The tag team battle between the tandems of Hideo Itami & Akira Tozawa and The Brian Kendrick & Gentleman Jack Gallagher marked the first time that Itami and Kendrick have been in the ring together since the Japanese Superstar took out The Man with a Plan with an injury on Christmas Day. However, Kendrick has previously insisted that the injury is water under the bridge and that there is no personal vendetta.
As the contest got underway, it was certainly business as usual for Tozawa as he unleashed a flurry of hard-hitting strikes that left Gallagher reeling. When the British competitor countered the former Cruiserweight Champion’s advance, Itami got the tag, which prompted Gallagher to tag in his own partner.
As Kendrick and Itami squared off, the tension started to build until the two began exchanging forearms to the face before The Man with a Plan took over with a series of kicks. Tagging Tozawa back in, Itami and his partner displayed impressive teamwork to keep Kendrick on defense. However, their momentum was short-lived, as Gallagher re-entered the fray and methodically attacked Tozawa. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion is known for his impressive stamina and resilience and managed to fend off both of his opponents, allowing Itami to enter the battle fresh and in control.
What appeared to be a miscue between Tozawa and Itami with The Stamina Monster tagging himself in proved to be the right move with the former Cruiserweight Champion taking down both Gallagher and Kendrick. As Tozawa fended off a double-team advance, he prepared for his patented Senton, but a second miscue occurred when Itami hit the ropes, accidentally knocking Tozawa off the top and into a headbutt from Gallagher.
With Kendrick and Gallagher securing the win, Itami was visibly upset and shoved his partner to the mat before leaving Tozawa alone in the ring.
Article source: WWE.com
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