Cero Reviews NJPW World Tag League 2019 Finals

[cero2k]

NJPW World Tag League 2019 Finals
December 8th, 2019
Hiroshima, Japan

I decided to skip the whole tournament, I was burned out after KOPW and all the new wrestling promotions in the US. I did watch Suzuki-Gun vs Suzuki-Gun that I rated about 8.5/10. Anyway, I'm saying this because I'm gonna comment on things that I'm seeing for the first time.

World Tag League 2019 Match
TenKoji (8) vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata (2) - 6.5/10
Grandpas fighting and it showed. You an tell that they're kinda tired from the tournament, but to still be able to deliver this match is truly a compliment. The match was great for an opener, Kojima and Nagata tried to go fast, Nakanishi tried top rope moves. Nagata submitted Tenzan to win.

World Tag League 2019 Match
BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens) (12) vs. Colt Cabana & Toru Yano (16) - 5.5/10
First time I get to say it, I LOVED the Yano/Cabana Match up theme. Match was as expected, tons of comedy with some ok wrestling here and there. Cabana pinned Owens with the Superman Pin after a Yano low blow.

World Tag League 2019 Match
Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls (14) vs. El Terrible & Shingo Takagi (12) - 7.5/10
Jeff Cobb vs El Terrible, how many times did I ask Santa Claus for this match and I finally got it. The match was good, mostly when Cobb and Shingo were in the ring, but I won't take anything away from Nicholls who was a good guy to set up a lot of stuff for Cobb, and Terrible, who is a great base. I thought the match was really slow a some points, which is usually a Cobb thing, but it made Shingo and Terrible's work look kinda weird since both usually go faster. Nicholls pinned Terrible with a Mikey Bomb.

World Tag League 2019 Match
Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks (6) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare (4) - 8/10
Henare changed this attire for this tournament, he doesn't have that stupid 'savage' trunks, now he looks like a legit wrestler that can build a character out of himself and his wrestling, and not about being 'Tongan'. Great improvement.

This was a really well wrestled match, all four men are great, with Henare and Fredericks really coming around hard. My big takeaways from here is that I wouldn't mind seeing Tanahashi spend 2020 in the NEVER division against Goto, KENTA, Ishii, and the rest.

Henare won with the Toa Henare on Fredericks.

Post-match - Lights went out and we got a video of Chris Jericho telling Tanahashi that time is running out and that he's going to retire him. Tama then cut a promo on Jericho saying that he expected Jericho to be there, not just a video, that he doesn't plan to retire anytime soon, and that it will be Jericho's final match.

World Tag League 2019 Match
BULLET CLUB (KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi) (16) vs. Suzuki-gun (Lance Archer & Minoru Suzuki) (16) - 7.5/10
Suzuki vs KENTA is one of those 'dream' match ups that KENTA has left in NJPW and we got a good glimpse of what it could be here. Suzuki and KENTA went after each other from the start while Archer beat the shit out of Yujiro, it got to the point that I was cheering for Yujiro to make the tag like a babyface in peril. Suzuki and KENTA got into a slap fest that Suzuki arguably won.

I really liked the team of KENTA and Yujiro, they looked tiny next to Archer, but I like the look and some of the tag moves they have. Yujiro actually looked luke a bigger deal here. Archer won with the EBD Claw on him tho.

Post-match - Suzuki-Gun beat up some YLs when suddenly, Jon Moxley's music hit. Mox came out and got face to face with Archer. Dropped him and Suzuki with Deathrider DDTs. Mox took the mic and challenged Archer to a Texas Deathmatch at Wrestle Kingdom. He tried to put Archer on a table, but Archer woke up and fought back and brawled their way to the back.

Six Man Tag Team Match
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, SHO & YOH) vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Kota Ibushi & Tiger Mask - 8/10
The feud of Okada and Ibushi has been getting heated up a lot during the tournament dates, they've been taking each other our in the post-matches, and in the last one, it was Okada that had the upper hand drop kicking Ibushi down mid-springboard. This time around, Ibushi was pissed and jumped Okada to start the match.

