This morning was day 9 of the NJPW World Tag League and after defeating Ryohei Oiwa and Kaito Kiyomiya, TMDK is back in sole possession of first place in A Block. When it comes to second place there is a three-way tie at 6 points, Bullet Club War Dogs beat United Empire to get to 6. While in the main event, CHAOS’ Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano beat Shota Umino and Ren Narita, to move to 6 points and hold Umino and Narita there.
Ishii and Narita got the match started with a test of strength before trading stiff forearms until Narita drilled Ishii with a big boot. Umino then helped deliver a double back-elbow to Ishii before Narita dropped a senton, Umino hit a rolling senton and then they both dropped a double-elbow. Despite these attacks, the Stone Pitbull was back on his feet and no-sold about a dozen forearms from Umino before dropping him with just one.
Yano was now in to remove the turnbuckle pad and rake Unino’s eyes, but Umino wasn’t up for games as he hit Yano with a back elbow and sliding dropkick. Narita then gave him a neckbreaker, but Yano was then using his sneaky tactics as he pulled Narita’s hair and threw him into the exposed turnbuckle. He now brought Narita to the floor to throw him into the barricade while Ishii threw Umino into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Ishii was tagged in to tattoo Narita’s chest with some chops and oh boy, those chops echoed through the arena. He tried to follow the chops with a running boot, but Narita reversed into a single-arm suplex and tagged in Umino. He came in and hit Ishii with a running uppercut and a fisherman suplex, he then made the mistake of trading strikes with Ishii. Following that exchange, Ishii was standing tall and Umino was out in the corner.
Despite all those shots, Umino got up and asked for more forearms, he ate two more from Ishii and then dropped Ishii to a knee with a forearm of his own. Ishii powered himself back up and delivered a side suplex to Umino before tagging Yano back in. Yano sent Umino chest-first into the exposed turnbuckle, but Umino then caught him with a dropkick and tagged Narita in. Narita hit him with an uppercut, a single-arm suplex and then locked in a Texas Cloverleaf.
A battle between the past and the future. Credit: NJPW
Yano broke the hold by reaching the ropes and he then catapulted Narita face-first into the exposed turnbuckle, Ishii then clotheslined him into the exposed turnbuckle as well. Yano wanted a powerbomb next, but Narita slipped out and locked in an abdominal stretch. It seemed like Yano was fading, but Ishii charged into the ring to break the hold. Yano sent Narita flying with a belly-to-belly suplex before tagging Ishii in. Ishii got in the ring and instantly knocked Umino off the apron, but he turned around into a big boot and German suplex from Narita.
Narita found the strength to tag in Umino and he delivered a V-Trigger to the back of Ishii’s head. He then springboarded to the outside catching Ishii with a DDT into the apron on the way down. The Stone Pitbull looked out cold and Umino followed that with a diving dropkick to the side of his head. The head attacks continued with a slingshot cutter and then locking in an arm-trapped crossface. Against all odds, Ishii reached the ropes, but Narita then gave him a boot on the head and Umino dropped him with an elevated reverse DDT.
Umino and Narita continued the double-teams by taking turns striking Ishii and then hitting him with a Hart Attack. They thought that would be enough, but Yano broke up the pin, he then gave Narita a judo throw and Umino an atomic drop. Yano then ran Umino into the exposed turnbuckle and Ishii followed that with a powerbomb. Despite that, Umino responded with an enzigiri to Ishii and Narita then hit a spinning heel kick followed by a Northern Lights suplex.
Tomohiro Ishii "Headbutt"
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Umino now tried to hold Ishii up for a big boot from Narita, but Ishii ducked and Narita hit his own partner. Yano then pulled Narita out of the ring and Ishii delivered a brutal clothesline. Ishii then went for the Brainbuster, but Umino flipped out of it and gave him a half-suplex, a dropkick, a pop-up knee and a big clothesline. Umino then delivered a second half-suplex and a Hidden Blade, but when he went for a Death Rider Ishii reversed into an enzigiri. Ishii now hit a sliding clothesline, a headbutt and then finally the Brainbuster to get the victory!
NJPW World Tag League 2023 Standings
A Block
B Block
NJPW WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2023 NIGHT 9 RESULTS
Guerrillas of Destiny (Jado, El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) vs. Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Jack Bonza & Taiji Ishimori)
Bonza gave Jado a back breaker and Fale followed that with an elbow drop for the victory.
Winners: Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Jack Bonza & Taiji Ishimori)
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, Yuya Uemura & Taichi) vs. Tiger Mask, Soberano Jr. & Atlantis Jr.
Uemura defeated Tiger Mask following a diving crossbody and Deadbolt Suplex.
Winners: Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, Yuya Uemura & Taichi)
Master Wato, Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Monstersauce (Alex Zayne & Lance Archer)
Wato reversed a roll-up from Taguchi and locked him into Vendeval to win.
Winners: Master Wato, Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata
Boltin Oleg & CHAOS (YOH, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) vs. Zandokan Jr. & Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi)
YOH knocked off BUSHI with a Direct Drive.
Winners: Boltin Oleg & CHAOS (YOH, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)
World Tag League A Block Tournament Match: Gates of Agony (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun) vs. House of Torture (Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL)
Everything is EVIL. Credit: NJPW
On the last show, the Gates of Agony joined the House of Torture, but that was a work as today they attacked them from behind after entering the arena with them. Unfortunately, those mind games did not work as EVIL defeated Kaun with an Everything is Evil. The Gates of Agony are mathematically eliminated from the tournament.
Winners: House of Torture (Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL)
World Tag League A Block Tournament Match: TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Kaito Kiyomiya
Tankbuster. Credit: NJPW
Haste hit Kiyomiya with a superkick and then delivered a Tankbuster with Nicholls to get TMDK to 8 points.
Winners: TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls)
World Tag League A Block Tournament Match: United Empire (HENARE & Great-O-Khan) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd & Alex Coughlin)
War Dogs knock off the Empire. Credit: NJPW
Kidd delivered an Os-Cutter to Khan and then with assistance from Coughlin they hit him with a Hijack Piledriver to get the victory.