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8/9 NJPW SUMMER STRUGGLE 2021 - SUPER JR. TAG LEAGUE IN TOKYO, JAPAN REPORT

8/9/21 Results for New Japan's Summer Struggle 2021, Super Jr. Tag League continues from Korakuen Hall, Tokyo Japan:

1 - Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tomoaki Honma and Toru Yano vs. Jado, Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens

Owens attacks Yano at the bell and they go to the floor.   Tenzan gets knocked to the floor.  Takahashi and Jado double team Honma.   When it settled into a normal tag match, there was some comedy spots from Owens and Yano.   Yano pins Jado after he hit a double low blow on Jado and Owens.  After the match, Yano grabs the mic and tells Owens to say "I Quit".   Bullet Club pulls Owens from the ring as they retreat.

2 - Togi Makabe, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, SANADA and Tetsuya Naito

When BUSHI's name was being announced, he did his usual pose on the top rope, then hit Ishii with a dropkick.  LIJ attacked.  Chaos was everywhere.   The match settled with Goto getting attacked by Naito and SANADA who focused on his left knee.   Goto was able to tag out to YOSHI-HASHI.  Ishii and BUSHI tagged in and they hammered each other with elbows.  BUSHI did not back down to Ishii and kept fighting with him.   This is the most aggressive that I have seen of BUSHI in a long time.  BUSHI tried to DDT Ishii onto the floor from the ring apron.  Ishii blocked it and tossed BUSHI into the ring.   Ishii went to remove BUSHI's mask again.   LIJ rushed to save him but CHAOS stopped them.   Ishii pushed the referee down and kept trying to untie the mask.   Ishii almost had the mask off when the referee grabbed his arm.  BUSHI was able to keep his face covered.  BUSHI and Ishii tagged out to Takagi and Makabe.  Takagi pinned Makabe with Last of the Dragon.

After the match, Ishii tried to go after BUSHI's mask again.   BUSHI hit him with a high kick in the head.  Ishii started throwing chairs.

Tomorrow, the NEVER Openweight 6-man Tag Team Championship will be on the line, when Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI defend their titles against BUSHI, SANADA and Tetsuya Naito.   Their confrontations leading up this title defense have been increasing with intensity, especially between BUSHI and Ishii.   SANADA and Naito will still have to deal with Goto and YOSHI-HASHI at Wrestle Grand Slam when both teams face Dangerous Tekkers.

Prediction for this match:   I see CHAOS retaining the NEVER 6-man Championship here.  If Goto and YOSHI-HASHI lose the belts, they will lack momentum going into Wrestle Grand Slam.   BUSHI and Ishii are the odd men out in the Tag Team title picture, so their intense fights make sense.  CHAOS will need to win out tomorrow so Goto and YOSHI-HASHI can be seen on the same level as Dangerous Tekkers and SANADA/Naito.

3 - SUPER Jr. Tag League 2021:  El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori vs. Dick Togo and Gedo

Interesting match up here as Bullet Club battles Bullet Club.   All four men did the Two Sweet Salute.   

The bell rang and Togo immediately lay down in the ring.  ELP was happy and went to cover.   Togo kicked out at two.   ELP was questioning Togo's decision to kick out.  Togo tagged out to Gedo.  Gedo laid down in the ring.  ELP covered him.   Togo jumped in the ring and kicked ELP.  Ishimori ran into the ring angry about what was going on.  Gedo tried to calm things down.   Gedo and Togo went to the corner to sort things out.  When ELP and Ishimori had their backs turned, Gedo and Togo attacked them.  Gedo and Togo pulled out all their tricks.   Togo raked the back of Ishimori.   Gedo whipped them with his belt.   ELP and Ishimori rallied back.   ELP hit Togo with body press of the second rope, then a spring board moonsault for a two count.   ELP hit Gedo with a tope con hilo.  ELP then hit a flipping swanton bomb from the middle of the top rope on Togo.   Two count.   The camera caught ELP twisting and adjusting his boot for Sudden Death.   ELP tries for Sudden Death but Togo pokes him in the eye.  Togo rolls ELP into a crucifix pin.   Two count.   Togo counters into a cross face submission.   ELP reverses into an ankle lock.   Both hit lariats which leaves them both laid out.  Ishimori and Gedo tag in.   Ishimori hits a hand spring kick, then locks Gedo in a Yes Lock.   Togo breaks it up.   ELP tosses Togo out.  Gedo hits a superkick on Ishimori.   Two count.  Gedo goes for his brass knuckles.  Togo chokes out Ishimori with his piano wire.  ELP rakes the eyes of Togo.   ELP hits Sudden Death to the gut of Gedo.   Gedo goes flying into the referee.  ELP takes Togo to the floor.  Ishimori takes the IWGP Jr. Tag belt and is about to hit Gedo.   Gedo begs Ishimori not to hit him.   Ishimori throws the belt to Gedo and Ishimori falls to the mat hold his head screaming.  Referee looks at Gedo holding the belt and Gedo is pleading his case.   Eddie Guerrero is looking down and smiling.

