Interference filled Sendai semi main sees SHO victorious over YOH
The semi main event of February 11’s New Year’s Golden Series saw YOH face SHO in their fourth singles match in a six month span. After YOH snapped in Korakuen Hall earlier in the week, striking SHO with his ever present wrench, the former tag team partners gained a new dimension of hate for one another, and YOH didn’t wait for a bell to join SHO on the floor.
The referee would be caught in the crossfire on the floor, and SHO would try to take advantage with his wrench, but a swing would only find the ringpost, and instead SHO would be rung off the ringside barriers. YOH continued to do as had been done unto him, targeting SHO’s fingers inside the ring, but the Murder Machine would gain the advantage when he used a Young Lion to distract YOH, and then send his former partner into the railing.
SHO followed with a chair shot to the back of YOH behind the referee’s back, and kept up the pressure with near murderous intent, choking his one time friend under his boot as YOH was on spaghetti legs. A surge of adrenaline saw YOH bowl SHO over with a flying forearm though, and a second followed at short range before a dropkick opened the door to a tope con giro out to the floor.
YOH kept up the pace, landing a Falcon Arrow and setting for a Dragon Suplex, but a spear from SHO would slow the CHAOS member, and repeated shoulder breakers would be followed by a brutal punt to the arm. SHO would navigate into a Kimura hold as YOH almost tapped, a toe just barely making the ropes but the damage seemingly having been done.
SHO followed with a Power Breaker for a near two, but would be slowed with an inverted Dragon Screw as YOH caught a break on instinct. His pride powering through the pain, YOH would fire in elbows to SHO before meeting a knee from the HOUSE OF TORTURE representative with one of his own. A German suplex from SHO would be released to set up a powerful lariat, but YOH would respond with one of his own, and landed DNV before looking for Direct Drive, but here SHO pushed his foe into the referee. SHO went for the wrench again, but was met with a thrust kick. Risking disqualification, YOH picked up the discarded wrench, but instead rocked SHO with another thrust kick, but a third would be directed into the referee again as SHO struck YOH low.
EVIL and Dick Togo hit the ring to put the boots in on YOH, but were met by Tomohiro Ishii and Hirooki Goto as YOH and SHO reset with no referee. A surefire deciding superkick from YOH would be met instead by SHO’s wrench, and the CHAOS member would be struck by EVIL’s NEVER belt before SHO landed Shock Arrow for the victory.
