The last Korakuen stop of the tour November 30
The World tag League enters its final third Monday night in Korakuen Hall, with the top ranking teams batling for survival when it comes down to the final league bouts Sunday December 6 in Fukuoka.
Main event: FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) (3-3) vs Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi) (4-2)
WTL record: 1-0 Dangerous Tekkers
Headlining in Korakuen Hall will be last year’s World Tag League winners FinJuice taking on the current IWGP Tag Team Champions Dangerous Tekkers. It was just over a year ago in the very same building of Korakuen hall that Dangerous Tekkers beat FinJuice in World Tag League 2019, the first performance that really opened a lot of eyes worldwide as to the potential of Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi as a tag team.
Their communication and willingness to put their own bodies on the liner in order to secure victory for the greater good of the team is something that has driven them to a dominant 2020 and a very strong showing in this year’s tag league too; a victory over the imposing team of EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi Saturday in Fujisawa their latest win, putting them at the top of the table with eight points.
For FinJuice, World Tag League 2020 has been somewhat mixed, with back to back losses to THE EMPIRE and then Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale seriously threatening their prospects for making the finals in the Budokan. Saturday, a victory over the impressive LIJ side of Shingo Takagi and SANADA gave their campaign hope, at six points and just one win off the pace. With time running out, a win is all but essential for the defending WTL champs.
5th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi & SANADA) (4-2) vs Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (3-3)
Despite their common grounding in Los Ingobernables De japon, the combination of Shingo Takagi and SANADA was the source of a lot of speculation before the start of World Tag League; after SANADA and EVIL were so effective as a team many wondered whether Cold Skull and the Dragon would have the same level of chemistry.
Yet the doubters were proven wrong, and at the midway point of the league, Shingo and SANADA were the first team to get to eight points. While Saturday in Fujisawa saw defeat to FinJuice, they remain in the driver’s seat with three matches left.
That’s more than can be said for the Guerrillas of Destiny, an even 3-3 record after Saturday in Fujisawa the cause for concern. After tonight, there will only be two matches left, meaning a loss to Shingo and SANADA would put league hopes in serious doubt. G.o.D need to lean on every bit of their six time championship experience tonight.
4th Match: HenarACE (Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare) (1-5) vs CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) (4-2 )
HenarACE’s four match losing streak to start off World Tag League seemed to have come to a stop last week when the two finally scored their first win over EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi, but with a loss to Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens Saturday in Fujisawa, their journey in this year’s World Tag League is effectively over. On the other side of the ring, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano have gone from a win over one of the pre-league favourites in G.o.D to another win Saturday over THE EMPIRE. If they keep the momentum going, they could end tonight clear at the top of the table.
3rd Match: CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)(-) vs BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck fale & Chase Owens (2-4)
Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens had a terrible start to their World Tag Lague campaign. Four matches down, and knowing a win in every bout to come they went for a Hail Mary pass. The exception that is, is that it was a grenade that was being launched; the new Grenade Launcher finish for Fale and Owens has seen them to two straight wins over HenarACE Saturday night in Fujisawa, and even more impressive, last year’s winner FinJuice before that.
Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI head to Korakuen with a big time victory of their own to boast about, as they emerged from Fujisawa Saturday having beaten six time tag champions the Guerrillas of Destiny. Whose momentum will gather steam, and whose will be snuffed out tonight?
2nd Match: BULLET CLUB (EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi) (3-3) vs THE EMPIRE (Jeff Cobb & great-O-Khan) (3-3)
Great-O-Khan has shown respect for precious few people since his appearance in THE EMPIRE, but he has expressed some admiration for EVIL in advance of this clash between one of NJPW’s most established factions and its newest. O-Khan has gone as far as suggest that EVIL would be a good fit for THE EMPIRE, but it is BULLET CLUB colours that the King of Darkness flies, and will do so with devious authority tonight in Korakuen.
After an instant impression for the new team, THE EMPIRE hasn’t exactly been dominant in recent matches, suffering back to back losses against Dangerous Tekkers and Yano and Ishii. EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi have had their own tribulations, withback to back losses of their own putting them on the same six point standing as THE EMPIRE. Respect will not be in the vocabulary of this match then, as both teams need another two points at a critical stage of the league.
1st Match: Satoshi Kojima & Tomoaki Honma vs Yuji Nagata & Yota Tsuji
A now familiar matchup kicks us off in Korakuen Hall. Yota Tsuji is still trying to defuse the certified match ender that is Kojima’s lariat, and came very close Saturday night in Fujisawa with an intricate pinning counter, but it stillw asn’t enough. Will he come closer tonight?
