The Best of the Super Juniors continued on Friday from Aomori.
The show was headlined by four-time tournament winner Hiromu Takahashi facing TJP. Both wrestlers went into the match with 4-2 records. El Desperado vs. Dan Moloney was the semi-main event.
BOSJ 30 night seven 5/19 results:
B Block: Master Wato defeated Clark Connors
A Block: DOUKI defeated Ryusuke Taguchi
B Block: Robbie Eagles defeated Kevin Knight
A Block: SHO defeated Titan
B Block: Francesco Akira defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
A Block: Lio Rush defeated KUSHIDA
B Block: YOH defeated BUSHI
A Block: Taiji Ishimori defeated Mike Bailey
B Block: El Desperado defeated Dan Moloney
A Block: Hiromu Takahashi defeated TJP
The top two in each block will advance to the semifinals. The wrestler with the best record from Block A will face the wrestler with the second best record from Block B and vice versa. It is the first time the tournament has used this format since 2014.
The updated standings are below:
A Block —
Mike Bailey (5-2) — 10 points
Lio Rush (5-2) — 10 points
Taiji Ishimori (5-2) — 10 points
Hiromu Takahashi (5-2) — 10 points
Titan (4-3) — 8 points
TJP (4-3) — 8 points
DOUKI (3-4) — 6 points
SHO (3-4) — 6 points
KUSHIDA (1-6) — 2 points
Ryusuke Taguchi (0-7) — 0 points
B Block —
Master Wato (5-2) — 10 points
Robbie Eagles (5-2) — 10 points
El Desperado (5-2) — 10 points
YOH (5-2) — 10 points
Francesco Akira (4-3) — 8 points
Clark Connors (3-4) — 6 points
Kevin Knight (3-4) — 6 points
Yoshinobu Kanemaru (2-5) — 4 points
Dan Moloney (2-5) — 4 points
BUSHI (1-6) — 2 points
BOSJ 30 night eight 5/21 from Korakuen Hall lineup:
The Best of the Super Juniors continued on Wednesday in Miyagi.
Lio Rush dropped his first match of the tournament to DOUKI on the show. He still sits atop the A Block with eight points but is now tied with Mike Bailey and Taiji Ishimori, who also both picked up victories on Wednesday.
Robbie Eagles is now alone in the top spot of the B Block. He picked up a victory over Yoshinobu Kanemaru on Wednesday.
Here are the results:
– B Block: YOH defeated El Desperado
– A Block: Taiji Ishimori defeated KUSHIDA
– B Block: Dan Moloney defeated Master Wato
– A Block: Mike Bailey defeated Titan
– B Block: Robbie Eagles defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
– A Block: DOUKI defeated Lio Rush
– B Block: Clark Connors defeated Francesco Akira
– A Block: TJP defeated SHO
– B Block: Kevin Knight defeated BUSHI
– A Block: Hiromu Takahashi defeated Ryusuke Taguchi
Taguchi remains winless in the tournament after Takahashi defeated him with a Hiromu Roll. BUSHI also fell to 0-5 after a loss to Kevin Knight on today’s show.
Bailey got back in the winners bracket on night five after dropping his first match in the tournament to KUSHIDA in his fourth match. That remains the only win KUSHIDA has picked up thus far in the tournament.
Night three of the Best of the Super Juniors took place Sunday in Nagoya.
The show was headlined by four-time tournament winner and current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi vs. Lio Rush.
NJPW BOSJ Night three results:
– B Bock: Kevin Knight defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
– A Block: SHO defeated Ryusuke Taguchi
– B Block: Clark Connors defeated BUSHI
– A Block: Taiji Ishimori defeated DOUKI
– B Block: Francesco Akira defeated Robbie Eagles
– A Block: Titan defeated KUSHIDA
– B Block: Dan Moloney defeated YOH
– A Block: Mike Bailey defeated TJP
– B Block: El Desperado defeated Master Wato
– A Block: Lio Rush defeated Hiromu Takahashi
Mike Bailey, Lio Rush, and Taiji Ishimori now sit atop A Block with 3 wins and 6 points each after night three. After suffering main event losses on night one and night three already, Hiromu Takahashi sits at just a 1-2 record and 2 points.
