Tag: njpw best of the super juniors 33

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 night one results, initial standings

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Tournament season in NJPW got underway on Thursday with Korakuen Hall hosting night one of Best of the Super Juniors 33.

It was a good day for outsiders with Nick Wayne (AEW), Daisuke Sasaki (DDT), and Hyo (Dragon Gate) all picking up victories over NJPW wrestlers. Two other outsiders — Jun Kasai (Pro Wrestling Freedoms) and Valiente Jr. (CMLL) — were not in action today and will kick off their BOSJ campaigns on Saturday.

Here are the quick results:

  • A Block: Kosei Fujita defeated Francesco Akira
  • B Block: Daisuke Sasaki defeated El Desperado
  • A Block: Titan defeated Master Wato
  • B Block: KUSHIDA defeated Robbie Eagles
  • A Block: Nick Wayne defeated Robbie X
  • B Block: Hyo defeated YOH
  • A Block: Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Daiki Nagai
  • B Block: SHO defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • B Block: Taiji Ishimori defeated Jakob Austin Young

The tournament runs through June 7 and will determine the next challenger for IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI, who is “boycotting” BOSJ this year instead of competing for bragging rights.

Next up for the tournament are shows in Tokyo this Saturday and Sunday, taking place at Esforta Arena Hachioji and Yoyogi National Stadium second gymnasium. The cards for those events are listed below:

Saturday, May 16 —

  • B Block: El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori
  • A Block: Kosei Fujita vs. Nick Wayne
  • B Block: Robbie Eagles vs. SHO
  • A Block: Titan vs. Jun Kasai
  • B Block: KUSHIDA vs. Daisuke Sasaki
  • A Block: Robbie X vs. Francesco Akira
  • B Block: YOH vs. Jakob Austin Young
  • A Block: Master Wato vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
  • A Block: Valiente Jr. vs. Daiki Nagai

Sunday, May 17 —

  • B Block: El Desperado vs. Robbie Eagles
  • A Block: Kosei Fujita vs. Jun Kasai
  • B Block: YOH vs. Taiji Ishimori
  • A Block: Master Wato vs. Robbie X
  • B Block: Hyo vs. Daisuke Sasaki
  • A Block: Nick Wayne vs. Francesco Akira
  • B Block: KUSHIDA vs. SHO
  • A Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Valiente Jr.
  • B Block: Jakob Austin Young vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • A Block: Titan vs. Daiki Nagai

And here are the initial standings through the first night:

Best of the Super Juniors 33 standings —

A Block:

  • Kosei Fujita (1-0): 2 points
  • Titan (1-0): 2 points
  • Nick Wayne (1-0): 2 points
  • Ryusuke Taguchi (1-0): 2 points
  • Jun Kasai (0-0): 0 points
  • Valiente Jr. (0-0): 0 points
  • Daiki Nagai (0-1): 0 points
  • Robbie X (0-1): 0 points
  • Master Wato (0-1): 0 points
  • Francesco Akira (0-1): 0 points

B Block:

  • Daisuke Sasaki (1-0): 2 points
  • KUSHIDA (1-0): 2 points
  • Hyo (1-0): 2 points
  • SHO (1-0): 2 points
  • Taiji Ishimori (1-0): 2 points
  • Jakob Austin Young (0-1): 0 points
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru (0-1): 0 points
  • YOH (0-1): 0 points
  • Robbie Eagles (0-1): 0 points
  • El Desperado (0-1): 0 points

NJPW reveals full lineup & blocks for Best of the Super Juniors 33

Posted on by Bryan Rose

This year’s Best of the Super Juniors lineup is finally complete.

After spending the last week revealing names for the upcoming tournament, NJPW revealed the final two during Saturday’s Sakura Genesis event, with Nick Wayne of AEW and Jun Kasai of FREEDOMS officially participating. Wayne, the current ROH Television Champion, recently returned from a foot injury that kept him out of action for months. This will be his second tournament after making his debut last year.

Kasai, meanwhile, got some buzz last year following a high-profile death match against El Desperado. They will team up during the Deathmatch Invitacional that will take place WrestleMania weekend to face Nick Gage & Matt Tremont and Rina Yamashita & Masashi Takeda in a three-way deathmatch.

Here are the blocks for this year’s tournament:

Block A:

  • DOUKI
  • Francesco Akira
  • Robbie X
  • Nick Wayne
  • Titan
  • Valiente Jr.
  • Kosei Fujita
  • Jun Kasai
  • Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Master Wato

Block B:

  • El Desperado
  • YOH
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • KUSHIDA
  • Robbie Eagles
  • Jakob Austin Young
  • Taiji Ishimori
  • Hyo
  • SHO
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru

The tournament begins on May 14 at Korakuen Hall and will conclude on June 7 in Ota.

Updated list of NJPW Best of the Super Juniors entrants

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The lineup for NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 is now almost fully set with 18 of the 20 entrants confirmed.

