By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Best of the Super Juniors – Night 12”
May 31, 2024 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
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 June 9. This is the final night of the round-robin tournament for the B Block. El Desperado and TJP qualified for the playoffs on Thursday, and we’ll round out the field today.
* Empty seats are visible here at Korakuen Hall. Chris Charlton and Walker Stewart provided commentary.
1. “House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, and Yujiro Takahashi (w/Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Shota Umino, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima at 3:49. Shota has a quick turnaround, back in Japan so quickly after his AEW appearance on Wednesday. The babyfaces attacked at the bell, with the Young Lion duo hitting simultaneous dropkicks on EVIL. The HoT began working over Katsuya. Kanemaru yanked Shota to the floor and stomped on him! EVIL pulled Murashima up on a pin attempt, and he hit a Death Rider double-arm DDT to pin Murashima! That sent a message! This didn’t need to be longer than this, either.
* EVIL got on the mic and said that “Moxley has run away from him,” but he’ll have no escape, as their upcoming match will be a lumberjack match. The HoT then continued stomping on Shota Umino.
2. Boltin Oleg and Blake Christian and Hayata defeated El Desperado and Tomoaki Honma and Kevin Knight at 7:42. Hayata shook Desperado’s hand to open the match, but then he kicked him in the gut. Blake and Knight traded fast-paced reversals at 2:30, with Knight dropkicking him in the back. Knight hit a springboard double clothesline. Blake hit a handspring-back-elbow. Knight hit a dropkick on Oleg, and he tagged in Honma at 5:00. Hayata hit a dropkick to send Knight to the floor. Oleg hit a dropkick on Honma for a nearfall! He hit the Kamikaze/forward Finlay Roll on Homna for the pin. Good action.
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita defeated “Bullet Club” Clark Connors and Gedo at 8:08. Connors and Kosei opened, with Fujita hitting a huracanrana. The heels began working Kosei over in their corner. Connors hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 6:00. Sabre tied up Connors in the ropes and he hit some European Uppercuts, then he snapped his neck between his ankles. Fujita tied up Gedo’s legs, cranked back on his arms and head, and Gedo tapped out.
4. “United Empire” TJP, Callum Newman, and Henare defeated “Los Ingobernobles de Japon” Bushi, Shingo Takagi, and Titan at 10:58. TJP and Titan opened, and Titan hit a huracanrana. TJP hit a Thesz Press and he tagged in Newman, who hit a slingshot senton at 1:30. Newman hit his running boot to Shingo’s chest. Titan tagged back in and peppered Newman with a variety of kicks. TJP hit a face wash on Titan at 5:00. Titan dove to the floor on TJP. In the ring, Titan hit a superkick. TJP and Titan traded kicks and they were both down.
Henare tagged in to face nemesis Shingo, and they immediately traded forearm strikes, then shoulder tackles. Henare hit a running penalty kick at 7:30. Shingo hit some chops; Henare hit some roundhouse kicks. Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber clothesline and they both collapsed at 9:00. Bushi finally entered and hit a missile dropkick on Henare, then an enzuigiri on Newman. Henare hit a swinging powerbomb on Bushi, and he applied a full nelson. Newman hit a moonsault to the floor on Shingo. Henare hit a headbutt on Bushi, then a Death Valley Driver on Bushi for the pin. That was really good action.
* Ryusuke Taguchi came to the ring, dressed in a T-shirt and blue jeans, and he spoke on the mic. He missed the tournament because of a bicycle accident. He said he will be able to come back, but said it would be a little bit longer he’s out. He seemed to be walking alright.
5. Sho (10) defeated Francesco Akira (4) via forfeit in a B Block tournament match. Again, this didn’t happen but I put it here for those who are following the point totals each day. Akira finished 2-7 including four forfeits after suffering a knee injury.
6. Dragon Dia (2) defeated Kushida (8) in a B Block tournament match at 8:12. Dia came out first and he dropkicked Kushida as he tried to enter the ring, then he dove onto Kushida. They got in the ring and Dia got a rollup for a believable nearfall just seconds in! Kushida finally took off his vest and tied up Dia on the mat. Kushida bodyslammed Dia onto the thin mat at ringside at 3:30. Dia hit his own bodyslam on the mat at ringside. Back in the ring, Dia hit a doublestomp to the chest, then a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 5:30.
Dia hit a huracanrana from the second rope. Kushida kicked at Dia’s elbow, and he applied a Hoverboard Lock. He hit a Shotei running palm strike for a believable nearfall. Kosei hit an enzuigiri, but Kushida hit a Pele Kick. Dia hit a 619, then a second-rope DDT for the pin! Dia gets his big win on the final night of the Block; Kushida started strong but finishes 4-5.
