- The group stage of the 2009 J1-MAX League drew to a close tonight in front of a packed house in Korakuen Hall for what would be two defacto semi finals bouts, along with the all-important V1 defense of the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion, Otsuo Kayusa! First however, the fans were treated to a six man tag, pitting Hiroaki Nakata, Fumihiko Shirai and Tetsujin against "Mr. 300%" Kazuma Fujita, YAKUTA, and "Greco Superman" Mamoru Sekishima. Tetsujin and Sekishima went at it early on, eager to show their Burning Spirit in front of the Korakuen fans. Tetsujin tried his best, but was quickly challenged by the imposing size and brute strength of Sekishima, who hurled the sumo around with great ease. Tetsujin later tagged out to Nakata, who used his skill and experience to subdue the giant rookie. Sekishima eventually tagged out to YAKUTA, who immediately took it to Nakata with kicks and stomps in the corner. Nakata tried to fight back using technique, but YAKUTA pulled one over on him using his guile, and sent him to the mat with a powerful kenka kick. In the end, Mamoru Sekishima, eleven days after debuting scored his very first victory in the ring, after BLASTING Tetsujin with a VICIOUS knee kick to the chest! The crowd met Sekishima's win with a huge ovation. Fujita was quick to praise Sekishima, who was filled with emotion for his victory...
- Next was a special 3WAY match pitting Masafuji Yoshida, Jun Kobayashi of REAL-ONE and Manabe Tsuji of UPRISER'Z in something of a lighthearted comedy match. Early on Tsuji and Yoshida struck a deal with one another to team up against Kobayashi. After Tsuji accidentally attacked Yoshida, Tsuji then struck a deal with Kobayashi to team up against Yoshida. This went back and fourth, until Yoshida and Kobayashi had enough of Tsuji's games. Both focused their attacks on Tsuji, with Kobayashi unloading on Tsuji with a flurry of elbows, before allowing Yoshida to crush Tsuji with the Masayume, before picking up the victory (with Kobayashi's blessing, of course.)
- In the fourth bout, NEW FORCE clashed with Ooinaru Waza in a fierce struggle. Towards the end of a back-and-fourth match, Etsuya Kawachi managed to catch Seiji Sasaki as he swan dived over the ropes, before BLASTING him in the face with the go 2 school to pick up the victory. Both teams traded quips after the match. Akira Takayoshi however made a bold announcement after the match, as he announced his intentions of challenging the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion in August, regardless if it is Kayusa, or his F-MAX Tag Team Champion teammate, Naoyuki Watanabe!
- REAL-ONE battled UPRISER'Z in the last preliminary skirmish before tomorrow's No DQ bout between Naoki Fukuda and TAKU. It was the usual exchange between both teams, as REAL-ONE contended with UPRISER'Z's rule breaking ways. In the end, Shigeru Iwasaki caught RYUJI with the tsumujikaze, allowing him to spike him with the Cross Knell to pick up the victory for REAL-ONE. After the bout, TAKU promised unbridled chaos tomorrow night in their match, saying that he would be taking full advantage of the no disqualification rule. Fukuda said that he figures there will be interference from UPRISER'Z tomorrow, but said that he will have REAL-ONE in his corner to keep the match fair.
- We then came to the final match left in the B block, as F-MAX Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shin Kaiju faced the man who has chased him for years, CRIMSON Junior Dynamo Hayato Saigo. The Tokyo fans were rabid for the bout, and split down the middle between favoring FURY's Shin Kaiju, and the incredibly athletic Hayato Saigo. For years, Kaiju domineered over CRIMSON's Junior heavyweight ranks, with Saigo chasing Kaiju for years. Tonight, their rivalry would be renewed in the FURY ring. Both men engaged like old enemies, showing no hesitation. Kaiju threw bombs almost immediately, and sent Saigo into a complete 360 after BLASTING him with the Kaiju Lariat! Saigo however recovered quickly, before catching Kaiju in the corner with a handspring elbow, followed by SPIKING the F-MAX Jr. Heavyweight Champion with a brainbuster! The action only continued as the match progressed. After sending Kaiju to the floor, Saigo amazed the Korakuen fans with an incredible no touch tope con giro onto Kaiju! Back in the ring, Saigo went for the Moonsault press, only for Kaiju to roll away. Saigo however saw it coming, and landed perfectly on his feet, before leaping up and SPIKING Kaiju with a jumping complete shot! Kaiju finally managed to get back on offense after crotching Saigo on the top turnbuckle. From there, Kaiju PLOWED Saigo into the mat with a Sky High Chokeslam! Kaiju eventually scored with the Death Valley Bomb, along with a VICIOUS Whiplash Powerbomb. Neither however could result in the victory. Kaiju went for another Whiplash Powerbomb, only for Saigo to answer with a Frankensteiner! After catching Kaiju with a jumping knee in the corner, Saigo mustered his strength to fold Kaiju in half with a German Suplex hold, only for the F-MAX Jr. Heavyweight Champion to kick out after two! Saigo went for broke next, as he connected with a second Brainbuster, which set Kaiju up for the Moonsault press! Even then however, Kaiju would gather enough strength to kick out after 2.5! Saigo then aimed for the Phoenix Splash... But once more, Kaiju managed to cut him off by gripping him in a position for a Powerbomb. However, rather than simply Powerbombing Saigo, Kaiju stepped up the bottom turnbuckle, followed by the middle before sitting down across the top rope. before DRIVING SAIGO INTO THE MAT WITH THE CRASH-ON POWERBOMB! Kaiju immediately went for the cover, ONLY FOR SAIGO TO KICK OUT AT ONE! The Korakuen fans ERUPTED in cheers for Saigo's incredible Burning Spirit. But as he slowly climbed to his feet, Kaiju came off the ropes, before CRASHING INTO SAIGO WITH THE KAIJU LARIAT! Kaiju planted both hands across Saigo's chest, sensing the end. But once more, Saigo defied Kaiju by kicking out at 2.9! Finally, Kaiju measured Saigo as he pulled himself to his feet, before finally cutting into Saigo's neckline with one, final Kaiju Lariat, causing Saigo to do a complete 180 degree rotation. This time, Kaiju hooked the leg tight, leaving nothing to chance as referee Edd Sasaki counted the three, securing Kaiju's advancement to the tournament finals!
