{"id":10398,"date":"2018-10-23T08:28:24","date_gmt":"2018-10-23T08:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/?p=10398"},"modified":"2018-10-23T08:34:16","modified_gmt":"2018-10-23T08:34:16","slug":"njpw-super-junior-tag-league-week-1-review-16-10-22-10-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/2018\/10\/23\/njpw-super-junior-tag-league-week-1-review-16-10-22-10-18\/","title":{"rendered":"NJPW Super Junior Tag League Week 1 Review, 16\/10-22\/10\/18"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Current Standings:<\/p>\n<p>Bushi and Shingo Takagi \u2013 4 pts.<\/p>\n<p>Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) \u2013 4 pts.<\/p>\n<p>Taiji Ishimori and Robbie Eagles \u2013 4 pts.<\/p>\n<p>Jyushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask \u2013 4 pts.<\/p>\n<p>Time Machine (KUSHIDA and Chris Sabin) \u2013 2 pts.<\/p>\n<p>Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado \u2013 2 pts.<\/p>\n<p>Super 69 (Ryusuke Taguchi and ACH) \u2013 2 pts.<\/p>\n<p>Team CMLL (Volador Jr. and Soberano Jr.) \u2013 2 pts.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Going into the Road to Power Struggle this year the big news was that the annual Junior Heavyweight Tag Tournament would be a single block, round-robin format, rather than the knockout format of recent years.\u00a0 In the leadup to the start of the tour both Los Ingobernables de Japon and Bullet Club made noise about looking to add new members to compete in the tournament after Hiromu Takahashi\u2019s injury and the split between The Elite and Bullet Club.\u00a0 At King of Pro Wrestling Shingo Takagi made his debut for LIJ and was announced as BUSHI\u2019s partner for the tournament, which overshadowed the announcement that the Australian Robbie Eagles would be coming in as Taiji Ishimori\u2019s partner.<\/p>\n<p>Both LIJ and Bullet Club looked strong over the first three tournament matches, posting identical 2-1 records.\u00a0 Ishimori and Eagles started out strong with a victory over the veteran team of Liger and Tiger, and followed that up by defeating Super 69, in an emotional showdown between former partners Ishimori and ACH.\u00a0 Their only loss so far came to Roppongi 3K, which could be important since they are also one of the favourites to make it to the final of the tournament.\u00a0 The LIJ team opened with a win over Roppongi 3K, and then followed that with a win over Time Machine, before falling to Liger and Tiger.\u00a0 Both Shingo and Eagles have looked impressive in their debuts (technically Eagles competed on the Australia shows, but this is his debut in Japan) although Ishimori and Eagles have more chemistry than BUSHI and Shingo.\u00a0 The showdown between SHO and Shingo foreshadows a rivalry that I\u2019m sure we will return to in the future, potentially when they are both heavyweight wrestlers.<\/p>\n<p>Roppongi 3K have also had a strong showing in the tournament so far, defeating Bullet Club as well as the tag team champions Kanemaru and Desperado.\u00a0 Their win over Ishimori and Eagles could prove decisive in determining which teams make it to the final \u2013 before the tournament started I predicted that Roppongi 3K would face LIJ in the final at Power Struggle.\u00a0 Liger and Tiger round out the top half of the block and they are the surprise entrants, given that the veteran team just lost a title match and are unlikely to make the final.\u00a0 I expect them to fade as the tournament goes on, but they are likely to play spoiler for some teams who are hoping to make the final.\u00a0 Their match against Ishimori and Eagles, which opened the tournament on the 16<sup>th<\/sup>, was particularly good and there\u2019s something to be said for two veterans who can still turn it on for matches like Liger and Tiger Mask.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Sniper of the Skies!<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RobbieEagles_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RobbieEagles_<\/a> takes out <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Liger_NJPW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Liger_NJPW<\/a> in the Super Junior Tag League on Tuesday<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/njpw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#njpw<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/njpst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#njpst<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lyFlHlorYq\">pic.twitter.com\/lyFlHlorYq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/njpwglobal\/status\/1053181288423710721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 19, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The bottom half of the block contains a couple of surprise names, particularly the tag team champions Kanemaru and Desperado.\u00a0 Whilst I didn\u2019t expect them to make the final, their loss to Taguchi and ACH was particularly surprising.\u00a0 I would expect them to pick up some more wins to keep it competitive as the tournament goes on, particularly targeting the Liger and Tiger match and the CMLL match as winnable.\u00a0 Time Machine have also struggled somewhat in the early going, which is perhaps understandable as KUSHIDA and Sabin have never tagged before.\u00a0 Rather, they were brought together by their mutual tag team partner Alex Shelley, and have impressed even in defeat.\u00a0 They were cheated out of their win against Kanemaru and Desperado, and with their victory over Team CMLL I expect them to go on a winning run.\u00a0 KSUHIDA just won the Junior Heavyweight Title, so I doubt that he&#8217;ll get a Tag Title shot, but at the same time I don&#8217;t see them losing all of their matches.