10 LIVE Observations From NJPW's G1 Special In USA
9. War Machine Is Here For A Bit
Nobody seems to know exactly what's going on with Hanson and Raymond Rowe, known collectively as War Machine.
The tandem is one of the top duos in Ring of Honor, and this year, they made a splash in New Japan, capturing the IWGP Tag Team Titles. However, they went on to lose those belts, and rumors about WWE having interest in the men have been swirling. Prior to G1 Special in USA, it was believed their departure could be imminent.
Now fans know that isn't the case. On day one of the G1 Special, War Machine challenged Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tonga Roa) for the IWGP Tag Team Championships in a special no disqualification match - a stipulation that was made on the spot when Rowe asked NJPW chairman Naoki Sugabayashi (seated ringside) for permission. War Machine won the titles in a short but brutal brawl.
Given that the G1 Climax tournament is up next, no titles will be on the line for a while - the absolute soonest War Machine will defend their belts is at the G1 Finals, but it's more likely they'll wait until September.
That suggests that Rowe and Hanson aren't WWE bound so soon.