- Next we had an important interpromotional preliminary skirmish towards the 7/27 showdown between CRIMSON's Akuma Toyota and FURY's Tetsuhisa NAKAI for the C-1 Heavyweight title, as Toyota and Masakazu Fujimoto invaded the FURY ring to face NAKAI and Ryuugo Nagashima. Both Toyota and Fujimoto were greeted by the FURY fans as enemies, and were booed vociferously through out the bout. Toyota fed off the negative reactions, and took constant cheap shots and rough neck tactics to illicit an even bigger reaction. The atmosphere was electric when NAKAI and Toyota were going at it in the ring. The two continually traded blistering chops, with neither man backing down. As the match went past the 10-minute mark, both fighter's chests were lit up with red swelling from the shots. Both teams had their share of team work as well, with Toyota and Fujimoto CRUSHING Nagashima with a sandwich MONSTER RUSH!/Enzui Lariat combination for a near fall. NAKAI and Nagashima however would show off a brutal combination attack, with NAKAI hoisting Toyota up for a Powerbomb, while Nagashima BLASTED C-1 Heavyweight Champion with a diving elbow smash from the top rope! But even that wouldn't be enough to keep Toyota down. Later on in the match, NAKAI and Toyota nearly lost control of their emotions on the outside, as the two exchanged chair shots, which caused both men to draw blood upon one another! Towards the end of his heated match, Toyota tagged out to Fujimoto, as the two tried to finish NAKAI once and for all. They aimed to crush NAKAI with the same sandwich attack they had used earlier in the match against Nagashima. NAKAI however managed to narrowly avoid the collision, causing Fujimoto to BLAST the C-1 Heavyweight Champion with the MONSTER RUSH! With Nagashima holding Toyota down outside, NAKAI unleashed a flurry of chops onto Fujimoto in the corner, before BLASTING HIM with a spinning chop to the side of the neck! With Fujimoto stunned, NAKAI FOLDED the 136kg FUJIMOTO IN HALF WITH A HALF-NELSON SUPLEX! As Fujimoto slowly pulled himself up, NAKAI came rushing out of the corner before BLASTING FUJIMOTO WITH A LARIAT! NAKAI hooked the leg as the fans counted along, ONLY FOR FUJIMOTO TO KICK OUT AT 2.5! NAKAI finally mustered the strength to hoist the 136kg Fujimoto across the shoulder... Despite looking like his knees were about to buckle, NAKAI was able to sway Fujimoto over and drive all of the air out of Fujimoto's body with the MAX BULLET! NAKAI went for the cover, only for Toyota to make the last-second save at 2.999! Nagashima quickly returned and disposed of Toyota to the outside, allowing NAKAI to lock Fujimoto deep in the dreaded KOUKAI VICE! With no where to go, Fujimoto was forced to submit, giving the victory to the FURY team!
After the match, NAKAI tore into the CRIMSON sect, saying that with Saigo, Toyota, and Fujimoto failing tonight, CRIMSON had been soundly beaten tonight. Although he praised "Genji-kun" for his Burning Spirit. Toyota didn't take kindly to NAKAI's words, and effectively said he'd shut NAKAI's big mouth in 7/27, and prove that CRIMSON was the strongest organization, causing a roar of boos from the fans. NAKAI said that regardless of the result, he promised a clash of the two top power fighters in the world. Toyota agreed to that much.
