By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Best of the Super Juniors”
May 11, 2024 in Chiba, Japan at Chiba Park Gymnasium
Streamed live on New Japan World
There are 20 wrestlers in this year’s tournament, divided into two Blocks. It is a round-robin tournament, thus, each wrestler has nine tournament matches. The top two from each Block will advance to a four-man playoff. The finals will be Sunday, June 9.
Last year’s final four appeared to be on road to an El Desperado-Mike Bailey finale, but NJPW pulled the rug out from underneath all its fans, with Master Wato and Titan beating them in the semi-finals, then Wato winning BoSJ. (Wato went on to have a terrible year where he was lost in the shuffle and ignored at Wrestle Kingdom, ending with him tearing his ACL.) So, we don’t have a defending champion this year. The field features NJPW outsiders Blake Christian, Hayata, Dragon Dia and Ninja Mack. The only NJPW regular debuting his year is recent Young Lion graduate Kosei Fujita. Notably absent from last year’s field are Mike Bailey and Lio Rush. Injuries also have sidelined Yoh, Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi.
This is a large gym with just a few rows in an upper deck; attendance is maybe 600-800. Chris Charlton provided solo commentary, and he pointed out we don’t have guardrails, allowing the high-flyers more room to work.
1. Francesco Akira (2) defeated Dragon Dia (0) in a B Block match at 5:32. My first time seeing Dia, who wore white pants with pink trim, and he’s in his early 20s. They traded fast reversals and Dia hit a flip dive to the floor. In the ring, Dia hit a 619. Akira hit a leg lariat, then a second-rope crossbody block. Dia hit an enzuigiri and a standing moonsault. Akira hit a swinging neckbreaker at 5:00, then a Fireball running knees to the back of the head for the pin. More decisive than I imagined.
2. Hayata (2) defeated Bushi (0) in an A Block match at 7:06. Charlton said this is Bushi’s 12th BoSJ, most of this year’s field due to Taguchi withdrawing because of his injuries. Bushi attacked at the bell. They brawled on the floor, and Hayata shoved Bushi into the ring post. He grounded Bushi in the ring. In the ring, Bushi hit a huracanrana at 3:30, then a dive through the ropes onto Hayata. In the ring, Bushi hit a Lungblower and a DDT for a nearfall. Bushi applied his modified Figure Four. Hayata hit a tornado DDT at 6:00 but clutched at his sore left knee. Hayata hit a spin kick and a DDT for a nearfall, then a DDT-style faceplant for the pin. Okay match.
3. Ninja Mack (2) defeated Robbie Eagles (0) in a B Block match at 7:28. This is Mack’s NJPW debut; I’m far more familiar with his work in GCW than in NOAH. Eagles carried a belt he won in Australia in April. Fast-paced reversals and a standoff at 2:00. Mack did his cartwheels and landed in a ‘super hero pose’ on one knee, and it popped the crowd. Eagles hit a flip dive through the ropes onto Mack. Eagles hit a spin kick to the chest as Mack was standing against the ring post at 4:00, and he hit a chop block on Mack’s left knee. In the ring, he hit a basement dropkick on that left knee. Mack fired back with a flying European Uppercut. He went for a standing corkscrew press but inadvertently overshot him. He went for another one, but Eagles got his knees up. They began trading rollups, when Mack suddenly got the three-count! I liked this; Charlton said this has to be seen as “somewhat of an upset.”
4. Kosei Fujita (2) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru (0) in an A Block match at 8:43. Charlton immediately pointed out Kosei is wearing sharp-looking black pants with orange and silver designs that fit the TMDK color scheme. No House of Torture teammates for Kanemaru as we begin anyway, and he attacked Fujita to start, and they immediately brawled on the floor. Charlton noted that EVIL, Jack Perry and Ren Narita are all in the U.S. so they won’t be out here to interfere. Kanemaru slammed Fujita’s knee from the ring apron to the thin mat on the floor at 1:00. In the ring, Kanemaru locked in a Figure Four, but Fujita reached the ropes at 2:30. Kanemaru kept the focus on the left knee. Fujita went for a German Suplex, but Kanemaru grabbed the ref to avoid going over. Moments later, Fujita got the German Suplex, then an “Abandon Hope” faceplant for the pin! Fujita gets a win in his first-ever BoSJ match!
