New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the teams for this year's World Tag League.
The tournament kicks off on November 20 with a show from Korakuen Hall. 16 teams will be split into two blocks with the top two in each advancing to the semifinals on December 8 in Kirishima City. The tournament finals will take place the following night in Kumamoto.
Two-time defending World Tag League winners Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) have a chance this year to become the first-ever team to win the tournament three times.
The Gates of Agony's Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona will make their tournament debuts this year.
Reiwa Three Musketeers members Shota Umino & Ren Narita have decided to work as a team and will enter the tournament together. The other musketeer, Yota Tsuji, has not yet revealed who his partner will be.
Also, Minoru Suzuki and Yuji Nagata have united after 20 years of feuding and will enter the tournament together.
Full listing of the 2023 World Tag League teams:
Block A:
Shota Umino & Ren Narita (tournament debut)CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) (fourth tournament)United Empire (HENARE & Great-O-Khan) (third tournament)TMDK (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) (second tournament)Bullet Club War Dogs (Alex Coughlin & Gabe Kidd) (second tournament)House of Torture (EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi) (fourth tournament)Kaito Kiyomiya & Ryohei Oiwa (tournament debut)Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) (tournament debut)
Block B:
Bishamon (YOSHI-HASHI & HIrooki Goto) (fifth tournament) (two-time World Tag League winners)HIKULEO & El Phantasmo (tournament debut)Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata (tournament debut)Just 5 Guys (Taichi & Yuya Uemura) (tournament debut)Yota Tsuji & TBA (tournament debut)Soberano Jr. & Atlantis Jr. (tournament debut)Monstersauce (Lance Archer & Alex Zayne) (tournament debut)Bullet Club Rogue Army (Bad Luck Fale & Jack Bonza) (tournament debut)