NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Night Eleven
June 3rd, 2016 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Unlike 2015, shows in Korakuen Hall feel important this year. With just a few days left in the Best of the Super Juniors, there are some big implications entering this show. It’s the third and final Korakuen show of this tournament and the first two saw KUSHIDA vs. O’Reilly and Ospreay vs. Ricochet in the two best tourney matches so far. Though the whole show is available, I’ll just be reviewing the tournament matches here.
A Block: Kyle O’Reilly [8] def. David Finlay [2] in 9:58
Young Finlay attempted his stretch muffler within the first minute or so. Though O’Reilly slipped free, you could tell that he was feeling the effects of it. I love the fire from Finlay. Despite his win/loss record, the dude shows no fear. He went toe to toe with O’Reilly in a battle of uppercuts that was great and his addition of saying “I’M GONNA KILL YOU” before hitting a final running one was the cherry on top. O’Reilly held nothing back either and their slap exchange while O’Reilly tried for the Sharpshooter might have been my favorite part of the match. After a late enziguri, Finlay held onto Kyle’s leg and locked in the stretch muffler. O’Reilly nearly countered into the armbar, but Finlay rolled through right into a German that got the crowd chanting his name. O’Reilly fired back with a Brainbuster for two before proceeding to kick Finlay’s head in Bryan Danielson style. He applied a triangle choke that made Finlay give up. I enjoyed the hell out of this match. I might be biased since I like Finlay and love O’Reilly but it was badass. It felt like a fight where both guys wanted to badly win. The best Finlay match I’ve ever seen and I’m so happy he got an opportunity as it has made the tournament so much better. They shook hands post-match. ***¾
A Block: Rocky Romero [6] def. Gedo [2] in 8:33
A battle of Chaos members. Romero had Beretta in his corner, marking the first time either man has done that in the tournament so far. Gedo questioned this and it led to a hilarious shoving match before they all hugged. Gedo then promised to lay down for Rocky only to roll him up for two. There were all kinds of shenanigans from eye pokes to Beretta saying sorry in between cheap stomps on Gedo to Gedo doing Rocky’s “FOREVER” clotheslines. Despite a low blow from Gedo, Romero pulled out the win after some running knees. Post-match, Romero iced his balls and all three men hugged. There are certainly better matches in the tournament, but you might not find one that was more fun. It was full of fun antics and worked as a nice change of pace. ***
A Block: BUSHI [6] def. Ryusuke Taguchi [8] in 10:19
After a horrible 0-3 start, BUSHI entered this on a two match winning streak. Taguchi has managed to be one of the top performers from a record standpoint for some reason. Just like on night one, there were tons of BUSHI masks in the crowd. Taguchi showed up in a sparkly green suit and Tetsuya Naito mask, walking to the ring exactly like a member of LIDJ. He even had his lips painted green, poking fun at BUSHI. Taguchi used his ass for offense early and then BUSHI seemed to target his groin. Not only did he crotch him on the ropes, but then worked that area with the ring post for a while. The finish was rather creative as Taguchi kicked out of a rollup and while falling back, BUSHI knocked the referee out of the ring. It allowed him to sneak in a mist spit before racking up two more points with the leaping Codebreaker. Not the best of matches, but mostly fine. **¾
A Block: KUSHIDA [8] def. Matt Sydal [8] in 15:59
As far as I know, it’s the first New Japan main event for Sydal. They began with mat work and though Sydal did his best to keep up, it was clear that KUSHIDA had the advantage there. When they started exchanging moves it was pretty great, highlighted by Sydal handstand walking out of a KUSHIDA rana attempt. I dug KUSHIDA being brash and doing a Namaste taunt (Sydal trademark) before trying the Hoverboard Lock. There were more than a few moments that stood out, including KUSHIDA reversing a rana into a sick looking Boston crab. This entire match was much more grounded than I expected. Sydal went after the leg, which made things tough for KUSHIDA, though he came back with arm work of his own. It was when Sydal decided to go up top that it cost him as he missed the Shooting Sydal Press. KUSHIDA locked in the Hoverboard Lock and Sydal tapped. Really good match that felt important, which was key considering it was a battle for first place. ***¾
