New Japan Pro Wrestling
World Tag League 2018 Night 11
November 30, 2018
Korakuen Hall
Tokyo, Japan

Watch: NJPW World

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 MATCH
Togi Makabe & Toa Henare (6) Def. Shota Umino & Ayato Yoshida (0)

The Young Lions matches are technically well performed, but they are the exact same matches and I’ve seen it now eight times in two weeks and my enthusiasm for it is waning. **3/4

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 MATCH
Beretta & Chuckie T (10) Def. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi (2)

This was just a paint by numbers average match. Nakanishi on a high from the night before tried a cross body to the outside but caught his leg on the top rope but thankfully it didn’t end badly. The best part of all this was Chuckie acting like nothing happened yesterday when he snapped, and Beretta was looking at him cautiously, then when they hugged Chuckies’ face turned back to that blank stare he had the night before. It’s refreshing to not be hit over the head with a subtlety hammer in an angle like this. **3/4

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 MATCH
Juice Robinson & David Finlay (10) Def. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (6)

I guess this was better than the previous two matches? Maybe? I don’t know man; these are all the same matches. I do like the Juice-Finlay combo finish though. **3/4

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 MATCH
Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka Def. Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi

This show is stealing my soul. What a polar opposite to the night before. Another fine but boring match. I actually forgot who won, and had to look it up and I’m writing this a few hours afterward. Tells you all you need to know. **1/2

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 MATCH
Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. (10) Def. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi (10)

Was this good? I don’t know, but it was the best thing on the show up until this point. The Taichi/Archer count out spot was at least more interesting than anything on the show so far and Zack did an awesome counter to the pounce into a guillotine. ***

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 MATCH
Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano (12) Def. Michael Elgin & Jeff Cobb (8)

Now, THIS is what I want in my pro wrestling! I love Tomohiro Ishii with every fiber in my body. He is one of the three or four wrestlers that still fills me with that child-like heart in mouth, edge of seat cheering him on feeling, and that’s exactly what I got during the closing stretch of this match. Maybe I’m overrating this because I’ve just sat through five pretty average matches but I don’t care! Ishii to the rescue. ****

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 MATCH
Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (12) Def. EVIL & SANADA (12)

First five minutes of this was really good, middle five was very average, the five minutes after that and the closing stretch – very, very good. G.O.D had to use a new finish to finally win the match, that’s right they’re starting to use the Gedo and Jado super powerbomb, well that’s the feeling I got when Tama was saying they’re “keeping the tradition alive” to the camera afterward. A very good wrestling match. ***3/4

Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo Def. Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, KUSHIDA & Rocky Romero

There’s not a whole lot I can say about this. I thought it was slightly better than last night’s main event. I also had another thought – what if they’re not saving the two vs. two Okada/Tana match for a New Beginning show but for the main event of MSG? I don’t know I’m just spitballing here guys. ***1/2

Final Thoughts:

Just watch the final two League matches, the main event is pretty good but also entirely skippable. I will never think about this show again except for Ishii saving it from disaster.