New Japan Pro Wrestling 11/4/2024 Power Struggle ~ Super Junior Tag League 2024

New Japan Pro Wrestling 11/4/2024 Power Struggle ~ Super Junior Tag League 2024

The kick-off match didn't air it seems.

Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA), The VeloCities (Jude London & Paris De Silva) & Katsuya Murashima vs. BULLET CLUB (Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd, Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori)

The heels attack to start. Katsuya is sent into the rails. X is tripped into a baseball slide.Taiji is caught on a handspring and takes a cutter into a german. Taichi takes a sliding lariat. Paris and Jude do stereo headscissors then hit stereo facekicks in the corners.

Clark and Drilla are thrown into each other then Paris and Jude do dives outside. Kevin hits a top rope double dropkick. Kevin hits a double backflip kick. X takes a frogsplash on the back then Kevin jumps off him and kics his oppoonents on the apron.

Kush takes a double enzugiri. Kevin jumping ddt's Drilla. Clark spears Drilla and Kush lariats Clark. Taiji misses a sringboard swanton then takes a spinning ddt. X corkscrew kicks June then running ssp's him. X backflip kicks June then takes a standing spanish fly.

Katsuya and Gabe get in. Katsuya hits forearms. Gabe chops him.  Katsuya hits forearms. Gabe rebound lariats Katsuya. X walks up the buckles and swantons outside. Katsuya takes a high/low then X spiral taps Katsuya. Taiji lifting codebreakers Katsuya on one knee. Clark hits a lifting ddt on him then Drilla hits an over the shoulder piledriver on him. Gabe then piledrivers Katsuya and pins him.

Thoughts: It was a quick one here. It was fast paced early then Katsuya got beat up on before being pinned. 

Skateboard Bros. (Dragon Dia & Ryusuke Taguchi), Tomoaki Honma & Toru Yano vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji)

Yano takes off a turnbuckle pad to start and takes forearms from Yota. Yano pulls him down by the hair. Taguchi is tagged in and hip attacks Yota. Taguchi is crotched on the top rope and Yota shakes the ropes on him. Bushi sticks his foot in Taguchi's crotch. Taguchi misses a double hip attack and takes a double team clothesline.

Naito slaps Taguchi in the butt. Naito hits forearms and Taguchi misses an enzugiri. Taguchi rolls into a hip attack on him. Dia driokicks Naito. Dia trips Buchi into Yota then enzugiri's him. Dia headscissors Yota out of the corner. Dia slingshot corkscrew splashes Naito for 2.

Naito spinebusters Dia. Dia spin kicks him then takes a step up enzugiri. Naito is tripped into the 2nd rope and takes a 619. Honma and Hiromu get in and trade. Honma double chops him over then misses a falling headbutt. Honma takes corner attacks and a triple basement dropkick for 2. Naito tornado ddt's Taguchi off of Hiromu.

Hiromu superkicks Honma and takes a headbutt. Honma falling headbutts Hiromu. Hiromu sit down fireman's carries Honma, dropping Honma's ribs on his shoulders. Hiromu figure fours Honma's legs with his hands and taps him out.

Thoughts: The finish was super weak here and should not have put Honma away. It was a short one otherwise just to get people on the card and was a waste of LIJ. They teased the Hiromu wants to wrestle in World Tag League.

Hiroshi Tanahashi & Oleg Boltin vs. House Of Torture (EVIL & Ren Narita)

Oleg and Tana get hit as they enter. Kanemaru and Ren get some shots in as Evil distracts the ref. One would think Tana could call the DQ as he's the President but no. Tana takes a corner lariat and darkness falls for 2.

Evil scropion deathlocks him. Tana gets his legs split. Ren stomps on Tana then butt drops his leg. Ren half-crabs him and Tana ropebreaks. Evil foot chokes Tana. Tana is sent into the exposed buckle. Ren legbars Tana.

Ren chokes Tana. Tana 2nd rope twisting corssbodies him. Oleg gets in and hits shoulders. The rest of HoT cheats and attacks Oleg. Oleg hits a corner splash and karelin's lift on Ren. Oleg does a vader bomb in the corner. Oleg back rolls while lifting Ren. Ren facekicks Oleg into the ref. HoT comes in to beat up Oleg. Oleg takes a 2nd rope chop to the crotch for 2.

Tana helps out Oleg and hits dragon screws on the heels. Taka hits a twist and shout on Ren then slingblades Ren. Oleg splashes Ren for 2. Ren rolls up Oleg and gets the win.

Thoughts: It was your usual short HoT match with them breaking every rule in the book and making the faces look stupid en route to victory.

