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MAY.25.2021

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Surpass Cobb: Golden☆Ace secure Korakuen win

Ibushi and Tanahashi victorious in Korakuen Hall

 

The second of three Korakuen Hall main events this week on Road to Wrestle Grand Slam saw the Golden☆Ace team of Kota Ibushi and Hiroshi Tanahashi back together to face United Empire’s Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan.

With a singles match on the cards and just needing a date and venue, Jeff Cobb and Kota Ibushi locked horns at the opening bell and engaged in a high paced, vicious exchange of elbows. The two heavyweights tested one another at a junior heavy pace, before standing off and bringing O-Khan and Tanahashi in for a more considered test of strength and will. 

Tanahashi brought O-Khan to the ropes in the tie up, and maintained control on a wrist lock, but when he moved to hit the ropes, a second of intimidation from Cobb led to O-Khan picking the Ace’s leg for a knee bar while Cobb used Ibushi like a human trampoline outside. As the match passed five minutes, Tanahashi was dominated in the United Empire’s corner, Cobb seemingly only stopping himself from making light Cobbigoye work of the Ace to give more of a demonstration for Ibushi keeping a watching brief from the apron. 

Tanahashi was finally able to block an O-Khan Mongolian Chop and unleash a Dragon Screw to bring Ibushi in, who immediately landed a spectacular springboard dropkick and plancha onto Cobb. Ibushi connected with a standing moonsault and went for his own early Kamigoye, but Cobb resisted the wrist clutch and landed a massive dropkick of his own and a standing moonsault to get two. 

Ibushi created distance to tag Tanahashi, but the Ace hit the ring right into a Spin Cycle from the Imperial Unit. O-Khan kept up the pressure, tying the Ace in a Tree of Woe, and hitting a basement dropkick before a violent front slam. Digging deep, Tanahashi unleashed a gut punch, but his momentum was again killed with an O-Khan Cobra Twist, complete with Eliminator face claw. 

O-Khan transitioned into the Sheep Killer on Tanahashi, but the Ace was able to work his way out of a potential fall away slam, dropping the Dominator and tagging in a now furious Ibushi. Stiff mid kicks from the former world champion rocketed off O-Khan’s chest, but he too fell into his opponent’s submission clutches, a knee bar sending him to the ropes. 

O-Khan wanted a reverse powerslam to follow, but Ibushi landed on his feet and launched a running mid to put O-Khan to the mat. For a moment, a stand off saw Cobb and Ibushi each size up their opposite numbers for a finishing Kami-or-Cobbigoye; Tanahashi countered Cobb into Twist and Shout though, and despite O-Khan coming close to countering wrist control into an Eliminator, Ibushi kneed out and landed Kamigoye for the win. 

The tension between Cobb and Ibushi was palpable with a handshake proferred by Cobb, only to be turned into a rather more vulgar salute. Just where and when will the two face off one on one?

 

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