- The all important final night of group stages saw the Sakura Tag Festival come down to two teams in each block. By the end of the night, we would know the two teams that will face off on 4/25 to determine the Sakura Tag Festival champions...
In the B Block, the finals slot came down to an important Champion Team vs. Champion Team, as the F-MAX Tag Team Champions TAKU and Mastodon Fukuda clashed with the PWC Jr. Tag Team Champions Jet Jaguar and GALLEON in a thrilling contest. For TAKU and Fukuda, it was a must-win, as anything less than a victory would knock them out, and send Jaguar and GALLEON into the finals. After an exhaustive battle back and forth, TAKU and Fukuda would pull it out from the clutch, after Fukuda spiked GALLEON with the "Mastodon Hades" after several near falls. Even in defeat, both Jaguar and GALLEON seemed elevated their to their heroic performances...
In the main event, the team that would be set to face off against TAKU and Fukuda in the finals would be decided, as defending champions Otsuo Kayusa and Kyoshima Yosuken faced the NEW FORCE team of Akira Takayoshi and Naoyuki Watanabe. The Hyogo fans seemed split in favoritism, between the standard bearers of FURY's tag division since the company's inception in Otsuo Kayusa and Kyoshima Yosuken, and one of the fastest rising tandems in FURY in Akira Takayoshi and Naoyuki Watanabe. Both teams struggled to assert themselves early on. Akira and Otsuo in particularly grew frustrated against one another, as neither could gain an advantage. Finally, STRONG RIDERS managed to gain control after Yosuken escaped a German Suplex attempt from Watanabe, allowing him to make the hot tag to Kayusa. From there, STRONG RIDERS worked over Watanabe for the next couple of minutes. Yosuken eventually scored the first decisive near fall of the match after driving Watanabe's face into the mat with the Calf Branding. Watanabe was finally able to fight back after catching Yosuken with a release German Suplex, allowing him to tag out to Akira. From there, "TakaNabe" gained some major footing, as they scored several near falls, including one over Kayusa as Akira grabbed Kayusa in a double chickenwing, allowing Watanabe to blast him with the Kenka KIck, sending Kayusa into Akira's Tiger Suplex hold! Thankfully for Kayusa, Yosuken was able to make the diving save at 2.8! Towards the end, both teams were spent after putting everything they had into finishing the match. Akira and Kayusa took their fight to the outside, leaving only Yosuken and Watanabe. Yosuken seemed to be wearing down Watanabe, until he went for a second Calf Branding. It was then Watanabe fought back, and countered the Calf Branding with a Superplex for another near fall... After both men recovered, they tore into one another with fierce elbows... Just as Watanabe appeared to get the advantage, Yosuken countered his attack with a Sleeper hold! Watanabe tried his best to escape, but he eventually collapsed onto his rear, giving Yosuken even more leverage! However, before Watanabe could submit, Akira managed to break away from Kayusa's clutches to make the diving save just in time! After Kayusa pulled Akira back to the outside, Yosuken aimed to finish Watanabe with the Half Nelson Suplex hold... However, with one arm free, Watanabe used what strength he had left to lay into Yosuken with elbows, before transitioning to the go-behind, where he locked Yosuken's arms for a Dragon Suplex hold! However, Yosuken still had the wherewithal to fight back, as he used brute strength to break Watanabe's grip! However, Watanabe immediately transitioned to a waistlock. And in one fluid motion, Watanabe lifted Yosuken up before FOLDING HIM IN HALF with a vicious German Suplex hold! However, Yosuken still had some fight in him as he kicked out at 2.8. However, Watanabe carried Yosuken back to his feet, where he finally succeeded with the Dragon Suplex hold! But like Akira who saved Watanabe minutes before, Kayusa made the last-second save by breaking up the pin! Watanabe aimed to end it with one final move, as he pulled Yosuken back up, he began to lock Yosuken's wrists behind his head for the Kodou-style Dragon Suplex... However, Yosuken tried his best to fight the attack... Kayusa returned to the ring to try and save his partner, but before he could, Akira managed to stagger him with an Enzuigiri, before sending him outside... It was then Akira came off the ropes, and BLASTED the exposed neck-line of Yosuken with a VICIOUS LARIAT, carrying him over into Watanabe's Kodou-style Dragon Suplex hold! From there, there was nothing Kayusa could do, as referee Edd Sasaki counted the three, sending Takayoshi and Watanabe to the tournament finals!
