World's_Strongest_Tag_Determination_League

World's Strongest Tag Determination League

World's Strongest Tag Determination League

Annual professional wrestling tournament


The World's Strongest Tag Determination League (世界最強タッグ決定リーグ戦, Sekai Saikyō Taggu Kettei Rīgu-sen), more commonly known in the West as the Real World Tag League, is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by All Japan Pro Wrestling since 1977, usually, run on the first weeks of December. The first tournament was actually called the Open Tag League, but it was renamed to its present name the following year.

The tournament is held under round-robin rules, with 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss; in earlier tournaments, only a time limit draw would provide the one point, with other methods (such as a Double Disqualification and Double Countouts) providing nothing for either team.

The name "Real World Tag League" was a mistranslation by AJPW promoter Giant Baba; "saikyō" in Japanese means "strongest," not "real", but Baba used Engrish for promotional material.

Between 1988 and 1994, the World Tag Team Championship was annually vacated in time for the tournament, which would be used to determine the new champions. The rule was reinstated for the 2012 tournament, but was again ignored the following year, but was reinstated in 2014. In 2000 and 2015 the vacancy was determined by separate post-tournament playoffs between the 2nd and 3rd places.

Ten-Koji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) are the only team to win both the World's Strongest Tag Determination League and its counterpart in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the World Tag League, as well as the only team to win both tournaments in the same year (2008).[1]

Results

List of winners

More information Year, Winners ...

1977

The 1977 Tag League, featuring 9 teams, was held from December 2 to December 15.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Abdullah Sheik ...

1978

The 1978 Tag League, featuring 6 teams, was held from December 1 to December 15. Abdullah the Butcher used both The Sheik and Tor Kamata as partners.

More information Results, Baba Tsuruta ...

1979

The 1979 Tag League, featuring 7 teams, was held from November 30 to December 13.

More information Results, Abdullah Sheik ...

1980

The 1980 Tag League, featuring 7 teams, was held from November 28 to December 11.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Abdullah Kamata ...

1981

The 1981 Tag League, featuring 9 teams, was held from November 27 to December 13. Winners Bruiser Brody and Jimmy Snuka were the first winners to never win the World Tag Team Championship or its predecessors the International or PWF titles, as Stan Hansen, who had recently jumped from New Japan Pro-Wrestling and helped Brody and Snuka win the final, became Brody's new regular tag team partner beginning the following year.

More information Results, Baba Tsuruta ...

1982

The 1982 Tag League, featuring 7 teams, was held from November 26 to December 13.

More information Results, Baba Tsuruta ...

1983

The 1983 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, was held from November 25 to December 12.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Brody Hansen ...

1984

The 1984 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, was held from November 22 to December 12.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Baba Kimura ...

1985

The 1985 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, was held from November 23 to December 12.

More information Results, Barr Race ...

1986

The 1986 Tag League, featuring 9 teams, was held from November 22 to December 12.

More information Results, Baba Tiger ...
Final
   
1 Genichiro Tenryu & Jumbo Tsuruta CO
2 Ted DiBiase & Stan Hansen 8:13

1987

The 1987 Tag League, featuring 12 teams, was held from November 21 to December 11.

More information Results, Abdullah TNT ...

1988

The 1988 Tag League, featuring 11 teams, was held from November 19 to December 16. It was also to decide the vacant World Tag Team Championship.

More information Results, Abdullah Singh ...

1989

The 1989 Tag League, featuring 10 teams, was held from November 17 to December 6. It was also to decide the vacant World Tag Team Championship.

More information Results, Abdullah Singh ...

1990

The 1990 Tag League, featuring 13 teams, was held from November 15 to December 7. It was also to decide the vacant World Tag Team Championship.

More information Results, Abdullah Kimala ...

1991

The 1991 Tag League, featuring 13 teams, was held from November 16 to December 6. It was also to decide the vacant World Tag Team Championship.

More information Results, Abdullah Kimala ...

1992

The 1992 Tag League, featuring 11 teams, was held from November 14 to December 4. It was also to decide the vacant World Tag Team Championship.

1993

The 1993 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, was held from November 13 to December 2. It was also to decide the vacant World Tag Team Championship. Giant Baba replaced Ted DiBiase as Stan Hansen's partner after one match due to injury.

More information Results, Ace Spivey ...

1Hansen and Ted DiBiase originally defeated Slinger & Smothers in 7:11; however, when Baba replaced DiBiase, the teams wrestled a rematch.

1994

The 1994 Tag League, featuring 10 teams, was held from November 19 to December 10. It was also to decide the vacant World Tag Team Championship.

More information Results, Kobashi Misawa ...

1995

The 1995 Tag League, featuring 10 teams, was held from November 18 to December 9.

