A fearsome turn for TJP kicks off Wrestle Kingdom’s main card
The first match of Wrestle Kingdom 18 saw the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag team Championships on the line, TJP and Francesco Akira challenging Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors.
An ominous start to Wrestle Kingdom 18 saw Francesco Akira open the coffin that contained TJP on the Tokyo Dome stage, only to reveal the haunting Aswang from Filipino folklore. Opposite to the darkness of Catch 2/2, War Dogs came out shining in white with their sparkling new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles. Catch 2/2 struck hard and fast with the Leaning Tower, but War Dogs were equal to the challenge, brutalising TJP with a Full Clip on the outside before bringing back the dog chain from their last encounter to trap TJP on the outside.
With Akira isolated the War Dogs kept firm control, until Akira dazzled with a Canadian Destroyer to suddenly find TJP awaiting his tag on the apron, the Aswang somehow escaping the chains that bound. A draping stomp had TJP crashing through Drilla for a near fall, War Dogs quickly firing back with a scoop slam and stomp combination.
Clark Connors’s ever deadly No Chaser fed TJP right into the Drilla Killa, but TJP stopped the referee before he could count to three rather than kicking out. Hit and Run put TJP back on the mat again and a splitting spear through the ropes had Akira down on the outside, the end seeming imminent.
As War Dogs loaded the Full Clip Akira was able to stop the final bullet, allowing TJP to lock his fangs into Drilla’s neck as Akira stunned with a Spanish Fly from the top rope and Asai Moonsault to put Connors out of action. Alone in the centre of the ring, TJP sinisterly spat blood in Drilla’s face before spiking him with a straight jacket DDT. The final nail in the coffin would be 2 x 2 to Drilla Moloney, Catch 2/2 able to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships in definitive fashion to commence their third title reign.
