By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Best of Super Juniors Night Nine”
May 26, 2022 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
This year’s field features two blocks, each with ten wrestlers. This is a round-robin tournament, so everyone will have nine singles matches in this two-week event. (Some nights, there will be 10 tournament matches, and other nights, there will be five tournament matches and a handful of non-tournament matches.) The winner of each block will then meet in the finals on June 3. There are ten tournament matches on this event.
Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton provided commentary. This was the third straight night in this historic venue.
1. Master Wato (4) defeated Titan (2) in a BOSJ B Block match at 8:16. Basic reversals and a standoff, as Charlton explained how the loser will be eliminated. Wato hit a plancha at 3:00. Titan hit a Pele Kick in the corner on Wato’s head, followed by a shoulderbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 5:30. Wato hit a German Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall. Titan fired back with a series of kicks, but Wato nailed a superkick at 8:00. Wato nailed his top-rope corkscrew press (Pac’s Red Arrow) for the pin. I am stunned that Titan is now 1-5 and eliminated. Solid match.
2. TJP (6) vs. Douki (6) in a BOSJ B Block match at 8:45. Douki attacked before the bell. TJP got a chair but the ref took it. TJP launched himself off the open chair and hit a huracanrana; the ref set the chair on the floor. Douki hit a DDT on the ring apron. TJP tripped Douki on the top rope, and Douki crashed onto the turnbuckles. TJP took control, hitting his Facewash running boot in the corner at 3:30. Douki hit a plancha to the floor. Douki dove through the ropes onto TJP as he sat on a chair on the floor. In the ring, Douki hit a double stomp to the chest for a nearfall, then an enzuigri at 6:00.
TJP fired back with a springboard-back-elbow, and they were both down. The crowd is hot. TJP went for the STF, but Douki turned it into his Triangle Choke, and TJP quickly reached the ropes. TJP went for his frogsplash, but Douki caught him and again applied the Triangle Choke. TJP escaped and applied his STF, and Douki tapped out. Very good match for the time given.
3. Clark Connors (6) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru (4) in a BOSJ B Block match at 4:50. They brawled to the floor early then they traded rollups in the ring. Kanemaru hit a Helluva Kick in the corner then a Slop Drop DDT at 3:00. Connors hit his Monty Brown Pounce, and they were both down. Connors hit a powerslam and a spear, then the Trophy Kill standing powerbomb for the clean pin. Good, short match.
4. Alex Zayne (8) defeated Rysuke Taguchi (2) in a BOSJ A Block match at 6:12. Standing reversals to open. Zayne hit his corkscrew senton. Taguchi went for a flying butt attack, but Zayne sidestepped it, and Taguchi crashed to the mat. Taguchi hit a flying butt attack from the apron to the floor at 3:00. Taguchi then hit a springboard butt attack into the ring. Taguchi went for an anklelock, but Zayne quickly escaped. Taguchi pulled down his pants to reveal his red underwear, but Zayne bit him on the butt. They traded stiff forearms. Taguchi went back to the ankle lock at 5:30. Zayne nailed his top-rope corkscrew press for the clean pin. Solid, short match. Taguchi at 1-5 is eliminated.
5. Francesco Akira (4) defeated Yoh (6) in a BOSJ A Block match at 9:45. Akira dove onto Yoh as he walked to ringside. Akira hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall; Yoh still had his jacket on, but was now able to remove it. They traded stiff forearms, and Yoh hit a plancha to the floor. In the ring, Yoh unloaded chops and a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker, then a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 3:30. Akira came back with a roll-through into a double stomp on the chest.
Akira hit running clotheslines and a faceplant, and he was fired up. He hit a spin kick to the side of the head for a nearfall. Yoh hit a running knee to the chest, but Akira responded with a superkick at 6:00. Yoh hit his own superkick, and they were both down. This has been really good. Yoh hit two rolling German Suplexes. They fought some more, with Yoh hitting a third German Suplex for a believable nearfall at 8:00. Akira nailed a second-rope Spanish Fly; it felt like their heads barely missed hitting the ground as they rotated to the mat. Akira hit a running double knees to the back of the head to score the pin. Superb match for the time given.
