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00:44Yamato and Tiger Mask.
00:48A couple that I didn't think I would see in this year's competition.
00:52Well, not successful yesterday.
00:54That miscommunication on the tag room, I wonder if they talked about it today.
00:59They talked about it yesterday and Tiger Mask asked Yamato,
01:05what were you talking about when you were calling that spot?
01:08And Yamato just said, you know, the thing.
01:13I'm pretty sure Tiger Mask.
01:15I don't think that Tiger Mask really knows what the thing is.
01:19It's a must-win battle for both sets of teams here. Tiger Mask and Yamato dropped their first,
01:34as did Kukai and El Desperado.
01:37Well, by Dino going straight into an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title match, Frankie.
01:50Kukai and Desperado have had a lot of height build up around them.
01:53But so far, in direct tag team action, 0-2, they've lost both of their matches as a tag team.
02:00And they need to get some points on the board.
02:02Yeah, great effort by Kukai, great wrestler, but so far, it's not working out for him.
02:11Whereas Despera is right now, you know, lost his championship,
02:16lost his opportunity to become tag team champion.
02:20Are we seeing a downfall from Desperado?
02:22I'm sure his title defenses required a lot of energy from him.
02:31You know, you have to pay a price in order to get all that energy.
02:37Maybe the price is coming up right now.
02:38Yeah, that's a great, great point.
02:40Yeah, all of the energy Despera put into the first half of the year.
02:46MVP worthy, no doubt about it.
02:49But now, without those titles to defend, you lose one or two.
02:55And that's one thing.
02:56Once you start to lose three in a row, as Despera is in big time matches here in New Japan,
03:01well, that starts to become a slump.
03:02And you see Despera's won some crowd favor tonight.
03:13It's not easy what he does.
03:15Looking out to the crowd, I think quite a few Yamato fans here as well.
03:21This is the first time we've seen El Desperado tie up with Yamato, but I'm aware.
03:26But Yamato does have a little bit of previous with Kukai back in Michinoku,
03:32when Kukai was just starting out his career.
03:35There was a singles match for Yamato against Kukai back in the year of, I believe, 2021.
03:40Yamato a very convincing victory that day.
03:44And we'll see whether Kukai can turn the tables this evening.
03:49I think he needs to turn the tables today to show to Despera that he did the right move
03:54in bringing him to New Japan.
03:55And we mentioned it yesterday, this beer competition is last Tiger Mask competition,
04:07because he's going to retire next June.
04:10Well, we'll see whether...
04:13Hiroshi Tanahashi managed to politic his way into one more G1,
04:17so we've yet to see whether Tiger Mask can do one more best of the Super Juniors.
04:20Yes, but in the meantime, Despera and Yamato, the legal men here.
04:30Overpowered.
04:33Quite a few.
04:35Fancy Yamato here in the building.
04:50No one-upmanship going on here.
04:59Here we go, tag made to Kukai.
05:05You might have...
05:06Some way in your mind, I mean, when you're a young wrestler, Frankie, you have to take on someone
05:15with the experience of Yamato, the stature that Yamato has, all these achievements that he has,
05:19and that can be...
05:20I mean, we saw it earlier on with Zane J and Kushida in our first match here tonight.
05:24So then to be able to circle back round later in your career and maybe get a win back,
05:30that's a big motivating factor for Kukai.
05:33Oh yeah, sure, definitely, you know, getting a win over such an experienced wrestler,
05:40will make him look good to Despera as well, so Kukai needs this win so bad.
05:48We see, okay, Tiger Mask is tugging in right now.
05:51Well, Yamato, he's biting. Tiger Mask is going to take a bite out of Kukai.
06:01Respectfully devined.
06:04And the veteran Tiger Mask.
06:07Back to back.
06:08This is the Super Junior victories.
06:13You know, he might be on his way out, but I don't think he wants to slow down either.
06:18No, I mean, very much like Tanahashi in that regard.
