00:00One of the matches in this World Tag League lineup, it seems rather most unlikely, and certainly when it comes to both the teams in this one, certainly not something we expected to see earlier in the year, but now that we have it, can't wait to see it.
00:27Driller Maloney, I don't think you've had a chance to connect with.
00:35I have not.
00:37Maloney, when you last came here to New Japan Pro Wrestling, Driller Maloney was a junior heavyweight.
00:43Yeah.
00:44In fact, Maloney started his career as a heavyweight and then slipped down so that he could be the hardest-hitting junior heavyweight there was.
00:54Okay.
00:55He was right at that 100-kilogram mark.
00:57Okay.
00:58And this year, he moved up to heavyweight.
01:01The first opponent he had was Shingo Takagi.
01:04He beat Shingo Takagi.
01:05That's impressive enough in its own right.
01:08Driller Maloney since then ended his first New Japan Cup, ended his first G1 Climax.
01:13Okay.
01:14He just blew all expectations out of the water.
01:17Okay.
01:18A Dark Horse candidate for one of the MVP's for New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2025.
01:22And now this, probably unaffiliated as Shingo Takagi is with the War Dogs, this collaboration has seen a hell of a tag team being made.
01:30The War Dogs, 44 Caliber, Driller Maloney.
01:40Definitely an impressive looking dude.
01:43He won the annual bodybuilding contest we had here in New Japan Pro Wrestling last year.
01:49The War Dragons as they name themselves.
02:14Oh, El Desperado.
02:17Yep.
02:18He's one of my old teammates as well.
02:20He is indeed.
02:21And, well then as now, Junior Heavyweight.
02:26El Desperado entering this tournament as a Junior Heavyweight.
02:31But up against someone who is decidedly not a Junior Heavyweight, this is Ishikawa.
02:36Called evening things out.
02:38Yeah, there you go.
02:39So if you average out to a heavyweight, then we're all good.
02:42I'm worried that it's an incredible 목otain.
02:44You can be you.
02:45You're not worried that it's an extremely high graduate fighter.
02:47And, the Williams is to take a career in the Junior Heavyweight Youth.
02:49And the U.S. World Champion is a big win.
02:50And the U.S. World Champion is an enormous piece of weight.
02:51And the U.S. World Champion is an enormous piece of weight.
02:52And the U.S. World Champion is an enormous piece to it.
02:53He's standing on the way to the Jusikawa.
02:54And the U.S. World Champion is an enormous piece of weight.
02:55195cm 130kg
03:00That's a big one
03:01Shinji Ishikawa at age 50 and a veteran but in his debut New Japan Pro Wrestling League
03:11Shinji Ishikawa's L Desperado
03:19So for a lot of fans, a lot of fans in general who pass their net wide and watch a lot of professional wrestling
03:28I'm very excited to see Shinji Ishikawa as the surprise partner of L Desperado here in this Tag League
03:33A lot of New Japan fans are seeing him for the first time in this World Tag League
03:37This is my first time seeing him
03:38Yeah, Shinji Ishikawa made his debut 2003 for DDT
03:43Was a former KOD Champion, former Triple Crown Champion over in All Japan Pro Wrestling
03:48Okay
03:49And has had a lot of Tag Team success in Union, in Big Japan, in DDT, in All Japan Pro Wrestling as well
03:56Okay
03:57There's a little bit of previous with Shingo Takagi
04:00Because when Shingo was just about to join New Japan Pro Wrestling in between his stints
04:06He was in the 2018 All Japan Champion Carnival
04:10And Ishikawa eliminated Shingo from that year's Champion Carnival
04:14Really?
04:15Shingo wants his get back on Shuji Ishikawa here tonight
04:18Driller Maloney is saying that he wants to lift Shuji Ishikawa into the Driller Killer of course
04:24And that is
04:25That's a big ol' boy
04:26That's a big ol' boy and a big ol' ass
04:28A big ol' what?
04:29A big ass
04:30Ask?
04:31A big ass, right?
04:32A big ass
04:33Yeah
04:34Okay
04:35There's a K there at the end of that word?
04:36Yeah
04:37Okay
04:38You were thinking that I was
04:39I was thinking
04:40The other way would have worked as well
04:41You have a fixation here on the podcast
04:42The other way would have worked really well
04:43Sure
04:44It would have worked really well though
04:45Big ass and a big ass
04:46There you go, see?
