New Japan Pro Wrestling 11/20/2023 World Tag League 2023 Day 1
Oskar Leube vs. Shoma Kato
This is Shoma Kato's debut match. They shove each other before the bell. Shoma's definitely going to be a junior.
They do some mat wrestling and Oskar slams him down. Shoma armlocks him and is shouldered over. Oskar ankle locks him then pulls on his leg. Shoma gets chopped down then Oskar legdrops his leg. Oskar leg locks him and Shoma ropebreaks.
Oskar forearms him then Shoma fires back before getting dropped. Oskar hits a big knee to the gut then Shoma dropkicks him. Shoma hits another dropkick then hits some forearms. Oskar hits a big spinning slam and wins it.
It was a young lions match. Shoma didn't get much in but forearms. He hit two dropkicks but he really had to jump against the taller Oskar, so they didn't look the best. Oskar won in about 4 minutes here easy.
Atlantis Jr. & Soberano Jr. vs. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku)
Sob handsprings off the ropes and hits pumping knees on Douki. Sob top rope tornillos Douki for 2 then pump kicks him. Sob is pulled out of the ring where Taka footchokes him. Sob takes a double elbow drop then a low dropkick to the face for 1.
Taka camel clutches Sob then Douki double stomps Sob for 2. Douki uppercuts Sob then takes a corner lariat. Sob slips on a springboard dropkick then hits the 2nd one. ATL headscissors Douki then hits tilt-a-whirl backbreakers. Douki eye rakes ATL then hits a step up enzugiri.
Taka step up knees ATL in the corner then ATL takes an enzugiri + facekick. Douki double arm triangles Sob and Taka puts ATL in just facelock, but both lose the holds. ATL powerslams Taka then Sob diving hurricanrana's Douki off the top. Sob then fosbury flops outside and ATL taps out Taka with la atlantida
It was short and nothing too special.
Monstersauce (Alex Zayne & Lance Archer), Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata vs. BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Gedo, Jack Bonza & Taiji Ishimori)
Lance and Fale stare down pre-match then push each other. Suzuki and Yuji argue at the same time. Taiji then runs up and starts trading forearms with Suzuki. Suzuki running facekicks him in the corner then PK's him. Taiji handsprings but is caught in a choke then Fale bowls both over.
Jack hits shots on Suzuki outside thne Suzuki punches and forearms him. Gedo eye rakes Suzuki and a turnbuckle pad is pulled off. Gedo chokes and eye rakes Suzuki. Fale stands on Suzuki and Taiji gets on Fale's back during it.
Suzuki kicks Fale low then forearms him. Lance is tagged in and running back elbows Fale. Jack takes shots from Alex then back elbows him. Jack then spinning lariats Alex. Jack goes for a jackhammer but is tornado ddt'd. Fale samoan drops Lance.
Yuji hits chest kicks on Gedo then running facekicks him. Taiji double jumping knees Yuji then Gedo superkicks Yuji for 2. Suzuki puts the choke on Taiji then Yuji exploders Gedo. Yuji puts Gedo in a nagata lock and wins it.
It was another short match. Everyone got a quick segment and got out and that was mainly it.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Yota Tsuji) & Zandokan Jr. vs. Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura)
Yota kicks Yuya in the gut then tags out. Zand calls for Taichi to enter and Taichi seems unsure of Zand. Zand hugs the ref and wants to shake hands with Taichi. Zand forces it and Taichi wants to tag out. Zand hits Taichi from behind.
Zand goes up and over in the corner then step up enzugiri's him. Taichi facekicks him then is shouldered over. Taichi takes a low sandwich dropkcick then Yota stomps Taichi in the corner. Bushi headscissors Taichi and both tag out.
Sanada dropkicks Yota in the knee and chest, then dropkicks Bushi. Sanada plancha's Yota and Bushi. Sanada puts Yota in the paradise lock then dropkicks him in the butt out of it. Yuya gets in and chops Yota. Yuya hits armdrags on Yota then flying forearms him.
Yuya armdrags and dropkicks Zand out of the ring. Yuya backdrops Yota for 2 then Yota chest kicks him. Yota curbstomps him down then Yuya does a double japanese armdrag on opponents. Sanada his a nice dropkick on Yota then Taichi gamengiri's Bushi. Yuya top rope crossbodies Bushi then does a nice front suplex to win it.