Overall: 7/10. Four mostly strong matches tonight. BUSHI and Taguchi had the worst of the bunch, but it was still solid. Romero and Gedo was one of the most highly entertaining outings of the tournament. KUSHIDA and Sydal put on a worthy main event, but my favorite match of the evening was O’Reilly vs. Finlay. Check out that and the main event if pressed for time, but the whole thing is good.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| KUSHIDA | 8 (4-2) | Ricochet | 8 (4-1) |
| Kyle O'Reilly | 8 (4-2) | Jushin Thunder Liger | 6 (3-2) |
| Matt Sydal | 8 (4-2) | Volador Jr. | 6 (3-2) |
| Ryusuke Taguchi | 8 (4-2) | Beretta | 4 (2-3) |
| BUSHI | 6 (3-3) | Bobby Fish | 4 (2-3) |
| Rocky Romero | 6 (3-3) | Chase Owens | 4 (2-3) |
| David Finlay | 2 (1-5) | Tiger Mask IV | 4 (2-3) |
| Gedo | 2 (1-5) | Will Ospreay | 4 (2-3) |
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Night Ten
June 2nd, 2016 | Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
People are getting officially eliminated and the herd is being thinned out as we inch towards the finish line. Before a big A Block show tomorrow, B Block hosts four matches and most are pretty intriguing.
B Block: Volador Jr. [6] def. Chase Owens [4] in 10:28
Right from the start, Volador frustrated Owens by outwrestling him. He also hit a nice dive to the outside and looked to be in firm control. Owens did manage to turn the tide and he went old school by moving the mats outside to expose the concrete. He also removed Volador’s mask to put it on himself. It was rather comical to see him work with it on, highlighted by a moonsault where he shouted “I CAN FLY!” The moonsault missed, leading to a more balanced back and forth final few minutes. They went up top where Volador scored on a super rana to gain the win. Solid enough match. Volador was as good as expected, but Owens’ hijinks were an added bonus. ***
B Block: Jushin Thunder Liger [6] def. Tiger Mask IV [4] in 1:11
The two super veterans of the tournament. Having Liger’s actual theme makes everything so much better. Quick start as Tiger Mask hit a suicide dive within the first few seconds. He went for more offense inside the ring, only to be caught into the Ground Cobra Twist, giving Liger the quick three count. This usually happens at least once in NJPW tournaments (Toru Yano is the master in heavyweight tournaments) and I think here was a good place for it. They shook hands after the bell. Too short to really rank. NR
B Block: Will Ospreay [4] def. Bobby Fish [4] in 14:22
Another Will Ospreay match, another that I was really looking forward to once the blocks were announced. These are my two favorite guys in B Block. Their early exchanges were great, as Fish came off like an angry old man with a big forearm in the middle of it. Ospreay did his flippy stuff and came down gingerly on the leg, which I was hoping Bobby would target. He didn’t really and Ospreay kind of forgot about it. Fish ended up trying to go after it, but Ospreay did his best to keep him away. I didn’t like that Ospreay still got in all of his flashy flips regardless. Normally, Ospreay isn’t guilty of this, especially back in his classic with KUSHIDA at Invasion Attack. Their closing battle was pretty fun before Ospreay won with the springboard cutter. I thought the overall story they told was fine but it felt like the leg selling only came into play when it was convenient. ***¾
B Block: Ricochet [8] def. Beretta [4] in 13:13
Both guys have been pretty good throughout this tournament, though Beretta has hit a slump after a 2-0 start, just like Rocky Romero over in A Block. Similar to when Romero met Matt Sydal, it was clear that these two have chemistry and know each other well. Ricochet was too fast for Beretta early on and was kind of a dick about it, so Beretta slapped him. That kind of was the story the rest of the way. Ricochet’s speed would really trip up Beretta, who would get frustrated and try to hit Ricochet hard. They built to some good drama, which is missing at times from the tournament. Beretta’s desperation to try and rack up a win was great, as he came close to a late countout. Once Ricochet got back in, Beretta hit the running knee and covered, but Ricochet turned him over for a crucifix to steal it and find himself atop the standings. Another really strong match that was probably among the top five in the tournament. ***¾