7. Drilla Moloney (10) defeated Ninja Mack (8) via count-out in a B Block tournament match at 5:04. Moloney got on the mic and told Mack he was getting a win today, and he turned and left the ring (he’s taking a count-out?) The ref began counting; Mack confronted Moloney on the floor, so Drilla kicked him and threw him into the ring and the match fully got underway. Mack got a crucifix driver for a nearfall at 2:00. They went to the floor, where Drilla dropped him with a superkick. In the ring, Moloney went for the Drilla Killa swinging piledriver; Mack escaped, and Mack hit his Sasake Special to the floor, but Moloney caught him and hit the Drilla Killa on the thin mat on the floor! Great sequence! Mack never stood up and barely moved, so Moloney won via countout.
8. Douki (12) defeated Robbie Eagles (10) in a B Block tournament match at 14:10. Eagles lost to both Ishimori and Takahashi, so he’s eliminated, even if he wins and finishes at 6-3. Quick reversals early with neither able to land anything. Eagles hit a back suplex and he tied up Douki’s ankle and kicked at his knee. Douki hit a springboard-back-elbow, then a DDT for a nearfall at 5:00. Eagles went back to working over Douki’s knee. He hit a running double knees to the chest. He hit some Yes Kicks to the chest at 8:00. Douki hit an enzuigiri and got a backslide for a nearfall, and he applied the Douki Chokey/modified triangle choke.
Douki dove through the ropes, caught Eagles’ head, and hit a DDT to the floor at 10:00. He hit the Daybreak slingshot DDT in the ring for a nearfall. Eagles fired back with a Sliced Bread and they were both down. Eagles hit a Buzzsaw Kick, then he went for a top-rope 450 Splash, but Douki caught him and re-applied the Douki Chokey! Eagles was able to escape! They traded rollups. Douki hit a Dragon Suplex with a high bridge for the pin! A very good match and probably Douki’s best of the tournament, and I think that will launch him into the playoffs.
9. Taiji Ishimori (14) defeated Hiromu Takahashi (12) in a B Block tournament match at 20:08. The winner definitely reaches the playoffs. A feeling-out process; these two are certainly familiar foes and Hiromu is ahead 6-3 in singles matches. Hiromu hit a shotgun dropkick. They went to the floor, where Ishimori kicked Hiromu in the knee. They brawled up the stairs and to the landing half-way up the seating at Korakuen Hall. They both raced down the stars to get back in the ring at 3:00 before being counted out, but they went right back to the floor, with Ishimori in charge. In the ring, Ishimori slammed the damaged knee on the mat. He hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 6:00 and applied a Trailer Hitch leglock.
Hiromu tied Ishimori up in the ropes in a modified Tarantula, then he hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 8:00, and Stewart talked about Ishimori’s neck injury in last year’s tournament. Ishimori hit a handspring-back-spin kick and they were both down. He shoved Hiromu shoulder-first into the corner, then a shoulder breaker over his knee. He hit a double-knee strike to the chest for a nearfall, and he applied the Bone Lock/modified crossface. Hiromu put Ishimori on his shoulders and slammed him into a corner. They got up and traded forearm strikes. “How many forearms have these two exchanged in the past six years?” Charlton asked.
Hiromu hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee and got a nearfall. Hiromu hit a hard clothesline. Ishimori nailed a top-rope 450 Splash for a nearfall at 15:30. Hiromu got a rollup for a believable nearfall. Hiromu applied a triangle choke. Hiromu hit a Bloody Cross (Ishimori’s move!) for a nearfall, but Taiji got a foot on the ropes. Hiromu hit a Time Bomb slam for a believable nearfall at 18:30. Ishimori applied the Bone Lock! Ishimori hit a Time Bomb 2 (Hiromu’s move!) or a believable nearfall. Ishimori then nailed the Bloody Cross to cleanly pin Hiromu! A fantastic match; easily among the top five of this year’s tournament.
* Ishimori got on the mic and said he had pent-up anger and he was able to release it tonight.
Final Thoughts: Ishimori wins the B Block and will face TJP, the A Block runner-up. As expected, Douki wins the other playoff spot, as he beat Hiromu earlier in the tournament, so Douki will face El Desperado, the A Block winner. Stewart noted that none of the four have won BoSJ before. Main event takes best, Douki-Eagles was strong for second, and I really liked the LIJ-UE six-man tag for third. NJPW is taking the weekend off, with the semi-finals taking place on Monday, and Charlton said Korakuen Hall is already sold out. The rest of the lineup for Monday will be released later.
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