New Japan Pro Wrestling
World Tag League 2019 Night 8
November 25, 2019
Yoshitsune Arena
Ishikawa, Japan

Watch: NJPW World

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
SATOSHI KOJIMA & HIROYOSHI TENZAN (8) DEF. TORU YANO & COLT CABANA (8)

This was a perfectly acceptable wrestling match to open the show. We have gotten to the stage in the tournament where the first 2 or 3 matches every night are starting to feel very similar so there really isn’t much to discuss. Tenkoji are now on 8 points though and starting to break out of the middle of the pack, could we be seeing a dream run here? **1/2

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
JUICE ROBINSON & DAVID FINLAY (12) DEF. YUJI NAGATA & MANABU NAKANISHI (2)

If you’re looking for any new takes on what I think of these Nakanishi tags, then you’ve come to the wrong place. This is one of the big problems with reviewing all these shows, not even halfway through the tournament (how?!) and I’m starting to repeat myself. Here’s something new, Nagata and Nakanishi’s magic number for elimination is 2, meaning if Finjuice (or the other teams that get to 12 points today) get two more wins or Nagata and Nakanishi lose 2 more times, they are mathematically eliminated. **1/4

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
JEFF COBB & MIKEY NICHOLS (10 POINTS) DEF. HIROSHI TANAHASHI & TOA HENARE (4 POINTS)

Hey, this pretty good. Mikey and Cobb are really starting to hit their straps as a team. Henare was great as well as always, you just have to wonder when his time for a bigger role will come. Cobb and Henare have some entertaining hard-hitting exchanges and Mikey is starting to put together some really nice finishing sequences. Tanahashi and Henare’s magic number is 3, which as a reminder, means if the table leaders get 3 more wins or they suffer 3 more losses, they are gone. ***1/4

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
MINORU SUZUKI & LANCE ARCHER (8) DEF. SHINGO TAKAGI & TERRIBLE (6)

This one started with some crowd brawling, now I’m not so hot on NJPW crowd brawling, it’s always very similar. It can however if sone sparingly, add to the match. This is third Suzuki/Archer match in a row with crowd brawling and it is officially no longer adding to the match. The live crowd loves, but they are also most likely not watching every show. I hope New Japan pulls the trigger on the Shingo/Suzuki match, they have great chemistry. Oh yeah this match, it was good. ***

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA ( 8) DEF. HIROOKI GOTO & KARL FREDERICKS (4)

This was so boring, the bad type of G.O.D match. I have talked about World Tag League for 8 shows and I have 9 to go, I can no longer waste my energy on this. KENTA coming down and distracting Goto was interesting then he laid the boots into him which was great. We might not be getting Shibata but they are doing a great job of building that match. This match however? *fart noise. ***

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
TOMOHIRO ISHII & YOSHI-HASHI (12) DEF. TOGI MAKABE & TOMOAKI HONMA (6)

This is kind of a weird one. I can recognize the work in this, for the most part, was fine, even good in parts but I was not connecting with it at all. Just staring blankly at my computer screen for this one folks. Ishii and YH have got themselves to an equal table-topping 12 points. **1/2

WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2019
EVIL & SANADA (12) DEF. KENTA & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI (6)

The second time we’re seeing KENTA tonight after attaching Goto earlier. This was a good match but a pretty poor main event. No real… life to it, just 4 guys going through the motions. There was a lot of Yujiro in this one, which is never a net positive especially considering who his partner is. There was even a kind of dull closing stretch to this one. I’ll give this the benefit of the doubt because it is the 4th or 5th night in a row on the road for these guys, so I’ll give them a pass. ***

FINAL THOUGHTS

Worst show of the tour. Skip.