Overall: 7.5/10. One of the better single camera shows so far. We started with a pretty entertaining opener before getting a short match out of the way. That gave the next two really good matches more time to breathe and it worked out well.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Ryusuke Taguchi | 8 (4-1) | Ricochet | 8 (3-1) |
| Matt Sydal | 8 (4-1) | Jushin Thunder Liger | 6 (3-2) |
| Kyle O'Reilly | 6 (3-2) | Volador Jr. | 6 (3-2) |
| KUSHIDA | 6 (3-2) | Beretta | 4 (2-3) |
| Rocky Romero | 4 (2-3) | Bobby Fish | 4 (2-3) |
| BUSHI | 4 (2-3) | Chase Owens | 4 (2-3) |
| David Finlay | 2 (1-4) | Tiger Mask IV | 4 (2-3) |
| Gedo | 2 (1-4) | Will Ospreay | 4 (2-3) |
5) Triple H: Since this list is supposed to begin back in 2000, I can't not include The Game. That year started with Triple H winning the WWF Title from Big Show before he moved into classic matches with Cactus Jack. Brutal bouts that solidified HHH as THE MAN in the company. He was a guy who was able to move seamlessly from face to heel consistently and could almost always be counted on for damn fine performances. I can remember at least one standout match in nearly each of the past fifteen years. Whether he's the comedy man with DX, the heel Champion with Evolution, the face fighting for his family or the heel authority figure, Triple H delivers.
4) Chris Jericho: Versatility is the name of the game when it comes to the multi-time champion, Chris Jericho. A guy who can go from heel to face with the greatest of ease and can slide between the main event, mid card and tag division as needed. He was the first ever Undisputed Champion, held a record setting nine Intercontinental Titles, and won numerous Tag Team Titles, with future Hall of Fame partners. He would also be one of the only guys in history to completely reinvent himself as he went from Y2J in the first half of the decade, to a much more serious, suit wearing heel in the latter stages. He has left and returned numerous times and it is always a treat to have him back. He knows his job now too as he has put over the likes of CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler and Bray Wyatt lately while also mentoring Wade Barrett. He always said it; Jericho is excellence.
3) Shawn Michaels: Let's get one thing clear, Shawn Michaels was the best performer when he was around from 2002-2010. The only issue is that he was indeed only around for eight years. After retiring for four years due to a broken back, he returned for a Street Fight with Triple H at SummerSlam 2002. Shawn beyond exceeded expectations and had an incredible run. Shawn was great during the first run of his career, but it pales in comparison to this run. Shawn put on classics with nearly everyone during this time. John Cena, Edge, The Undertaker, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, Ric Flair and so many more. Shawn truly won me over during this run and was damn perfect pretty much every time out.
2) Edge: Chris Jericho is possibly my second all-time favorite wrestler, but number one with a bullet is Edge. In 2000, Edge was hot off of a classic star-making tag team Ladder match and moved into seven Tag Team Title reigns with Christian. It was a shot in the arm to the tag team division but Edge enjoyed singles success as well. He won multiple Intercontinental Titles, a United States Title and even the 2001 King of the Ring. He had a great feud with Kurt Angle but things got turned way up when he became the Rated R Superstar. He skyrocketed into another stratosphere and nothing could stop him. He would cash in Money in the Bank twice and win 11 World Titles. That wasn't a typo. Edge is one of the greatest of all time, as he truly did it all. Every major title multiple times, a King of the Ring, a Royal Rumble win and runs at the top against the best as both a face and a heel. Throughout it all, I don't remember a bad match at all. Unfortunately, he had to retire in 2011 due to the toll that his career had taken on his body but even then, he went out on top as World Champion.
