Junior league passes half distance
After a joint night of action in Nagoya, Super Junior Tag League moves ahead of the World Tag League with its fifth night in Nagano. As we pass half distance, some teams will find themselves at risk of mathematical elimination as all twenty men in ten pairings vie for the top two spots.
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Main event: CHAOS (Lio Rush & YOH) (3-1) vs BULLET CLUB (Ace Austin & Chris Bey) (4-0)
IMPACT’s Ace Austin and Chris Bey were certainly a duo to watch going into this tournament, but it has been remarkable just how dominant the BULLET CLUB pair have been. Storming into the midway point of the league still undefeated, they face their first main event as a duo tonight in Nagano. YOH and Lio Rush have recovered from opening night jitters against Catch 2/2 to put together a three match win streak, but either that comes to an end tonight, or Austin and Bey will eat their first loss.
7th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Titan & BUSHI) (3-1) vs Suzuki-Gun (DOUKI & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (0-4)
With the top two teams in the league advancing to the finals on December 14, a loss tonight in Nagano might not put Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI entirely out of contention, but it’s difficult to imagine even the most extremely convoluted of circumstances seeing the Suzuki-Gun duo through. That puts considerable pressure on the duo to get on the board tonight against a team in BUSHI and Titan that is on a considerable hot streak, with three wins in a row including the only blemish on IWGP Champions Catch 2/2’s record.Can Nobu and DOUKI pull it off?
6th Match: Flying Tiger (Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask) (2-2) vs SAUCEHEARTS (El Lindaman & Alex Zayne) (3-1)
In a crowded mid table, a loss for Flying Tigers to Catch 2/2 Sunday has put the pressure on Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask. It’s a tall order for the two to get back on their horse and defeat El Lindaman and Alex Zayne, but even as SAUCEHEARTS’ momentum continues to build, Eagles will be thinking back to his Best of the Super Junior win over the G-REX Champion as motivation, and perhaps a hint to success.
5th Match: Catch 2/2 (Francesco Akira & TJP) (3-1) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Dick Togo & SHO) (0-4)
The legions of fans that rail against HOUSE OF TORTURE are on the verge of a very happy Christmas, as both EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi, and Dick Togo and SHO are on the verge of mathematical elimination from their respective leagues. Current IWGP Junior tag champions Catch 2/2 are in fine shape to deliver the final nail in SHO and Togo’s hopes, but if anything, the situation, and HOUSE OF TORTURE’s desperation, makes things more dangerous for TJP and Francesco Akira.
4th Match: Wild Hips (Clark Connors & Ryusuke Taguchi) (1-3) vs Kevin Knight & KUSHIDA (1-3)
After a strong start for the Wild Hips combination of Clark Connors and Ryusuke Taguchi, things have not exactly gone swimmingly for the two. Despite a growing relationship between the Wild Rhino and the Coach, assisted with ever present beer cans, losses have continued to accumulate. While KUSHIDA and Kevin Knight haven’t been storming to the top of the table either, Kevin Knight’s continued growth could see them threaten the Wild Hips pair. Could LA Dojo graduate Connors be upset by his junior Jet tonight?
3rd Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi) vs Suzuki-Gun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer & El Desperado)
A key late World Tag League bout will see Tetsuya Naito and SANADA go up against Minoru Suzuki and Lance Archer December 9. With Taichi and Shingo Takagi set to square off December 19 in Yoyogi for the KOPW 2022 trophy, it’s an intense preview of next month in this eight man bout.
2nd Match: Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano vs United Empire (Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
With Hiroshi Tanahashi and Toru Yano finally on the board, Great-O-Khan and Aaron Henare starting a hot streak, and Aussie Open still undefeated, things are going well for all three World tag League entry teams in this eight man. Who will leave Nagano with key momentum as the league enters its middle phase?
1st Match: Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima vs TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls)
Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls will head into their fourth World Tag League match Wednesday with a strong 2-1 record, but with tough opposition in the form of Tetsuya Naito and SANADA. Oskar Leube and Yuto Nakashima should provide a necessary tune up for Haste and Nicholls, but how far can this pair of Fale Dojo products go?
