By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Best of Super Juniors, Night 14”
June 7, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan, at Ota-City General Gymnasium
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart provided commentary. This is it! After three weeks, we have our finals tonight, and it’s a repeat of last year’s finals! Will Kosei Fujita repeat? Or can Yoh win this time? All 20 participants in this year’s BoSJ are in action.
1. Tatsuya Matsumoto and “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tiger Mask, Taisei Nakahara, and Masatora Yasuda. This is the first appearance for Bishamon on this tour. Matsumoto and Yasuda opened. Tiger Mask entered at 2:00 and hit some roundhouse kicks to Matsumoto’s chest. Matsumoto hit a dropkick on TM, and they were both down. Nakahara put Yoshi-Hashi in a Boston Crab, but Y-H reached the ropes at 5:00. Yoshi-Hashi put Taisei in a Boston Crab, and he tapped out. Very basic.
Tatsuya Matsumoto and “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi defeated Tiger Mask, Taisei Nakahara, and Masatora Yasuda at 6:17.
2. “United Empire” Jake Lee, Jakob Austin Young, and Francesco Akira vs. Jado, El Phantasmo, and Shota Umino. ELP and JAY opened. Shota battled Jake Lee, who had his white Joker-style face paint on again today. Shota and ELP hit stereo dropkicks on Young. Jado tagged in at 3:00. They all brawled to the floor, and Jakob pushed Jado shoulder-first into the ring post. In the ring, Akira hit a stiff kick to Jado’s spine and got a nearfall at 5:30.
The UE worked Jado over in their corner. Lee hit a diving European Uppercut to the back for a nearfall. Jado’s partners were yanked off the apron so they couldn’t enter. Lee hit a Helluva Kick on Jado, and he applied a front guillotine choke until Jado tapped out. Yes, a match actually ended on a front guillotine choke. Lee beat up Phantasmo after the bell. He hit a Helluva Kick onto a chair that was being held over ELP’s face!
“United Empire” Jake Lee, Jakob Austin Young, and Francesco Akira defeated Jado, El Phantasmo, and Shota Umino at 7:46.
3. Daisuke Sasaki, Nick Wayne, Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Valiente Jr. vs. “The Unbound Co.” Daiki Nagai, Gedo, Robbie X, Taiji Ishimori, and Titan. Daisuke clearly doesn’t like or trust his teammates. Titan and Valiente Jr. opened and traded some fast lucha reversals. They both missed dropkicks and had a standoff at 1:00. Wato hit a huracanrana on Ishimori. Ishimori hit a handspring-back-spin kick. Nagai entered and hit a basement dropkick in the corner on Wato for a nearfall at 2:30.
Wato hit a leg lariat. Daisuke tagged in and worked over Nagai and tied him in a crossface on the mat. He took off his own shirt and choked Nagai with it at 4:30. Wayne entered and hit a flying back elbow on Nagai, who hit a Pounce on Wayne. Robbie X entered for the first time and battled Nick, hitting a dropkick, a Koppo Kick, and a plancha to the floor. Robbie hit a running Shooting Star Press on Wayne for a nearfall at 7:00, then a Pele Kick. Nick hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Robbie. Taguchi and Gedo entered for the first time. Gedo kicked him in the butt, and he side-stepped a flying buttbump.
Seconds later, Taguchi hit the buttbump, and he tied Gedo in an ankle lock, but Ishimori made the save. Wato and Nagai tied up again, and Wato nailed a flip dive to the floor! Daiki dove through the ropes to the floor. Wayne hit an Asai Moonsault. Titan dove through the ropes onto everyone! Valiente hit a flip dive onto everyone! Robbie X hit a springboard twisting press onto everyone! We were back to just Gedo vs. Taguchi in the ring. Taguchi applied an ankle lock, and Gedo tapped out. That was an absolute blast.
Daisuke Sasaki, Nick Wayne, Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Valiente Jr. defeated “The Unbound Co.” Daiki Nagai, Gedo, Robbie X, Taiji Ishimori, and Titan at 10:27.
4. El Desperado and Hyo vs. “House of Torture” Sho and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Sho spoke on the mic, and Hyo attacked him, and we’re underway! Sho bailed to the floor. Dick Togo appeared, and he had Hyo’s stupid stuffed leopard. I thought we were done with these shenanigans! Hyo left the ring to get the stuffy back, but the HoT began working him over. Sho tied Hyo’s arm in the ropes. Hyo finally hit a double stomp to Sho’s chest at 4:00.
Desperado entered and faced former teammate Kanemaru. Kanemaru tied him in a Figure Four. Desperado hit a back suplex for a nearfall at 6:00. Togo hopped on the apron to again taunt Hyo with the stuffy. Desperado hit the Pinche Loco (Angel’s Wings) on Kanemaru for the pin. Hyo is a fun wrestler, but the stuffed animal humor is just lost on me.
El Desperado and Hyo defeated “House of Torture” Sho and Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 6:32.
5. Kushida, Taichi, and Yuya Uemura vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa, and Robbie Eagles. Oiwa and Yuya opened, and Uemura hit some armdrags, and he targeted the left arm. Kushida entered at 2:30 and tied up Oiwa. Eagles entered and tied up Kushida’s legs as they fought on the mat. Robbie hit a superkick, and they traded forearm strikes and were both down at 5:00. Taichi and Hartley entered and traded shoulder blocks with neither man really budging.
Hartley hit a short-arm clothesline. He and Oiwa hit a team suplex on Taichi, with Hartley getting a nearfall at 6:30. Oiwa and Yuya fought again, with Oiwa flipping Yuya to the floor. Hartley hit a massive senton on Taichi for a nearfall. Taichi set up for a Black Mephisto (Air Raid Crash), but he turned it into a sunset flip-style rollup and pinned Hartley. Fun match.
