On the Summer Struggle tour, one of the biggest matches was Tetsuya Naito & SANADA teaming up to take on Dangerous Tekkers for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. After an epic clash, they were able to come out the victors, and boosted the tag team division with this massive win.
Tonight at Tokyo Dome, they enter the semi-main event slot, as they look to defend the titles against the former champions in what could be even better than their first encounter, which remains a Match of the Year contender.
Zack Sabre Jr. Is The Weak Link With A Bum Knee
Naito & ZSJ would start the action, with Naito going for the leg and getting cradled into a pinfall. The knee of ZSJ is banged up and wrapped for this match, and is an easy target but only if you can get to it. Naito would hang with ZSJ in chain wrestling before a clean break, and making some tags. SANADA & Taichi would enter the ring, and engage in a pec popping contest, with SANADA winning by forfeit.
Taichi would go to the ropes as SANADA approached, trying to keep this away from a technical wrestling match. He’s more of a brawler, and would show this as he tripped SANADA up for the Greco Roman Throat Hold in the middle of the ring. This one spilled to the outside, where SANADA & Naito were choked with camera cables and arms alike.
SANADA would be rolled into the ring for ZSJ to take control of with a cravat. ZSJ went to his corner and Taichi waited to get the tag, before doing a choke in the ring. There’s a big difference between a choke and a Greco Roman Throat Hold, despite what some will think. ZSJ would tag in and apply a hammerlock, before SANADA tried to slip out and moved in kind with ZSJ in a beautiful and swift display of chain wrestling.
SANADA won out by sending ZSJ off the ropes and hitting a basement dropkick, and Naito slipped in at the perfect moment to hit a hurricanrana to Taichi. This one again spilled to the outside, but this time with L.I.J on the offensive, as SANADA tied up the knee of ZSJ in the barricade, while Naito dealt with Taichi elsewhere.
SANADA & Taichi Bring Out Some All Japan Pro Wrestling Flair
Back in the ring, Naito would keep on the attack of the knee of ZSJ in the ring. ZSJ would grab at limbs to try to free himself in the corner, with the referee slacking on providing the five count for Naito. Combinación de Cabrón was set up, but with the dropkick hitting the knee instead of the face. ZSJ would again take a dropkick to the knee from SANADA, and he was very much the one legged man in this ass kicking contest, and this one is just getting started.
Naito would tag back in and attack the knee once again, before asking for a standing ten count. ZSJ would take advantage of Naito getting a bit overconfident, and was able to lure him into the neck crank. Taichi tagged in and was in Dangerous T mode, as he launched off a trio of kicks that echoed through the Tokyo Dome. Naito would hit a neckbreaker and tag in SANADA to deal with Taichi.
SANADA was able to hit an Atomic Drop before applying the Paradise Lock, trapping Taichi until would free him with a dropkick. He’d take in the crowd before nailing the basement dropkick, before climbing up top and nailing a crossbody off the top rope. SANADA would exchange strikes with Taichi in the middle of the ring, a mistake with how dangerous of a striker Taichi can be.
Taichi rightfully won out, and would demand SANADA get up and fights, and SANADA complied to cause a double down. ZSJ took Naito off the apron as SANADA & Taichi kept fighting, with SANADA nailing a Misawa style Tiger Driver. SANADA went for a moonsault, with Taichi dodging before ZSJ & Naito fought their way back into the ring.
Tetsuya Naito Punishes ZSJ
All hell had broken loose, before SANADA dodged an axe bomber, hit a dropkick before falling to an axe-bomber. Taichi finally ripped his pants off and looked for the thrust kick, but SANADA hit a rolling savate kick, before applying Skull End. SANADA couldn’t maintain this hold, and Taichi nailed the thrust kick.
ZSJ tagged in, and had to fire himself up to keep in this fight on one leg, but quickly took a kick to the knee. He’d counter a cradle into a pinfall of his own, before getting a near fall off a crucifix pin. ZSJ needed to stay on the mat, and got a roll up but had to take pressure off the leg preventing the three. He’d counter the European Clutch into a pin of his own, nearly causing a double pinfall before Naito broke the hold up.
SANADA looked for a TKO but was countered into the Cobra Twist, before ZSJ was crumbled by a cobra twist. Naito tagged in and absolutely punished ZSJ with some stomps, before throwing him to the mat, before keeping Taichi away. A backbreaker using the ropes dropped him again, and the crowd was on his side as he resisted Gloria.
ZSJ would catch a flying forearm into a Cobra Twist, but couldn’t hold it as Naito hit the knee. The arm was kicked after ZSJ countered a DDT, before hitting one of his own for a two count. SANADA & Naito double teamed ZSJ to set up a pin, but ZSJ survived. Naito would apply a submission hold in the middle of the ring on ZSJ, as SANADA was locked up with Taichi.
Never Doubt The Best Technical Wrestler Around
ZSJ would manage to get the ropes, before being placed on the top rope. He’d manage to apply a triangle hold on Naito, trying to choke him out but SANADA was there to free his partner. ZSJ held on as Taichi stopped SANADA, but Naito was able to make the ropes before SANADA got free and hit a moonsault to break the hold.
Taichi dropped SANADA with Black Mephisto, before Naito nailed Destino on Taichi. Naito would be dropped with a desperate Zack Driver, but ZSJ was unable to follow up. They’d meet the referees ten count, before ZSJ would kick away at Naito. We’d hit the 35 minute mark, as Naito & ZSJ hit major blows at each other, their yells echoing in the arena.
A kick to the knee dropped ZSJ as Taichi dashed in and was met by SANADA. Taichi nailed the Dangerous Backdrop on SANADA, before the Three Point Stance and elbow strike to Naito. ZSJ was on the wrong of the ring, but ran across the nailed a PK to try for a win and getting position for the tag. Instead, they called for the Holy Zack Driver, only for Naito to counter into Valentina. ZSJ would be set for Destino, but quickly countered into the European Clutch for the win.
The IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships finally mean something again. This match could have main evented this show without any issues, as the action and storytelling were beyond top notch. Every single member of this match was on the top of their game tonight, and it was truly something special, just like their last match. ZSJ was an absolute star tonight, giving perhaps his best NJPW performance ever. From ZSJ & Naito telling an incredible story to SANADA & Taichi having an AJPW match, this was simply incredible. Easily the tag team match I’ve ever seen from NJPW. Match Rating: 5/5 (*****)
Can any tag team match top this in 2021? After the match, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI would lay down the challenge to Dangerous Tekkers, or perhaps even SANADA & Naito. Who knows what could come next, but the tag team division is better than ever before in recent NJPW memory. Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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