Two thirds distance reached in Iwate
Best of the Super Jr sees its sixth group matches wrestled in Iwate on May 18. In the intense north eastern stretch, only three group matches remain after tonight’s bouts, meaning those on the bubble have to act fast to be in with a chance of the final four.
Watch Best of the Super Jr. 30 live in English on NJPW World!
Main event: B Block- Master Wato (3-2) vs Robbie Eagles (4-1)
Singles record: 2-2
Joint top of the block heading into Sendai Wednesday, Robbie Eagles just survived against Yoshinobu Kanemaru with a Trigger to end his night at the top of the table with eight points. For Master Wato, a win over Dan Moloney put him a win off the pace at six, making this match a critical one heading into the final stretch. Master Wato has long been a trap game for Eagles, and their 2-2 singles record against one another is indication of a very difficult match to call in Iwate, and one that could shape the last third of these block bouts.
9th Match- A Block: KUSHIDA (1-4) vs Hiromu Takahashi (4-1)
Singles record: 6-3 KUSHIDA
Stumbling in the opening stretch, KUSHIDA was asking himself a lot of questions as the tour his Akita Tuesday. There, against Mike Bailey he found some answers, donning more MMA styled gear and wrestling with a renewed submission focus. Turning the intensity up, the Timesplitter scored his first two points of the tournament, and though he came up short to Taiji Ishimori in Sendai, seems to have turned a corner.
There couldn’t be better timing to find his groove than before heading into his first singles match with Hiromu Takahashi in five years. When Hiromu returned from his excursion in 2016, KUSHIDA was the junior heavyweight ace that the Time Bomb wanted to eclipse, and by all accounts, he achieved that mission. Now that KUSHIDA is back in NJPW, Hiromu occupies the top spot in the junior heavyweight ranks, and the renewal of this rivalry with both men in very different spots from their last meeting, is definitely something to be excited about.
8th Match: B Block- YOH (3-2) vs Francesco Akira (3-2)
Singles record: 1-0 Akira
At six points apiece, Francesco Akira and YOH head into their second singles bout looking to set themselves up for a strong closing stretch. YOH alternated wins and losses in his first four before starting to put a streak together with a win over his long time rival El Desperado in Sendai. Akira is coming off a loss and a lot of damage dealt at the hands of Connors. Who wins out in this battle of raw speed versus technique?
7th Match: A Block- Lio Rush (4-1) vs Titan (3-2)
During the Super Jr. Tag League, a win for Lio Rush and YOH over Titan and BUSHI was key to elevating the CHAOS duo to the final, and the tournament trophies on their first attempt. Tonight, Lio Rush’s first singles match with El Inmortal could prove instrumental to both competitors in terms of their final four hopes. After going 4-0, Rush topped the table alone heading into Sendai, before losing a surprise result to DOUKI. Titan, only one win off the pace, is right in the hunt.
6th Match: B Block- El Desperado (3-2) vs Clark Connors (3-2)
The vicious intensity that Clark Connors has shown in this Best of the Super Jr., sparked by his transition to BULLET CLUB, and encouraged with maniacal delight by Bloody Hands Gedo, came, in his own words, from a lack of deserved respect. When Connors felt he didn’t get the respect owed him as a member of the LA Dojo and student of Katsuyori Shibata, he took matters into his own hands and decided to ‘take what’s coming to me’.
It’s notoriously difficult to earn the respect of El Desperado, and Connors will be looking to take it by force instead tonight. Win or lose, destruction will be on the menu, but will it be Desperado or Connors emerging with two more points to close the lead to Robbie Eagles in B Block?
5th Match: A Block- Taiji Ishimori (4-1) vs SHO (1-4)
Singles record: 4-1 Ishimori
A BULLET CLUB derby of sorts pits Taiji Ishimori against SHO. The HOUSE OF TORTURE member doesn’t have a stunning record in this year’s BOSJ, sitting at . He doesn’t have a great record against Taiji Ishimori either, the sole highlight of his 1-4 singles performance being a win way back in the 2019 Super J-Cup in the US. That isn’t to say that Ishimori can count this as an automatic two points though, and SHO is never one to let factional allegiance, faint though it may be, to stop him getting his oar (or his wrench) in. Could tonight see his first domestic singles win over Ishimori?
4th Match: B Block- Kevin Knight (2-3) vs Dan Moloney (2-3)
It’s a battle of BOSJ debutants when Kevin Knight meets Dan Moloney. The high flying Jet, and the powerful United Empire member with a chip on his shoulder have both gotten them to a respectable four points. The Drilla has spoken of his intent to ‘pick (Knight) out of the sky’, but Jet should be a match for his strength and power. Who will get to six?
3rd Match: A Block- Ryusuke Taguchi (0-5) vs TJP (3-2)
Taguchi is mathematically eliminated
Ryusuke Taguchi’s plans to play things serious all the way through BOSJ 30 haven’t exactly paid off. Winless heading into Sendai Wednesday, Taguchi lost another bout to Hiromu Takahashi. Now, the final four is well and truly out of Taguchi’s grasp, but TJP at six points is still in the hunt. With all to play for, the Public Enemy needs to pick off the Coach and get himself set for the final third.
2nd Match: B Block- Yoshinobu Kanemaru (2-3) vs BUSHI (0-5)
Singles record: 2-2
BUSHI must win
BUSHI has had to endure a harsh first half of his BOSJ 30 campaign. After losing his first five matches, his mathematical prospects are on life support. Yoshinobu Kanemaru got off to a flying start, but after dropping three straight, his momentum seems to have stalled. Still, his four points keeps him in the mix, and he’ll be working to improve his position tonight while driving BUSHI out entirely.
1st Match: A Block- Mike Bailey (4-1) vs DOUKI (2-3)
Things get off to a very intriguing start when Mike Bailey faces DOUKI in A Block. DOUKI’s flashes of brilliance have impressed, but didn’t lead to big results until a convincing submission victory over Lio Rush in Sendai. Now at four points, he faces a Mike Bailey who exploded out of the gates, and recovered from a loss to KUSHIDA to beat Titan and stand at eight points. Will the Speedball remain on track, or can DOUKI pick up another significant result to close the gap to the top?