NJPW has announced that junior heavyweight mainstays KUSHIDA and Ryusuke Taguchi will be participating in this year’s tournament. Along with that, Dragon Gate wrestler Hyo has been added to the list of entrants as he makes his official NJPW debut.

KUSHIDA and Taguchi are both former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions and BOSJ winners, with KUSHIDA having won the tournament in 2015 and 2017 and Taguchi winning in 2012.

Though this is Hyo’s NJPW debut, he won the promotion’s bodybuilding contest in 2025. He’s a two-time Open the Brave Gate Champion, which is Dragon Gate’s version of a junior heavyweight title.

BOSJ 2026 begins on May 14 and runs through June 7. The final two entrants, along with the block lineups, are set to be revealed this Saturday at NJPW Sakura Genesis. A title shot will be awaiting the BOSJ winner — if current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI does not win the tournament himself.

Here is the updated list of entrants:

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 —

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • YOH
  • Master Wato
  • Jakob Austin Young
  • Francesco Akira
  • Valiente Jr.
  • Robbie Eagles
  • Taiji Ishimori
  • Robbie X
  • Titan
  • KUSHIDA
  • Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Hyo

Unbound Company part of updated NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 lineup

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

With NJPW steadily rolling out the names for the Best of the Super Juniors 33 lineup, three more names have been announced as the latest additions.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced that Taiji Ishimori, Robbie X, and Titan of Unbound Company will now compete in Best of the Super Juniors 33.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on May 14 and conclude on June 7, 2026, at the Korakuen Hall. The winner of the tournament will get a future shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title.

Previously, NJPW had announced that Jakob Austin Young, Francesco Akira, and Robbie Eagles were also scheduled to be part of the BOSJ 33 lineup.

Updated list of NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 participants

Here is the updated list of participants for the upcoming NJPW BOSJ 33:

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • YOH
  • Master Wato
  • Jakob Austin Young
  • Francesco Akira
  • Valiente Jr.
  • Robbie Eagles
  • Taiji Ishimori
  • Robbie X
  • Titan

Next three participants set for NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33

Posted on by Bryan Rose

NJPW is slowly rolling out this year’s BOSJ participants.

On Monday, the company announced that Jakob Austin Young, Francesco Akira, and Robbie Eagles would take part in this year’s tournament which opens on May 14 at Korakuen Hall and ends on June 7 in Ota.

For Robbie Eagles, this will be his eight entry in the annual junior heavyweight tournament. Although he has had a positive win/loss streak in recent years, he has yet to make it past the block stage of the tournament. Akira, meanwhile, advanced far into last year’s BOSJ but a DQ loss prevented him from advancing. This year will mark the fifth time he’s participated.

Young is entering the tournament for the first time. A member of the United Empire alongside Akira, he is usually seen in tag matches and participated in last year’s Super Junior Tag League with Templario.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 confirmed participants:

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • YOH
  • Master Wato
  • Valiente Jr.
  • Jakob Austin Young
  • Francesco Akira
  • Robbie Eagles

Next three entrants announced for NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The next three entrants in this year’s Best of the Super Junior tournament have been announced.

It was confirmed on Sunday that YOH and Master Wato would be returning this year. In addition, CMLL’s Valiente Jr. will be making his tournament debut, which starts on May 14 and concludes on June 7 in Ota.

This will be Master Wato’s sixth entry, missing last year’s tournament due to injury. He recently challenged current IWGP Junior Champion DOUKI during NJPW’s Anniversary show earlier this month, but came up short after frequent interference from the House of Torture.

YOH meanwhile made it to the finals of last year’s BOSJ, but lost out to Kosei Fujita. Valiente Jr. made his debut for NJPW earlier this year, taking part of the annual Fantasticamania tour in Japan featuring CMLL talent.

Those already announced for the tournament include last year’s winner Fujita, DDT’s Daisuke Sasaki, DOUKI, and El Desperado.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 confirmed participants:

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • YOH
  • Master Wato
  • Valiente Jr.

NJPW announces three more Best of the Super Juniors 33 entrants

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The next three participants have been announced for the 33rd Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

NJPW revealed on Saturday that House of Torture’s SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru, as well as DDT’s Daisuke Sasaki, will take part in this year’s event that begins on May 14 and runs through June 7. 

SHO has amassed a 4 win, 5 loss record in the last three Best of the Super Junior tournaments he has taken part in. Meanwhile, this will be Kanemaru’s 9th BOSJ, coming up short each time.

This year’s event will mark the first time in 14 years that Sasaki has competed in NJPW, last taking part in a tournament to crown the first-ever NEVER Openweight Champion back in 2012. He also participated in that year’s Best of the Super Juniors 19. He is a six-time KO-D Champion and a three-time DDT Universal Champion.

Here are the list of participants announced so far:

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 confirmed participants:

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki