ATTACK OF THE CASTLE: Day 5

The tag team action got us kicked off where Billy Danielson and Jacob Hammerstein opened up with a grappling session that nearly saw Hammer end things early with a rear naked choke if not for Billy making it to the ropes. But the G.O.A.T. shook off the rough start and battled back with a pair of elbows and a spinebuster before tagging in Gage. We saw David Gage use his right knee to batter the ribcage of Hammerstein. Eventually, however, a meaty palm strike from Hammer would break it up and he’d tag in Rafa Whatley.

The ex-football player Rafa rushed in with a tackle against Gage and then against Danielson and the fans gave their approval of the ring clear-out with applause. A regrouping Danielson and Gage were even more surprised when Rafa jumped through the ropes with a tackle against both men to the outside! Later in the match it was Gage and Rafa duking it out with elbow shots, but when Rafa tagged in Gage, the latter turned and Danielson was still in pain outside of the ring. Hammerstein and Rafa nailed Gage with a 2x~POUNCE! And Hammer scored the pin for the 1-2-3.

After the match, we caught up with Danielson who held an icepack to the small of his back and said he was going to leave for the evening despite the fact that he was hoping to root for the Lion’s Road stars, including his opponent on 10/13, King of Lions Champion David Troy, later in the show.

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The Demon Brigade and Lion’s Road would have a special showdown. ZENKI and Irvine would get the action kicked off, the latter knocking down Zenki with a punch to the fans surprise and then tagging in AJ Knight with a hard slap that caused the two teammates to look at each other steely eyed. AJ would shoot in on Zenki but get caught in a frontface lock as Zenki backed into his own corner and GRIM got into the ring. The wily and weird GRIM would crawl upon the mat, stalking AJ like a Komodo Dragon attempting to grab at his feet! Eventually, he’d get one and take AJ to the ground. But in the mount, AJ would fight back with a triangle hold that would eventually bring ZENKI in to break it up.

AJ’s offense continued even when GRIM escaped to tag in Tokyo Zombie, as he caught the latter with a superkick and then a DVD for a 1-2-Zombie-breaks-it-up! AJ jumped and had some words for Zombie… and then as he appeared to cock an elbow, he spun around and cold-cocked Alexander Irvine and the man went flying off the apron and into the guardrail! He then tagged a shocked Justin Seville and could be seen saying, “Now we’re even.”

With Seville taking on nearly the entire Demon Brigade on his own, it wasn’t long before GRIM hit the poison mist while the ref wasn’t looking which allowed Tokyo Zombie to hit his patented shining axe kick~the Rising Zombie Moon for the victory.

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Masanori Kawada versus Daichi Kusumoto just may emerge as the fan-favorite match of the night. Kawada brought an array of judo-style hip and shoulder throws that had Kusumoto spinning in the early going, but it was the brawling Golem Tiger who battled back with a roaring elbow to even things out. Kawada would not be flattened so easily, as he swept out Kusumoto’s legs and applied a Figure 4 Leg Lock. Despite Kusumoto getting to the ropes, Kawada would get up and begin attacking the legs so as to blunt the man’s momentum.

But Kusumoto would valiantly battle back, ducking a lariat to hit a German suplex for 1-2-2.5 count as Kawada got the shoulder up. He would apply an Anaconda Vise but someone Kawada found the ropes. Despite a limp, Kusumoto hoisted Kawada up, but the Everlasting Hero spun out of it and hit his modified full nelson/Olympic slam~ the Hard Justice! He’d get a 1-2-2.9 as someone Kusumoto got the shoulder up!

The match would proceed to trading elbow strikes, a game that no one shoulder ever play with Daichi Kusumoto. Eventually he’d push Kawada into the ropes, but Kawada would duck under the elbow with a kitchen sink knee and hit a European uppercut that knocked Kusumoto to the mat. Kawada would then ascend and go for a high-impact frog splash! It would connect… but it would connect mainly with Kusumoto’s raised knees! With Kawada’s ribs injured on the tour, this was enough to keep the Everlasting Hero stunned long enough for Kusumoto to lift him up in a vertical suplex and transition to a kneeling powerbomb ~ the Golem Thunder Bomb! Kusumoto would hold for a 1-2-3 and the match would end. Afterward, the two shook hands and promised to fight again soon.

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Before our next match, well, there was a bit of a ruckus in the crowd. Apparently, one of the Mountain BROS, the jock-like fans who wear sunglasses and Y-neck tanktops and support Shinjiro Nakama, took out a Matt Pulver t-shirt and well… began finding a place for all the SHIMADA! Juice he drank throughout the evening. Parents complained, security arrived, and the man ran pants-less from them and even jumped the aisle and ran toward the back.