1) John Cena: A few years ago, I wouldn't be caught dead putting John Cena atop any list. However, I went from "Cena Sucks" guy to changing my tone. Now don't get me wrong. I'm still not a fan of the guy as he is in dire need of a character overhaul. However, the man has proved how valuable of a performer he is. Cena took his generic character in 2002 and turned it into a ridiculous rapper gimmick that never should have worked, but it did. He had a slow build to the top and eventually got his big win over JBL at WrestleMania 21. After having matches at the top of the card that underwhelmed, things started to change. He would have good matches with the likes of Shawn Michaels, sure, but when he started to have them with Umaga, Lashley and even The Great Khali, he won me over. Since then, Cena has shown that he's the best guy to have at the top of the company. He is durable, marketable and ALWAYS delivers in the biggest matches. He's the MVP of the company and has been for longer than anyone else in history. Respect.
The episode stats with a recap of Chavo winning the Gift of the Gods Title two weeks ago, before losing it to Cage last week. Cage challenged Matanza for tonight. We also see the Trios Title changing hands last week.
Son of Havoc def. Daga in 6:58
Daga is my homie. I like that even though he's part of the unlikely trio, Son of Havoc came out on his own. It's fitting after the early issues he had with Ivelisse by his side. Havoc showed off some of his aerial skill but the real story was the development of Daga. He showed off some personality and poise. As Daga worked a single leg crab, Kobra Moon walked down to ringside. If you recall, she handed Daga a win recently and seemed to want her some Daga. She rooted for him at ringside. Kobra got involved by grabbing Havoc's leg, but he fought out of it and won with a shooting star press. Solid match that got Havoc a singles win and furthered the Moon/Daga stoy. ***
Daga awkwardly helped Daga up and he shoved her away. She got on her knees in front of him and wrapped herself around his leg but he again pushed her back.
Rey Mysterio is working out backstage when Dragon Azteca Jr. comes up to him. He says that he found the cell where Matanza is kept and is going for revenge. Rey tells him that his focus should be on winning back the titles. They almost come to blows over the fact that they aren't trying to avenge Dragon Azteca. Puma comes up and Rey nearly hits him too. Puma says that whatever is going on concerns him because they're his partners. I liked it better when Puma didn't speak.
Trios Championship: Jack Evans, Johnny Mundo and PJ Black (c) w/ Taya def. Dragon Azteca Jr., Prince Puma and Rey Mysterio Jr. via disqualification in 9:44
It's a rematch from last week! The champions all came out with bandannas and just looked like total douchebags, which was perfect. Evans was spectacular, just talking so much shit as the champions worked over Mysterio. The challengers had a great spot where they triple dropkicked Evans while seated in the corner. In a huge spot, Puma superplexed Evans onto everyone else outside. After Puma missed a 630, Evans mocked him with one of his own, but only got a near fall. Things were going along great until Puma got pissed at the constant cheating by his opponents and he kicked Mundo in the dick, leading to the DQ. This had a better energy than last week and I liked that the ending seemed to be leading to something different for Puma. ***3/4
Rey Mysterio and Dragon Azteca tried to calm Puma down, but he just superkicked Taya. Rey held him back from doing more.
Backstage, Dragon Azteca Jr. found Matanza's cell. Black Lotus is there and tells him not to do it. She reveals that Dragon Azteca killed her parents, not Matanza. Matazna grunted a bunch as Dragon left, saying that she knows it isn't true.
Lucha Underground Championship: Matanza Cueto (c) w/ Dario Cueto def. Cage in 13:29
IT'S A HOSS FIGHT! Cage knew that their power was about even and he had a game plan, using his athleticism to take down Matanza. He even got in a powerbomb on the outside. Matanza tried to answer with athleticism of his own but his standing shooting star press didn't do much as Cage continued to take it to him. Both guys tried pump kicks at the same time and took each other down. Dario did a great job in showing concern throughout. They traded getting up instantly from Germans until Matanza went to a swinging gutwrench instead to keep Cage down. The fans popped for all of that. Things slowed a bit as Matanza began to slow things down. Each Cage near fall was eaten up by the fans, especially the one on the Lucha Destroyer (F5). He went into a series of kicks but got caught in the Wrath of the Gods as Matanza retained. A great hoss fight between two awesome big men. This felt like a big deal, Cage got in a ton but Matazna didn't lose any of his appeal. ****
Overall: 8/10. Another great episode of Lucha Underground. We got a lot of focus on wrestling and it worked out. The opener was fun and the Trios Title match improved upon last week's good match. We did get storyline advancement with Daga/Kobra, pissed Puma and the Azteca/Matanza stuff. Speaking of Matanza, he and Cage had an awesome hoss fight that was well worth it.
