NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Thirteen
June 1st, 2017 | Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall in Nagoya, Aichi | Attendance: 1,535
It’s the final night of the tournament before the finals. Will Ospreay won the A Block, so I’m expecting a KUSHIDA win in this block. I’m not a fan of the idea and I’d rather BUSHI, ACH or El Desperado take home the win. Everyone in this block enters tied with six points and there are a ton of possibilities.
B Block: El Desperado [6] vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [6]
Desperado has been one of the MVPs of this tournament, so naturally, he’s 0-3 after starting 3-0. I appreciated that they were untrustworthy of one another. Both guys are in Suzuki-Gun, so both are typically up to heel tricks. The story of this was each guy trying to out heel the other, which was a good way to play it. Taichi and TAKA got involved, everyone argued and there was some brawling on the outside. As they fought outside, the count neared ten. Desperado nearly got in, but Taichi rolled Kanemaru in and knocked TAKA into him, so Kanemaru won via countout in 9:39. About as good as they could’ve handled this. They worked to their strengths and had a solid match. I liked how Desperado was pissed after the match. I’d be all for him splitting from the group, but in NJPW, seemingly everyone has to be in some sort of stable, so it won’t happen. [**¾]
B Block: ACH [6] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [6]
With both guys being babyface, they had some fun and joked around to start. We even got ACH mocking Taguchi’s ass attacks and the Shinsuke Nakamura taunt. As things progressed, they got a bit more serious and competitive. They still found ways to throw in the comedy stuff, but it felt natural. Taguchi went for the ankle lock, which helped slow ACH down at times. It certainly didn’t when he jumped straight to the top rope for a superplex. I didn’t mind it much since the ankle work wasn’t overdone to the point where he should’ve been completely unable to do things like that. ACH countered Dodon into a cradle, which got reversed a few times before Taguchi kept his shoulders down for three at 13:41. A good, fun match with lots of energy. It may have gone a bit long for what they were done, but I enjoyed it. [***]
B Block: BUSHI [6] vs. Tiger Mask IV [6]
BUSHI started 0-3, but has won three in a row. Tiger Mask came out firing and hit an early Tombstone. He was looking to get his two points and leave quickly. BUSHI turned things in his favor after tripping up Tiger Mask, leading to some fast paced back and forth. There were moments of desperation, like when Tiger Mask applied a guillotine choke. Just as Tiger Mask went for the Tiger Suplex, BUSHI fought out and we got a ref bump. BUSHI used a chair assisted Codebreaker and MX to finish things off at 12:08. I thought this was going very well until the cheap finish. I just don’t think it was needed. BUSHI is booked well enough to beat Tiger Mask without nonsense. [***]
B Block: ROH World Television Champion KUSHIDA [6] vs. Volador Jr. [6]
With wins over Kanemaru, Taguchi and BUSHI, a win for KUSHIDA gets him in the finals. They shook hands before the match, because though everything’s on the line, they’re respectable athletes. With so much at stake, they worked with a sense of urgency and had some great exchanges throughout. KUSHIDA went after the arm, even though that hasn’t quite worked for him recently. Volador continued to find ways to escape. They traded super ranas, with Volador’s being especially impressive. When KUSHIDA finally got the Hoverboard Lock on again, Volador still wouldn’t quit. Wisely, KUSHIDA took what he’s learned in the tournament and rolled it into God’s Last Gift to win the match and block at 15:44. A really fun main event that kept a great pace throughout. [***½]
I get why they did it, but I’m not a fan of the booking. It’s the same exact thing they did with Will Ospreay last year. Now the finals are a rematch of something that happened twice last year and the last two winners of this tournament. It’s typical Gedo booking. Why not take a chance? Now the Jr. Title match at Dominion will either be a rematch from the tournament or from Wrestle Kingdom and there’s already far too many of those. The last time Gedo took a big chance was with Kenny Omega and that’s worked out great. Do more surprise things like that.
