Wato, SHO, sit atop junior standings
Korakuen Hall saw the second night of Best of the Super Jr.27 action on November 18, with Master Wato and SHO at the top of the table after two matches as Yuya Uemura and DOUKI round out the pack at zero.
Tournament action started with Yuya Uemura facing BUSHI. As was the case against Master Wato in Aichi Sunday, Uemura exploded out the gates against his masked opponent, but was caught and punished with a deep Boston Crab, that slowed his offense for much of the match. Uemura was able to connect with big dropkicks and a release German Suplex, but couldn’t land his Overhook Suplex, falling instead to a variant on BUSHI’s Codebreaker.
Master Wato and Robbie Eagles had a more considered start to their league match, exchanging fluid holds until a tijeras and heel kick brought Wato to the floor for an Eagles lowpe con giro. Back inside, Eagles began his attack on Wato’s knee, forcing Wato to come from underneath with a dropkick out of midair and a tornillo to the floor.
Eagles had an answer for Wato though, effortlessly transitioning into the Ron Miller Lock. Wato got free, leading to an electric kick exchange, but although Eagles landed the Turbo Backpack on Wato, his 450 follow up was countered into the TTD and the RPP for the win.
DOUKI took the fight to SHO back from break, attacking the CHAOS member before he could take off his entrance gear, but the luchador quickly paid the price with a sickening kick from the apron. Facing some vicious arm holds in the ring, DOUKI instead took advantage outside, with shots into the guardrails and a pipe assisted neckbreaker on the floor.
As SHO continued to struggle with neck damage, the Italian Stretch No.32 did further harm, but SHO’s strength won out with a big suplex counter, and followed through with a triple powerbomb into a Powerbreaker. DOUKI countered Shock Arrow back into the Italian Stretch and landed Daybreak for a near two. Fighting on instinct, SHO landed a release German suplex after DOUKI’s Marishiten found the mark, and landed a lariat, cross arm piledriver and Shock Arrow for three.
The semi-main event of the evening saw Taiji Ishimori face Ryusuke Taguchi. Taguchi played mind games with Ishimori early, using a familiar dance, but Ishimori got revenge out on the floor with a shot to the steel. After some painful control from Ishimori, Taguchi fired back with a hip attack and plancha, Three Amigos and a Bummer Ye bringing the Coach close to victory as he locked in Oh My & Garankle.
Ishimori countered the hold into a Yes Lock, and went back on the offensive with Cipher Utaki for a nearfall. The Coach wasn’t done as he stopped the Bloody Cross and went back to the ankle hold, but Ishimori managed to roll up Taguchi with a liberal handful of tights to score the two points.
After some snug lockups and feeling out in the ring, it was Hiromu Takahashi who first snapped against El Desperado, sending him crashing into the steel ringside, and opening up with hard chops. From there the fight was on, and a suicida con giro saw Desperado launch himself int the Time Bomb.
Desperado pushed the advantage, sending Hiromu into a now exposed steel turnbuckle, and Hiromu had to dig deep to create distance with a headscissors and a dropkick off the apron. Desperado again slowed Hiromu with a Dragon Screw in the corner though, and stayed one step ahead, drawing Hiromu into a chop exchange before kicking at the knee and looking for Numero Dos.
Hiromu managed to find a Dynamite Plunger and an overhead belly to belly in the corner, but both men’s attempts at their respective finishing moves failed, even after Desperado was sent with a DVD into the exposed buckle. Moments later, the referee tasted the same steel, and Desperado went to the floor and grabbed a chair; Hiromu dared his opponent to take the head shot, but instead Desperado landed repeated shots to the knee before Numero Dos led to victory.