\u00a0 I had mixed feelings about Chris Sabin during Best of the Super Juniors, but he\u2019s definitely impressed during this tournament, and I\u2019m looking forward to seeing more matches from Time Machine.\u00a0 KUSHIDA is such a phenomenal wrestler \u2013 I know some people were upset that he won the title recently, but anytime we get to see him work more I\u2019m happy.<\/p>\n<p>Super 69 have been perhaps my favourite team of the tournament so far.\u00a0 ACH is a fantastic wrestler, and someone that New Japan should be looking to bring in more often that just for the junior tournaments.\u00a0 If he doesn\u2019t get a Junior Title shot at a US show next year at the very least it will be criminal.\u00a0 His offence looks great, he\u2019s incredibly agile as well as able to hit power moves, and his selling is top level.\u00a0 It felt like he spent most of Best of the Super Juniors selling recurring injuries, and his commitment has been no less impressive this time around.\u00a0 Taguchi always brings a lot of comedy, but he can work too, and he partners really well with ACH who has his own comedic chops.\u00a0 They\u2019ve only picked up one win so far, but it was against the tag team champions.\u00a0 I don\u2019t expect them to get too many points in this tournament, but I\u2019ll be supporting them in all of their matches.\u00a0 Rounding out the block is the CMLL team of Volador Jr. and Soberano Jr.\u00a0 Volador is a New Japan regular, but Soberano is making his debut, and he\u2019s looked a bit shaky at times.\u00a0 There have been suggestions that Dragon Lee was supposed to be in the tournament but wasn\u2019t available due to other commitments.\u00a0 I have to admit that I\u2019m not very familiar with CMLL, but I\u2019ve enjoyed seeing this team work from a purely athletic standpoint.\u00a0 They\u2019re most likely in the tournament to take pins, but with matches coming up against Roppongi 3K, Ishimori and Eagles, and LIJ they have the potential to play spoiler for at least one team hoping to make it to the final.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Watch:<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GoGoACH?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@GoGoACH<\/a> shows off his skills against <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/taiji_ishimori?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@taiji_ishimori<\/a> \ud83d\ude32<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/njpw?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#njpw<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/njpst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#njpst<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/khdkVoUDVJ\">pic.twitter.com\/khdkVoUDVJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/njpwglobal\/status\/1052830283974598657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 18, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The first two nights of the tournament were held at Korakuen Hall and the entire card was broadcast on NJPW World, along with full commentary.\u00a0 The two main storylines that they\u2019re building up are Hiroshi Tanahashi\u2019s journey towards challenging Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom, and the feud between CHAOS and the new Bullet Club. \u00a0Most of the members of The Elite aren\u2019t on the tour, so Tanahashi continued his build towards January in six-man tag matches against Kota Ibushi.\u00a0 Jay White and the new Bullet Club faced Kazuchika Okada and CHAOS, seemingly building up to a Wrestle Kingdom match between the two.\u00a0 Although \u2018Road To\u2019 shows are pretty repetitive, these were fun and easy to watch.\u00a0 It was also striking that there was an absence of members of The Elite, who have recently been rumoured to be unhappy with the direction of New Japan.\u00a0 This could be a foreshadowing of developments in January, when the contracts of a lot of the top Elite talent are up.\u00a0 Clearly New Japan are moving pieces into place in case of a loss of talent \u2013 Jay White for example has been built up as a new foreign heel.\u00a0 Frankly, I\u2019m quite happy to have a break from the interminable Elite storylines, which have felt like they\u2019ve come to dominate New Japan recently, particularly with the Kenny-Ibushi-Cody triple threat at King of Pro Wrestling. \u00a0Whisper it, but the Road to Power Struggle cards might even have been better for the absence of The Elite.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Current Standings: Bushi and Shingo Takagi \u2013 4 pts. Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) \u2013 4 pts. Taiji Ishimori and Robbie Eagles \u2013 4 pts. Jyushin Thunder Liger and Tiger [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":10404,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,204,37,22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-featured","category-njpw","category-njpw-reviews","category-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9jnWd-2HI","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/DqFh_zzU0AEXo9C.jpg?fit=600%2C400&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10398"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10398\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10401,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10398\/revisions\/10401"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10404"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowrestlingjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}