00:30There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the state of United Empire is one that's in shambles in 2025.
00:58By the words of Great O'Connor, Callum Newman themselves, the only thing that could possibly save United Empire at this rate is this year's World Tag League ending in a tournament victory for the first time in their careers.
01:12A tournament that last year, Chase, you remember it very well, started the beginning of what may have been potentially for United Empire.
01:20An injury to Callum Newman, an injury to Hanare, that led to the same night of World Tag League last year.
01:28There is a lot of dirty laundry in World Tag League this year that's got to be cleaned by the Empire.
01:41But right now for Callum Newman and Great O'Connor, only zero points on the board.
01:54Nothing to show for their one and only tournament matchup thus far heading into tonight.
01:59Two points on the board come the way.
02:27One of the most enigmatic tag teams to return in this year's World Tag League.
02:33From 2023 onward to 2025, Alex Zane and Lance Archer back in the New Japan Pro Wrestling ring alongside one another.
02:41And undefeated in their one and only tag team matchup in this year's tournament.
02:46Can they keep a streak that hasn't even started?
02:48Can they get one started here going 2-0 in the tournament tonight?
02:51Thank God I'm not in Lance Archer's block.
02:55Who even invited him here?
02:56Four hours� bus stop!
03:03As soon as you volunteered to comedown, the firstner and lastin 했는데, I'll have time for the game.
03:13Bed-in sólo one another time let's go.
03:20Soft game stars!
03:21Oh!
03:22And we are set here tonight for Block B competition.
03:34In World Tag League 2025, live from Big Palette Fukushima, Monster Sauce versus United Empire.
03:52A very confident Lance Archer and Alex Zane heading into this year's tournament.
04:15Meanwhile, the absolute lack thereof when it comes to confidence for,
04:19well, you'd imagine Cal Newman and Great Ocon, but Newman and Ocon a little bit more nonchalant
04:24when it comes to how they're approaching this year's tournament.
04:27Saying, hey, if we win, big deal. If we lose, big deal.
04:31United Empire might be done for anyway, so what's the matter for it?
04:35Yeah, I think it's a bad attitude to have though, but you never know.
04:39The most dangerous people are the ones with their backs up against the ball.
04:43Yep, Newman and Ocon, yeah, that's the word to say it.
04:46Newman and Ocon absolutely have nothing to lose.
04:48With their current status in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
04:51Let's see if Alex Zane and Lance Archer can capitalize on what has been a downward spiral in 2025.
04:59Captured cover here for Newman and a quick two count only.
05:02Alex Zane, you can certainly see it.
05:05A former junior heavyweight now turned heavyweight in the past few years
05:09has certainly retained a lot of that speed from his days as a junior chase.
05:12Yeah, what's up with all these guys coming from junior to heavy?
05:15Mm-hmm.
05:16Started a trend back in the day, didn't you?
05:21Callum Newman, huge shot to the chest of Alex Zane, and it's so interesting to almost look at the trajectory for United Empire following last year's World Tag League.
05:30Hold on a minute.
05:31Yeah, Ocon Newman center of the ring right now with Alex Zane all alone in there.
05:38And you do not want to piss off the murderhawk monster chase.
05:41No, you do not.
05:42You know, back to the nothing to lose thing, you know, years ago I challenged Juice Robinson.
05:49Well, I did challenge him because I beat him in the New Japan Cup, but New Japan Cup, nobody thought I had a chance.
05:56And guess what happened?
05:57Wow.
05:58I beat Juice Robinson.
05:59Mmm.
06:00What a great lesson to learn from that story.
06:03I can teach you a lot about bro wrestling.
06:05Oh, I believe it.
06:06I truly do.
06:07Right.
06:08And for, right now, Callum Newman and Great Ocon, they have no time for an education.
06:11It is all about your actions that, well, really have led you to this point in time.
06:16And it really is all stemmed off the back of that one night with two injuries taking out two key members of the Empire in Newman and Hinari.
06:23Newman would return about three months down the line for this year's New Japan Cup, albeit a little premature even by Newman's count.
06:29Just was dying to compete in that year's tournament no matter what.
06:32But we still haven't seen Hinari back in New Japan Pro Wrestling since last year's World Tag League.
06:37Yeah, you know, this business, we all have injuries, but it's, you know, Callum coming back three months.
06:44You know, how good was that for him?
06:47Mmm.
06:48You know, he obviously didn't win the New Japan Cup, and who knows if he was 100%, because he is definitely has a high ceiling, I do believe.
06:56Yeah.
06:57Mmm.
06:58Big uppercut there from Ocon.
06:59Faked him out.
07:00You know, you kind of look further down the line of the year.
07:03TJP hasn't been seen in a long time in New Japan Pro Wrestling.
07:06Jeff Cobb nowhere to be seen in New Japan.
07:08Francesco Akira out with an injury in 2025.
07:11I mean, you start to feel as though 2025 ended for United Empire before it even started, thanks to World Tag League.
07:18Are these the only three guys around right now?
07:20I mean, you know, you have Jacob Austin Young, Great Ocon, you have Callum Newman.
07:24Akira's out with that injury, like we said.
07:26So, when it comes to key members of the Empire, that's all we have to discuss right now.
07:30Templatio's down killing it in Mexico for CMLL.
07:36There's Ocon here, beautiful judo takedown as a cover here on Alex Zane.
07:42Two count only.
07:47Ocon knows a lot of mixed martial arts, doesn't he?
07:50Yeah, you're right.
07:51Fifteen different disciplines under the belt of Great Ocon.
07:54Fifteen?
07:55Yeah, you try and challenge Ocon to list all of them out, he's just going to put you in a hole, that's what I've been told.
07:59Not one for questioning the man.
08:03I've beat him multiple times.
08:04Well, there you go.
08:06Bam, two boots, two opponents, and one offensive strike for Alex Zane.
08:12Lance Archer, Murderhawk is feeling it in the red corner.
08:18They better stop, never mind.
08:20And Lance Archer steps over the top, and the Murderhawk monster is in business tonight.
08:25One, two, one.
08:28Chopped that big tree down.
08:33Yeah, talk about chopping down the redwood, we are draped in red here for Archer.
08:39As a, oh, double cross body.
08:44Six foot seven, 260 plus pounds for Lance Archer.
08:48You know what Callum and Ocon should have done right there?
08:50What should they have done?
08:51Moved.
08:52Oh.
08:53Oh, fine time to remind them.
08:55Newman.
08:56Oh, oh, oh.
08:57Back it up.
08:58Ocon stuck where he wants them.
09:01Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
09:06Oh, an Archer past United Empire.
09:09Oh, oh.
09:11First you stack them.
09:13Then you pin them.
09:14Then you do this.
09:15Use your own partner.
09:18Oh, wait a minute.
09:19Jacob Austin Young inside the ring.
09:21There's no reason for Jay to be here.
09:23Oh, and he's gonna pay the price for it.
09:26Oh.
09:27Coming.
09:29That wasn't very smart of Jacob.
09:31Oh.
09:36Tag made in the red corner.
09:37Back out comes the sauce, Alex Zane.
09:44Jacob did more harm than good there.
09:46Yeah, certainly so, but I mean, that really speaks to a lot of the aggression
09:50coming out of the black and green here tonight out of United Empire.
09:54They know what change is needed.
09:57Covering a kick out at two for Alex Zane.
10:02J-A-Y, great Ocon, Callum Newman.
10:04It's really do or die in this year's World Tag League.
10:07And it is gonna be a brutal and uncomfortable death for Ocon here
10:12if Alex Zane and Archer get their way.
10:16You know, everybody dies.
10:17Oh, yeah.
10:18Zane now hits the ropes here.
10:25Oh, misting out.
10:27Tailbone.
10:28Yeah, beautiful from great Ocon.
10:30Trying to slow things down, holding in a clutch.
