During Super Junior Tag League, the then Suzuki-gun duo of DOUKI & Yoshinobu Kanemaru were one of the teams who were able to defeat reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Catch 2/2. After the match, DOUKI would declare that alongside Kanemaru, Catch 2/2 just tasted true tag team wrestling, which is more than just fast paced tag team offense. Catch 2/2 were able to hold onto the belts at Wrestle Kingdom 17 – but tonight they need to face DOUKI & Kanemaru again with the gold on the line.
Undercard Action In Sapporo Features Jay White, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi
This match was far from the first on the show – with a jam packed undercard as part of this show as well. The results from the undercard are as follows.
Great O-Khan defeated Oskar Leube
Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Ren Narita & Ryohei Oiwa defeats EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
Zack Sabre Jr., Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita defeats Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii & Yuto Nakashima
Tama Tonga, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hikule’o & Master Wato defeats Jay White, KENTA, El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori
Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, SANADA & BUSHI defeats Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, Ryusuke Taguchi & YOH
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships On The Line
TJP & Kanemaru would start this match, the veterans of each team, with TJP taking Kanemaru to the mat in a wrist lock. Kanemaru would fight free before being taken down with a headscissor takedown. Spinning moonsault press from TJP would land, before Akira was tagged into the match.
DOUKI would help Kanemaru against a two on one attack from Catch 2/2, with both champions sent to the floor – and DOUKI thrown at them. Kanemaru would jam the knee of TJP into the floor, as Akira was thrown into the barricade by DOUKI. Back in the ring, TJP would have DOUKI stomping on the knee before wrapping it up in the ropes for a dropkick.
With the limb now targeted, Kanemaru would focus in on it with a dropkick of his own before an elevated single leg crab. A kneebreaker would follow, before some kicks from DOUKI followed, before TJP sent him to the floor. Akira would catch DOUKI on the floor with a moonsault before working with TJP to cut DOUKI down in the ring with some quick kicks.
A simple body slam would follow, setting up the Picture Time senton from Catch 2/2 – getting two before Kanemaru broke the pinfall up. DOUKI would end up in the Muta Lock, with Kanemaru quickly breaking this up as well. Akira would catch DOUKI in the ropes with the Tarantula, the damage beginning to add up.
TJP would level DOUKI with a European Uppercut, before taking another dropkick to the hurt knee. Kanemaru would get the tag, and dropped Catch 2/2 with a split legged dropkick. Reverse Headscissor Takedown out of the corner would be followed by a series of kneebreakers in the middle of the ring – but TJP blocked the Figure Four Leg Lock.
Francesco Akira Takes Matters Into His Own Hands For Catch 2/2
Moonsault would be set up by the British Fall, with Kanemaru landing on his feet as TJP rolled away. Kanemaru would get cornered for the face wash kick – with TJP unable to run across the ring, taking another dropkick to the knee. TJP would push off the ropes with his good leg for a Swing DDT, before missing the Mamba Splash. Figure Four Leg Lock would be applied – with TJP fighting to reach the bottom rope. DOUKI would receive the tag, as Akira would hit the ring for the Alley-Oop from Catch 2/2 for a near fall.
Leaning Tower would see the knee of TJP collapse under the weight of DOUKI – with the second attempt blocked by Kanemaru. FirePlex into a Jacknife Pinfall would be the next move on the list of Catch 2/2, but DOUKI was able to kick out. TJP would collapse out of the double kick, and Akira would tag himself in. DOUKI CHOKEY would be applied to Akira after Speed Fire was countered, and TJP was held at bay using the Figure Four Leg Lock.
Akira was fading fast, but would roll into a Double Kneebreaker instead. Moonsault would land, and DOUKI would hit a Gory Cutter. Daybreak DDT would follow, and Akira kicked out. Suplex De La Luna would see Akira land on his feet, and hit a DDT before Catch 2/2 stole the British Fall/Double Stomp finisher – with Kanemaru breaking the pinfall up. TJP took out Kanemaru, and Akira hit Speed Fire into Fireball Knee Strike for the win!
Who can take down Catch 2/2? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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