Sabre gets win in most thrilling defence yet
The NJPW World TV Championship was on the line at Lonestar Shootout on November 10, as Mike Bailey took on Zack Sabre Jr.
As Bailey was well aware of the 15 minute time limit, he started fast against the champion, landing an isoceles quebrada and peppering kicks on the outside; when Sabre was able to create and then close distance however, a snapped neck was the result and ZSJ took to punishing the challenger with brutal stretches. The champion would casually deliver a kick to the spine designed to bait his challenger into throwing a strike; Bailey took the bait and paid for it with a painful armbar, but after gritting through the pain got moving with kicks and a standing moonsault.
Following up, the challenger wanted moonsault double knees, but only met the knees of Sabre. Wincing and hobbled, Bailey kept pushing forward with kicks, but was met with a foot of ZSJ’s own as the Texas crowd began to chant ‘this is awesome’. Capitalizing on the weakened knees, Sabre locked in an Indian Deathlock variation and even snapped the unprotected toes of his foe; even as Bailey found the ropes, the champion did not ease up as the two rolled to the apron at the ten minute mark.
Desperate, Bailey found a vertical base and then landed double knees on the apron. A double jump sky twister followed, and Speedball rolled Sabre back in with three minutes to go; the tornado kick scored in the corner and Bailey landed Ultima Weapon, but got two and nine tenths. Sabre got even closer to three with a Zack Driver with two minutes left; both men inched ever closer to the three count with flash pins before Bailey got moonsault double knees to the spine.
With less than one minute left, Sabre caught a charging Bailey with an armbar guard and then a sickening double armbar; Bailey couldn’t hang on and quit with just six seconds left on the clock.
