Act two of the tournament closes at end of Korakuen triple header
Night 9 of Best of the Super Jr. sees A and B blocks wrestle their sixth matches. Three league bouts will remain on the road to next Friday’s final, and with those on the bubble now starting to drop out of contention, everyone is fighting to put themselves in the best possible position going into the finals week.
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Main event- B Block: Robbie Eagles (2-3) vs El Phantasmo (4-1)
Singles record: 2-1 Phantasmo
The fourth singles meeting between El Phantasmo and Robbie Eagles headlines in Korakuen Hall tonight. Though Robbie Eagles was never a completely clean fit in BULLET CLUB when he made his NJPW debut in late 2018, El Phantasmo was a deciding factor in his leaving for CHAOS by June of the next year. The dirty fighting Phantasmo marked their first BOSJ encounter, and in the wake of Robbie’s defection, an ill gotten second win over Eagles in the Super J-Cup that year was never going to sit well with the Sniper of the Skies.
Fast forward to BOSJ 28, when Eagles got his first singles win in an incredible league encounter. A win alone was not enough for Eagles though, who sought to expose ELP, and the secret behind his loaded Sudden Death boot; the result was Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori being disqualified and eliminated from the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag team Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom when the secret was finally outed.
Now a very personal rivalry is fought out in a tournament format once again. With the two at four and eight points, this match could well end up determining B Block when all is said and done next week; will Phantasmo surrender to the Sniper to keep Eagles in the running, or will it be Eagles’ BOSJ hopes tasting Sudden Death?
9th Match- A Block: Hiromu Takahashi (3-2) vs SHO (2-3)
Singles record: 3-2 Hiromu
With Hiromu Takahashi and SHO at six and four points respectively, a turning point match tonight in Korakuen Hall is one that’s near impossible to call. Throughout their five singles matches since SHO returned from excursion in 2017, they’ve alternated victories, across SHO’s times both as a fan favourite and in his current contemptible Murder Machine position. While Hiromu claimed after their New Japan Cup confrontation earlier in the spring that he could read everything that SHO had up his sleeve, current form suggests that it is SHO’s ‘turn’ here in Korakuen; might there be a new trick in store?
8th Match- B Block: BUSHI (2-3) vs El Desperado (4-1)
Singles record: 3-2 Desperado
The 3-2 singles record between El Desperado and BUSHI is belied somewhat by both of BUSHI’s victories over the erstwhile IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion coming from DQs, as Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru tried to get the drop on their LIJ opposition before tag team championship clashes. In a singles environment, Desperado has had BUSHI’s number, and held it firmly over the years. Yet this year BUSHI has relished his position as dark horse like no other campaign before, his negative four point record still seeing remarkable performances throughout. Might he spoil Desperado’s near perfect eight point run tonight and prove to be a significant speedbump on the road to the Budokan next Friday?
7th Match- A Block: Ace Austin (4-1) vs Taisji Ishimori (4-1)
A testament to the level of competition in this tournament, it will be nonetheless the cause for a lot of angry disputes from both Ace Austin and Taiji Ishimori that this first time meeting between the IMPACT X Division and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions is only fourth from the top here tonight; especially as both sit tied at the top of A Block. Champions wrestle every tournament match as if it’s a title match, and both Austin and Ishimori have doubtless shown up throughout the tournament thus far. Wrestling with significant chips on their shoulders though, this is one to keep an even closer eye on as both will seek to show just why they should be going on last.
6th Match- B Block: Wheeler Yuta (3-2) vs El Lindaman (3-2)
When El Lindaman was vocal in his praise of Wheeler Yuta before Best of the Super Jr. got underway, it was not for his technique or all-round ability, but Yuta’s heart and pride that earned the G-REX Champion’s approval. It takes one to know one, and Lindaman’s heart and fighting spirit have already seen him to three big victories, most notably with his main event win over El Desperado in Korakuen Hall Tuesday. Yet it should be known that both men have technique and all-round ability in spades, making this clash of two proud competitors one of the biggest matches on another stacked night of action.
5th Match- A Block: YOH (3-2) vs Francesco Akira (1-4)
Akira must win
After starting the tournament on the back foot in the face of scalding criticism from his peers, YOH has put together an impressive three and two record. More importantly, his main event win over Hiromu Takahashi seemed to indicate the turn of a corner, as a more confident and comfortable YOH blazed through Hiropmu Takahashi as he declared himself happy with a win and wrestling in the way he wants to wrestle. Conversely, Francesco Akira was the recipient of considerable pre-tournament hype, but despite strong performances, heads into the night on the bubble; a loss eliminates him from the final. Will YOH snuff out the Fireball’s tournament hopes tonight?
4th Match- A Block: Ryusuke Taguchi (1-4) vs Alex Zayne (3-2)
Taguchi must win
Alex Zayne might be 3-2, after a hard fought lost to ‘bestie’ Ace Austin, but he has earned a positive six point record as well as the support of Japanese crowds. He’ll take that support with him to face one of NJPW’s most popular veterans tonight. With Taguchi swinging between serious and more ‘assletic’ offense through the tournament thus far, what side of Taguchi will Zayne face tonight? Can the wildly unique ‘sauce’ cope with the enigmatic Coach?
3rd Match- B Block: Clark Connors (2-3) vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru (2-3)
Singles record: 1-0 Kanemaru
Both Clark Connors and Yoshinobu Kanemaru got off to a slow 0-3 start to BOSJ, but May 24 saw a turnaround, Connors thinking with his butt to out match Taguchi, while Kanemaru going on the brutal offensive to put Hiromu Takahashi in a difficult position. With both men picking up their second straight wins Wednesday, either a streak will be solidified, or someone will be on the bubble after tonight’s bout.
2nd Match- B Block: DOUKI (3-2) vs TJP (2-3)
DOUKI is known for having very little respect for most of his competition, but will face an opponent he must have at least a grudging admiration for here tonight in Korakuen. DOUKI will recognise the well travelled veteran that TJP is, as well as his experience in the lucha approach as part of his hybrid style. Respect or not though, both Japones Del mal and the Public Enemy badly want a win to get to eight and six respectively.
1st Match- B Block: Master Wato (1-4) vs Titan (1-4)
Both must win
Starting the evening, Master Wato and Titan both need to get off two points to stay in the running. Wato and Titan are fairly familiar with one another from Wato’s excursion in Mexico; across around a dozen tag meetings in CMLL, Wato’s side lost every single bout; can the blue haired prodigy prove to Titan that he’s worthy of victory?
