JPN
Tsukiyama Wakana and HANAKO will defend their NEW BLOOD Tag Team Championship for the third time. For EXV neXus V, this will be their first title defense since Shirakawa Mina moved overseas and Maika was sidelined for an extended period, leaving the unit without key members. HANAKO, who has shown signs of resurgence after challenging for the Wonder of Stardom Championship, will team up with Tsukiyama to defend EXV's only belt. Their challengers are 53-year-old Himiko, making her second attempt since March of this year. Last time she teamed with Nanami (now Hatano Nanami), but this time her partner is 17-year-old Makoto Yuma, who is making her title match debut. Will this age-gap team bring the belt to Diana?
HANAKO and Makoto start the match. In a lock-up, HANAKO pushes Makoto back. Makoto reverses and pulls, but HANAKO holds on. "You go!" HANAKO said, and they exchanged shoulders. HANAKO won the exchange, delivering a series of stomps and body slams. Tsukiyama pressured Makoto with a series of cover attempts. Tsukiyama landed a series of elbows, but Makoto dodged and countered with a shoulder tackle. Himiko delivered three guillotine drops to Tsukiyama. When Tsukiyama kicked out, Himiko went for a submission hold. Tsukiyama escaped, and Himiko went for a double armlock. Tsukiyama countered with a hell thrust. After an exchange of elbows, Himiko landed a series of strikes and a dropkick. Tsukiyama dodged the second one and delivered a combined hip drop with HANAKO. HANAKO hoisted Himiko up in an Argentine backbreaker. She cornered her and delivered a running body attack, then a knee drop, shouting, "Not yet!" Himiko countered, and HANAKO warned her before attempting a brainbuster. Himiko countered with a dropkick. She got behind HANAKO, but HANAKO countered again with a big boot. Himiko hit a Kawazu Otoshi, and then she and Makoto followed up with a series of corner attacks. Himiko hit a calf branding, but Tsukiyama broke it up. As Himiko went for a double arm hold, Makoto offered to tag in. Makoto hit HANAKO with a series of dropkicks. HANAKO countered, and Makoto warned her before attempting a brainbuster. HANAKO resisted, lifted her up, and slammed her with a backflip. Tsukiyama hit Makoto with a series of hip attacks. Makoto countered, and Tsukiyama hit a series of hip butts and attempted a modified hanging ceiling hold. However, Himiko intervenes, dropping kicks to both of their knees, a face crusher on HANAKO over Tsukiyama, and Makoto puts Tsukiyama in a reverse Boston crab.
Tsukiyama escapes, but Makoto rolls him up. Tsukiyama kicks out, and he and Makoto exchange elbows. Himiko drops Tsukiyama, Makoto hits a missile kick, Himiko hits a diving guillotine, and Makoto hits an elbow drop. 10 minutes have passed. Makoto puts Tsukiyama in a reverse Boston crab. HANAKO intervenes and joins forces with Tsukiyama. However, Himiko intervenes just in time. Tsukiyama, bleeding from his mouth, shouts, "I'm going to finish this!" Makoto hits a shoulder tackle followed by a jackknife. Tsukiyama kicks out but is slammed to the mat. HANAKO intervenes, slamming Himiko to the mat to separate them. Tsukiyama stopped Makoto's charge and hit Gokuraku Don. When Makoto retaliated, Tsukiyama hit Wakasagi (a modified Campana). Makoto gave up, and Tsukiyama won.
Tsukiyama: "Good evening everyone who came to NEW BLOOD! We successfully defended the NEW BLOOD Tag Team Championship! Thank you Makoto and Yuma for stepping up and challenging for the belts. This is your first title match challenge in your professional wrestling career. That's right. NEW BLOOD is about creating something together with the audience, rather than being tied to a specific organization, age, or career. Age doesn't matter, right Himiko?"
Himiko: "Age doesn't matter. Organization doesn't matter. And career doesn't matter. NEW BLOOD is a place where you can fight with such passion and determination. So I want to come up here again and again and fight like crazy, and although I lost this time, next time, the third time's the charm, and I'll take the belts!" "Thank you for today,"
Tsukiyama said. "Now, let's wrap things up. Everyone who participated today, please come up here."
The wrestlers came out, but Hime Yuria was one step ahead and entered the ring.
Yuria: "Tsukiyama-san, HANAKO-san, I lost today and I haven't won a single match yet, but please let me challenge for your belts!"
HANAKO: "Hey, do you have a partner?"
Yuria: "Yes! I want to be recognized by my partner and by you two. So please let me challenge! Please!"
Tsukiyama: "That's good."
HANAKO: "I get it! Sure. I don't know who your partner is, but seize the opportunity with your own hands and challenge for these tag team titles. Right?"
Yuria: "Yes."
Tsukiyama: "Everyone's waiting (ringside)."
HANAKO: "(To the wrestlers) Come on. Please come."
Tsukiyama: "Believe in yourself and shine tomorrow, NEW BLOOD. (To the comment, 'Shouldn't it be "Believe in your youth"?) I said on the mic earlier that youth doesn't matter. Believe in yourself and shine tomorrow, NEW BLOOD 22!"
Tsukiyama: "NEW BLOOD 22. This is the 22nd time for NEW BLOOD. We successfully defended our tag team belts in the main event. I'm happy that we were able to execute the Wakasagi after a long time. What's with that face that looks like you've seen blood?"
HANAKO: "There's a lot of blood."
Tsukiyama: "So you're a hot woman dripping with blood. NEW BLOOD has started to try out a lot of different things, so I hope everyone will continue to come and see us at the venue. If you came to see us at the venue today, I bet everyone was intimidated by the intensity of Himiko and Makoto Yuma, right? It was amazing. Makoto Yuma has only been around for a little over a year? That's incredible. But we can't be outdone, so we'll continue to believe in tomorrow and believe in ourselves and do our best! Right?"
HANAKO: "Yeah."
Tsukiyama: "Let's eat!"
HANAKO: "Let's eat!"
Tsukiyama takes a bite of bread, and HANAKO takes a bite of rice ball.