Taichi overcomes a stacked deck
The main event of New Japan Road on November 7 in Yamagata would see the KOPW 2023 title on the line, Taichi challenging SHO in a match where Yoshinobu Kanemaru was special guest referee, Taichi’s signature offense was banned, and the loser could never wrestle in Yamagata again.
The crowd was entirely behind Taichi at the bell, but while the Just Five Guys members were in his corner, the referee most decidedly was not. Kanemaru would turn a blind eye as HOUSE OF TORTURE quickly got involved, and the Heel Master was even quicker on his counts when Taichi was out the ring and down on the mat. Conversely, Kanemaru was much slower with his pinfalls, and when counting SHO on the outside, having to pause for some alcoholic refreshments for his parched throat.
Left reeling by SHO’s offense and the unfair rules, a frustrated Taichi fought back with stinging chops, and biting kicks. Just as he primed for his Seitei Jujiho Superkick though, Kanemaru stepped in to remind the challenger that move was banned, an action that opened him up for a SHO spear. The match reaching 15 minutes, Taichi blasted SHO with a gamen giri and locked in the Seitei Jujiro stretch, but Kaemaru would call in the H.O.T reinforcements.
Taichi somehow endured, but Kanemaru still hampered the challenger. When the mask came off for the Heel Master and Kanemaru got actively invovled though, Taichi sent him into SHO’s wrench. This only seemed to encourage H.O.T to hit the ring, but Just Five Guys would fire back in kind.
Now it was SHO and Taichi with no referee to hold the challenger back. a Hakuho Elbow and Last Ride Powerbomb struck just as Red Shoes Unno came to the ring in place of the laid out Kanemaru; the three count was rendered and SHO was left to contemplate a wrestling future outside of Yamagata.
