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DEC.5.2020

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Best of the Super Jr. update: night 8

  Four  still alive after night eight in Kagoshima. 

Kagoshima saw the penultimate night of Best of the Super Jr. 27 league action on December 5, with Taiji Ishimori, Hiromu Takahashi, SHO and El Desperado at twelve points still a factor heading into the last league matches tomorrow in Fukuoka. 

With similar amateur backbones, SHO and Uemura wanted to test one another on the mat and that’s how the match started between the two friends before SHO outpowered the Young Lion with a hard slam. SHO punished Uemura with a Camel Clutch, with Uemura barely making the ropes, and dared his young foe to stand and trade. 

SHO had the clear upper hand in the stand up as well, but Uemura caught a break with a dropkick and pushed his advantage with repeated blows. SHO found an opening to drive some strong kicks, but the Young Lion caught a foot and locked in a half crab; the Overhook Suplex was elusive at first as SHO fired back, but a second attempt connected for two. 

Uemura wanted to finish SHO with a third attempt at the move, but found himself thrown instead, and planted with an elevated backcracker. A Boston Crab nearly led to victory, but Uemura refused to give in, swinging wildly at SHO before a lariat and Powerbreaker led to a near fall. The Shock Arrow followed to make SHO the first participant at twelve points. 

At eight points, BUSHI was in need of a win to stay in the conversation when he faced two pointer DOUKI in the second match of the night. The LIJ member saw DOUKI’s pre match assault coming and countered, taking control on the floor before his Suzuki-Gun opponent responded in kind, forcing a 19 count on the floor.

The assault continued in ring as DOUKI pulled at BUSHI’s mask and laid down some heavy trash talk before BUSHI fired back with a tijera. Following with a missile dropkick and DDT, BUSHI retained control, and doled heavy punishment with his apron DDT to boot. A Fisherman Screw was countered into the Italian Stretch #32 by DOUKI, but Japones Del Mal’s Daybreak DDT was countered into a Codebreaker, a second attempt at the move landing BUSHI back in the European hold. 

A second Daybreak connected for DOUKI, but the ever problematic Suplex De La Luna didn’t find the mark. BUSHI got two from a running Codebreaker  and went for the MX, but was caught with a llave pin and eliminated from the mathematical running. 

El Desperado didn’t need a win to stay in the running when it came to Fukuoka Sunday, but the two extra points could make a big difference in Fukuoka when it came to controlling his destiny. Robbie Eagles meanwhile was playing for pride, and quickly looked for the Ron Miller Special. Even a thumb to the eye didn’t slow his advance much as Eagles threw in more offense to Desperado before following him out to the floor. 

Outside the ring is where Desperado is most dangerous, and the masked rudo quickly took advantage before Eagles took advantage of his environment and ran up the ringpost to take his opponent down. Desperado had the environmental edge though, and the old middle rope to the nether regions halted Eagles as he got back into the ring. A groin stretch continued the punishment, but when Desperado went to the apron with ill intent, adrenaline surged, and allowed for a 619 to take away Despe’s legs, followed by a Lope Con Giro.  

Desperado evaded Eagles’ patented 450, and reacted fast to prevent the springboard dropkick, the damage to the Australian’s leg and groin stopping him from landing an Asai DDT attempt and landing him in Numero Dos. Eagles used his maneuverability to threaten a series of flash pin counters to the hold and Despe’s Pinche Loco, frustrating the masked man to the point of trying a low blow, which was countered into the Ron Miller Special. Fingers deep to the eyes broke the hold though, and a punch square to the face may have broken Robbie’s jaw before Pinche Loco scored to send Desperado to 12. 

The night’s semi main event saw Master Wato in need of a victory to keep his hopes alive against intimidating opposition in IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori. The match took to the floor early, but Wato was still able to rely on his athleticism, taking the champion to the floor and working over him back inside until Ishimori managed to take his opponent’s arm, starting his regular assault on the shoulder of the young master. 

Digging deep, Wato was able to put his opponent out the ring and follow with a high risk tornillo. Still with shoulder causing visible pain, Wato relied on his feet to do damage to the champion. An attempt at the TTD was in error, shoulder strength not being enough, and leading Ishimori to use a shoulder breaker to lead into the Yes Lock, with Wato just making the ropes at the ten minute mark.  

A brutal John Woo dropkick rocked Wato, but a DDT scored to give Wato valuable time. Wato used a tilt a whirl backbreaker and attempted the Anaconda Vice, but again lacked the upper body strength, but Receientemente did find the mark, getting two. Ishimori countered another TTD attempt into the Cipher Utaki, and reversed a rollup attempt into Bone Lock and then Bloody Cross for the win. 

Hiromu Takahashi headed into the main event with no small amount of pressure on him as he looked to control his destiny Sunday in Fukuoka. That didn’t stop him having some fun with Ryusuke Taguchi in the early going, a dance contest followed by both men running to near exhaustion before Hiromu’s former Dojo coach scored a hip attack to send him to the floor where Taguchi tried to garner a countout win. 

By trying to create a barrier to re-entry for Hiromu with his rear end, Taguchi found himself stuck in the ropes, allowing a somewhat irritated Hiromu to take control. Hiromu managed to extract the fighting spirit within big match Taguch, who landed a tornado hip attack and tope con giro, a Bummer Ye finding the mark for two. A pop-up powerbomb in response, and Hiromu saw a  way clear to the Time Bomb, but Taguchi went prone in a unique counter before going to Three Amigos and Oh My and Garankle. 

Hiromu found an answer, transitioning into ‘D’, and getting further angered when Taguchi made the ropes. Slapping at the Coach, Hiromu barked ‘I’ve been looking forward to this match and this is who I get?’ The taunt drew fury from Taguchi, who snapped with some harsh slaps and a brutal dropkick. Taguchi looked for Dodon the End, and Hiromu resisted, but the Coach found his opponent’s ankle instead. 

The hold slowed Hiromu enough for Taguchi to land a pair of hip attacks, and a Time Bomber lariat landed, but Takahashi countered the Dodon into a Complete Shot. The Victory Royal scored, but Taguchi looked to El Samurai for inspiration in landing the reverse DDT out the Time Bomb. Still refusing to go down to repeated superkicks from Takahashi, Taguchi landed a lariat and release Tiger Suplex, before the Dodon got a very near fall. 

As the match passed the 25 minute mark, Taguchi used Hiromu’s own DVD into the corner before calling for Time Bomb, but was countered into a rollup to keep Hiromu alive.  

 

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