By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Best of Super Juniors – Night 1”
May 10, 2025, in Chiba, Japan at Yohas Arena
Streamed live on New Japan World
This show took place just hours after the Resurgence show in California. All 20 BoSJ competitors are NOT in action on night 1; Clark Connors was in California. This is a large gym, and the crowd was maybe 500-600, with almost everyone seated on the floor; there are perhaps six rows in the risers. Chris Charlton was solo on commentary as we began; he said they will be “spoiler-free” and won’t share results from Resurgence.
* This year’s tournament features 20 wrestlers, divided into two Blocks. It is a round-robin tournament, so each competitor has nine matches. The last three or so years, the top two of each Block have reached a four-man playoffs. However, this year, only the Block winners will meet in a finale. (So, someone will need to go 6-3 or possibly even 7-2 to win their Block. A 5-4 record isn’t going to cut it!) Wins are worth 2 points; draws are 1 point each. We have five tournament matches tonight.
* Notable that there are no ringside guardrails, which is the signature look of the BoSJ tournament shows, giving the high-flyers more room to move.
1. “Bullet Club” Taijiri Ishimori and Robbie X vs. Ninja Mack and Katsuya Murashima. Murashima isn’t in BoSJ, but everyone else is. Robbie and Mack opened. All four quickly fought into the crowd. In the ring, Ishimori choked Mack in the ropes and tugged at his mask. Murashima hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Ishimori at 4:00, and he tied him in a Boston Crab. Ishimori tied Murashima in a Bone Lock (crossface) on the mat, and Katusya tapped out. Solid opener.
Taijiri Ishimori and Robbie X defeated Ninja Mack and Katsuya Murashima at 5:28.
2. Kevin Knight, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Master Wato vs. Shoma Kato, Tiger Mask, and Mao. Everyone but Kato and Tiger Mask is in BoSJ. Wato and the Young Lion, Kato, opened, with Wato hitting a dropkick. Taguchi hit a mid-ring buttbump on Tiger Mask at 1:30; TM hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee. Knight got in and hit some European Uppercuts on Tiger Mask. Mao got in and battled Knight. Knight hit his picture-perfect dropkick at 5:00 and a D’Lo-style Sky High. Kato and Wato tagged back in. Kato tied him in a Boston Crab, but Wato reached the ropes at 7:00. Wato hit a tornado kick to the shoulder, then a German Suplex for the pin on Kato.
Kevin Knight, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Master Wato defeated Shoma Kato, Tiger Mask, and Mao at 7:36.
3. Yoh and Toru Yano vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Robbie Eagles and Hartley Jackson. Charlton joked that the massive Jackson was disappointed he wasn’t included in this year’s BoSJ field. He is definitely closer to 300 pounds than the 220-pound weight limit. This is a rare preview match where I’m not confident of the outcome! Robbie and Yoh opened; Charlton said this will be Eagles’ seventh BoSJ, which is a record for a non-Japanese native. Quick reversals and a standoff early on. Yano and Hartley got in at 2:00, and Yano slapped him on the top of the head, then apologized.
TMDK twisted Yano’s arms, and Hartley hit a massive senton for a nearfall at 3:30. Yoh hit a top-rope somersault onto Robbie, then a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 5:30. Hartley knocked Yano down with a shoulder tackle but he missed a guillotine legdrop. Hartley hit a suplex, and this time he hit the guillotine legdrop for a nearfall at 7:30. Eagles hit a Meteora running double knees on Yano. Eagles hit a plancha to the floor on Yoh. Meanwhile, Yano hit a low blow and a schoolboy rollup on Hartley for the cheap pin. Of course, Charlton played it up like he didn’t see the cheating occur. Solid match.
Yoh and Toru Yano defeated Hartley Jackson and Robbie Eagles at 8:20.
* In an unusual twist, the five tournament matches here come from both the A AND B Blocks. Also, Kevin Knight joined commentary here.
4. Nick Wayne vs. Sho in a B Block tournament match. Sho attacked from behind, and they brawled into the crowd. In the ring, Sho applied a cross-armbreaker at 4:00. Wayne sold shoulder pain from the assault on the floor. Wayne hit a second-rope missile dropkick. Wayne hit a flip dive to the floor at 7:00 but continued to sell the pain in his elbow. Sho hit a spear and they were both down. Sho got a wrench but he swung and missed. Wayne picked it up but the ref confiscated it. Sho hit a low blow, then a Lumbar Check for a believable nearfall at 9:00.
Knight called Wayne a “19-year-old 10-year vet.” Sho hit a release German Suplex and a clothesline. Sho set up for the Shock Arrow piledriver but Wayne blocked it and got a rollup for a nearfall. Wayne nailed a roundhouse kick to the head, then a fisherman’s buster for the pin! Charlton called it the “Prodigy Plex.” A really good way to kick off the tournament.
Nick Wayne (2) defeated Sho (0) at 10:50.
5. Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Dragon Dia in an A Block tournament match. Dia was in last year’s field, but he went 1-8; he’s talented, though perhaps 5’3″. I admittedly am not a fan of Kanemaru. Kanemaru came out first, and he attacked Dia as he tried to enter the ring. I started my stopwatch at first contact. They brawled on the floor, and we had the bell to officially begin. (Whatever happened to waiting until they both got in the ring to get a bell? All I ask for is consistency!) They briefly got in the ring, but went right back to the floor, with Kanemaru twisting Dia’s knee, and Dia was down on the floor. Charlton said this is Kanemaru’s 8th BoSJ, and he’s never had a winning record.
