SANADA victorious in Road To main event one week away from Ibushi title bout
With just two matches on the schedule before big singles matchups in Hiroshima, Master Wato teamed with kota Ibushi in the February 3 main event to take on their Hiroshima opposite numbers BUSHI and SANADA.
BUSHI and Wato kicked the action off, with smooth counter wrestling before a sobat took BUSHI to the floor and Wato followed with a Tornillo, firing up the crowd from the outset. With Ibushi’s aid, Wato kept the early control on Wato, but BUSHI was able to go low to counter Wato’s kicks, and took advantage on the floor.
Wato found himself isolated from Ibushi and controlled on the mat by both his more experienced opponents. A high kick to BUSHI and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to SANADA didn’t have as much effect as Wato would have wanted, but it was enough to bring in Ibushi who quickened the pace with SANADA; Hiroshima champion and challenger would exchange planchas in the ensuing action as each tried to one up the other.
With headscissor whips following, both SANADA and Ibushi were eager to show what the other could do, they could do better, and the same went for hard forearm shots before Ibushi flattened SANADA with a high kick. Kamigoye proved immature however, and Cold Skull blocked a pump knee to deliver a high angle side suplex.
Wato and BUSHI rejoined the fray, with the blue haired prodigy flying in with a springboard uppercut at the 15 minute mark. BUSHI looked for his new Terrible move, but was stopped by Recientemente from Wato before a DDT gave the masked man time to get SANADA back in the match. As the match began to break down, Ibushi jouined Wato for a double high roundhouse to SANADA, but the LIJ side responded with a double team of their own; SANADA popping Wato up into a Codebreaker.
A tope suicida landed from BUSHI to Ibushi on the floor, leaving Wato legal with SANADA. Wato acted fast in trying to cradle SANADA, but was soon caught with a back flip into Skull End; the submission was inevitable. SANADA left the Korakuen Hall crowd with a parting ‘gift’ of a hall lit by cell phone lights, explaining that the same present will be granted to fans in Hiroshima next Thursday.
