- Published on
NJPW Best Of The Super Junior 31 - Tag 11
- Authors
- Name
- Tails Azimuth
The Tokyo Times: A Night of Tag Team Excellence and Babyface Brilliance
Korakuen Hall played host to New Japan Pro Wrestling's latest television outing on May 29th, and while the card may have lacked a true main event, it more than made up for it with a series of thrilling tag team matches and some scintillating individual performances.
The show got off to a flying start with Dragon Dia and Ninja Mack taking down KUSHIDA and Shoma Kato in a lively opener. The Canadian duo's chemistry was on full display as they dispatched the veteran pairing, showcasing their high-flying antics and technical grappling prowess. A well-paced 7:30 match that set the tone for the evening.
Next up, TMDK (Robbie Eagles and Zack Sabre Jr.) continued their impressive run of form with a dominating performance against Just 5 Guys (DOUKI and TAKA Michinoku). The TMDK tandem is quickly becoming one of the most feared duos in NJPW, and it's not hard to see why – their combination of strength, agility, and cunning worked wonders against the plucky but outgunned J5G. A tidy 6:05 match that showcased Eagles' aerial prowess and Sabre Jr.'s mastery of submission holds.
The main event of the night, however, was the six-man tag team match featuring Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, and Tetsuya Naito) against BULLET CLUB (Drilla Moloney, Gedo, and Taiji Ishimori). This one had all the makings of a barnburner – six men with no shortage of hatred for each other, all looking to prove their superiority. In the end, it was LiJ that emerged victorious, with Takahashi delivering a Picture Perfect Swanton Bomb to seal the deal. A fantastic 7:24 match that will be remembered for its sheer intensity and unbridled passion.
The individual matches on the undercard were equally impressive. Yoshinobu Kanemaru's Best of the Super Junior 31 Block A win over Clark Connors was a masterclass in technical grappling, with Kanemaru showcasing his incredible submission skills to secure the victory. BUSHI also impressed in his Block A match against Kevin Knight, using his quickness and agility to outmaneuver the larger Knight.
The real standout performance of the night, however, came from TJP, who put together a thrilling 13:21 match with Titan. This was a true back-and-forth contest, with both men trading near-falls and showing no signs of fatigue. In the end, it was TJP's sheer determination and willpower that earned him the win.
The night's other individual matches were equally captivating – Kosei Fujita's hard-hitting victory over Blake Christian and El Desperado's grueling 20:27 win over HAYATA being particular highlights.
All in all, a fantastic night of wrestling from New Japan Pro Wrestling. While it may not have had the marquee matches some fans were hoping for, it more than made up for it with its abundance of exciting tag team action and individual performances that showcased the best of NJPW's talented roster. 4/5
Card Details
- Date: 29 May 2024
- Promotion: New Japan Pro Wrestling
- Arena: Korakuen Hall
- Attendance: 1032
- Type: TV-Show
- Broadcast Type: Live
- Broadcast Date: 29 May 2024
Matches
Dragon Dia and Ninja Mack defeat KUSHIDA and Shoma Kato in a Tag Team Match
Match Time: 07:30TMDK (Robbie Eagles and Zack Sabre Jr.) defeat Just 5 Guys (DOUKI and TAKA Michinoku) in a Tag Team Match
Match Time: 06:05Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito) defeat BULLET CLUB (Drilla Moloney, Gedo and Taiji Ishimori) in a Six Man Tag Team Match
Match Time: 07:24United Empire (Callum Newman and HENARE) defeat House Of Torture (SHO and Yujiro Takahashi) in a Tag Team Match
Match Time: 07:30Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeat Clark Connors in a Best Of The Super Junior 31 Block A Match
Match Time: 03:20BUSHI defeat Kevin Knight in a Best Of The Super Junior 31 Block A Match
Match Time: 08:16TJP defeat Titan in a Best Of The Super Junior 31 Block A Match
Match Time: 13:21Kosei Fujita defeat Blake Christian in a Best Of The Super Junior 31 Block A Match
Match Time: 10:43El Desperado defeat HAYATA in a Best Of The Super Junior 31 Block A Match
Match Time: 20:27