Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura Earn IWGP Tag Team Title Opportunity

By: Lewis Carlan

The current IWGP Tag Team Champions OSKAR & Yuto-Ice AKA Knockout Brothers found out today who will be the challengers for their third title defense.

On Jan. 19th, Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura faced Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii at NJPW “ROAD TO THE NEW BEGINNING” in a #1 contenders bout at Korakuen Hall.

There were 1,009 fans on hand for the event which could be considered a disappointing total for NJPW. By comparison, the last three NJPW Korakuen Hall events drew 1,515, 1,498 & 1,481 fans respectively.

Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura and Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii were two teams that felt each deserved the next shot at the IWGP Tag Team Champions and they settled it in the main event on Jan. 19th.

In a hard-fought match that lasted over thirty minutes it was the team of Umino & Uemura who prevailed thus earning the distinction of becoming the #1 contenders to the IWGP Tag Team Championship.

Umino finished off Ishii with a lariat and then his Second Chapter finisher to end the match at the 30:38 mark.

Uemura & Umino were confronted by the champions OSKAR & Yuto-Ice after their victory.

Photo Credit: NJPW

OSKAR & Yuto-Ice will defend their IWGP Tag Team Championship against Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura on Feb. 11 at NJPW The New Beginning In Osaka.

The Knockout Brothers have faced Umino & Uemura twice in the past. OSKAR & Yuto-Ice hold a 2-0 record against Umino & Uemura.

Here are the full results for NJPW The Road To The New Beginning on Jan. 19th courtesy of purolove.com:

• Young Lion Cup – Round 1: Masatora Yasuda beats Tatsuya Matsumoto (8:33) with a crab hold.
• Young Lion Cup – Round 1: Daiki Nagai beats Zane Jay (7:20) via DQ (Chair Attack).
• Aaron Wolf, Toru Yano, El Desperado, YOH & Master Wato defeat “King of Darkness” EVIL, Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, DOUKI & Dick Togo (8:13) after the Vendaval of Wato against Togo.
• Jake Lee, Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young defeat Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo (9:43) after a modified emerald flowsion of Akira against Gedo.
• Special Singles Match: SHO beats Kosei Fujita (6:22) via DQ
• Special Singles Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru beats Robbie Eagles (3:18) via Headscissors Pinfall.
• NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Title: Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin defeat Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson (c) (18:07) after the GTR of Goto against Oiwa – title change.
• IWGP Tag Team Title Contendership: Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura defeats Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi (30:38) after the Second Chapter of Umino against Ishii.