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Best of the Super Jr. night 3 (May 14) Preview
First of Korakuen Hall double header
With all ten members of Best of the Super Jr. 32 now having their first matches in the books, we head to Korakuen Hall for the first of a double header on May 14. Both blocks will be in action on a loaded night that sees ten tournament matches, and all to play for.
Watch Best of the Super Jr. 32 live in English on NJPW World!
Tickets available worldwide in English!
Main event A Block- Hiromu Takahashi (1-0) vs Kosei Fujita (1-0)
Singles record: 2-0 Takahashi
Opportunity knocks for Kosei Fujita in the main event as he takes on Hiromu Takahashi. The 1-0 Fujita's two prior meetings with Hiromu were both as a Young Lion, and both saw an aggressive Time Bomb light into the inexperienced youngster. Yet Fujita's rapid ascent has seen him get invaluable experience at a near unprecedented rate, with more recent matchups with Taiji Ishimori in the tag ranks and El Desperado in singles perhaps most valuable.
Last year, DOUKI's ascent to the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship was first foreshadowed with a win over Hiromu, and one year on it's Fujita who looks to echo that feat, and who wants to make the Time Bomb the first of the Big Three to fall. Yet as Hiromu looks to find new identity in the wake of Los Ingobernables De Japon, and after he righted an opening night loss in 2024 with a win against KUSHIDA Saturday he will not plan on losing so soon.
9th Match: B Block- El Desperado (1-0) vs Nick Wayne (1-0)
In a match El Desperado has wanted for a long time now, the B Block headline tonight sees El Desperado facing Nick Wayne. Night one of BOSJ turned out very well for Wayne in his debut, the Prodigy Plex seeing him get his first points on the board at the expense of SHO. Desperado, meanwhile avenged two submission losses in a row to Titan, submitting the luchador to make this a battle of the unbeaten.
Unbeaten doesn't mean undamaged, and SHO's attack on Nick Wayne's arm may play a role in this match, as may a brutal double stomp from Titan to the back of El Desperado. Some years ago, Desperado saw Wayne in a taxi near Shin Kinba First Ring and invited him into BOSJ some day. Now will this poetic scenario see Despe eat his words, or will Wayne have a tough lesson in just how demanding BOSJ action is?
8th Match: A Block- Master Wato (0-1) vs Dragon Dia (1-0)
The pre tournament press conference saw Dragon Dia, a 2024 tournament debutant asked who he was most excited to face in A Block, and his ready answer was Master Wato. The 2023 winner has never tied up with the DRAGONGATE star, having missed last year's tournament due to injury, and being in separate blocks even during last year's Super Jr. Tag League. That presents an entirely fresh young battle between the 28 year old Wato and the 26 Dia.
Despite a difficult freshman BOSJ entry, Dia ended his last campaign with a win over KUSHIDA, and started BOSJ32 with a victory over Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Can he grow his streak to three, or will it be Wato bouncing back after a painful first night loss to Clark Connors?
7th Match: B Block- YOH (0-1) vs SHO (0-1)
Singles record: 19-15-23 YOH
From two first time ever matchups to a match that's the exact opposite, SHO and YOH tangle for the 58th time in Korakuen Hall. Debuting together as Young Lions, the two went to a strwak of draws before eventually going on excursion together and returning as one of the most successful junior heavyweight tag teams in NJPW history. That though was all before SHO turned on his partner and joined HOUSE OF TORTURE.
For all you can say of SHO since, one thing that's undeniable is a dominant record over YOH, with the Hontai member only able to defeat the Murder Machine once compared to five wins by hook and crook for SHO. With SHO down 0-1 after night one, will he get on the board this evening?
6th Match: A Block- Clark Connors (1-0) vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru (0-1)
Singles record: 2-2
Going from wrestling at Resurgence in Ontario California straight onto a plane to Miyagi and an aggressive opening victory against Master Wato, it's quite clear that 'tired' isn't in Clark Connors' vocabulary, but if there is one thing that Connors is tired of, it might be Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Even in the wake of victory in the Dogpound Steel Cage, War Dogs versus HOUSE OF TORTURE continues to be a theme in this match. Connors will be trying to make a break ahead of the 2-2 record between these men, but especially in Korakuen Hall, has to be aware of any underhanded approach the Heel Master may attempt up to and including winning via countout.
5th Match: B Block- MAO (1-0) vs Taiji Ishimori (0-1)
Sunday's event in Iwanuma saw the Miyagi prefecture entrants with a mixed night, YOH and Taiji Ishimori falling in defeat while Ryusuke Taguchi and MAO were victorious. MAO's win over Kevin Knight has already been circled as a contender for match of the tournament when all is said and done, and now the DDT representative has to keep momentum going against the always dangerous Ishimori. Can MAO move to four points, or will it be Ishimori on the board?
