By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Best of the Super Juniors Tournament”
May 12, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed on New Japan World
The building was packed. Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton provided live, in-person commentary. They pointed out there were no guardrails at ringside, giving the high-flyers more room to move.
This is a 20-man tournament, with 10 wrestlers in each Block in a round-robin tournament, spread out over 12 shows in an 18-day span. So, each wrestler will have nine matches within their block. From there, we have a “final four” this year. The A Block winner will face the second-place finisher of the B Block, and the B Block winner will finish the second-place finisher of the A Block. Those winners head to the finals. Each win is worth two points. A draw is worth one each.
As much as possible, teams were split into separate Blocks (Yoh and Lio Rush in opposite blocks, TJP and Francesco Akira.) Four wrestlers are making their first BoSJ appearance this year: Dan Moloney, Lio Rush, Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight. The last person to win the tournament in their debut was Will Ospreay in 2016.
1. Clark Connors (w/Gedo) (2) defeated Kevin Knight (0) in a B Block match at 9:26. Connors recently joined the Bullet Club. Knight attacked to kickstart the match and they brawled on the floor. Connors was in control in the ring and hit a suplex at 4:30. Knight hit his dropkick and he was fired up. Knight nailed a jump-up Frankensteiner at 7:00 and got a nearfall. Knight nailed a D’Lo-style Sky High powerbomb for a believable nearfall.
Knight came off the top rope, but Connors caught him and nailed a powerslam. Knight charged at Connors, but Connors caught him with a spear. Connors nailed a brainbuster-style DDT, dropping him on the top of his head, for the pin. Very good opener to the tournament. After the bell, Connors hit Knight with a chair four or five times across the back, and was loudly booed.
2. Taiji Ishimori (2) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi (0) in an A Block match at 3:54. If there is any justice in this tournament, Taguchi will go 2-7 or 3-6; reading my mind, Kelly and Charlton immediately said that Taguchi has promised no cartoonish antics this year. Taguchi immediately hit some dropkicks and a plancha to the floor. In the ring, Taguchi hit a springboard dropkick and he immediately went to an anklelock. Ishimori applied the Bone Lock/modified STF at 2:30. Taguchi escaped, but Ishimori immediately re-applied the Bone Lock, and Taguchi tapped out. This was the perfect length for this one.
3. Dan Moloney (2) defeated Bushi (0) in a B Block match at 7:14. Again, Moloney had a handful of matches in NXT-UK, and he recently joined the United Empire; he has short, black hair. Kelly talked about how Moloney has slimmed down to qualify below the 100 kilogram (220 pound) weight limit. Bushi hit a dropkick at 4:00. Bushi hit a dropkick on the left knee and a Lungblower. Moloney nailed a nice enzuigiri, then a baseball slide dropkick to the floor. In the ring, Moloney hit a brainbuster for a believable nearfall at 7:00. Moloney hit a spear and a jumping piledriver for the pin. Good match.
4. Douki (2) defeated Kushida (0) in an A Block match at 8:31. Surprisingly, this is a first-ever singles match. Kushida immediately worked the left arm and tied him up on the mat. He hit some sliding kicks on the arm, and the crowd was rallying for Douki! Kushida snapped the arm across the top of his shoulder at 4:00. They traded shoulder tackles. Douki got a huracanrana for a nearfall at 7:00. They traded multiple rollups, with some believable nearfalls in there. Kushida hit a flying crossbody block. Kushida again kicked at the left elbow. Douki hooked both arms and got a mousetrap rollup for the pin! First upset of the tournament.
* Quick backstory: Both Francesco Akira and TJP finished sub-.500 in last year’s tournament, but they clicked as a tag team of “Catch 2/2” as part of the “United Empire” faction and have a great year. We’ll see if they can start picking up wins as singles wrestlers now.
