Desperado notches up first defence, big win over career rival

El Desperado was the only champion to retain his title after night one of Wrestle Kingdom 16, putting away eternal enemy Hiromu Takahashi after an intense bout that saw the next chapter in their rivalry develop.

The match started fast with both men trading strikes from jump. Forearms were followed by chops and then tackles, before heavy suplexes, each man taking heavy hits but refusing to be pinned. The escalation continued as Desperado landed a tope con giro out to the floor, only for Hiromu to get in and land the sunset bomb out to the outside. Yet as champion and challenger rolled in, there was still nto yet a clear advantage, Desperado finally gaining an edge with a spinebuster into Guitarra Del Angel and then going up for a Mad Splash, getting two. 

As both men set a much higher pace than their recent encounters, Desperado would look for Pinche Loco, but instead was shoved into a pop up powerbomb that saw Hiromu take control. A corner suplex and then shotgun dropkick blast rocketed into the champion, who went for the ride with Dynamite Plunger for two, as the challenger built momentum. 

A corner DVD later, and Takahashi went for Time Bomb, but the challenger was hell bent on avoiding Hiromu’s finishing blow, counters growing increasingly frantic as he looked for Numero Dos. Yet as the challenger seemed impossible to deny, Hiromu would sit up into a destroyer, and followed with a lariat before the Victory Royal. Denied every attempt at sustained offense, Desperado could only hope for two with El Es Clero. 

The champion finally scored a Hitodenashi Driver to gain some distance to Takahashi. A hard punch to the jaw and Desperado went for a pair of Pinches Loco; though Hiromu countered once into the Unnamed Hiromu Roll, and scored with another hard right hand, Desperado fired right back with a punch of his own, and then landed the Pinche Loco twice to secure victory.