1/9/2023 - OPEN ROAD '23

As we come back from break, Mostaza is being held in an arm wringer by AJ Knight.  Mostaza begins to try and break loose, but AJ hurriedly reaches out for a tag.  Ojima doesn't budge, but Troy wastes little time in helping out.  He leaps into the ring and AJ wrenches around, kicks Mostaza in the back of the leg and drops him to a knee with the hold applied.  Referee Thomas begins his ten count as Troy batters Mostaza's arm with knees as it's being held by AJ.   AJ directs traffic and Troy nods, turns around and bounds off the ropes...

DROPKICK!

AJ exits as Troy begins kicking the arm, trying to wound the big wild animal.  Mostaza shoves Troy away to create some distance and explodes to his feet, catching the Fox Among the Lions unexpectedly with a lariat! The big man howls as his arm clearly feels every bit of it, Troy rolls onto his stomach and tries to find his bearings but he's in the enemy territory! He turns around and gets scooped up onto Mostaza's shoulder! Mostaza yells out in broken Spanish as he points to a corner and charges, Troy slips out and lands on his ass! He does his best Inoki impression and begins attacking the legs as Mostaza tries to reach down and grab him, but as his legs are being struck - he decides to try and stomp him! Troy rolls out of the way and out of the ring.  AJ Knight comes in, of course, and chop blocks the big man from behind! Mostaza topples over! AJ yells at Troy on the floor, who gets up and helps pull Mostaza... but Troy backs up, questioning AJ as AJ finishes the job himself - he pulls Mostaza to the corner post...

FIGURE FOUR ON THE RING POST!

Thomas is counting and yelling, telling him to let it go.  RTK runs over and tries to pull AJ off, but he relents after the count of three.  RTK questions his honour, but AJ reminds him that they're shorthanded "because of YOU!" and then gets distracted by Ojima yelling at him and Troy, for one of them to get back inside and keep fighting.  RTK tends to Mostaza, trying to help him but the big man pushes RTK with such force that he takes out the announce area!

AJ Knight gets back inside and eggs on the tandem of Dorado and MEZA, and it's Dorado that steps in.  The two men circle around before locking up, AJ bulls Dorado back into the corner but they trade places along the ropes until they get to Dorado's corner.  MEZA steps away as AJ breaks cleanly, Dorado seems a bit surprised by this but senses that mind games are definitely at play here.  Dorado steps out and the two lock-up again, a side headlock applied by Dorado is quickly broken up as AJ sends him into the ropes.  On the return, AJ tries a hip toss but it's Dorado that blocks it and arm drags Knight to the mat and transitions into a pinning hold.

1...

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2-NO!

AJ gets up and immediately gets his legs swept, Dorado grabs a jacknife hold ala RTK earlier in the bout.

1...

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2-NO!

AJ gets up and is immediately small packaged!

1...

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2-NO!

Troy tells Ojima to grab Dorado as he's backing up close to them but the champion is lazy, so Troy begrudgingly does it.  Dorado turns and the surprise look on his face is enough to disappoint the veteran fighter, but it's the opening AJ needed as he cradles Dorado with a school boy!

1...

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2-NO!

AJ tags Troy and transitions into a grounded front chancery. 

With Dorado exposed, Troy uses the ten second double team to circle around Dorado - peppering him with stomps that look more annoying than painful, before he bounces off the ropes and delivers a double stomp to Dorado's back! AJ rolls out and Dorado arches in pain, crawling to the corner.  Troy chases him down and begins blasting off kicks, but the Thunder Bay crowd and their "DOR-A-DO!" chants seems to fire him up as he begins absorbing the kicks and tightens his body up.  He catches a kick, trips Troy to the mat and applies... Muslos Asados! The Trailer Hitch-style figure four! Dorado rears his free leg back, readying to push on Troy's leg to really crank the hold but AJ comes in and busts up the submission!

Dorado rolls out to the floor and MEZA wastes no time getting involved, spinning AJ around and cracking him with a spinning backfist! AJ goes down and out of the ring and MEZA grabs Troy, hauls him to his feet and then lifts him up for the pendulum bomb...

SUNSET FLIP!

Troy lands on the mat and tries to bring MEZA over to complete the pin, but MEZA retains his balance...

DOUBLE ST--NO ONE HOME!

Troy grabs MEZA and tries to execute the inverted facebreaker stomp, Sole Food, but MEZA dodges the stomp and clamps on a kneebar!

AJ is on the floor! Ojima isn't moving!

TROY ROLLS!

RIGHT TO THE ROPES!

AJ grabs Troy and yanks him out, making Ojima the legal man.  Ojima turns to them as he stands on the apron, yelling at them.  Troy shakes his head as AJ and Ojima are trading insults, but it gets interrupted by Ojima being struck by MEZA's corner tiger feint kick! The kick catches him in the midsection, doubling him over.  AJ runs up and shoves Ojima inside the ring! Troy questions AJ's motives as MEZA hesitantly sets up in the corner, looking for La Ayakita...

AJ GRABS HIM BY THE FOOT AND PULLS HIM OUT!

AJ backs up as MEZA gets up and immediately lunges at him, taking Troy down in the crossfire! There's fists being thrown everywhere as Dorado realizes he's once again the legal man.  Ojima is clutching his midsection as he attempts to get back up using the ropes, Dorado dropkicks him in the lower back! Ojima stiffens up and falls backwards, Dorado grabs his legs, crosses them over and begins the process of applying the Pretzel Lock - or as he calls it, the Chicken Nugget Lock! Ojima tries to fight it off, but Dorado grabs his arm and throws his leg around the back of Ojima's head...

THEN CRANKS THE ARM!

OJIMA TAPS IMMEDIATELY!

Dorado releases the hold as the bell sounds, Troy shoves the two men off and gets up in a frustrated frenzy.  He starts berating AJ, telling him he cost them a hundred grand! AJ questions how it's his fault and shoves Troy.  MEZA starts to get back in the mix, but Lynx runs down and keeps him separated.  El Cerdo Mostaza comes rushing back down the aisle with a limp and all four decide it's probably best to run for cover.  Red Tiger King is finally up on the opposite side, but sees Mostaza and ducks down near the apron...

A HAND!?

Indeed, a hand grabs RTK's leg and the masked tiger quickly kicks at it with his free leg and gets the hell out of there.

Mostaza lurks around the ringside area as Pollo Dorado II gets his hand raised, winning the hundred grand for his team but also becoming the first fighter to defeat Reo Ojima since his arrival in Pollo Road.  He grabs the belt, takes a long look at the World's Cruiserweight title and then puts it safely down on Ojima's chest.  Mostaza slides into the ring, but Dorado dips out on his own accord as stage hands grab Ojima.