6. Wheeler Yuta (6) vs. El Lindemen (6) in a BOSJ B Block match at 9:17. They shook hands, and Charlton noted it was the “Code of Honor.” Kelly noted this another first-time meeting. They avoided each other’s moves early, and Lindaman hit a basement dropkick to Yuta’s back. Lindaman hit a flip dive to the floor at 3:00, and the crowd was fired up. Yuta hit an enzuigri as Lindaman sat on the top turnbuckle, sending him crashing to the floor. Wheeler then hit a dive through the ropes to the floor. Wheeler then hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall.
Wheeler applied the Cattle Mutilation double armbar at 5:30. They hit simultaneous forearm shots that stunned them both. Wheeler hit a dropkick. Wheeler hit an Angle Slam for a nearfall at 8:30, and he started hitting the repeated elbow shots to the side of the head. Lindaman escaped and hit his German Suplex for a nearfall, then the butterfly suplex for the pin. Really good match.
7. Ace Austin (10) defeated Taiji Ishimori (8) in a BOSJ A Block match at 11:24. Another first-time-ever meeting. Charlton marveled at the fact the New Japan junior champ was about to face the Impact X Division champ (in a non-title bout.) Based on them each being 4-1, why isn’t this the main event? Quick reversals to open, and Ace gave Taiji a paper cut between his fingers. Ace nailed his punt kick while standing on the ring apron to Taiji’s chest. Ishimori jammed Ace shoulder-first into the turnbuckle at 4:00, and he began working over the left arm.
Ace fired back with a series of chops, and he nailed the Fosbury Flop to the floor at 5:30. In the ring, Ishimori hit a Lungblower to the chest, and they were both down. Ishimori hit a shoulder breaker ove rhis knee. Ace hit The Fold/flipping faceplant for a nearfall, but Ishimori got his foot on the ropes at 8:00. (I love how this move is being protected. It has always gotten a pinfall so far here.) Ishimori did the tilt-a-whirl into a crossface, but Ace reached the ropes at 9:30.
Ace hit a springboard spin kick. He went for another Fold, but Ishimori hit a Bloody Cross slam. Ace hit a Northern Lights suplex for a believable nearfall. Ace got a rollup with a bridge for the pin, but it appeared that both men’s shoulders were down. The ref confirms Ace got the pinfall, but the announcers agreed this should have been a double pin. Very good match.
8. Bushi (6) defeated El Desperado in a BOSJ B Block match at 11:13. Bushi attacked to start the match, and he hit a huracanrana to the floor. They traded stiff forearm shots in the ring. Desperado slammed Bushi’s knee on the thin mat on the floor, and he was suddenly in charge. He dragged Bushi in the ring and stomped on his legs, and he tied him in a pretzel. Desperado applied the Stretch Muffler leg hold at 5:30.
Bushi fired back with a top-rope huracanrana and a DDT, then a Lungblower to the back and they were both Bushi hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. Bushi went for a move but landed hard and grabbed the knee in pain; Desperado immediately hit a chop block and a Dragonscrew Legwhip. Desperado hit a spinebuster and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 9:00. The crowd, which was quiet early, was getting into this.
Desperado’s first two attempts at the Angel’s Wings were blocked. Bushi hit a Lungblower to the chest, and he hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall, but Desperado grabbed the ropes. Bushi then jumped off the second rope and hit the Lungblower to the chest for the clean pin. Kelly called it a “major upset.” Charlton said it is the first time that Bushi has ever pinned Desperado and “got the monkey off his back.”
9. Sho (6) defeated Hiromu Takahashi in a BOSJ A Block match at 12:14. Sho was going to attack him with a chair at the entrance, but Takashashi came out of a different corner and he attacked Sho with a chair. Funny opening. They brawled in the ring. Takahashi went for the shotgun dropkick to the floor, but Sho pulled Young Lion Ryohei Oiwa in front of him, who took the blow. They brawled more on the floor; Hiromu barely got back in before the bell. Hiromu was limping, and Sho immediately began working it over. (This leg injury caused Hiromu to lose each of the prior two nights.)
