2018 World Tag League Day 1 Recap

World Tag League is a tournament almost as old as New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Running almost every year since 1980, the tournament is a spin-off of the G1 Climax. It has become a proving ground for rising stars, current headliners and grizzled veterans. Incredible duos have held the trophies over the past nearly 40 years, including Bob Backlund and Antonio Inoki, Vader and Tatsumi Fujinami and Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Last year, EVIL and SANADA defeated the Guerrillas of Destiny in the finals of a thrilling tournament.

With 17 shows over 22 days, this is the biggest tag team tournament in the world and with the highest stakes – a Tag Team Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Aimed at streamlining the tournament, there are a few changes for this year’s event. The biggest being a transition from a 2-block points-based system to a single 14-team round-robin style tournament. Everyone fights once and the highest-point total faces the champions on January 4, 2019.

Here are the results from Day 1:

Opening Match 1: Jeff Cobb/ Michael Elgin vs. Yota Tsuji/ Yuya Uemura

In non-tournament action, Cobb – the current Ring of Honor World Television Champion – secured the pin over Tsuji with a Tour Of The Islands (spinning suplex).

Opening Match 2: Ren Narita/Tomoaki Honma vs. Taichi/Zack Sabre Jr.

In other non-tournament action, Taichi delivered a super kick to Narita to gain the pin for his team.

Opening Match 3: El Desperado/Takashi Iizuka/Minoru Suzuki vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru/Davey Boy Smith Jr./ Lance Archer

In six-man tag team action, Susuki hit a devastating Gotch Style piledriver on Kanemaru for the victory.

World Tag League Match 1: David Finlay/Juice Robinson vs. Shota Umino/Ayato Yoshida

Kicking off this year’s tournament, Finlay rattled Umino with a Left Hand Of God/ Stunner combo to get the win.

World Tag League Match 2: Satoshi Kojima/Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Manabu Nakanishi/ Yuji Nagata

Nakanishi and Nagata advanced after the latter ended Kojima with an Exploder.

World Tag League Match 3: Best Friends (Chuckie T/Beretta) vs. Yujiro Takahashi/ Hangman Page

One of the most popular duos in ROH, the Best Friends are riding a wave of momentum after Beretta hit Takahashi with a Strong Zero to advance.

World Tag League Match 4: Toa Henare/Togi Makabe vs. Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga/ Tonga Loa)

Avenging their loss in last year’s finals, the Guerrillas Of Destiny went all out as Loa pinned Henare after a thunderous powerbomb.

Main Event: 10-Man Tag Team Match – CHAOS vs. Los Ingobernables De Japon

In gang warfare, Naito led Los Ingobernables to victory, finishing off YOH with Destino.

In a post-match promo, Naito lauded the new and improved Los Ingobernables de Japon before handing the microphone to EVIL, who promised that he and SANADA would repeat as winners. If they do dominate World Tag League once again, they’ll become the sixth team to repeat, joining Hulk Hogan and Inoki, Kengo Kimura and Fujinami, Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Mutoh, Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma.

Check back tomorrow for results from Day 2.