Strong Style move to V1- Narita calls out Okada
The main event of night three on the Road to Sakura Genesis April 3 would see the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championships on the line, the Strong Style team of El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki and Ren Narita facing HOUSE OF TORTURE’s EVIL, SHO and Yujiro Takahashi in a match where at the champions’ request, there would be no countouts.
El Desperado would start with Yujiro Takahashi, who quickly bit at the hand of the masked man to get a cheap early edge. The advantage wasn’t a long one, as a flying forearm led to a Suzuki tag, but the challengers quickly regained their ill earned edge with an attack on the floor. With no countouts, the fight quickly went all over Korakuen Hall, and with the presence of Dick Togo, insultingly clad in Desperado’s own mask, the numbers game ensured that the champions were at a handicap.
As the match finally came inside, it was with Suzuki buried in the challengers’ corner, and an incensed Narita constantly getting pitched from the ring. A big boot scored for the King to SHO but the tag was denied; a Fujiwara headbutt to Yujiro and finally Narita would be brought in. The Son of Strong Style exploded into HOUSE OF TORTURE as Korakuen erupted in ‘Narita’ chants, but the challengers would smartly bail from the ring, taking advantage of the no countout rules.
With EVIL disappearing from the ringside area, Narita went in pursuit, Desperado finding the King of Darkness hiding among the fans. With EVIL physically dragged to the ring, a high and tight half hatch suplex would get two from referee Red Shoes Unno, but Narita Special #4 would be countered, and with a well timed exposure of the turnbuckle, Narita soon tasted steel.
A spinning heel kick would se Desperado tagged in, the masked man lighting into SHO, but having Guitarra Del Angel denied. The wobbled Murder Machine would counter Desperado’s forward momentum with a spear, but tasted a Dragon Screw and a Stretch Muffler instead; as Desperado was working for Numero Dos however, Dick Togo made his unwelcome presence felt and laid out the referee to boot.
Once again giving free and brutal reign, H.O.T took over on Desperado, leading SHO to get the Power Breaker; a forcibly recovered referee would only grant two though. That brought Togo back inside to deal more damage, but Suzuki would make the save, and a deeply cathartic triple team ensued on SHO. With Togo booted off the apron, a trio of submissions brought a surround sound cacophony of screams from the challengers, but SHO would just make the ropes in Numero Dos and kicked out of Guitarra Del Angel to his begrudging credit.
SHO countered Pinche Loco, and drew the referee to hit Desperado low, a cross arm piledriver following for a near two as Suzuki made the save. Next in the book of shortcuts was SHO’s wrench; Narita seized the weapon though, and Desperado planted Loco Mono to SHO’s jaw and hit Pinche Loco for an emphatic three.
To add a satisfying exclamation point, Desperado would take his mask back off Togo and Narita would rob EVIL of his spray can before delivering a solid kick for good measure. Calling out Kazuchika Okada to challenge for the six man belts next, the Son of Strong Style drank in the well deserved adulation of the fans as the event came to a close.