- Just who would advance to face Shin Kaiju tomorrow night in the finals? We were about to fight out, as the unbeaten ATSUKA was set to face Jet Jaguar. ATSUKA had the clear advantage in the tournament, as even if this match went to the twenty-minute deadline, he would advance. For Jaguar, it was a must win situation. Knowing this, Jaguar wasted no time in attacking ATSUKA, while ATSUKA tried his best to drag the match out. Eventually, ATSUKA would have to succumb to Jaguar's pace, creating an enjoyable lucha sprint. ATSUKA would eventually connect with a flawless bullet tope through the ropes, catching Jaguar. Jaguar however would return the favor minutes later, pulling off a move ATSUKA had used many years ago in the Bermuda Triangle. Both fighters showed off their knowledge of lucha llave submissions, with ATSUKA busting out a La Atlantida, while Jaguar would later trap ATSUKA in an Cerrajera. ATSUKA eventually scored with the AC-Z, followed by the Green Crush for a 2.5 count. ATSUKA however followed to connect on the Moonsault press, as Jaguar rolled out of the way. From there, Jaguar unleashed a flurry of kicks, climaxing with a BRUTAL Jumping Savate kick to the jaw, before SPIKING ATSUKA with the Jaguar Driver! Later however, ATSUKA would manage to counter Jaguar's Spiral Bomb attempt with a hurricanrana. After a well timed thrust kick, ATSUKA attempted to hoist Jaguar up to set up the Nudo Lagunero. Jaguar however had the move nicely scouted as he countered with a monkey flip. After connecting with another Jumping Savate kick, Jaguar finally drove ATSUKA's shoulders into the mat with the Spiral Bomb! ATSUKA however was not ready to give up, as he powered out of the pin at 2.5! Jaguar then climbed to the top, aiming to crush ATSUKA with the Jaguar Special. ATSUKA however gave Jaguar his receipt from earlier, as he rolled out of the way just in time! ATSUKA called for the finish as Jaguar slowly got to his feet... Once more, ATSUKA aimed to trap Jaguar in the dreaded Nudo Lagunero... However, as he lifted Jaguar up for the spinebuster, JAGUAR TURNED HIS BODY AND CAUGHT ATSUKA WITH A CRADLE ON THE WAY DOWN! ATSUKA was paralyzed in shock as Jaguar held tight for dear life JUST LONG ENOUGH FOR EDD SASAKI TO COUNT THE THREE!!!
The fans ROARED in applause as Jaguar just barely squeaked by! ATSUKA's eyes LIT with stunned confusion, before grabbing referee Edd Sasaki by the collar of the shirt while arguing the count. After the scene calmed down, Jaguar offered a handshake to ATSUKA, who at first rejected the gesture... However, after cooling off, ATSUKA begrudgingly accepted the gesture, and accepted his defeat...
- After a great night of action, we came to the main event, as Otsuo Kayusa would make his first defense of the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight title against one half of the F-MAX Tag Team Champions, Naoyuki Watanabe. The Korakuen fans were split down the middle for these two popular favorites. Both champion and challenger engaged in some mat work early on, in an attempt to establish themselves. While the greco-roman wrestling standout Kayusa controlled the early exchange, Watanabe would prove to be no slouch in amateur wrestling, which prompted both me to reach a stalemate. Grappling soon turned to strikes, as the two fighters decided to test one another's mettle with an exchange of blunt elbows. The fiery challenger won out in the early exchange, giving him control of the early going. Watanabe showed off his great technical prowess by working over Kayusa's arms with various holds and locks. Every time the champion would attempt to fight back, Watanabe would simply tweaked the hold to subdue the champion. Watanabe eventually to the fight back to the ground, where he continued to wear down Kayusa with various holds. The champion however managed to come back with a go-behind, before hoisting Watanabe up by the waist, and driving him back down onto the mat. Kayusa worked over the challenger with a series of moves, before finally catching Watanabe with a back elbow to the face, followed by a quick pin attempt. Kayusa soon dragged the challenger to the outside, where he held nothing back. He sent Watanabe hurling into the steel guard railing. Watanabe however came fighting back with a THUDDING elbow to the face, before grabbing the champion by the head and tossing him into the steel guard rail himself! The eben flow continued with neither man wanting to give an inch. Kayusa however dealt severe damage as he gripped Watanabe by the shin, before DRIVING HIM ANKLE FIRST ACROSS THE GUARD RAIL! Watanabe IMMEDIATELY began screaming in agony, causing Kayusa to continually target the leg through out the match. Back in the ring, Watanabe eventually got back on offense after avoiding a charging corner attack. On one bad leg, Watanabe came off the ropes, before BLASTING the champion with a jumping elbow smash, followed by a flipping senton across Kayusa's chest! After another flurry of elbows, followed by an Enzuigiri, Watanabe tried to fold the champion in half with a German Suplex hold. Kayusa however struggled, leading to an exchange of go-behinds, until Kayusa caught Watanabe with a jabbing kick to Watanabe's injured ankle, which followed him to connect with a German Suplex hold of his own, albeit only for a two count. Kayusa stayed on top of Watanabe, using two consecutive Karelin Lifts to drive the air from the challenger's body. Later, Kayusa aimed to finish the bout with the Olympic-ASP. Watanabe however had other plans, as he countered with a sleeper hold, before transitioning into a Dragon Sleeper hold! Kayusa struggled, but eventually made it to the ropes for the break. After a bodyslam, Watanabe climbed to the top rope, before leaping off with a diving knee... However, Kayusa evaded the attack, causing Watanabe to crash and burn, inflicting even more damage upon his injured limb! Kayusa promptly took advantage, locking Watanabe tight in an ANKLE HOLD! Watanabe SCREAMED in pain as