The fans erupted in cheers, as for the first time in the history of the Sakura Tag Festival, the finals would not involve Otsuo Kayusa and Kyoshima Yosuken... Despite some natural disappointment, Kayusa and Yosuken accepted defeat... And in a moment that many fans did not pick up on live, both Kayusa and Yosuken approached Akira and Naoyuki, before making a "baton pass" motion, before leaving with their heads lowered...
In the B Block, the finals slot came down to an important Champion Team vs. Champion Team, as the F-MAX Tag Team Champions TAKU and Mastodon Fukuda clashed with the PWC Jr. Tag Team Champions Jet Jaguar and GALLEON in a thrilling contest. For TAKU and Fukuda, it was a must-win, as anything less than a victory would knock them out, and send Jaguar and GALLEON into the finals. After an exhaustive battle back and forth, TAKU and Fukuda would pull it out from the clutch, after Fukuda spiked GALLEON with the "Mastodon Hades" after several near falls. Even in defeat, both Jaguar and GALLEON seemed elevated their to their heroic performances...
In the main event, the team that would be set to face off against TAKU and Fukuda in the finals would be decided, as defending champions Otsuo Kayusa and Kyoshima Yosuken faced the NEW FORCE team of Akira Takayoshi and Naoyuki Watanabe. The Hyogo fans seemed split in favoritism, between the standard bearers of FURY's tag division since the company's inception in Otsuo Kayusa and Kyoshima Yosuken, and one of the fastest rising tandems in FURY in Akira Takayoshi and Naoyuki Watanabe. Both teams struggled to assert themselves early on. Akira and Otsuo in particularly grew frustrated against one another, as neither could gain an advantage. Finally, STRONG RIDERS managed to gain control after Yosuken escaped a German Suplex attempt from Watanabe, allowing him to make the hot tag to Kayusa. From there, STRONG RIDERS worked over Watanabe for the next couple of minutes. Yosuken eventually scored the first decisive near fall of the match after driving Watanabe's face into the mat with the Calf Branding. Watanabe was finally able to fight back after catching Yosuken with a release German Suplex, allowing him to tag out to Akira. From there, "TakaNabe" gained some major footing, as they scored several near falls, including one over Kayusa as Akira grabbed Kayusa in a double chickenwing, allowing Watanabe to blast him with the Kenka KIck, sending Kayusa into Akira's Tiger Suplex hold! Thankfully for Kayusa, Yosuken was able to make the diving save at 2.8! Towards the end, both teams were spent after putting everything they had into finishing the match. Akira and Kayusa took their fight to the outside, leaving only Yosuken and Watanabe. Yosuken seemed to be wearing down Watanabe, until he went for a second Calf Branding. It was then Watanabe fought back, and countered the Calf Branding with a Superplex for another near fall... After both men recovered, they tore into one another with fierce elbows... Just as Watanabe appeared to get the advantage, Yosuken countered his attack with a Sleeper hold! Watanabe tried his best to escape, but he eventually collapsed onto his rear, giving Yosuken even more leverage! However, before Watanabe could submit, Akira managed to break away from Kayusa's clutches to make the diving save just in time! After Kayusa pulled Akira back to the outside, Yosuken aimed to finish Watanabe with the Half Nelson Suplex hold... However, with one arm free, Watanabe used what strength he had left to lay into Yosuken with elbows, before transitioning to the go-behind, where he locked Yosuken's arms for a Dragon Suplex hold! However, Yosuken still had the wherewithal to fight back, as he used brute strength to break Watanabe's grip! However, Watanabe immediately transitioned to a waistlock. And in one fluid motion, Watanabe lifted Yosuken up before FOLDING HIM IN HALF with a vicious German Suplex hold! However, Yosuken still had some fight in him as he kicked out at 2.8. However, Watanabe carried Yosuken back to his feet, where he finally succeeded with the Dragon Suplex hold! But like Akira who saved Watanabe minutes before, Kayusa made the last-second save by breaking up the pin! Watanabe aimed to end it with one final move, as he pulled Yosuken back up, he began to lock Yosuken's wrists behind his head for the Kodou-style Dragon Suplex... However, Yosuken tried his best to fight the attack... Kayusa returned to the ring to try and save his partner, but before he could, Akira managed to stagger him with an Enzuigiri, before sending him outside... It was then Akira came off the ropes, and BLASTED the exposed neck-line of Yosuken with a VICIOUS LARIAT, carrying him over into Watanabe's Kodou-style Dragon Suplex hold! From there, there was nothing Kayusa could do, as referee Edd Sasaki counted the three, sending Takayoshi and Watanabe to the tournament finals!