More information Results, Abdullah Kimala ...
Final
   
1 Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue Pin
2 Kenta Kobashi & Mitsuharu Misawa 27:04

1996

The 1996 Tag League, featuring 7 teams, was held from November 16 to December 6. In an alteration of previous years, each team faced each other twice during the group stage.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
Final
   
1 Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue Pin
2 Jun Akiyama & Mitsuharu Misawa 31:37

1997

The 1997 Tag League, featuring 10 teams, was held from November 15 to December 5.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Ace Kobashi ...
Final
   
1 Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue Pin
2 Jun Akiyama & Mitsuharu Misawa 30:52

1998

The 1998 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, was held from November 14 to December 5.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Ace Gunn ...
Final
   
1 Stan Hansen & Vader Pin
2 Jun Akiyama & Kenta Kobashi 19:03

1999

The 1999 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, was held from November 13 to December 3.

More information Results, Ace Barton ...
Final
   
1 Stan Hansen & Akira Taue Pin
2 Jun Akiyama & Kenta Kobashi 20:15

2000

The 2000 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, was held from November 19 to December 9. Due to a four-way tie for first place, the four teams were placed into a semifinals instead of the traditional one-match final.

More information Results, Araya Tenryu ...
Semifinals Finals
      
1 Taiyō Kea & Johnny Smith Pin
2 Mike Rotundo & Steve Williams 8:20
2 Mike Rotundo & Steve Williams Pin
3 Masanobu Fuchi & Toshiaki Kawada 21:27
3 Masanobu Fuchi & Toshiaki Kawada Sub
4 Mike Barton & Jim Steele 21:08

2001

The 2001 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, was held from November 24 to December 7. As with the previous year, the top four teams faced off in the semifinals as a result of a four-way tie.

More information Results, Anjo Smith ...
Semifinals Finals
      
1 Toshiaki Kawada & Mitsuya Nagai Sub
3 Don Harris & Ron Harris 7:05
1 Toshiaki Kawada & Mitsuya Nagai Pin
2 Taiyō Kea & Keiji Mutoh 16:49
2 Taiyō Kea & Keiji Mutoh Pin
4 Kodo Fuyuki & Genichiro Tenryu 14:30

2002

The 2002 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, was held from November 23 to December 6.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Animal Mutoh ...

2003

The 2003 Tag League, featuring 7 teams, was held from November 22 to December 2.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Arashi Mutoh ...
Finals
   
1 Justin Credible & Jamal Pin
2 Kaz Hayashi & Satoshi Kojima 17:50

2004

The 2004 Tag League was held from November 21 to December 1. It was the first to utilize a multi-block system, featuring 10 teams in two blocks, with the winners of each block facing each other in the final.

More information Block A, Brown Buchanan ...
Block B Decision Final
A1 Kaz Hayashi & Satoshi Kojima Pin
B1 Jamal & Taiyō Kea Pin B1 Jamal & Taiyō Kea 24:36
B2 Toshiaki Kawada & Mitsuya Nagai 17:07

2005

The 2005 Tag League, featuring 10 teams in two blocks, was held from November 20 to December 5.

More information Block A, Akebono Mutoh ...
Final
   
A1 Akebono & Mutoh Pin
B1 Bubba Ray & D–Von 20:23

2006

The 2006 Tag League, featuring 7 teams, was held from November 19 to December 2.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Brown Buchanan ...
Finalist Decision Final
1 RO'Z & Suwama Pin
2 Toshiaki Kawada & Keiji Mutoh Pin 3 Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan 24:21
3 Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan 23:28

2007

The 2007 Tag League featured 8 teams and was held from November 23 to December 9.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Abdullah Suzuki ...
Semifinal Final
1 Joe Doering & Keiji Mutoh Pin
2 Toshiaki Kawada & Kensuke Sasaki Pin 3 Satoshi Kojima & Suwama 26:05
3 Satoshi Kojima & Suwama 15:18

2008

The 2008 league was held from November 22 to December 8 and featured 8 teams.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Doering Zodiac ...
Final
   
1 Shuji Kondo & Suwama Pin
2 Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan 28:36

2009

The 2009 Tag League, featuring 9 teams, was held from November 23 to December 6.

More information Results, Akebono Hama ...
Final
   
1 Keiji Mutoh & Masakatsu Funaki Pin
2 Suwama & Masayuki Kono 26:13

2010

The 2010 Tag League, featuring 9 teams, was held from November 20 to December 7.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Akebono Kea ...
Semifinal Final
1 Kenso & Kono Pin
2 Masakatsu Funaki & Minoru Suzuki Pin 3 Ryota Hama & Suwama 20:44
3 Ryota Hama & Suwama 17:53

2011

The 2011 Tag League, featuring 9 teams, was held from November 19 to December 4.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Akebono Hama ...
Final
   
1 Masakatsu Funaki & Masayuki Kono Pin
2 Kai & Seiya Sanada 18:03

2012

The 2012 Tag League was held from November 17 to November 30. It was only the second to utilize a multi-block system, featuring 10 teams in two blocks, with the winners of each block facing each other in the final, contested for the vacant World Tag Team Championship. Kenso and Great Sasuke were forced to pull out of the tournament and forfeit all of their matches after Sasuke suffered a shoulder injury.

