NJPW has revealed the full cards for this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
The full lineup for the tournament, which begins on May 14, can be found here. Listed below are the main events for each night of the tournament, with semifinals taking place in Gunma on June 5 and the finals taking place at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo on June 7:
May 14: Kosei Fujita vs. Francesco Akira
May 16: El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori
May 17: Robbie Eagles vs. El Desperado
May 20: Robbie X vs. Kosei Fujita
May 23: YOH vs. Robbie Eagles
May 24: Jun Kasai vs. Nick Wayne
May 27: Francesco Akira vs. Jun Kasai
May 29: Valiente Jr. vs. Kosei Fujita
May 30: SHO vs. Taiji Ishimori
June 2: El Desperado vs. YOH
June 3: Taiji Ishimori vs. KUSHIDA
June 5: Semifinals
June 7: Finals
NJPW additionally announced on their Japanese website that Kasai and Hyo would be missing dates on the tour. Kasai will not be appearing on the May 14, 29, and 30 events while Hyo will miss the May 16 show.
El Desperado will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Jun Kasai later this month.
Their match at NJPW’s Death Pain Invitational on June 24 at Korakuen Hall is being billed as the final bout between the two. While the match was scheduled last month, NJPW announced on Tuesday that Desperado’s title will be on the line.
Kosei Fujita and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
It was originally expected that the winner of Best of the Super Juniors 32 would challenge for the title at Dominion on June 15. However, following his tournament win, Kosei Fujita said backstage that he wants to wait to challenge Desperado until after the Death Pain Invitational. Fujita said he doesn’t want to face a Desperado who is still thinking about his match with Kasai.
'I want Desperado 100% focused on me (…) I want to be the youngest, but it's more important I win the right way'
Kasai has pinned Desperado twice this year, once in a triple threat in March and again in a tag match last month. Desperado had previously said that if he won BOSJ32, he would nominate Kasai as his next challenger.
Kasai appeared following Desperado’s tag match at the BOSJ finals and handed him a red envelope, formally inviting him to the Death Pain Invitational, even though the match had already been confirmed.
Desperado and Kasai have had three singles matches. Desperado won their 2022 bout, while their two meetings in 2019 ended in a no-contest and a double countout.
Jon Moxley and El Desperado will be facing off twice at NJPW Strong Independence Day.
At Saturday’s New Japan Road show, a video aired with Moxley challenging Desperado to face him in a “Final Death” match at night two of NJPW Strong Independence Day. Moxley said the match will have no winner — it will only have a survivor.
Sounds good. July 5, the second night for #njpwSTRONG in Korakuen, a singles match with Moxley? When it’s time for him to show up he shows, when it’s time for him to speak he speaks. That’s why I love Mox.
He said ‘Final Death?’ That sounds like anything goes to me. I’ll take it!
NJPW Strong Independence Day is taking place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on Tuesday, July 4 and Wednesday, July 5. At night one of the event, Moxley is teaming with Homicide against Desperado & Jun Kasai.
Kasai made a surprise appearance at New Japan Road to officially accept Desperado’s offer to team together at Independence Day. It was Kasai’s first time appearing in an NJPW ring.
Kasai: BUT Despe, if I’m to step into a NJPW ring, it has to be with the right rules. I’ll be happy to be your partner, but I came here to make NJPW history.
Despe: Deathmatches in NJPW.. there might be a bit of resistance, like there’s been to me on Twitter, but I’ll do what I can to do right by you.
Moxley defeated Desperado in a no disqualification match at NJPW Music City Mayhem in July 2022.
The Independence Day events will be the first time NJPW Strong has held shows in Japan. Night one will feature TJP & Francesco Akira defending the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles against Clark Connors & Dan Moloney. Eddie Kingston is challenging KENTA for the Strong Openweight Championship on night two.
El Desperado has asked hardcore wrestling icon Jun Kasai to be his tag team partner at NJPW Strong Independence Day against Jon Moxley & Homicide.
In a video posted to the NJPW World YouTube page and NJPW’s social media accounts, Desperado asked Kasai to team with him against Moxley & Homicide on night one of Independence Day on July 4 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
NJPW has yet to make the match official, still listing Desperado’s partner as “X.”
Kasai, 48, has a history of death match wrestling both in Japan and on the American independent scene. He wrestled in death matches three times for GCW in 2022, and won the 2014 CZW Tournament of Death in his most high profile American matches over the past decade. Light tubes and razor blade board death matches have been staples of Kasai’s 25-year career.
We’ve got a double issue of the Observer out this week with notes on how President Biden’s new policies on international travel will affect wrestlers and fighters from different countries.
Also in this issue:
The new WrestleMania plans, including how the Super Bowl plays into it, the time frame for the shows for both nights, the inside hopes for attendance and how the dynamic is different this year as to what gets announced. We also look at the decision making in regards to Dallas and Los Angeles, update the Royal Rumble and also have notes on match plans.
Coverage of Impact Hard to Kill, with notes on the key angles, the departure of Madison Rayne, Taya Valkyrie and Ethan Page, Page’s scathing words after his departure, plus match-by-match coverage with star ratings and poll results.
Dwayne Johnson’s new TV show about his life, new WWE signees, Dusty Rhodes men’s and women’s tournament, Kofi Kingston talks his injury, WWE television personality gets an ESPN TV show, A.J. Styles talks retirement, lawsuit update, where wrestling shows ranked with network sports, who is looking for new entrance music, what aspect of WWE’s major events are they trying to sell, why Raw will have two very tough dates for competition soon, as well as the most-watched shows of the past week on the WWE Network.
Coverage of both UFC shows over the past week and the story behind Max Holloway’s setting records.
A story on the life of Paul Varelans, an early star of UFC and MMA around the world, as well as his different forays with four different pro wrestling companies as well as his infamous angle with Taz in ECW. For the first time, Missy Hyatt talks publicly about the situation plus comments from all involved. We look at the tournament days of UFC, crazy street fights, and much more.
A story on the life of Guy Hauray, the voice of WWF in France for a generation.
A story on famous carnival shooter and pro wrestler Dick Cardinal, who was the oldest living pro wrestler at the time of his death.
History of the biggest draws in pro wrestling each year from 1916 to 2020, including what wrestlers were No. 1 for the most years.
Win-loss record of every WWE talent in 2020 including who wrestled the most dates, who never lost, who never won and more.
Television ratings of the past week, segment-by-segment numbers for the past two weeks on Wednesday, who was watching in different age groups, how different segments did on Raw & Smackdown.
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Sports Illustrated talked to Santos Escobar on his current run in NXT as Cruiserweight champion. He told them that his ultimate goal is to meet Vince McMahon. “There is one thing I haven’t been able to do, and that is meet Vince McMahon,” he said. I’m committed to this industry, and that is a lifetime commitment. I was born and raised to do this. I think Vince McMahon is a genius, and I want to meet him. That, to me, is an immediate goal. He will either like me or hate me, but I will discuss my background with him and what I bring to the table. I need to discuss that with Vince McMahon, and that is one of my most immediate goals.”