Overall: 6.5/10. The typical good, but not great outing from the BOTSJ. The main event was the best match on the show and was worked like it was important. The rest of the show is solid, yet unspectacular. I’m not a fan of the booking decisions throughout, but whatever.
| A Block | Points | B Block | Points |
| Will Ospreay *Winner* | 10 (5-2) | KUSHIDA *Winner* | 8 (4-3) |
| Ricochet | 8 (4-3) | Yoshinobu Kanemaru | 8 (4-3) |
| Dragon Lee | 8 (4-3) | BUSHI | 8 (4-3) |
| Hiromu Takahashi | 8 (4-3) | Ryusuke Taguchi | 8 (4-3) |
| Taichi | 8 (4-3) | Tiger Mask IV | 6 (3-4) |
| Marty Scurll | 8 (4-3) | ACH | 6 (3-4) |
| TAKA Michinoku | 4 (2-5) | El Desperado | 6 (3-4) |
| Jushin Thunder Liger | 2 (1-6) | Volador Jr. | 6 (3-4) |
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Eleven
May 29th, 2017 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,311
The B Block gets live treatment again. No single camera, no commentary stuff here. It’s an interesting show because, if results pan out, everyone could end the night tied in points. Time to see how B Block will shape up heading into its final night.
B Block: El Desperado [6] vs. Tiger Mask IV [4]
Desperado started 3-0 but hast lost two straight. Tiger Mask has had quite the impressive tournament. I enjoy Desperado, but he’s not immune to the tired pre-match Suzuki-Gun attack and outside brawl. He focused on Tiger Mask’s knee, and the Tiger Mask sold it well. Desperado went for various submissions and attempted to remove Tiger Mask’s mask. I appreciate that he didn’t completely resort to the same boring tricks like the rest of his stable. Tiger Mask fought from behind and connected on a Tiger Bomb and Tiger Suplex to win in 10:20. A rock solid way to start the tourney matches. Tiger Mask had to overcome a lot and it worked all came together well. [***]
B Block: BUSHI [4] vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [6]
One member of an awesome stable (LIDJ) and one member of a lame one (SG). Fuck Kanemaru for jumping BUSHI while his dope theme song played. And guess what? It led to a brawl through the crowd. This stale ass stable and their stale ass matches. Like when met Kanemaru, BUSHI kind of played the de facto babyface and it worked. His suicide dive to take out TAKA was great and got a good reaction. Kanemaru used Suzuki-Gun’s dreaded tequila bottle as mist but failed. BUSHI hit MX and picked up the win at 9:27. I dig BUSHI but even he couldn’t overcome the dullness of Kanemaru. Too much of the same old, same old at times. I did like babyface work from BUSHI and that cheating backfired in the end. [**½]
B Block: ACH [6] vs. Volador Jr. [4]
For some reason, ACH didn’t trust Volador to shake hands at the start. Volador has mostly been a babyface so far. I guess he was right because Volador kicked him low once they shook. From there, this was non-stop action and moved at a crazy pace. There wasn’t a ton in the way of psychology or story, just two guys hitting their shit in an effort to win. That’s fine sometimes. I think it worked well here because everything they did felt important. The highlight might’ve been ACH hitting a quartet of suicide dives. He’s been a blast in this tournament. Volador won this insane battle with a massive super rana at 12:02. This wasn’t the kind of match everyone likes, but I had so much fun with it. More of this please. [***½]
B Block: ROH World Television Champion KUSHIDA [4] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [6]
TAGUCHI JAPAN EXPLODES! They met on this same day last year (***½). Due to their friendship, this was clean from the start, which is a nice change of pace from the past three matches. They worked the expected body parts, and when that didn’t work, they progressed to striking. The exchanges were great, with armbars and ankle locks galore. Though I’m tired of the “desperate come from behind rally” in these tournaments, KUSHIDA has done well with his. He was willing to get a bit dirty when he needed to, but didn’t take it overboard to where he looked like a heel. His rollup attempt out of Dodon felt like a last ditch effort, but he dug deep and hit Back to the Future to earn the victory in 22:53. I thought that when he had the great match with Hiromu, Taguchi was done putting on great performances. I was wrong. This ruled. Their chemistry was top notch and KUSHIDA’s determination was palpable throughout. I liked the little things too, like stealing each other’s moves, as their usual stuff failed. [****]
Overall: 8/10. Probably my favorite B Block show thus far. Everything clicked, as even the worst thing (BUSHI/Kanemaru) was still solid. Tiger Mask/Desperado was a fun opener and ACH/Volador felt like a less-hyped version of Ricochet/Ospreay. The main event truly delivered one of the better tournament matches and B Block has an interesting scenario were everyone is tied with six points.