Ishimori rolls up Gedo.  Two count.  Ishimori rolls up Gedo again with his foot on the ropes.  Two count.  Gedo tries to roll up Ishimori again.  Ishimori reverses into a Yes Lock.   Gedo goes for the ropes.  Ishimori drags Gedo to the middle and tries for a Bloody Cross.  Gedo blocks it, pokes him in the eye and hits a wicked low blow.  Gedo rolls Ishimori into a pin with the Gedo Clutch.  ELP jumps in the ring and hits Sudden Death.   Gedo is knocked out.  

Ishimori pins Gedo.

Fun match.   Despite both teams being heels, the right team won the match.  Gedo and Togo are background players but they still gave Ishimori and ELP a hard fought battle.

This win puts ELP and Ishimori in 1st place in the Super Jr. Tag League with 6 points.

4 - SUPER Jr. Tag League 2021: Tiger Mask and Robbie Eagles vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado

El Desperado and Kanemaru come to the ring.   They see both DOUKI and Taichi on Japanese commentary.   They pose for a picture for Taichi.

The match began with Eagles and Tiger Mask out wrestling their opponents.   Once the match went to the floor, Suzuki-Gun took control and injured the leg of Eagles.  They kept Tiger Mask on the apron and punished the left knee of Eagles.  Eagles tagged out to Tiger Mask.   Tiger Mask attacked the arm of Desperado and caught him in a cross arm breaker.   Eagles and Kanemaru tagged in.  Eagles stunned Kanemaru with quick aerial kicks.   Kanemaru dropkicked Eagles in his left leg.   Kanemaru trapped him in a figure four leglock.  Eagles gets to the ropes.  Kanemaru hits a reverse DDT for a two count.  Kanemaru misses a Deep Impact and Eagles takes out his left knee.  Eagles hits a Turbo Backpack, but Kanemaru rolls him up for a two count.  Desperado comes into the ring and hits a backdrop on Eagles while Kanemaru kicks Eagles in the head.  Kanemaru covers.  Two count.   Eagles hits three spin kicks to the head of Kanemaru.  Tiger Mask hits a Tiger Driver.  Eagles goes for the pin.  Two count.   Eagles hits a 450 splash on the leg of Kanemaru.   Eagles locks on the Ron Miller Special on Kanemaru.

Kanemaru taps out.   

Tiger Mask and Eagles get the win and 2 points.   This puts them in a tie for 1st place with 6 points.

5 - SUPER Jr. Tag League 2021: SHO and YOH vs. Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi

Wato started the match with SHO.  Pace of the match was slow.  Both tried to hammer each other with strikes.  YOH tagged in but the team work of Wato and Taguchi kept him in their corner.  The pace picked up with both teams hitting their big moves.  Wato hit a crazy tope con hilo over the turnbuckle and the ring post onto YOH who was on the floor.   

Wato pins YOH after an RPP from the top rope.

Both teams started slow but built to a nice climax.  Also, both teams are babyfaces so there was a missing dynamic here without a villain.

YOH looked distraught after the match.  He has taken the pin for his team in three nights in the Super Jr. Tag League.  It will not get easier as they still have to face Suzuki-Gun and Gedo and Togo.  

In the interview area, YOH apologized for his poor performance.  Both he and SHO were upset during their interview.

As I have pondered in the past, YOH and SHO do not dress the same anymore, so I continue to wonder if there will be a split between the two, perhaps a heel turn for YOH.

Super Jr. Tag League Standings:

El Desperado/Kanemaru - 4 points

Tiger Mask/Eagles - 6 points

El Phantasmo/Ishimori - 6 points

Wato/Taguchi - 2 points

SHO/YOH - 0 points

Gedo/Togo - 0 points

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