04:47I think it's your accent to me
04:48I was like, I wouldn't hear him the K
04:49I know
04:50A lot of junk in the trunk of Shuji Ishikawa
04:52He is not bowling down
04:54She's got Takagi here
04:56I don't know if he's a smart guy at Takagi
04:58I don't know if he's a smart guy at Takagi
04:59Shingo is somebody that I never actually had a chance to have a one-on-one with
05:06I always wanted to
05:07Yeah, because the one, G1
05:09You would have worked well
05:10That would have been in different blocks
05:11Yep
05:12Yeah, it didn't happen
05:132022 as well
05:14You were in different blocks
05:15So
05:16Well, we'll see
05:18You never say never in this business
05:20Right
05:21Shingo out the back door
05:24Hit the toss
05:25Yeah
05:26Yes
05:27Yeah
05:28What's he doing there?
05:29Oh
05:30Oh
05:31I only got him down
05:32That works
05:33Got his big ass down
05:34Action
05:43We'll see
05:44Whether we continue
05:45Or
05:46If Ishikawa wants to tag out
05:48Drilla Maloney wants in
05:49Of course
05:50And we'll see tags both sides
05:51Drilla Maloney are fantastic
05:55Albeit this is his first world tag league as a heavyweight
05:58Fantastic tag team wrestler
05:59He and Clark Connors
06:00A lot of success as IWGP junior heavyweight tag team champions
06:03Really dominated that landscape
06:05Had a singles match did
06:08Drilla with Despe and Best of the Super Juniors a couple of years ago
06:13Drilla
06:14Or El Desperado rather was IWGP junior heavyweight champion for most of this year
06:20And you can see the damage all over the back of El Desperado
06:27Yeah
06:28Desperado sprained his back heading into this tournament
06:30But it's not just that
06:31You see the scar tissue on the back of Despe
06:33It's kind of become his own death mattress
06:35Yeah
06:36Oh
06:37Oh
06:38Oh
06:39Oh
06:40Oh
06:41Oh
06:42Oh
06:43Oh
06:44Oh
06:45Oh
06:46Oh
06:47Oh
06:48Oh
06:49Oh
06:50Oh
06:51Oh
06:52Oh
06:53Oh
06:54Oh
06:55Oh
06:56Oh
06:57Oh
06:58Oh
06:59Oh
07:00Oh
07:01Jason
07:02Oh
07:03Oh
07:05Oh
07:07Oh
07:09Hey
07:09He really embodies kind of a hybrid sized wrestler that is kind of
07:18Taking over like me said been he's been a junior heavyweight but then he's been a heavyweight
07:24a heavyweight that combination makes him extremely dangerous to all of the guys that he's in the base
07:29yeah i think in terms of you know the connections you could think of to the past reminiscent of
07:35the switchblade jay white in that extent very reminiscent of will osprey in that as well
07:40and uh you know really i think you're looking at a point 2026 could be brother here and gets
07:48to two joe maloney could have 2026 for the taking yeah he can avoid the injuries that's that's the
07:57big thing like there's a lot of guys that get in this business and start taking over and start doing
08:01big and badass things and then you know they they catch an injury and it slows them down
08:05facing points we just brought up trey white and will osprey yeah i mean that is the situation
08:10as long as they stay healthy as long as driller stays healthy then the world is his he's into
08:15the cover here on desperado and gets to two again the despair another one who injured himself before
08:23this tournament started so he's going in with an injury going in with a sprain bag a lot of injuries
08:28coming into this target i think a lot of the time you know i mean last year we saw calum newman and
08:34hinari both have to withdraw with knee injuries during the tournament so i mean especially in in winter time
08:43i think the injury bug tends to bite a little bit harder to warm up perhaps yeah yeah definitely
08:48and you know it's the end of the year like you said it's a tough tour we've kind of started off
08:51with the day on day off situation but we're about to go into like constant days three days in a row
08:56with a travel day in between three days in a row traveling between four days in a row um not till we
09:01get to the end that we get another like day off but i think it's still another travel day so you know
09:05it gets harder and harder for all the days that we're on the road in the ring uh fighting each other
09:11whether whether you're in the tournament or you're in one of the matches before the tournament
