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NOV.24.2021

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Best of the Super Jr. Update: Night 5

Fifth night of league action in Korakuen Hall

Night five of Best of the Super Jr. saw the league return to Korakuen Hall, on a night centered around teammates doing battle with one another. 

The main event of the evening saw frequent partners Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI do battle, a quick start seeing the match go quickly to the floor where Hiromu had control. BUSHI would stall back inside, but only for a brief second, lulling Hiromu into a false sense of security as BUSHI landed a dropkick. It would be Takahashi in control before long though, BUSHI tied in the ropes for a dropkick from the floor, before a Camel Clutch stretched at the masked man center ring. 

BUSHI would respond with a backcracker, and a flying head scissors whip from the second strand would be followed with a DDT as BUSHI continued to gather steam. The Jet Black Deathmask seemed to leave himself open on the apron for a second, but would be one step ahead as he countered a Sunset Bomb with another tijeras out to the floor, and followed with a tope suicida, but back inside, Hiromu would out counterpunch BUSHI with a headscissor of his own, into the D. 

As BUSHI escaped, Hiromu would lay in a stiff lariat, but got caught with a Fisherman’s Screw and then a Destroyer for two. Hiromu would escape the ensuing MX attempt though, and a belly to belly saw BUSHi crash into the corner. Hiromu’s attempts at the Time Bomb would be countered, but the result was BUSHI on the apron, before being planted on the floor with a Sunset Bomb. Taskahashi closed in on victory, with a running corner DVD, but BUSHI had just enough to counter Time Bomb and the Victory Royal, staying in the hunt before spraying Hiromu with black mist.

A Codebreaker followed up for a near two, as Hiromu fought damage and blindness from the mist. BUSHI’s MX would see an instinctive counter though, and a Codebreaker from Hiromu would buy him enough time to try and clear his vision. As both men found their feet, Hiromu scored the Dynamite Plunger and Victory Royal for two; alariat was countered initially with a BUSHI Roll, but two successive lariats followed, and then Time Bomb II for the win.  

Taiji Ishimori would do battle with ‘Cutest Tag Team’ partner El Phantasmo, both men showing solidarity with matching T-shirts before a clean break in the ropes after an eventual lockup. Ishimori and Phantasmo would be evenly matched until a handshake was proffered by ELP; Ishimori took the hand, but stamped Phantasmo’s foot with what appeared to be a Phantasmo style loaded boot. That boot would soon be buried in Phantasmo’s gut, and the Headbanga had the distinctly sour taste of his own medicine in his mouth as he got back into the ring, only to be placed in the Tree of Woe for a ‘groin stretch’.

Phantasmo would be able to build some pace, and flowed from move to move to get two off a Lionsault. Now with a deal more viciousness in his offense, Phantasmo landed a forearm drop but got dropped with a sliding German suplex instead. Showing that Ishimori could pull off all of his partner’s best moves, Ishimori scored two off a UFO neckbreaker, and went for the CRII, but Phantasmo countered with Styles Clash to get a nearfall of his own. 

Firing back with Ishimori’s signature offense, Phantasmo landed his version of the Cipher Utaki, before a V-Trigger also connected, but both the CRII and One Winged Angel would be countered with a hurricanrana and a poison rana respectively. As Phantasmo went back to the well, Ishimori had another counter up his sleeve with an inverted Destroyer, and created distance to load up his boot, but a crisis of conscience struck with Phantasmo cradling his partner for the win. 

El Desperado faced Suzuki-Gun partner DOUKI as he tried to improve his three point record to an even 2-2-1. After a high paced open, Desperado would slow the match down some before DOUKI low bridged him to the floor. A follow up quebrada attempt would see DOUKI dropped face first on the apron though, and the IWGP Jr. champion would set to work on DOUKI’s knee. DOUKI would try to fire back only to be met with a solid forearm shiver as he failed to gain any sustained offense, until a wild back elbow saw a brief break.

A dropkick and suplex would follow, and while Desperado blocked Doton no Jutsu to lock in a Gory Special, DOUKI would stop a tope suicida and land the quebrada he had wanted earlier, following with Daybreak, and putting Despe in the Douki Chokey. Desperado would counter the hold into the Numero Dos however, and wrenched in the hold as DOUKI tried to roll away from the pressure, eventually verbally submitting. 

Heel Master Yoshinobu Kanemaru would get the instant jump on HOUSE OF TORTURE’s heel junior SHO, instantly attacking the Murder machine on his entrance with SHO’s own wrench. Kanemaru quickly went for Deep Impact, but would be kicked low, as SHO created much needed distance after a frantic start. SHO would seek revenge as he retrieved his wrench from the entranceway, but a basement dropkick saw Heel master turned babyface Master for the night Kanemaru sink in a Figure Four dead center as SHO wailed in agony. 

A spear from SHO would see the Murder Machine grab a double wrist lock on Kanemaru that had the Suzuki-Gun member struggle to the ropes; still hobbled, SHO nonetheless finally had a smile on his face as he went for Shock Arrow, but got rocked with a brainbuster instead. SHO would escape Touch Out, but a series of rollups would see Kanemaru on top with the Samson Clutch, SHO losing his first loss of the tournament. Post match, SHO wanted revenge, but that didn’t play out well either, a low blow from Kanemaru seeing ‘Nobu leave all smiles. 

YOH looked to find his first victory in the league against CHAOS partner Robbie Eagles. Eagles made it clear he wasn’t going to easy on his foe, especially when it came to YOH’s knee, and it seemed words exchanged motivated YOH to bring some extra speed and spice to the Australian. A stunning dropkick from YOH was followed by a big plancha, but a leg lariat created distance for a suicida con giro. A heated strike exchange with both back inside saw stiff shots traded, with YOH getting the upper hand landing a huge thrust kick, but Eagles flipped out of a Dragon Suplex, and went to the knee. Eagles wanted the Ron Miller Special, but would get countered with the Five Star Clutch, YOH finally scooping a win. 

The first league match of the night saw Team Six or Nine partners Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato square off. Wato would keep pace with his mentor and teammate until a very Wato like strike combination from Taguchi put him to the canvas. Wato would taste the buns of steel from the Coach, but Wato fired back with a dropkick and tornillo out to the floor. Taguchi would fight fire with fire, and landed lucha based offense of his own with a triangle plancha befoer the Bummer Ye landed for two, and as Wato fought back with flash pins, taguchi landed a crisp enzuigiri. A high round house and TTD from Wato though, and the RPP followed for the victory. 

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