5. Master Wato (2) defeated Francesco Akira (0) in a B Block match at 7:19. Akira hit a dive to the floor, and a modified 619 as they fought on the floor. In the ring, Akira tied him up in a pretzel on the mat. Wato fired back with a springboard flying back elbow for a nearfall at 4:30. Akira hit a DDT for a nearfall, then a running boot to the side of the head for a nearfall at 6:30. Akira hit a doublestomp to the gut. Wato hit his sideslam for the pin out of nowhere.
* As Lio Rush came to ringside for the next match, EVIL attacked him from behind and beat him up!
6. Lio Rush (2) defeated Sho (w/EVIL) (0) in an A Block match at 4:14. Sho hit a Lungblower move for a nearfall just seconds into the match. Sho set up for a piledriver, but Lio fought free; Lio still has a ski mask on. EVIL distracted the ref and Sho got his wrench. However, Sho collided with EVIL. Lio nailed a dive to the floor on EVIL, and he finally got to remove his ski mask. Lio dove through the ropes and barreled onto Sho at 2:30. In the ring, Sho pushed the ref into Lio. Sho nailed a spear. Lio hit both Sho and EVIL with the wrench. Lio nailed The Final Hour frogsplash, woke up the ref, and got the pin. That was non-stop.
7. Robbie Eagles (2) defeated Yoh (0) in a B Block match at 13:06. Mat reversals early on. They avoided each other’s big moves and had a standoff at 3:00. Eagles tied up the legs on the mat. Yoh hit a basement dropkick on the knee, and they were both down at 5:00. Yoh hit a flying forearm that sent Eagles to the floor. Yoh nailed a plancha and he was fired up. In the ring, Eagles hit a clothesline to the back of the head, then a running double knees to the face for a nearfall at 8:00. Eagles hit a powerbomb and he immediately locked in the Ron Miller Special leglock, but Yoh quickly reached the ropes.
Yoh nailed a Falcon Arrow for a believable nearfall at 10:00. They traded hard slaps to the face, and they switched to stiff forearm shots. Yoh nailed a neckbreaker over his knee. Eagles hit a series of kicks and a mid-ring Sliced Bread #2 for a believable nearfall. Eagles then nailed a top-rope 450 Splash. They traded some rollups. Eagles hit another dropkick on the knee, then a springboard dropkick on the knee. Eagles hit a Shining Wizard for the pin. That was really, really good and best of the night so far.
8. Titan (2) defeated TJP (0) in an A Block match at 11:13. Standing switches early on; they kipped up and had a standoff at 1:30. Really good opening sequence. Titan hit a dive through the ropes, and their heads collided. In the ring, Titan got a nearfall. TJP snapped Titan’s left arm backward, and Titan sold the pain of the move. TJP began removing Titan’s mask, earning some boos. TJP nailed a Facewash running kick in the corner at 4:30, and he was in control of the offense. TJP hit a backbreaker over his knee.
Titan hit a springboard crossbody block. They fought to the floor, and Titan hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor, narrowly missing fans in the front row. (Again, no guardrails.) He dragged TJP into the ring and got a nearfall at 7:00. TJP hit a Mamba Splash across Titan’s back as Titan was lying on the top rope. TJP nailed a springboard DDT for a believable nearfall. Titan hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest as TJP was lying on the ring apron. In the ring, TJP applied an STF, but Titan reached the ropes right at the 10:00 mark. Titan hit a tornado DDT. He applied a Muta Lock, and TJP quickly tapped out. A really good match.
9. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (2) defeated El Desperado (0) at 14:06. These two were long-time teammates in Suzuki-Gun, and Charlton said this was the match he was looking forward to the most of night 1. I haven’t read any predictions from others, but Desperado is my clear favorite to win the B Block. Kanemaru attacked from behind and they immediately brawled to the floor. Desperado dropped Kanemaru face-first on the ring apron. In the ring, Desperado slowed Kanemaru down on the mat. Kanemaru slammed Desperado’s left knee at 4:00, and he began targeting it.