Sho tauntingly kicked at his head, more to humiliate than injure. They brawled to the floor at 6:00. Hiromu nailed a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron, then he leapt over the top rope to hit a cool Sunset Bomb to the floor. Hiromu got in the ring and hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 7:30. Sho shoved Hiromu into the ref, then Sho hit a German Suplex, and they were both down. Sho got his wrench; he went to use it but Hiromu caught him with a Superkick. Sho nailed a Powerbreaker/modified Lungblower for a nearfall.
Hiromu applied a head-scissors lock, much like a Triangle Choke. However, EVIL appeared at ringside and he yanked the ref out of the ring at 10:30. Hiromu applied the Triangle Choke move on EVIL until he passed out. Sho recovered and hit a hard kick to Hiromu’s injured leg. Sho applied a leg lock, and Hiromu tapped out. Hiromu has now lost three straight, all due to the injury to his leg. However, he is protected by EVIL’s interference.
10. Robbie Eagles (4) defeated El Phantasmo (8) in a BOSJ B Block match at 24:42. An intense lockup to start, and they traded stiff forearm shots. Phantasmo did his strut. Eagles mockingly did his strut. Eagles nailed a flip dive through the ropes at 3:00. They traded chops on the floor. ELP picked him up and gave Eagles a “lawn dart” toss into the ring post at 5:00, then a DDT onto a folded chair on the floor; Eagles barely made it back into the ring before being counted out. Charlton pointed out that Phantasmo is at the top of the 100 kilogram (220 pound) weight limit, and it is obvious with his size and strength. ELP hit a brainbuster for a nearfall at 7:30.
ELP hit a springboard crossbody block for a nearfall, then he dove through the ropes on Eagles. They brawled on the floor. In an insane spot, Phantasmo walked the tight rope and did a springboard moonsault to the floor, but Eagles moved. Eagles then hit a running double knees on the floor. ELP dove back into the ring at 11:30 to avoid the countout. Eagles immediately began tying up the legs. Eagles hit a dropkick on the knee, and he applied the Ron Miller Special leglock, but ELP reached the ropes at 13:00. Phantasmo hit an enziguri, and they were both down. They traded slaps while on their knees, then stiff forearms. ELP hit a stiff lariat, and they were both down at 16:00.
Eagles got a backslide for a nearfall. They traded rollups. ELP hit Eagles’ Turbo Backpack move for a nearfall. However, Phantasmo missed a top-rope 450 Splash. Eagles picked him up and nailed a Burning Hammer/inverted DVD. Eagles then hit a top-rope frogsplash for a believable nearfall at 19:00. ELP hit a Superkick, and they were both down. Eagles hit a mid-ring huracanrana for a nearfall, then several quick kicks, and he was fired up. Eagles nailed a Tiger Driver powerbomb, and rolled it over into the Ron Miller Special, but ELP reached the ropes at 21:30.
Phantasmo hit a jumping enzuigri in the corner, and he nailed a second-rope neckbreaker into the ring. Phantasmo then hit the modified Styles Clash, but he took too long to make the cover, and Eagles kicked out at two at 23:30. ELP hit a V-Trigger running knee. Eagles hit a Poison Rana. Eagles then hit a 450 Splash across the legs, rolled over ELP and applied the Ron Miller Special, and Phantasmo tapped out. “What a main event, what a main event, my god, what a main event,” Kelly exclaimed.
Eagles got on the mic and said he may hate Phantasmo, “but thank you for bringing out the best of me.” He said this was his first main event singles match victory in New Japan, and he vows there will be more to come.
Final Thoughts: “That’s as good as it gets,” Kelly said of the main event, and I agree. A stellar main event, and well deserving of best match of the show. Many will argue that may be the best match of the tournament. Akira and Yoh had a fantastic match that earns second best, with a very good Ace Austin-Ishimori third-best. As good as Desperado-Bushi was, on this incredible night of action, only gets fourth-best. This was an all-around excellent night of action.
The show lasted just under three hours. The tournament takes a day off on Friday and resumes Saturday and Sunday.
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