If you do want to check out Lucha Underground, which you absolutely should, and don't get El Rey Network (like me), you can sign up for the streaming service Fubo.TV. It's a great way to support the company and channel while streaming the show online. You can sign up and get Lucha Underground right here with Fubo.tv!
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Night Nine
May 31st, 2016 | Hiroshima Green Arena in Hiroshima, Japan
We’re getting down to the nitty gritty in this tournament as people are close to getting mathematically eliminated at this point. The A Block is up again and they’ve been very consistent so far. I’d say the two guys performing the worst so far in the tournament are over in the B Block (Tiger Mask IV and Chase Owens), so I’ve been enjoying A Blocks slightly more.
A Block: BUSHI [4] def. David Finlay [2] in 7:18
Fresh off of his big first win on night seven, Finlay came out firing and went right after BUSHI. It quickly backfired when things spilled outside though. Finlay looks like he’s slowly morphing into Trevor Lee. He withstood a BUSHI onslaught for a bit. Finlay slapped on the stretch muffler and looked to make it two in a row only for BUSHI to make it to the ropes. Finlay had BUSHI’s middle rope Codebreaker scouted, dodged it and it led to some close near falls. Knowing he had just come off of the big first win, they did well on the false finishes. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be because the second Codebreaker attempt worked and BUSHI got the win. Like most of the tournament, this was very solid. Both guys worked hard as Finlay continues to be a breath of fresh air. Nice to see BUSHI string together two in a row as well. ***¼
A Block: Matt Sydal [8] def. Rocky Romero [4] in 13:37
After starting 2-0, Rocky Romero dropped two straight coming into this show, while Sydal lost his first match before reeling off three wins in a row. They know each other well considering their respective teams traded the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Titles for the past two months. They had a pretty good feeling out process and when Rocky couldn’t gain the upper hand, he resorted to mind games. He faked out Sydal on a dive before making him chase him around the ring. Sydal, ever the dumb babyface, ran right into a dropkick inside. Sydal’s comeback of course included him taking to the air. They fought outside where Romero hit a sliced bread, leading to the typical countout tease. There was a really strong exchange of strikes and Romero took Sydal up top. Sydal fought him off and hit a big rana before scoring on the Shooting Sydal Press and winning his fourth in a row. Better than I expected. Hell, I liked it more than their tag matches this year. Really good back and forth stuff.***½
A Block: KUSHIDA [6] def. Gedo [2] in 13:34
Gedo got his only win on night one, while KUSHIDA racked up two in a row after a surprising 0-2 start. KUSHIDA was easily the most popular person on the night and for good reason. I loved that KUSHIDA changed up his offense to go after the arm specifically. Instead of his usual cartwheel dropkick, he delivered a kick to the arm, which Gedo sold by yelling incredibly loudly. Gedo continued to use every old school heel tactic in the book. Everything from feigning an injury to using the exposed turnbuckle. If there was a way for the filthy veteran to steal the upper hand, he was not afraid to use it. The crowd ate all of this up and was red hot throughout. Despite him heeling it up, the crowd seemed to get more into Gedo as the match progressed and popped hard for his Rainmaker pose. KUSHIDA was able to counter the actual Rainmaker into the Hoverboard Lock and win. Really good stuff here that had the added benefit of a great crowd. Gedo doing everything he could to try and win was awesome as well. Not many have talked about it, but Gedo has been really enjoyable thus far. ***¾
A Block: Ryusuke Taguchi [8] def. Kyle O’Reilly [6] in 11:46