Kanemaru applied a Figure Four Leglock and cranked on it for pressure, but Desperado reached the ropes and rolled to the floor at 6:30. In the ring, Desperado hit a back suplex, but sold the pain in his knee. He began working over Kanemaru’s left leg. Desperado applied the Stretch Muffler leglock behind his neck at 9:00, but Kanemaru reached the ropes. Kanemaru hit another dropkick on the knee, and he again applied a Figure Four at 11:00, and Desperado screamed in pain. They again fought to the floor; Desperado’s knee gave out and he barely got back in the ring before being counted out.
Kanemaru went for the Figure Four again, but Desperado fought it off. Desperado went for the Stretch Muffler again, but Kanemaru escaped. Desperado hit a sideslam for a believable nearfall; he pounded at his knee, trying to get feeling in it. Kanemaru blocked the Angels Wings faceplant and he again got the Figure Four Leglock! Desperado got close to the ropes, but Kanemaru pulled him back to the center, and Desperado tapped out. Very entertaining match. I don’t mind Desperado losing right out of the gate, as it puts him in the ‘chase position’ moving forward.
10. Mike Bailey (2) defeated HIromu Takahashi (0) in an A Block match at 16:39. Charlton talked about the sheer number of singles matches Bailey has had in the past year, as he is 67-46-1. He’s had 114 singles matches! That doesn’t include any tags or multi-man matches! That is just an insane schedule. They shook hands to open, but Hiromu attacked him before letting go. Bailey immediately hit his Speedball kicks to the ribs and thighs, and they brawled to the floor. Hiromu hit his running shotgun dropkick off the apron onto Bailey on the floor at 3:30.
They brawled up the risers and into the crowd, where Hiromu nailed a snap suplex on the cement floor. You don’t usually see wrestlers this far from the ring in NJPW. They got back in the ring, and they traded chops at 6:00. Hiromu nailed a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Bailey fired back with a series of stiff kicks and a running Shooting Star Press. Bailey hit his moonsault double kneedrop at 9:30, and a stiff spin kick to the side of the head for a nearfall.
They began trading stiff forearm shots mid-ring, and Bailey landed some hard kicks. Hiromu hit a clothesline. Bailey nailed a Mafia Kick that sent Hiromu to the floor, and Bailey nailed his Triangle Moonsault to the floor at 12:30. Bailey missed a dive to the floor and crashed. Hiromu brought him in the ring and hit a side slam for a nearfall. They traded rollups, and Bailey nailed his Green Tea Plunge/mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall at 15:30. They traded stiff kicks. I can’t put into words how HOT this crowd was. Bailey hit his tornado kick in the corner, then the Ultima Weapon/second-rope moonsault kneedrop for the pin. WOW WOW WOW.
* Bailey got on the mic. “Friends, (then a few words in Japanese.) I have done it. I have defeated the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. I have defeated the four-time BOSJ winner. I am razor sharp and laser focused,” he said. He then thanked the crowd in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese.
Final Thoughts: Tremendous main event. Simply tremendous. I wouldn’t be surprised if we look back three weeks from now and say this was the best match of the whole tournament. We were reminded several times here that no one has won the tournament in their debut since Ospreay. I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if Bailey joins Ospreay in that feat. I really liked Eagles-Yoh for second place, with Desperado-Kanemaru for third.
The current tag champs, Kushida and Knight, both lost. The last tag champs, TJP and Akira, also both lost. That is concerning to me. It always makes the tag champs look weak when they lose as singles wrestlers.
I admittedly think the A Block is far superior this year; of the six men I consider “most likely” to win the tournament, five (Hiromu Takahashi, Kushida, Taiji Ishimori, Mike Bailey, Lio Rush) are in the A Block, with just one (El Desperado) in the B Block.
There are seriously just six days off over the course of this tournament, so everyone is right back in action Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
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