00:00You know, Chris, on paper, just another eight-man tag team match on tonight's card, but I got to tell you, I'm incredibly excited to see this one here tonight, knowing that it contains all three of the Dragon Gate stars that showed out in this year's game.
00:30Super Junior Tag League, including this team, Kushida and Yuki Yoshioka.
00:35Well, including two teams coming together in one sense, because I think a lot of people are surprised Yuki Yoshioka was in Super Junior Tag League.
00:44That team decided after Dragon Dire and Yusuke Taguchi were already booked into the tournament itself, because Yoshioka and Dragon Dire, on their own right, tag team champions in Dragon Gate.
01:00Not just Tanahashi's final homecoming, but Yuki Yoshioka's homecoming tonight, from the same city of Ogaki, here in Yusuke.
01:12The similarities between Yoshioka and Tanahashi, Walker and Kani, not only from Ogaki City, but we're into the same area, same area in school.
01:25Both members of the baseball club in junior high, and that all led to Tanahashi allowing Yoshioka to inherit the high-fly flow.
01:34There are some times in professional wrestling, Chris, that especially some of our younger athletes, men like Dragon Dire might enter a massive stage like New Japan Pro Wrestling, a Vesco Super Junior, a Super Junior Tag League.
01:59And though you may not be positioned exactly to walk away with the whole thing based off your experience level, but what you can have to hope for is continuous year-on-year improvement.
02:10That is exactly what we've seen over the past two years for Dragon Dire and Yusuke Taguchi.
02:15Well, yeah, we've seen it certainly for Dragon Dire in the singles rank, from his first best of the Super Junior outing to his second, and here in the tag league, negative win-loss record last year, into a positive this year.
02:26And here's the Z-Dragon Dire.
02:33And Yusuke Yusuke and the Decourage Tag Team opened the Swingate Champions, making their NJPW debut as a duo, I guess we could say, even though the duo is Dire and Toguchi.
02:52We'll see you next time.
03:21Well, Tiger Mask wasn't the only cat to hit Osaka last night,
03:38especially following Tiger Mask's whole matchup alongside Yamato.
03:43It was a unique shift from Yamato by the end of the matchup
03:47that led to Yamato and Tiger Mask putting up their only two points on the board.
03:52And Tiger Mask ending his final Super Junior Tag League in his career with a victory.
04:01Yamato taps into his evil Yamato's side.
04:09Black Tiger being, well, with Black Yamato being Kurok, Tiger Mask is a cat.
04:14So they were Kuro, Neko, and Yamato.
04:16You would only get that if you lived in Japan.
04:20You're right, I don't get it.
04:21It's kind of like FedEx.
04:24I mean, FedEx is not a catchy UT name, you know?
04:28You're talking about the delivery service?
04:29Yeah.
04:30Uh-huh.
04:33We're going to move past that one and move into talking about...
04:35I think Yamato's more the type to steal your Amazon package on the delivery.
04:39Yeah, well, I'd have to agree with you there.
04:41El Desperado and Kukai couldn't steal much in the way of wins
04:44when it came to Super Junior Tag League this year.
04:46Ended the run, though, for Kushida and Yuki Oshioca just yesterday
04:51as Kushida and Yuki Oshioca attempted a tie on the final night of Block B.
04:56Desperado and Kukai walk away with four points on the board when all is said and done.
05:00I see a little bit of advice.
05:20I see a little bit of advice that I could find in Korea.