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Twelve
May 31st, 2017 | EDION Arena in Osaka, Japan | Attendance: 1,118
It’s the final night of A Block competition. I believe I know where they’re going with the booking and I’m not a big fan, but we’ll see. Taichi, Dragon Lee, Ricochet, Will Ospreay and Hiromu Takahashi are all alive on the final night.
A Block: Jushin Thunder Liger [0] vs. Taichi [8]
In his final BOTSJ match, Liger could play spoiler to Taichi. Taichi looked to prevent that with typical Suzuki-Gun nonsense. The pre-match attack, the cheap tactics, the fighting outside, etc. You know the deal by now. Liger had to fight from behind, because each time he thought he had something going, Taichi found an underhanded way to combat it. The Suzuki-Gun guys went too far, ripping Liger’s mask and cutting his hair. Sick of seeing what the legend was going through, perennial good guys KUSHIDA and Ryusuke Taguchi ran out to make the save. The place went nuts as Liger, with ripped mask and costume, rallied. Shotei, Liger Bomb and BRAINBUSTER wrapped it up at 10:02. Most of it was standard Suzuki-Gun shit but Liger overcoming it all to earn a win in his final BOTSJ match was great. The visual of him with the ripped attire was great. For that lone, it gets a bump in quality. Also, this was Liger’s 100th career BOTSJ win. A nice, round number to end on and a number that I don’t think will ever be touched. [**¾]
A Block: Dragon Lee [8] vs. TAKA Michinoku [2]
In a surprising moment, TAKA gave a handshake before the bell. He did poke Lee in the eye and it led to a fight in the aisle, so not everything changed. It led to one of the better countout teases of the tournament, but Lee beat the count. As expected, Lee turned it around and got his shit in. He even used TAKA’s own crossface against him. Lee got frustrated when he couldn’t put away TAKA and for having to overcome his shenanigans. His argument with the referee allowed TAKA to kick him in the face and win with the Michinoku Driver in 9:20. Solid little match here. Lee tried to fight through TAKA’s stuff, got frustrated and it cost him. TAKA needing everything in his power to win was wise. [**¾]
A Block: Marty Scurll [6] vs. Ricochet [8]
These two had a great match in PWG in 2015 (***¾). Ricochet needs a win and an Ospreay loss to win the block. I guess the reason TAKA didn’t attack before the bell was because Marty did it here. This was fought with a sense of urgency from the start. Scurll held serve for a large portion of the match and his antics were highly entertaining. Ricochet learned as the match went on, including flipping over Marty’s patented “JUST KIDDING” kick. He went into a wild flurry that made me feel he was on the verge of the win. Ricochet’s SSP caught knees and Marty, ever the villain, went into a series of piledrivers. Ricochet survived and fought through the Chicken Wing, but eventually had to tap at 13:31. This was one of the better tournament matches so far. Scurll looked great and they made me buy into Ricochet overcoming and winning. I hope Marty gets more NJPW bookings and I’d still love to see Ricochet get an IWGP Jr. Title run. More than another KUSHIDA run and definitely more than an Ospreay run.[****]
A Block: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi [8] vs. Will Ospreay [8]
Whoever wins this, wins the block. One of these guys is one of the best wrestlers in the world. The other is Will Ospreay. Both guys came out on fire and we got some brawling through the crowd. Hiromu nailed his excellent sunset flip powerbomb. I just have to note it because it’s awesome. He attacked the leg, which can go one of two ways. Ospreay can sell well like he did at last year’s BOTSJ finals, or he can decide against it like he does all too often. He started with some good selling, but it all went downhill once he had to get his shit in. He didn’t want to let it stop him from hitting his key stuff and it took away from the match. The lack of selling allowed the finishing stretch to move at a quick pace. Ospreay used a flurry of offense, including the Essex Destroyer, an imploding 450 and the Oscutter to win the match and block at 15:19. Solid match, but nowhere near as good as it could’ve been if Ospreay sold better. Ospreay, Taichi and TAKA were the only guys to not have great matches with Hiromu in this tournament. [***¼]
As I said before, I’ve been over the Ospreay hype (outside of a few matches, I’m looking at you, Shibata vs. Ospreay) for quite some time. I suspect they do KUSHIDA/Ospreay III as the finals. Their first match was a classic but the second left something to be desired. Also, I’d rather Hiromu not do another rematch at Dominion.