10:34Enters his sixth World Tag League tournament, does Ocon.
10:39Has never won this tournament in his career.
10:42Didn't even get to finish last year due to Hanare's injury.
10:45And Callum Newman just the same.
10:47Let's see what United Empire can do tonight.
10:52Newman looking to take this one from the top.
10:55And a double stop right through the sauce.
11:00I think I see some Taco Bell on the mat now.
11:02No, that's not good.
11:03Newman on the cover.
11:05And Lance Archer immediately in the grasp here.
11:08Yes.
11:09Newman trying to battle himself away though.
11:12There's a massive, massive man to try and fight off from.
11:16Did you hear that one?
11:19Might have knocked him out.
11:20I hope.
11:21A huge single leg shot there from Alex Zane to great Ocon.
11:30And it's down to Zane and Callum Newman in the ring.
11:33Newman, no, no, no.
11:38Fulton and lanted out.
11:41Newman for the cover, for the win.
11:44Two.
11:45Both legs, kid.
11:46It has been a monumental 20-25 for Callum Newman even with all the falls for United Empire.
11:55Challenged for the World Heavyweight title for the first time in his career this year.
11:59Won the IWGP Tag Team Championship not once but twice in 2025.
12:05And if Newman and Ocon can find a way to put this one away, they're gonna get on the board here.
12:10For the first time, Archer inside to intercept.
12:16And it's Alex Zane for the cover.
12:19And a two count only.
12:20Oh, wait a minute.
12:22Cover for the win.
12:26Two.
12:27See, why would you wanna be Lance's partner?
12:29He just throws you around.
12:30Yeah, that's what Lance Archer does best.
12:32Alex Zane's certainly a glutton for punishment.
12:39Well, meanwhile, Archer and Ocon gonna take this one all around ringside here.
12:45Oh, the double claw.
12:50The double claw on the outside here.
12:52This is dangerous.
12:53Whoa!
12:54That was a receipt from Alex on Lance.
12:58Well, the sauce is all fired up here.
13:03Fuel and Fuego is Alex Zane.
13:05Oh, no, no.
13:07Newman right out from that hold.
13:09Zane step up into Gary.
13:10Rocks Callum.
13:11Wait a minute.
13:12What the hell is Ocon doing?
13:14Great Ocon as referee Sakamoto here.
13:17Oh, J.A.Y. trips up Zane.
13:20Newman takes advantage.
13:21Cover.
13:23And a three count.
13:26I can't believe it.
13:29Whatever it takes.
13:30I can't believe what we've just seen.
13:34I can't believe what we've just seen.
13:43Second time's the charm here for Jacob Austin Young.
13:47Interference puts two points on the board for United Empire tonight.
13:52Win if you can.
13:53Lose if you must.
13:54But always cheat.
13:55Jesse Vendora.
14:04Listen.
14:05In these tournaments, you've got to do whatever it takes to win.
14:08So good on them.
14:10Send Lance back to AEW.
14:13Oh, coming up next November 28th.
14:26Boxster Sauce.
14:27Alex Zane and Lance Archer take on David Finley and Hiromu Takahoski.
14:31That's going to be coming up at Aomori.
14:33Two points on the line in Block B.
14:35But for right now, Callum Newman and Great Okan celebrate their first World Tag League victory of the year.
14:47But will it be the only?
14:48You're gonna have to stay tuned to find out right here on NJPW World.
14:52Great Okan and Callum Newman steal one.
14:54And they look ahead to November 28th in Aomori.
14:57Taking on Shota Umino and Yuya Uemora in Block B competition.
15:02Well, you've heard about Aomori, right?
15:05I've heard about it.
15:06And the Bears.
15:07The Bears.
15:08There's a lot of them.
15:09What are you going to do about those Bears?
15:10I'm going to make sure I hang around Falle.
15:12Well, you might mistake them as one.
15:14Maybe.
15:15Well, it's not like House of Torture needs any more members, Jason.
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