Things are all bunched up in B Block with six wrestlers tied atop the group with four points.
There was an interesting moment in the A Block match between SHO and Ryusuke Taguchi. After a referee bump, the lights went out and when they came back on, SHO’s House of Torture teammate EVIL stood in the ring and began acting as the new referee. After SHO hit Taguchi with a wrench, EVIL then rolled the original referee back into the ring to count the pin.
Kevin Kelly called Akira vs. Eagles the match of the tournament so far, even better than Bailey vs. Takahashi from night one.
KUSHIDA has had an unfortunate start to the tournament having lost his first three. He faces Bailey next on Tuesday.
El Desperado may have picked up an injury in his match against Master Wato. He pulled up limping while running the ropes early in the contest and was seen icing his knee after the match ended.
It will be Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors finals.
Takahashi and El Desperado will meet in the Best of the Super Juniors finals at Budokan Hall in Tokyo this Friday (June 3), with the winner likely getting an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship shot against Taiji Ishimori at Dominion on Sunday, June 12.
Takahashi emerged as the A Block winner on the final night of block action on Tuesday, while Desperado came out of the night as the winner of the B Block.
Takahashi won the A Block with a victory over Ishimori in the main event of Tuesday’s show. Ishimori entered the day with 12 points and Takahashi entered with 10, but Takahashi defeating Ishimori meant that Takahashi advanced due to holding the tiebreaker.
Desperado also advanced via tiebreaker after defeating El Phantasmo at Tuesday’s show. Desperado needed help from Titan, who defeated Robbie Eagles to eliminate Eagles from contention.
In 2020, Takahashi defeated Desperado in the Best of the Super Juniors finals.
Here are the final standings for this year’s tournament:
This year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament is nearing its conclusion.
The penultimate night of block action took place in Tokyo on Sunday. Here are the results from the show:
– B Block match: Robbie Eagles defeated El Desperado
– A Block match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Francesco Akira
– A Block match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated SHO
– B Block match: El Phantasmo defeated Wheeler Yuta
– A Block match: Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Ace Austin
– A Block match: Hiromu Takahashi defeated Clark Connors
– B Block match: TJP defeated BUSHI
– A Block match: YOH defeated Alex Zayne
– B Block match: Titan defeated DOUKI
– B Block match: Master Wato defeated El Lindaman
The final day of block matches is this Tuesday. In the A Block, the winner of Tuesday’s Taiji Ishimori vs. Hiromu Takahashi match will advance to the finals.
El Phantasmo currently leads the B Block with 12 points. If he defeats El Desperado on Tuesday, Phantasmo advances to the finals. If Phantasmo loses to Desperado, Robbie Eagles would advance to the finals with a win against Titan. Desperado is also still in contention but needs to both defeat Phantasmo and have Eagles lose to Titan.
The winners of the A Block and B Block will face off in the tournament finals this Friday.
With the finals now less than a week away, NJPW was in Chiba for a Best of the Super Juniors show on Saturday.
Here are the full results from the show:
– B Block match: El Desperado defeated DOUKI
– A Block match: Hiromu Takahashi defeated Alex Zayne
– B Block match: Robbie Eagles defeated El Lindaman
– B Block match: El Phantasmo defeated TJP
– B Block match: Wheeler Yuta defeated Master Wato
– A Block match: SHO defeated Ace Austin
– A Block match: Ryusuke Taguchi defeated YOH
– B Block match: Titan defeated BUSHI
– A Block match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Clark Connors
– A Block match: Francesco Akira defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Ace Austin and Taiji Ishimori are tied at the top of the A Block with 10 points, though Austin holds the tiebreaker over Ishimori. Hiromu Takahashi, Alex Zayne, and SHO each have eight points.
El Phantasmo and El Desperado both have 10 points in the B Block. They have yet to face each other in the tournament. Robbie Eagles, El Lindaman, and Wheeler Yuta all have eight points.
The tournament will continue on Sunday, with the final day of block action then taking place on Tuesday. The finals are set for next Friday.