Overall: 7/10. A good final show for the A Block. We didn’t get the expected awfulness from a Taichi match, so it allowed for a consistent show. I came away disappointed with the main event and I thought TAKA/Lee was good, but nowhere near great. Ricochet/Scurll stole the show and I wish one of them won the block.
| A Block | Points | B Block | Points |
| Will Ospreay *Winner* | 10 (5-2) | El Desperado | 6 (3-3) |
| Ricochet | 8 (4-3) | Yoshinobu Kanemaru | 6 (3-3) |
| Dragon Lee | 8 (4-3) | ACH | 6 (3-3) |
| Hiromu Takahashi | 8 (4-3) | Ryusuke Taguchi | 6 (3-3) |
| Taichi | 8 (4-3) | Tiger Mask IV | 6 (3-3) |
| Marty Scurll | 8 (4-3) | KUSHIDA | 6 (3-3) |
| TAKA Michinoku | 4 (2-5) | BUSHI | 6 (3-3) |
| Jushin Thunder Liger | 2 (1-6) | Volador Jr. | 6 (3-3) |
Yes! Lucha Underground is back! I've waited months for this. Having it on Netflix has been a nice way to kill this time, but not enough.
There's just one match on tap for the return and it's going to take all night long!
Lucha Underground Championship All Night Long Match: Johnny Mundo (c) vs. The Mack
There's only been one previous All Night Long match. In season one, Prince Puma successfully defended the Lucha Underground Title against Johnny Mundo in one of the best matches in LU history (****1/4). It's an Anything Goes Ironman match that takes up the duration of an episode. Mundo used his speed advantage early, looking to tire out Mack. He did talk smack about the Mack not being built for a match like that. Mundo took the early 1-0 lead with the End of the World in under five minutes. Following a commercial break, the cocky Mundo went up 2-0 by using the ropes for leverage on a pin. Mack took that time to turn things up. His flurry of offense led to a sitout powerbomb that got him on the board, but he remained down 2-1. The next segment saw them trade stuff until Mundo nailed a corkscrew dive outside. He grabbed his leg and called the official over. Mack looked to take advantage, but Mundo needed to be checked on. It was all a ruse though, as Mundo was faking and used a low blow and DDT to take a 3-1 lead. THAT BASTARD! One of the better spots came when Mack tied Mundo the stretcher and slid him down the Temple stairs. Mack followed with a stunner and cut the lead to 3-2. Mundo tried running, just like he did against Puma in season one. PJ Black appeared to help his buddy Mundo. Things looked bleak for the Mack until Son of Havoc evened the odds. Mack was still out though, so Havoc knocked on Dario's office and was handed beers, which brought Mack back to life. The place erupted. Mundo and Black turned it around and Mundo made the band play a "victory song' for him. As he bragged, a member of the band jumped off the stage with a cross body. She revealed herself to be Sexy Star! Fueled, Mack tied it after a piledriver through a table. Things got hectic as the clocked near the end. The final three or so minutes were great. Mundo's top fan (Ricky Mandel) came out but was taken out by Sexy and Havoc. Mack hit a frog splash off a ladder and through a table but time expired before he could cover around 37:25. The match itself was great. Not on the level of Mundo/Puma, but it told a great story and the final stretch ruled. However, I didn't like the idea of a draw. There shouldn't be a time limit that ends minutes before the show because it's supposed to be all night long. Still, this was a ton of fun despite the finish. [***3/4]
Dario Cueto appeared, saying there are no ties in his Temple. Next week, they'll restart under sudden death rules.
Overall: 7.5/10. A really fun way for Lucha Underground to return. The match brought several existing storylines together in one entertaining match. I've said it before, but Lucha Underground does one match shows better than anyone. Somehow, this match, at ***3/4, is probably the worst of the bunch. I wasn't a fan of the finish and, though I don't like continuing things until next week, it gives people a reason to tune in.
Want to watch Lucha Underground, Raw and Smackdown and don't have cable? Try signing up for Fubo.tv. Stream USA, El Rey, NBA TV, SyFy and many other channels by getting Fubo.tv right here!
