TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI vs Gedo & Taiji Ishimori: Road to DESTRUCTION Night 2 (September 8, 2024)
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00:00We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
00:04Each match will last 30 minutes.
00:30We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
00:34Each match will last 30 minutes.
01:00We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:04We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:30We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:33We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:36We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:39We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:42We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:45We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:48We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:51We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:54We will now have the 5th match, the tag team match.
01:58It was definitely a little bit of an upset
02:00when Doki won the Junior Heavyweight Championship
02:03from El Desperado back in July.
02:06It was the first time that Doki had ever
02:10gone to pinfall victory
02:13over his big brother figure, over his mentor figure.
02:18There's been a lot of firsts for Doki
02:20over the course of the last year.
02:22Got his first win over Hiromu Takahashi
02:24and then a second.
02:25Got his first win in his career over Robbie Eagle
02:28to invest in the Super Juniors.
02:30And he's been a peak three in Junior Heavyweight Wrestling
02:33and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
02:35Hiromu, Desperado, Taiji Ishimori.
02:38Ishimori's the only man on the list.
02:40He's got to do the thing.
02:42He's got to do the thing.
02:45Takao Michino-kun!
02:48The Eagle.
02:53IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
02:57from Japan, Doki!
03:03The one name on that big three list
03:06that Doki has never beaten
03:08is Taiji Ishimori.
03:10Four meetings.
03:12And the Junior Heavyweight Champion
03:14is 0-4 against the Bone Soldier.
03:18Sometimes you have those people coming in your careers,
03:21those white whales,
03:22the guys that you never seem to be able to beat.
03:33They're the most nerve-wracking ones.
03:35They're the ones that...
03:37If I beat this guy then...
03:39Who's next after that for Doki?
03:41Everyone's got a list.
03:42Everyone's got someone they want to beat.
03:46But if the other comes...
03:48Ishimori, who's next for Doki?
03:50Who's next for the brother?
03:52That's what's exciting for Doki in his position.
03:56To be able to call his shot.
03:58To be the guy at the top of the division.
04:00Finally at last.
04:04Starting fast here.
04:07There's so much impact.
04:09There's so much in parallel between these two men.
04:12Albeit at different stages of their careers.
04:14Look out.
04:15Ishimori gets fast.
04:17Changes direction.
04:18So lightning quick.
04:19Spinball!
04:21Same time for Taiji Ishimori.
04:26Both of these guys started their careers
04:28not in Japan but in Mexico.
04:31Taiji Ishimori was part of that old tournament system.
04:35And both of them share a trainer in Mexico.
04:38Jorge Rivera.
04:46You're not allowed to swear.
04:48Why is it I can't swear but Gedo can?
04:50Gedo is paid up.
04:52He has a subscription to the Retired Wrestlers Fund.
04:55I swear. I get told off.
04:57You've got to put the money in the swear jar backstage.
05:00I was never told that.
05:02I was never told that.
05:03I've never seen a swear jar.
05:08Over the top.
05:13Oh my goodness.
05:14That was the self finger poke.
05:17One more from Takemichi Noku.
05:25Now.
05:27Nobody is seeing straight tonight.
05:30Ishimori has eyes on Doki as they go out to the floor.
05:33In the meantime, Gedo and Takemichi Noku on the inside.
05:50Absolute posse.
05:51Who taught him English?
05:53Well, that's a long story.
05:56Stop, stop, stop.
05:58It's crazy to think that way, way, way back in the day,
06:03before you were born, young man, we had a thing called videotapes.
06:08What's that?
06:09Right.
06:11It was like Netflix but real.
06:14And...
06:15Is that the thing when you finish?
06:16You've got to like...
06:17You've got to be kind and rewind it.
06:18Yeah.
06:19You've got to turn it.
06:20Exactly.
06:21And we would all trade tapes of those early Super J Cups.
06:23And that was when I would first see a young Takemichi Noku and Gedo
06:28and Hiroyan in three decades on.
06:32And rather different tactics.
06:34Here's the cover from Gedo.
06:37And a roll of the shoulder.
06:40I haven't seen David Finlay on this tour yet.
06:42IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion will be in action Wednesday in Sendai.
06:48And Yoshihashi will be facing off
06:51in Kobe September 29th.
07:07How many...
07:08At least at five.
07:09The swear count is at five, I believe, from Gedo here tonight.
07:15Who swears the most in United Empire?
07:17Probably me.
07:18Now that Ospreay's not here.
07:20Yeah, I've got to pick up the slack.
07:23In the meantime, speaking of slack,
07:24that t-shirt very taut around Takemichi Noku's throat
07:28as Doki is trying to persuade Sato to turn around
07:32earnest in his intentions.
07:34The junior heavyweight champion needs to be out on the apron here
07:38rather than barking at Kenta Sato.
07:41And Ishimori still has that t-shirt in his hand.
07:43Oh, I hadn't even noticed.
07:45An exposed buckle.
07:54Ishimori's pushing Doki's buttons here.
07:56Can't have no doubt about it.
08:05Doki's got quite a bit of a potty mouth as well, hasn't he?
08:08Yeah, well...
08:09I've shared the ring with him.
08:10Horrible.
08:11He's got that mask on.
