Match Point is an ongoing series at Last Word on Pro Wrestling, where we look at intriguing matchups in indie wrestling and beyond. They may be dream matches, first-time matchups, or hotly anticipated rematches. Take a deep dive into the World Tag Team Championship match between Runaway Suplex and Total Eclipse at AJPW’s upcoming Excite Series 2022 event.
All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) is very close to the very end of the Excite Series Tour. The major show of this tour is happening on February 23. This show will feature four championship matches, one being for AJPW’s World Tag Team Championship. In this match point, we will cover the preview for this upcoming title match between Suwama and Shotaro, also known as Runaway Suplex, battling Kuma Arashi and Koji Doi of Total Eclipse.
[World Tag Team Championship]
《Champion Team》
Suwama @suwama_H2
Shotaro Ashino @shotaroashino
🆚
《Challenger Team》
Koji Doi @Koji_Doi
Kumaarashi @Kuma_arashi0112"2022 EXCITE SERIES"
🗓 February 23rd (Wednesday)
🕦11:30 start (JP)
🏢Korakuen Hall, Tokyo#ajpw #ajpwint pic.twitter.com/IBJg3UIDj9— AJPW International (@ajpwint) January 27, 2022
Runaway Suplex vs. Total Eclipse
A Brief Overview
When Shotaro Ashino debuted for All Japan Pro Wrestling, he did so as part of a faction known as Enfant Terribles. While this faction wasn’t particularly successful in AJPW, it would bring Koji Doi and Kuma Arashi into the promotion. Both came with Ashino when WRESTLE-1 closed its doors in 2020. When Enfant Terribles eventually collapsed, and the brand new Total Eclipse was formed, Arashi and Doi would come with them. This tag team would showcase potential, albeit being largely unsuccessful in matches. Doi and Arashi eventually challenged for the World Tag Team Championship in June in a losing effort.
Fast forward a few months, Total Eclipse’s pull in the company has skyrocketed. This would start when Jake Lee won the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. Meanwhile, AJPW’s Real World Tag League showcased Doi and Arashi as a tag team. This team would end up going to the finals of the tournament, defeating Suwama and Shotaro Ashino to do so. Keep in mind that, at the time, Suwama and Ashino were still the World Tag Team Champions.
While Kuma Arashi and Koji Doi failed to win the tournament, defeating the current World Tag Team Champions would gain their attention after Suwama and Shotaro Ashino. This would happen after they defeated Kento Miyahara and Yuma Aoyagi at New Year Wars. Doi and Arashi challenged the champions at the end of the New Year Wars tour. For the past few weeks, the challengers have been getting victories over the champions in singles action; most notably, Doi and Arashi defeated Suwama and Shotaro in singles competition.
Meanwhile, in normal tag team or trios match action, Total Eclipse managed to defeat the current tag team titleholders. One major exception was a six-man tag match earlier this month. All of this leads to this title match that will happen in only a few days. Shotaro Ashino and Suwama attempt to make their 3rd title defense against a tag team that has had a ton of momentum since the injury of Jake Lee. Jake Lee was injured, the junior tag team of Hokuto Omori and Yusuke Kodama won the All Asia Tag Team Championship.
The same could be said for the World Tag Team Championship. Kuma Arashi and Koji Doi have the momentum. Meanwhile, Runaway Suplex has been looking incredibly dominant in tag matches. Doi and Arashi have incredible chemistry as a tag team, not shy about using dirty tactics if it means getting what they feel they deserve. As a tag team, Shotaro Ashino and Suwama are still brand new, only having only a few months of experience working side by side. Doi and Arashi have more experience and even some momentum going into this title match.
Runaway Suplex vs. Total Eclipse – In Closing
If Suwama and Ashino retain, it will mark their 3rd title defense. Meanwhile, if Doi and Arashi win, they will win their first titles in All Japan Pro Wrestling. In terms of action, this title match is something to look out for in this show. It could lead to one of the best matches of the tour. If Doi and Arashi win, the faction of Total Eclipse would’ve captured every tag team championship in the company, including holding two of the three tag team championships currently in AJPW.
Will Runaway Suplex retain their championships, or will Total Eclipse finally capture their first World Tag Team Championship reign? We will learn the answer to that question at the AJPW Excite Series 2022 show on February 23.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Make sure to watch All Japan Pro Wrestling on AJPW.TV.
