World Tag League night 11 (December 2) Preview
Penultimate A Block matches
Just two matches remain for each block in World Tag League. As the teams still in the hunt are fighting to be part of the equation come December 6, where the top point scoring finalists will be determined, what will happen in Kochi?
Watch live in English on NJPW World!
Main event: TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa) (2–3) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo takagi & Yota Tsuji) (3–2)
Oiwa & ZSJ must win
Direct tag record: 1–0 LIJ
The main event tonight will see a pair of rematches for IWGP World Heavyweight Champion- against G1 Final opponent Yota Tsuji, and most recent IWGP World Heavyweight title defence Shingo Takagi. The strong record he has against both men will certainly buoy ZSJ in a must win scenario for TMDK. The most recent rematch for these teams though is a direct one in Korakuen Hall during Super Jr. tag League. Then, during a thrilling and intense bout, it was Tsuji and Shingo on top, and Tsuji throwing Oiwa from the ring like yesterday’s garbage. Oiwa will need to overcome that trauma if TMDK are to stay in the hunt tonight.
7th Match: Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) (3–2) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman) (3–2)
A battle of two teams at six means we are very likely to see one side here take to the eight point mark. Despending on other results tonight, that could mean that Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman go back to being the sole block leaders, or might it be Bishamon tonight that get to eight ahead of them? Cobb has quite the history with Bishamon, as back in 2022 it was against Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI that he and Great-O-Khan first captured IWGP Tag Team gold. Will history repeat Monday?
6th Match: Funky Sauce (Alex Zayne & Ryusuke Taguchi) (2–3) vs War Dogs (Gabe Kidd & SANADA) (3–2)
Funky Sauce must win
After losing their first three, Alex Zayne and Ryusuke Taguchi have put together quite an impressive streak with their backs against the wall. The fun loving duop have boosted themselves to four points, but still need to win out, and against tough competition tonight. Despite a clear distatste for one another, Gabe Kidd and SANADA have put together three wins so far. They clearly are anything other than fun loving meanwhile, or at least have a very different definition of the word. Will their violent tendencies win out over delicious funk?
5th Match: Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino (2–3) vs BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens & KENTA) (2–3)
Both teams must win
Both teams are in a must win scenario tonight, as KENTA and Chase Owens have picked up a pair of ill gotten wins against the run of the tournament to survive, but Honma and Umino lost their last against the War Dogs to bring them to 2–3. What’s more concerning for Umino tonight is what appeared to be a jammed knee sustained in Shizuoka, which creates a good deal of concern for the remainder of his tournament- and indeed for the Tokyo Dome. Will Umino be fighting fit? Even so he’ll have a weakness the BULLET CLUB side will be keen to exploit.
4th match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, KENTA & Dick Togo)
You can’t go home again, as the saying goes, and EVIL likely doesn’t want to. Still in the same tour where nine years ago Los Ingobernables De Japon was properly formed as BUSHI joined EVIL and Tetsuya Naito, the King of Darkness is still happy to let his former running buddies take a tour of the HOUSE OF TORTURE tonight.
3rd Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jado & Katsuya Murashima vs Tiger Mask, Toru Yano & Boltin Oleg
The NEVER Openweight 6 man tag team Champions reunite tongiht, but on opposite sides of the ring as Tanahashi and Jado prepare for their Wednesday clash with Boltin Oleg and Toru Yano.
2nd Match: Just Four Guys (TAKA Michinoku, Taichi & DOUKI) vs TMDK (Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste & Kosei Fujita)
As TMDK and Just Four Guys meet in a do or die affair Wednesday, this six man preview will also see Kosei Fujita looking to make his mark on the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI.
1st Match: United Empire (HENARE, Great-O-Khan & Jakob Austin Young) vs BULLET CLUB (Tome Filip, Stevie Filip & Gedo)
Kickoff Match: Shoma Kato vs Daiki Nagai
Singles record: 3–0 Kato
In a change to the originally scheduled bout with masatora Yasuda, Shoma Kato takes on Daiki Nagai. Three singles meetings have seen Kato put the precocious Nagai in his place, but will that remain the case in Kochi?
