New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) began its annual World Tag League (WTL) tournament on November 16th. This entry looks at the teams who could still win the tournament as the league approaches the trophy ceremony.
December 2nd In Osaka
On December 2nd, the World Tag League tournament held an event in Osaka from the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium. Mikey Nicholls/Jeff Cobb and Toru Yano/Colt Cabana saw their tournament hopes vanish as both teams fell to their opponents. Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens bested Nicholls and Cobb, while KENTA and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Yano and Cabana.
Cold Darkness (Evil and Sanada) defeated Minoru Suzuki and IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Lance Archer (14 points) to jump to 20 points within the tournament. While FinJuice (Juice Robinson and David Finlay) outlasted the CHAOS team of Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshi-Hashi to improve their record to 9 wins and 2 losses and an impressive 18 points.
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, Gurrellias of Destiny (G.O.D.) were able to take care of business, isolate Toa Henare, and defeat he and Hiroshi Tanahashi when Tanga Loa submitted Henare with the Operation Jado Killer also on the 2nd.
December 3rd In Kochi
On December 3rd, from the Kochi Prefectural Gymnasium FinJuice kept their finals hopes alive by defeating the effective team of Yano and Cabana. Their 20 points make the final three days of league action quite interesting.
Cold Darkness was able to capture a victory over Hirooki Goto and Karl Fredericks, taking their World Tag League points total to 22 (11 wins and 1 loss). While G.O.D was able to defeat TenCozy (Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan) to keep the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions alive for finals contention. With 20 points (10 wins and 2 losses), the champions are close to proving that they are one of the best tag teams in the world today.
Due to the results on the 3rd Cold Darkness (22 points), FinJuice (20 points), and G.O.D. (20 points) are the only teams who can claim World Tag League victory, however, their road to glory remains difficult.
Cold Darkness, FinJuice, and G.O.D. Have Remaining Challenges
In several hours, the next World Tag League event takes place from the Fukuoka Citizen Gymnasium. The headline match will see FinJuice battle Minoru Suzuki and Lance Archer. G.O.D also face a stiff challenge from Double Rampage (Shingo Takagi and Terrible) in the semi-main event.
The rest of league action for the top three teams is as follows.
Cold Darkness: December 5th (GBH) [Togi Makabe/Tomoaki Homna], December 6th (TenCozy), December 8th (Cold Darkness)
FinJuice: December 5th (Minoru Suzuki/Lance Archer), December 6th (KENTA/Yujiro), December 8th (Cold Darkness)
G.O.D.: December 5th (Double Rampage), December 6th (Yuji Nagata/Manabu Nakanishi), December 8th (Tomohiro Ishii/Yoshi-Hashi)
FinJuice has the most difficult path if one were to judge by current league standings, yet every team faces a difficult task on the final day of league action. Robinson and Finlay have to face Evil and Sanada in a match that could determine the World Tag League, and G.O.D. will have to fight Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshi-Hashi.