NJPW closed out three straight days at Korakuen Hall as night nine of the Best of the Super Juniors took place on Thursday.
Here are the full results from the show:
– B Block match: Robbie Eagles defeated El Phantasmo
– A Block match: SHO defeated Hiromu Takahashi
– B Block match: BUSHI defeated El Desperado
– A Block match: Ace Austin defeated Taiji Ishimori
– B Block match: El Lindaman defeated Wheeler Yuta
– A Block match: Francesco Akira defeated YOH
– A Block match: Alex Zayne defeated Ryusuke Taguchi
– A Block match: Clark Connors defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
– B Block match: TJP defeated DOUKI
– B Block match: Master Wato defeated Titan
Ace Austin, who is the first wrestler to reach 10 points, leads the A Block. El Phantasmo, El Lindaman, and El Desperado are in a three-way tie at the top of the B Block.
There are three shows left until the Best of the Super Juniors finals. Those events are taking place this Saturday, this Sunday, and next Tuesday. The finals will then be held next Friday.
Master Wato, Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Robbie Eagles defeated Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, Yuto Nakashima, and Wheeler Yuta
This was a fine little showcase tag before Yuta and Eagles come to blows on the opening night of B Block.
Yuta and Eagles opened the match with a quick sequence ahead of their block match on Tuesday. The pair tagged out before either could get much in, letting the Young Lions take turns against their seniors.
Eventually, things cycled back to Yuta and Eagles. This time, both men got in heavy offense before tagging back to their partners. Yuta ultimately hit a tope to write off Eagles until the finish. In the ring, Wato landed La Caratera to bring this match to a close.
BUSHI and Shingo Takagi (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated El Phantasmo and Dick Togo (Bullet Club)
Meh.
BUSHI and ELP had a short exchange before Shingo tagged in to take control for LIJ. However, Bullet Club took advantage from LIJ moments later after Togo and ELP took the action to the floor. Bullet Club continued to make advances with underhanded tactics until Shingo launched a rally that broke down into a four-man brawl. BUSHI hit a dive; Shingo hit a sad pumping bomber and pinned Togo.
El Lindaman, Titan, and Jado defeated El Desperado, TAKA Michinoku, and DOUKI (Suzuki-gun)
I loved this—a perfect introduction for both Lindaman and Titan for the unfamiliar.
Desperado and Titan opened the match with a fantastic little sequence before Suzuki-gun rushed the ring to take control. Lindaman managed to turn things back around with an offensive flurry that took out Suzuki-gun, but DOUKI cut it short by catching Lindaman in his signature choke.
Titan and Desperado were tagged back in for another impressive sprint. After trading moves with Titan, Desperado tagged out to TAKA, and the rest of Suzuki-gun helped him maintain his control. Titan withstood the assault long enough for Lindaman to take out Desperado and DOUKI with a dive. Titan was then free to close the match with a springboard double stomp.
BOSJ A Block: Ace Austin defeated Clark Connors
This was surprisingly great.
The match opened with a reasonably typical back and forth. Connors found a lead, but failed to do anything with it, allowing Austin to slip into control. Austin eventually took things to the mat before using a playing card to cut the webbing of Connors’s fingers.
Austin tried striking Connors down with some slaps but was met with a pounce. Connors then led a short sequence punctuated with a brutal elbow drop from the top rope; Austin kicked out.
Austin dodged a spear, sending Connors to the floor. Austin followed up with a beautiful dive and springboard kick for a near fall. Austin looked to close only to run into a perfect spear from Connors. Connors tried for Trophy Kill, but Austin fought free. Austin used this space to turn things around long enough to connect with The Fold. Austin pinned Connors to start his BOSJ with a win.
BOSJ A Block: Alex Zayne defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
This was okay.
I’ve seen a variation of this exact match from Zayne about a dozen times; the man just loves getting his leg worked and doing a dozen flips in response.
Kanemaru gained a lead early, turning his attention to Zayne’s leg. Kanemaru maintained control, using a variety of holds, strikes, and drops to ground Zayne while setting him up for the figure four.
