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[Complete Results]
The second G1 Tag League spanned ten conventions, from November 17th to November 30th, with two shows following it, the last of which hosted an IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title match. The tag league featured seven teams, including IWGP Tag Team Champions, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima, and two teams recently formed with high ambitions, Takashi Iizuka & Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie. A Team 2000 all-star team, Masahiro Chono & Scott Norton, and former IWGP Tag Team Champions, Kensuke Sasaki & Shiro Koshinaka, also participated in the tournament, a strong collection of duos all fighting for New Japan's prestigious tag league, a concept with a long history going back to the days of the MSG Tag League, and others.
Foreign participation:
Scott Norton (Team 2000): All shows
Kid Romeo (WCW): All shows
G1 Tag League(s) 2000 scoring system: Win (2 points), draw (1 point), loss (0 points)
1. Kensuke Sasaki & Shiro Koshinaka
2. Takashi Iizuka & Yuji Nagata
3. Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie
4. Super Strong Machine & Jushin Thunder Liger
5. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima
6. Masahiro Chono & Scott Norton
7. T2000 Machine #1 & T2000 Machine #2
Points of note:
(11/17) Super Strong Machine & Liger kicked off their G1 Tag League campaign with a win, defeating the T2000 Machines in the first tournament match. Liger, continuing his attempt at heavyweight success, picked up the win, cradling Machine #1 with a la magistral.
(11/17) Chono & Norton broke down the technician pair of Iizuka & Nagata in the second and final tournament match of the opening day. Chono, aiming at two crowns (G1 Tag League and IWGP Tag Team Title) and 10 million yen (from winning those), watched partner Norton sink Iizuka into the mat with a powerbomb for the victory.
(11/18) After their opening day defeat, the T2000 Machines bounced back in the best way possible, upsetting IWGP Tag Team Champions, Tenzan & Kojima. The turning point saw Kojima accidentally bomb Tenzan with a lariat, and the Machines were able to capitalize, Machine #2 using a diving lariat on Tenzan for the pinfall win. The tag champions argued after the match, frustrated at their bad start.
(11/18) The G-EGGS tag team of Nakanishi & Yoshie also scored an important win, downing the veteran tandem of Kensuke & Koshinaka. The former IWGP Tag Team Champions were unable to overcome G-EGGS today, the end coming when Mr. Unbelievable speared Koshinaka, then lifted him into an Argentine backbreaker for the tap.
(11/19) Kensuke & Koshinaka obtained their first tournament win, defeating the T2000 Machines in the first G1 Tag League match of New Japan's first ever Tokyo Differ Ariake convention, Koshinaka powerbombing Machine #1.
(11/19) Chono & Norton took the lead with a win over SSM & Liger. Norton lifted the junior heavyweight Liger with ease, and slammed him with a Jackhammer for the win.
(11/19) The main event was an important tournament match both because the teams were looking for a big win, and also because it saw the two tandems created by the break-up of the Nakanishi & Nagata team meet. Iizuka & Nagata picked up their first points, beating Nakanishi & Yoshie, Nagata submitting his G-EGGS friend, Yoshie, with the Nagata Lock II.
(11/22) Nakanishi & Yoshie joined Chono & Tenzan in first place when they defeated SSM & Liger, Nakanishi racking Liger with an Argentine backbreaker to hand the junior his second loss of the tournament.
(11/22) The crisis in TenKoji seemingly disintegrated when they picked up a huge main event win, defeating Iizuka & Nagata. After close to 20 minutes of hot action, Tenzan spiked Nagata with the TTD, the IWGP Tag Team Champions earning their first points of the tournament!
(11/23) The only teams on four points, Nakanishi & Yoshie and Chono & Norton, met in a very important match. The finish saw a huge surprise, as Yoshie added Masahiro Chono to his list of wins since returning in April, submitting the Team 2000 leader with a reverse figure-four leglock!
(11/23) Just when it seemed they had sorted things out, a breakdown in communication again led to TenKoji losing. This time they fell to Kensuke & Koshinaka, Koshinaka dropping Tenzan with a powerbomb after cooperation problems between the tag aces. Once more, they quarreled after the match, both angry about the loss.
