4. FTR (c) vs. Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi)
NJPW
There had been a not-inconsiderable amount of buzz about this tag match some days before it was actually booked - when Aussie Open could possibly seal victory in the World Tag League, the possibility and promise of a rematch between the Royal Quest II main eventers seemed high.
It wasn’t to be, and further circumstances beyond this match’s control might have had something to do with its overall clunkiness.
Cash Wheeler had apparently endured multiple travel delays just to get to Tokyo, to such an extent that he was allegedly arriving as the show was about to go live. Less-than-ideal is an understatement then, but also the kindest description of this flawed final defence for the champions.
It was most succinctly defined by a Big Rig pinfall break-up by the challengers that didn’t register correctly or with the slick timing of a typical FTR offering. The match hobbled to its predictable outcome from there - Dax and Cash had to lose to complete the surrendering of all their gold and continue a losing streak - but the result subsequently felt much more of an obligation than a spirited sporting outcome.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
