Kota Ibushi and Jeff Cobb meet  in Korakuen main event

The second night of a Korakuen hall triple header Tuesday night will see the continuation of an issue that’s been brewing over the past month and a half in NJPW. After Jeff Cobb attacked Kota Ibushi on his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship loss, Ibushi issued a singles challenge to Cobb. What happens when they meet in our tag team main event?

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Main event: Golden ☆ Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi) vs United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb)

When Kota Ibushi returned to NJPW action at Satsuma no Kuni at the end of April, he reformed the Golden☆Ace tag team with Hiroshi Tanahashi, and went straight for Jeff Cobb. Ibushi had wanted to face Cobb even before a Tour of the Islands added painful insult to the injury of losing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis. In his home town of Kagoshima, Ibushi and Tanahashi were an effective team against Cobb and Aaron Henare, and Ibushi ended the night victorious, and with a big challenge made to the Imperial Unit.

Now Golden☆Ace take on a different United Empire combination of Cobb and Great-O-Khan. With a big match perhaps looming for Cobb and Ibushi, and with their numbers reduced by Ospreay’s absence, the United Empire will seek to prove they are far from rudderless and still a power to be feared. You can’t afford to take your eyes off this all star main event. 

4th Match: Ryusuke Taguchi, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, BUSHI & Shingo Takagi)

After Monday night sees the NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championship team of YOSHI-HASHI, Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii team up with Hiroshi Tanahashi, the fourth man on their side tonight is Ryusuke Taguchi. Taguchi should even the junior heavyweight odds with BUSHI on the LIJ side tonight, and as the field stands wide open in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, will there be a play for LIJ toward the NEVER trios titles, or perhaps a different prize entirely?

3rd Match: Master Wato & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)

After Monday night sees Tenzan team up with Tomoaki Honma, the second of this Korakuen Hall triple shot will see the veteran team with his protege Master Wato tonight. A big opportunity for the young man and his mentor awaits, but G.o.D will be making a show of force fo their own tonight as a defence against Dangerous Tekkers awaits down the road. 

2nd Match: Suzuki-Gun (DOUKI & Zack Sabre Jr.) vs BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori & Yujiro Takahashi)

While G.o.D continue to show their tag team prowess in Korakuen Hall, so to will Zack Sabre Jr. seek to show what he and Taichi will bring as challengers at a future date. Tonight though, he teams with junior heavyweight DOUKI to take on a similar junior and heavy BULLET CLUB combination in Taiji Ishimori and Yujiro Takahashi. With junior heavyweight challengers wanting to line up to take on IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado in due course, Ishimori and DOUKI will be just as hungry as Zack tonight. 

1st Match: Yota Tsuji vs Chase Owens

Yota Tsuji takes on Chase Owens in singles competition to kick the night off. After facing Chase’s BULLET CLUB partner Yujiro last night, will he have the inside track on BULLET CLUB’s controversial tactics, or will Owens make short work of the Young Lion?