09:14you're still in there you're still lacing up the boots you're still putting your body through it
09:17so if you said those injuries can pile up really quickly
09:22big man comes in
09:24yeah this guy's gonna have to pile some injuries in on eldes on jilla maloney rather here
09:34wow nice
09:35this guy wrestling in front of his hometown crowd here tonight as well here in match it
09:41this is his hometown yep there you go
09:46motivation watch this watch this you think anything you've seen tonight sucks this sucks worse
09:54oh
10:03barely kicked out
10:06full credit to drillin maloney for kicking out 130 kilograms
10:10that's that fighting spirit yeah stuck right through the chest
10:14oh
10:25she's going to use that giant driver very very similar to a man you knew very well in giant bernard
10:31yeah similar finishing move for shiji ishikari now makes the tag for ld spada
10:37okay
10:38okay
10:44calling the play here desprez and brain buster
10:52uh-oh got it reversed nope nope
10:55finally got it there you go
10:58but is he is that even a smart move by desprezado considering his back yeah well
11:03i almost wonder lads whether he called to the crowd that he was going to hear a brain buster so that
11:09driller would try to reverse it and then he would have the pendulum of momentum going his way
11:14it's true but he still had to fall on his own back to to hit the move that's true that's the true of a
11:19lot of all desperado's offense he tries for picture yeah right down on the back again
11:25uh-oh here comes shingo get the people get the people get the people getting the people really
11:32uh-oh
11:45uh-oh
11:50good thing desmond's got that mask on otherwise
11:52oh nice all the dice there i'm not gonna kick out this
12:07you would forgive
12:08that's right for not kicking up this berato and on with suji shikara
12:17and the win world tag league win world tag you get a shot at the iwgp tag team champion shingo
12:22tsukagi trying for made in japan and this brother makes the ropes who won tag the glass
12:29well last year it would have been tetsuya naito and hiromo takahashi
12:33okay and they didn't take their shot at wrestle kingdom because they were wrestling one another
12:40really desperado might have numero dos and shingo tsukagi so it's not necessarily a given
12:49that you would take that championship opportunity at the tokyo dome a lot of teams do because they
12:54want the big paycheck and they want the big audience yeah that's right that's right i remember
13:00that was a lot of fun of course in desperado takes that shot at wrestle kingdom he'd have to have
13:09double duty because it's already part of a four-way genie heavyweight match on that night
13:13and now shingo saying he's gonna throw ishikawa
13:26that's a big task big task big ask big ask ishikawa oh okay picturing the big ask there
13:34nice assist by driller oh got him got him got him might have hurt shingo just as much i've felt
13:47that i've felt that through my feet all the way back here
13:50oh
14:04He blocked it.
14:14He needed it.
14:15Oh, he caught it.
14:16Oh, no.
14:17Oh, no.
14:18The battering ram, Shingo Takagi, gets to the top.
14:21Oh!
14:22King Bowman!
14:23Come on, King Bowman!
14:25Come on, King Bowman!
14:26That takes anyone down.
14:28King of.
14:31Oh, no, he's covered!
14:36Shingo, enough time and space to get to Driller Maloney here.
14:41Shoot him!
14:42Oh!
14:43Look at your face.
14:46Driller Maloney's not going to give.
14:48No, no, no, no.
14:49Yeah, not going to give Shingo Takagi any chance for a rest.
14:52Once a double-team, Desperado breaks up that opportunity.
14:55Oh, we've seen this.
14:57I've not.
14:59What a failure.
15:02The time has arrived.
15:07One, two, one, two.
15:10Maloney up.
15:11Takagi up.
15:12And you can't go to elbow drop.
15:17One, two, one.
15:21He's really saying he's gonna lift it.
15:23Or is it first?
15:25Oh, trying to spear him, trying to spear him.
15:30Easy, come on!
15:32Oh!
15:33Double, double, double.
15:34Go!
15:35Go!
15:36Go!
15:37Go!
15:38Go!
15:39Go!
15:40Go!
15:41Go!
15:42Go!
15:43Go!
15:44Go!
15:45Go!
15:46Go!
15:47Go!
15:48Go!
15:49Go!
15:50Go!
15:51Go!
15:52Go!
15:53It's a good combo but it didn't work.
15:54And maybe this combination will.
15:56Elder Scrolls is still out of sorts out on the floor and it might be this.
