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Ultimo brought his old manager from WCW, Sonny Onoo, to the ring with him, and they even snap the selfie at the entranceway like they used to. Nice nod to history, but Sonny is looking his age here. Juvi looks like he's been hitting the buffet pretty hard. Ultimo takes Juvi to the corner and breaks clean, they come back out to the center and Juvi cranks on Ultimo's arm, but Ultimo uses his speed to wrestle circles around Juvi and armdrag him across the ring. Ultimo's still got it! Juvi takes Ultimo to the mat and works his legs, but Ultimo headscissors him out to the floor. Juvi takes a long 9 count before coming back inside and leading the crowd in cheering for him. Juvi snaps off a nice flying headscissors, Ultimo gets a sunset flip, Guerrera rolls through and dropkicks Ultimo, sending him to the floor. Juvi slingshots over the ropes and connects with a crossbody, then they come inside and Juvi crucifixes Ultimo for 2 before going to the chinlock. Juvi puts Ultimo on top for a Frankensteiner, but Ultimo shoves him off and gets to his feet, and Juvi shakes the ropes and knocks Ultimo to the mat. Ultimo jams his knees and Juvi tries to capitalize with his own top rope move, but Ultimo is up and dropkicks Juvi on the way down. Sonny is high fiving fans at ringside as Ultimo gets back to his feet, sends Juvi to the corner, and backdrops him across the ring. Ultimo goes for the Asai moonsault, but Juvi yanks him off the apron. Sonny throws some kicks at Juvi, but Ultimo comes over and shoves Onoo out of the way. Juvi shoves Ultimo into Sonny and takes him out, then they go back inside where Ultimo and Juvi trade pinning combinations without either man able to get 3. Ultimo rolls Juvi into a nasty looking version of the grapevine anklelock, but Juvi isn't giving it up quite yet and struggles his way to the ropes. They're back on their feet trading strikes, Juvi escapes a suplex attempt and hits the Juvi Driver for 2. Juvi tries another Juvi Driver, but Ultimo nails him with a quick series of kick, hits the Ultimo DDT, and covers for 3.
Winner: Ultimo Dragon
Good match, and other than the extra weight on Juvi, you'd never know these guys didn't step out of 1998. Great stuff.
Semifinal Match: Adam Thornstowe vs Timothy Thatcher
Thatcher takes it right to the mat, tying up Thornstowe's arms and turning him to his back for 1. Thornstowe gets a headlock, but Thatcher with an escape and gains Thornstowe's back again. Thornstowe gets out and catches Thatcher with a hard boot, and a leaping stomp to the chest for 2. Thornstowe gets a three quarter nelson and smashes his knee into Thatcher's head, but Thatcher gets the arm and just snaps Thornstowe to the mat. Thatcher is on top of Thronstowe, cranks on his arms, and turns him over in the sickest stack you're ever going to see. Thornstowe is out at 2 and starts hammering Thatcher with forearms and kicks, but Thatcher goes back to the arm and winds up getting booted in the face for his trouble. A superkick puts Thatcher back down and Thornstowe makes a cover, but Thatcher got his hand on the bottom rope to break the fall at 2. Thornstowe goes to the top and comes off with a big double stomp to Thatcher's chest. He picks Thatcher up, but Thatcher is incensed, fires forearms into Thornstowe's elbow, and snaps him down by the arm. Thatcher tries to go back to the cross armbreaker, Thorostowe uses his size to roll that int oa cradle, but Thatcher is out at 2 and snaps Thornstowe over with a suplex for 2, then goes right back to the armbar. Thornstowe quickly scurries to the ropes for the break, so Thatcher puts Thornstowe on the top rope for the Tower of London, but Thornstowe gets out, hits a superkick, a death valley driver, and a top rope frogsplash for the win.
Winner: Adam Thornstowe
Well, there's another surprise finish! Okay, my new pick is Willie Mack! Yeah, Willie Mack! Great performance by Thatcher this weekend, he put in five separate and super physical matches this weekend and came out looking like the biggest star in the world. I think he came out of this weekend the real king of the indies regardless of who winds up winning this tournament.
Semifinal Match: Jeff Cobb vs Willie Mack
They go right to a Greco-Roman knucklelock and Cobb powers Willie to his back. Willie comes back and pushes Cobb into a bridge, leaps on top of Cobb, and Cobb holds his bridge. Willie keeps trying to bounce up on him, but Cobb keeps maintaining the bridge. Cobb gets out and goes to an armbar, Mack gets out and elevates Cobb into a sort of inverted abdominal stretch, but Cobb gets away and backs off to the ropes. Cobb goes behind, gets a waistlock, and dumps Mack to the mat. Cobb goes to a front facelock, but Mack powers his way up, lifts Cobb, and dumps him to the mat. Cobb goes behind on Mack and gets a modified STF, but Mack powers his way to his feet and goes for the ropes, Cobb slips out and rolls Mack up for 2, he dodges a dropkick and then DRILLS Mack with a dropkick of his own for 2. Cobb hauls Mack to his feet by the head, whips him from corner to corner, then pops Mack over with a release belly to belly suplex for 2. Cobb sends Mack to the ropes, but Mack comes off with a leaping kneestrike that turns the tide of the match. Cobb gets a couple of shots in, but Mack slings Cobb over the middle rope and flips him over into a snap Flatliner. Cobb rolls out to the ring apron but Mack brings him back in and hits a neckbreaker followed by a diving lariat for 2. Both me nare on their feet and exchanging blows in the middle of the ring. Cobb gets Mack up and dumps him with a fireman's carry, but misses a standing moonsault. Mack hits one of his own for 2, and they're back to trading forearms in the middle of the ring. Mack hits a leaping kneestrike, an enziguiri, Cobb escapes the sitout piledriver and hits a dropkick, but Mack catches Cobb on a leapfrog and tries the piledriver again, Cobb slips out of that and goes for the Tour of the Islands, but Mack small packages Cobb for the win.
Winner: Willie Mack
Now THAT was a hard fought win! Great match, and even though Cobb lost here, he probably accomplished more than anyone in the tournament in terms of making a name for himself. I expect to see him start getting bookings in your local major indy very soon.
Grappler 3 vs Earl Cooter
This is a special attraction match to give the finalists a quick break before the finals. Grappler 3 takes Cooter to the mat, but Cooter gets out and hits a flying headscissors that sends Grappler 3 to the floor. Cooter with a baseball slide through the ropes followed by a somersault dive over the top. We go back inside as Grappler 3 takes back over, pounding on him with hard shots and hitting a Russian legsweep for 2. Cooter begins to mount a comeback, but Grappler hits a spinebuster for 2. Cooter gets a twisting Unprettier out of nowhere and covers Grappler for the win.
Winner: Earl Cooter
Not much to this, but it was just to give the finalists a bit of a rest, and now Earl is on his way back to the nearest Waffle House as the announcers say.
The show concludes on Page 3!
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