New Japan Pro-Wrestling has expanded the lineup for its October 17 event at Taichi’s former middle school, adding a tag team bout that brings together four vastly different personalities from across the company.

El Desperado will team with Toru Yano against Unbound Co.’s Yuto-Ice and Gedo on the Taichi-curated show. The match adds another layer to a card already built around unusual pairings, open spots, and a championship contest involving talent with deep connections to NJPW’s history.

The October 17 event is set to take place at the school Taichi once attended, giving the card a distinctly personal setting for the veteran wrestler. Rather than presenting a conventional touring-stop lineup, the show has been assembled around Taichi’s involvement and features a mixture of announced bouts and still-unfilled positions. The addition of Desperado, Yano, Yuto-Ice, and Gedo continues that approach.

Desperado and Yano bring experience to the new tag match

El Desperado enters the match as one of NJPW’s most recognizable junior heavyweight competitors. His presence gives the bout a high-level in-ring element, particularly with the unpredictable Yano lined up beside him. Yano has long made a career out of turning matches into chaotic situations, using misdirection, shortcuts, and timing to frustrate opponents who may appear stronger or more technically polished on paper.

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That pairing is notable because Desperado and Yano represent different kinds of veteran instincts. Desperado is capable of a punishing, deliberate attack and is comfortable fighting through physical matches. Yano, meanwhile, thrives when the structure of a contest begins to break down. Together, they will have the potential to make life difficult for Yuto-Ice and Gedo before the younger member of Unbound Co. can establish momentum.

Their opponents will be listed as Unbound Co., with Yuto-Ice joining Gedo. Gedo’s value in a tag setting has often come from his experience, tactical awareness, and willingness to seize any opening offered by an opponent or referee. With Yuto-Ice alongside him, the team has an opportunity to blend youthful energy with a veteran’s ability to shape the pace and direction of a match.

For Yuto-Ice, being placed opposite Desperado and Yano creates a valuable spotlight. Both men have extensive experience in NJPW environments, and the bout will put Yuto-Ice in a position where he must navigate Desperado’s intensity while also remaining alert to Yano’s constant attempts to create an advantage outside a traditional wrestling exchange.

A card defined by unique matchups and unanswered questions

The newly announced tag match joins a lineup that still contains several major question marks. Taichi will compete in a tag team match, but his partner has not yet been revealed. On the other side, Naomichi Marufuji will also have a partner to be announced. The match places Taichi opposite a respected opponent with a significant history in Japanese professional wrestling, while the unrevealed partners leave room for further announcements before the event.

The card will also include a DDT Universal Championship match, with Ryusuke Taguchi defending against Dick Togo. Taguchi is listed as the reigning champion, and Togo will challenge him on the October 17 show. The championship match provides a clear title focus for an event otherwise featuring a number of special attractions and open roster slots.

Yuya Uemura is also scheduled to wrestle, though his opponent remains unannounced. Uemura’s placement on the card adds another important competitive element, especially given that the event’s remaining vacant positions could be filled by any number of possible participants. No opponent has been confirmed for Uemura at this time.

With Taichi’s partner, Marufuji’s partner, and Uemura’s opponent still listed as TBA, the event has room to evolve further. Those open positions are part of what makes the card particularly intriguing: the announced names already provide recognizable NJPW figures and an inter-promotional championship match, while the remaining announcements could further define the scale and character of the show.

The updated October 17 lineup

The current card for the Taichi-curated event at his former middle school is as follows:

  • Taichi & TBA vs. Naomichi Marufuji & TBA
  • DDT Universal Championship: Ryusuke Taguchi (c) vs. Dick Togo
  • Yuya Uemura vs. TBA
  • Toru Yano & El Desperado vs. Unbound Co. (Yuto-Ice & Gedo)

While the match order has not been detailed, the lineup has several different draws. The Taichi and Marufuji tag match is tied closely to the event’s setting and Taichi’s role in putting the card together. Taguchi’s defense against Togo offers a championship stakes match. Uemura’s singles bout remains dependent on an opponent announcement. The newly added Desperado and Yano pairing gives the show another veteran-heavy tag contest with a contrasting blend of styles.

Why the added bout fits the event

Events built around a wrestler’s personal connection to a venue can often carry a different tone from a standard arena show. In this case, the location itself is part of the story. Taichi returning to his old school gives the October 17 card an obvious personal centerpiece, but the supporting matches are now taking shape around that concept rather than simply functioning as routine tour bouts.

Desperado and Yano against Yuto-Ice and Gedo is a fitting addition in that environment. It is not a match built around a title or a formally announced grudge, but it has clear personality. Desperado and Yano can bring unpredictability as a team, while Gedo’s experience and Yuto-Ice’s opportunity to stand out provide their side with a different kind of dynamic.

The contest also has enough variance to avoid being easily defined by weight class, age, or conventional team chemistry. Desperado has been most closely associated with junior heavyweight competition, while Yano has frequently operated in heavyweight settings. Gedo’s extensive experience is balanced by Yuto-Ice’s role as the younger half of Unbound Co. Those contrasts could be central once the bell rings.

For now, NJPW has confirmed the match as another piece of an October 17 show that remains partially unfinished by design. The addition ensures that Desperado, Yano, Yuto-Ice, and Gedo will all be part of Taichi’s special event, while attention now shifts to the remaining TBA announcements on the card.

The full makeup of Taichi’s former-school event will become clearer as the date approaches. At present, the show has a title defense, a Taichi-versus-Marufuji tag attraction with both partners still unknown, a Yuya Uemura singles match awaiting an opponent, and the newly announced clash between Desperado and Yano and Unbound Co.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.