he tried to reach the ropes. Kayusa however PULLED HIM AWAY! Watanabe contemplated tapping out, but the fans chants of "WA-TA-NABE!" encouraged him to keep on fighting. Finally, on one leg, he managed to roll forward, sending Kayusa FLYING HEAD FIRST into the turnbuckle! As the champion stumbled back, Watanabe hooked him in a full nelson while on one leg, before DRIVING KAYUSA ON THE BACK OF HIS NECK WITH A RELEASE DRAGON SUPLEX! The momentum of the attack sent Kayusa rolling onto one knee, prompting Watanabe to BLAST THE CHAMPION WITH A SHINING WIZARD!!! Watanabe hobbled across Kayusa's body for the cover, only for the champion to kick out at 2.5! Watanabe wasted no time in pulling Kayusa back up to his feet, where he unleashed a savage flurry of elbows down across the side of Kayusa's neck. He finally mustered the strength to hoist the champion up, before FOLDING HIM IN HALF WITH A BRUTAL GERMAN SUPLEX HOLD! The fans ROARED, sensing the end could be near, ONLY FOR KAYUSA TO KICK OUT AT 2.5 ONCE MORE! Watanabe finally let out a primal scream, causing the fans to erupt in cheers and applause. He slowly pulled the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion to his feet, before hooking both of his arms around Kayusa's arms and behind his neck, before DRIVING KAYUSA NECK FIRST INTO THE MAT WITH A DRAGON SUPLEX HOLD! ...However, as Watanabe attempted to maintain the bridge, HIS ANKLE GAVE OUT, forcing him to break the pin attempt! Watanabe rolled around on the mat in agony for a few moments, before finally POUNDING HIS ANKLE in order to make it numb! Watanabe finally crawled over to cover the champion. However, enough time had passed that Kayusa had more than enough time to recover, as he kicked out after two. Watanabe managed to muster the strength to get to his feet... But as he pulled Kayusa up, the champion broke away, before grabbing Watanabe and hoisting him up onto his shoulders, and SPIKING HIM WITH THE OLYMPIC-ASP! Kayusa however lacked the energy to follow up with the cover, leaving both men laying prone for the next couple of minutes... Slowly, champion and challenger dragged themselves back up, where they immediately engaged in a desperate exchange of elbows. With each shot, more and more life was breathed into both fighters. However, the champion seemingly began to get the better of the exchange, before he finally dropped Watanabe to one knee with one particularly brutal flurry... Kayusa held up his trademark right hand for the Uraken... But as he swung, Watanabe NARROWLY AVOIDED THE CRUSHING BLOW, allowing him to counter with a dropkick to the knee, dropping Kayusa. With him prone, Watanabe BLASTED THE CHAMPION WITH A SHINING KENKA KICK! Rather than go for the cover, Watanabe pulled Kayusa up, before connecting with a second Dragon Suplex hold! It wouldn't be enough however, as Kayusa BARELY managed to kick out at 2.9! Watanabe wasted no time, and called for the finish! He slowly dragged the groggy champion up, before grabbing both of of Kayusa's hands, before LOCKING THEM BEHIND HIS HEAD FOR THE KODOU-STYLE DRAGON SUPLEX! However, before Watanabe could execute his limit breaking finisher, Kayusa used a burst of strength to BREAK WATANABE'S GRIP! Watanabe tried to deal by going for a German Suplex, but Kayusa countered by picking Watanabe's leg, BEFORE SECURING THE ANKLE LOCK ONCE MORE! Watanabe SCREAMED in pain as he desperately tried to reach the ropes. Amidst unanimous chants of "WA-TA-NABE," the fiery challenger slowly crawled towards the ropes... With every inch, the fans became louder and louder, before Watanabe FINALLY gripped the bottom rope for the break! Kayusa however REFUSED, and PULLED WATANABE BACK TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE RING! And to make matters worse for Watanabe, Kayusa DROPPED DOWN AND SCISSORED HIS LEGS AROUND WATANABE! From ringside, Watanabe's friend and partner Akira Takayoshi could be seen, pounding the mat in encouragement... However, with no where to go, WATANABE WAS FORCED TO TAP OUT, ENDING A SUPERB MATCH!!!
The fans erupted in applause and appreciation for both men as the gong sounded. Immediately, Watanabe's fellow NEW FORCE members hit the ring, and immediately ripped off Watanabe's boot to tend to his injured ankle. The Korakuen fans continued to chant Watanabe's name as they tended to his leg... However, they greeted Kayusa with a huge ovation as he was given back his championship title... In the ring, Kayusa praised Watanabe's Burning Spirit, saying he was tougher than he had anticipated, and said that against any other man, Watanabe may have become F-MAX Unified Heavyweight champion. However, Kayusa said as the champion, he would not be beaten... Hearing enough, the fans ROARED as Akira Takayoshi got RIGHT in the champion's face! Kayusa nodded, and noted that he had heard Akira's declaration earlier in the show, and said he was open to the idea... However, in return, Kayusa said that he wanted a crack at Takayoshi and Watanabe's F-MAX Tag Team titles! Without hesitation and while sporting a stern look, Akira stuck his hand out, as Kayusa gladly shook it, making their agreement official! Kayusa ended by thanking the FURY fans, and said as F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion, he would continue to delivery the most dynamic matches possible in the ring.
- Next was a special 3WAY match pitting Masafuji Yoshida, Jun Kobayashi of REAL-ONE and Manabe Tsuji of UPRISER'Z in something of a lighthearted comedy match. Early on Tsuji and Yoshida struck a deal with one another to team up against Kobayashi. After Tsuji accidentally attacked Yoshida, Tsuji then struck a deal with Kobayashi to team up against Yoshida. This went back and fourth, until Yoshida and Kobayashi had enough of Tsuji's games. Both focused their attacks on Tsuji, with Kobayashi unloading on Tsuji with a flurry of elbows, before allowing Yoshida to crush Tsuji with the Masayume, before picking up the victory (with Kobayashi's blessing, of course.)