Yota and Yuya stare down after as do Zand and Taichi.
It was a short match but it was fine. Zand was in for a short time and took a nice bump and Yuya's offense was hit perfectly as usual.
World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) vs. Gates Of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
Toa and Kaun are dressed up in tribal gear for some reason, but it looks cool. Kaun backs Shane up to start. Shane kips up out of a wristlock and euros him. Kaun does a nice back elbow then sentons him. Kaun splashes Shane in the corner then Toa sends Mikey flying off the apron. Toa splashes Shane and headbutts him then Shane takes a powerbomb + backcracker combo.
Toa tries to splash Mikey on the rails but runs into them then Shane dropkicks Kaun out. Kaun is sent into the rails then hits strikes on Mikey. Kaun takes a double back elbow then a flipping senton + fist drop.
Mikey chinlocks Kaun then bites his head. Kaun hits a stiff lariat on Mikey at 5 minutes. Toa lariats Mikey then back body drops him. Shane hits a big kick on Toa's chest then is flipped with a lariat. Toa corner splashes both opponents then throws Shane over the top. Toa pop-up samoan drops Mikey.
Shane hits shots on Toa and hits multiple euros. Toa doesn't budge. Toa misses a splash and hits his head off the post. Shane then slingshots out on Toa. Toa does a neat gutwrench suplex on Shane. Toa blocks Shane's sunset flip then Kaun dropkicks Shane. GoA hit open the gates on Shane for 2.
Shane is up top and Toa throws Mikey into the ropes from the outside, crotching him. Kaun superplexes Shane at 10 minutes for 2. Shane hurricanrana's Toa over the top then high kicks Kaun. Kaun is put on Mikey's shoulder and Shane jumping ddt's him. TMDK win it.
The GoA looked good here but I thought it would have been better as a traditional match with the heels working over TMDK then TMDK making their comeback. I thought GoA should have been put over stronger since it's their debut here.
World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) vs. House Of Torture (EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi)
Chaos are attacked as soon as they get in then they are thrown out. Yujiro is sent into the rails then Yano sprays Yujiro in the face with something. Yujiro takes a double shoulder then Evil slides out. Ishii goes after Evil then is sent into the rails. Yano is then backed up into the rails.
Yano's head is banged off the buckles then Evil chokes Yano with a towel. Yujiro eye rakes Yano then basement dropkicks him. Yano belly to belly suplexes Yujiro then Ishii gets in. Ishii shoulders over Yujiro then shoulders over Evil. Ishii backdrops Yujiro for 2. Yujiro facekicks Ishii on the ropes then reverse ddt's him. Ishii suplexes Yujiro.
Yano pulls Evil down by the hair then takes off the turnbuckle pad, sending Evil into it. Yano atomic drops Evil then Yujiro trips Ishii, pulling him out. Yano takes a corner clothesline and fisherman suplex. Ishii knocks Yujiro back with a forearm then is lariated by Evil.
Togo gets in the ring and Yano takes a magic killer for 2. Yano low blows Evil and the ref is pulled out on the pin attempt. Togo stomps Yano. Yujiro nails Togo with a cane on accident then Yano chokes Yujiro with the cane. Kanemaru comes down and hits yano with something. Sho nails Ishii with a wrench, Yano is low blowed then misted with something. Evil hits everything is evil on Yano and wins it.
It was your usual garbage HoT match with ref bumps, weapons usage and other shenanigans.
World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd)
Gabe and Alex attack a ringboy during their entrance. Gabe gets in Kaito's face as he enters and has to be held back. Gabe and Kaito then rush in and flurry each other with forearms. Kaito forearms him out of the corner then Gabe takes a double dropkick. Alex takes a double armdrag and dropkick. Alex chokes Oiwa outside with a shirt and Gabe is thrown into the rails.
Alex slaps Oiwa hard then Oiwa hits chops on him outside. Oiwa takes a lariat into a gemran on the floor. Gabe and Oiwa trade forearms then Gabe slaps him down. Alex flips off Kaito while he slams Oiwa, then throws Kaito out. Gabe goes after Kaito and sends him into the rails.
