We’re into double figures as night ten of World Tag League rolls into town. Well, it actually hit ten around a week ago, but it’s only just got to my flat. I’m going to stop blabbering and start reviewing.
We’re somehow onto night nine of World Tag League which is even more mental when you consider the rest of the world is at fifteen or something daft like that. That’s a lot of shows full of wrestling that most people are never going to think about again. I guess it’s different if you see it live. Or if you decide to write reviews about it all… on with the show!
Another seven-match show from New Japan. That’s a lot of wrestling to get through, or at least it feels like it. In reality, it’s quite a reasonable amount, and by New Japan standards these matches are kept quite short, so I shouldn’t be complaining. It’s unlikely anyone is about to wrestle a thirty-minute draw.
There are seven tournament matches on this show. SEVEN! Are you kidding my New Japan? I sat down assuming it was going to be another three or four match job, a quick review before bed. SEVEN! Jesus Christ. Well, better get on with it.
Night six of World Tag League and I suspect I am never going to catch-up with this damn tournament. Still, I reviewed every match of Best of the Super Juniors, the G1 and Super Junior Tag League, so I’m sure as hell not going to fall at the final hurdle. Plenty of people want to read out of date reviews of a mediocre competition, don’t they?
Night three and I don’t have much to say. It’s a single cam show which would generally lead to a drop in the effort levels. However, no-one tries in this tournament anyway, so I doubt it’s going to make a difference. Let’s get it over and done with.
I went straight into the review on night one and didn’t mention that World Tag League has ditched the two group format in favour of every team being chucked into the one. It makes for a rather unwieldy block, and I’m a bit worried New Japan is going to produce another three-way dance in the final. Fingers crossed I’m wrong. Anyway, that’s a while off, so let’s focus on night two and all the fun that entails.
It might surprise you to know that New Japan ran a show in America recently. Has anyone made that joke yet? Yes, it’s true, New Japan’s latest trip to the US didn’t quite have the hype their previous journeys did. I’m not necessarily sure that’s a disaster, though. The more they come, the less exciting it will be, that’s only natural. They did recently sell out Maddison Square Gardens (let’s not pretend ROH had anything to do with that), so it can’t be going that badly. Anyway, I’m not actually that bothered by how big New Japan’s crowds are. I’m more interested in good wrestling. Time to find out if they delivered.
Destruction rolls into Beppu with, at least on paper, the weakest main event of the tour. The last time Suzuki and Naito faced off, it wasn’t great, but two guys that talented can’t muck it up again, can they?
Destruction in Hiroshima, an event name that will always make me cringe. I assume NJPW know what they’re doing with it, but from the outside looking in? Yea, I might change that one. Anyway, that’s not the important part. The important part is that it’s headlined by Kenny Omega vs Tomohiro Ishii. That is never going to be a bad thing. Go murder him, Wide Tom!