Hiromu Takahashi and YOH will meet in the finals of the NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 28 tournament on December 15. NJPW issued the following:
The final night of league action in Best of the Super Jr. on December 11 saw the Ryogoku junior final set, YOH due to meet Hiromu Takahashi on Wednesday December 15.
Hiromu Takahashi would face Robbie Eagles in the main event of the evening, with a final spot in Ryogoku at stake. A high speed start would see Eagles almost catch Hiromu in the Ron Miller Special, Takahashi in the rare position of having to slow the pace somewhat before a sudden re-acceleration, a tijeras and then the apron shotgun blast putting the Time Bomb in the driver’s seat.
Hiromu would keep control of the evasive Eagles, rolling him into the D until the Australian found enough distance to ring in solid mid kicks before a dropkick at the ten minute mark. A tope con giro would score big, and Eagles maintained the pressure inside and another massive shotgun would see Takahashi explode out of nowhere before a corner front suplex even after a poison rana from the Sniper.
Both men already feeling some heavy damage, Hiromu and Robbie fought to the apron, where a DVD on the hard ring frame delivered for Takahashi. A follow up Sunset Bomb attempt would not connect though, Eagles flipping to his feet and delivering the springboard dropkick to the knee. Even as Hiromu tried to sacrifice his knee on Eagles’ 450 follow up, the CHAOS member still found the Ron Miller, Takahashi just barely making the ropes.
Eagles and Hiromu reset, trading forearm blows before a lariat put Eagles on his back. The corner Death Valley followed, but Eagles resisted the Time Bomb with all he had, scoring three heavy head kicks and a lariat of his own. The Asai DDT and Turbo Backpack would follow for Eagles, but not finish Takahashi; Eagles would frantically and repeatedly bury boots into his foe as he looked again for the Ron Miller, but as he regained his composure, Hiromu would again trap his opponent in the D. Victory Royal would follow up for two, before another Hiromu Bomber lariat and the Time Bomb II to clinch his final spot.
El Desperado would battle El Phantasmo for the right to join Hiromu in the final; ELP was already eliminated but would quickly take down his foe as he sought victory over the junior heavy weight champion. Phantasmo’s ego would see him hotdog as he took early control, to his own deficit as a high cross only found empty canvas, but his confidence was justified with a hard whip into the corner before some customary back rakes between heavy boots the foot and hand.
As Phantasmo enjoyed his plus position status rather too much, an old school rope walk would see him shoved to the floor and a recipient of a massive tope con giro. Making the most of the offensive chance, Desperado quickly went to Numero Dos and the knee of ELP; though Phantasmo scored with a swinging DDT, the follow up Thunder Kiss’86 saw Desperado’s knees buried into the chest of the Headbanga.
Desperado’s Numero Dos would be met with a version of the hold of Pahntasmo’s own, before ELP connected with Styles Clash for two. Following up with the V-Trigger, Phantasmo stunned the crowd with a Bladerunner for two, but Desperado would find a rush of adrenaline, locking El Es Clero for two, and then connecting with a spinebuster and Guitarra Del Angel.
Desperado would avoid Sudden Death and connected with the Loco Mono right fist before trying for Pinche Loco, only to see the move countered with a Pinche Loco from ELP. Now furious, Desperado challenged ELP to give his best shot, but was met with a round kick with the loaded boot instead; ELP connected flush with Sudden Death to follow and pinned the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.
Former partners SHO and YOH’s second match since the dissolution of Roppongi 3K would have a potential final spot at stake. Wearing the same colours as in his last RPG3K tag match, YOH would instantly take control of the bout with hard shots to the outside guardrails, but SHO would steal his way back into contention as he sent a Young Lion careening into his former partner. Drawing the referee on two separate occasions, SHO delivered heavy chair shots to YOH, who was laid out on the floor as the referee applied a 20 count.
YOH pulled himself back into the ring, but couldn’t work his way back into contention until a flying forearm finally put the Murder Machine to the canvas. A dropkick and tope con giro would land flush for YOH, but so too did a spear for SHO, the referee creating a momentary distraction as YOH’s hopes faded. SHO struck with heavy kicks in combination, but his former partner would fire back with a brutal lariat, and the DNV, but SHO got wide on the Direct Drive and sent YOH crashing into the official before pitching YOH with a German suplex.
SHO went for his wrench, but YOH blocked a swing and hit a Dragon Suplex, only for HOUSE OF TORTURE to hit the ring; Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI would even the odds though, and the Violent Flash saw EVIL sent packing. YOH tuend up the band for a superkick, and scored even in the face of a low blow; Direct Drive followed for the YOH victory.
Taiji Ishimori’s final spot was taken from him in his last league match by Ryusuke Taguchi. After a spot of Sendai Sailor Boy dancing, Taguchi tried to make Ishimori run, but would be stopped by a basement dropkick instead, and the Bone Soldier took control of the Coach’s shoulder. Relentless on offense, Taguchi was effectively suppressed until a tornado hip attack opened the door to a triangle plancha, and the Three Amigos followed as the 2012 winner built up steam.
Taguchi started to feel the energy of the match and the crowd, and signalled a Bummer Ye, but was met instead with a dropkick and sliding German. Taguchi responded with Oh My and Garankle, but again signature offense was foiled, Ishimori drawing the referee just long enough to send his opponent into the exposed steel turnbuckle. Ishimori looked for a Mistica into the Bone Lock, but was countered, and a Cipher Utaki attempt would instead be turned into the ankle lock as well. Ishimori countered into the Bone Lock, but was reversed again into Oh My and Garankle, then Dodon to the Throne and the full Dodon for three.
BUSHI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru would face off to finish their league on ten points. While both men were already mathematically eliminated, competition was fierce out the gate, BUSHI taking Kanemaru down with a tijeras and taking flight with a tope suicida, but one that inadvertently wiped out Young Lion Kosei Fujita rather than his opponent as the Heel Master took control. Narrowly beating the referee’s 20 count, BUSHI got back in and built steam, but was cut off with a basement dropkick and Figure Four. A British Fall got two for Kanemaru, but a Moonsault missed and BUSHI landed a Codebreaker; Kanemaru evaded an MX attempt but not an apron DDT and the second MX ended Kanemaru’s night.
The night’s first league match would see Master Wato and DOUKI square off, both looking to improve on their 2020 scores with one more win to finish off their campaigns. Moving fast from the jump, Wato threw some heavy elbows to DOUKI, but as the Hontai member took flight with a plancha, DOUKI swatted him out the air and took solid control. The blue haired prodigy would fight back with a tilt-a-whirl and tornillo, and though DOUKi would catch Wato on a springboard with precision into the Italian Stretch, he would be rocked by a solid tornado kick. Wato got Recientemente for two but missed RPP, and DOUKI abssorbed a devastating German suplex to deliver Doton no Justu Kai and then Suplex De La Luna for his third win.
