NJPW World Tag League Results: Tetsuya Naito & SANADA [10] Defeat Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano [6] (12/03)

It’s practically unheard of for both Tetsuya Naito & Hiroshi Tanahashi to not have a match at Wrestle Kingdom with just a month to go – but that’s where they find themselves in 2022. Both men are relying on the World Tag League to get on the card in a featured spot, and are taking this tournament very seriously as a result. Tonight they come together in the main event, as Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano face Tetsuya Naito & SANADA.

Both teams are still in the running, provided they are able to keep winning their matches. These are four very dangerous men when backed into a corner, Naito & Tanahashi have a history of pushing themselves hard in big match situations, and the pressure of Wrestle Kingdom is heavy.

Tetsuya Naito Plays His Mind Games

Naito would play the usual pre-match mind games with his opponents, taking ages to take off his entrance gear as Yano yelled. Tanahashi would be ready to start the match, and Naito would seemingly be ready to start this one off in a huge way. The crowd was fired up, and they’d circle the ring – before Naito backed away from some lock up attempts.

Tanahashi would get a headlock applied in the middle of the ring, with Naito using the ropes to try and send Tanahashi running – only for the hold to be amplified. Instead, Naito would yank the hair of Tanahashi, prompting Tanahashi to yank Naitos hair. Tanahashi was sent to the floor, and Naito hit the tranquilo pose in the ring.

SANADA would get a tag alongside Yano, who wanted SANADA to crouch with him in the ring. Yano would shove SANADA over, before utterly failing to apply the Paradise Lock. Instead, he’d expose a corner and use the pad to block a kick. SANADA would get a rolling cradle, making Yano dizzy and having Tanahashi save the match.

Tanahashi would be put in the Paradise Lock, with Yano soon following. If SANADA did this on the floor, the match would have been won by countout – as the key to freedom is a well placed dropkick to the rear. Yano was left to stew a bit before being let free, only for L.I.J to hit a Wishbone Leg Snap and double dropkick.

Toru Yano Gets Spiked

SANADA would be dropped with a hair pull, before a tag to Tanahashi got the match back in their favour. A set of Dragon Screws would follow, before the Somersault Senton in the corner. Naito would yank Tanahashi to the floor and drive him into the barricade, before SANADA tried to follow and got two Dragon Screws in the ropes.

SANADA was able to avoid a Slingblade, before hitting a Dragon Screw of his own. Naito would set up the slingshot dropkick in the corner, taking special aim at the knee of Tanahashi. Figure Four Leg Lock would follow, with Yano stomping Naito to get Tanahashi free. Yano would hit the ring for a Belly to Belly Suplex, before running Naito into the exposed corner and getting a roll up for two.

SANADA would hit a backdrop to set up the Jacknife Cover from Naito, getting a near fall. Naito would hit the clubbing elbows before Yano shoved him into a slap from Tanahashi and a reverse spear. SANADA broke the following pinfall up, as Yano looked to set up the powerbomb.

Naito would slip free and took Yano down, before Tanahashi took a Magic Screw Neckbreaker. Yano would be planted with the launching DDT before Naito hit Destino in the middle of the ring for the victory – pushing one step closer to Wrestle Kingdom 17.

Will we see Tetsuya Naito & SANADA vs. FTR at Wrestle Kingdom? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.

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