World Tag League hit up its second straight night in Korkauen which pretty much guaranteed that this show was going to be worth a watch. That company + that venue very rarely leads to anything below great.
The hallowed halls of Korakuen. Damn, it was nice to see Tag League back within its walls. I think we’re over halfway through this thing? With everyone having wrestled a different number of matches, it’s hard to tell, but we have to be, right? It finishes next week, so we better be.
I’m struggling to remember a world in which I wasn’t reviewing World Tag League shows. What did I do with my time when I wasn’t watching perfectly fine but incredibly dull tag-team wrestling? Oh, I remember, I watched other wrestling. On with the show!
I want to point out that while I have been moaning about World Tag League, I review this stuff because I fucking love it. A mediocre New Japan show is still better than most things in life, and all my whining comes from the heart. Anyway, we’re onto Komatsu for another line-up of potential three-star matches. Will it deliver? Time to find out.
The totally fresh match-up that we’ve all been screaming for. Credit: NJPW
Tag League trundled on into Aichi with FinJuice, CHAOS and LIJ proving themselves the early contenders. I don’t think there are any surprises there? GOD dropping a couple of falls is a slight shock, but even that doesn’t blow my mind. The champs don’t need to win, do they? Anyway, as I explained in my previous review, unless something incredible happens (in this use of the word, incredible means a good match) I’m keeping these short.
From now on, unless something remarkable happens, these reviews are going to be speedy. A paragraph per a match feels about right because quite frankly I’m already putting too much time into them by watching the damn things.
I don’t think I’d quite appreciated how long this Tag League is. Each team is wrestling fifteen matches. FIFTEEN! Was this put together specifically to torture poor Nakanishi? There’s a chance he won’t survive this. Won’t someone think of the Dads!
After two enjoyable shows in Korakuen, World Tag League hit the road, and this was the big test. If this tournament is going to earn its official status of ‘actually good’ then the fun has to continue through these smaller shows. Can they do it? Let’s find out.
Korakuen Hall is a magical place. I am finally heading out to Japan over New Year, and while I can’t wait for the Dome show and the crowning of Naito Two Belts (please, Gedo-san), I can’t imagine even that will overshadow the moment I sit in Korakuen Hall for the first time. Something about that place brings the best out of wrestlers, and the previous day’s Tag League show was a perfect example of that. Could that magic linger for another night? I’m not going to bet against it.
The self-hatred continues with night two of World Tag League. Although I quite enjoyed the previous day, so I can’t moan too much. Throw in the fact New Japan was in Korakuen, and there was every chance we’d get a decent show.