Tana is held after and Evil talks trash. Evil asks Tana if he really thinks he has another year left as a wrestle and talks about their 1/4 match. He then tries to cut Tana's hair but Jado stops him. Tana and Jado are beat up outside. Ren low blows Oleg. Tana and Jado are dragged to the back and Ren poses on Oleg. Ryohei Oiwa comes out and says he will take Ren's belt away from him. Jeff Cobb then comes out and gets in Ren's face. The three fight.

SANADA vs Shota Umino

Shota knocks him over to start and running back elbows him. Shota running euros him in the corner and fisherman suplexes him for 2. Sanada dropkicks him in the knee and face. They go out and Sanada hit a magic screw on the floor. Sanada throws him into the seats then dragon sleepers him out there.

Sanada backdrops him then chinlocks him. Sanada hits osme shots and Shota fires up. Sanada dropkicks him in the knee then Shota tornado ddt's him. Shota slingshot ddt's him over the middle rope onto the apron.

Shota springboard dropkicks him and exploders him. Shota hits ignition for 2. Sanada hits a magic screw. Sanada asai moonsualts into skull end on Shota. Sanada top rope moonsaults him. Shota fisherman busters him.

They trade euros. Shota forearms and enzugiri's him. Sanada hits a shining wizard. Shota no sells it and euros him. Shota powerslams him then Sanada backrolls him into a bridge. Sanada shining wizards him. Shota death riders him and wins.

Thoughts: They didn't get enough time. Shota won with relative ease after a simple death rider and the match ended right when I thought it was reaching the middle portion of the match. This was a waste of a Sanada loss and totally a nothing match. 

IWGP Tag Team Title Match - TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) (c) vs. United Empire (Great-O-Khan & HENARE)

Hen and Mikey slap each other before it even starts. Khan shoulders shane over then sleepers him. Shane gets double teamed and takes a splash from Khan. Hen shoulders Shane over. Shane hits kicks and forearms on Hen. Hen hits him in the gut then sentons him. Hen headbutts a kick away then takes a dropkick.

Mikey and Henare trade shots. Hen kicks him in the chest and gets chopped. Hen bangs his own head off the buckles and they trade more kicks for chops. Mikey headbutts him and busts himself open. The announcer calls it a stupid decision. Mikey spinebusters Henare then sliding lariats him for 2.

Mikey ddt's Hen then Hen hits a berzerker bomb. Mikey sliding lariats him again. Khan and Shane go at it. Khan shoulder throws him and fireman's carry takeovers him. Khan then monkey flips him into an armbar. Shane hits euros on Khan. Khan armbreakers Shane. Khan tries to sit on his neck in the corner but Shane stops it. Mikey lifts up Shane and suplexes Khan while on Shane's shoulders.

Khan takes corner lariats. Shane lariats him over then Mikey sliding lariats Khan for 2. Khan takes a tank buster for 2. Hen takes a blue thunder + uranage combo. Khan claws both opponents at the same time. Khan takes a uranage + powerbomb for 2. Mikey takes an imperial drop and is pinned by Khan. Khan and Henare win.

Thoughts: There were a ton of double teams here though the moves looked good. It was a slower match that didn't really get enough time to be an epic. They pretty much skipped the middle portion of this match and went from trading shots to trading high impact moves. It wasn't as good as it should have been.

Kenny Omega comes out to talk.  Kenny says he talked to Hiroshi Tanahashi. He says he should wrestle a younger wrestler and says he will be able to wrestle soon. He says he wants to come back to NJPW. He says how about January 5th. He then says it in English. He says NJPW is still the king of sports and still home to him.

Super Junior Tag League 2024 Final Match - Catch 22 (Francesco Akira & TJP) vs. Ichiban Sweet Boys (Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles)

Kosei and Akira try to dropkick each other. Akira shoulders him over then Kosei flying headscissors him. Akira takes a double team and a sliding leg lariat. Kosei hits a top rope swanton outside. Akira is boosted into a dropkick on Rob then Akira headhunsters Kosei while he's seated.

TJP dropkicks his offense through the ropes and Akira does a tope con hilo. TJP flips Akira onto Kosei. TJP indian deathlocks Kosei. TJP bow and arrows him.

TJP facewash kicks Kosei in the corner. TJP spin kicks him and Kosei step up kicks him. Rob spinning heel kicks Akira then PK's him. Rob 619's Akira's leg and corner meteora's him for 2. Akira step up enzugiri's Rob.

Akira is lifted and held for a Kosei chop. Akira then takes a t-gimmick for 2. Akira sitout powerbombs Kosei. Kosei is put in tree of woe and takes a top rope double stomp from TJP for 2. TJP takes a spin kick + high kick combo then Rob tope con hilos Akira through the ropes. Kosei pop up germans TJP for 2. 

