Speedball takes ASJF tourney win, calls out the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
Speedball Mike Bailey was victorious in August 19’s All Star Junior Festival tournament, and called out Hiromu Takahashi as the show closed, looking for a shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title.
The first round of the tournament kicked off with Kevin Knight facing Clark Connors. It was a ferocious start as the former LA Dojo friends launched right hands before a sliding lariat and standing splash got two for Knight. The Jeep Flip saw Knight cannoned into the ropes though, and Connors took control, following with an emphatic German suplex, and hard throws out on the floor.
Knight was flung pillar to post by Connors, but an insulting slap saw the Jet fire up. A rocket boot dropkick found its mark, and Knight got a Sky High for two, but a Spike DDT was denied, and a high cross was caught into a powerslam. Connors wanted No Chaser and then a Spear, both denied by the Jet; though Connors got a spear out of midair on Knight, he couldn’t get the No Chaser, and a series of cradles saw Knight victorious. Post match though, a No Chaser onto the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag title belt raised questions over whether Knight could advance.
The second semifinal saw Francesco Akira take on Mike Bailey. There was a high speed exchange of offence in the early going, one which saw Akira on top after a tijeras; Akira landed a plancha to Bailey, but a second was met with a kick from Speedball who pursued the advantage with a brutal double knee. Rapid fire kicks would score for the BOSJ semifinalist, who maintained the advantage, but a cassadora into a double stomp scored for the Italian.
Akira landed a tope con giro, but Bailey responded with an Isoceles Quebrada. Akira blocked a tornado kick follow up to land a German suplex, and stayed a step ahead of Bailey who missed his moonsault double knees. A stunning DDT from Akira had the Speedball reeling, but a Fireball attempt missed; as the high pace offense continued to flow, Bailey finally got the tornado kick and the Flamingo Driver to advance.
That led to Mike Bailey facing Kevin Knight in the final. Knight had taped ribs heading into the bout and took a risk by going big on the floor. A crossbody off the apron scored, but the midsection was clearly affecting the Jet as he collapsed to quick kicks and a baseball slide through the ropes by Bailey. Speedball stayed in charge through an agonising first part of the match, every bit of his body tortured until a desperation high cross threw Bailey off.
All of Knight’s offense was fleeting at best, a big dropkick scoring, but the Jet unable to take flight off the top. Bailey wanted a Flamingo Driver as a result, but a counter finally saw Knight start to put things together. A dropkick sent Bailey crashing to the outside concrete, but Speedball was able to come back in, burying moonsault double knees and finding a cross armbreaker. Knight did all he could to fight free of Bailey though, and faced with another Flamingo Driver, brought himself and his opponent crashing over the top rope at the 15 minute mark.
Bailey responded with a huge Asai moonsault to the floor, but Knight had no quit in him, nipping to the top rope for a massive superplex as the adrenaline flowed. Code Red got a near two for Knight, who scored with a Sky High, and refused to put himself in position for Ultima Weapon. Primed, Knight wanted his Spike DDT but was countered into an armbar; the Jet escaped, but not another attempt at Ultima Weapon, and then Flamingo Driver third time lucky for the victory.
Post match, Bailey told Knight that he was ‘well on your way to being one of the best wrestlers in the world,’ as chants descended on the Jet in the 2300 Arena. Bailey continued that ‘there was a time in professional wrestling when being a junior heavyweight meant you were less than, but we have proved that we are some of the best wrestlers in the world’.
Bailey turned his attention to Multiverse United 2 Sunday, and his tag team match opposite Lio Rush and Trey Miguel. Bailey called out his partner Hiromu, expressing his excitement to team with Hiromu, but also to challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Hiromu responded ‘of course,’ as we await a date and venue.
0 Comments