A Block action in Yokohama
World Tag League action continues in Yokohama on Thursday November 23, with A Block facing their second matchups. After an intense opening night, who can kickstart their campaigns, and who can keep their momentum going?
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Main event: WTL A Block- TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls (1-0) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi) (1-0)
Tag record: 1-0 TMDK
The main event of the night will see EVIL and HOUSE OF TORTURE return to the scene of the crime he perpetrated back during the G1, where a scourge of outside interference led to Shingo Takagi’s elimination from the tournament and a near riot ensuing inside the Yokohama Budokan. Now, there is no doubt an ‘any means necessary’ credo in place for H.O.T tonight, but TMDK is more than ready. Time and again TMDK members have been able to counteract tortuous tactics, including in last year’s World Tag League tournament. Will they do the same tonight to stay clear of A Block, or will EVIL and Yujiro go a step further to get to four points?
7th Match: WTL A Block- Ren Narita & Shota Umino (1-0) vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Gabe Kidd & Alex Coughlin) (0-1)
After an opening night main event win for his team over HENARE and Great-O-Khan Monday, Shota Umino had some choice words for the owner of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, reminding Takaaki Kidani that he and Ren Narita aren’t ‘two young faces on the rise’ but the new and current main event standard. The chip on Umino’s shoulder was present, and a motivating factor for Umino and Narita’s success on night one, and it’s a chip that the BULLET CLUB War Dogs have cultivated for quite some time.
That creates quite the explosive dynamic for this matchup. In the same block during the G1, Gabe Kidd defeated Ren Narita but fell to Shota Umino. Both matches saw Kidd’s predilection for brawling and violence on full display, violence that was also on display in a wild brawl with Kaito Kiyomiya and Ryohei Oiwa Monday. That match ended in defeat thanks to Kidd taking his eyes off the ball, and his ears off the referee’s 20 count on the floor. Tonight, will it be the most focused team that gets the two points?
6th Match WTL A Block: United Empire (HENARE & Great-O-Khan)(0-1) vs Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa (1-0)
After just barely taking the countout victory on night one of the league over BULLET CLUB War Dogs, Oiwa and Kiyomiya head into their second bout looking for a more decisive result. Yet HENARE and Great-O-Khan, down 0-1 after a gutsy victory for Shota Umino and Ren Narita will certainly not let their record slide to 0-2 easily.
5th Match: WTL A Block- CHAOS (Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii) (0-1) vs Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) (0-1)
After both teams suffered losses in their first bouts, the Gates of Agony, and CHAOS’ Tomihiro Ishii and Toru Yano are both hungry to get on the board tonight in Yokohama. Only one can get the job done- who will it be?
4th match: Just Five Guys (Yuya Uemura, Taichi & DOUKI) vs Guerrillas of Destiny (El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Jado)
Trios action will see Yuya Uemura and Taichi as well as Friday opponents El Phantasmo and Hikuleo trying to get one up on the competition before their second league match in Yamagata. ELp got the win over Taichi during G1 Climax, but tag competition is a different beast, as we may see in this trios preview.
3rd Match: Boltin Oleg, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto vs Oskar Leube, Alex Zayne & Lance Archer
Before Bishamon meet Monstersauce Friday night, they’ll go head to head in six man action. Boltin Oleg and Oskar Leube will also make for a fun exchange of power Young Lion offense to boot.
2nd Match: Yuji Nagata, Minoru Suzuki, Tomoaki Honma & Master Wato vs Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi, Zandokan Jr. & BUSHI
With one World Tag League match under their belts, the Nagata and Suzuki combination…might just about be easing into the swing of things, though Suzuki teaming with Tomoaki Honma tonight might cause its own issues. How will they fare against the typically well oiled LIJ, together with a Zandokan Jr. who’s been quickly embraced by the Japanese fans?
1st Match: Atlantis Jr., Soberano Jr. & Tiger Mask vs BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Jack Bonza & Taiji Ishimori)
An intriguing six man preview kicks off the card in Yokohama. The dynamic Soberano and Atlantis Jr will be paired up with the powerful BULLET CLUB Rogue Army Friday, and this preview match will see Tiger Mask, well familiar with Atlantis Jr. and his father, and Taiji Ishimori long friends with the Rogue General Fale.
Kickoff: Yuto Nakashima vs Shoma Kato
Yuto Nakashima and Shoma Kato will kick us off, with kato’s second ever match. In his debut in Korakuen Monday, Kato lasted around four and a half minutes with Oskar Leube. Can the young man go further with Nakashima?