TJP falcon arrows Kosei for 2. TJP lariats Kosei. Akira asai moonsaults Rob outside. Kosei takes a 3D style move. Akira goes up top and takes a top rope hurricanrana from Rob. Rob high kicks TJP then pops up Kosei into a ddt on TJP for 2. TJP is held in the air for a cutter and Akira breaks it up. Rob takes an electric chair springboard cutter for 2. Akira and Rob hit superkicks. TJP tries a pin then Rob reverses it and pins him.

Thoughts: It went longer than it needed to and they did a little too much. They did have a lot of exciting points here and the match stuck out a little more due to being one of the faster matches on a slower show. Had they cut a few minutes off of this, I might have liked it more. 

Robbie Eagles gets on the mic after and says his team won. Him and Kosei say they want to challenge Kevin Knight and Kushida. Knight and Kushida then come out. Kush and Knight congratulate them and accept their challenge. They ask where Catch 22 is as they said they beat them. They say they will see them at WrestleKingdom.

Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors then attack everyone with chairs. Drilla says they beatevery team in the tag division and says there's no party like a War Dog party. Drilla says it's not WrestleKingdom without The War Dogs.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match - DOUKI (c) vs. Master Wato

They lock up and go to the ropes. Wato shoves him and they trade forearms. Douki hits chops and Wato flying headscisosrs him. Wato slams and elbow drops Douki. Douki boots him out of the corner. Wato goes to springboard but is knocked down then Douki topes him. Wato is laid on the rail and Douki double stomps him off the apron.

Douki neckbreakers him and chinlocks him. They trade chops and Douki goes down. Wato bckdrops him. Douki dropkicks him. Wato tope con hilos him then springboard euros him for 2. Wato does a submission and Douki ropebreaks. Douki armdrags him out and baseball slides him.

Douki ddt's him on the apron. Douki hits a top rope senton onto a standing Wato outside. Douki hits a top rope double stomp and does the douki chokey. Wato hits a TTD for 2. Wato hits a recientemente. Douki rolls him up for 2 then Wato puts him in vendaval. Douki dragon suplexes him. They trade forearms. Wato high kicks him then Douki hits a big lariat. Wato does a drop from the la atlantida position. Wato hits kicks then germans him. Douki puts him in a douki chokey twice with a ddt in between and makes him pass out. Douki wins via submission.

Thoughts: It went a little long and they did a little too much but I think they put out a good effort and the match came across better after some of the garbage on this one. I didn't expect to like it but I was mostly okay with this.

El Desperado comes out and challenges Douki for the Tokyo Dome.

IWGP Global Heavyweight Title Match - David Finlay (c) vs. Taichi

They lock up. DF pats him on the head against the ropes and hits forearms. Tai no sells them. DF spits at him and is forearmed over. Tai facekicks him and kicks him in the back. Tai kicks him in the chest then back body drops him. Tai is dropped throat first on the ropes then DF pounds on him. DF hits mounted punches. DF sends Tai into the rails.

DF backdrops Tai on the apron. DF sends Tai into the buckles. Tai backdrops DF over the top rope. Tai sends DF into the rails and post. DF hits forearms then Tai side kicks him. They trade shots and Tai enzugiri's him.

DF uranage backbreakers him. They fight on the apron. DF hits headbutts and sends Tai into the post. DF throws Tai's head in the post. DF throws him on a suplex. DF crossface shots him. DF dominators him for 2. Tai hurricanrana's him and backdrops him.

They trade forearms for leg kicks. Tai urakens him then gamengiri's him. Tai running lariats him then backdrops him for 2. Tai hits Kawada kicks and DF hits oblivion for 2. DF powerbombs him for 2. Tai slaps him then takes an air raid crash for 2. Tai gets a 2 count on him and hits an emerald flowsion.

DF buckle bombs him then Tai superkicks him. Tai hits an air raid crash for 2 then Sanada pulls the ref out. Sanada takes his shirt off and reveals a Wardogs shirt. DF hits Tai with a shillelagh. DF hits overkill and wins.

Thoughts: Well, I didn't see that one coming. I never liked face Sanada. If it means he goes back to being cold skull Sanada, I'm up for it. The match wasn't that bad but the finish took away from what we did get.

