Takahashi and BUSHI pick up commanding win in Hachioji
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Saturday June 18 saw the New Japan Road series hit Hiromu takahashi’s hometown of Hachioji, and the four time Best of the Super Jr. winner would be in the main event as he and BUSHI took on SHO and Taiji Ishimori.
With the hometown crowd and local area rocker Atsushi on guest commentary, Hiromu certainly had a home field advantage as he awaited his championship opponent in Korakuen Hall on Tuesday in Ishimori. With some harsh comments on the microphone, SHO saw to it that water was dumped on that enthusiasm, but BUSHI would take out both BULLET CLUB members with a double headscissors, gaining control of the match until he was dumped throat first over the rope.
BUSHI was kept in the wrong corner with his arm worked over until a basement dropkick to Ishimori brought Hiromu inside. A snap tijeras met the crowd’s approval, and Takahashi rounded the bases to clock both the IWGP Junior Champion and his Murder Machine partner with a shotgun dropkick. Ishimori would slow his challenger’s momentum with a big boot and high knee though, and a handspring overhead would see both men downed.
SHO would get a tag that Hiromu didn’t, but couldn’t maintain an advantage, and BUSHI was able to enter for a missile dropkick. A vicious enzuigiri led to a punishing combo on SHO with an apron DDT exclamation point, but an MX attempt was defused by a flying Ishimori, and a German suplex followed from SHO. Still, a short range dropkick would bring Hiromu in, Takahashi getting two from a Complete Shot.
Hiromu went for his full finishing course on SHO, landing his corner DVD, but with Time Bomb countered and Takahashi was shoved into referee Red Shoes Unno. Predictable as he is despicable, SHO went to his wrench, but BUSHI would come to Hiromu’s aid with a sunset flip into a Takahashi German, and a tope suicida to Ishimori. SHO was left alone to taste Time Bomb for three, and give Hiromu a convincing hometown victory.
Joined by his LIJ compatriots, Hiromu ended the night with an impassioned plea to his hometown friends to help sell out the remaining 300 or so tickets for his Korakuen Hall title match on July 21.
