New Japan Pro Wrestling issued the following press release announcing that Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask will defend their IWGP Junior tag team titles in a Four-Way against Master Wato/Ryusuke Taguchi, El Desperado/Yoshinobu Kanemari, and Bullet Club’s Taiji Ishimori/El Phantasmo for the promotion’s February 19th event in Sapporo. Full details on the match can be found below.
When new Year’s Golden Series in Osaka saw a pair of singles previews for next week’s scheduled IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag team Championship clash, champions Flying Tigers emerged with a pair of wins, albeit with one coming via disqualification for Tiger Mask.
Yet the champions’ night was not over, as first Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato, and then El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru emerged to throw their at into the contenders’ ring. Desperado and Kanemaru insisted that as former champions, they should have a rematch, while Team Six or Nine, at Taguchi’s behest, said that they deserved a chance more than BULLET CLUB’s Cutest tag Team, after El Phantasmo was disqualified in the Tokyo Dome last month.
Robbie Eagles suggested a four way match, and that bout has now been made official for Sapporo, with the following card change February 19:
1st match
Kosei Fujita, Togi Makabe, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI ->
Kosei Fujita & Togi Makabe vs TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI
6th Match
Tiger Mask & Robbie Eagles vs El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori ->
Tiger Mask & Robbie Eagles vs El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori vs Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
Meanwhile, after Yuto Nakashima received a blow to the head last week in Korakuen Hall, the decision has been made to remove him from cards for the remainder of the tour as a precautionary measure. The following change has been made to the next broadcast card in Korakuen Hall on February 15:
1st Match
Yuto Nakashima vs Great-O-Khan->
Kosei Fujita vs Great-O-Khan
We join fans in wishing Nakashima a speedy return to the ring.