Last night, Hiroshi Tanahashi was able to get the win over Zack Sabre Jr – but he won’t be feeling great coming into tonights opening tag team match. He will lead Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Ryohei Oiwa into battle against the BULLET CLUB team of El Phantasmo, KENTA, SHO, and Yujiro Takahashi. BULLET CLUB will hope to get the win here – to inspire White, Fale, EVIL and maybe Owens in their block matches here tonight.
SHO Is Still A Submission Expert – Despite All The Cheating
BULLET CLUB would start with an attack before the bell, something you’d think they’d predict a few times. Ishii & ELP would remain in the ring, with ELP shoving Ishii into the corner before blocking a vertical suplex and being run down with a shoulder tackle.Tanahashi would hit the springboard crossbody on Takahashi, before some strikes.
Takahashi would hit the basement dropkick to The Ace, before tagging SHO in. He’d choke Tanahashi with the turnbuckle cover, before KENTA got the tag. Tanahashi would get the tag to Goto, before these two experienced strikes would trade blows. The spinning wheel kick in the corner would land, before a bulldog for a two count.
Oiwa would tag in and nearly suplex SHO, before Takahashi & ELP would make the save. He’d fight them off with strikes, and apply the Boston Crab. SHO would get the ropes, before applying the cross armbreaker for the victory.
JONAH Tears Down Royce Isaacs
Tom Lawlor learned why JONAH is The Top Dog last night, when they met in A-Block action – and Lawlor was on the receiving end of a top rope splash from JONAH. Tonight, with Royce Isaacs by his side – he will once again step into the ring with JONAH for tag team action, but might have injured ribs tonight.
Tito & Lawlor would kick things off with some grappling, with Lawlor popping him up into an armbar. He’d get powered up to the top rope, and blocked a chop before the rear naked choke. Lawlor would bend the limbs of Tito once on the mat, but rope break would force the break. Isaacs would get the tag, and Team Filthy would get some quick tags and quicker strikes.
JONAH would get the tag however, who regained control before the floating senton. Isaacs would be isolated by TMDK – with JONAH hitting a hard body block into the corner. Isaacs would manage the tag to Lawlor who got some revenge on JONAH with some quick kicks, before a brain chop in the corner.
Headlock driver would get a two count, before Isaacs got the tag. JONAH hit the DDT, before a lariat and the powerbomb for the finish.
Aaron Henare Is Always Bad News For Jado
David Finlay got the biggest upset of the tournament last night, defeating the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi. Next up is Will Ospreay, another former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion with Will Ospreay, who he meets in trios action here tonight. Jado & Tama Tonga will back Finlay up, as Ospreay brings Aaron Henare & Great-O-Khan.
Finlay & Ospreay would start off, the two fastest men in the tournament – with Ospreay getting cornered. Ospreay would fight free and hit the big boot, before Henare would get the tag and brutalise Finlay with some heavy blows. Great-O-Khan would force Finlay into the corner and hit on his back, while Ospreay punched at his face.
Finlay would hit the Irish Curse backbreaker and made the tag to Tama, who worked with Jado to hit a neckbreaker for the two count. Henare would hit the body shots on Jado, and like many other times on this tour, would apply Ultima for the submission victory.
Shingo Tries To Take The Head Off TAKA
Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi are one of the top tag teams in NJPW, and tonight alongside TAKA Michinoku they will face down a trio of L.I.J wrestlers with BUSHI, SANADA & Shingo Takagi. Taichi is perhaps the only fresh man in this match, having had an easy night compared to ZSJ, Shingo & SANADA – who all had hard fought block matches last night.
Shingo & ZSJ would lock eyes as this match began, but SANADA & Taichi would begin the match. After some flexing and posing, they’d get into an exchange of holds and strikes – before SANADA nailed the dropkick. BUSHI would get the tag, before being sent to the floor and choked by TAKA.
Back in the ring, ZSJ would lock on a cravate. TAKA would go for the tag, and Shingo would meet ZSJ in the ring for a fast paced exchange of strikes and submissions. A sliding lariat would be turned into an armbreaker, before TAKA was tagged in. Leaving him alone with Shingo was a mistake, and quickly TAKA would be overwhelmed. L.I.J got a three on one attack in, and Pumping Bomber would end the match.
Will a member of L.I.J win the G1? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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