Desperado, Akira thriller sets stage for Osaka
Penultimate league action on May 21 saw the BOSJ30 tour come to Korakuen Hall, and the stage set for B Block to go to the wire Wednesday in Osaka.
B block would main event with a match a long time in the making between El Desperado and Francesco Akira. Akira was fighting for block survival as well as personal pride against Desperado; the aggressive Italian set a high pace and was in charge before delivering elbow shots and daring his foe to ‘show me something’.
That ‘something’ was a brutal shot to the jaw, and a chair swung with vicious malintent to the knee. Desperado would pick apart the knee of Akira, toying with his opponent as he inflicted excruciating pain. Akira had thoughts of being technical with a tarantula, but it was a pair of boots to the midsection that actually caught him a much needed break.
Back to the outside, Akira dove off the staging area to Desperado and landed a huge rope suicida. The crowd were behind Akira as he tried several times for Speedfire, eventually hitting it and a Fireplex, but it was Desperado in charge. A spine buster caught all Akira’s forward momentum into a spike on the mat, and the Numero Dos followed.
Desperado forced Akira’s knee into a grotesque angle, but the Italian refused to give in as TJP headed ringside for support, but also with a towel in hand. Seeing his partner motivated Akira to put Desperado into the Pinoy Stretch, but his final offensive flurry was short lived. With Akira in tremendous pain, TJP wanted to throw in the towel on Numero Dos, but Akira, Desperado and the ref all refused; moments later Akira finally submitted to move Desperado to the top of the standings.
YOH took a pin fall route with Direct Drive to move himself to 12 points at Kevin Knight’s expense. As many have attempted to do during the tournament, YOH pursued Knight’s knee, but couldn’t stop his leaping ability, the top suite Frankensteiner scoring before a low bridge saw the fight spill outside. Their Knight leapt up to the stage outside and flew to YOH with a spectacular dive.
Back inside, a high cross got two for Knight, but he was unable to get the Spike DDT. The drop kick scored big for the Jet, but so too did YOH’s super kick, and then Direct Drive for three.
Still in with a shot, but at long odds, is Robbie Eagles. Battling Dan Moloney, Eagles absorbed the Drilla’s brutal chops and pursued the knee and the Ron Miller Special. Despite a Gore from Moloney, the match was in Eagles’ hands, but when he went for an Asai DDT, Moloney transitioned into a spectacular Drilla Killa to stop Eagles from joining the pile at 12.
Master Wato took some vicious punishment from BUSHI, but the masked man would be able to get another win in a torrid tournament. Though a rope suicida and Codebreaker found their mark, Wato denied MX and got the Tsutenkaku to be the first to 12 points.
The first match of the night for B Block saw Yoshinobu Kanemaru target Clark Connors knee, but he was unable to tame the Wild Rhino. A powerful spear, and the no Chaser would see Connors get two more points.
B Block’s final night is Wednesday May 24, with El Desperado’s bout with Robbie Eagles, Master Wato facing Kevin Knight, and YOH versus Yoshinobu Kanemaru key to deciding the block.
