New Japan Pro Wrestling
World Tag League 2019 Night 5
November 21, 2019
Aimesse Yamanashi
Yamanashi, Japan
Watch: NJPW World
WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
YUJI NAGATA & MANABU NAKANISHI (2 POINTS) DEF. HIROOKI GOTO & KARL FREDERICKS (4 POINTS)
Someone needs to sit Manabu Nakanishi down and have a very tough and serious conversation with him. Continuing to wrestle cannot be very good for his health and it’s not very good for my eyes. This match felt like it was in slow motion and only really picked up any momentum when Karl Fredericks got in the ring. I know it’s wrestling and there are no guarantees but Karl Fredericks is as close as you can get to being guaranteed star. Another 2 star classic for the Nagata/Nakanishi duo but don’t worry only 10 more matches to go. **
WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
SATOSHI KOJIMA & HIROYOSHI TENZAN (6 POINTS) DEF. TOGI MAKABE & TOMOAKI HONMA (4 POINTS)
This match had even more dads in it than the previous match, had two guys in Tenzan and Honma that you could also have tough conversations with and was infinitely more enjoyable than the opener. I don’t even think this match was good, it was perfectly adequate. The crowd seemed more into it which obviously helps. Tenkoji wins their third match thanks to another Kojima Lariat. **1/2
WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
MINORU SUZUKI & LANCE ARCHER (4 POINTS) DEF. JEFF COBB & MIKEY NICHOLS (4 POINTS)
This was a pretty fun extended squash. Not sure if that was the intention of this match but it sure came across like one. I died with laughter when ‘Mad’ Mikey took Suzuki to his own corner and chopped him and immediately got socked by Archer standing, classic comedy. Cobb and ‘Mad’ Mikey got some shine towards the end before Nichols got annihilated with the EDB claw. Good match. ***
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WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
JUICE ROBINSON & DAVID FINLAY (8 POINTS) DEF. HIROSHI TANAHASHI & TOA HENARE (4 POINTS)
Tanahashi and Henare have only wrestled the older teams or the meme teams so far to varying levels of decent, so I was excited to see them go up against a team with a little more energy. Saying that, this was a little disappointing but not a bad match by any stretch, in fact, this was quite good. Probably should’ve reminded my expectations that this was a house show in Yamanashi. Juice and Finlay do the little things so well, they just put more ‘oomph’ into everything. Finlay and Henare had a fun little closing exchange before Finlay put Henare away with the Acid Drop. ***1/4
WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA (4 POINTS) DEF. KENTA & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI (4 POINTS)Â
All four men came down to the ring together for this one, which made me think about two things:
- 1 – My laptop needs to be cleaned
- 2 – this is going to be full of bullshit
This wasn’t full of bullshit, which was a very pleasant surprise. Now, I’ll give this the same star rating as the other Bullet Club v Bullet Club match that has happened in this tournament but this was nowhere near as fun. Why is G.O.D winning their matches with cheap roll-ups? I get their heels but they’re also the reigning tag champs surely Yujiro can eat a Gun Stun or something, oh well they’ve won two matches, let’s see if it continues. ***
WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
EVIL & SANADA (6 POINTS) DEF. BAD LUCK FALE & CHASE OWENS (2 POINTS)
This was good…I think. Whenever SANADA is selling I’m bored senseless, pains me to say but man, just so dull. Much like the other EVIL/SANADA matches, this one picks up when EVIL gets in which also allows SANADA to play to his biggest strengths which is fast-paced offense. Fale maybe almost completely washed but he can still be clotheslined over the top rope well. Owens and SANADA are two of the best at closing stretches and they had a nice albeit brief one to finish this one-off. ***
WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
SHINGO TAKAGI & TERRIBLE (4 POINTS) DEF. ZACK SABRE JR. & TAICHI (4 POINTS)
This was the match of the night by quite the margin. This match honestly saved this show from being mind-numbingly dull and has once again proven that Dangerous Tekkerz should just be a tag team at least for a little while. Taichi does his best work against the big bangers and his exchanges with Shingo here were no different. This is was the best Terrible has looked so far as well, which honestly isn’t a high bar but we always love to see improvement. Heaping all this praise on a match and I haven’t even touched on Zack Sabre Jr. who was well Zack Sabre Jr. – always great. Big recommendation. ***3/4
FINAL THOUGHTS
A painfully dull show saved by a notebook teetering main event. Just watch that match unless you’re a masochist. See you for Night 6.
