Gunma sees four at top of table
Gunma saw the fourth night of Best of the Super Jr. 27 action, with Master Wato, SHO, Hiromu Takahashi and Taiji Ishimori ending the night at the top of the table on six points while Yuya Uemura and DOUKI remained at zero.
Yuya Uemura started the night’s league action opposite Taiji Ishimori. Familiar with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion from three battles this year, Uemura took a more measured start to proceedings than he had done in his earlier matches, attempting to outwork Ishimori on the mat. Ishimori came out on top of the exchange though, and when Uemura was pushed to the ropes, Ishimori dropped a knee on the Young Lion and sent him outside to take punishing control over the left arm.
When Ishimori went on the run to deliver a decisive blow, Uemura countered with a dropkick, and left shoulder injured, found half of a Boston Crab. Uemura escaped a Yes Lock and countered a Bloody Cross attempt into a cross arm bar, driving Ishimori to the ropes, and fought with all he had to land a German Suplex and heavy open hand blows, but the Overhook Suplex wasn’t forthcoming and the Bone Lock forced a submission.
Robbie Eagles tried to start hot against BUSHI in the second tournament match of the night, but was twice cut off as he looked for a dive, instead being speared with a tope suicida from the masked man. When BUSHI tried to hang Eagles over the top rope for a dropkick though, Eagles read the move, working free and springboarding into the knee in a bid to set up the Ron Miller Special.
A low 619 helped Eagles’ assault on the knee, but BUSHI prevented a Turbo Backpack, and created himself an opportunity hit his trademark apron DDT. Still, the Australian was hungry for victory and powered through the damage; an impressive kick combo connected, and though his 450 only found canvas, a second Backpack attempt scored, and Eagles found the Ron Miller Special for an extended period before his opponent made the ropes.
Looking for a finish, Eagles went for another springboard dropkick, but was struck out of midair by BUSHI, who followed on the earlier apron DDT with a Canadian Destroyer. An MX followed to move BUSHI to four points.
Angered by Hiromu Takahashi’s fast track to Mexican main eventer status on excursion, DOUKI carried six years of frustration into his match with Hiromu Takahashi, and though he was thwarted early, DOUKI sent Takahashi splat into the ringside mats when he went for an apron dropkick and followed with a tope suicida and the DOUKI Bomb.
DOUKI had full control of the former IWGP Jr. champion until Hiromu caught DOUKI charging and dragged him out of the ring to hit a facebuster and his running dropkick on the floor. DOUKI found the Doton no Jutsu for two, and countered a spinebuster into the Italian Stretch No.32 before driving Hiromu down onto his surgically repaired neck with the Daybreak DDT.
As has been the case through the tournament so far however, DOUKI could not land Suplex De La Luna, taking a belly to belly into the corner and the Dynamite Plunger instead. DOUKI used the Italian Stretch to counter the Time Bomb, but could not prevent the Victory Royal, digging deep to kick out at two, and level Hiromu with a lariat. Doton no Jutsu Kai gave DOUKI a 2.9 count, but Hiromu mustered enough to land a superkick, lariat and Time Bomb for three.
SHO and Ryusuke Taguchi started the semi main event on an even footing on the mat before Taguchi’s ever reliable hind quarters gave an advantage at the five minute mark. SHO quickly turned the tables however, dropkicking the Coach off the apron to the floor and wrapping his left arm around the corner post. SHO kept up the pressure on the arm, but only succeeded in firing up big match Taguch when changing target to the rear end of the Coach.
Hip attacks were followed by two of the Three Amigos, and though SHO prevented the third, he didn’t prevent Oh My and Garankle. SHO made the ropes and blocked the Bummer Ye to land a spear, coming out on top of an elbow exchange and landing a pair of German Suplexes into a cross armbreaker. The Coach’s mat mastery saw him counter the hold twice into Oh My and Garankle, but when the tap didn’t come, Taguchi looked for first the Dodon and then a downed trouser hip attack. SHO resisted both attempts however and landed a cross arm piledriver and Shock Arrow for the victory.
The ever arrogant El Desperado started the main event with Master Wato by drawing Hiroyoshi Tenzan to the apron only to send him flying; the prideful young Wato motivated to land some solid kicks to his tormentor in return.
The bullying Desperado got control of Wato on the floor, and punished the younger man with shots to the guardrail and even with the bell hammer, all the while delivering verbal blows to both Wato and Tenzan. A tilt a whirl backbreaker though, and Wato managed to finally build some momentum, hitting a tornillo and a tope con giro in spite of a damaged knee.
Wato’s run of offense didn’t last long, and an attempt at Receientemente was turned into Desperado again punishing the young master’s knee, trapping him in Numero Dos. Wato mustered enough for a mid kick, and Receientemente connected for two, but missed the RPP, only doing further damage to the knee as Desperado landed a heavy spear and Guitarra De Angel.
Still Wato kicked out as Desperado grew more frustrated. After escaping the Pinche Loco, Wato threw all he could behind a run of elbows and another kick, but sensing danger as Wato went for the TTD, Desperado sent away the referee’s gaze, and landed a low blow and punch to the jaw. Desperado closed in for the kill, but a quick roll-up gave Wato victory, and Tenzan got his own revenge with a shot to the angry ‘Despe’ post match.
