Satsuma no Kuni sees Davis and Fletcher to V1
The semi main event of Satsuma no Kuni on April 29 saw the IWGP Tag team Championships defended, Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis, Aussie Open defending for the first time against TMDK’s Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls.
The powerhouses of each team would start as Mark Davis and Mikey Nicholls locked up. Davis would have the upper hand before both men tagged out to Fletcher and Haste; though the TMDK side tried to get the drop on the champions, Aussie Open would have the upper hand, striking in combination and isolating Haste for a short time. A short Frankensteiner from Haste would see a tag to Nicholls though, and a pair of DDTs saw Mad Mikey turn the tables and take over on Fletcher as the match passed five minutes.
The veteran tag team challengers kept the Aussie Arrow in place with double teams and well placed holds. The increasingly frustrated Davis tried to break up TMDK’s control to little avail, but after a series of reversals, a heavy suplex from Fletcher saw Dunkzilla finally tagged in. Clubbing lariats all round would see Dunkzilla bring the fight back in the pocket of the champions, and when Nicholls and Haste were bowled to the floor, a stunning tope suicida followed up for Fletcher.
Davis and Nicholls would continue the match as they began it, trading elbows and lariats before knocking one another down. Haste and Fletcher were no less aggressive meanwhile; stinging chops rang out in their strike exchanges before Fletcher caught Haste with a lightning fast half Nelson suplex, but Haste responded with a Falcon Arrow for a near two. Haste wanted Nicholls in for Tankbuster, but was defused by Davis; the champions had to work for their own double team, but got it in the form of a back to back collision.
The match had broken down with all four in the ring, and all four on the canvas after a barrage of heavy hits on all sides at the 15 minute mark. It was the champions to their feet first though, and Dental Plan scored on haste for two; Hysterical Haste needed something big, and summoned up a Dyanmic Bomb on Davis from nowehere as Nicholls re-entered the fray. Again TMDK wanted Tankbuster, and again they were denied as Fletcher made the cut. Davis capitalised with a brutal lariat on Nicholls, but Mikey and Shane were not done yet. As Nicholls seemed in position for Corealis, he went prone to buy time for his partner, and Haste would be there with a high cross and then a massive tope con giro to the floor.
Fletcher was left legal with the challengers rocketing overhand slaps, and then striking the Arrow with Aussie Open’s Corealis at the twenty minute mark, a move that would have gotten three were it not for Davis. Escalating the violence, TMDK would hit the Tankbuster on Fletcher first on the apron and then in ring, but again Dunkzilla would make a diving save that kept the match alive for the champions.
Thunder Valley looked to be TMDK’s coup de grace, but it would be countered with a double DDT by Fletcher; still Aussie Open couldn’t capitalise as Nicholls broke up Corealis. Eventually it would be a Grimstone from Fletcher to Haste and Close Your Eyes from Davis to Nicholls that finally set the table for Corealis and three.
Post match, there was a show of mutual respect for Aussie Open and TMDK; just as thoughts turned to who might be next, Bishamon came to ringside. before an appeal for a Sakura Genesis rematch could be made however, HOUSE OF TORTURE attacked both teams before being chased off. EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi seemed to make a claim for the tag gold, what will happen between them, Bishamon and the champs?
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