I've been thinking about Despy and Hiromu's third singles match and what's sticking with me the most is how INTENTIONAL that finish was on Despy's part, and how well it played out the story they'd built.

Before BOSJ, Hiromu announced that he didn't hate Desperado any more. And he said on twitter that he might get closer to liking Despy some day, and otherwise made it pretty clear that he'd warmed to Despy, and that he was actually looking forward to a fun match with him.

But Despy being Despy, he interpreted Hiromu not loving him yet no longer hating him as indifference, which he found intolerable. And Despy being Despy, his solution to this was to make Hiromu hate him again.

And that's exactly the story of that match. Despy goes into it with a plan, and starts focusing on weakening Hiromu's knee pretty early on. He knows Hiromu hates submission holds and he goes into that match intending to put him in Numero Dos and make him say he gives up.

It's so intentional on Desperado's part. Like he sat down and thought "What is the best way to make Hiromu hate me?" before the match and then did exactly that.

Desperado could've given Hiromu the kind of fun match he wanted. And Hiromu gives him one last chance to do so after Despy picks up that chair, asking him twice if this is really ok, and telling him if it is, to come on and hit him.

Despy throws the chair aside just long enough to kick Hiromu down, pick the chair back up again, and hit him with it after all. And hey, it worked. Hiromu hates him again now. Congrats, I guess

Anyway, Okada couldn't get Hiromu to tap, but Despy sure got him not even to tap but to actually say he gave up.

I cannot wait to see these two in another singles match against each other. Here's hoping we don't have to wait another two years for it.