 Sanada low blows Taka after then hugs Tai. Sanada hits then hits a twisting ddt on him. Douki then argues with Sanada after. DF brags on the mic after. DF says he warned Taichi he might have a wolf in his pack but Taichi didn't listen. DF said this only happened as Yuya was afraid to fight him. He says Yota Tsuji thinks he's better than him. He says it's one thing to have a win over him but nobody gets 2 wins and gets away with it. DF tells him to get his fat @ss out here so he can handle business.

Yota comes out smiling in some silly looking clothing. DF challenges him for the Global title at WrestleKingdom. Yota accepts and asks if he's ready.

IWGP Title - Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs Shingo Takagi

Shingo takes him down with a front facelock. Zack goes for the armbar and Shingo leglocks him. Shingo tries to pin him down and Zack bridges. Zack cravates him then Shingo armdrags him. Zack snapmares him and they avoid attacks before standing off.

Zack switches between holds, settling on a side headlock. They shoulder battle and Zack cobra twists him. Shingo then shoulders him over. Shingo knees him in the gut. Zack has his arm banged off the top rope and Zack twists Shingo's neck with his legs. Zakc hits euros outside then neck twists him.

Zack does another cravate. Shingo slams him, misses a senton and takes another neck twist with the feet. Zack headscissors him. Shingo hits punches and chops then sliding lariats him in the back of the head. Zack guillotine chokes him and Shingo suplexes him out of it. Shingo sentons him for 2. 

Zack stomps Shingo's arm. Zack bangs Shingo's arm off of his shoulder then Shingo drops him backwards off the backpack. Shingo corner lariats him then suplexes him. Zack side headlocks Shingo then does an octopus on him. Shingo death valley drivers him. Zack rolls out of a sliding lariat and pulls the arms backwards. Shingo ropebreaks.

Zack stomps Shingo's arm. Shingodragon screws him. They trade facekicks for lariats. Shingo backdrops him then Zack germans him back. Zack kicks the arm and slips out of a ddt. Zack kicks Shingo in the chest then takes a lariat.

Zack hits euros. Shingo does the WAR special and tiger suplexes him. Shingo lariats him. Zack avoids made in japan then does a headscissors with an arm lock. Shingo deadlifts him out and carries him up to the buckles for a 2nd rope death valley driver. Shingo hits a made in Japan for 2.

Zack bangs Shingo's knees into the mat. Shingo takes a michinoku driver. Shingo twisting neckbreakers him. Shingo forearms him down. They trade shots and Shingo sliding forearms him. Shingo hits downward elbows and grounded sleepers him. Zack hits a spinning michinoku driver for 2 then leg locks him. 

Zack hits chest kicks and Shingo michinoku drivers him. Shingo hit a last of the dragon. Shingo lariats him over. Zack lariats him over and PK's him. Zack legsweeps him then hits a michinoku driver to win.

Thoughts: I wasn't a fan of it. Zack did his usual submission exhibition stuff for the first half of this then they just started doing high impact moves on each other. I didn't see anything special about it and thought it was just an average match. There was no great story here or heels or face either.

Zack talks on the mic after and wonders who his neck challenger will be. Shota Umino comes out and gets booed.  Shota tells him he wants to challenge for the title in English. They call each other d!ckhead and shake hands. Zack said he wanted to win the G1, the IWGP Title and be in the Tokyo Dome main event.

Zack gets confetti then Ricochet comes out. He springboard lariats Zack. Ric says he never got to congratulate him on winning the G1 and the title and congratulates him. Ric says he wants the power in NJPW and says the man with the title has the power. He says he wants the title to show he's still the man around here. He challenges him to a title match on 1/5 at Wrestle Dynasty.

Ric goes to attack Zack again and Shota Umino comes in the ring to stop it. Zack then attacks Shota and throws him out. Shota then hits a death rider ddt on Zack. Shota then holds the title up.

Thoughts: This wasn't good. Ricochet vs Zack Sabre Jr isn't exactly a huge match to get excited for and is not worthy of a Tokyo Dome big match. I don't know what's going on with the Shota stuff either but Zack vs Shota isn't much better of a Tokyo Dome match.

Overall thoughts: I've been saying it for most of the year and nothing has changed. NJPW is really in a down period post-AEW poachings. The roster is diluted talent wise. The booking sucks and the general direction sucks. That was on full display here. The main wasn't that good and the idea of Ricochet vs Zack Sabre Jr. being an IWGP Title match at the Dome is ridiculuous (as is Shota vs Zack). Finlay continues to be pushed beyond his talent level and Sanada has now turned heel (though I'm okay with the latter). Sanada and Shota could have been good but they didn't get enough time. The juniors did too much like they always do and the undercard was nothing special. I would not recommend this one and I think this is one of the worst periods NJPW has ever really been in. I'd give this one a 4 out of 10.