After last night of action, Sendai final is set
Himeji would see the last block matches of World tag League on December 11. Four teams headed into the final night still in with a chance of making it to Sendai Wednesday, but with Aussie Open already having completed their campaigns and posted their score, they would have to sit back and see that happened in the top two matches of the night. After a frustrating defeat for Tetsuya Naito and SANADA sealed their spot in Sendai, Aussie Open would go nose to nose with Bishamon by the end of the evening with the final set.
That frustrating defeat for Tetsuya Naito and SANADA was at the hands of former faction mate EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi of the HOUSE OF TORTURE. The H.O.T side would get off to a fast start on their opposition, but EVIL would soon find himself in the Paradise Lock, before a double team on Yujiro had the fans chanting their delight. The LIJ would set to work on EVIL before being sent into a ‘mysteriously’ unprotected corner before SANADA was sent twice into the timekeeper’s position.
Quick reactions and an explosive backdrop suplex would allow SANADA to tag Naito, who set to work on EVIL’s neck before being distracted by Dick Togo to allow HOUSE OF TORTURE to go on the offensive. SANADA would see to it that the run was brief, and defused a H.O.T double team attempt to hit the Magic Screw on Yujiro, before Skull End was locked in, LIJ under full control before the lights went out in the arena.
When they came back up, Naito and the referee were laid out, and SHO was in the ring. SANADA was easy pickings for Pimp Juice, but kicked out of the move, and Naito came back in to clean house. The match broken down, Yujiro was pinballed between strikes, and Naito took EVIL out the ring when he broke up a TKO pinfall attempt. SANADA’s Skull End was sunk in for a second time, but Dick Togo ensured the referee didn’t see a tapout, or a low blow from SHO on SANADA that led to Big Juice and the pinfall loss that eliminated LIJ.
The LIJ loss guaranteed that Aussie Open would advance to the final, acing the winner of the main event between Bishamon and TMDK. Shane Haste would start with YOSHI-HASHI, the Headhunter feeling the brunt of a Hysterical dropkick before Hirooki Goto and Mikey Nicholls collided center ring, Bihsamon getting the upper hand when they combined on a double tackle. The advantage didn’t last long; as Nicholls hit the ring at just the right time, TMDK took charge, and brought YOSHI-HASHI hard into the guardrails outside before dictating the pace in the ring.
When Haste had YOSHI-HASHI on the top strand, Nicholls tried to help his partner land a superplex, but as the Headhunter hung on, Haste took a powerbomb from his own partner instead. With a Blockbuster off the top, YOSHI-HASHI tagged in Goto, who tore into both opponents, and YOSHI-HASHI followed up with a brutal knee to Haste; even as TMDK turned the tide, YOSHI-HASHI managed to fight off a Thunder Valley attempt on his own before Goto once again roared into the fray.
Goto and Nicholls traded bombs, before Nicholls found an opening with a DVD to set up for Tankbuster for a near two. As YOSHI-HASHI made the save, he was sent packing, but as TMDK set for a second super Tankbuster, Haste would accidentally spike Nicholls with a DDT instead. YOSHI-HASHI turned Haste inside out with a lariat before the Violent Flash on Nicholls; Shoto followed for the three.
Also in league competition were battles for pride between the Mechanical Bulls team of Gabriel Kidd and Alex Coughlin and Lance Archer and Minoru Suzuki, and Be-Bop Tag Team against Great-O-Khan and Aaron Henare. In a bad mood about England’s World Cup exit, Gabriel Kidd wanted to start outside with Suzuki-Gun, an impromptu streetfight breaking out as a result; it was an unsuccessful one for Coughlin and Kidd though as the match ended with a Blackout. Be-Bop tag Team couldn’t bring a celebration to Himeji either, Toru Yano falling in 10:26 to the Imperial Drop.
