A and B Block advance to the wire

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With two nights left to play for in Best of the Super Jr. 29, half the field in each block was effectively eliminated from contention May 28 in Makuhari. No elimination was more painful than in the night’s main event, as DOUKI fell out the running at the hands of El Desperado.

This emotional battle was driven by a desire for DOUKI to build himself on his own terms, and at least subconsciously by Desperado wanting just that from his foe while still refusing to lose. DOUKI took the fight to his ‘hermano’ early and drove Desperado into the ring post. Japones Del Mal kept control with stinging strikes and a DDT outside, but when Desperado clipped his opponents’ knee he followed through with a tope con giro.

With early match roles reversed, Desperado was characteristically vicious as the aggressor. As DOUKI tried to slow Desperado’s advance, he inadvertently gave his teammate his leg, which was thoroughly tortured as Despe questioned DOUKI’s ability to fight back.

That he did with a wild dropkick and a leaping DDT to impact the already hurt neck of Desperado. Dropping his foe as he came to meet him, DOUKI locked in the Italian Stretch #32, sending Desperado to the ropes, but as DOUKI set for Daybreak the answer was Guitarra Del Angel for two.

DOUKI and Desperado reset and traded strikes but it was clear that DOUKI gave up power. Instead going back to the Italian Stretch, DOUKI saw Desperado fade, barely making the ropes and falling out, where a tope suicida DDT drove the former IWGP Jr. champion hard head first into the cement floor.

DOUKI chose to bring Desperado back inside for a definitive victory through Daybreak and then the Italian Stretch. Somehow though, Desperado would have enough to make the ropes, and as DOUKI doggedly tried for his submission, he would be countered into Numero Dos. Desperado gator rolled DOUKI to the center, and there was no choice but to submit.

Desperado is joined at the top of B Block by El Phantasmo, who got past TJP on the night. Despite damage done, especially to the knee and ankle, by Robbie Eagles Thursday, Phantasmo’s ego led him to grandstand too much against an opponent very willing to punish him. The threatened Phantasmo would seek a sudden end and found one via CRII.

Filling in the gaps left at eight, Robbie Eagles defeated El Lindaman to take the spot, an impactful affair ending with the Ron Miller Special. Wheeler Yuta would eliminate Master Wato to take his own spot at eight; though Wato controlled the pace in an extremely effective performance, a missed RPP would be a step toward 12-6 elbows and then the Seatbelt Clutch. Rounding out B Block, Titan would use his springboard double stomp to move himself level at four with BUSHI, but neither can make the finals.

In A Block, another tie at ten was created when Taiji Ishimori beat Clark Connors. The power of Connors saw Ishimori drilled with suplexes and a spear, but with an arm weakened earlier in the tour by SHO, Ishimori was counting down the moments to take him out of the picture. A Trophy Kill attempt was countered and Connors had to tap.

That brought Ishimori level with Ace Austin, who was cheated out of a win by SHO. After a battle on the floor, Austin stopped SHO’s attempts at a countout win, and closed in with the House of Cards to attempt the Fold. Yet SHO powered the charging Austin into the referee, and after a shot with his ever ready wrench, looked for a pinfall. Ace kicked out, but was instantly placed in the Snakebite for a referee stoppage.

Hiromu Takahashi’s BOSJ victory wasn’t entirely stopped as he survived Alex Zayne. Zayne worked on Hiromu’s hurt knees before trying for victory on his own terms, but Takahashi managed to escape the Taco Driver. Scoring a Hurricanrana, Hiromu locked in D for the submission win to move to 8 alongside the Sauce and SHO.

Underneath at six, the slimmest of hopes may exist for Francesco Akira, who survived the knee assaults of Yoshinobu Kanemaru to put him out of the running with the Fireball. Meanwhile a hurricanrana and an exposed backside would see to it YOH has an extremely difficult and convoluted path to the top spot.

Action continues in Ota Sunday.