More information Block A, Funaki Kono ...
Final
   
A1 Takao Omori & Manabu Soya Pin
B1 Joe Doering & Suwama 19:14

2013

The 2013 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, will be held from November 30 to December 8. Bambi Killer was originally scheduled to take part in the tournament, but was forced to pull out due to a neck injury and was replaced by Kenso.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Akebono Kanemaru ...
Final
   
1 Joe Doering & Suwama Pin
2 Kento Miyahara & Go Shiozaki 25:53

2014

The 2014 Tag League, featuring 8 teams, took place from November 16 to December 6. Atsushi Aoki and Hikaru Sato earned a spot in the tournament by winning the 2014 Jr. Tag Battle of Glory in October. The tournament was contested for the World Tag Team Championship, which Jun Akiyama and Takao Omori vacated on October 23 in time for the tournament.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Akebono Yoshie ...
Final
   
1 Kento Miyahara & Go Shiozaki Pin
2 Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori 27:47

2015

The 2015 World's Strongest Tag Determination League took place from November 23 to December 6.[2] After their win, Suwama and Miyahara turned on each other.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Akiyama Omori ...
Playoff
   
1 Bodyguard & Zeus Pin
2 Kento Miyahara & Suwama 9:36

2016

The 2016 edition of the World Strongest Tag Determination League took place from December 3 through December 18.[3]

More information Block A, Aoki Suwama ...
Final
   
A1 Jake Lee and Kento Miyahara Pin
B1 Takao Omori and Manabu Soya 21:07

2017

The 2017 edition of the World Strongest Tag Determination League took place from November 19 through December 12.[4]

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Akiyama Omori ...
Final
   
Shuji Ishikawa & Suwama Pin
Daichi Hashimoto & Hideyoshi Kamitani 11:14

2018

The 2018 edition of the World Strongest Tag Determination League took place from November 13 through December 11.[5]

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Akiyama Sekimoto ...

2019

The 2019 edition of the World Strongest Tag Determination League took place from November 11 through December 9.

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Akiyama Doering ...
Final
   
1 Shuji Ishikawa & Suwama Pin
2 Jake Lee & Naoya Nomura 19:45

2020

The 2020 edition of the World Strongest Tag Determination League, featured 8 teams in a single block, taking place from November 18 to December 7. The tournament featured outside participation from Big Japan Pro Wrestling's Daisuke Sekimoto & Abdullah Kobayashi and from Pro Wrestling Zero1's Masato Tanaka. On November 17, it was announced that Zeus had tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), leading him to pull out of the tournament and be replaced by his Purple Haze stablemate Izanagi.

More information Results, Suwama Ishikawa ...

2021

The 2021 edition of the World Strongest Tag Determination League, featured 16 teams in 4 blocks, taking place from November 13 to December 5.[6]

More information Block A, Kobayashi Parker ...
Semifinals Finals
      
A1 Suwama & Shotaro Ashino Pin
D1 Kuma Arashi & Koji Doi 10:09
D1 Kuma Arashi & Koji Doi Sub
B1 Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi 27:24
B1 Kento Miyahara & Yuma Aoyagi Pin
C1 Kengo Mashimo & Kazma Sakamoto 8:49

2022

The 2022 edition of the World's Strongest Tag Determination League reverts back to the single-block format featuring 8 teams. The tournament takes place from November 13 to December 7. The tournament features outside participants from New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Yuji Nagata and Big Japan Pro Wrestling's Takuya Nomura. On November 25, it was announced that Shotaro Ashino would be absent for the remainder of the tournament, due to injury, leading to him and Ryuki Honda to forfeit the remainder of their matches.[7]

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Arashi Doi ...
Final
   
1 Kento Miyahara & Takuya Nomura Pin
2 Shuji Ishikawa & Cyrus 20:37

2023

The 2023 edition of the World's Strongest Tag Determination League featured one single block with 10 teams. The tournament took place from November 12 to December 6. The tournament featured outside participants from DDT Pro-Wrestling's Yukio Sakaguchi and Hideki Okatani, JTO's Ren Ayabe, IWRG's Galeno del Mal and Gleat's Hayato Tamura. [8]

More information Wrestlers, Score ...
More information Results, Jun Rei ...

References

  1. Pro Wrestling History. "All Japan Real World Tag League History". prowrestlinghistory.com. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  2. "「World Strongest Tag Determination League 2016」". Puroresu Spirit. November 12, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  3. Dark angel (November 21, 2017). "AJPW: The "Real World Tag League 2017" begins". superluchas.com. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  4. Dark angel (October 18, 2018). "AJPW: "Real World Tag League 2018" tournament announced". superluchas.com. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  5. Dark Angel (October 12, 2022). "AJPW: The "Real World Tag League 2022" is announced". superluchas.com. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  6. Carlan, Lewis (October 21, 2023). "Teams For AJPW World's Strongest Tag Team Determination League 2023 Tournament Revealed". bodyslam.net. Retrieved October 21, 2023.

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