The headline match of the February 20 New Japan Road event from Korakuen Hall saw Mega Coaches (Rocky Romero/Ryusuke Taguchi) make the V2 challenge against Roppongi 3K (Sho/Yoh) in their fourth reign with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Sho and Yoh have a long history with Romero, going back to their return from an international excursion in late 2017.
The match was competitive, while there were moments where Taguchi and Romero’s playful side took over, it kept the feel of a championship match New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is known for.
There were numerous callbacks and allusions to the time Romero, Sho, and Yoh spent together in CHAOS while Taguchi/Romero brought back techniques Taguchi used with Prince Devitt when they were together as Apollo 55.
The teams carried over the intensity from the night prior when there was a scuffle after their multi-man tag team match. The affair went longer than expected with the stopping point coming at 26 minutes and 47 seconds, in what was a great effort from both teams. Taguchi continues to show that he is a skilled in-ring performer beyond his fun-loving ‘coach antics’ he’s showcased over the past several years.
Roppongi 3K walked away with the victory, and continue what looks to be a substantial run with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. After the match, the teams returned to their friendly ways with a social media post showing as much.
https://twitter.com/njpwyohei_k/status/1230502885923774464?s=20
With the dates for the 2020 Super Junior Tag League unknown, we could see the teams face one another again earlier than expected. The Mega Coaches pairing adds needed depth to the junior tag team division, which could receive further supplementation from Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) talent through the IWGP Conception partnership.