Oiwa tries to fire up against Alex with chops. Alex slaps him then chops him down. Alex hiptosses Oiwa then Oiwa gutwrench suplexes him. Kaito gets in and knocks Gabe off the apron. Kaito hits a nice dropkick on Alex.
Kaito flying neckbreakers Alex for 2. Kaito is tripped from the outside then Alex elbow drops him. Gabe forearm flurries Kaito in the corner and pushes the ref away. Gabe spits at Kaito then Kaito takes him down and hits mounted shots. Alex germans Kaito then Oiwa olympic slams Alex. Gabe backdrops Oiwa then slaps around Kaito. Kaito slaps him back then tiger suplexes him for 2.
Alex hits a nice flying shoulder on Kaito. Oiwa lariats Alex over the top and goes with him. Gabe bites Kaito then brainbusters him for 2. Alex removes the floor mats and Gabe pushes Kaito over the top rope onto them. Gabe gets on the apron and is dropkicked off by Oiwa then Alex is back body dropped on the floor and almost really hurts himself off of it. As someone who has been on the floor, you couldn't pay me enough to take that bump. All 4 guys fight outside and Alex is sent over the rails. Gabe misses a chair shot on Kaito and is dropkicked into mats. Kaito then slides in before the count is up and wins by countout.
The heels continue to beat up the faces after and they brawl more. They have to be seperated several times then Kaito and Gabe fight to the back.
I didn't like the countout finish. The countout is rarely ever respected in NJPW and it only counts when they want it to count. I did like everything else here. Just great hatred and continuination of the Gabe/Kaito issues from the G-1. The match really couldn't have been done much better than it was and I really enjoyed it.
World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - Ren Narita & Shota Umino vs. United Empire (Great-O-Khan & HENARE)
All four men pair off and trade forearms. Ren and Henare continue to trade in the ring then Khan is thrown into the rail. Ren knees Henare then running facekicks him. Henare no sells getting his head banged off the buckles then shoulders him over. Ren suplexes him.
Henare takes a double back elbow then sentons from both opponents followed by a double elbow drop. Henare 2nd rope twisting enzugiri's Shota then Khan chops Ren outside. Henare throws him into the ropes hard. Khan mongolian chops Shota in the back then sits on his neck in the corner. Shota is double teamed, taking a kick and elbow drop.
Shota neckbreakers Khan. Ren gets tagged in and facekicks Khan. Ren hits a forearm flurry on him then Ren double clotheslines his opponents. Ren back elbows Khan in the corner then underhook suplexes him for 2. Ren does a sharpshooter variation and Khan ropebreaks.
Khan does the claw + abdominal stretch then does a super dangerous spinning karelin's lift. Ren germans him, Khan hits a claw suplex then Ren germans him again. Khan lariats him then takes a stiff knee in the gut in the corner. Ren gets headbutted off a german attempt then Ren spinning heel kicks him.
Shota gets in and running forearms Henare. Shota fisherman suplexes him. Shota does a pop-up into a knee then exploders him. Henare hangs over the 2nd rope then Shota slingshots out and ddt's him on the apron. Shota dropkicks him as he hangs over the 2nd rope then hits a mcgillicutter for 2.
They trade forearms and Henare hits a slap combo on him. Shota slaps him then Henare gets hit in the gut. Shota dropkicks him then takes a PK for 2. Shota tornado ddt's him off the ropes then Henare hits a berzerker bomb. Khan gets in and torture rack neckbreakers Shota for 2. Khan double underhook suplexes Shota for 2. Shota puts him in the STF then Ren puts Henare in a cobra twist at the same time.
Khan takes running corner moves then forearms and facekicks. Khan is held up for hart attack for 2. Ren exploders Khan then Shota knees Khan in the back of the neck. Khan takes a half-nelson suplex for 2. Henare flying knees Shota. Shota takes corner attacks then takes a sandwich kick from both opponents. Shota is lifted up and dropped down with an elbow by Khan.
Henare spinning high kicks Ren then Shota is lifted for a sitout powerbomb for 2. Shota tornado ddt's Henare off of Khan. Khan shoulders throws Ren then Khan takes a sandwich enzugiri from his opponents. Shota double underhook ddt's Khan and wins it.
I wasn't a fan of this. The idea was there but the match dragged on forever and they did way too much. It just felt like it would never end.
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