Once Zayne freed himself from Kanemaru’s clutch, his leg seemed to be fine enough to launch a flip-based rally. Kanemaru retook the lead with a leg-sweep after Zayne landed on his feet from missing a 450. Kanemaru then locked in a figure four, forcing Zayne into the ropes.
After escaping, Zayne landed a lariat but couldn’t connect with the taco driver. Kanemaru took advantage with two quick pin attempts, but Zayne answered with a thrust kick. Zayne hit Baja Blast and Cinamon twist to bring this match to a close.
BOSJ A Block: Francesco Akira defeated SHO
This was a SHO match. Luckily the rest of House of Torture wasn’t involved, but there was still a ton of blatant cheating.
SHO jumped Akira before the opening bell. Akira fought back with a head-scissor takedown, which he followed with an extended period of control.
SHO used a Young Lion to block a tope attempt before slamming Akira’s arm into the top rope. SHO then grabbed a chair and led Akira all the way to the arena wall. SHO then dropped the chair and slammed Akira into the wall. SHO used the chair while the referee put away another weapon, forcing Akira to crawl back to the ring to prevent a count-out loss.
Back in the ring, SHO continued to focus the arm. Akira started to turn things around with a wheelbarrow facebuster and a dropkick that sent SHO to the floor. Akira landed a moonsault to the outside and a corkscrew neckbreaker for a near fall.
Akira looked to close with a fireball, but SHO blocked the move with the referee; this let SHO land a spear and lock in an armbar. SHO then bumped the referee, hit a German suplex, and went for his wrench, but TJP pulled it away before he could take advantage. Akira then hit a suplex, the last round, and fireball to win his New Japan debut.
BOSJ A Block: Hiromu Takahashi defeated Ryusuke Taguchi
This was a silly match through and through.
Before the match, Taguchi promised there would be “no butt stuff”; there was.
Taguchi opened the match with a flying hip attack but missed by a mile; he broke his promise. Taguchi laid down in defeat, offering a free pin to Hiromu. When Hiromu tried taking the offer, Taguchi grabbed his leg, attempting a quick submission.
Hiromu rolled to the outside, and Taguchi began chasing him. After running a few laps, Taguchi decided to hide under the ring. Taguchi failed in catching Hiromu, and the pair returned to the ring.
Back in the ring, Taguchi tried for another ankle lock, and Hiromu rolled back to the floor. Taguchi and Hiromu ran more laps around the ring. Hiromu tried holding down Taguchi with the mat, but Taguchi caught him in another ankle lock, this time on the outside. As the referee’s count grew higher, the pair had to sprint back between the ropes.
Taguchi continued to fight for the ankle lock. After a bunch of roll troughs and reversals, Taguchi tried for a trio of hip attacks; he missed them all. At this point, Taguchi had revealed his underwear.
After another attempt, Taguchi finally landed a hip attack, only for Hiromu to secure a rollup and a first-round win.
BOSJ A Block: Taiji Ishimori defeated YOH
This, on paper, is very comparable to the SHO/Akira bout from earlier in the night; in reality, this was a much different match. The selective cheating and its consequences felt less intrusive while still being impactful, but the pacing was sluggish, and at times, this was just boring. The dead crowd didn’t help this one either.
YOH’s early lead came to an early end as Ishimori brought the action to the floor. On the outside, Ishimori slammed YOH’s arm into the turnbuckle post with an assist from a chair. Back inside, Ishimori continued to focus YOH’s arm.
YOH launched a comeback with a single-leg dropkick. YOH’s rally lasted until Ishimori rammed him into an exposed set of buckles. YOH held on, however, eventually turning things back around with a dragonscrew leg whip. YOH then started working the leg on the mat with a variety of holds.
Ishimori eventually caught YOH with a knee strike, but YOH answered with a headbutt and DMV. YOH tried to bring this to an end, but Ishimori blocked direct-drive and slammed YOH back into the exposed corner. Ishimori secured the bone lock and forced YOH to tap out.
After his win, Ishimori cut the show-closing promo. Ishimori claimed he’d win the tournament as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and reform the division in his own image.
