If you are a consistent watcher of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), you’ll no doubt know who the Knock Out Brothers are. Oskar Leube and Yuto Nakashima returned from their customary foreign excursion (where they won tag titles in Germany) at the G1 Finals, now rechristened as OSKAR and Yuto-ICE, respectively.
Under the command of BULLET CLUB WAR DOGS leader, “The Rebel” David Finlay, they laid waste to one half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions TAICHI and TAKA Michinoku before declaring their intentions to challenge the fighting duo of TAICHI and Tomohiro Ishii at October’s DESTRUCTION event in Kobe.
At DESTRUCTION, KOB won the IWGP Tag Team Titles after a grueling 13 minute match, and after it, the newly minted superstar duo of Yuya Uemura and Shota Umino came down to the ring, issuing a challenge for the very Tag Titles just won by KOB.
Interesting bit of backstory, Yuto-ICE’s first ever pro wrestling match was against Yuya Uemura, barely lasting a minute before sustaining an injury to his elbow, leaving him on the shelf for a year.
On the road to KING OF PRO WRESTLING, KOB faced Tomoaki Honma and Yuya Uemura, with singles matches between ICE and Uemura and OSKAR and Umino set for the next show in Korakuen Hall.
ICE and Uemura put on a fantastic match that featured brawling (with Yuto’s Bomboclat Knee Strike through a table being my favorite spot of the night) and Uemura relentlessly attacking the same elbow he injured 4 years earlier, to force a tap out and a submission victory.
At the go-home show, OSKAR and ICE attacked Tomoaki Honma after their match, leaving Yuya Uemura to rush to the ring and ultimately fail to save Honma, falling victim to their KOB finishing move.
At KOPW, KOB retained over Umino and Uemura after a grueling, hard-hitting match (that I recommend very much, it is one of my favorites from 2025) that saw the champions retain after a Tombstone from OSKAR.
At Hiroshi Tanahashi’s self-produced homecoming event in Gifu, Yuto-ICE came down to the ring and challenged Tanahashi to a match at NEW JAPAN ROAD in Anjo the next week, and after putting up a valiant effort, a Hi-Fly Flow put him down for the 1-2-3.
KOB have, as IWGP Tag Team Champions, been scheduled to enter the 2025 edition of World Tag League, with anyone gaining a victory over them getting a shot at their titles after WTL is over.
But, you may ask… what makes this team so special?
For me, it’s multiple factors. I’m a huuuge MMA fan, so seeing ICE’s fast-paced kickboxing-style offense is a treat. OSKAR, though limited to working the classic big man role, is an absolute specimen at 6’7″ and some 280lbs, and the feats he can pull off just based on his size alone are crazy. I particularly love their finisher, KOB, which is a scoop Piledriver by OSKAR capped off with a running Penalty Kick (named ICE’S High) to the head by Yuto.
It’s clear that Yuto is set up to be an absolutely huge star in the future, as he is only 28, and is loved by the crowds (Korakuen Hall in particular) despite being a no-nonsense brawling heel. His swagger alone is off the charts, because he looks like he can back up all the shit he constantly talks in interviews. His mannerisms, in particular his hip-hop inspired vibe also fit his, and in turn BULLET CLUB WAR DOGS’ identity, with stable leader Finlay’s motto being “Bring gold, or bring bodies.”
All these combined traits make KOB (and ICE in particular) one of the best things about modern NJPW, despite being relatively new. I look forward to what magic they can make over WTL, and their eventual Tag Title defense on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome.
In the words of Yuto: Let’s get high… BIG UP! Thank you for reading!
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