In the main event of night 9 in Best of the Super Jr. 29, Robbie Eagles and El Phantasmo earned their keep with an all time level main event performance that saw Eagles prevent ELP from moving clear at the top of B block.

 

 

Bitter foes driven by hatred more than by points, it was clear that neither man would stop at anything, including hurting themselves to hurt their opponent. Short moments into the bout was when Eagles blinked first and took the high risk approach, a lope con giro landing flush. But high ticket offense carried with it a brutal receipt, and ELP would lawndart Eagles into the ring post before delivering a sickening DDT onto a chair.

 

Phantasmo had Eagles badly wounded, and was precise in his follow-up, a brainbuster forcing a two count. Yet after he connected with a tope suicida, Ohantasmo glimpsed a chance not just to defeat his enemy but secure spots in highlight reels and history books, going bigger and bigger with costly results.

A plancha saw Eagles wiped out at ringside, and Phantasmo opted not to get back in, instead sending fans scattering to go for a rope walk quebrada. Eagles moved, and the resulting snapped ankle on the parquet floor of Korakuen Hall was music to the ears of the Sniper of the Skies. Phantasmo was quick to get to the ropes on a Ron Miller Special attempt, but had no base to fire back on, the UFO not being an option without his legs to lift with.

 

Phantasmo would instead target the pride of Eagles, drawing him into open palm exchanges before rallying off a pair of lariats. The rattled Eagles could not get Phantasmo off his back with flash pins, and ELP instead hurled the Australian off his own back with Eagles’ own Turbo Backpack.

 

Both would want the other’s signature offense for a poetic finish, and a Phantasmo 450 missed while Eagles scored with an ELP style Burning Hammer and Thunder Kiss. Back to what brought them, Eagles countered CRII with a hurricanrana but the same move that garnered victory in December over ELP did not six months on; Phantasmo’s pride meant he did not submit either when a Tiger Driver gave way to a Ron Miller Special.

His ankle and knee shot, Phantasmo still went big, letting the top rope do the lifting for him as he struck with a super UFO, but when he landed CRII, he couldn’t make a cover in time to secure the pin. Throwing his last shot from the barrel, Phantasmo landed a V-Trigger before setting for a One Winged Angel, but a poison rana special gave way to the 450 and a final Ron Miller for the submission.

The incredible main event put Eagles on six points, a win off the pace at eight where ELP is joined by Els Lindaman and Desperado. Lindaman moved up to eight with a victory over Wheeler Yuta, as he countered the Seatbelt into German and Tiger suplexes. Desperado meanwhile was upset after a loss to BUSHI, LIJ’s masked maestro getting the W after an MX despite some heavy work done to his knee.

On six, TJP joined BUSHI, Eagles and DOUKI when he submitted Japones Del Mal with the Pinot Stretch. Underneath, Wato did what he needed to in the opener, and connected with the RPP for the first time in the tournament, putting away Titan and eliminating him from contention.

 

Leading A Block at ten is Ace Austin, who defeated Taiji Ishimori in controversial form to lift himself clear of the block. Though Austin moved well to escape Ishimori’s offensive flow early, and dicatated the starting pace, being elevated with a Stungun over the top rope left him sucking in air, and gave Ishimori an open goal to attack the shoulder. Firing back with his good arm, Austin made space to Soar to Glory out to the floor, but back in was dropped with Cipher Utaki.

Ishimori wanted the Bone Lock, and Austin wouldn’t give it to him, instead striking with the House of Cards and then the Fold, but Ishimori’s backward momentum sent him close to the ropes where the pinfall was broken. After baiting Ace in, Ishimori did get the Bone Lock, Austin himself making the ropes, before a second Fold attempt was countered with a reverse Bloody Cross. An attempt at the full version was countered with a leg roll clutch, but as Ishimori had the three counted against him, it seemed as if Ace’s shoulders were also down; nonetheless, an Austin win was the official result.

As Ace moved clear at 10, Alex Zayne joined Ishimori second on eight, a Cinnamon Twist eliminating Ryusuke Taguchi early in the evening. Meanwhile a crowd at six was formed through gains gotten well and poorly.

SHO joined Hiromu at six after brutal offensive work on the hurt knee of Takahashi was resisted time and again. As the referee was wiped out EVIL headed to ringside, and as Hiromu dealt with the distraction, SHO snuck something in his boot for sickening power in a kick and extra leverage on a knee bar submission.

Clark Connors and the Trophy Kill would put Yoshinobu Kanemaru down to move the Wild Rhino to six and all hit put ‘Nobu out. Still technically if not effectively in the running, Kanemaru is joined at four by Francesco Akira, who pushed a frantic pace to stop YOH advancing past six with the Fireball.

 

Both blocks have one day’s rest before action continues Saturday in Makuhari Messe.