Another day means even more NJPW World Tag League 2023 action, today’s show featured Block A tournament matches. The main event was TMDK’s Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste against United Empire’s HENARE and Great-O-Khan in a tournament match.
Haste and Khan started the match with some technical wrestling, it was a nice back-and-forth until Nicholls and HENARE were brought in. They have a history from the G1 and they instantly started trading shots. HENARE knocked Nicholls down with a shoulder block, but he was right back up to begin trading forearms. Nicholls then tagged in Haste, so they could double-team HENARE.
Haste followed the double-team with a dropkick to HENARE’s head and he then smashed his head into the turnbuckle, but that fired HENARE up. The fight was now brought to the floor, Khan threw Haste into the crowd and HENARE took Nicholls out with a flurry of strikes. Once back in the ring, HENARE kicked Haste in the back and dropped on him with a senton. Khan then came back in the match to slap Haste and then sit on his head in the corner.
He then delivered a back-breaker to Haste before tagging in HENARE, who ran into the ring delivering a cheapshot to Nicholls. HENARE turned his attention back to Haste and kicked him in the chest a number of times, but Haste then caught him with a hurricanrana and tagged Nicholls who came in hot. He flew into the ring to begin his attack on HENARE, he hit a number of strikes before dropping him with a DDT.
Quite the right from Great-O-Khan. Credit: NJPW
Nicholls then connected with a Death Valley driver, but HENARE got a reversal to hit a knee and spinning heel kick. Khan now got back in the match, he landed some chops but was then caught by a spine buster from Nicholls. Haste now began laying into Khan with some uppercuts, a dropkick, a sliding elbow and then a cannonball. He then placed Khan on the top rope and Nicholls assisted him in landing a superplex, but HENARE broke up the pin.
HENARE dropped Haste with a side slam, Nicholls hit HENARE with a sliding lariat and Khan got Nicholls with a running lariat. Khan and Haste now began trading forearms, chops and big boots, but Khan caught Haste with a brutal jab to the jaw. He then dropped Haste on the top of his head with a sleeper suplex. Now HENARE and Khan sandwiched Haste with a double clothesline and Khan then launched Haste into a powerbomb from HENARE.
Tank Buster. Credit: NJPW
It seemed like the match was over, but Nicholls broke up the pin and he was then greeted by a kick to the jaw from HENARE. United Empire now wanted the Imperial Drop, but Nicholls tripped up Khan and then threw HENARE to the floor. TMDK had Khan on his own and they connected with a Tank Buster to get the victory and move to 3-0 in the tournament.
NJPW World Tag League 2023 Standings
A Block
B Block
NJPW WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2023 NIGHT 5 RESULTS
Atlantis Jr., Oleg Boltin & Soberano Jr. vs. Monstersauce (Alex Zayne & Lance Archer) & Oskar Leube
Atlantis Jr. hit Leube with a diving leg-drop to the back of the head to get the win.
Winners: Atlantis Jr., Oleg Boltin & Soberano Jr.
CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, YOH & YOSHI-HASHI) & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Gedo, Jack Bonza & Taiji Ishimori)
YOH hit Gedo with a devastating superkick for the win.
Winners: CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, YOH & YOSHI-HASHI) & Ryusuke Taguchi
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) vs. Master Wato, Minoru Suzuki, Tomoaki Honma & Yuji Nagata
Taichi locked Honma into Seitei Jujiro and he was forced to submit.
Winners: Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura)
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Yota Tsuji) & Zandokan Jr. vs. Guerrillas of Destiny (El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Jado)
Zandokan Jr. and Tsuji worked together to hit Jado with Vamos Amigo for the finish.
Winners: LIJ (BUSHI & Yota Tsuji) & Zandokan Jr.
World Tag League 2023 A Block Match: Ren Narita & Shota Umino vs. Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
Umino hit Kaun with Death Rider and got the pin while Narita held Liona back.
Winners: Ren Narita & Shota Umino
World Tag League 2023 A Block Match: Bullet Club War Dogs (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd) vs. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano)
War Dogs continue to impress. Credit: NJPW
Kidd dropped Yano on his head with a piledriver to push the War Dogs to 4 points.
Winners: Bullet Club War Dogs (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd)
World Tag League 2023 A Block Match: Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa vs. House of Torture (EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi)
Kiyomiya steals the win. Credit: NJPW
Kiyomiya caught Takahashi with a hurricanrana into a roll-up to steal a win. After the match, House of Torture tried to beat down Kiyomiya and Oiwa, but they battled back and left House of Torture down and out.