Both guys game into this show tied for first with six points. O’Reilly has been consistently really good so far, while Taguchi has been hit or miss. Right from the start, O’Reilly went after the arm, while Taguchi targeted the leg and I appreciated the efforts to try and set up their submissions early on. It would make sense for some guys to try and win as quickly as possible. O’Reilly had control but Taguchi resorted to his ass based offense to get him back into this. O’Reilly busted out the Sharpshooter, instantly making me like him even more. Unfortunately, Taguchi made it to the ropes. I liked the finish as O’Reilly did the whole “turn a kick out into my finisher” thing, only for Taguchi to turn that into a rollup and then take that kick out into his ankle lock. O’Reilly fought hard and nearly broke the hold, but eventually had to tap. A bit too much ass offense for me to really like it, but I thought it was fine. The cool finish added to it for me for sure. ***
Overall: 7/10. I feel like I’ve given this score out to the Best of the Super Juniors Tournament on most nights, but it’s fitting. The tournament continues to be really consistent with lots of good, solid matches. There were four good matches on this night. None are bad, though only Gedo/KUSHIDA is one you should see if pressed for time. Still, while the booking is a bit confusing (Taguchi and Sydal with 8 points, BUSHI eliminated with four) things are moving smoothly. By the way, Romero, BUSHI, Finlay and Gedo are all eliminated at this point.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Ryusuke Taguchi | 8 (4-1) | Ricochet | 6 (3-1) |
| Matt Sydal | 8 (4-1) | Beretta | 4 (2-2) |
| Kyle O'Reilly | 6 (3-2) | Jushin Thunder Liger | 4 (2-2) |
| KUSHIDA | 6 (3-2) | Volador Jr. | 4 (2-1) |
| Rocky Romero | 4 (2-3) | Bobby Fish | 4 (2-2) |
| BUSHI | 4 (2-3) | Chase Owens | 4 (2-2) |
| David Finlay | 2 (1-4) | Tiger Mask IV | 4 (2-2) |
| Gedo | 2 (1-4) | Will Ospreay | 2 (1-3) |
1) Will Ospreay and Ricochet: The match that is getting ALL of the buzz this week. Will Ospreay and Ricochet met in the main event of night six of the Best of the Super Juniors Tournament in one of the most incredible displays of athleticism that I've ever seen. A lot of people loved the match and a lot of people hated it. I can see the arguments from both sides and understand where people are coming from. I'm of the group of people that thought it was great. They went full tilt for almost seventeen minutes in the second best match from the tournament right now. NJPW World has uploaded the match for free now, so everyone can go check it out. Ospreay got the win, his first in an NJPW singles match, but both men deserve the high praise here.
2) Jack Evans, Johnny Mundo and PJ Black: The trio of arguably the biggest pricks in LU had a great week. While Cage captured the Gift of the Gods Championship from Chavo Guerrero on the same episode, the main event is where the real praise goes. Jack Evans and PJ Black were scheduled to team with Fenix in an attempt to win the Trios Titles. Taya pulled them aside and revealed a beaten up Fenix. Johnny Mundo showed up, as the one who attacked him, and became their new partner. The three men took on Dragon Azteca Jr., Prince Puma and Rey Mysterio Jr. for the Trios Titles and won the belts in a fun match. They used all sorts of underhanded tactics but the important thing is that they got the job done.
3) Matt Sydal: After losing his first Best of the Super Juniors match to Rysuke Taguchi (seriously, why is he 4-1?), Matt Sydal has reeled off four straight wins to tie for first place. During the week of 5/23-5/29, he went 3-0. First, he defeated winless BUSHI in a solid match. Then, he beat NJPW booker Gedo in a decent outing. Finally, on night seven of the tournament, he handed Kyle O'Reilly his first loss of the tournament in a great match, putting himself in first place. I wasn't expecting this successful of a showing from Sydal, but he and his partner Ricochet have both done rather well.
4) The Miz: I know a lot of people don't like him and a lot don't respect his skills, but Miz keeps on killing it. After retaining his Intercontinental Title in his best match ever at Extreme Rules, Miz did suffer a tough loss to Cesaro on Raw. That win earned Cesaro another shot at the Intercontinental Title in the main event of Smackdown. This was again, one of the better singles matches of the Miz's career and he pulled out another victory over Cesaro. I'm not sure what his plans are heading into Money in the Bank, but he is still your IC Champion. He was also just chosen to star in another WWE Film, the Marine 5. Plus, Maryse is his wife. Life is good for the Miz.
5) Cage: Won the Gift of the Gods Championship.
