My NJPW World Tag League 2017 Day 18 Overview

NJPW World Tag League - Day 18

Imabari, Ehime, Japan

Textport Imabari

Network: NJPW World

Attendance: 1,140

NJPW World Tag League 2017 Day 18 Pre-Show Standings
A Block	Points
Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA)	10
Bullet Club (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi)	8
CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)	8
Death Juice (Juice Robinson & Sami Callihan)	8
Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka)	6
Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens)	6
TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima)	6
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi	4
B Block	Points
CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano)	8
Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb	8
Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T)	8
Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)	8
Killer Elite Squad (Vance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.)	8
War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe)	8
Togi Makabe & Henare	0
Muscle Candy (David Finlay & Katsuya Kitamura)	0

Apparently, EVIL and SANADA have won the A Block so tonight will be all about who wins the B Block. Who's going to win it? I have a sneaky suspicion that it will be either G.o.D. or KES.

Match #1

Tag Team Match

Jushin "Thunder" Liger & Tetsuhiro Yagi vs Tomoyuki Oka & Ren Narita

• Oka locks in the Boston Crab on Yagi for the submission win.

Winners: Jushin "Thunder" Liger & Tetsuhiro Yagi

Match #2

Tag Team Match

Manabu Nakanishi & Hirai Kawato vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA)

• Kawato is one of my favorite young lions to watch. He's just great.
• SANADA submits Kawato to the Dragon Sleeper.

Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japon

Match #3

Tag Team Match

CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) vs Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado)

• I can't help but think that the team of Suzuki and Desperado probably would have yielded slightly better matched than the team of Suzuki and Iizuka. Dem iron fingers doe.
• Goto hits the GTR on Desperado for the finish.

Winners: CHAOS

Match #4

Ten-Man Tag Team Match

Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Hangman Page, Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga) vs TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima), Death Juice (Juice Robinson & Sami Callihan) & Yuji Nagata

• Has Nagata ever actually submitted anyone to the Shirome Seated Armbar? I've been following New Japan since the Summer of 2013 and although I don't recall it ever happening, I wouldn't be surprised if it did and I just can't remember. It's just that the crowd always reacts to that move even though it never submits anyone. Is it simply a beloved spot much like The Undertaker's rope walk?
• Juice hits the Pulp Friction on Leo Tonga as Callihan delivers a Diving Body Splash to make it a combo effort. Juice gets the pin for the win.

Winners: TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima), Death Juice (Juice Robinson & Sami Callihan) & Yuji Nagata

Match #5

World Tag League 2017 Block B Match

Tag Team Match

Togi Makabe & Henare (0 points) vs Muscle Candy (David Finlay & Katsuya Kitamura)(0 points)

• Someone's 0 must go! And not in the good, undefeated kind of way.
• Henare impressively picks up the massive Kitamura and lays him out with a Samoan Drop. Makabe then delivers the King Kong Knee Drop for the pinfall.
• After Makabe and Henare head to the back, Finlay and Kitamura embrace and head to the back as Finlay offers words of encouragement. In North American promotions you would probably have Finlay predictably turn on Kitamura here. Instead you are given a little heartfelt moment.

Winners: Togi Makabe & Henare (2 points)

Match #6

World Tag League 2017 Block B Match

Tag Team Match

Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T)(8 points) vs Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.)(8 points)

• This was a great match. You had the giants in KES dealing with the faster tandem of the BFs.
• After a handful of near-falls, KES finish Chuckie off with the Killer Bomb.
• KES are now the only ones in the lead with ten points.

Winners: Killer Elite Squad (10 points)

Match #7

World Tag League 2017 Block B Match

Tag Team Match

War Machine (Raymond Rowe & Hanson)(8 points) vs Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb (8 points)

• This was a good had-hitting match as expected. 
• War Machine hit Cobb with the Fallout for the pinfall.
• War Machine now tie KES with 10 points.
• After the match, War Machine each take one of the young lions from ringside and give them their signature elbow bump. Only upon contact, the young lions reel in pain. I quite enjoyed this as it showed that even a friendly War Machine elbow bump could knock you on your ass. Imagine what an offensive move could do! 
• As far as the awkward Elgin controversy/issues go. Rowe makes it clear that there may still be some beef as he right before he goes through the curtain he makes it a point to say "STILL! FUCK MICHAEL ELGIN!". 

Winners: War Machine (10 points)

Match #8

World Tag League 2017 Block B Match

Tag Team Match

CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano)(8 points) vs The Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)(8 points)

• I have a soft spot for Toru Yano. Some people might groan at his inclusion in these tournaments but I think his inclusion provides a nice break in between all of the hard-hitting action.
• This mas was actually quite hard-hitting in an of itself which was a weird dynamic for this CHAOS team but it works, in my opinion.
• The G.o.D. drop Yano with the Guerrilla Warfare for the pinfall.
• G.o.D. now have 10 points and are tied with War Machine and KES. However, I believe that there aren't any more B Block matches after tonight so some of that good ol' round robin match probably comes into play here.
• It would seem that the announcer has just named The G.o.D. the winners of the B Block, They're embracing and everything. Good to have them do that round robin match for me!
• Ah, I get it now. Tanga Loa has just broken it down for me. Sure there's a three-way tie in the B Block for the lead but none of them beat Tonga & Loa.
• Speaking of Tanga Loa, I feel as though he was a bit of a sleeper in this tournament. People probably think of Camacho or Micah and kind of have a preset picture in their heads. But I feel like he's improved somewhat in this tournament. His promos during this WTL have definitely showcased some of that charisma we haven't really seen from him.  

Winners of the B Block: The Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)(10 points)

Match #9

Six-Man Tag Team Match

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay & Gedo) vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI)

• A fine match between all of these guys that serves as a preview of sorts for all of their upcoming singles matches coming up (sans Gedo/BUSHI). 
• LIJ win when BUSHI lays out Gedo with the MX for the pinfall.
• Naito cuts a promo to end the show in front of the crowd here in Imabari, Ehime who seemed to be pro-LIJ.

Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japon

Overall Thoughts

A fine night of good, hard-hitting pro wrestling. As you can see, I've fallen a bit behind. There's just so much out there to keep up with on top of still maintaining your duties as an adult. I've started to hit my limit with the amount of these NJPW shows. It's Tuesday night and I'm just about to start watching Day 19. Grueling, but the quest must be completed. ONE MORE TO GO!

NJPW World Tag League 2017 Day 18 Post-Show Standings
A Block	Points
Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA)	10
Bullet Club (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi)	8
CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)	8
Death Juice (Juice Robinson & Sami Callihan)	8
Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka)	6
Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens)	6
TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima)	6
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi	4
B Block	Points
Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)	10
Killer Elite Squad (Vance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.)	10
War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe)	10
CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano)	8
Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb	8
Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T)	8
Muscle Candy (Togi Makabe & Henare)	2
David Finlay & Katsuya Kitamura	0