Unique main event sees Tsuji victorious for LIJ
The main event in Korakuen Hall on February 5 was a unique faction warfare gauntlet match, Just Five Guys facing Los Ingobernables De Japon in ten minute singles matches with the winner staying on.
Korakuen was taken aback at the choice of first out of the gate for either side, a preview of the main event February 24 in Sapporo seeing SANADA and Tetsuya Naito collide. The two men, well aware of the time limit, would exchange flash pins early before Naito built momentum on his future challenger’s neck. A top rope Frankensteiner scored, and after attempts from both men to get a countout victory didn’t pay off, they each went for their best weapons in ring. Destino and Deadfall both countered, SANADA went for an O’Connor Roll but time expired and both men were eliminated.
That brought TAKA Michinoku out to face the imposing task of Shingo Takagi. TAKA did all he could to do as much damage to the larger heavyweight as possible, working over the leg of Shingo with a figure four round the ringpost and nearly scooping an upset with La Magistral. After Pumping Bomber and a massive powerbomb though, a Takagi styled STF submitted Michinoku.
Down a man, Just Five Guys sent Taichi out next. The two Sapporo opponents February 24 had as physical a battle as ever, and leg kicks from Taichi hobbled Shingo who kept moving forward only to be met with a massive gamengiri as the time expired.
With Taichi and Shingo now both out BUSHI and DOUKI were next up, Just Five Guys at a one man disadvantage. BUSHI wanted to put DOUKI away quickly as he set to attempts at his tope suicida and a Codebreaker, but it was DOUKI’s Jorge Rivera Special that kept BUSHI’s shoulders down for much more than three.
A victim of that same hold a week prior, Hiromu Takahashi was up next for LIJ. A yen minute showcase of what could be the wildest of Sapporo’s singles matches on February 24, Hiromu would look for a sunset bomb on DOUKI who countered with a spectacular quebrada. Inside, the classic DOUKI Chokey had Hiromu fading fast as the time ticked down to boot; Hiromu was able to land big shots with a corner DVD and Hiromu Chan Bomber, but DOUKI responded in kind, and then a Hiromu attempt at Time Bomb II was too late before the time ran out. DOUKI wanted to show he had the upper hand as he got the Jorge Rivera special again, but it was too late.
That left the last members of each team, Yuya Uemura and Yota Tsuji. The distinction made in the rules was that a deciding fall must have a finish, and there was no time on the clock for what turned out to be the longest singles encounter between the two men to date.
The match showing a perfect illustration of what the separate philosophies of the two, Tsuji got fits of big offense, including a curb stomp combo and tope suicida, but Uemura had control. Tsuji’s arm was under a wrap after being tapped out by Uemura a night prior, and ‘Heat Storm’ homed in with an artful use of a hammerlock that kept his foe in place and suffering.
Tsuji responded with his own submission as Uemura missed a high cross, going for a Boston Crab. Tsuji sat deep into the hold, and turned it into a Liontamer as Uemura was in severe pain. There was no give in the young man though, and Uemura found his Frankensteiner again on Tsuji, but it was the Gene Blaster that tore through the Just Five Guys member and gave victory to LIJ.
Post match, Tsuji referred to Uemura’s comments that the two needed to be fighting one another for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Stating that ‘I beat you, you beat me and nobody moves forward’ Tsuji said that a line must be drawn underneath their feud for now. To do so, Tsuji challenged Uemura to a Hair versus Hair match February 24, a challenge Uemura accepted.
Not done, Tsuji stated ‘I have a lot I want to do here, and to do it, I need the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship’. Tsuji promised Naito that though he didn’t know when, sometime soon he would be coming to challenge Naito, and to take the gold off him. After holding court not just over J5G, but the rest of LIJ, Tsuji left with mane flowing and head held high.
