Best of the Super Jr. night 7 (May 21) preview
A Block do battle in Himeji
As Best of the Super Jr. 31 continues apace, Himeji sees night 7 of the tournament, and already the sixth matches for A Block. With tonight seeing the group reach two thrids distance, all eyes will now be on what backmarkers need to do to stay in, and what needs to happen for the top runners to make the final four.
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Main event: El Desperado (3–2) vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru (2–3)
Singles record: 4–2 Kanemaru
Coming off a huge win in the main event in Nagoya on May 19, El Desperado is on a mental high having been the only one thus far in BOSJ 31 to defeat Blake Christian. That could be a key tiebreaker for the masked man as he is determined to finally make good on years of promises of victory. But Desperado is also banged up after an extremely physical war with the GCW World Champion, and has the worst opponent to contend with when working hurt.
Kanemaru has long been credited with making El Desperado the man he is today, and while Kanemaru has cultivated his opponent’s strengths, he is also very well aware of how to exploit his weaknesses. Having lost an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match to Despe earlier this year in Korakuen Hall, will Kanemaru get his win back to disrupt Desperado’s momentum tonight?
7th Match: Kevin Knight (3–2) vs Titan (3–2)
Singles record: 1–0 Knight
Both Kevin Knight and Titan got off to a strong start in their tournaments, and both share the same very useful tiebreaker over El Desperado. Another key tiebreak will be over one another though, and if Knight can repeat the win he got over Titan last year, or if El Inmortal can get revenge, then a mvoe to eight points will set them in strong stead heading into the last three matchups.
6th Match: Blake Christian (4–1) vs HAYATA (2–3)
After a strong start for the GHC National Champion, HAYATA has struggled in recent bouts to 2–3 in the tournament. A cautionary tale perhaps for Blake Christian, who leads the A Block, but has now been handed his very first loss. Now the field knows that Blake can be beaten, will his self satisfied and overconfident veneer be reinforced, or will it crack against HAYATA in this champion vs champion clash?
5th Match: BUSHI (2–3) vs Clark Connors (3–2)
Singles record: 1–0 Connors
BUSHI may have put himself behind the eight ball in this tournament by losing his first three, but putting together two wins has seen him to four points, and just win off the pace his opponent Clark Connors is running. Getting a third win in a row is when we can start talking about a streak for the masked man, who is by no means out of the hunt in this tournament. That’s not a position Connors will allow BUSHI to enjoy though, and the War Dog will be looking to force BUSHI onto the bubble.
4th Match: TJP (1–4) vs Kosei Fujita (2–3)
Singles record: 1–0 TJP
TJP must win to remain in contention
TJP managed to defeat HAYATA in Nagoya Sunday to just barely stay in contention, but he still has to win out and get a lot of help if he’s to make the final four. His opposition tonight is Kosei Fujita, who has scored a pair of impressive wins, but hasn’t been able to strike with consistency in this tournament. As survival of the fittest kicks in, if TJP is to stay on the bubble, he’ll have to force the youngest Punk onto it.
3rd Match: KUSHIDA, Ninja Mack & Dragon Dia vs Drilla Moloney, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
Six man tag team action sees a pair of previews, of KUSHIDA vs Moloney, and Ishimori vs Mack Wednesday in Osaka.
2nd Match: Just Five Guys (DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO & Yujiro Takahashi)
Tag action to will see a preview of SHO vs DOUKI in Osaka, and DOUKI looking to gain revenge after being cost the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship last month at Satsuma no Kuni.
1st Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Yota Tsuji & Hiromu Takahashi) vs Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima
As injury concerns for Francesco Akira see him off tonight’s card, a tag match will instead see Young Lions Kato and Murashima tested in the opener, with a big opportunity for the young men to learn, albeit in a very harsh teaching environment.