06:24Oh, beautiful.
06:26There's a great dropkick there.
06:28Really impressive reach.
06:30Great extension on the legs by Kukai.
06:36Over the top.
06:38You're seeing that northeastern connection here in a sense that
06:42the past, the present, the future of the Michinoku Pro Wrestling area.
06:50Tiger Mask made his debut in Michinoku Pro Wrestling way way back in the day.
06:53Yeah, that's right, that's right.
06:55That's cool.
06:56There are Cabrado's Kukairo from Tiger taking out Kukai and El Desperado.
07:02So, so formative.
07:03Still is, always has been since the 1990s.
07:07So important Michinoku Pro Wrestling to the Pro Wrestling landscape here in Japan.
07:12So many different promotion influences in this tournament, I guess.
07:17What I think it makes it more beautiful, you know.
07:20Everybody comes from different places.
07:22And everybody's here to try to show they are the best.
07:26And I'm sure Yamato wants to bring the trophy back to Dragon Gate.
07:31He doesn't want to share it with Daya.
07:33He doesn't want to share it with Yoshioka.
07:35I think he wants to bring it on himself.
07:37Oh, but turn about fair play.
07:41Probably doesn't taste great, but...
07:49So many Kukai showing how much he wants it.
07:51Maybe the rules a little bit.
07:56Now it's all upset with the tactics and Tiger Man's tags back here.
08:10A lot of times we hear that expression around Japanese wrestling circles.
08:15Lucha Dessu.
08:18This is really Lucha Dessu, a riff roll piece, man.
08:20A good combination of Mexico and Japanese wrestling.
08:23Yeah, pretty big influence from Mexico.
08:26You know, as you mentioned yesterday,
08:31Kukai released his championship, right?
08:34To come to New Japan for Wrestling.
08:36Exactly right.
08:37This Mexican, one of these, the independent
08:41Mexican championship to come to New Japan for Wrestling
08:44and challenge Doki and Shou.
08:45Oh, look at Desperado coming out right here in front of us.
08:49Kukai feeling a long, long way from home right here.
08:55And even if he was closer to home, there's nobody in his corner.
08:58Tiger Mask.
08:59He's taking down the young Michinaku Dojo graduate.
09:10He spent the last three years gambling on himself.
09:16First thing over in Mexico and gables on himself again to take this invitation from El de Escuaro,
09:23He definitely spends a lot of time talking to the crowd. Maybe too much, right?
09:30Well, we'll see. And right now, all of that confidence seems to be well justified.
09:36If Kuka can start putting it together, he'll regret talking trash.
09:45It's not ballet.
09:53I think Yamato is very concerned about this look.
09:57And he doesn't know.
10:03Well, this didn't really work yesterday.
10:05Yeah, right?
10:06Promising the New Japan Pro Wrestling faithful that he's gonna...
10:12So Kuka.
10:14He's gonna definitely do it today.
10:16He'll definitely do it today.
10:23He's really gonna do it this time.
10:25Oh, he nearly almost did it.
10:29No, no.
10:30No, no.
10:39Whoa.
10:40What?
10:41What?
10:42No, Lambo instead.
10:46Well, it didn't work out very well today, right?
10:50Maybe he should stop saying.
10:52Maybe.
10:53Well, I think he can try it one more time tomorrow.
10:56Oh, you should now.
10:57That's right.
10:58I think one more time tomorrow.
11:01Third lucky time.
11:02Yeah, the rule of threes.
11:03That's what we always say in comedy.
11:05Tiger Mask sends Kuka.
11:09It's the worst man.
11:10To the advantage of a slight opening there.
11:13Shotgun drop here.
11:14Kuka needs a tag in the worst possible way.
11:17He's been in there for a long, long time.
11:24And...
11:26Rose in the distance.
11:28There we go.
11:29Desperado.
11:30Desperado.
11:32Finally illegal against Tiger Mask.
11:38Ring buster by...
