Second of Korakuen double header
The second of two nights in Korakuen Hall sees the B Block get underway in World Tag League. Who will set the early pace in the premier heavyweight tag tournament?
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Main event: WTL B Block- Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) vs Guerrillas of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo)
It’s champion versus champion in our main event, as IWGP Tag Team Champions Bishamon face NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champions Hikuleo and El Phantasmo. The GoD side has impressed in two defences of their tag titles Stateside ahead of this return to Japan, but their opposition are three time champions looking for their unprecedented third straight World Tag League trophies. Ripe targets to be knocked off their throne, or too much for the relatively fresh team to handle?
7th Match: WTL B Block- Just Five Guys (Yuya Uemura & Taichi) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Yota Tsuji & Zandokan Jr.)
After Yota Tsuji made all clear in Yamagata Friday, Zandokan Jr will join him for his World Tag League campaign. Tsuji connected with the CMLL rookie when he was on excursion, and this lucha estrella with bags of potential will be looking to show up and show out in the tournament. Opposite the two are Taichi and Yuya Uemura- when Uemura and SANADA faced Tsuji and Tetsuya Naito at Power Struggle, the result was Uemura being speared out of his boots and pinned, but will Heat Storm get revenge, and two points on the board?
6th Match: WTL B Block- Monstersauce (Alex Zayne & Lance Archer) vs BULLET CLUB Rogue Army (Bad Luck Fale & Jack Bonza)
The Monstersauce team of Lance Archer and Alex Zayne make their World Tag League debuts and with opposition with whom Archer is well familiar. Archer and Minoru Suzuki defeated Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens to kick off their tag league campaign last year, revenge that stemmed from a countout loss for Archer against Fale earlier that year in the G1. Will Fale’s new partner, Australian grappling specialist Bonza be enough to see Rogue Army to victory over the imposing Archer and spectacular Zayne?
5th Match: Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata vs Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr.
The first match of B Block in World Tag League is what Mexico might well call a relevos increibles tag team bout. While indications in Arena Mexico just recently are that Soberano and Atlantis Jr will agree to work together for as long as this tour lasts at least, Soberano’s recent turn tot he rudo side of the CMLL forces has seen him calling out dformer friends and new enemies- Atlantis Jr included.
Meanwhile Minoru Suzuki and Yuji Nagata are facing almost an opposite scenario. Bitter enemies for over twenty years, some measure of mutual respect has seen them team together in World Tag League, but this partnership most certainly should not be construed as a friendly one. Who will be able to coexist better?
4th Match: TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo)
A preview of Yokohma’s Thursday clash between Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls and EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi, six man action sees Kosei Fujita back in the mix. ‘Ichiban Sweet Boy’ has been the secret weapon for TMDK members against HOUSE OF TORTURE for quite some time- will he be the key to victory tonight?
3rd Match: Shota Umino, Ren Narita, Master Wato & Tiger Mask vs BULLET CLUB (Gabe Kidd, Alex Coughlin, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo)
Eight man action will see a preview of Umino and Narita vs Kidd and Coughlin for Thursday in Yokohama. Kidd was one up and one down in his G1 matches against Ren and Shota- BULLET CLUB are sure to run wild to have the War Dogs in a strong position for their second league match coming up.
2nd Match: United Empire (HENARE, Great-O-Khan & Callum Newman) vs Kaito Kiyomiya, Shota Umino & Boltin Oleg
A highly intriguing trios bout previews a very attractive matchup on paper for Yokohama between O-Khan and HENARE and NOAH’s Kaito Kiyomiya with Ryohei Oiwa. Recently graduated Young Lion Oiwa is backed up on the youth side by Boltin Oleg, who will provide a powerhouse counterpart to United Empire’s Prince of Pace Callum Newman in a match with a ton of intrigue.
1st Match: Oskar Leube & Tomoaki Honma vs Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
Three days into their first tour of Japan, the Gates of Agony look to continue making their mark on the combination of Tomoaki Honma and Oskar Leube. Leube and Honma also put up an impressive combination of power and toughness, but can they survive Prince Nana’s charges?
Kickoff: Yuto Nakashima vs Katsuya Murashima
A special kickoff thirty minutes before bell will see Katsuya Murashima make his NJPW debut. The college amateur standout will take on Yuto Nakashima, with the eyes of the world upon him.
