Hardaway avoids Kenchi’s chops early using his speed advantage, but Kenchi chops him out of the air on a leapfrog attempt. Yamamoto dominates early, but Hardaway gives him a brainbuster on the apron that soon puts an end to that dominance. Crowd chanting “holy shit” for that one, for the first time tonight.
Yamamoto starts to climb back into the ring as Hardaway lariats the back of his knee, forcing him to drop down onto the ring apron. Another sick move as he hits a running kick from the floor to Kenchi’s head as Kenchi is laying on the ring apron. Kenchi kicks his way back into the match and gets two off a capture suplex. Hardaway catches him with a dropkick. That sets up a standing moonsault and a superkick to the face that gets the matches first near fall.
Kenchi blocks the Williams Driver and hits a Spinebuster for two. Hardaway kicks his way out of a Sleeper but gets powerbombed into the turnbuckle. Hardaway rolls to the apron where Kenchi tries to Grand Crash him on the apron. Instead, Hardaway reverses to a SPINEBUSTER FROM THE APRON TO THE FLOOR! Another “Holy Shit” moment. I’ll admit to joining in on that one. Stunning to see Hardaway lift Yamamoto and slam him to the floor like that.
Kenchi groggily crawls back in to the ring but gets nailed with a springboard dropkick by Hardaway. Hardaway sets up for the Angelina’s Crossing, but Kenchi counters and gets K-Hard into a tree-of-woe where he nails a clothesline reminiscent of Stan Hansen. Kenchi tries to finish with a Giant Driver but it’s countered to a cradle by Hardaway for a near fall!
Yamamoto back up and nails the Giant Missile for a two count. Hardaway ducks a lariat and goes for his own Decapitation Lariat but Yamamoto stands firm and doesn’t go down! He screams in the face of Hardaway, who bounces off the ropes and tries again. Yamamoto nails a HUGE lariat that spins Hardaway inside out. Another near fall!
Hardaway back up, ducks a big boot and nails the KTFO~! But Yamamoto again stands firm! A second KTFO~! rocks him though and Hardaway moves quickly to take the big man down with the Williams Driver to pick up the victory and move into the final!
Another fantastic match that was highlighted by Kenchi Yamamoto’s power moves and Kevin Hardaway’s experience and tenaciousness. The execution from both these guys is amazing and the crowd were left in awe by the end. But after two tough wins here tonight how will Hardaway fare in the final against Leanne Evangelista?