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Ten
May 28th, 2017 | New Sunpia Takasaki in Takasaki, Gumma, Japan | Attendance: 1,375
As this tournament winds down, things have taken shape. We know Taichi will have bad matches (except one), we know Hiromu will wow, we know Liger will lose and we know Marty will be over. Anyway, on this night, we have one of my most anticipated matches of the entire tournament as Hiromu Takahashi takes on Marty Scurll.
A Block: Ricochet [6] vs. TAKA Michinoku [2]
TAKA Michinoku has been a surprising treat in most matches, while Ricochet has been the performer you’d expect. Ricochet came in prepared for some of TAKA’s antics. He avoided getting the rope kicked into his nuts, but still got taken down into the crossface. TAKA in control was solid and a lot of his stuff came off smoothly. Ricochet made a comeback, which the crowd ate up. He survived another crossface and avoided the Michinoku Driver, before winning with the Benadryller in 7:41. Another good match from the A Block. It didn’t overstay its welcome, featured crisp work and had a hot crowd.[***]
A Block: Dragon Lee [6] vs. Jushin Thunder Liger [0]
I’d call this another of my most anticipated matches. Liger’s winless but still super over, as always. He had a game plan to ground Lee, but that quickly went awry and Lee nailed a nice tope con hilo. That led to one of the best countout teases of the tournament. That’s all Liger needs, right? A countout loss on top of everything. Liger got his signature stuff in, like Shotei, the cannonball and the Liger Bomb, but Lee was resilient. The legend made a crucial mistake by taking Lee to the top. Lee fought him off and hit the tree of Joey Lawrence double stomp. He added a diving double stomp to seal the deal in 7:54. Two of the most consistent guys in the block delivered again. It was a sprint full of action that made sense. I also dug Lee using double the finishers because Liger is awesome. [***¼]
A Block: Taichi [6] vs. Will Ospreay [8]
It’s two of my least favorite wrestlers in the block. Though one is clearly better than the other. Guess how this started? Taichi jumped Ospreay and there was some ringside brawling. There really is no originality here. Ospreay brought his brand of flippy offense. Like Ricochet and Dragon Lee before him, he desperately tried bringing some form of excitement to this match. Alas, unless your name is Hiromu Takahashi, you’re not getting something watchable out of Taichi. The typical ref bump came, which allowed Desperado and Kanemaru to get cheap shots in. Taichi then won after a mic stand shot and powerbomb at 10:08. I’ve never seen someone so consistently shitty. Taichi is the worst. I’m not big on Ospreay, but he put in some effort, unlike Taichi. Too much nonsense in this one. Also, where was CHAOS? Why does nobody try to combat the Suzuki-Gun shit? [½*]
A Block: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi [6] vs. Marty Scurll [6]
These two had a match I gave ***½ in RevPro recently. Marty went after the arm, trying to set up the Chicken Wing down the line. He also had Hiromu well scouted and blocked the sunset flip bomb. Hiromu did a good job selling the arm work. It wasn’t the best sell job I’ve seen, but it did the trick and he still got to hit his key stuff. What made this match work was more than just the things done in the ring. It’s the charisma of both men, which added to things. I like that Hiromu has had to fight from behind in some of these matches, because it gives us something different from his title defenses. Scurll kicked out of a modified Time Bomb near the end, which I didn’t like. He applied the Chicken Wing, but Hiromu managed to counter into Time Bomb for the win at 13:07. I liked all this. Good selling, great back and forth, fun action, an invested crowd and a sense of urgency because they knew that the loser would basically be done. [***¾]
With that loss, Marty Scurll joined Jushin Thunder Liger and TAKA Michinoku as the eliminated folks. Everyone else has eight points. Here’s how the final night of A Block action breaks down. Ricochet needs to win and have Ospreay lose. Ospreay needs to win and have Taichi lose. Taichi needs a win and losses by Ricochet and Hiromu. Hiromu must win, while Ricochet and Lee lose. Lee must win with Ospreay and Taichi losing.