15:59Oh, oh, oh!
16:01Oh!
16:02Oh!
16:03Oh, oh!
16:04Oh, oh!
16:05Oh!
16:06Oh!
16:07Oh!
16:08Oh!
16:09Oh!
16:10Oh!
16:11Oh!
16:12Ooh!
16:13There's one for you.
16:16Is Chicago going to give a spine buzz?
16:19No, just clobbered him.
16:21Just clobbered him.
16:23Aesthetically pleasing, but just as effective.
16:27Ain't got to be pretty.
16:30Well, we've got all four men down right here.
16:35A little down-ski time.
16:37Come on, Sam.
16:37Come on, Sam.
16:37Come on, Sam.
16:38Come on, Sam.
16:38Come on, Sam.
16:40Come on, Sam.
16:42Sam, you're going to let them play on here.
16:45Maloney up, Ishikawa up.
16:46Oh.
16:47Oh.
16:48Oh.
16:49Oh.
16:50Oh.
16:50Oh.
16:51Oh.
16:51Oh.
16:52Oh.
16:53Listen to the difference.
16:54Oh.
16:55Oh.
16:55Oh.
16:56Oh.
16:57Oh.
16:57Oh.
16:58Oh.
16:59That was nice.
17:01There's nothing quite like New Japan Progressive live,
17:05and you can hear and feel these shots.
17:07Oh.
17:08Oh.
17:08Oh.
17:09Oh.
17:09Oh.
17:10Oh.
17:10Oh.
17:11Oh.
17:11Oh.
17:12Oh.
17:12Oh.
17:13Oh.
17:13He's tough.
17:14He's tough.
17:14He's tough.
17:15Absolutely.
17:15One of the toughest that there is in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
17:19And it is what, Ishikawa?
17:21You don't think the most lethal move in professional wrestling
17:25today that you're going to give it.
17:28Nice save by Despi.
17:30Absolutely critical save by Despi.
17:33And instead, oh, the giant drop.
17:35The giant driver, the giant driver, Despi, Morgan Shingo up there.
17:39Oh, just barely.
17:40Oh, good save.
17:41Oh.
17:42Oh.
17:43Oh.
17:44Oh.
17:45Oh.
17:46Oh.
17:47Oh.
17:48Oh.
17:49Oh.
17:50Oh.
17:51Oh.
17:52Oh.
17:53Oh.
17:54Oh.
17:55Oh.
17:56Oh.
17:57Oh.
17:58Oh.
17:59Oh.
18:00Oh.
18:01Oh.
18:02Oh.
18:03Oh.
18:04Oh.
18:05Oh.
18:08Ahavidd Mother Fallona.
18:09Eats the knee.
18:10Here's the cover.
18:11Sorry down.
18:12Cover to .
18:13Nope.
18:14Oh.
18:15Get up.
18:15Oh no no no no no no.
18:16D'you know what that combination kind of look like, Smith and I's old Killer Book?
18:19Yeah.
18:20That would be a good call, certainly caused you a lot of success in the past, and now...
18:29Oh, nice counter.
18:33Nice needed again. Oh, that's it. Right to the breadbasket.
18:39Ishikawa Kamigoye.
18:42You want to lose some teeth?
18:45And just to make doubly sore, Ishikawa off the knee.
18:51There can only be so much more that you can take Maloney all tied up.
19:01Oh, brother dropped right on his head.
19:04And Ishikawa has it. He's got it.
19:08It's 14.52.
19:13Ishikawa Shouji選手の勝利です.
19:16It was my last DR.
19:38The World Attack League is now 14.52.
19:59The World Attack League is now 14.52.
20:06Not successful, but tonight, oh, it's Shigo Tsukage wants some back on Shuji Isakawa.
20:19Isakura and Despe, two points on the board.
20:26And that means as of right now, Lance Bolton and Yano are alone at the top of the table.
20:32Okay, that's kind of a surprise.
20:35A little Metallica there.
20:41Yeah, probably not on the NJPW World.
20:44Probably listening to some nice copyright-free...
20:46Gotcha, gotcha, gotcha.
20:47Yeah.
20:48Well, they've got Taiti and Kojima up next.
20:57Wednesday at Sun Plaza Hall.
20:59And for us right now, our main event has to torture.
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