- In the fourth bout, NEW FORCE clashed with Ooinaru Waza in a fierce struggle. Towards the end of a back-and-fourth match, Etsuya Kawachi managed to catch Seiji Sasaki as he swan dived over the ropes, before BLASTING him in the face with the go 2 school to pick up the victory. Both teams traded quips after the match. Akira Takayoshi however made a bold announcement after the match, as he announced his intentions of challenging the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion in August, regardless if it is Kayusa, or his F-MAX Tag Team Champion teammate, Naoyuki Watanabe!
- REAL-ONE battled UPRISER'Z in the last preliminary skirmish before tomorrow's No DQ bout between Naoki Fukuda and TAKU. It was the usual exchange between both teams, as REAL-ONE contended with UPRISER'Z's rule breaking ways. In the end, Shigeru Iwasaki caught RYUJI with the tsumujikaze, allowing him to spike him with the Cross Knell to pick up the victory for REAL-ONE. After the bout, TAKU promised unbridled chaos tomorrow night in their match, saying that he would be taking full advantage of the no disqualification rule. Fukuda said that he figures there will be interference from UPRISER'Z tomorrow, but said that he will have REAL-ONE in his corner to keep the match fair.
- We then came to the final match left in the B block, as F-MAX Jr. Heavyweight Champion Shin Kaiju faced the man who has chased him for years, CRIMSON Junior Dynamo Hayato Saigo. The Tokyo fans were rabid for the bout, and split down the middle between favoring FURY's Shin Kaiju, and the incredibly athletic Hayato Saigo. For years, Kaiju domineered over CRIMSON's Junior heavyweight ranks, with Saigo chasing Kaiju for years. Tonight, their rivalry would be renewed in the FURY ring. Both men engaged like old enemies, showing no hesitation. Kaiju threw bombs almost immediately, and sent Saigo into a complete 360 after BLASTING him with the Kaiju Lariat! Saigo however recovered quickly, before catching Kaiju in the corner with a handspring elbow, followed by SPIKING the F-MAX Jr. Heavyweight Champion with a brainbuster! The action only continued as the match progressed. After sending Kaiju to the floor, Saigo amazed the Korakuen fans with an incredible no touch tope con giro onto Kaiju! Back in the ring, Saigo went for the Moonsault press, only for Kaiju to roll away. Saigo however saw it coming, and landed perfectly on his feet, before leaping up and SPIKING Kaiju with a jumping complete shot! Kaiju finally managed to get back on offense after crotching Saigo on the top turnbuckle. From there, Kaiju PLOWED Saigo into the mat with a Sky High Chokeslam! Kaiju eventually scored with the Death Valley Bomb, along with a VICIOUS Whiplash Powerbomb. Neither however could result in the victory. Kaiju went for another Whiplash Powerbomb, only for Saigo to answer with a Frankensteiner! After catching Kaiju with a jumping knee in the corner, Saigo mustered his strength to fold Kaiju in half with a German Suplex hold, only for the F-MAX Jr. Heavyweight Champion to kick out after two! Saigo went for broke next, as he connected with a second Brainbuster, which set Kaiju up for the Moonsault press! Even then however, Kaiju would gather enough strength to kick out after 2.5! Saigo then aimed for the Phoenix Splash... But once more, Kaiju managed to cut him off by gripping him in a position for a Powerbomb. However, rather than simply Powerbombing Saigo, Kaiju stepped up the bottom turnbuckle, followed by the middle before sitting down across the top rope. before DRIVING SAIGO INTO THE MAT WITH THE CRASH-ON POWERBOMB! Kaiju immediately went for the cover, ONLY FOR SAIGO TO KICK OUT AT ONE! The Korakuen fans ERUPTED in cheers for Saigo's incredible Burning Spirit. But as he slowly climbed to his feet, Kaiju came off the ropes, before CRASHING INTO SAIGO WITH THE KAIJU LARIAT! Kaiju planted both hands across Saigo's chest, sensing the end. But once more, Saigo defied Kaiju by kicking out at 2.9! Finally, Kaiju measured Saigo as he pulled himself to his feet, before finally cutting into Saigo's neckline with one, final Kaiju Lariat, causing Saigo to do a complete 180 degree rotation. This time, Kaiju hooked the leg tight, leaving nothing to chance as referee Edd Sasaki counted the three, securing Kaiju's advancement to the tournament finals!