5. Sho (2) defeated Drilla Moloney (0) in a B Block match at 8:11. A heel-heel matchup and this may struggle to get the crowd into it. Again, Drilla is right at the 220 pound/100 Kg cut-off and he is clearly much larger than his opponents. Sho’s hair has a splash of blueish-purple… is he trying to copy Master Wato? They both went to swing their title belts at each other at the bell. They charged at each other and did the comedy spot of holding each other’s legs, agreeing to set them down, seeing who would cheat.
Drilla hit a backbreaker over his knee. Sho grounded Drilla. Drilla hit a dropkick at 4:30 and a doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall. They brawled on the floor. Gedo hit a low blow on Sho! Charlton assumed Gedo was in the United States! Yujiro Takahashi hopped in the ring on the other side and hit a low blow on Drilla! With the referee distracted, Sho hit Drilla with his wrench to the head for the cheap pin. I don’t mind these types of antics in heel-heel matchups.
* Robbie Eagles joined Charlton on commentary!
6. Blake Christian (2) defeated Clark Connors (0) in an A Block match at 10:51. Charlton said these two are familiar with each other from New Japan Strong during the pandemic era. Blake hit a huracanrana and a 619 and a springboard forearm for a nearfall at 1:30. Connors nailed a Pounce that sent Blake to the floor. Clark whipped Christian into rows of empty chairs at ringside at 3:00. Clark whipped Young Lion Shoma Kato onto Blake! In the ring, Clark hit a snap suplex and was in charge. He applied a full nelson, but Blake got a foot on the ropes at 5:00. Blake nailed a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. Blake nailed his Fosbury Flop to the floor, and he hit an inverted DDT on the floor.
In the ring, Blake snapped Connors’ left leg. Connors hit a powerslam at 7:30, then a decapitating clothesline for a nearfall. Blake hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly and they were both down. Connors hit a spear for a nearfall but Blake got a foot on the ropes. Blake grabbed an IWGP title belt; the ref confiscated it before he could use it. Blake pulled out brass knuckles from his pants and hit Connors with them! He hit a rolling Burning Hammer then a step-up Stomp to the head for the tainted pin! Up until the final seconds, Blake had wrestled the entire match as a babyface!
7. Taiji Ishimori (2) defeated Douki (0) in a B Block match at 11:24. Douki has been on fire and many expect him to have a Master Wato-like run this year. Ishimori got injured in his second-to-last tournament match last year, had to forfeit the final match, and missed the summer while recovering. They almost immediately went to the floor, and Taiji tossed Douki’s head and shoulder into the ring post, and Douki was selling the pain as he writhed on the floor. In the ring, Douki hit a DDT at 3:30. Douki hit a tornado DDT onto the thin mat on the floor. In the ring, he hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall, but he sold the shoulder pain. Ishimori went back to twisting the left arm and working it over.
Ishimori hit a shoulder breaker over his knee at 7:00. Douki tied him up along his back, slammed Ishimori stomach-first to the mat, and locked in the Douki Chokey triangle choke! Douki set up for Daybreak, but Ishimori hit Douki’s shoulder again, and they were both down at 9:30. Douki hit a clothesline and he was fired up. He hit a swinging sideslam for a nearfall. Ishimori tried to apply a Bone Lock but Douki got a rollup for a nearfall, and he went back to the Douki Chokey. However, Ishimori hit the Bloody Cross modified DDT for the clean pin.
8. Kevin Knight (2) defeated TJP (0) in an A Block match at 15:02. TJP has been on a roll and pushing to become the new leader of the United Empire. Charlton said this is their first singles matchup in three years. Intense standing switches early on, and Knight applied a leg lock around the neck on the mat, and they had a standoff. They traded chops. TJ hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor at 3:00. In the ring, TJP tied up Knight’s legs and kept him grounded. Knight hit his jump-up Frankensteiner, then an impressive dropkick. He hit a plancha to the floor with some great height on it. “Is it the shoes?” Charlton shouted.
Knight hit a springboard clothesline for a nearfall at 6:00. Knight tied him in an abdominal stretch. TJP applied his own Octopus submission hold, then he snapped Kevin’s left arm behind his back at 7:30. TJP tied Kevin in the Tree of Woe and hit a basement dropkick to the face, then a top-rope doublestomp for a nearfall. TJP dropped Kevin waist-first on the top rope, then he hit a splash onto Kevin’s back, and they both tumbled to the floor at 10:00. They both got back into the ring before being counted out.
