TMDK top A Block table
Yokohama saw the second night of A Block matches in World Tag League November 23, a night that ended with Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste clear atop the block on four points with a win over HOUSE OF TORTURE’s EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi.
From the opening bell, TMDK laboured under H.O.T tactics, a clinic in dirty fighting taking complete control of the Australians. When Mikey and Shane finally got going though, Highway To Hell scored before the two set up for a Super Tankbuster. The bell sounded before the move hit though as SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru provided a distraction. Kanemaru’s whiskey mist backfired though, and after Kosei Fujitsu set H.O.T up for a rope con giro, Yujiro suffered his delayed Tankbuster fate.
TMDK sit atop a logjam at two points, with BULLET CLUB War Dogs, Alex Coughlin and Gabe Kidd putting away Shota Umino and Ren Narita. Kidd and Coughlin jumped Umino on his entrance and as Narita made the save, both teams brawled outside but as they finally got inside, the tables were turned. The two young Hontai stars had the advantage in the ring, but after a low bridge, the War Dogs took charge once again.
Narita and Umino started to build momentum once again on Kidd, a Hart Attack connecting, as well as knees in the corner, before Umino found an STF on Kidd. Coughlin had his hands on Narita though, and after laying out Ren, threw a pair of chairs into the ring. As Umino tried to manage the situation, he was caught with a double Muscle Buster for two; as a furious Coughlin jawed with the official at the count, Kidd capitalised with a chair shot and then a leg trap pile driver for three.
HENARE and Great-O-Khan also got on the board thanks to a win over Ryohei Oiwa and Kaito Kiyomiya. A chaotic matchup saw Oiwa capitalise on a HENARE error to get on offence after a long struggle. O-Khan would tag in, resulting in a unique stretch of grappling between the two men ending in big suplexes. As Kiyomiya re-entered, O-Khan looked to fall to a Doomsday Cross Body, but HENARE was there with a huge Rampage tackle and then a Pop-Up Eliminator got two points and a big confidence boost for O-Khan.
The first tag league match of the night pit Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano defeating the Gates of Agony. Ishii and Toa Liona would engage in some heavy hitting exchanges, but after Bishop Kaun fired in with a shotgun dropkick, it felt like all was lost for Yano. It seemed like the master producer would fall to Open the Gates, but a double low blow and schoolboy would see a quick reversal of fates.
It’s B Block action next in World Tag League November 24 in Yamanashi. Soberano Jr. and Atlantis Jr. face BULLET CLUB Rogue Army, Bishamon face Monstersauce, Suzuki and Nagata take on Tsuji and Zandokan Jr., and Uemura and Taichi will be pit against Hikuleo and El Phantasmo.