Kanemaru picked up Dia and slammed him knee-first to the mat at 2:00, and he twisted the ankle and targeted the damaged leg. He applied a half-crab. Knight talked about straddling the 220-pound weight limit and how he keeps under the limit. Kanemaru hit an inverted DDT for a nearfall at 8:30. He tied Dia in a Figure Four, but Dia reached the ropes. Kanemaru shoved Dia into the ref at 10:30. Kanemaru got a swig of whiskey, but Dia kicked him and the alcohol went up in the air. Dia got a rollup and scored a flash pin out of nowhere!
Dragon Dia (2) defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru (0) at 11:11/official time is closer to 11:00 even.
6. Kosei Fujita vs. Francesco Akira (w/Jakob Austin Young) in an A Block tournament match. An intense lockup to open, and they traded forearm strikes and chops at 1:00. They fought to the floor. Akira sat on the apron and applied a leglock around the neck. Akira tripped Fujita, who fell gut-first on the top rope at 3:30. He hit a knee lift to the gut, and Fujita sold the pain in his stomach. Akira hit a standing moonsault. “When did Akira learn that?” Knight asked. Akira applied a bear hug on the mat, continuing to work the stomach, but Fujita reached the ropes. Fujita hit a spinning kick and they were both down at 6:00.
Fujita tied Akira in Jungle Boy’s Snare Trap leglock. Akira hit a flip dive to the floor at 8:00. In the ring, he hit an enzuigiri. Akira hit a German Suplex for a nearfall, and they were both down. He got up and hit some clotheslines. Fujita hit a German Suplex at 11:00, then a second one with a high bridge for a nearfall. Fujita nailed a Burning Hammer for the clean pin! “What. A. Fight!” Knight said. A very good match.
Kosei Fujita (2) defeated Francesco Akira (0) at 12:07.
7. Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kushida in an A Block tournament match. Kushida came out first, and he hit a baseball slide dropkick as Hiromu approached the ring. They brawled in the ring as Kushida was still wearing his jacket. On the floor, Hiromu rammed Kushida’s knee into the thin mat at ringside, and Kushida sold the pain. Charlton noted that Hiromu is a four-time BoSJ winner, and he won his opening match in each of those four years. Kushida has won this tournament twice, in 2015 and 2017. Takahashi applied a Trailer Hitch leg lock in the ring, but Kushida reached the ropes at 4:00.
Hiromu applied another leglock. They got up, but Hiromu kicked at the knee. Kushida hit a handspring-back-elbow at 6:30, and they were both down. Kushida hit a flying huracanrana off the apron to the floor. In the ring, he hit a leaping DDT and switched to a cross-armbreaker. He hit a dropkick on the elbow. Hiromu fired back with a Dragonscrew Legwhip and applied a Figure Four Leglock at 8:30, but Kushida quickly got to the ropes. Kushida applied a hammerlock on the mat as he kept targeting the elbow. Hiromu hit a clothesline, and they were both down at 11:30. They traded rollups. Hiromu hit a Lungblower-style move to the chin, and he applied a Texas Cloverleaf; he turned around into a standing Figure Four, then back into the Texas Cloverleaf, and Kushida tapped out! Good match.
Hiromu Takahashi (2) defeated Kushida (0) at 13:09.
8. El Desperado vs. Titan in a B Block tournament match. I remember Titan shocked Desperado in the playoffs a few years ago. (Mike Bailey and Desperado both won their blocks but both lost in the playoffs, robbing us all of that epic match!) Basic reversals early on, with neither man getting an advantage. Titan hit a springboard crossbody block at 1:30, then a dropkick that sent Despe to the floor. Desperado hit a snap suplex on the floor. They traded chops in front of the fans. In the ring, Despe hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 4:00. He tied up Titan on the mat and untied the back of Titan’s mask!
Desperado hit a clothesline into the corner. Titan hit a pair of dives to the floor on Desperado. Back in the ring, Titan hit a sideslam at 6:30. Desperado hit a Spinebuster, and he applied a Stretch Muffler, but Titan escaped. Titan hit a flip dive to the floor, crashing onto Despe, and they were both down. Titan hit a springboard splash into the ring for a nearfall at 9:00. He hit a spin kick to the throat. Desperado hit a suplex, and they were both down.
Despe set up for his Pinche Loco (Angel’s Wings), but Titan blocked it. Titan hit a tornado DDT. Despe re-applied a Stretch Muffler at 11:30. Desperado hit a piledriver along his back for a believable nearfall. Titan hit a top-rope doublestomp to the lower back for a believable nearfall at 13:30, and Despe writhed in pain on the mat. Desperado re-applied the Stretch Muffler and stood up, and Titan tapped out. “What a battle,” Knight said. Desperado got his win back after that tournament playoff loss three years ago.
El Desperado (2) defeated Titan (0) at 14:06.
* Desperado got on the mic and said some words in Spanish and Japanese to Titan. The crowd sat quietly as I’m not sure anyone but Titan really knew what was being said! Desperado switched to all Japanese, and he noted his prior loss to Titan (which I noted a few times.)
Final Thoughts: A very good way to kick off the tournament. I’ll narrowly go with Fujita-Akira for best match, ahead of the main event. Kushida-Hiromu takes third. Nick Wayne started the tournament right. Dia got a surprise win over Kanemaru, but I would still peg Dia’s final record at 3-6 or 2-7.
The tournament continues on Sunday with five more tournament matches, including Clark Connors, who has to be on a plane right now as I’m typing this back to Japan. The top match Sunday is probably Mao vs. Kevin Knight, plus Ninja Mack vs. Robbie X could be sneaky good.
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