New Japan Pro Wrestling 11/28/2023 World Tag League 2023 Day 7

New Japan Pro Wrestling 11/28/2023 World Tag League 2023 Day 7

Here's what I saw:

BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Gedo, Jack Bonza & Taiji Ishimori) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) & Zandokan Jr.

 

Zand = Zandokan Jr.

Zand and Yota wore red and black football jerseys. Bushi gets 2v1'd to start by Taiji and Gedo. Bushi hurricanrana's them both at the same time. Jack stomps Bushi then gets 2v1' by Zand and Yota. Jack is popped up into a kick then Fale is tripped onto Jack. Fale then takes a double basement dropkick. Everyone goes outside to fight and Bushi is stomped outside. Fale and Taiji stand on Bushi's back. Gedo chokes Bushi.

Jack eye rakes Bushi and Bushi ddt's him. Yota gets in and beats up on Jack. Yota running face kicks him. Jack takes a double back elbow and a double basement dropkick. Fale double shoulders over Yota and Zand then Jack backdrops Yota for 2. Yota avoids a spinning lariat then hits hits combination that ends in a curbstomp. Shingo corner lariats Jack then suplexes him for 2.

Jack and Shingo lariat each other and Jack superman punches him. Jack hits a big lariat on Shingo. Shingo is double teamed then double knee'd in the back. Shingo then takes a double superkik for 2. Taiji pump kicks Bushi then Bushi pulls Taiji over the top and topes him. Shingo corner lariats Gedo then Gedo eye rakes him. Shingo hits a big lariat then lariats Gedo again for the win.

It was a throwaway tag that was nothing special. Zandokan never even really got in minus a 2v1.

World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - Gates Of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd)

GoA never enter the ring and tell War Dogs to come out. They trade shots on the floor then Kidd and Kaun go into the stands to fight. Toa throws Alex over the rail and Kidd throws Kaun into the rail. Kidd is then sent into the rail. They all get back in the ring and the match starts. They then go right back outside and Kidd is sent into the rails again. Alex is then sent into the rails.

War Dogs are sent over the rails. Kidd is clapped between two rails then Toa slams drops a rail on him several times. Alex chairs both GoA members then Toa takes chair and rail shots. Kidd grabs the chair and hits both opponents then more rails get dropped on Toa. Kidd runs at Kaun, hitting him with a fire extinguisher.

Toa pop-up samoan drops Kidd in the ring. Kidd takes a t-gimmick slam for 2 then Alex fallaway slams Kaun. Toa headbutts Alex then Kidd hits Toa in the head with a belt. Alex fallaway slams Toa then Kaun corner uranage's Alex. Kaun jumps off of Alex's back and dropkicks Kidd. Kaun then takes a lariat + german combo. Toa pushes Alex off the buckles then Kidd superkicks Kaun. Kaun hits a big lariat on Kidd then gorilla press double knees him in the face. Kaun pedigrees Kidd and wins it.

GoA finally winning a match was nice. The refereeing was garbage here as usual with fighting before the match even started, lots of weapons usage and no countout counts whatsoever which hurt the match. This was almost all outside brawling.

World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - United Empire (Great-O-Khan & HENARE) vs. House Of Torture (EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi) 

Khan's team are hit before the bell is rang then thrown out like usual. Kanemaru and Sho stomp Khan outside then Callum Newman tries to help and is sent into the rails. HoT come into the ring and hit attacks on Khan then Khan takes a double chop to the nuts. Yujiro short ddt's Khan for 2. Henare shoulders over Yujio then runs into the ref. Evil low blows him and takes a spinning back elbow. Sho then hits him with a wrench.

Khan evades a double team and spits mists in Yujiro's face. He then claw slams him and wins it.

It was only a few minutes long and filled with interference, ref bumps and weapons shots. I'd complain about how short the match was but only having to watch Evil for 3 minutes was an early Christmas gift as far as I'm concerned.

World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) vs. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano)

 

Yano ducks Shane to start then is nailed from behind. Yano eye rakes Shane then Shane shoulders him over. Shane hits Ishii and Ishii doesn't budge. Ishii and Shane trade forearms then Ishii is hit from the apron. Shane dropkicks Ishii then Ishii trips him outside. Mikey trips Yano outside then Mikey accidentally trips Shane. Yano pulls a turbuckle pad off.