The fans erupted in cheers, as for the first time in the history of the Sakura Tag Festival, the finals would not involve Otsuo Kayusa and Kyoshima Yosuken... Despite some natural disappointment, Kayusa and Yosuken accepted defeat... And in a moment that many fans did not pick up on live, both Kayusa and Yosuken approached Akira and Naoyuki, before making a "baton pass" motion, before leaving with their heads lowered...
April 23, 2009 (Samurai! TV)
Hyogo - Kobe Sambo Hall
2,200 Fans (Super No Vacancy Full House)
1. Kenichiro Hujikawa beat Kazuki Sendo (9:06) with the Axe Bomber K.
2. Sakura Tag Festival - Block A: Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai [4] beat Masafuji Yoshida & Tetsujin [0] (11:06) when Ota used the Michelada on Tetsujin.
3. Sakura Tag Festival - Block A: RYUJI & Manabe Tsuji [6] beat Tetsuhisa NAKAI & Ryuugo Nagashima [FREE] [2] (9:38) when Tsuji used the Guts Coaster on Nagashima.
4. Sakura Tag Festival - Block B: Hiroaki Nakata & Yoshihiro Shimoda [7] beat Go Taniguchi & Kinniku Kamen Nisei [0] (12:25) when Shimoda used the Torokeru Knee Kick on Nisei.
5. Chikao Kessin, Shigeru Iwasaki & Jun Kobayashi [FREE] beat Daisuke Iwata, Kyoto Okazaki & Shin Kaiju (7:28) when Iwata was disqualified.
6. Sakura Tag Festival - Block B: ATSUKA & YAKUTA [4] beat Etsuya Kawachi & Hidaka Kamon [2] (14:55) when ATSUKA used the AT-Z on Kamon.
7. Sakura Tag Festival - Block B: TAKU & Mastodon Fukuda [9] beat Jet Jaguar & GALLEON [Nansei] [8] (25:15) when Fukuda used the Mastodon Hades on GALLEON.
8. Sakura Tag Festival - Block A: Akira Takayoshi & Naoyuki Watanabe [10] beat Otsuo Kayusa & Kyoshima Yosuken [8] (19:39) when Watanabe used a lariat-assisted Kodou-style Dragon Suplex hold on Yosuken.
Final Sakura Tag Festival 2009 Standings
A Block:
1. Akira Takayoshi & Naoyuki Watanabe [10]
2. Otsuo Kayusa & Kyoshima Yosuken [8]
3. RYUJI & Manabe Tsuji [6]
4. Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai [4]
5. Tetsuhisa NAKAI & Ryuugo Nagashima [2]
6. Masafuji Yoshida & Tetsujin [0]
B Block:
1. TAKU & Mastodon Fukuda [9]
2. Jet Jaguar & GALLEON [8]
3 Hiroaki Nakata & Yoshihiro Shimoda [7]
4. ATSUKA & YAKUTA [4]
5. Etsuya Kawachi & Hidaka Kamon [2]
6. Go Taniguchi & Kinniku Kamen Nisei [0]
===================================
After five nights of action, the Sakura Tag Festival comes down to the F-MAX Tag Team Champions TAKU & Mastodon Fukuda, and Akira Takayoshi & Naoyuki Watanabe, who will continue their rivalry in a fated rematch of their 12/21/08 match. Will the "Chojin Powers" cement their status as the "World's Strongest Team," or will "TakaNabe" carry the baton passed 4/25 into becoming FURY's new power team!?
"OSAKA HANAMI 2009"
April 25, 2009 (Samurai! TV / Sky PerfecTV! PPV)
Osaka - Katano Dome (4,000)
1. 300% REVIVAL! ~ Kazuma Fujita Return Match: "Mr. 300%" Kazuma Fujita & Shigeru Iwasaki vs. Daisuke Iwata & Kyoto Okazaki
2. Sakura Tag Festival - Finals: Akira Takayoshi & Naoyuki Watanabe vs. TAKU & Mastodon Fukuda
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