Tonga moves to V1 with defeat of ELP
The semi main event of New Beginning in Osaka saw the NEVER Openweight Championship on the line, Tama Tonga looking to make his first defence against El Phantasmo.
After feeling each other out Tama fired the first shots with a double handed chop and dropkick, but El Phantasmo fired back with his own dropkick to level the playing field. Both men pulled out their one-shot kills but both were avoided, the Gun Stun and Sudden Death not yet able to land. Tonga was instead able to land a plancha to the outside, but when he attempted to dive over the barrier ELP quickly avoided disaster and the champion crashed into the fan barriers and chairs, landing very awkwardly on his hand and wrist. A target now clear, ELP slammed Tama’s wrist into a table before laying another table on top of that same wrist and sinisterly stomping on it.
Always one for showmanship, ELP moved to the ropes to showcase his ability by hitting a head-scissors. An enraged Tama was finally able to fight back, a corner splash and overhead suplex earning a two count. Fighting through the pain coursing through his wrist and hand Tama wisely used Phantasmo’s own momentum against him to hit a back body drop. ELP was able to regain control, a series of offence culminating in a wild dive through the ropes and a sensational Too Sweet-sault from the apron to the floor, but with the landing the champion seemed to tweak his knee.
Trying to return to the ring, Tama was able to stop El Phantasmo in the ropes and attack with multiple dragon screw leg whips to the approval of Tanahashi on Japanese commentary. With ELP’s knees now damaged Tama locked in a torturous Sharpshooter, and although the challenger reached the ropes for a break, the damage was done and the Sudden Death was certainly weakened also. Both men hurt they began to exchange stiff forearm and palm strikes, a Superman Punch giving Tama the edge, the Death Valley Driver setting up Supreme Flow and almost securing the win.
Tama’s Gun Stun attempt was stopped, the champion was instead able to land a TKO, but the quick-thinking El Phantasmo was able to eventually slip out of Tama’s grip and harken back to BULLET CLUB’s past and hit the Styles Clash. Tama dove even deeper into the BULLET CLUB history and pulled out Prince Devitt’s Bloody Sunday, and as he charged in to hit the Gun Stun he was met by a sickening Sudden Death. Still, the champion survived and kicked out at the last possible moment. Desperate and damaged, El Phantasmo sought to use the NEVER title as a weapon but came to his senses; this still gave Tama the time needed to recover though his multiple pinning combinations never secured the three count.
An incredible counter to the Gun Stun saw El Phantasmo land CRII at the 25 minute mark, but again Tama Tonga refused to quit and kicked out. A final attempt at Sudden Death was caught by Tama and he was finally able to land the one-shot kill Gun Stun, only it wasn’t a one-shot kill tonight; El Phantasmo was somehow still alive. Reaching deep, Tama dropped ELP directly on his head with a devastating Jay Driller to ultimately earn the three count and retain the NEVER Openweight Championship.