- Next we had an important interpromotional preliminary skirmish towards the 7/27 showdown between CRIMSON's Akuma Toyota and FURY's Tetsuhisa NAKAI for the C-1 Heavyweight title, as Toyota and Masakazu Fujimoto invaded the FURY ring to face NAKAI and Ryuugo Nagashima. Both Toyota and Fujimoto were greeted by the FURY fans as enemies, and were booed vociferously through out the bout. Toyota fed off the negative reactions, and took constant cheap shots and rough neck tactics to illicit an even bigger reaction. The atmosphere was electric when NAKAI and Toyota were going at it in the ring. The two continually traded blistering chops, with neither man backing down. As the match went past the 10-minute mark, both fighter's chests were lit up with red swelling from the shots. Both teams had their share of team work as well, with Toyota and Fujimoto CRUSHING Nagashima with a sandwich MONSTER RUSH!/Enzui Lariat combination for a near fall. NAKAI and Nagashima however would show off a brutal combination attack, with NAKAI hoisting Toyota up for a Powerbomb, while Nagashima BLASTED C-1 Heavyweight Champion with a diving elbow smash from the top rope! But even that wouldn't be enough to keep Toyota down. Later on in the match, NAKAI and Toyota nearly lost control of their emotions on the outside, as the two exchanged chair shots, which caused both men to draw blood upon one another! Towards the end of his heated match, Toyota tagged out to Fujimoto, as the two tried to finish NAKAI once and for all. They aimed to crush NAKAI with the same sandwich attack they had used earlier in the match against Nagashima. NAKAI however managed to narrowly avoid the collision, causing Fujimoto to BLAST the C-1 Heavyweight Champion with the MONSTER RUSH! With Nagashima holding Toyota down outside, NAKAI unleashed a flurry of chops onto Fujimoto in the corner, before BLASTING HIM with a spinning chop to the side of the neck! With Fujimoto stunned, NAKAI FOLDED the 136kg FUJIMOTO IN HALF WITH A HALF-NELSON SUPLEX! As Fujimoto slowly pulled himself up, NAKAI came rushing out of the corner before BLASTING FUJIMOTO WITH A LARIAT! NAKAI hooked the leg as the fans counted along, ONLY FOR FUJIMOTO TO KICK OUT AT 2.5! NAKAI finally mustered the strength to hoist the 136kg Fujimoto across the shoulder... Despite looking like his knees were about to buckle, NAKAI was able to sway Fujimoto over and drive all of the air out of Fujimoto's body with the MAX BULLET! NAKAI went for the cover, only for Toyota to make the last-second save at 2.999! Nagashima quickly returned and disposed of Toyota to the outside, allowing NAKAI to lock Fujimoto deep in the dreaded KOUKAI VICE! With no where to go, Fujimoto was forced to submit, giving the victory to the FURY team!
After the match, NAKAI tore into the CRIMSON sect, saying that with Saigo, Toyota, and Fujimoto failing tonight, CRIMSON had been soundly beaten tonight. Although he praised "Genji-kun" for his Burning Spirit. Toyota didn't take kindly to NAKAI's words, and effectively said he'd shut NAKAI's big mouth in 7/27, and prove that CRIMSON was the strongest organization, causing a roar of boos from the fans. NAKAI said that regardless of the result, he promised a clash of the two top power fighters in the world. Toyota agreed to that much.
- Just who would advance to face Shin Kaiju tomorrow night in the finals? We were about to fight out, as the unbeaten ATSUKA was set to face Jet Jaguar. ATSUKA had the clear advantage in the tournament, as even if this match went to the twenty-minute deadline, he would advance. For Jaguar, it was a must win situation. Knowing this, Jaguar wasted no time in attacking ATSUKA, while ATSUKA tried his best to drag the match out. Eventually, ATSUKA would have to succumb to Jaguar's pace, creating an enjoyable lucha sprint. ATSUKA would eventually connect with a flawless bullet tope through the ropes, catching Jaguar. Jaguar however would return the favor minutes later, pulling off a move ATSUKA had used many years ago in the Bermuda Triangle. Both fighters showed off their knowledge of lucha llave submissions, with ATSUKA busting out a La Atlantida, while Jaguar would later trap ATSUKA in an Cerrajera. ATSUKA eventually scored with the AC-Z, followed by the Green Crush for a 2.5 count. ATSUKA however followed to connect on the Moonsault press, as Jaguar rolled out of the way. From there, Jaguar unleashed a flurry of kicks, climaxing with a BRUTAL Jumping Savate kick to the jaw, before SPIKING ATSUKA with the Jaguar Driver! Later however, ATSUKA would manage to counter Jaguar's Spiral Bomb attempt with a hurricanrana. After a well timed thrust kick, ATSUKA attempted to hoist Jaguar up to set up the Nudo Lagunero. Jaguar however had the move nicely scouted as he countered with a monkey flip. After connecting with another Jumping Savate kick, Jaguar finally drove ATSUKA's shoulders into the mat with the Spiral Bomb! ATSUKA however was not ready to give up, as he powered out of the pin at 2.5! Jaguar then climbed to the top, aiming to crush ATSUKA with the Jaguar Special. ATSUKA however gave Jaguar his receipt from earlier, as he rolled out of the way just in time! ATSUKA called for the finish as Jaguar slowly got to his feet... Once more, ATSUKA aimed to trap Jaguar in the dreaded Nudo Lagunero... However, as he lifted Jaguar up for the spinebuster, JAGUAR TURNED HIS BODY AND CAUGHT ATSUKA WITH A CRADLE ON THE WAY DOWN! ATSUKA was paralyzed in shock as Jaguar held tight for dear life JUST LONG ENOUGH FOR EDD SASAKI TO COUNT THE THREE!!!
The fans ROARED in applause as Jaguar just barely squeaked by! ATSUKA's eyes LIT with stunned confusion, before grabbing referee Edd Sasaki by the collar of the shirt while arguing the count. After the scene calmed down, Jaguar offered a handshake to ATSUKA, who at first rejected the gesture... However, after cooling off, ATSUKA begrudgingly accepted the gesture, and accepted his defeat...