4th match: A Block- KUSHIDA (0-1) vs Robbie X (0-1)
singles record: 1-0 KUSHIDA
It's a battle to get onto the board in the fourth match of the night as KUSHIDA, following a loss to Hiromu Takahashi in Chiba, takes on Robbie X, who fell in a nonetheless spectacular effort against Ninja Mack in Iwanuma. From singles in the UK to tag successes in Japan, KUSHIDA comes in with the confidence of someone who has only ever been in the win column against his opponent tonight, but with a chip on his shoulder deepening, one cannot discount the (Robbie) X factor tonight.
3rd Match: B Block- Kevin Knight (0-1) vs Robbie Eagles (1-0)
Singles record: 1-0 Eagles
Even in the face of YOH in front of his home crowd, Robbie Eagles was significantly buoyed in Miyagi with a win to get on the board in his first match Sunday. Tonight he'll try to replicate that success as well as a prior BOSJ victory over Kevin Knight to get to four points. Knight's campaign opener was a stunner against MAO, but one that ended in defeat. Can he soar to success, or will he be picked off by the sniper in Korakuen?
2nd Match: A Block- Ninja Mack (1-0) vs Francesco Akira (0-1)
Singles record: 1-0 Mack
Ninja Mack has certainly turned a lot of heads with what might be the viral moment of the tournament, a super Ninja Special scoring on Robbie X in Iwanuma Sunday. Yet it was the perfect precision and split second timing of his Shuriken kick that saw him to victory against Robbie X, and now he looks to go from two to four points against Francesco Akira. Mack defeated Akir ain Korakuen Hall last year, and will look to do so again, but with Akira reeling from an opening night loss to Kosei Fujita, the Italian will be hard to put away tonight.
1st Match: B Block- Ryusuke Taguchi (1-0) vs Titan (0-1)
Singles record: 1-0 Titan
We start off with the two main eventers on the first two nights of BOSJ opening up the action in Korakuen Hall. Taguchi is on a high with a win in front of his home crowd Sunday, while Titan opened his own campaign with a loss against El Desperado. Will big match Taguchi stay on top, or can Titan get on the board?
With all ten members of Best of the Super Jr. 32 now having their first matches in the books, we head to Korakuen Hall for the first of a double header on May 14. Both blocks will be in action on a loaded night that sees ten tournament matches, and all to play for.
Watch Best of the Super Jr. 32 live in English on NJPW World!
Tickets available worldwide in English!
Main event A Block- Hiromu Takahashi (1-0) vs Kosei Fujita (1-0)
Singles record: 2-0 Takahashi
Opportunity knocks for Kosei Fujita in the main event as he takes on Hiromu Takahashi. The 1-0 Fujita's two prior meetings with Hiromu were both as a Young Lion, and both saw an aggressive Time Bomb light into the inexperienced youngster. Yet Fujita's rapid ascent has seen him get invaluable experience at a near unprecedented rate, with more recent matchups with Taiji Ishimori in the tag ranks and El Desperado in singles perhaps most valuable.
Last year, DOUKI's ascent to the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship was first foreshadowed with a win over Hiromu, and one year on it's Fujita who looks to echo that feat, and who wants to make the Time Bomb the first of the Big Three to fall. Yet as Hiromu looks to find new identity in the wake of Los Ingobernables De Japon, and after he righted an opening night loss in 2024 with a win against KUSHIDA Saturday he will not plan on losing so soon.
9th Match: B Block- El Desperado (1-0) vs Nick Wayne (1-0)
In a match El Desperado has wanted for a long time now, the B Block headline tonight sees El Desperado facing Nick Wayne. Night one of BOSJ turned out very well for Wayne in his debut, the Prodigy Plex seeing him get his first points on the board at the expense of SHO. Desperado, meanwhile avenged two submission losses in a row to Titan, submitting the luchador to make this a battle of the unbeaten.
Unbeaten doesn't mean undamaged, and SHO's attack on Nick Wayne's arm may play a role in this match, as may a brutal double stomp from Titan to the back of El Desperado. Some years ago, Desperado saw Wayne in a taxi near Shin Kinba First Ring and invited him into BOSJ some day. Now will this poetic scenario see Despe eat his words, or will Wayne have a tough lesson in just how demanding BOSJ action is?