08:12He thinks he can't hear him.
08:13He's an amazing wrestler.
08:15Right.
08:16Amazing.
08:17But you get close to him.
08:20I hope he doesn't kiss his mother with that mask.
08:31Another denying Takemichi Noku tag.
08:34And it's an extra shot if you're playing the good or swear character
08:37that you're playing.
08:38It's an extra shot if you're playing the good or swear count drinking game.
08:45You're about 10 deep right now, Taka.
08:47Big boot from the legend.
08:49And here we go, potentially, if Taka can see his corner.
08:52No, it's the other way.
08:54Wrong way.
08:55And Ishimori's calling Taka home, but it's the wrong home.
08:58Now he sees it.
08:59In comes the junior heavyweight champion.
09:01Here we go.
09:02Doki.
09:03Doki.
09:04Doki.
09:09Oh, beautiful takedown.
09:11In comes Ishimori.
09:14Ruk has a flash to break things up.
09:17Double team doesn't work.
09:18Two for the price of one.
09:19Good.
09:20Donen.
09:21A little bit of Milner-Skaris there for you.
09:24Over the top.
09:25Double back elbow.
09:31Cover.
09:32Two.
09:33Not quite.
09:35Says Kenta Sato.
09:39Now, how important do you think it is for Doki
09:42to have that championship win under his belt
09:44in terms of confidence for his career?
09:46Hard.
09:48If he gets that win, it's going to skyrocket his career.
09:51If Ishimori's the one to beat, his confidence is going to go up.
09:54Maybe a little bit of his ego,
09:56but if he can finally get past Ishimori,
10:01it's going to do wonders for Doki.
10:03First defence, always the hardest roll through.
10:05Here's something hard.
10:06Here's something hard.
10:07It's a Doki-Toki.
10:08It's a Doki-Toki.
10:13Doki's going to be in London, by the way,
10:15in Morial Quest, October the 20th.
10:19I hope everybody has prepared their Doki-Toki chants.
10:25In the meantime, Ishimori closes the distance.
10:28Double knees in the corner.
10:33Oh, no, man.
10:36Singular focus there.
10:38We thought, certainly I did,
10:40that Ishimori was going to make Doki run into the corner,
10:43but instead that shoulder snap.
10:48Hammerlock now.
10:51Nobody better at working over a singular body part
10:55than Taiji Ishimori.
10:57Is that his plan for today?
10:58Just to break down the shoulder of Doki?
11:01Might be making it easier for him.
11:03That singles match.
11:05Yep, no doubt.
11:06Let me stick up.
11:07Oh, inbound.
11:08No, breaks on.
11:12Swings Ishimori around.
11:13Is Doki now underneath?
11:18Blast to the face.
11:24And here we go, a DDT.
11:27And Doki, after that work on the shoulder,
11:30he needs to get out of this one.
11:32He'll make a tag to Chaka if he can.
11:37And he does.
11:38And in comes Ichinoku.
11:39Is he recovered enough?
11:40We'll see.
11:46Amazing move from Chaka and Ichinoku.
11:48One in the behind as well.
11:51Super kick.
11:52Here we go.
11:53That is not yet over,
11:55but this might be.
11:56Just face lock.
11:57He just face locked.
12:02Chaka is just amazing at controlling the tempo.
12:06Well, Ishimori might be one better.
12:08Bone lock, bone lock now.
12:10Doki has to break it up.
12:12There in the nick of time.
12:14But here comes Gedo right again to the eyes.
12:24There goes the champion.
12:25Challenger taking it to Chaka and Ichinoku.
12:30Overhead kick.
12:31Chaka.
12:34Knock for six.
12:39And here we go.
12:40Bloody cross.
12:41No.
12:44No.
12:45Can it be, Ichinoku?
12:46No.
12:48It's time over.
12:49We go.
12:50And there, bone lock.
12:52And this time,
12:53Doki can't make the save.
12:55Doki can't make the save.
12:56My God.
12:58That's a first.
13:01That is a first.
13:02Standing up like that.
13:04Jeez.
13:05Yeah, good point.
13:06I don't think I've ever seen that before.
13:08That angle on that bone lock.
13:10And if Taiji Ishimori can find the extra twist
13:14to what is already a devastating submission move
13:17on an already damaged Doki,
13:19we're going to have an IWGP
13:21new junior heavyweight champion come Wednesday.
13:30Here you see it.
13:31September 11th.
13:32Sendai.
13:33Sakuraza Hall.
13:35Doki carries the title.
13:37But Ishimori is on home turf.
13:40He is on high ground.
13:42And he has a very dangerous weapon in his back pocket.
13:52Back.
13:59Two days to go.
14:03For Doki to enjoy that junior heavyweight title,
14:07says Taiji Ishimori.
14:15I mean, from your perspective, Gal,
14:17is there any way to beat a guy like Ishimori?
14:19Just his conditioning alone for crying out loud.
14:21I was going to say, first, maybe out-gas him.
14:23But no one can.
14:33I always forget how old he is.
14:34He's been wrestling for years.
14:35So he's always got tricks up his sleeves.
14:39We'll see what happens Wednesday.
14:41That is just going to have to do his best.
14:43Please.