Overall: 7/10. Pretty much the standard for A Block. Three good matches and one shitty Taichi appearance. Liger’s final run has been a blast, despite his record. Ricochet/TAKA was fun and the main event delivered. The booking has set up for an intriguing final A Block show, which is good.
| A Block | Points | B Block | Points |
| Ricochet | 8 (4-2) | El Desperado | 6 (3-2) |
| Will Ospreay | 8 (4-2) | Yoshinobu Kanemaru | 6 (3-2) |
| Dragon Lee | 8 (4-2) | ACH | 6 (3-2) |
| Hiromu Takahashi | 8 (4-2) | Ryusuke Taguchi | 6 (3-2) |
| Taichi | 8 (4-2) | Tiger Mask IV | 4 (2-3) |
| Marty Scurll | 6 (3-3) | KUSHIDA | 4 (2-3) |
| TAKA Michinoku | 2 (1-5) | BUSHI | 4 (2-3) |
| Jushin Thunder Liger | 0 (0-6) | Volador Jr. | 4 (2-3) |
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Eight Review
May 26th, 2017 | Nagano Athletic Park Gymnasium in Nagano, Japan | Attendance: 913
The A Block is back today with a few interesting matchups. Jushin Thunder Liger looks for his first win as he takes on Ricochet, Hiromu Takahashi goes against another Suzuki-Gun guy and Will Ospreay and Dragon Lee rematch their ROH outing.
A Block: Marty Scurll [6] vs. Taichi [4]
Considering their point totals, I can predict this outcome. As always, Taichi attacked before the bell, but his microphone stand was outdueled by Marty’s umbrella. Marty could show Taichi how to be a proper villain and not one who sucks the life out of everything he’s involved in. Since NJPW heels tend to be carbon copies of each other, whether Suzuki-Gun or Bullet Club, this had the standard brawling around the arena. Marty made Taichi tap to the chicken wing, but the referee was down, so it was missed. Taichi used a low blow and roll up to steal two points at 9:25. About what I expected. Scurll tried, but couldn’t drag Taichi to something better. [**]
A Block: Jushin Thunder Liger [0] vs. Ricochet [6]
I gave their match in the tournament last year ***½. Ricochet pumping his fist at the “LIGER” part of Liger’s theme was cool. There was a respect based back and forth sequence in the early goings. Liger would gain control, but Ricochet used his quickness to slip free. Once they got into their stuff, everything flowed smoothly. They’re just so good. I also liked how it showcased something different for Ricochet. Against guys like Lee and Ospreay, he flies all over the place. Here, we saw other facets of his game and man, Ricochet is damn good. He picked up the win with King’s Landing at 9:04. Liger continues to have a strong final tournament, despite his 0-5 record. Ricochet has another very good match and remains consistent. I’d like to see him get a Jr. Title run at some point. [***¼]
A Block: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi [4] vs. TAKA Michinoku [2]
Hiromu got a good match out of Taichi, so this should be just as good, if not better. And it was. TAKA looked to do the Suzuki-Gun style of underhanded tactics, while Hiromu was out to pretty much just punch him in the mouth and bring the big offense. Unlike Taichi and Kanemaru, TAKA’s shenanigans were entertaining. They didn’t feel like he was doing them for the sake of it, but to overcome the juggernaut that is Hiromu. TAKA showed his desperation by feigning a knee injury, using eye pokes and trying several rollups down the stretch. Hiromu survived it all and won with the Time Bomb in 9:24. Hiromu Takahashi can do no wrong. Another fun match for him, while TAKA has another solid outing. TAKA knew he was overmatched and tried everything, but it wasn’t enough. [***¼]
A Block: Dragon Lee [6] vs. Will Ospreay [6]
At ROH’s Manhattan Mayhem VI, these two had a ***¾ showcase. Like that match, this was the two athletic showmen trying to outdo each other and take the lead in their block. However, Dragon Lee showed how he’s more well-rounded than Will. His strikes were better and he didn’t have an odd section early on where he tried some odd submission work. As fliers, they’re about even, and when they focused on that, the match was at their best. Ospreay kicked out of some of Lee’s best shots, including the tree of woe stomp. He fought off the Dragon Driver and went into his finishing stretch, capping it off with the Oscutter to win at 10:06. I preferred their ROH match. This was a fine showcase too, but I wasn’t a fan of some of the early stuff and the finish felt anti-climactic. Ospreay leads the A Block, which is disappointing to me since I’ve been over him for about a year now. [***]
Overall: 6.5/10. The story with the A Block is the same each time out. Taichi drags the show down all by himself. To be fair, the rest of the card wasn’t that strong either. I thought Liger/Ricochet and Hiromu/TAKA were both highly enjoyable, but found Lee/Ospreay to be a disappointment. Nothing here is must see, but everything is fine.
