But first up, Tom Burton takes on Gene Lydic.
It's very impressive. It's a big venue.
I haven't been in a place this big in a long time.
I'm really happy to be here wrestling for these very many people in Japan.
And I know they're not going to be disappointed tonight because I'm going out there to crush and kill my opponent.
Today's second match...
It's going to be a 15-minute one-on-one match.
The winner is...
Gene Lydic!
The winner is...
Thomas Burton!
Here we go, up-and-coming Gene Lydic and Tom Burton.
What do you expect for this fight, Jeff?
Well, the first surprise is Burton has changed a tire received from his customary.
Royal Blue Singlet has gone for the much more fancied Black Tights.
I don't know if he thinks that might change his fortune, but we know that Gene Lydic is certainly up-and-coming and is very focused.
He said in his earlier pre-fight interview he loved the venue, but he was going to crush and kill his opponent.
Well, possibly that's a little bit extra protection against low kicks which Gene Lydic has picked up over at State with the UWF International.
And already that first lead leg kick. Look at those two kicks. Those are sharp.
Yes, he's really improving.
Burton fighting out of the red corner. Lydic out of the blue corner.
Hey, Lydic has really improved. Look at those knee strikes.
Sleeper hold. Burton in trouble already in the middle of the ring with the body scissors. I don't know if he'll make it to the ropes.
This would be disaster for Burton.
Oh, that was close and he almost had him. Burton loses the first point and out quick.
Burton knows he's in a fight now. The crowd coming alive.
Achilles tendon hold by Burton, but Gene Lydic is escaping the ropes. He's trying to counter it with a heel hold and Burton escapes once again.
Well, this certainly seems to be living up to its pre-fight billing. Lydic really seems to be warming and getting into this type of atmosphere.
Look at those knees. Beautiful. Burton's off balance. Single arm drag, but Gene Lydic isn't going to put up with that.
Setting up his cross lock on the arm.
Burton in big trouble.
Well, he's pretty much out of the picture for the junior league division tournaments, I think, at this point.
Losing another point, but I think Gene Lydic is going to make it pretty good in the finals, don't you think?
Yes, he could well be the surprise package.
He hasn't lost a match yet in the junior league division tournaments, but Burton trying to set up that belly-to-back suplex.
Going for the sleeper hold, but you notice how quickly Gene Lydic reverses it on him and he's trying to set up that double wrist lock.
Boy, is that training with the UWF International paying off tonight.
Well, they've both been exposed to the training. It's just the quickness and speed of Lydic's kicking and overall technique.
Well, he's been studying in the UWFI gym for a long time now. He's been living in Japan for five months and he's really picked up so much technique and he really knows how to set him up.
His combinations are working for him. He has the aggression, he has the heart and guts to do it.
Throwing the knees. Here we go. Is he going to take him up? Yeah, he's taking him over right on the back of the neck and I don't know if Burton's going to get up from that one.
15-10. Look at Lydic. Is he pumped up or what?
Perfect score. Lydic hasn't lost any points yet in the bout. Burton in trouble. I don't know if he knows where he is right now, but he's going to have to do something quickly.
Now, he's a desperate man fighting with pride. That's all he's got left. Hip toss, cross lock on the arm. That's it. A perfect victory for Gene Lydic as he moves up to the finals.
And as we see a dejected Tom Burton, we see an elated Gene Lydic. He said it was going to be fast and furious. The winner, Gene Lydic.
What an impressive win. He didn't even lose one point in that bout. He was in total control. And look at this right here. I thought it was going to end right here with a sleeper hold.
He had a good body scissors in the middle of the ring. I thought the match was over right then. Tom Burton manages to get to the ropes, but not for very long. It didn't last very long after that.
And as we see here, Lydic was already beginning to show what he wanted to do. Had Burton in all sorts of trouble. No shoot signs. Nothing of that requirement.
I think Gene Lydic is ready for the big time. He's really shown a lot of improvement. Look at this. He's going for the cross lock once again. And this was the beauty.
Yes, you see here. Boom. That is that. And right here when Gene Lydic going for the cross lock, I think the bell was more of a formality than anything else. We really didn't need it.
Inevitable. Well, I don't know where Burton goes from here, but we certainly know where Gene Lydic is going. Straight for the top.