Many moons ago I started reviewing World Tag Team League. It should not have been an epic task, yet it became one. However, today, I shall finish my quest with this review of the third and final day. A show in which the tournament itself takes centre stage as we have the last group matches and the final. It’s been one hell of a weekend, so it’s time to find out if wXw stuck the landing.
This review is very late, a situation that you can blame on New Japan’s Super Junior Tag League.
wXw were forced to change the main event of World Tag Team League’s second night as an injury to everyone’s least favourite da, Absolute Andy, morphed the triple threat into a straight-up match between Ilja Dragunov and Bobby Gunns. However, rather than removing the title from the equation, they’ve taken a leaf out of MMA’s book and made it for the Interim Title. That’s exciting, isn’t it?
EVIL’s walls came crashing down. Credit: NJPW
After a decent, if unspectacular, Super Junior Tag League, New Japan rolled into their final major show of the year, Power Struggle. They’ve put together one hell of a card too, as it’s one of the strongest collections of matches you’re likely to see without the Heavyweight Title being defended. With a section of the NJPW fanbase in a bit of a grump recently, this might be what they need to turn the mood around.
Disgraceful behaviour from Red Shoes. Credit: NJPW
One of these matches is pivotal in deciding who goes to the final of this tournament and the other means fuck all. Considering the levels of effort put into this tournament when they were still supposedly wrestling for something, I’m a bit worried about what the match for pride will look like. We must treat every New Japan day like it’s Christmas, though. They might surprise me yet.
Shingo controls the ring. Credit: NJPW
New Japan has split the final four group matches of the Super Junior Tag League onto separate shows, but I’m going to review them in groups of two rather than doing a piece for each one. Both of today’s bouts have potential final implications, so they at least hold some interest.
Every Halloween I choose a horror franchise and watch it from start to finish. In the past, I have dived into Nightmare On Elm Street, Halloween and Friday the 13th. This year’s brand of torture was Saw, enjoy.
He’s a creepy wee fucker.
A serial killer who doesn’t kill. That’s the intrigue at the heart of the Saw films. Instead, Jigsaw’s victims are placed within a game. A game in which you may face great pain or even the loss of a limb, but in which it is always possible to survive. Why? Because Jigsaw is dying of cancer, and with that knowledge weighing him down he looks at the world and sees humanity wasting their lives. He wants them to understand how incredible it is to be alive.
It was nice of Despy to cover BUSHI’s face for him. Credit: NJPW
I’m not going to change my tournament long policy of ignoring the undercard, but it would be remiss to not mention what happened in the final multi-man match of this show. In what has become a common theme, The Firing Squad went after Okada post-match and Tanahashi made the save. This time, rather than rejecting the Ace’s help, Okada embraced in. In fact, Okada and Tanahashi shook hands while Korakuen Hall exploded. I watched that moment spoilt, yet it still gave me goosebumps. It’s so much more than a handshake, it’s the greatest feud in pro-wrestling coming full circle. Okada and Tanahashi gave the Juniors an impossible moment to follow just by clasping hands.
Taguchi has his fighting face on. Credit: NJPW
We now live in a world where Lanny Poffo is commentating on New Japan shows. That’s a world I distrust. I’ve got nothing against Lanny Poffo, it’s just fucking weird. Anyway, we’re back in Korakuen which means we’re getting four tournament matches and hopefully a smidge more effort.
Working the arm. Credit: NJPW
New Japan’s Super Junior Tag League has sadly been a bit flat so far. There’s not much about it that I’d describe as bad, and yet, it’s hardly got the blood pumping. It’s been fine with a couple of spots where it’s leapt above that level to good and just the one (back on the first night) where it managed to hit great. Sadly, I doubt this single-camera show will be the moment that changes, but you never know.
Tiger gets kicky. Credit: NJPW
The Super Junior Tag League rolls on and, to be honest, I don’t have much to say in this intro. It’s another one camera show with only two matches on it, so we know not to expect much. Hopefully, someone will surprise us.