- After a great night of action, we came to the main event, as Otsuo Kayusa would make his first defense of the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight title against one half of the F-MAX Tag Team Champions, Naoyuki Watanabe. The Korakuen fans were split down the middle for these two popular favorites. Both champion and challenger engaged in some mat work early on, in an attempt to establish themselves. While the greco-roman wrestling standout Kayusa controlled the early exchange, Watanabe would prove to be no slouch in amateur wrestling, which prompted both me to reach a stalemate. Grappling soon turned to strikes, as the two fighters decided to test one another's mettle with an exchange of blunt elbows. The fiery challenger won out in the early exchange, giving him control of the early going. Watanabe showed off his great technical prowess by working over Kayusa's arms with various holds and locks. Every time the champion would attempt to fight back, Watanabe would simply tweaked the hold to subdue the champion. Watanabe eventually to the fight back to the ground, where he continued to wear down Kayusa with various holds. The champion however managed to come back with a go-behind, before hoisting Watanabe up by the waist, and driving him back down onto the mat. Kayusa worked over the challenger with a series of moves, before finally catching Watanabe with a back elbow to the face, followed by a quick pin attempt. Kayusa soon dragged the challenger to the outside, where he held nothing back. He sent Watanabe hurling into the steel guard railing. Watanabe however came fighting back with a THUDDING elbow to the face, before grabbing the champion by the head and tossing him into the steel guard rail himself! The eben flow continued with neither man wanting to give an inch. Kayusa however dealt severe damage as he gripped Watanabe by the shin, before DRIVING HIM ANKLE FIRST ACROSS THE GUARD RAIL! Watanabe IMMEDIATELY began screaming in agony, causing Kayusa to continually target the leg through out the match. Back in the ring, Watanabe eventually got back on offense after avoiding a charging corner attack. On one bad leg, Watanabe came off the ropes, before BLASTING the champion with a jumping elbow smash, followed by a flipping senton across Kayusa's chest! After another flurry of elbows, followed by an Enzuigiri, Watanabe tried to fold the champion in half with a German Suplex hold. Kayusa however struggled, leading to an exchange of go-behinds, until Kayusa caught Watanabe with a jabbing kick to Watanabe's injured ankle, which followed him to connect with a German Suplex hold of his own, albeit only for a two count. Kayusa stayed on top of Watanabe, using two consecutive Karelin Lifts to drive the air from the challenger's body. Later, Kayusa aimed to finish the bout with the Olympic-ASP. Watanabe however had other plans, as he countered with a sleeper hold, before transitioning into a Dragon Sleeper hold! Kayusa struggled, but eventually made it to the ropes for the break. After a bodyslam, Watanabe climbed to the top rope, before leaping off with a diving knee... However, Kayusa evaded the attack, causing Watanabe to crash and burn, inflicting even more damage upon his injured limb! Kayusa promptly took advantage, locking Watanabe tight in an ANKLE HOLD! Watanabe SCREAMED in pain as he tried to reach the ropes. Kayusa however PULLED HIM AWAY! Watanabe contemplated tapping out, but the fans chants of "WA-TA-NABE!" encouraged him to keep on fighting. Finally, on one leg, he managed to roll forward, sending Kayusa FLYING HEAD FIRST into the turnbuckle! As the champion stumbled back, Watanabe hooked him in a full nelson while on one leg, before DRIVING KAYUSA ON THE BACK OF HIS NECK WITH A RELEASE DRAGON SUPLEX! The momentum of the attack sent Kayusa rolling onto one knee, prompting Watanabe to BLAST THE CHAMPION WITH A SHINING WIZARD!!! Watanabe hobbled across Kayusa's body for the cover, only for the champion to kick out at 2.5! Watanabe wasted no time in pulling Kayusa back up to his feet, where he unleashed a savage flurry of elbows down across the side of Kayusa's neck. He finally mustered the strength to hoist the champion up, before FOLDING HIM IN HALF WITH A BRUTAL GERMAN SUPLEX HOLD! The fans ROARED, sensing the end could be near, ONLY FOR KAYUSA TO KICK OUT AT 2.5 ONCE MORE! Watanabe finally let out a primal scream, causing the fans to erupt in cheers and applause. He slowly pulled the F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion to his feet, before hooking both of his arms around Kayusa's arms and behind his neck, before DRIVING KAYUSA NECK FIRST INTO THE MAT WITH A DRAGON SUPLEX HOLD! ...However, as Watanabe attempted to maintain the bridge, HIS ANKLE GAVE OUT, forcing him to break the pin attempt! Watanabe rolled around on the mat in agony for a few moments, before finally POUNDING HIS ANKLE in order to make it numb! Watanabe finally crawled over to cover the champion. However, enough time had passed that Kayusa had more than enough time to recover, as he kicked out after two. Watanabe managed to muster the strength to get to his feet... But as he pulled Kayusa up, the champion broke away, before grabbing Watanabe and hoisting him up onto his shoulders, and SPIKING HIM WITH THE OLYMPIC-ASP! Kayusa however lacked the energy to follow up with the cover, leaving both men laying prone for the next couple of minutes... Slowly, champion and challenger dragged themselves back up, where they immediately engaged in a desperate exchange of elbows. With each shot, more and more life was breathed into both fighters. However, the champion seemingly began to get the better of the exchange, before he finally dropped Watanabe to one knee with one particularly brutal flurry... Kayusa held up his trademark right hand for the Uraken... But as he swung, Watanabe NARROWLY AVOIDED THE CRUSHING BLOW, allowing him to counter with a dropkick to the knee, dropping Kayusa. With him prone, Watanabe BLASTED THE CHAMPION WITH A SHINING KENKA KICK! Rather than go for the cover, Watanabe pulled Kayusa up, before connecting with a second Dragon Suplex hold! It wouldn't be enough however, as Kayusa BARELY managed to kick out at 2.9! Watanabe wasted no time, and called for the finish! He slowly dragged the groggy champion up, before grabbing both of of Kayusa's hands, before LOCKING THEM BEHIND HIS HEAD FOR THE KODOU-STYLE DRAGON SUPLEX! However, before Watanabe could execute his limit breaking finisher, Kayusa used a burst of strength to BREAK WATANABE'S GRIP! Watanabe tried to deal by going for a German Suplex, but Kayusa countered by picking Watanabe's leg, BEFORE SECURING THE ANKLE LOCK ONCE MORE! Watanabe SCREAMED in pain as he desperately tried to reach the ropes. Amidst unanimous chants of "WA-TA-NABE," the fiery challenger slowly crawled towards the ropes... With every inch, the fans became louder and louder, before Watanabe FINALLY gripped the bottom rope for the break! Kayusa however REFUSED, and PULLED WATANABE BACK TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE RING! And to make matters worse for Watanabe, Kayusa DROPPED DOWN AND SCISSORED HIS LEGS AROUND WATANABE! From ringside, Watanabe's friend and partner Akira Takayoshi could be seen, pounding the mat in encouragement... However, with no where to go, WATANABE WAS FORCED TO TAP OUT, ENDING A SUPERB MATCH!!!
