GoD to face Bishamon in final
December 8 saw the finalists for World Tag League determined in Kagoshima as the semifinalists did battle ahead of Sunday’s tournament decider.
The first of the two semifinals saw the Guerrillas of Destiny side of El Phantasmo and Hikuleo face TMDK’s Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls. Haste and Phantasmo would start, ELP getting the early upper hand with a tijeras, but a Manhattan Drop exchange left both reeling and Hikuleo and Nicholls tagged in. True to his name, Mad Mikey had designs on matching power with Hikuleo, but a lariat from the big man put him down, and the NJPW STRONG Tag Champions took brief control, but a trip to the outside saw Phantasmo in dannger instead. TMDK started targeting the taped up trap and shoulder of Phantasmo, and the Headbanga was in severe pain before finally working his way to Hikuleo.
The Giant of Destiny levelled both members of TMDK with a double clothesline, and delivered an emphatic suplex to Nicholls for two, but a tag to Phantasmo proved too premature. ELP tried to hoist Nicholls for the UFO but his neck seized up allowing Haste to regain control. Highway to Hell scored for a long two, but ELP was able to escape Thunder Valley, landing a double DDT that finally brought Hikuleo back legal. After a Sudden Death and plancha from ELP, Godsend from Hikuleo on Nicholls set up for the Super Thunder Kiss ’86, but Nicholls escaped contact.
Haste re-entered, and with his help, Nicholls was able to suplex Hikuleo and set ELP for the Super Tankbuster, but a desperate Phantasmo used a top rope Frankensteiner to send Haste flying into Nicholls. CR II scored on Haste but didn’t end the match; as Nicholls took a Sudden Death bullet for his partner, haste nearly rolled up Hikuleo but instead would get dropped with a thunderous Godsend to put GoD into the final.
That left Bishamon and BULLET CLUB War Dogs to decide who would join Hikuleo and Phantasmo in the final. YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto saw an inevitable entranceway assault from Gabe Kidd and Alex Coughlin coming and met their foes with staffs at the ready; Kidd thought that he had the advantage as he slid Goto into the ring, but YOSHI-HASHI surprised the War Ready Kidd and the IWGP Tag Champions got in some trademark double team offense. Kidd fought back with trademark aggression and illegal brutality, going to the eyes and biting at Goto before both teams again went to the floor; back inside it was Goto once again labouring to get free of the blue corner.
Kidd and Coughlin almost finished Goto altogether on the staging area, but a back body drop finally saw him get free; Coughlin would take care of YOSHI-HASHI to keep Goto’s partner at bay even as the Fierce Warrior scored with Muramasa. After a desperate kick from Goto through, YOSHI-HASHI was finally back in to the delight of the Kagoshima crowd; after Kidd bit at the Headhunter and set up for a double team though, this time it would be Goto lending support. Bishamon wanted Shoto on Kidd, but a brainbuster instead would drop Goto on his hurt neck, and a double Muscle Buster put down YOSHI-HASHI for a long two. With Coughlin’s assistance, Kidd used a hangman’s choke on the top rope to set up YOSHI-HASHI for a Doomsday Device and then the Hijack Tombstone, but YOSHI-HASHI was able to escape and land a perfectly placed superkick.
Goto willed himself to the War Dogs corner, and connected with his partner to hit Dangerous Nebra on Coughlin. Shoto would be next, but Kidd hit the ring to break it up at the 15 minute mark, and as Coughlin drove Goto to the corner, struck the referee in the process. Seizing the opportunity, Kidd took a chair and cracked it across the back of Goto; YOSHI-HASHI would be dumped with a brutal backdrop suplex, but still had the heart to rally with a stunning lariat, all five men, referee included, down on the mat as the match wore on.
YOSHI-HASHI and Coughlin found their feet, trading bombs as neither wanted to yield an inch. Finally the Headhunter managed to piece together a combination, but Coughlin responded with a brutal pumphandle Death Valley Driver, this still not finishing the match at the 20 minute mark. With Kidd calling the play, Coughlin tried for a Jackhammer, but Goto broke up the move, and the Itadakikari Crucufix Bomb scored a sudden victory.