Knight hit a DDT onto the ring apron! He hit a frogsplash for a nearfall! Kevin applied a Hammerlock, then a leaping DDT, and both men were down at 13:00, and this crowd was getting fired up. TJP hit a tornado DDT. Knight hit an F5 Faceplant for a nearfall; Charlton called it a “G5.” TJP hit a Northern Lights Suplex and a basement dropkick for a nearfall and he was fired up. Knight hit a huracanrana, then his leaping DDT for the clean pin! I consider that a big upset. Charlton said it is the biggest singles victory of Knight’s career. Easily best match of the show so far.
9. Kushida (2) defeated HIromu Takahashi (0) in a B Block match at 12:23. Kushida is a replacement for the injured Yoh; he had a shockingly bad run (2-7!!) in a loaded A Block last year, which Charlton brought up. Eagles wondered if “Kushida still has it.” However, Hiromu hasn’t won a singles match in NJPW in 2024, Charlton added. They brawled to the floor, where Kushida hit a Flatliner onto an open chair at 1:30. Kushida tied him up on the mat in the ring, and they traded chops. Hiromu hit a head-scissors takedown at 4:00. He hit a Death Valley Driver into the corner. Kushida hit a punt kick on the left arm and immediately applied a Hoverboard Lock at 6:30.
Hiromu hit a superkick; Kushida hit a straight punch to the jaw. Hiromu hit a German Suplex. Kushida hit a Small Package Driver and they were both down. Hiromu dropped Kushida awkwardly on his head and shoulders for a nearfall; that landing made me (and Charlton) jump. Kushida got a backslide for a nearfall. HIromu got a Triangle Choke; Kushida turned it into a jackknife cover for a believable nearfall at 10:00. Hiromu nailed a Time Bomb modified DVD for a nearfall. Hiromu set up for a Time Bomb 2 but Kushida turned it into a Hoverboard Lock! They traded rollups, but Kushida went back to a Hoverboard Lock, and Hiromu tapped out! Charlton reiterated that Hiromu hasn’t won a singles match this year.
10. Titan (2) defeated El Desperado (0) in an A Block match at 14:40. Again, this is a rematch from last year’s playoff semifinals, where Titan shocked Desperado and went on to the finals. Quick reversals and a standoff. Titan hit a springboard huracanrana at 2:30. They went to the floor, where Desperado hit a snap suplex onto the thin mat. Titan hit a dive through the ropes and barreled onto Desperado at 4:00. Back in the ring, Titan was in charge. They traded chops. Desperado yanked Titan off the corner and Titan landed hard on the mat. Desperado hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 6:00. Titan hit a springboard tornado DDT. I am loving Eagles’ commentary as he talks about Desperado’s mindset after coming so close last year.
Desperado applied a Stretch Muffler leglock, but Titan reached the ropes at 8:30. Titan was in the ropes and flipped Desperado to the floor. Titan hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Desperado caught him with a spear and they were both down at 10:30. They traded overhand chops and this went on for a minute. Titan hit a spin kick to the jaw; Desperado nailed a spinebuster for a nearfall and immediately went back to the Stretch Muffler at 12:00. Titan eventually got to the ropes to break the hold. Desperado set up for Angel’s Wings, but Titan blocked it. Titan hit a tornado DDT and a Buzzsaw Kick. Titan hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall at 14:00, and he went to a Muta Lock and cranked back on Desperado’s head, and Desperado submitted. Charlton said it was the exact same finish as last year. I consider that an upset, too.
* Titan got on the mic and spoke in Spanish. He said a few lines in Japanese, too. He said he made it to the finals last year against Wato (thanks high school Spanish!) He said he was going to win it this year. He said he is representing CMLL and lucha libre and Los Ingobernobles de Japon.
Final Thoughts: No surprise that the top three matches came from the last three matches. That main event was tremendous and I really never thought Titan was winning the match, so I’m shocked. TJP-Knight earns second best and I was wrong on that one, too. Kushida-Hiromu takes third place.
The undercard was okay. I liked how Blake Christian wrestled the whole match as a babyface, only to cheat to win in the end. Heel-heel matches are always difficult because fans don’t want to cheer for either, so I liked the quick outside interference that led to Sho’s win. And I liked that newcomers Hayata and Ninja Mack (like Blake) scored wins in their BoSJ debuts. I want to reiterate the great work of Robbie Eagles on color commentary for those last five matches, showing more insight than many of the guys who have sat down next to Charlton or Walker Stewart in recent months. The tournament continues on Monday.
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