(11/24) Iizuka & Nagata remained in the hunt, defeating the T2000 Machines when Iizuka put Machine #2 to sleep.
(11/24) In a big upset, SSM & Liger downed Kensuke & Koshinaka, the finish coming as a big surprise, when Liger rolled Koshinaka up with a la magistral for the win!
(11/24) Tenzan & Kojima's up-and-down campaign continued, with things looking good again after a huge main event win at Korakuen over T2000 allies, Chono & Norton! Following a TenKoji Cutter, Tenzan dropped a moonsault press on Norton to score a big win for the tag champions!
(11/26) Iizuka & Liger picked up their second win in a row, today beating SSM & Liger when Nagata used a backdrop hold on Machine.
(11/26) Tenzan & Kojima also scored their second victory in a row, and it was another big one, as they put away Nakanishi & Yoshie. Tenzan avenged Chono's loss to Yoshie by pinning him following the TTD.
(11/26) Chono & Norton became the fourth team to hit six points after a main event win over Kensuke & Koshinaka. Norton lariated Sasaki for the big win, and the tournament remained very close.
(11/27) Nakanishi & Yoshie became the first team to advance to the final(s) when they downed the Team 2000 Machines, Yoshie forcing a submission out of Machine #1.
(11/27) TenKoji also advanced after beating SSM & Liger, but whether they would face Nakanishi & Yoshie in a single final, or have to wrestle a semi final would depend on tomorrow's results.
(11/28) Chono & Norton prevented the possibility of a single final, when they joined Nakanishi & Yoshie and Tenzan & Kojima on eight points following a win over the T2000 Machines.
(11/28) Iizuka & Nagata became the final team to reach eight points, making it four, and forcing semi finals on the same day as the final. They defeated Kensuke & Koshinaka after close to 22 1/2 minutes of combat, Iizuka putting Koshinaka to sleep.
(11/30) In the first G1 Tag League semi final, Tenzan & Kojima made it two in a row over Nakanishi & Yoshie, beating them in a grueling 16 minute clash that took a lot out of the IWGP Tag Team Champions. Tenzan pinned his eternal rival, Nakanishi, and TenKoji marched forward.
(11/30) TenKoji's opponents turned out to be Iizuka & Nagata, who avenged their group stage loss to Chono & Norton with a win over that team. Iizuka continued an amazing year for him, submitting Chono with a sleeper hold!
(11/30) The men who won the award for G1 Climax best bout when facing each other in August became the G1 Tag League victors, Nagata & Iizuka beating Tenzan & Kojima in a thrilling finale to a tight and hard to predict tournament! Nagata put away Tenzan with a backdrop hold, Iizuka & Nagata grasping the tournament victory and also putting themselves in top contention for a shot at TenKoji's IWGP Tag Team Title.
Miscellaneous:
The final standings of the 2000 G1 Tag League looked as follows,
1. Takashi Iizuka & Yuji Nagata [8]
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima [8]
3. Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie [8]
4. Masahiro Chono & Scott Norton [8]
5. Super Strong Machine & Jushin Thunder Liger [4]
6. Kensuke Sasaki & Shiro Koshinaka [4]
7. T2000 Machine #1 & T2000 Machine #2 [2]
Semi Final: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima beat Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie (15:58) when Tenzan used a moonsault press on Nakanishi.
Semi Final: Takashi Iizuka & Yuji Nagata beat Masahiro Chono & Scott Norton (12:06) when Iizuka used a sleeper hold on Chono.
Final: Takashi Iizuka & Yuji Nagata beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (19:09) when Nagata used a backdrop hold on Tenzan.
Stuart's 2000 G1 Tag League Awards:
MVP: Takashi Iizuka & Yuji Nagata
Best Bout: Takashi Iizuka & Yuji Nagata vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (11/30)
Outstanding Performance Award: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima
Fighting Spirit Award: Takashi Iizuka & Yuji Nagata
Most Inspirational Award: N/A
Back to: "GET A RIGHT!! BLACK VS. G-EGGS" (10/12/00 to 10/29/00)
Forward to: "BATTLE FINAL 2000" (12/10/00)
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