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors Night Eight
May 30th, 2016 | Yonago Convention Center in Yonago, Tottori, Japan
Night seven was a full show with the multi-camera look. We’re back to just the tournament matches and single camera style for night eight and the B Block. Our last B Block match was the heavily polarizing clash between Ricochet and Will Ospreay. None of the matches on this night look quite as intriguing but should still be fun.
B Block: Chase Owens [4] def. Beretta [4] in 9:53
Chase Owens made sure to attack Beretta during his entrance and give us some crowd brawling. Luckily, the camera was able to catch most of it this time around. Once back in the ring, Owens held serve until Beretta delivered a back body drop onto the apron. Beretta got off a shaky top rope rana, rolled through and nailed a knee for a near fall. He got a few more close calls so Owens had Yujiro Takahashi toss him a steel chair. The referee stopped him, but it opened the door for Owens to use brass knuckles like a 90’s heel. That and the package piledriver led him to even his wins and losses. Like most of Owens’ stuff in the tournament, it’s been okay and nothing more really. Kind of dull at times. **½
B Block: Tiger Mask IV [4] def. Will Ospreay [2] in 7:41
Despite his record, Ospreay has been one of the best performers in the tournament so far, while Tiger Mask has been on the opposite end of that spectrum. They worked at a fast pace, faster than most Tiger Mask matches in recent memory. Ospreay seemed to have a bigger upper hand throughout the match, but made a mistake as a high risk move failed due to Tiger Mask getting his knees up. Tiger Mask then went deep into his bag of tricks to pull out a top rope tiger suplex for a very close near fall. He stayed on Ospreay though and made him submit to a pretty badass looking armbar. Another strong match from Ospreay and probably my favorite from Tiger Mask so far. I’m not sure what the plan is for Ospreay, who is now just 1-3 in the tournament. ***
B Block: Bobby Fish [4] def. Volador Jr. [4] in 8:48
Both guys have been good so far in the tournament, but neither has quite had a standout match just yet. Bobby seemingly jawed with a fan at ringside for a bit and once things started, he ended up back out there and took a dive from Volador. That high flying style got Volador the advantage on a few occasions, but Fish took it right to his leg, not only taking out that part of his offense, but setting up for the Fish Hook later. It was some kicks to the leg that led to a falcon arrow near fall in which Fish instantly locked in the Fish Hook out of the kick out. Volador had to give up and Fish was able to get his second straight victory. Like I said about their tournaments, this was good but not great. Both guys have been really consistent so far and it continued here. ***
B Block: Ricochet [6] def. Jushin Thunder Liger [4] in 11:30
With the losses by Volador and Beretta earlier, whoever won this match would gain sole possession of first place after the night ended. While this began slowly, it got better as it went on. Ricochet was his usual self and props to Liger who was able to keep up with him at every turn despite the major age difference. Near the end, there was a great spot where Ricochet applied a submission and Liger gave a cool tease of a tap out before reaching the ropes. After some more back and forth, Ricochet nailed a Brainbuster for two and went right back to the submission, making Liger tap. While the finish is cool, it’s been done a fair amount in the tournament, and in the last match, which took away from it here. ***½
Overall: 6.5/10. Not the best night so far, but another easy watch. Only having the tournament matches is good since most of them don’t last overly long and are all at least decent. Liger/Ricochet was the best of the bunch, but Tiger Mask/Ospreay and Volador/Fish were both good matches.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Ryusuke Taguchi | 6 (3-1) | Ricochet | 6 (3-1) |
| Matt Sydal | 6 (3-1) | Beretta | 4 (2-2) |
| Kyle O'Reilly | 6 (3-1) | Jushin Thunder Liger | 4 (2-2) |
| Rocky Romero | 4 (2-2) | Volador Jr. | 4 (2-1) |
| KUSHIDA | 4 (2-2) | Bobby Fish | 4 (2-2) |
| David Finlay | 2 (1-3) | Chase Owens | 4 (2-2) |
| Gedo | 2 (1-3) | Tiger Mask IV | 4 (2-2) |
| BUSHI | 2 (1-3) | Will Ospreay | 2 (1-3) |
