio delivering their elevated DDT combination and Tanahashi landing Slingblade.
Heading to the top rope the Ace soared with High Fly Flow but Sabre narrowly avoided the danger allowing Haste and Nicholls to pounce, taking out Ishii and Okada with a Tank Buster before delivering High Way To Hell to Tanahashi. Alone and vulnerable and Sabre hit what seemed to be the final shot, a vicious PK through the chest, but somehow the Ace kicked out before three. With Okada and Ishii out of the equation, Sabre sought to put the final nail in the coffin with the Zack Driver, only for the quick-thinking Tanahashi to counter into a roll-up to earn the win and keep the NEVER Openweight 6 Man tag Team Championships around the waists of the champs.
