Semifinals set in Osaka
The semifinals are set for Best of the Super Jr. 30 Friday night in Yoyogi, after El Desperado and Master Wato advanced to face Titan and Mike Bailey respectively.
The main event of the evening saw familiar foes in Robbie Eagles and El Desperado collide for a spot in the semifinals. Early exchanges of holds saw Desperado using his size to his advantage before Eagles’ speed and maneuverability had the edge; at a stalemate, the men decided to throw hands instead, and a chop exchange led to Desperado landing a shoulder tackle and targeting the knee.
Hobbled, Eagles got free with a suplex that saw his masked opposition bail to the floor. There it was Eagles targeting Desperado’s knee, and as Desperado stood and threw chops at the TMDK member, a chop to the knee from Eagles caused more pain. A suplex finally brought Desperado back to the mix at the ten minute mark, and the masked man tried for Numero Dos; Eagles responding with a 619 to the leg, and a chop block to the outside before the springboard dropkick brought Desperado into the Ron Miller Special.
Desperado too found the ropes quickly, and a spinebuster brought Numero Dos again, but an incredible Canadian Destroyer got Eagles free. Both men badly hobbled, Eagles had the high ground as Desperado threw defiant drops, and then found a knee crusher as Osaka roared in delight. Just as Desperado looked to follow up, Eagles found the Ron Miller Special, and repeatedly pulled Desperado to the center, but his gutsy foe just barely forced a rope break.
Eagles was in full control as he peppered in kicks to the prone Desperado, until a midair Dragon Screw brought the Sniper down. Guitarra Del Angel connected for a Desperado two, and when Eagles tried to counter Pinche Loco, a transition into Numero Dos saw Desperado one move ahead. Eagles tried to escape with another Canadian Destroyer at the twenty minute mark, but was spiked with a Bastard Driver; The TMDK member was defiant with frantic kicks to Desperado, but Numero Dos was locked in once more for the submission.
YOH was in control of his destiny as he faces Yoshinobu Kanemaru, knowing he would advance to the final four with a victory. After attacking YOH after the bell the night before, it didn’t take long for Kanemaru to target YOH’s knee, slamming it into the ring post and sitting back as the referee applied a 20 count. As YOH got back in, the punishment continued, YOH struggling badly until finally hitting a dropkick and following up with a plancha.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, YOH pushed through with offense, but was stopped on the top rope and rocked with a vicious knee breaker. Sacrificing his knee, YOH landed the DNV, but Kanemaru went back to that knee as YOH tried a Dragon suplex and applied the Figure Four. YOH scrambled, barely making the ropes, and escaped Kanemaru’s moonsault follow up, landing a Dragon Suplex for two; YOH set for Direct Drive, but was stopped with a leg lace rollup for three, eliminating YOH.
Master Wato was first on the night to battle for a spot in the final four, as he took on Kevin Knight. A high level opening exchange led to a standoff, but it was Knight getting the first advantage with a high angle flying armbar and plancha. Setting to work on Wato’s lower back, Knight dished out ewffective punishment, but Wato responded with a leg lariat and a stunning tope con giro that delighted Wato’s home town crowd.
Knight twice tried to create distance from Wato, but found it closed quickly with a corkscrew uppercut and then Vendeval, sending the Jet into the ropes. Tsutenkaku was next on the agenda, but was denied, and when Knight finally got the distance he needed, he took flight to push Wato to near two counts. The Upper Room Frankentseiner got another two for the Jet, and Sky High put Knight even closer, but Wato stopped the Spike DDT and countered into the Tsutenkaku German to win.
A power junior fight between Clark Connors and Dan Moloney got underway before the bell, the two battling out among the people. A violent fight finally got into the ring, only for Moloney to be pitched right back out when the bell rang, Bloody Hands Gedo taking great delight as Connors got set for a Spear on the floor. He would be stopped by a back body drop however, and Moloney roared back with a dropkick and Fisherman’s Driver for two. Connors responded with a powerslam and a pair of spears, but a wild Moloney grab at the throat brought both men outside. There the Drilla rocked Connors with a Gore to win via countout.
The first block match of the night had BUSHI take on Francesco Akira. A battle for pride saw Akira set to quick work, taking BUSHI down with a plancha, but jamming his knee when leaping back into the ring. BUSHI took advantage, punishing the hurt knee, but Akira pushed through the pain to hit a smooth tijeras and cross body for two. BUSHI went back downstairs to set up a brutal Codebreaker, but a superkick swatted MX out of midair; unable to hit the Fireball with his hurt knee though, BUSHI went back to the knee and won with a cross knee bar.