But it was Frank… Dylan… James.

We may never know why he was standing near the entranceway, but the 6’8” FDJ emerged and grabbed the young fan by the throat and held him high in the air as the cameras flashed before dropping him into the arms of security. The fans cheered for this goodwill and suddenly it was Mike Musket and “Outlaw” Jun Vegas who arrived. The ACES WILD! duo shook FDJ’s hand and Jun Vegas took the mic to say that country boys don’t let evil-doers get away with anything and that the pair will not let Demon Brigade walk away with the World Tag Team titles on 10/14. Mike Musket did his famous “AROOOOOOOO!” howl before offering FDJ some beef jerky as they head to the back.

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As the MAX vs. LION’S ROAD series carried on, this match seemed to carry more weight than most. Since the finals of the PYRAMID Grappling League on 7/14, Shinjiro Nakama has carried a grudge that, despite winning the final match via split decision, he lost the League since Pulver had accumulated more points. Tonight was his shot for revenge.

“Giant Killer” Matt Pulver had “Mountain” Shinjiro flummoxed in the early going. The latter aggression was perfectly countered by Pulver’s expert patience and speed, with the speedy former MAX Jr. Heavyweight champ scoring a single-leg takedown, transitioning to a full mount, and slapping on a kimura! But Nakama sunk a closed fist into Pulver’s cheek that broke the hold and put a bruise on the man’s face for the rest of the match, much to the dismay of the ref who issued the Mountain a formal warning.

Nakama would take over, picking up Pulver and driving him shoulder-first through the turnbuckle into the ringpost and then double axe-handle smashing the smaller man’s back. He’d keep Pulver with his back in the corner and drive knee strikes into the abdomen and then ponderous, heavy roundhouse kicks into the chest, the smack from Nakam’s shin-guards heard through the entire arena.

Eventually, however, Pulver would snatch one of those legs and takedown Nakama again, but this time locking on a kneebar! Smartly out of the reach of Nakama’s meaty paws, all seemed lost for Shinjiro until he closed his eyes, stretched out his free leg and just somehow managed to get a foothold on the ropes.

With Nakama grounded, Pulver would launch his own series of roundhouse kicks and one of them would catch Nakama in the head, making him quite woozy. Pulver would run against the ropes and hit a Shining Wizard! He’d drop into the pin for a 1-2-2.9 but Nakama kicked out just in time, his representative Arnold Cunningham breathing heavily into his trademark tennis racket.

Pulver was again determined to not allow Nakama to get to his feet, but the Mountain withstood more of the punishment and when he made it up he grabbed Pulver by his singlet, knee-striked him in the chest, and tossed him with a Sambo suplex! He’d hook the leg for a pin and get a 1-2-foot on the ropes, as this time it was Pulver using the ropes to his advantage!

Nakama, a man who prefers a standing fight, kept his grip on the back of Pulver’s singlet and planned on a German suplex, but Pulver broke his grip and nailed an enzuigiri! Pulver would quickly get up and land another enzuigiri! Enzuigiri! Enzuigiri! Nakama would wobble around like an intoxicated dreidel as Pulver rebounded against the ropes and went for a roaring elbow ~ THE HAMMER OF THOR ~ but Nakama caught him in midair with a rushing knee-strike! With the air knocked out of Pulver, Shinjiro would pick him up and hit his patented high-angle German suplex hold for the 1-2-3!

With his revenge satisfied, “Mountain” Shinjiro stood with arms crossed in the center of the ring and stared down the Demon Brigade’s all-clad zealots section as Arnold Cunningham took the microphone and told them that Shinjiro would smash the temples of the Demon Brigade and make sure that he would become the MAX Heavyweight Champion.

It wasn’t long into this diatribe before “VAJURA ON!” hit and the Demon Lord ZENKI appeared with the championship around his waist. He stood ringside in front of the Demon Brigade zealots section and criticized Shinjiro for aligning himself with “pudgy Americajin filth” like Arnold Cunningham. He promised that he would ensure that Nakama never allow the flabby, cookie-dusted fingers of Cunningham would never come near the MAX Heavyweight title and that he would defeat him soundly on 10/14.

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The match of Mike Musket and David Troy started off with a bit of bad blood when everyones favorite redneck went to shake Troy’s hand only to have it slapped out of the way as he moved back towards his corner. As the bell sounded the two men moved back in on one another and Troy instantly moved into and all-out assault of the senior wrestler. A hard leg shot caused many fans in the front row to grimace with Musket as he buckled down to a knee, allowing the Lion’s Road Champion to apply a kneeling surfboard stretch.