Mikey trips Yano then Shane baseball slides him. Ishii takes a backdrop + neckbreaker combo then is sent into the rails outside. Yano is also sent into the rails. Yano takes a double shoulder on the inside then Mikey totally misses a knee drop on him that is sold anyway. Mikey slaps Yano around then Yano eye rakes him. Yano is sent into the exposed buckle then Yano belly to belly suplexes Mikey.

Ishii and Mikey shoulder battle then Ishii shoulders him over. Shane euros Ishii then is shouldered over. Ishii suplexes Mikey then Mikey ddt's him. Shane running euros Ishii then Ishii backdrops him. Yano goes into the exposed buckle and is rolled up for 2. Yano takes a euro then lariats to the front and back for 2. Mikey goes into the exposed buckle and Ishii lariats Shane. Yano clips Shane from behind for 2.

Yano catapults Shane into the exposed buckle and rolls him up for 2. Shane lariats Yano in the back of the head. Yano takes a highway to hell then Mikey spinebusters Ishii. Ishii germans Mikey then headbutts Shane. Shane high kicks Ishii then Ishii takes a tank buster. Shane comes off the 2nd rope and Yano atomic drops him. Yano low blows Mikey then Shane and picks up the win.

It was a joke of a match with a dirty finish and endless exposed buckle spots.

World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Ren Narita & Shota Umino

 

Kaito and Shota lock up. Kaito rolls and cartwheels out of a wristlock then Shota cravates and headlocks him. Kaito chops Shota on the ropes and they trade forearms. Kaito shoulders him over and armdrags him. They then butt heads and stare down.

Ren and Oiwa go at it. Ren headscissors him then headlocks him. Oiwa shoulders him over, slams and armdrags him. Ren takes a double armdrag. Kaito hiptosses Ren then bangs his arm off the mat. Oiwa ties up Ren's arm in the top rope then Ren spinning heel kicks him out of the corner. Shota whips Kaito into the rails outside then takes chops and forearms from Oiwa inside.

Shota neckbreakers Oiwa. Oiwa takes a double back elbow then a double elbow drop for 2. Ren back elbows Oiwa for 2 then chinlocks him at 10 minutes. Shota bullies around Oiwa then Oiwa gutwrench suplexes him. Kaito dropkicks Shota after he gets in then hits forearms and euros in the corner.

Kaito suplexes Shota for 2 then Shota armdrags and exploders him. Shota back elbows Kaito then underhook suplexes him for 2. Ren does his sharpshooter/texas cloverleaf combination move and Kaito ropebreaks. Kaito blocks Ren's abdominal stretch then Ren germans him for 2. Kaito tiger suplexes Ren for 2 then Oiwa throws Shota out. We hit 15 minutes and Ren trades shots with Kaito. Kaito spinning forearms him then Ren flying neckbreakers him. Kaito flying neckbreakers him then they flying neckbreaker each other at the same time.

Shota fisherman suplexes Kaito for 2 then STF's him. Kaito takes an elevated reverse ddt and a running shot combo. Kaito double dropkicks his opponents. Oiwa dropkicks Shota then corner dropkicks him. Oiwa hits another dropkick for 2. Oiwa slams and splashes Shota for 2. Shota tornado ddt's Oiwa then slingshot ddt's him over the middle rope. 

Shota top rope dropkicks Oiwa as he comes in then back springboard cutters him. Oiwa powerslams Shota then Shota and Ren take double dropkicks. Shota takes a doomsday device crossbody then stf's Oiwa. Ren flying kicks Oiwa in the corner then Oiwa takes kicks and forearms. Oiwa takes a hart attack for 2. Oiwa is popped up into a knee thne takes an exploder. Shota half-nelson suplexes him for 2.

Shota hits a flying mcgillicutter for 2 at 25 minutes then Oiwa rolls up Shota for 2. Oiwa sunset flips him then Ren half-nelson suplexes him. Shota paintbrushes Oiwa in the back of the head then clubs and stomps him. Shota pop-up euros him then running euros him in the back of the head. Shota hits a double underhook ddt on Oiwa and wins it.

It was a solid main. Not great or something super memorable, but probably one of Oiwa's most higher profile matches to date and one of his longer matches to date. Shota and Oiwa were the main focus here with the other guys mostly along for the ride. They went past 25 minutes and seemed to be headed to a draw but it was not to be.  It was never boring or too slow here.

Overall thoughts: The main was good and War Dogs/GoA had issues but had some good parts to it. Two of the Tag League matches were jokes. I wouldn't recommend this one.