05:23I see a lot a lot of upside in this kid Kukai you know I think it's taken the
05:38moments to shine and they just put it together to get that last win on Super
05:43Junior Tag League this year I think it's been a difficult to specifically
05:48mentally for El Desperado you know when you have such a dominant singles run and
05:52in a you know a very highly contentious manner the way that it did for Desperate
05:57Corcoran Hall last month you know I mean that's kind of kind of put you on a
06:01downer and I think that's really the what led to the results of just being two
06:06and three over Super Junior Tag League certainly not the state of affairs El
06:13Desperado hoped for heading into this year's Super Junior Tag League hell I
06:16mean who's to know if Desperado would have even competed in this year's Junior
06:20Tag League had he remained IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion right now the path to
06:25Tokyo Dome for not just Desperado but really all eight of these men even
06:30barring the Dragon Gate contingent of course well I mean you never know I mean
06:34we've had all sorts especially in the Japan Rambos things like that good
06:39showing out certainly this year Wrestle Kingdom started with the New Japan
06:43Rambo where the winner got a shot the World Heavyweight Championship and that
06:46turned out to be Hiroki Goto look what happened so we're still incumbent our main event
06:51Hiroki Goto can all skates catch to the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship up for grabs
06:55Goto looking for his second reign with a big gold we're gonna see if Goto can
07:00accomplish that here tonight when we talk about championship matches coming up by
07:04the way Dragon Daiya and Yuki Yoshioka 24 hours from now we're gonna make their
07:07way back to Osaka to defend the Open the Twin Gate Championship
07:11look at that great teamwork there Yoshioka knew exactly where Daiya was in the sport into that
07:16Tiharis Daiya and Yoshioka taking on Jackie Kamei and Rita coming up tomorrow in Osaka for
07:24those Open the Twin Gate titles and the DeGarage team getting the show out here tonight in a major
07:29way as Daiya wow standing moonsault picture perfect on Kuka you know as far as we're aware when it comes
07:41to really a majority of this matchup Kukai Yamato Kushida Daiya and Yoshioka as well might be the last
07:51opportunity to really show out and prove something to the New Japan Pro Wrestling officials well yeah I
07:55mean I think if you're Yamato Daiya Yoshioka I mean they have a home base in Dragon Gate Kukai really
08:01doesn't you know I mean and this is a thing we talked about him gambling on himself relinquishing
08:06a championship he held in Mexico to be able to compete here in New Japan Pro Wrestling so when
08:11you're doing that and you're a freelancer as Kukai is you know it's really about what have you
08:16done for me yet lately getting that recency bias and making sure the matchmakers sit up and
08:20take noise of you tonight yeah well what have you done for me recently is a conversation we are sadly
08:28about to have to have when it comes to El Desperado in the junior division at the very least touch in
08:32the corner though Kushida making that tag to Yoshioka this is the team that we saw in Super Junior Tag
08:38League this year put up a shocking win record for two men who had never truly interacted with each
08:43other up until this year's tournament they hadn't had a conversation the first time they
08:47talks Walker puts it puts backstage at Corrigan Hall two hours before they went out and wrestled so
08:53when you think about that really really tremendous teamwork all right you know I mean obviously Yuki
08:58Oshiyoko great very successful tag team wrestler but you know I mean Kushida just a master of really
09:04working well with absolutely everybody bringing out the best and that's why it's such a good coach for
09:08the NJPW Academy you're right about that it's cultivated such talent like young lion Jane Jay so on and so forth
09:14and Kushida looking to cultivate a victory here tonight at the Tanahashi final homecoming
09:20yeah a lot of words by the way NJPW Academy the the winter intake rather starts in January January the 6th I believe
09:29classes start you can sign up NJPW 1972 to come no better place to start your journey in professional wrestling get some inspiration off the back of the
09:38the Tokyo Dome January 4th and two days later you ship out to Carson California
09:43El Descarado Akukai on opposite sides here and both sides are going to be needing that tag here comes
09:51Yuki Oshiyoka here comes Yamato these men know each other quite well Yamato found himself a lot more
09:59self-serving I would argue than serving on the side of Tiger Mask up until the very end
10:04well but they they put it together finally yesterday we find out what what it was you know