11:39Desperado.
11:44Up and...
11:45Not down.
11:46Tiger Mask.
11:48Look at Desper.
11:49All the way through that exchange.
11:51And, you know,
11:52you wouldn't never think that Desperado
11:54won't have his ticket to the Tokyo Dome.
11:57But right now he doesn't.
11:59So, yes to win here.
12:02I'm sure he's getting really frustrating himself.
12:06As much as El Desperado always says
12:08he's not interested in wrestling on the big stage.
12:12A lot of guys say that.
12:15You wonder somewhere in the back of their minds.
12:18You know, but especially after last year's match
12:20where Doki got injured.
12:22Wow!
12:23Yeah, that's true.
12:24He'd want some measure of revenge.
12:26Yamato.
12:27Great spot there.
12:28Desperado turns his back on the blue corner.
12:31Man!
12:32Got it there.
12:35Go to hospital.
12:37Go to Tiger Driver.
12:41Tiger Driver off the back of the Go to hospital.
12:43Into Geary.
12:45Now Yamato turning away at the face of Kuka.
12:48Oh, is it?
12:49Is it that move?
12:53Maybe this is the thing.
12:58Maybe it wasn't then.
12:59Well, whatever it was.
13:01Wasn't very good.
13:04Maybe this is the thing.
13:05A little bit better.
13:06Yamato on the run here.
13:08Oh, wait a second.
13:10Over goes Yamato.
13:11Kuka cleared by Tiger Mask.
13:12Oh, man.
13:13Just joined him with the knee.
13:14Oh, he could be out.
13:15He could be out.
13:16He may scale.
13:18Sorry.
13:19And a win over Desperado could definitely mean entry in the best of the Super Junior for Tiger
13:38Well, yeah, you're right.
13:39You're right.
13:40You're right.
13:41You beat a former Super Junior winner.
13:42You'll be in there for your last best of the Super Junior's next year.
13:46The signature submission for Tiger Mask.
13:49And Desperado might be on the verge of tapping.
13:52Kuka is trying to make the save.
13:55He's trying to make the save, but it's gonna have to be Desperado who makes the run.
14:04You win this match.
14:05You're middle of the table and A-Bot.
14:08You lose and you're in the bubble of elimination.
14:14Tiger suplex, perhaps.
14:19Desperado fight.
14:21Fighting really hard.
14:26Oh, wait a second.
14:27Wait a second.
14:28Wait a second.
14:29Wait a second.
14:30El Escrelo.
14:31El Escrelo.
14:32Yamato.
14:33Yamato was joined with the fans again.
14:37Yamato was fooling himself.
14:42After he cocked Desper, he didn't see El Escrelo.
14:47Way too focused about talking more than to be careful.
14:52And Desperado played a really quick move, but 100% work.
14:57Yamato thinks that he won.
14:58He can't figure out why El Escrelo's music is playing right now.
15:07Now Tiger Mask is vertical, which is not that can be said, of Desper.
15:13But the fact remains, Desper and Kuka are on the board.
15:18Yamato and Tiger Mask are not.
15:20And they're going to have to play on thin ice next time, otherwise they're going to be eliminated, as we said before.
15:31The handshake between this brother and Tiger Mask right here.
15:47Two hot Thai members pointing over at Yamato and saying, maybe not that guy.
15:52Tiger Mask and Yamato, well, they'll work on it.
15:59They've got two more days to figure things out.
16:04I'm not sure if the move they were trying to do was that one.
16:08I mean, I'm still not sure what it is.
16:11When it happens, it will be spectacular, I have no doubt.
16:19Nonetheless, Tiger Mask and Yamato are under the gun.
16:24And might be hoping for Ishimori to stay on the simplest.
16:27Because they've got Ishimori and Robbie X next on Sunday, and if they don't win that match, they're out.
16:32Desper and Kuka have Kanemaru and Togo on Sunday.
16:38And now here we go for the semi-final.
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