World Tag League A Block update: night 11

Three teams alive with one match to go

World Tag League hit Kochi on December 2, as A Block wrestled their penultimate matchups and the group got closer to the wire.

Watch the replay!

The main event saw a rematch from one month ago in Korakuen Hall, and Ryohei Oiwa and Zack Sabre Jr. facing Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji. With prior results playing a role, the TMDK side was already out, while Takagi and Tsuji needed to get a win to stay in the running going into the final league night. With ill will between Yota Tsuji and Ryohei Oiwa, the younger Oiwa got off to an impressive start against the Gene Blast, but didn’t expect Shingo Takagi to bolt in and land a double tackle. Oiwa persisted though, and together with ZSJ, picked apart the base of Tsuji, who laboured in the ring until a face buster out the corner brought in the explosive Takagi.

Shingo brought the fight aggressively to Oiwa in particular, before a stunning dropkick brought the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion back in. Resuming the main event bout from Power Struggle, ZSJ brutalised the Pumping Bomber arm of Takagi, before the ‘Twist and Shingo’ saw tags on both sides. Oiwa fired away at Tsuji before resuming the early work on his knees with a figure four; it was a desperate shot from Tsuji that got him free of the TMDK member and brought Shingo back in play. A pop up into a gutbusting kick hurt Oiwa, and a superplex into a sliding lariat hurt more; Sabre made successive saves but was hurled back outside.

Tsuji licked his chops as he set Oiwa for the Gene Blast, but the youngster escaped and landed an Anaconda suplex. The match breaking down, Takagi landed a Pumping Bomber on ZSJ, before Oiwa hit the Grip on Tsuji, but collapsed to the mat unable to make the cover. As both came back up at he 20 minute mark, Oiwa came gut wrenchingly close to beating Tsuji with a German suplex before heading to the top for a mighty splash that got another two. Tsuji used a head scissors to escape a Doctor Bomb and rocked Oiwa with a big knee; the Marlowe Crash followed but Sabre saw to it the match wasn’t over just yet.

Kochi reaching a fever pitch, Shingo pitched Sabre and served up Oiwa for the Gene Blaster but was countered, and both LIJ members were rocked with a double lariat. Riding the momentum, Oiwa had a clen shot at the Gruip on Tsuji, but was hit by a short Gene Blaster, and then Pumping Blaster saw Tsuji get the win for his team after a phenomenal main event.

Bishamon and United Empire’s Callum Newman and Jeff Cobb battled at six points in the semi main event. Though the threepeat WTL winners dealt with Newman’s pace early, the United Empire side were soon able to work over YOSHI-HASHI, who struggled to land a basement dropkick that just stunned Cobb enough to bring in Goto. The Fierce Warrior levelled the big tree with a lariat and then used Newman as a weapon, Bishamon starting to fire on all cylinders as a recovered YOSHI-HASHI traded with Callum and Goto followed with the Ushigoroshi.

Bishamon called bedtime on Newman with Shoto, but the Englishman resisted and Cobb was able to come back in. The Imperial Unit was felled by the Headhunter, but Newman flew in; still YOSHI-HASHI intercepted OsCutter 2.0 and caught his foe for Shoto and the three.

Funky Sauce needed to get a win against a Gabe Kidd and SANADA still having personal issues but professional success at six points. Zayne brought a speedy fight to SANADA, before connecting with Taguchi for spicy offense on Kidd, but the War Dogs took vicious and violent control on the floor. Zayne was badly hurt on the outside, allowing for Taguchi to be worked over, but the gutsy Sauce somehow made his way back in when his partner needed him most. Zayne put together a valiant effort, as did Taguchi who trapped SANADA in Oh My and Garankle, but a low blow and Dead Fall to Taguchi from SANADA saw two more points.

The first World Tag League match of the night saw both teams of Shota Umino and Tomoaki Honma and Chase Owens and KENTA competing to stay in the hunt. As both teams needed to win, Owens and KENTA spied a chance to attack Umino’s recently hurt ankle as he made his entrance. A steel chair compounded the damage as a concerned hush fell on Kochi before the bell even rang. Honma would be left to fight on his own, and without Umino ever being able to tag in, a Package Piledriver ended Honma and Umino’s tournament hopes.

Gabe Kidd and SANADA, Yota Tsuji and Shingo Takagi, and Bishamon are the only teams still alive heading into the last ngiht of A Block Thursday. B Block take to the ring next in Saga Wednesday.