LIJ with tag loss but post match moral victory
Watch Burning Spirit night 4 on demand!
The main event on September 7 in Korakuen Hall saw El Phantasmo and KENTA headline the second straight night in the Hall with vocal crowds as they faced the Los Ingobernables De Japon side of Shingo Takagi and Hiromu Takahashi.
Phantasmo fired up Takagi early by leading mocking chants of ‘Shingo’s Daddy’, prompting a hot start from Takagi and an impactful string of offence that put the Dragon in charge of the match. Phantasmo responded with a dropkick, but was elevated in the lights with a back body drop, and a quick tags to Hiromu kept the match in LIJ hands.
As Takahashi felt the encouragement of the Korakuen faithful, he went for a dropkick down the apron line, but ELP evaded contact, and with KENTA’s assistance, the match started to go BULLET CLUB’s way. A Phantasmo quebrada took out Takagi on the floor, and Hiromu would be separated from his partner. As KENTA and ELP continued their characteristic combination of violence and humiliation, KENTA tried to use his autobiography as a weapon, only to see it fly from his hands after a Hiromu dropkick, Shingo awaiting the hot tag.
Takagi would fire off offense, but Phantasmo kept pace, stopping the Ryukon lariat with an enzuigiri to bring in KENTA. Takagi was undeterred though, and a double lariat would create an opening for he and Hiromu. Shingo elevated ELP into a thrust kick, followed by a Pumping Bomber and then Made In Japan, only getting two as KENTA dove in to distract the referee with his book. In the confusion that followed a low blow scored for Phantasmo, who followed up with an inside cradle for three.
Further humiliating the defeated Shingo, ELP draped the KOPW 2022 holder with an ‘ELP is my daddy’ T shirt as well as a baby’s nappy, but Shingo responded with a lariat that cleared the ring. Taking the mic to close the evening Takagi said ‘Even though I lost, do you mind if I still take the mic?. So I can finally say, let’s go go go! I wanted to earlier but Hiromu butted in. I haven’t been able to make a mark on Phantasmo. He beat me in G1, right after and again today. Why did they humour him with the Tshirt? And is this (nappy) fit for broadcast? What does it all mean? I don’t know if you have father issues or not, but I’m not looking for a sugar daddy.’
‘For the past two days I’ve heard the cheers I’ve been missing for two years. Nothing feels better. I know you guys are loving it too. I’m not Tanahashi so you won’t see tears from me, but believe me I’m feeling it on the inside.’ Passing the mic to ‘MVP’ Hiromu Takahashi to close out the night with the promise to have ‘more, more, more fun together!’, LIJ rounded out a raucous pair of events on the Burning Spirit road.