Match saw CHAOS work over Tiger Mask enough that even Liger wanted a piece of Okada, who was in full heel mode tonight. Liger got the hot tag and kicked YOH's ass. We got a little bit of Okada vs Liger, with the latter hitting Shotei right before tagging in Ibushi, so him and Okada could do their thing. Last two were Ibushi and SHO, with Ibushi winning with a Kamigoye and Bomaye combo.

Post-match - First off, Ibushi and Okada got in each other's face again, this time around, Ibushi straight up swung the briefcase on Okada's head and knocked him cold. Young Lions, R3K, and Tiger Mask all separated him from killing Okada, who got carried to the back, but Ibushi followed after him to the back.

Back in the ring, Ryu Lee, the former Dragon Lee, came up in the screen and challenged Liger to a match before he retires. Liger put over Ryu Lee, but he said there was someone else he wanted to wrestle, Hiromu Takahashi. He challenged both to team up and take him on at Wrestle Kingdom. Hiromu + Dragon Lee = Dream Tag Team.

World Tag League 2019 Match
CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI) (20) vs. Guerrillas Of Destiny w/Jado (24) - 7/10
Ok match, well wrestled and all, but I will never be able to get into YH being a babyface in peril, nor him making comebacks. The match was kinda boring until Ishii got the hot tag and the match picked up some speed. CHAOS was already eliminated in the tournament, but were looking to play spoiler and they did, managing also to pick up a in over the champions when YH pinned Roa with an Inside Cradle.

World Tag League 2019 Match
David Finlay & Juice Robinson (24) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) (26) - 9/10
This was awesome, easily the match of the night. I'm totally digging the team of Finlay and Juice, it makes Finlay look like part of the heavyweight roster and not a C-Block guy, and it gives us another side of Juice, who has been tagging before, but this looks like HIS team and not the random pair up.

Introductions made sure to tell us that LIJ has won the last two Leagues, giving us the impression that them winning again wouldn't be that out of this world, so all their near falls had a certain weight to them.

The match was back and forward from the get go, you could say that Finlay was the babyface in peril at times, but it was mostly because he was in there taking on both SANADA and EVIL at the same time, time-wise, Juice was barely in the match at all. This gave Finlay the opportunity to have a ton of near falls, kickouts, and just look super strong, ending with him hitting Acid Drop on EVIL for the pin.

I wouldn't say this was Finlay's breakout performance, but 2020 should be good for him.

Post-match - All the NJPW home team guys came out to celebrate with Fin and Juice (even Tanahashi), they had Zimas (sponsor) and gave them a bath. Fin and Juice made their challenge to G.O.D. for the tag titles at Tokyo Dome. Tama Tonga accepted via middle finger. Everyone celebrated after. Happy ending.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
Good show for NJPW, nothing outstanding other than Finlay's performance and the storyline developments, but a solid close to the tag league tournament.

[Big Red Machine]

Either you meant to put this in the other sub-forum, or you've given NJPW a downgrade.

[cero2k]

Either you meant to put this in the other sub-forum, or you've given NJPW a downgrade.

moved. thanks.

[Earth Child]

Pretty sure Toa Henare is a Kiwi

But doesn’t matter, sounds like a show worth seeking out!

I’m seeing Liger in his final Australian appearance this Saturday. Super excited. He is teaming with Robbie Eagles taking on Bad Luck Fale and Jack Bonza

[cero2k]

Pretty sure Toa Henare is a Kiwi

you are correct. i'm actually not even sure if they've made proper reference to where he's from, but i do remember the actual Tongans wanted to recruit him, maybe that's were i got it from

[Big Red Machine]

Pretty sure Toa Henare is a Kiwi

you are correct. i'm actually not even sure if they've made proper reference to where he's from, but i do remember the actual Tongans wanted to recruit him, maybe that's were i got it from

They have made reference to it. Every time Kevin Kelly calls him a Maori, which is about eight times a match.

[cero2k]

They have made reference to it. Every time Kevin Kelly calls him a Maori, which is about eight times a match.

oh ok, i don't listen to KK

[Earth Child]

They have made reference to it. Every time Kevin Kelly calls him a Maori, which is about eight times a match.

oh ok, i don't listen to KK

Do you watch with the Japanese commentary?
Or just tune him out?

[cero2k]

Do you watch with the Japanese commentary?
Or just tune him out?

Japanese commentary, much more passion in those guys.