New Japan Pro Wrestling 12/1/2023 World Tag League 2023 Day 9

New Japan Pro Wrestling 12/1/2023 World Tag League 2023 Day 9

Here's what I saw. I don't believe the pre-show match aired:

Atlantis Jr., Soberano Jr. & Tiger Mask vs. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) 

 

AJ = Atlantis Jr., Sob = Soberano Jr.

AJ and Taichi start us off. They trade chops and shoulder battle. AJ dropkicks him then flying headscissors him. AJ headbutts him then takes a side kick. Douki double stomps him then AJ tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him.

Tiger hits kicks on Douki then double underhook suplexes him for 2. Sob kicks Douki in the arm and pump kicks him. Sob basement dropkicks him for 2 then is armdragged. Douki cartwheel reverse topes him. Yuya gets in and hits an arm drag and chop on Sob and AJ.

Sob pump kicks Yuya then dropkicks him in the corner. Sob hits some stiff shots to the chest then tornillos him off the top. Yuya hits chops on Tiger then AJ tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. AJ stomps Yuya then Tiger hits a tiger driver on Yuya for 2. Yuya backdrops Tiger. Tiger crucifixes Yuya for 2 then Tiger takes a 2v1. Yuya bulldogs Tiger then top rope crossbodies him. Douki hits a plancha on the outside then Yuya hits his front suplex on Tiger to win it.

It had some highlights to it. It wasn't as good as it could have been due to its card placement. Douki busted out the rare cartwheel into the reverse tope here and Sob did his top rope tornillo.

World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - Gates Of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) vs. House Of Torture (EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi) (w/Dick Togo, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

The GoA come out with the HoT then throw out Sho and Togo behind Evil and Yujiro's back. They hit stereo slams on Hot and thrown down the HoT shirts. They hit corner attacks then Evil is sandwich splashed. Yujiro pulls out Evil and they back off into the entrance way. They follow them and get hit from behind with chairs by Sho and Kanemaru.

Kaun is thrown into the rails and the time keeper is knocked over. Evil then talks trash to him over the mic. Yujiro grabs Kaun by the nose then kicks him. Kaun is group stomped by GoA outside. Kaun is sent back in. He uranage's Evil then jumps off his back to dropkick Yujiro. Toa gets in and hits boots and lariats.

Toa splashes both opponents in the corners then shoulders both over. Kaun gets pushed into Toa, knocking him over. Kaun takes corner attacks then is chopped in the crotch by Togo. Evil takes a t-gimmick slam then Togo pulls the ref out. The GoA take low blows from the HoT then Evil hits everything is evil on Kaun to win it.

It was your usual House of Torture bs that ruined any good will this could have garnered. It would have been fine as a basic match but they had to ruin it as usual. Face GoA is fun.

World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa vs. TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) (w/Kosei Fujita)

Oiwa and Mikey lock up. They shove each other and trade forearms. Oiwa hits armdrags then Shane takes a double armdrag and double dropkick. Oiwa slams Shane then takes a shotgun dropkick. Oiwa is pushed out of the ring then Mikey chops up Oiwa for 2. Oiwa and Mikey trade forearms then Oiwa spinning forearms Mikey.

Kaito beats up TMDK and dropkicks both. Kaito flying neckbreakers Mikey. Shane running euros and cannonballs Kaito. Kaito euros Shane down. Oiwa running forearms then running dropkicks Shane in the corner. Oiwa hits multiple karelin's lifts on Shane and gets a 2 count. Shane is then whipped into a Oiwa powerslam. TMDK lariat Oiwa then hit a highway to hell for 2. Shane hits kicks on Oiwa then Oiwa hits an anaconda suplex and a german suplex for 2.

Oiwa dropkicks Mikey and Mikey hits a blue thunder bomb on Kaito. Oiwa takes a tank buster and TMDK wins it.

It was a decent tag that went over 10 minutes. The teams matched up well here and Oiwa was in this one for most of the match.

