New Japan is not known for tag team wrestling. And for years its seems like they don't care about it.It felt like a obligation for guys to do something in the company. Tag team wrestling at times has shown that given the right talent and stories they could be greatly beneficial.
The junior tag titles are in a much better place right now. But it could run into the same issue with the heavy tag with a lack of interesting teams and stories. IMO from 2016-2024. Only 2 tag feuds standout from a story and in-ring level.
Heavy Division: Golden Aces vs Dangerous Tekkers
Junior Division: Catch 2/2 vs War Dogs
These two feuds standout the most because of the personal connections of everyone involved. Ibushis respect for his GOD(Tanahashi) dwindling while their going into battle against Zack and taichi. All 4 of them have history with one another. And with that history it makes the feud more impactful.
Then we have War Dogs and Catch 2/2. Tjp betrayed connors and joined UE. And drilla and Akira had their problems in revpro. Drilla joined UE and then a month later betrayed them. And the rest is history.
Both these feuds standout far more than the basic means of just fighting over tag titles.TMDK are the current champions but it doesn't feel like their is a team they could feud with atm that could be that big standout feud.
by DeathTriangle720
4 comments
While I don’t think everyone should just copy the AJPW “Four Pillar” era style of having your top four main eventers facing each other in singles and tag matches all the time, I do think it is a highly effective way to elevate your tag division.
Say, for instance, down the road Umino & Narita would come together again (ala Mutoh & Chono aligning at times), them vs a team of Tsuji & Uemura would be awesome.
>TMDK are the current champions but it doesn’t feel like their is a team they could feud with atm that could be that big standout feud.
Maybe it won’t be a big standout feud, but I say let’s get crazy and put the titles on Monster Sauce (Archer & Zayne). I love that team, and it’d be a lot fresher than TMDK simply keeping the tag titles warm for Bishamon, which is what I unfortunately think they’re doing. I miss Aussie Open so much.
As far as the Jr. tag scene goes, the War Dogs/Catch 2/2 feud has been one of most compelling feuds in recent memory, but I feel like that story is over. They’ve peaked as much as they can.
Much like TMDK, I don’t see a new team that can step up to challenge The War Dogs unless they come from outside the company – MCMG, a team from NOAH, or by some miracle, YOH and SHO get back together.
The tag division on both ends is looking pretty bare, which is disappointing coming off what I thought was a good year for them going into Wrestle Kingdom 18.
I’d add the following teams personally Heavyweight Â
Bebop Tag Team (Tana & Yano) (This would take advantage of both men’s popularity while giving them an easier workload. I don’t see any reason to keep restricting this team to only WTL.)Â
Blast of the Dragon (Shingo & Tsuji)Â
EVIL & Ren Narita Â
Just 2 Bros (SANADA & Taichi)Â
Lawlor & RosserÂ
West Coast Wrecking CrewÂ
JuniorsÂ
El DespeWato (Despy is obviously taking a backseat for now, so what better way to easy Wato back in than some tag time?)Â
LiYOH (Lio Rush & YOH) (I have no idea what Lio’s contract situation is, but I think they were a solid team in SJTL)Â
Los Dos (BUSHI & Hiromu) (Same logic as Despy for Hiromu, and winning the tag titles is pretty much all he has left to do as a junior)
Yeah I’ve been hoping for both divisions to focus on faction pairings for ages, plus main eventers back in WTL could help build to that instead of the door staying closed on that. The best tag matches NJPW have put on in the past several years have been that formula (remember Shingo/EVIL vs Goto/Ishii in 2020?)
TMDK work well as tag specialists at the core of the division, but they should be easily cycled into the 6-man titles or Strong titles when it’s time for a different team/feud to be built
It’ll always feel disjointed as long as singles stars are needed to be free for tournaments/other singles duties, but then again SANADA/EVIL vs Okada/Goto for the tag titles in the build to New Beginning 2018 showed it’s easily doableÂ