Post by UNION of SPORTS! on Jul 12, 2018 10:05:30 GMT -5
MJPW presents...
PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE
7/12/2018
Fugu Hall, Shimonoseki, Japan
Day 2 of the PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE began with the “Swedish Wrestling Machine” Matt Pulver facing off against “Mountain” Shinjiro Nakama. The superheavyweight would show improved form and more finesse in the ring, but Pulver would nearly tap him out on several occasions to draw gasps from the crowd. The match would make it to the judges who were also impressed by Pulver and gave him a unanimous victory.
With Nakama going 0-3 thus far in the tournament, his prospects seemed grim as Mike Musket – the current leader in points – stepped into the ring. Nakama through caution at the wind and nearly got caught in a standing guillotine choke but managed to score a takedown! The first round wound end on that note, saving Musket.
The second round began with some offense from Musket, but Nakama held him back with roundhouse kicks to the thighs. Nakama would score another takedown and transition into a full mount and instead of attempting a submission he rained down open-hand palm strikes! Musket, however, would eventually catch one of these arms and attempt to get out from under the Mountain. He struggled to get out from under the Japanese superheavyweight, who eventually tansitioned into an arm triangle choke to earn the tapout victory!
As Nakama raised his arms in celebration, Musket lay in a crumpled mess as he buried his face in the canvas. Medical staff rushed into the ring as he clutched his shoulder. The arena went silent as the medics conducted tests on the shoulder to detect damage, though Musket repeatedly shoving them away did not help matters.
Medics took Musket backstage and conducted an X-ray on his shoulder, but the results came up negative and after nearly another half-hour of testing he was allowed to return and face Matt Pulver, already standing in the ring. Musket clearly favored his shoulder and was unable to shoot on or generate any offense against Pulver. The former junior heavyweight champ used this opportunity to score a single-leg takedown, but instead of going after the shoulder, locked in a heel hook and Musket tapped out!
During post-match interviews, all eyes were on the health of Mike Musket. Tokyo AMAZING! Sports News’ Fusanosuke Sagara, a beat reporter who follows Musket, reported that the Mountain Man had likely suffered a sprained AC joint and his status for the final day was questionable.
Let’s turn now to the rankings:
Rankings
Matt Pulver [7]
Mike Musket [3]
Shinjiro Nakama [0]
Pulver’s two submission victories put him in the top spot. Although Musket lost both of his matches, he still holds the middle. Finally, despite picking up a tapout victory, Shinjiro Nakama is still in the last place spot. However, assuming that Mike Musket is healthy enough to compete tomorrow night, no fighter has yet been eliminated from the tournament.
- RECAP -
PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE: Day 2
Date: 7/12/2018
Location: Fugu Hall, Shimonoseki, Japan
Attendance: 2,150 (86% capacity)
1. Sport Form Rules: Matt Pulver [4] defeats Shinjiro Nakama [-3] (R2 8:00) via judges’ decision (unanimous).
2. Sport Form Rules: Shinjiro Nakama [0] defeats Mike Musket [4] (R2 2:59) via submission (rear naked choke).
3. Sport Form Rules: Matt Pulver [7] defeats Mike Musket [3] (R2 2:03) via submission (heel hook)
- PREVIEW -
PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE: Day 3
Date: 7/13/2018
Location: Fugu Hall, Shimonoseki, Japan
1. Sport Form Rules: Shinjiro Nakama vs. Matt Pulver
2. Sport Form Rules: Mike Musket vs. Matt Pulver
3. Sport Form Rules: Shinjiro Nakama vs. Mike Musket
PYRAMID GRAPPLING LEAGUE: Day 4
Date: 7/14/2018
Location: Fugu Hall, Shimonoseki, Japan
1. Final – Sport Form Rules: #1 points winner vs. #2 points winner