World Tag League A Block Update: Night 13

Bishamon’s Streak Ends as War Dogs Advance to the Finals

The last matches of the A Block took place on December 5th in Miyazaki, as teams fought for the top position in this year’s World Tag League.

**Watch the replay!**

In the main event of night 13, everything was on the line for the three-time winners Bishamon and the War Dogs, two teams tied at the top of the A Block with 8 points.

In typical War Dogs fashion, the match began with an aggressive first strike, as the action spilled outside the ring. Chaos ensued throughout the arena and into the crowd, with SANADA isolating YOSHI-HASHI while Kidd unleashed a brutal assault on Goto. With Bishamon on the back foot, the War Dogs dominated the first half of the match, combining vicious attacks, quick tags, and clever use of their surroundings.

The War Dogs seemed determined to win by any means necessary, both figuratively and literally biting their way toward victory. However, once YOSHI-HASHI got tagged in, Bishamon began to regain their footing but SANADA outsmarted his opponent and set traps for the former IWGP Tag Team Champion, who found himself isolated in the War Dogs corner. Gabe Kidd, taunting YOSHI-HASHI about his fighting spirit, soon found himself in an intense battle of endurance and will.

When Goto re-entered the match, he refused to relinquish the top spot in the block, engaging in a hard-hitting exchange with Kidd that culminated in a thunderous lariat. SANADA and YOSHI-HASHI became the legal men once more, with SANADA narrowly escaping defeat after a devastating Shoto. Desperate for the win, SANADA distracted the referee, allowing Kidd to deliver a low blow and a piledriver. SANADA followed up with the Deadfall, securing the victory and clinching the top spot in the A Block for the War Dogs.

For Los Ingobernables de Japon, this match was a must-win. A loss to the already-eliminated team of Shota Umino and Tomoaki Honma would end their hopes of topping the A Block.

The match opened with Umino and Takagi squaring off. LIJ’s game plan quickly became apparent: target Umino’s already injured ankle. A dragon screw and use of the barricade further damaged the ligament, leaving Umino struggling against LIJ’s relentless offense. Tsuji continued the attack with a single-leg crab, drawing cries of pain from his opponent. The referee, already cautious due to earlier injuries in the night, kept a close watch on Umino for a potential stoppage.

Despite the pain, Umino fought back and tagged in Honma, who surprised Takagi with raw power, resilience, and his trademark hard head. However, LIJ wasn’t finished, as a suplex from Tsuji and a lariat from Takagi seemed to spell the end for Honma. Yet, Honma refused to quit, managing to bring Umino back into the fray.

Still suffering from his injured ankle, Umino went toe-to-toe with Tsuji in a battle of wills. A failed Death Rider attempt opened the door for LIJ, with Takagi delivering a double lariat to both opponents. LIJ then isolated each member of the opposing team, gaining the upper hand. However, a miscommunication saw Tsuji accidentally spear Takagi with a Gene Blast, allowing Umino to capitalize and deliver the Death Rider to Tsuji for the upset victory, eliminating LIJ from the tournament.

Both teams were already eliminated from contention, but this match served as a preview for Jeff Cobb vs. Ryohei Oiwa at Wrestle Kingdom.

Oiwa and Cobb opened the match with a clash of power, with Cobb gaining the initial advantage. Newman followed up, using his speed against the young Japanese wrestler. However, with help from ZSJ, Oiwa regained control, utilizing quick tags and teamwork to neutralize Newman.

Cobb re-entered with a blend of power and agility, leaving ZSJ struggling to keep up. The final stretch saw Newman and ZSJ in a fast-paced exchange. Newman narrowly escaped ZSJ’s submissions and came close to victory with a Meteora and OsCutter 2.0. Unfortunately, an apparent injury to Newman on the top rope forced the referee to stop the match, awarding the victory to TMDK.

The opening match of the night featured Funky Sauce and BULLET CLUB, two teams playing for pride and honor as both were already eliminated from the tournament.

Taguchi and Owens started the match, with Taguchi wearing down his opponent. The bout soon devolved into a battle of hip attacks between Taguchi and KENTA, invoking a weird nostalgic Shibata/Ishii dynamic. However, the humor didn’t last long as Taguchi found himself on the receiving end of coordinated attacks from BULLET CLUB.

Momentum shifted when Zayne entered, launching a flurry of high-flying attacks that sent Owens reeling. The match’s second half saw Taguchi and KENTA vying for the win. After a failed GTS, KENTA delivered a low blow, but Taguchi retaliated with a low blow of his own, following up with a roll-up to secure the win for Funky Sauce.

With the win, the War Dogs claimed the top spot in A Block and will face the winners of B Block in the finals on Sunday, December 8th, in Kumamoto. For the first time in years, Bishamon will not compete in the tournament finals.