Hiromu comes home for mid point of series
We're only one week down in this year's Best of the Super Jr., but already at the midway point of the league campaigns for the 20 men involved. The rubber truly hits the road from here, as some fight for the top spot and some fight for survival.
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Main event: A Block- Hiromu Takahashi (1-3) vs Clark Connors (2-2)
Hiromu Takahashi's third main event in four nights sees him in front of his hometown crowd in Hachioji and looking to put away Clark Connors. It's been a difficult start for Hiromu, with a night one win over KUSHIDA followed by losses to Kosei Fujita and Francesco Akira and then a third upset loss to Dragon Dia in Yoyogi. For Connors too, despite a fast start under difficult circumstances against master Wato in Iwanuma, a frustrating countout loss to Yoshinobu Kanemaru and, like Hiromu getting caught by Dia had him unsteady. A win over fellow War Dog Robbie X was key to restoring momentum, and now there's a chance to meet the pole position pace. For Connors, beating Hiromu in front of his home town will be an extremely difficult task, but by the same token a very attractive prospect if he can pull it off.
9th Match: B Block- El Desperado (2-2) vs SHO (2-2)
Singles record: 3-3
El Desperado faces SHO in a difficult match to predict. Post his Young lion era, SHO has gone blow for blow with El Desperado, reaching 3-3, including defeating Desperado for the IWGP` Junior Heavyweight Championship last February. That win came via countout after copious interference, and with last year's Hachioji BOSJ event seeing SHO attempt to do everything including tying up then opponent Hiromu Takahashi backstage to try and gain victory, it's clear there will be no lengths he won't go to or depths he won't plumb in this encounter. After both men won in Yoyogi Saturday, who will get to six points?
8th Match: A Block- Master Wato (2-2) vs Francesco Akira (2-2)
Singles record: 1-0 Wato
Afer getting his second win over Ninja Mack Saturday, Master Wato looks to pass the midway point with a positive win loss record against Francesco Akira. For the Italian, a night one loss against Kosei Fujita led to a pair of wins in a row in Korakuen Hall, including over four time tournament winner Hiromu Takahashi, but Yoyogi saw him fall foul of SHO. Now Akira seeks to avenge a loss in tournament action two years ago to Wato with a victory in Hachioji.
7th Match: B Block- Robbie Eagles (2-2) vs Taiji Ishimori (2-2)
Singles record: 3-1 Ishimori
On the losing end of a 3-1 record, Robbie Eagles knows exactly how difficult Taiji Ishimori is to beat. It was a feat both Ryusuke Taguchi and MAO achieved in the Bone Soldier's first two matches this year, and though May 15 saw a key win over El Desperado, Yoyogi had Ishimori on the losing end against Titan to keep him at a dangerous two points. For Eagles' part, an early run to 2-0 was followed by dropped decisions in his last two. Tonight, a win is near critical for both men.
6th Match: A Block- KUSHIDA (2-2) vs Dragon Dia (3-1)
Singles record: 1-0 Dia
A difficult debut BOSJ for Dragon Dia last year had the silver lining of a final league night victory over KUSHIDA. One year on, and Dia after matched his point total after his first night by defeating Yoshinobu Kanemaru, massive wins over Clark Connors and Hiromu Takahashi have not just put him at the top of the table, but with two very important tie breakers as well. Now in Hachioji, KUSHIDA looks to get to six points himself. Will he join the top of the table by getting his win back over the DRAGONGATE star?
5th Match: B Block- YOH (1-3) vs MAO (2-2)
Two of the strangest of the Super Juniors collide as YOH battles Strange Love Connection's MAO. With wins in his first two MAO got off to a hot start before defeats to Titan and El Desperado. YOH's is less fortunate, at the bottom of the table with two points, and needing a win or face the bubble of elimination.
4th Match: A Block- Kosei Fujita (3-1) vs Robbie X (2-2)
A Block action sees Kosei Fujita and Robbie X tangle in singles competition for the first time, but with tag history close in the rear view mirror. Back in April, Fujita and Robbie Eagles, then IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Champions, defended their titles against Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori, and while the War Dogs side were unable to capture the gold, X's performance was so impressive that he received the call to take the place of BUSHI in this year's tournament on BUSHI's exit from New Japan. Ever since, X has continued to impress with an even 2-2 record right now. Can he score a big result tonight, or will Fujita, lessons learned after defeat to KUSHIDA in a unique grappling affair, reassert his superiority on A Block?
3rd Match: B Block- Kevin Knight (1-3) vs Titan (3-1)
Singles record: 1-0 Titan
After early losses led to a career worst 0-3 record for Kevin Knight, he looks to fly back to the top. After a win against Nick Wayne, and the debut of the UFO Splash, he takes on Titan. The 3-1 luchador has defeated the Jet once before in singles competition, and several tag team encounters have also seen Titan with the advantage over Knight. Will the jet stream shift to Kevin's favour in Hachioji?
2nd Match: A Block- Ninja Mack (1-3) vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru (2-2)
Ninja Mack will be battling to get to four points as he faces Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Mack's high flying and speed edge might be enough to override Kanemaru's sneaky tactics, or it could be that the Heel Master's strategic mindset and ability to destroy his opponents' knees might be enough to ground the ninja entirely. It makes for an unpredictable matchup in an unpredictable tournament thus far.
1st match: B Block- Ryusuke Taguchi (3-1) vs Nick Wayne (3-1)
Few would have predicted going into the tournament that we would be starting of with a match that shaped the fate of B Block, between two men right at the top of the table- in Ryusuke Taguchi and Nick Wayne. Big Match Taguchi is in force, and running string, while Nick Wayne's early momentum is still present, or at least that's what he seeks to prove tonight. Will Taguchi's World take over Wayne's World in Hachioji?