8th Match: A Block- Master Wato (0-1) vs Dragon Dia (1-0)
The pre tournament press conference saw Dragon Dia, a 2024 tournament debutant asked who he was most excited to face in A Block, and his ready answer was Master Wato. The 2023 winner has never tied up with the DRAGONGATE star, having missed last year's tournament due to injury, and being in separate blocks even during last year's Super Jr. Tag League. That presents an entirely fresh young battle between the 28 year old Wato and the 26 Dia.
Despite a difficult freshman BOSJ entry, Dia ended his last campaign with a win over KUSHIDA, and started BOSJ32 with a victory over Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Can he grow his streak to three, or will it be Wato bouncing back after a painful first night loss to Clark Connors?
7th Match: B Block- YOH (0-1) vs SHO (0-1)
Singles record: 19-15-23 YOH
From two first time ever matchups to a match that's the exact opposite, SHO and YOH tangle for the 58th time in Korakuen Hall. Debuting together as Young Lions, the two went to a strwak of draws before eventually going on excursion together and returning as one of the most successful junior heavyweight tag teams in NJPW history. That though was all before SHO turned on his partner and joined HOUSE OF TORTURE.
For all you can say of SHO since, one thing that's undeniable is a dominant record over YOH, with the Hontai member only able to defeat the Murder Machine once compared to five wins by hook and crook for SHO. With SHO down 0-1 after night one, will he get on the board this evening?
6th Match: A Block- Clark Connors (1-0) vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru (0-1)
Singles record: 2-2
Going from wrestling at Resurgence in Ontario California straight onto a plane to Miyagi and an aggressive opening victory against Master Wato, it's quite clear that 'tired' isn't in Clark Connors' vocabulary, but if there is one thing that Connors is tired of, it might be Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Even in the wake of victory in the Dogpound Steel Cage, War Dogs versus HOUSE OF TORTURE continues to be a theme in this match. Connors will be trying to make a break ahead of the 2-2 record between these men, but especially in Korakuen Hall, has to be aware of any underhanded approach the Heel Master may attempt up to and including winning via countout.
5th Match: B Block- MAO (1-0) vs Taiji Ishimori (0-1)
Sunday's event in Iwanuma saw the Miyagi prefecture entrants with a mixed night, YOH and Taiji Ishimori falling in defeat while Ryusuke Taguchi and MAO were victorious. MAO's win over Kevin Knight has already been circled as a contender for match of the tournament when all is said and done, and now the DDT representative has to keep momentum going against the always dangerous Ishimori. Can MAO move to four points, or will it be Ishimori on the board?
4th match: A Block- KUSHIDA (0-1) vs Robbie X (0-1)
singles record: 1-0 KUSHIDA
It's a battle to get onto the board in the fourth match of the night as KUSHIDA, following a loss to Hiromu Takahashi in Chiba, takes on Robbie X, who fell in a nonetheless spectacular effort against Ninja Mack in Iwanuma. From singles in the UK to tag successes in Japan, KUSHIDA comes in with the confidence of someone who has only ever been in the win column against his opponent tonight, but with a chip on his shoulder deepening, one cannot discount the (Robbie) X factor tonight.
3rd Match: B Block- Kevin Knight (0-1) vs Robbie Eagles (1-0)
Singles record: 1-0 Eagles
Even in the face of YOH in front of his home crowd, Robbie Eagles was significantly buoyed in Miyagi with a win to get on the board in his first match Sunday. Tonight he'll try to replicate that success as well as a prior BOSJ victory over Kevin Knight to get to four points. Knight's campaign opener was a stunner against MAO, but one that ended in defeat. Can he soar to success, or will he be picked off by the sniper in Korakuen?
2nd Match: A Block- Ninja Mack (1-0) vs Francesco Akira (0-1)
Singles record: 1-0 Mack
Ninja Mack has certainly turned a lot of heads with what might be the viral moment of the tournament, a super Ninja Special scoring on Robbie X in Iwanuma Sunday. Yet it was the perfect precision and split second timing of his Shuriken kick that saw him to victory against Robbie X, and now he looks to go from two to four points against Francesco Akira. Mack defeated Akir ain Korakuen Hall last year, and will look to do so again, but with Akira reeling from an opening night loss to Kosei Fujita, the Italian will be hard to put away tonight.
1st Match: B Block- Ryusuke Taguchi (1-0) vs Titan (0-1)
Singles record: 1-0 Titan
We start off with the two main eventers on the first two nights of BOSJ opening up the action in Korakuen Hall. Taguchi is on a high with a win in front of his home crowd Sunday, while Titan opened his own campaign with a loss against El Desperado. Will big match Taguchi stay on top, or can Titan get on the board?
