Csonka’s NJPW World Tag League (Night 2) 11.19.16

Csonka’s NJPW World Tag League (Night 1) 11.19.16

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Block B Match : Yoshitatsu & Billy Gunn vs. Kenny Omega & Chase Owens @ 10:40 via pin [**]
– Block B Match : Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Bad Luck Fale & BONE SOLDIER @ 9:20 via pin [**½]
– Block B Match : SANADA & EVIL defeated Katsuyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata @ 12:02 via submission [***]
– Block B Match : Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI @ 12:12 via pin [**¾]

Yoshitatsu & Billy Gunn vs. Kenny Omega & Chase Owens : KENNY OMEGA AND MR ASS ARE GOING TO PROFESSIONAL GRAPPLE IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2016. Gunn got a warm welcome prior to threatening to show Omega his ass. Gunn worked the opening portion and even in 2016 is way better than Yoshitatsu. While he may be slow these days, he’s at the very least believable. Gunn and Omega worked spots, so, 2016 then. We got some floor brawling, which was really just a time fill; Gun and Yoshitatsu took the heat on Owens as Omega made the save. Yoshitatsu then hit a lariat for 2. Omega cut off Yoshitatsu and choked him out in the corner. He and Owens then double-teamed him in the corner. Yoshitatsu is really bad, in everything. His offense is bad, his selling is bad and he mostly exists to be bad. Omega raked the eyes, as Gunn tried to rally Yoshitatsu to make a comeback. Yoshitatsu finally sent Omega to the floor, but he then pulled Gunn to the floor to stop the hot tag. Gunn got the tag, ran wild on Owens and Omega missed the fameasser and Yoshitatsu got sent to the floor. Gunn fought off Owens, Omega and Owens had miscommunication and Gunn pinned Owens. Yoshitatsu & Billy Gunn vs. Kenny Omega & Chase Owens @ 10:40 via pin [**] This ended up perfectly acceptable, the crowd loved Gunn and he played to them very well. Also, I was irrationally excited to see he and Omega wrestle in 2016.

Block B Match: Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Bad Luck Fale & BONE SOLDIER : When Fale is the best worker on your team, there will be issues. BONE SOLDIER makes Yohshitatsu look like AJ Styles. He must have some major dirt on people to keep a job, like pictures of Gedo fucking a Donkey. Goto and BONE SOLDIER did something resembling spots; this led to Fale and Ishii doing power spots and generally kicking each other’s ass. It was great. They teased the brainbuster on Fale for a bit. BONE SOLDIER then worked “the heat” on Ishii, and I use that term very lightly. Fale and Ishii as a couple of bulls trying to prove who the Alpha male; it entertains me. Ishii finally hit the brainbuster, Goto tagged in Fale accidentally hit BONE SOLDIER and that allowed Goto to make the comeback. Ishii and Fale went wt it again, Fale would cut him off, and then BONE SOLDIER hit a uranage; big splash by Fale 2 on Ishii. Goto and Ishii made he comeback, tossed Fale and then took out BONE SOLDIER, moving as slow as Methuselah. BRAIN BUSTA by Ishii and BONE SOLDIER is done. Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Bad Luck Fale & BONE SOLDIER @ 9:20 via pin [**½] This was nothing special, but I like it better than the opener, due to the Fale vs. Ishii work.

SANADA & EVIL defeated Katsuyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata : EVIL and Shibata to begin, their issues aren’t over and the feud has greatly benefited EVIL. SANADA and Nagata then worked a stretch, as Nagata fired away with kicks to take control. It was nice to see Nagata be so aggressive here. Good control by SANADA on Nagata, Evil in and they took the heat, double-teaming Nagata. Nice teamwork from SANADA and EVIL, smooth and clean. Nagata put a comeback together, Shibata made a save and ran wild with the running corner kicks. He then worked an STF on EVIL, laid in strikes and suplexes as things picked up nicely. Nagata and SANADA again went back and forth, but SANADA hit a missile dropkick and a roll up for 2. The dragon sleeper was applied; Nagata escaped and worked a heel hook as Shibata held off Evil. It broke down, Nagata hit the brainbuster by EVIL made the save. SANADA fought off Nagata, locked in the dragon sleeper but Shibata made the save. Cutter by SANADA, and Nagata kicked out at 2.The dragon sleeper finished Nagata off. SANADA & EVIL defeated Katsuyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata @ 12:02 via submission [***] This was good, they all worked well together, it had a good layout and pacing and also felt like they were trying to win instead of just doing stuff.

Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI: Okada and Makabe did some back and forth early, Makabe and Honma then worked the heat on HASHI as expected. HASHI plays his role very well, selling like a champ before Okada makes the save. He got to fire up on Honma before Okada took control of things, working over Honma. HASHI works well in the Okada little brother role in these matches, he always looks as if he wants to please big brother and do everything he does. But he always comes up a bit short in trying to do so. Nice back and forth from the teams, we got some floor brawling, with Okada and HASHI taking control, working over Makabe, which doesn’t work well because the heat and sympathy is on Honma. But they missed that here. The heat on Makabe lacked, basically existing as nothing more than a segment of the match. He finally fired up, dropping Okada with strikes. HASHI and Okada then double-teamed him; Honma got the hot tag, which had good energy. He hit a falling Kokeshi, and then worked over Okada, hitting the blockbuster for a near fall. Honma getting in a lot on Okada felt odd, should have been HASHI in there. HASHI finally tagged back in, back and forth with Honma, and then Honma hit the stalling suplex for 2. It broke down with all four in, Okada got sent to the floor, buy HASHI avoided the double lariat spot. HASHI locked in the butterfly lock on Makabe; Okada took out Honma, but Makabe survived long enough for Honma to make the save. Makabe then no sold HASHI’s comeback, until HASHI decapitated him with a lariat, Okada back in, full of fire and HASHI hit another lariat for a near fall. Makabe then had enough of that bullshit; planted HASHI with a suplex and Honma took out Okada with a leaping Kokeshi. DOOMSDAYKOKESHI on HASHI, King kong knee drop and HASHI is done. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI @ 12:12 via pin [**¾] Not bad at all, they had some good crowd reactions and a nice homestretch that brought it home nicely.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

Like most world tag league shows, it was solid but unspectacular, with some fun moments.

SCORE: 6.5

BLOCK A STANDINGS
* Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan – 2pts
* Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa – 0 pts.
* Brian Breaker & Leland Race -2pts
* Yujiro Takahashi & Hangman Page -2 pts.
* Manabu Nakanishi & Henare – 0 pts.
* War Machine – 4pts
* Hiroshi Tanahashi & Juice Robinson – 0 pts.
* Tetsuya Naito & Rush – 4pts

BLOCK B STANDINGS
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma – 2pts.
Yoshitatsu & Billy Gunn- 2pts.
Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii – 2pts.
SANADA & EVIL – 2pts.
Katsuyori Shibata & Yuji Nagata – 0 pts.
Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI – 0 pts.
Bad Luck Fale & BONE SOLDIER – 0 pts.
Kenny Omega & Chase Owens – 0 pts.
Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI- 0 pts.

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

Like most world tag league shows, it was solid but unspectacular, with some fun moments.