10:09I mean they were going let's go for it let's try it and Tiger was never really sure until yesterday they
10:16were able to use that combination we're gonna see if Yamato and Tiger Mask go for it Yamato's called for this a
10:25lot throughout this series some nights he's seen it other nights he has it takes him it takes a few
10:35attempts to get going well especially as you get up there in age exactly you know I mean I find it
10:41recently but you know I mean once once it's done it's done you know it's no stopping you can't take it
10:47back either Yoshi Oka now over the top here up the rope for Yuki and Yamato back he wants it again
10:55definitely do it this time I believe he can I don't know if he will though I think I can I think I can
11:05do it and Yoshi Oka turns it over I think therefore I am that's Rene Descartes
11:15I think they're four I am that's Rene Descartes
11:17Ryu skates Gucci now making the tag in the blue corner it's kind of a not quoting Rene Descartes
11:22that's why you're the announcer of the air well that's what they said there we go tag made in the red corner as well Tiger Mask in
11:29Ryu skates Gucci and one of that full shot to the funky weapon tonight courtesy of the Tiger
11:38could we be about to see what these two men were looking for alternate long go to hospital down to
11:53the knees I think this is it Walker that combination and Tiger Mask into the cover two count only
12:03the question is now they've done it and it didn't bring them the match right what can they do next
12:13well I think there's also a that in a there and a lot of other a lot of other words to use as well
12:18he's on fast I can't tell there comes Desperado and Yamato here maybe Desperado knows what it is
12:30well yeah I mean he knew what it is but I don't think it was a different it to what Yamato was going
12:38for yeah I mean Yamato saying it's supposed to be attacked well Desperado saying it is a me
12:43well Chris Japanese is a very contextual language but the fighting that out recently here's D
12:50garage watch it oh top back on here whatever it is D garage have it yeah and that is the it factor
13:00Kushida has it in space oh nice got out of midair here keep your eyes on Kukai this is how you show up
13:07watch this taking things to the sky make an impression leave a mark tonight wow huge moonsault
13:18soaring through the sky tonight from the nada native here comes to Gucci and Tiger Mask
13:24Tiger Mask crucifix down oh wow this might be this might be Tiger Mask last time competing in
13:37give it we have no idea slated for retirement some point summer 2026 Tiger Mask has announced for
13:44himself will there be another Tiger Mask that's a conversation for a different day but for now
13:50this one's still rocking and rolling oh this classic Tiger Mask butterfly off the top
13:57Tiger Mask down for the cover down for the victory
14:03so so so impressive in this tournament has been Tiger Mask and you are seeing it continue here tonight
14:16a massive win here tonight Ryusuke Toguchi
14:22Dragon Daya Kushida Yuki Yoshioka victorious on the evening Chris yeah it's gonna get D garage
14:28nice little piece they see the replay stuffed him on the cradle there shoulders were down and just like
14:41that he was going to get you picked up the dump
14:44big win here tonight for Ryusuke Toguchi still looking a little worse for wear
14:51even off the back of the victory tonight and yeah Tiger Mask
15:06everyone is gonna question the judgment call here from referee Sakamoto I'll tell you right now Toguchi
15:07isn't looking like a winner right now
15:16oh and I believe I believe Yamato thinks he has won this matchup
15:24I don't hear Yamato's music playing
15:28well this victory here tonight is going to take us into a big big season for World Tag League 2025
15:40will we be seeing Ryusuke Toguchi once again compete this year's World Tag League
15:45we'll have to stay tuned to find out
15:47funky sauce could reunite Alex Zane
15:50and meanwhile for the D garage team of Dragon Daya and Yuki Yoshioka 24 hours from now you and we
16:05invite you to go support our friends over at Dragon Gate for the gate of victory event night two in
16:11Osaka they'll be defending the over the twin gate titles against Jackie Kamea and Rita
16:17good on that Dragon Gate Network now Pal Jai will take care of it over there
16:22in English coverage oh look at Tiger Mask making friends in the crowd over there Walker
16:27I hope the cameras can pick it up
16:29that might be one of the future Tiger Mask to come
16:32fans we're gonna be moving right on and in to your next match of the evening we thank you for sticking with us here on NJPW World
16:42as we get in 10-man tag team action picks the ever-vested battle
16:47Hontai House of Torture continuing here tonight it is five on five in a keeper
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