Five remain heading into the final league night
Watch the night 11 replay now!
From 20 who started Best of the Super Jr 29 just a short fortnight ago, only five remain with the chance to soar to glory, as Toyama will see the last night of league action Tuesday.
As everyone hurts after eight singles matches so far, the best mental state has to belong to Robbie Eagles. Coming through in his main event with El Desperado, Eagles ended the night one win off the pace at ten points, but with tie breakers over both Desperado and El Phantasmo that could work to his significant advantage.
Eagles started his bout on an even footing with Desperado as high speed and athletic counters were traded. When both went to the floor though, Eagles caught a break; Desperado wanted to send the Australian into the ring post but was countered with an armdrag that saw the masked man’s foot jam on the hardwood floor. Eagles pressed the advantage outside but got cut off with a basement dropkick on the way back in, and both men would assume a familiar gameplan of knee based assaults.
Desperado’s agonizing Indian Deathlock wrenched at the ligaments, but a counter to Guitarra Del Angel would open the door for a high risk tope con giro. Eagles wanted Turbo Backpack to follow, but as he was repeatedly denied, the Sniper sacrificed his own hurting knees to bury them in his opponent’s head in the corner. As Desperado dropped Eagles to the mat, he applied a Stretch Muffler that sent Eagles scrambling to the floor, but his own tope con was met with a boot from Eagles.
Again hurting himself to hurt his foe, Eagles dropkicked out the knee of Desperado from the apron, recoiling himself in pain even as he caused major damage. When Eagles went for the kill with a 450 across the leg, Desperado’s last minute escape saw the knee jam, and a Numero Dos that somehow saw an escape; as Eagles tried to sit up out the hold he was dropped with a Bastard Driver but this only got two.
Before Desperado could follow up on offense, he would be met with a head kick and then a springboard 450 to the leg before the Ron Miller Special. Now, Eagles heads to Tuesday’s league closet needing a win over Titan, and for Desperado to beat El Phantasmo in order to make the finals.
The one man in charge of his own destiny is indeed Phantasmo, who put Wheeler Yuta away to claim his sixth win of the tournament. Yuta brought an aggression not seen in his prior matches, and though he was shocked by a Death Rider like DDT on the floor, fought back into the match. Yuta would find Cattle Mutilation on Phantasmo, as well as a Tombstone from the Yuta Lock position, but the Seatbelt Clutch wasn’t quite as tight as Yuta had needed. ELP escaped and blasted Yuta with Sudden Death twice, before the CRII brought home the bacon.
ELP now ‘just’ needs to beat Desperado to make the finals, while Desperado must win and hope Eagles loses. Yuta’s defeat saw him fall by the wayside tonight, as did El Lindaman early; the G-Rex Champion was out down with a Tenzan Tombstone Driver and then the RPP for the three.
The picture in A Block is even clearer thanks to Taiji Ishimori, who moved himself clear of the block much like BULLET CLUB opposite number Phantasmo on 12. He took on a Francesco Akira who very much had his back against the wall and pushed a high pace only to fall to the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.
Some incredible offense for Akira would include an emphatic top rope Spanish Fly that wowed the crowd in Ota. Speedfire would follow up, but Ishimori would avoid contact on the knees. For the champion, work has been done early with a ring post assist on Akira’s shoulder, and after sending Akira crashing hard into the post again, the Bloody Cross ended the Italian’s night.
Ishimori leads Hiromu Takahashi and Ace Austin on ten. Hiromu would be pushed as hard as Clark Connors could push, and Katsuyori Shibata at ringside saw Intensity on offense and hard shots. Yet as Connors rounded the metaphorical bases with a spear and powerslam, he got caught en route to home. His Trophy Kill was caught with a Stunner and then the D for a submission win.
Though Hiromu can win A Block with a victory over Ishimori, Austin is out. His night was ended as a sunset flip was countered by Ryusuke Taguchi, who dropped trou to upset the X Division Champion. Even if Austin wins his last match with Akira, and even if Hiromu beats Ishimori to stop him making 14, a three way tie at 12 would see Hiromu advance on two tiebreaker wins.
SHO and Alex Zayne also both started their nights with a chance at glory in the Budokan but were denied; Zayne by YOH who landed a Dragon Suplex to spoil the Sauce, while Yoshinobu Kanemaru delighted fans worldwide by jumping SHO at the start of the bout and running him out the building, a Touch Out leading to a pinfall win.
Action now heads to the final league night Tuesday in Toyama, where our Nippon Budokan final on June 3 will be determined.
