The 2023 NJPW World Tag League Finals are set, Sunday it will be the Guerrillas of Destiny, El Phantasmo and Hikuleo, up against the current IWGP Tag Team Champions, Bishamon, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI. If GoD can beat Bishamon on Sunday, they will move on to Wrestle Kingdom 18 to face them again, except this time the titles will be on the line. Bishamon has won the last two World Tag Leagues and will be going for the three-peat this year.
GoD advanced to the finals by defeating TMDK (Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls) in their semi-final match. Hikueleo caught Haste with a snap power slam and followed that with a God Send Chokeslam to earn the victory. Following the match, ELP and Hikuleo offered a sign of respect with a handshake, but TMDK slapped their hands away and walked out.
God Send. Credit: NJPW
Bishamon defeated the Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd and Alex Coughlin) to punch their tickets to the final. This brawl started before the bell even sounded, as the fight began in the middle of Bishamon’s entrance. They fought through the crowd and were thrown into barriers, chairs and wooden walls. As the match rolled on we reached an exciting exchange, Goto hit Kidd with a forearm, Coughlin clotheslined Goto, HASHI superkicked Coughlin, Kidd dropped Hashi on his head with a side-suplex and HASHI popped back up to turn Kidd inside-out with a lariat.
Itadakikari. Credit: NJPW
The match came down to HASHI and Coughlin as Coughlin caught HASHI with a Bossman Slam and an elevated pump-handle slam. Neither of those moves was enough, so Coughlin was going for a Jackhammer, but Goto hit him in the mid-section allowing HASHI to move into a fireman’s carry position. From there, HASHI swung Coughlin back hitting Itadakikari and landing him in a crucifix-pin to get the victory and move Bishamon on to the finals.
NJPW World Tag League Night 15 Results
Oskar Leube, Yuto Nakashima & Master Wato vs. Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Jack Bonza & Bad Luck Fale)
Bonza defeated Nakashima with a Napalm Thunder Driver.
Winners: Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Jack Bonza & Bad Luck Fale)
Monstersauce (Alex Zayne & Lance Archer) & Minoru Suzuki vs. United Empire (Callum Newman, HENARE & Great-O-Khan)
Zayne knocked off Newman with the Taco Driver.
Winners: Monstersauce (Alex Zayne & Lance Archer) & Minoru Suzuki
Ryusuke Taguchi, Ryohei Oiwa & Kaito Kiyomiya vs. House of Torture (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO & EVIL)
SHO hit Tauchi with his wrench and Kanemaru rolled him up to steal a win.
Winners: House of Torture (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO & EVIL)
Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino vs. House of Torture (Yujiro Takahashi & Ren Narita)
House of Torture attacked Honma and Umino in the middle of their entrance and Takahashi choked Umino out so he couldn’t reach the ring. So, the match only lasted 43 seconds, and Narita quickly dropped Honma with a facebuster to win.
Following the match, Umino tried to attack Narita, but he ended up getting jumped by all members of the House of Torture. Narita then choked Umino out before dropping him with a facebuster too.
Winners: House of Torture (Yujiro Takahashi & Ren Narita)
CHAOS (Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada) & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Soberano Jr., Atlantis Jr. & Gates of Agony (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun)
Gates of Agony worked together to defeat Yano with the Fall From Heaven.
Winners: Soberano Jr., Atlantis Jr. & Gates of Agony (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun)
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi) & Zandokan Jr.
Uemura defeated BUSHI with his signature Deadbolt Suplex.