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXIV Night Nine
May 27th, 2017 | Tsukuba Capio Arena in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Will the B Block trend continue today? They’ve typically had good but not great matches (sans KUSHIDA/BUSHI). El Desperado started unbeaten but looks to go the Gedo booking route of a collapse, while KUSHIDA is on the road to the opposite, which is another Gedo booking trope.
B Block: ACH [4] vs. El Desperado [6]
Desperado came out without any of his Suzuki-Gun buddies. Much appreciated. ACH was ready for some of Desperado’s antics, but quickly had his knee targeted. Desperado unwrapped the bandage on it and methodically worked it over. Kudos to ACH, who sold it all very well. He limped, had trouble standing and let out audible yells of pain. In the end, he slipped out of the stretch muffler and scored with the Midnight Driver at 9:56. Solid opening contest. They worked a smart match and both guys succeeded in what they tried. [***]
B Block: NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion BUSHI [2] vs. Volador Jr. [4]
I’m not sure what they were going for here. Early on, BUSHI used a chair on Volador’s leg. I’d expect that would become a target. Instead, it was largely forgotten. BUSHI just went into his normal offense, as if none of that happened. Partially because of that, this felt more like two guys hitting their moves than a cohesive match. Sometimes that’s fine. Here, I don’t think it was because it needed more leg work after the way it started. BUSHI scored with MX to win in 10:53. I wanted more from this. Cut that early stuff out and you’ve got another ***+ performance from BUSHI. [**¾]
B Block: Ryusuke Taguchi [4] vs. Tiger Mask IV [4]
Taguchi’s theme makes me wanna twerk. These two are friendly, so Taguchi was free to be his wacky self. That’s the Taguchi I was never a fan of though. I know comedy has its place in wrestling (I quite enjoy Toru Yano), but Taguchi’s brand doesn’t typically click. After some comedy, Tiger Mask went to work with a few rest holds. He lacked some of the fire we’ve seen from him in this tournament thus far. Both guys tried setting up their submissions (ankle lock and armbar), but it was Taguchi who won out. He applied the ankle lock and Tiger Mask tapped at 9:29. Smooth work, but I wasn’t a fan of the middle portion and didn’t love the comedy stuff. [**½]
B Block: ROH World Television Champion KUSHIDA [2] vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [6]
It’s a rematch from the Super J-Cup Finals last year. That lackluster tournament ended with a match I generously gave ***¼ to. Like I said on previous shows, looking at the records guys have can tell you how a certain match will go. This was the expected match from these two. They tried to sell KUSHIDA fighting from behind and making this valiant comeback. Suzuki-Gun shenanigans and interference were how he fell behind, so that part wasn’t very interesting at all. They even worked in a dreadful looking referee bump, because why not? Taichi clocked KUSHIDA with a tequila bottle and proceeded to stick around for far longer than I wished. When his Hoverboard Lock kept failing, KUSHIDA resorted to Back to the Future (small package driver) to win in 13:17. Like everything Kanemaru does, this lacked. I got what they were trying to go for, but I feel the execution was way off. KUSHIDA gets the expected win to continue the overused Gedo comeback booking. Hopefully, and I say this as a KUSHIDA fan, he doesn’t win the block. [**¾]
Overall: 5/10. I think we can safely call this the worst show of the BOTSJ this year. Only the opener cracked three stars. Luckily, there’s no Taichi level awfulness, so it isn’t a particularly bad show, just one that’s very skippable.
| A Block | Points | B Block | Points |
| Will Ospreay | 8 (4-1) | El Desperado | 6 (3-2) |
| Dragon Lee | 6 (3-2) | Yoshinobu Kanemaru | 6 (3-2) |
| Ricochet | 6 (3-2) | ACH | 6 (3-2) |
| Hiromu Takahashi | 6 (3-2) | Ryusuke Taguchi | 6 (3-2) |
| Taichi | 6 (3-2) | Tiger Mask IV | 4 (2-3) |
| Marty Scurll | 6 (3-2) | KUSHIDA | 4 (2-3) |
| TAKA Michinoku | 2 (1-4) | BUSHI | 4 (2-3) |
| Jushin Thunder Liger | 0 (0-5) | Volador Jr. | 4 (2-3) |
