SHO,   leads group with four matches left

Night seven of Best of the Super Jr. 28 saw action in Korakuen Hall once again, as the league begins to turn the corner to its final fortnight. 

Hiromu Takahashi headed to the main event against El Phantasmo intent on having a match of pure skill rather than with questions looming over ELP’s suspect boot. With suspicions apparently allayed with particularly careful checks on the boot in question, the match got started at a rather higher pace than Phantasmo wanted; cutting off an apron dropkick before settling in on the arm though, Phantasmo was able to effectively temper the Time Bomb.

With back rakes punctuating more traditional maneuvers, Phanatsmo had full charge of the match, before instinctively stomping at Hiromu, only to find less power behind his boot than he was usually expecting. Takahashi was able to captalize, firing back with chops and an apron shotgun dropkick, but ELP would rally with typical athleticism. An enzuigiri rocketed off the back of Hiromu’s head, but as he went on the run to follow, the Headbanga found himself trapped in Takahashi’s D. 

ELP would reverse into a Crossface, and as Hiromu recovered in the corner, charged in only to be met with a belly to belly overhead. As the two found their feet, Hiromu and Phantasmo traded shots before ELP unleashed a thrust kick to the gut and then Sudden Death, but this time Hiromu was able to withstand the blow of a regular boot. His regular weapon severely depowered, Phantasmo saw to it that the referee was downed before a low blow scored to Hiromu; ELP then went to the floor to load up the boot with something from under the ring. 

With the referee and Hiromu both having time to recover, a fully loaded Sudden Death was avoided, Hiromu landing a corner DVD and blocking the UFO with a headbutt. The Dynamite Plunger scored before Victory Royal for two, but as the match passed the 20 minute mark, the Phantasmo UFO landed and was followed with the V-Trigger. Once again, the One Winged Angel couldn’t connect in follow-up, but the Styles Clash did to earn 2.9, Hiromu kicking out as Phantasmo continued to look for an answer. 

Phantasmo doubted himself as he chose his next move, and as he settled on a CR II, was countered with a hurricanrana for a nearfall. Hiromu would land a thrust kick, and started to muscle his opponent up, but in a flash the loaded Sudden Death struck to give Phantasmo the flash KO victory. Still with hopes of the final in Ryogoku alive, Phantasmo left Korakuen Hall with ominous words delivered to Jay White, as he vowed to make the grand stage of Wrestle Kingdom, and if need be to do so as BULLET CLUB’s ‘future’.  

Partners El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru would face off in the semi main event, in a match Desperado was so eager for he forewent his usual entrance. Kanemaru moved to get himself counted out to allow Desperado to progress to the finals, but it was all a ruse, the masked man insisting on a proper match and nearly getting beaten by countout himself as ‘Nobu suddenly grew hyper competitive.

With old school offense, Kanemaru set to work with a completely headlock oriented first five minutes, but when Despe broke the hold on the floor, a vicious DDT from the Heel Master was the result. A classic head scissors and cravate would follow, but a high and tight back suplex would give Desperado some breathing room. With a ground Dragon Screw, Desperado paved the way to use his partner’s own Figure Four Leglock, Kanemaru crawling for the ropes, before landing a satellite DDT. 

As ‘Nobu worked his way out of Desperado’s Numero Dos attempt, he would score an impactful moonsault before trying for Touch Out. Both men would go back and forth looking for their signature offense, but it would be the Pinche Loco that struck clean, and Desperado had finally scored his first win over Kanemaru.  

Master Wato fought for tournament survival against Murder Machine SHO, who headed into the night with the potential to move five points clear at the head of the league table. Wato would quickly bring the fight to SHO on the floor, but when his opponent turned the tables, Wato would bounce painfully off the ringside steel. With the referee distracted, a massive chair shot would ring off Wato’s back, but soon it would be the young prodigy using his environment to his advantage again, following an in ring dropkick with a leap over the fence and a springboard off the steel to SHO. 

After a flurry of offense from Wato, SHO would respond with a spear off a distraction, and a series of punishing kicks. Wato would respond with Recientemente for the nearest of two counts, but RPP would find nothing but canvas. SHO would be panicked into going for his trademark wrench, connecting on the second attempt after a low blow to Wato and Snake Bite followed up for the win.  

Looking to make a two win break into a three win streak, YOH had a tough opponent in the form of Taiji Ishimori. Ishimori was taken down as he accelerated into a drop toe hold early, but his veteran instincts saw him side step a plancha and take full control on the floor. Removing the corner pad, the Bone Soldier drove YOH’s shoulder into the steel and continued to pressure the body part, but a YOH Dragon Screw would see opportunity knocking for the CHAOS member. 

YOH began to strike in combination, but a sliding German from Ishimori saw the BULLET CLUB member back in charge. Catching an Ishimori handspring in midair, YOH got a German suplex of his own, but would be driven into the exposed buckle when he looked for Direct Drive, and a shoulder buster would follow. Ishimori would look for the Bone Lock, countered into the DNV, but Ishimori had his own impressive counter work of his own, landing Cipher Utaki as both athletes were downed. Finding his feet, YOH rocked Ishimori with a thrust kick, and backflipped out of a Bloody Cross attempt to grab the Five Star Clutch win.  

Robbie Eagles was in a must win position against BUSHI, but found himself grounded in the early stages, until a counter to a BUSHI suplex allowed him to go down to the masked man’s knee. With increasing desperation to get to six points, Eagles used his bandanas to choke at BUSHI before wrenching his foe’s knee over the bottom rope, but BUSHI still responded with a tope suicida, and a backcracker counter to the Turbo Backpack. Eagles would prevent the MX, but not a brutal apron DDT; still a Backpack rolled into the Ron Miller Special would see him to victory.   

Ryusuke Taguchi and DOUKI were first to action on the night. Taguchi bought a pipe of his own with which to attack his opponent, but couldn’t gain an advantage on account of it being a rubber toy; DOUKI would have the edge with the real deal on the floor. A hip attack would create an opening for the Coach, who targeted DOUKI’s knee, but Doton No Justsu and the DOUKI Chokey gave way to Daybreak for a near DOUKI two. Taguchi escaped Suplex De La Luna, and landed Dodon To The Throne before Oh My and Garankle, and when DOUKI countered into the Italian Stretch again, Taguchi would stand and cover for the three.