But the fans where behind the Ol’ Man of the Mountain as they started to cheer him on, fueling Musket to almost break the hold until Troy released him only to stand up and deliver a swift kick to his lower back. The pain continued to be mounted against Musket as Troy delivered stomps to both his back and chest as he would roll away until getting to the ropes. As Musket would slowly pull himself back to his feet Troy would dart across into the ropes for a lariat, but Musket dropped to a knee as he delivered a stiff elbow to the younger man’s abdomen.

As the fans rallied with him once again Musket seemed to come back alive and return some of the brutality he had suffered. At one point he would shove Troy chest first into the turnbuckle then grabbing Troy by the back of the head and bouncing his face off the top turnbuckle rapidly as the fans counted along. Musket stopped however before the ref would intervene and whipped Troy back by his head into the mat.

Looking back and forth Musket would let out a mighty “ARROOOOO” to the fans and dragged Troy back to the center of the ring and applied his Wolf Trap Sharpshooter, waking Troy to a lot of pain. The fans started chanting “Tap-pu, Tap-tu” but the young Troy had little to know quit in him, eventually being freed only when attempting to drag himself to the ropes would Musket’s previously injured leg cause him to topple over in pain.

Both men would lay out for a little bit with Troy eventually getting to his feet first, lifting his opponent to his feet by his hair returning the favor from earlier and whipping Musket into the turnbuckle and delivering slow punches to his forehead. It was at this point Billy Danielson would run to the ring and stand under Troy, screaming words of encouragement as if he was his number one fan. Troy answered in kind by screaming for him to leave as Danielson would play confused, leading to Troy dismounting and leading over the ropes and pointing at Danielson then the ramp. As Danielson backpedaled Troy turned back to Musket, only to have him launch out of the turnbuckle, stumbling with a bad leg but still with enough force to hit him with a lariat that could wake a sleeping buffalo, plowing Troy into the mat and the eventual three count. Danielson began to clap as a bewildered Troy began to stir afterwards, a wicked smile spreading upon Danielson’s face.

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The fans were hard to calm down as our championship match of the evening began, the rising star known as Lynx had begun to establish a following and justly so. Lynx would began the match establishing the ring as his with brute force. Kicks to establish distance and elbows to knock the challenger down during their violent exchange. Eventually however, his aerial attacks would disorient Tillman, a violent dropkick sending him back into the mat for what could only have seemed like an eternity to him. But once Lynx go comfortable he would move over to Tillman and grab him by the head to lift him from the mat which was rooted in error.

Tillman’s technical work came into play at this point as he moved in for a double leg takedown rolling into a sidemount. Trapping Lynx’s left arm under Tillman’s own left knee, Tillman would work the head with elbows, transitioning to the ribs as Lynx would defend himself. Attempting a Keylock would cause Lynx to transition to his side to reduce the pressure resulting in Tillman almost jumping over him and locking on a sleeperhold and wrapping his legs around the champion. Let us roll to the tape to show you what unfolded next.




After the match Lynx is given his belt and the two men walk towards each other, both gasping for air. But the two men shake hands to the roar of the crowd with till man holding up the champions arm in victory.

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After the show, GM Masaaki Sano addressed the Fukuoka crowd and said that he had finalized the cards for the 10/13 and 10/14 shows and that they would be released online hours after the show would end. He advised fans to watch their smartphones for updates and hoped they would join them for the dual shows at the 5,000 seater Yamato Athletic Plaza.

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ATTACK OF THE CASTLE! Day 5
Date: 10/2/2018
Location: Keizai Recreational Park, Fukuoka, Japan
Attendance: 2,900 fans (97% capacity)

1. Jacob Hammerstein and Rafa Whatley defeat Billy Danielson and David Gage (10:08) via pinfall when Hammerstein pins Gage after Rafa and he use a 2x~Pounce on Gage.
2. DEMON BRIGADE vs. LION’S ROAD:ZENKI, GRIM, and Tokyo Zombie defeat Alexander Irvine, Justin Seville, and AJ Knight (16:19) via pinfall after Zombie uses the Rising Zombie Moon on Seville.
3. Daichi Kusumoto defeats Masanori Kawada (15:57) via pinfall after the Golem Thunder Bomb.
4. MAX vs. LION’S ROAD ~ SUPER REVENGE II: Shinjiro Nakama defeat Matt Pulver (13:41) via pinfall with a high-angle German suplex hold.
5. MAX vs. LION’S ROAD: Mike Musket defeats David Troy (18:18) via pinfall after a lariat.
6. MAX Junior Heavyweight Championship: Lynx (c) defeats Jack Tillman (19:27) via pinfall after a sunset flip (1st defense).