Following Wrestle Kingdom 17, Bishamon are once again the IWGP Tag Team Champions. They were able to win the World Tag League and defeat FTR – but now they need to face down their first challengers in the form of Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls. Despite having a rich history within Japan, they’ve never held tag team gold in NJPW. With Zack Sabre Jr. now as the leader of TMDK – the faction feels stronger than ever before – and we could get our first set of Australian IWGP Tag Team Champions.
Undercard Action Features Will Ospreay, Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito & More
Before this match over the IWGP Tag Team Championships, we would have a star studded undercard – which gave the following results.
United Empire (Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, TJP & Will Ospreay) defeats Just 4 Guys (DOUKI, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, Ren Narita & Yuto Nakashima defeats House Of Torture (Dick Togo, EVIL, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi)
Following this match, Suzuki, Desperado & Narita would challenge House of Torture to put the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships on the line next week at New Beginning in Osaka.
BULLET CLUB (KENTA & Taiji Ishimori) defeat Hiroshi Tanahashi & Master Wato
Guerrillas Of Destiny (Hikule’o, Jado & Tama Tonga) defeat BULLET CLUB (El Phantasmo, Gedo & Jay White)
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano), Ryusuke Taguchi & Shota Umino defeats Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito)
Okada notably pinned SANADA in this eight man tag, whereas BUSHI would normally take the pin. He sent a clear message to Shingo Takagi here – with this being their last meeting before their match over the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship next weekend at New Beginning In Osaka. SANADA also took a fall from Shota Umino during this tour, perhaps a sign of things to come.
TMDK Look To Ensure Bishamon Make No Successful Title Defenses
Hirooki Goto & Mikey Nicholls would start this match, with Goto applying a side headlock – with Nicholls shoving him off the ropes. Nicholls would run Goto down with a shoulder tackle, before Haste made the tag. YOSHI-HASHI would hit the ring and try to set up the War Drum – only to be taken to the floor by Nicholls.
Goto would get tripped up by Nicholls on the floor, allowing Haste to hit the sliding dropkick. Bishamon would find themselves slammed into the barricade – before Goto was hit with a double team neckbreaker in the ring for a two count. TMDK would start to isolate Goto, cutting the ring in half like the tag team experts they have been for close to a decade.
Goto would be able to get an opening by throwing Nicholls over the top rope, only for Haste to hit the ring instead. The Discuss Lariat would level Haste in the middle of the ring, and Goto made the much needed tag to YOSHI-HASHI. Haste would be hit with the stiff strikes of YOSHI-HASHI, before being set up over the top rope for a sliding dropkick.
A neckbreaker would fold Haste up, but was only good for a two count. Haste was able to fight back and set up the Falcon Arrow, with no tag option available – meaning he kept fighting. YOSHI-HASHI was set up on the top rope, and The Olivia Newton Bomb would follow, as Nicholls took Haste & YOSHI-HASHI down the hard way.
Bishamon Show Their Fighting Spirit
Nicholls would hit Bomb Valley Death and a sliding lariat – with Goto able to break the pinfall up. YOSHI-HASHI would be able to hit the Headhunter, and completed the tag to Goto – who would stack TMDK in the corner for the Spinning Wheel Kick into Double Bulldog.
Nicholls would dare Goto to give his all on strikes, and regretted this as he was struck with the Ushigoroshi. TMDK would nail the Tank Buster in the middle of the ring after the Violent Flash was countered, with Goto able to kick out. YOSHI-HASHI was thrown into the barricade as TMDK tried to put Goto away.
Bishamon would hit the Elevated GTR and Shoto – and just like that, they make their first defense in their second reign as IWGP Tag Team Champions. That is often the hardest defense for a team to make, and TMDK lived up to the challenge. There was no hard feelings after the bell, and TMDK could easily earn another shot down the line.
Who do you see challenging Bishamon next? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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