World Tag League night 10 (December 1) Preview
Osaka sold out for night ten and B Block
The fifth matches for B Block hit Osaka on December 1. A sold out EDION Arena B will see tensions escalate one week before our Kumamoto finals.
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Main event: TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) (2–2) vs United Empire (HENARE & Great-O-Khan) (3–1)
Tag record: 2–1 United Empire
The main event tonight will see Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls in a potential fight for survival, and a certain fight for revenge. It was right here in Osaka just three weeks before that Power Struggle saw Great-O-Khan and HENARE capture IWGP Tag Team gold from Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls. Now they’re one win ahead of Haste and Nicholl’s pace, and with only two matches to follow this one, another loss will likely put the final beyond TMDK’s reach. In an effectively must win scenario, will Shane and Mikey close the gap to the champions and even their record at 2–2?
7th Match: Jado & Hiroshi Tanahashi (1–3) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi) (3–1)
Jado & Tanahashi must win
The main event in Ibaraki Thursday saw Jado and Hiroshi Tanahashi finally get their first two points on the board, but their future in the tournament certainly hangs in the balance for the remainder. They will need to win out and have some help, and little help is likely to come from Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi tonight. Naito and Hiromu have been putting the pieces together through World Tag League and winning as they go; now at six points and the top of the table, will they keep the momentum going, or will the veterans’ dogged determination keep them alive?
6th Match: Natural Classics (Tome & Stevie Filip) (1–3) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Ren Narita) (3–1)
The Filips must win
Hyped as they were to make their Japanese NJPW debuts, The Natural Classics have not had the campaign they had planned thus far. At two points, they are now on the bubble of elimination, needing to win out and get some help later in the week. That isn’t to say they haven’t performed to the task however; while Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi just about had the edge in their last match in Ibaraki, the brothers’ high flying and powerful offense saw them turn a clear corner.
Tonight they face the 3–1 EVIL and Ren Narita, and despite sitting in Rogue Army and HOUSE OF TORTURE arms of BULLET CLUB, there is no honour among these thieves. The fans in Osaka would like the Filips to stay in the hunt and steal a pair of points from the lowliest muggers in EVIL and Narita tonight- can they pull it off?
5th Match: Toru Yano & Boltin Oleg (2–2) vs TAKATaichi (TAKA Michinoku & Taichi) (1–3)
TAKATaichi must win
After an undeniably impressive start and win over the IWGP tag Team Champions, it has been a downward slide for TAKA Michinoku and Taichi in World Tag League. All of a sudden, three losses have been amassed ove the last week, and with backs to the walls, they must win tonight. Can Taichi gain revenge on Boltin Oleg after the Kazakh eliminated him from G1 contention earlier this summer?
4th Match: TMDK (Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & BUSHI)
Rounding out our preview action tonight, a look at Monday’s clash for Ryohei Oiwa and Zack Sabre Jr against Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji. This is certainly set to be a hard hitting bout to have fans salivating in the main event, and this matchup is certain to give Osaka quite the taste of things to come.
3rd Match: Shota Umino & Tiger Mask vs BULLET CLUB (KENTA & Chase Owens)
A two on two preview of Shota Umino and Tomoaki Honma’s clash with BULLET CLUB sees the Roughneck with Tiger Mask tonight. Will this openweight team be able to put away KENTA and Owens?
2nd Match: Shoma Kato, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto vs United Empire (Jakob Austin Young, Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman)
Bishamon have been battling out at the top of the A Block with Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman in World Tag League, and Monday night will see the two teams square off in a critical semi-main event. Who will take the advantage in this preview?
1st Match: Katsuya Murashima, Alex Zayne & Ryusuke Taguchi vs War Dogs (Gedo, Gabe Kidd & SANADA)
War Dogs face off with Funky Sauce ahead of their penultimate league meeting Monday. Will Kidd and SANADA be able to co-operate as they take on the spirited Alex Zayne and Ryusuke Taguchi?