World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - United Empire (Great-O-Khan & HENARE) (w/Callum Newman) vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd)

 

United Empire are attacked as they enter and Kidd takes a flagpole to the gut. Callum Newman then tope con hilos War Dogs. Kidd is sent into the rails and the match officially begins. Henare kicks Alex in the back and Alex gets his knees up on his senton. Alex then pulls him up and germans him as Khan is sent over the rails. Khan is then sent into a brick wall. Alex lariats Henare in the corner then fallaway slams him.

Henare is held up for chops then Kidd kneels on him. Alex slaps him then Kidd elbow drops him. Kidd uppercuts Khan and throws him out. Khan is sent into the rails and Kidd foot slaps Henare. Henare spinning heel kicks him. Henare no sells getting his head banged off the buckles then samoan drops Kidd.

KHan pump kicks Alex outside then torture rack neckbreakers Kidd. Kidd bites Khan's fingers then Khan throws him into a Henare powerbomb. Kidd takes a spin kick into a TTD for 2. Alex hits forearms on Henare then Henare step up knees him in the corner. Henare PK's him then Kidd knocks down Khan with a slap. Kidd then hits an os cutter on Khan. Khan takes a spike piledriver and gets pinned.

I didn't like the usual fighting before the bell. The match took a little to warm up but was entertaining in the second half of it

World Tag League 2023 Block A Match - Ren Narita & Shota Umino vs. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano)

Ren and Ishii lock up. Ren and Ishii trade forearms. Ren running face kicks Ishii. Ishii is stomped on in the corner. Ishii takes a double back elbow and two missed sentons. Ishii is then double elbow dropped. Shota hits forearms on Ishii and Ishii no sells them before dropping him with one. Ishii then flurries him with forearms in the corner.

Yano takes off a turnbuckle pad, gives it to Shota then the ref takes it. Yano low blows him then Shota basement dropkicks him. Ren flying neckbreakers him for 2 then is thrown into the exposed buckle. Ren is thrown into the rails outside then Shota is as well. Ren hits forearms on Ishii who no sells them then Ishii drops him with a chop. Ishii hits more chops then Ren double underhook suplexes him.

Shota gets in and running forearms Ishii. Shota fisherman suplexes him for 2 then stf's him. Ishii and Shota trade forearms then Shota forearm flurries him. Ishii then chop and forearm combos him. Shota no sells Ishii's forearms and knocks him back with one of his own. Ishii backdrops Shota. Yano gets in and Shota goes into the exposed buckle. Shota dropkicks him.

Ren gets in and underhook suplexes Yano for 2. Ren rolls Yano into a sharpshooter variation. Yano catapults Ren into the exposed buckle then Ishii nails both of his opponents. Ren cobra twists Yano. Ren throws Ishii out then Yano belly to belly suplexes Ren. 

Ren and Ishii go at it. Ren face kicks and germans him. Shota slingshot ddt's Ishii over the middle rope. Shota then dropkicks him off the top and slingshot cutters him for 2. Shota rolls Ishii into a border city stretch. Ishii is lifted for a reverse ddt and kicked in the head by Ishii. Ren flying face kicks Ishii and Ishii takes a hart attack. Yano takes down Ren and atomic drops Shota.

Yano ends Shota into the exposed buckle and Ishii powerbombs Shota for 2. Shota enzugiri's Ishii then Ren spinning heel kicks Ishii. Ren northern lights suplexes Ishii then enzugiri's him. Ren facekicks Shota on accident then Ishii running lariats Shota for 2 at 20 minutes in. Shota half-nelson suplexes Ishii, Ishii shoulders him over then takes a shotgun dropkick. Shota hits a nice lariat on Ishii then half-nelson suplexes him for 2. Shota running euros Ishii in the back of the head then Ishii back enzugiri's him.

Ishii sliding lariats Shota for 2. Ishii takes a pop-up euro then Ishii headbutts Shota. Ishii brainbusters Shota for the win.

This was a serious carry job by Ishii. He was in there almost the whole time and did all of the work due to Yano being a limited guy. As has been the case with other Ishii matches during this tournament, it would have been better with anyone else as his partner. It was an okay main but certainly not the best it could have been. 

Overall thoughts: The main was okay and the WTL matches with the Bullet Club and House of Torture would have been fine if it wasn't for the heel shenanigans. Kaito/Oiwa vs TMDK was a decent tag. I wouldn't recommend this.