The fans erupted in applause and appreciation for both men as the gong sounded. Immediately, Watanabe's fellow NEW FORCE members hit the ring, and immediately ripped off Watanabe's boot to tend to his injured ankle. The Korakuen fans continued to chant Watanabe's name as they tended to his leg... However, they greeted Kayusa with a huge ovation as he was given back his championship title... In the ring, Kayusa praised Watanabe's Burning Spirit, saying he was tougher than he had anticipated, and said that against any other man, Watanabe may have become F-MAX Unified Heavyweight champion. However, Kayusa said as the champion, he would not be beaten... Hearing enough, the fans ROARED as Akira Takayoshi got RIGHT in the champion's face! Kayusa nodded, and noted that he had heard Akira's declaration earlier in the show, and said he was open to the idea... However, in return, Kayusa said that he wanted a crack at Takayoshi and Watanabe's F-MAX Tag Team titles! Without hesitation and while sporting a stern look, Akira stuck his hand out, as Kayusa gladly shook it, making their agreement official! Kayusa ended by thanking the FURY fans, and said as F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Champion, he would continue to delivery the most dynamic matches possible in the ring.
July 17, 2009
Tokyo - Korakuen Hall
2,350 Fans (Super No Vacancy Full House)
1. "Mr. 300%" Kazuma Fujita, YAKUTA & Mamoru Sekishima beat Hiroaki Nakata, Fumihiko Shirai & Tetsujin (11:34) when Sekishima used a knee kick on Tetsujin.
2. 3WAY Match: Masafuji Yoshida beat Jun Kobayashi and Manabe Tsuji (9:39) when Yoshida used the Masayume on Tsuji.
3. J1-MAX League - Block A: Jin Hiroto [Hokkaido] [7] beat Kotaro Ota [0] by forfeit.
4. Akira Takayoshi, Etsuya Kawachi, Hidaka Kamon & Kazuki Sendo beat Chikao Kessin, Norihiro Akashi, Yoshihiro Shimoda & Seiji Sasaki (11:25) when Kawachi used the go 2 sleep on Sasaki.
5. Naoki Fukuda, Go Taniguchi, Kenichiro Hujikawa & Shigeru Iwasaki beat TAKU, Daisuke Iwata, Kyoto Okazaki & RYUJI (15:25) when Iwasaki used the Cross Knell on RYUJI.
6. J1-MAX League - Block B: Shin Kaiju [8] beat Hayato Saigo [CRIMSON] [6] (16:29) with the Kaiju Lariat.
7. Tetsuhisa NAKAI & Ryuugo Nagashima [FREE] beat Akuma Toyota [CRIMSON] & Masakazu Fujimoto [CRIMSON] (19:42) when NAKAI used the Koukai Vice on Fujimoto.
8. J1-MAX League - Block A: Jet Jaguar [9] beat ATSUKA [8] (13:14) with a Small Package hold.
9. F-MAX Unified Heavyweight Title: Otsuo Kayusa (c) beat Naoyuki Watanabe (24:58) with an ankle hold in his V1 defense.
Final J1-MAX League Standings
Block A:
1. Jet Jaguar [9] (0 Matches Left)
2. ATSUKA [8] (0 Matches Left)
3. Jin Hiroto [7] (0 Matches Left)
4. Kyoto Okazaki [3] (0 Matches Left)
5. Hidaka Kamon [2] (0 Matches Left)
6. Kotaro Ota [1] (0 Matches Left)
Block B:
1. Shin Kaiju [8] (0 Matches Left)
2. Hayato Saigo [6] (0 Matches Left)
3. Yoshihiro Shimoda [5] (0 Matches Left)
4. Shigeru Iwasaki [3] (0 Matches Left)
5. Etsuya Kawachi [2] (0 Matches Left)
6. RYUJI [0] (0 Matches Left)
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