Kushida, Taichi, and Yuya Uemura defeated “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa, and Robbie Eagles at 8:10.
6. Aaron Wolf, Jun Kaisei, and Toru Yano vs. “The House of Torture” Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, and Dick Togo. Yano, Wolf, and HoT in the same match? Skip! Cagematch.net says Wolf hit an Angle Slam to pin Togo.
Aaron Wolf, Jun Kaisei, and Toru Yano defeated “The House of Torture” Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, and Dick Togo at 7:11.
7. “United Empire” Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, and Zane Jay vs. “The Unbound Co.” Yota Tsuji, Oskar, and Yuto-Ice. Our first time seeing the Knockout Brothers on this tour, too. Callum and Yota opened in an intense lockup, and they immediately traded forearm strikes. Callum hit a running knee at 2:00. Zane hit a dive through the ropes. Callum hit a flip dive to the floor onto Yota. He whipped Tsuji into rows of chairs. Newman hit a slingshot senton into the ring at 4:00.
O-Khan tagged in and continued to beat down Yota, who was selling a right shoulder injury. Tsuji hit a Flatliner on O-Khan. Oskar finally tagged in and bodyslammed O-Khan and hit a back-body drop on Zane, then a big shoulder tackle on Newman at 7:00. Yuto-Ice hit his running knee in the corner on O-Khan for a nearfall. O-Khan kicked the ropes to crotch Yuto-Ice. Yota and Callum got back in at 9:30 and traded kicks.
Callum hit a hard clothesline, and they were both down. Zane tagged in and worked over Yota. Yota hit a backbreaker over his knee and a powerbomb move for a nearfall. Oskar hit a Pump Kick on O-Khan. Newman hit a series of kicks on Oskar. Yota hit a Gene Blaster (spear) on Callum! He hit a headbutt on Zane, followed by a pumphandle slam to the mat, and pinned Jay. Really fun action.
“The Unbound Co.” Yota Tsuji, Oskar, and Yuto-Ice defeated “United Empire” Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, and Zane Jay at 13:56.
8. Kosei Fujita (7-3) vs. Yoh (7-3) in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament final. The crowd was HOT and split. They circled each other before locking up. A lengthy feeling-out process early on, and they began trading forearm strikes at 3:00. Yoh hit a Sabre-style neck-snap between his ankles at 4:30. Fujita hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 6:30, and he applied a half-crab. He repeatedly snapped Yoh’s arm over his shoulder. Yoh fired up and hit some flying forearms, then a Northern Lights Suplex at 9:30.
Kosei tied him in the Snare Trap leg lock, but Yoh immediately got to the ropes. Yoh hit a faceplant, and they were both down at 11:00. Yoh mockingly copied Okada, throwing up a middle finger to the crowd, which seemed to enjoy the humor. Fujita hit some rolling German Suplexes and got a nearfall at 12:30. Yoh hit a Falcon Arrow, and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Yoh hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 14:00.
They got up and traded more chops. Fujita hit another German Suplex, and he locked in a Fujiwara Armbar at 16:30, and he grabbed a leg, too… but Yoh reached the ropes. Fujita hit a springboard dropkick for a nearfall at 18:00. Fujita again went for the Jungle Boy-style Snare Trap, and he cranked back on Yoh’s arms! He grabbed Yoh’s head and pulled back. This crowd was insanely hot! Yoh BIT the ropes to escape at 19:30. Kosei hit a suplex for a nearfall. Kosei hit a German Suplex with a high bridge for a believable nearfall at 21:00.
Yoh nailed a Crucifix Driver for a believable nearfall! They got up and traded forearm strikes. Fujita hit a spin kick to the ear, and they were both down at 23:30. Yoh hit another neckbreaker over his knee. Fujita hit a short-arm clothesline. Yoh fired up and hit a series of forearm strikes. Fujita hit a headbutt and his Thrill Ride pop-up stunner for a believable nearfall at 26:30. Yoh hit a Goto-style neckbreaker over his knee! Yoh hit a running knee and a short-arm clothesline for a believable nearfall! Yoh nailed the Direct Drive (double-arm spike DDT) for the pin! A very good match.
Yoh defeated Kosei Fujita at 28:01 to win the 2026 Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
* Douki walked to the ring to confront Yoh. However, Sho jumped Yoh from behind. Yoh grabbed Sho’s flat metal sheet and struck both guys with it. Toru Yano, Hirooki Goto, and Yoshi-Hashi came to the ring to celebrate with Yoh.
Final Thoughts: A very good main event to close out a pretty enjoyable three-week tournament. I was cheering for Fujita, but Yoh had a really good match, and it certainly could have gone either way. The undercard was pretty good. The 10-man tag takes second, as it featured nine guys who were in the tournament, and they had an all-out sprint with some tremendous high-flying spots.
Overall, a good tournament — I’d give it a B+. They had to overcome the glaring absence of Hiromu Takahashi, and they filled some spots with fresh faces (Hyo), some old faces (Daisuke Sasaki’s first tournament in 14 years), and a surprising face (deathmatch special Jun Kasai). Jun’s tournament matches were certainly different than the rest of the show, and the crowd got into them.
I’ll reiterate that my biggest complaint is that we actually had EIGHT competitors who finished the round-robin stage at 6-3, so half of them didn’t reach the playoffs because of convoluted tiebreakers. Fans in attendance didn’t know when Sho, Desperado, Ishimori, or Akira were eliminated because of a tie-breaker. Gedo really should make a point of booking the tournament so tiebreakers aren’t a factor — the top two guys in a Block should be 6-3 (or better!), and everyone else should be 5-4 or worse.
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