PROGRESS Chapter 68: Super Strong Style 16 Night Three
May 7th, 2018 | Alexandra Palace in Alexandra Park, London
The final night of the always fun Super Strong Style 16 capped a huge three night event for PROGRESS. Coming into the show, the big news was that Tyler Bate was injured. He beat Kassius Ohno in an excellent match to make it to the semifinals, but now had to miss a chance to win the tournament. A video of he and Glen Joseph informing us was how the show opened.
Jim Smallman spoke with the live crowd to say that Pete Dunne had to miss the show due to a family emergency, while also breaking the news of Bate’s injury. He then directed fans to the video screen for footage from a performance last night by Mark Andrews and his band, Junior. In an absolutely awesome angle, Eddie Dennis ran out onto the stage and began choking out one of the members of the band. Andrews and security pulled him away to massive heat. It was so well done.
That brought out Andrews to the ring and he clearly meant business. He called out Eddie Dennis, who had been waiting eight months for this. Andrews ran him down for his actions recently, especially during the concert. Andrews challenged him on the condition that Dennis doesn’t appear in PROGRESS when Mark is there until he’s cleared to wrestle. Dennis wasn’t happy that his livelihood would be messed with, as he’s still indy and doesn’t have a guaranteed annual payment, but accepted. That line about money got him some cheers. Eddie only agreed if he got to pick the conditions of their match. Andrews agreed and got shoved. He went after Dennis, who bailed. As Andrews went to leave, Dennis attacked him from behind and choked him out in the ring. We’ve finally got something in stone for this feud, which has been great so far. I’m looking forward to the eventual match, though I wonder how the build will be handled with months to go.
Wasteman Challenge Scramble: Angelico vs. Chris Brookes vs. Chuck Mambo vs. David Starr vs. Kassius Ohno vs. Jordan Devlin vs. Roy Johnson
After last year’s awesome scramble, the Wasteman Hangover is now a tradition. It began as an open challenge issued by Roy Johnson and like last year, became a bit of a rap battle. Like last year, Johnson got DESTROYED by Jordan Devlin. You gotta hear it to believe it. Meanwhile, Ohno rapped the lyrics to his old theme song. Jim Smallman interrupted before more people rapped, to announce that the winner of this would take Tyler Bate’s spot in the tournament. Once the match got started, it was exactly the insanity you’d expect. I’m not going to recap the moves. I will say that everyone got a chance to shine, and the action went from bell to bell. Ohno got the win with Death by Elbow on Devlin in 7:25. It wasn’t as crazy as some other scrambles, possibly because they had to preserve their energy in case they advanced. Still, lots of fun and just a bit under last year’s Wasteman Challenge. [***¼]
Mark Haskins, Vicky Haskins, and a reluctant Flash Morgan Webster came out. Mark said they wanted to make a statement, and with Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate unable to compete, he demanded a match.
Flash Morgan Webster and Mark Haskins w/ Vicky Haskins vs. M&M
For those unaware, M&M is Maverick Mayhew and Connor Mills. Haskins attacked before the bell, which Webster wasn’t happy with. Despite that, they still showed off some impressive tandem offense. M&M got to hit some cool looking stuff of their own, but they had no real chance. Haskins went off on his own in the end, winning via Sharpshooter in 2:38. A squash that served its purpose.[NR]
Super Strong Style 16 Semi-Finals: Keith Lee vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
These guys entered this match 2-2 against one another. They worked at a tentative pace early on. Since they knew one another well, they didn’t want to make the first mistake. We got the incredible spot where Sabre bridged up on his neck while having the giant Lee on top of him. Following that, it became a battle of Lee’s power and striking ability against Sabre’s speed and grappling skills. Whenever Lee found a way to do something that involved strength, Sabre would counter with a submission. Though Sabre hits hard, he made the clear mistake of trying to exchange them with Lee. Sabre found a way to counter Ground Zero into the European Clutch to advance to the finals 12:22. This was very good, like all their matches. They played to their strengths and worked a smart, exciting match. [***¾]
Super Strong Style 16 Semi-Finals: Kassius Ohno vs. PROGRESS Tag Team Champion Zack Gibson w/ James Drake
Gibson ran cut one of his heat filled promos before the match. He ran down Tyler Bate as another indy favorite getting hurt while he remained consistent. Gibson put his focus on Ohno’s arm, looking to set up Shankly Gates. Commentary noted how much of a European style Ohno has and how it matches up closely to Gibson’s style. James Drake got involved a few times, with the referee seemingly letting it slide. Ohno began to rally and looked to be on the verge of winning when Drake cheated again. This time, though, he was finally caught and ejected to a huge pop. With Gibson left alone, it was time for a running elbow to put him down in 11:18. This was good and they finally let the interference stuff pay off, though it never reached the level I was hoping for. [***]
Death Match: Jimmy Havoc w/ Vicky Haskins vs. Joey Janela
Havoc got “I Hope You Suffer” back! He never fully felt like Jimmy Havoc without AFI. This is a rematch from PROGRESS: New York City last year (***), which Havoc won. Similar to the New York battle, there were all sorts of wild spots in this one. Chairs, cheese graters, and thumbtacks were used in the first few minutes. Like the opener, I’m not going to mention each spot, because you should probably see them to fully grasp them. Just know, it was a ton of wildness that was fitting for the two men involved. Blood, tables, and more throughout this one. In a bit of a surprise, Janela picked up the win with a suplex onto thumbtacks in 14:26. An improvement on the New York match. It was nowhere near the level of Havoc/Haskins from Alexandra Palace last year, though. Tons of weapons, big spots, and the kind of violence you want from this gimmick. [***½]
Post-match, Havoc plucked tacks out from his feet and ass. He got on the microphone to say he doesn’t get the respect he deserves from PROGRESS, even though he built the company off his blood and broken body. He directly addressed Jim Smallman, saying he returned to PROGRESS to help him. Yet, because he’s not from Australia or New Zealand, and doesn’t have three letters (WWE) attached to his name, he’s looked over. Havoc explained that he and Haskins began teaming together and attacked Sexy Starr because after killing each other in Alexandra Palace at Chapter 55 (my PROGRESS 2017 MOTY), neither were booked on Chapter 56. Instead, an import like Keith Lee was given a spot. Havoc also ran down Smallman for bringing back Will Ospreay less than six months after losing a “Loser Leaves PROGRESS” match. That brought out Ospreay, carrying an AXE. Havoc set his head up in a chair, symbolically calling back to their past. He almost begged Ospreay to put him out of his misery. Will threw the chair aside and said he waited so long for this opportunity, but doesn’t want it now, because it’s too easy. He dropped the axe and said Jimmy changed because the old Havoc would’ve already hit him with it. Will said he agreed with Havoc’s thoughts. However, he’s “progressed” in recent years, while Jimmy regressed. Now, Jimmy is just some guy named James. Will said he doesn’t want James, he wants Jimmy Fucking Havoc. He wants to suffer and he wants it on September 30th at Wembley Arena. Ospreay left, but before fully heading to the back, Jimmy accepted the match and took bumps into the thumbtacks. Ospreay smiled. An incredible segment. Everything worked and this was easily the best thing Ospreay has been part of in over two years. I loved this entire segment.
Following intermission, Jim Smallman announced the “Coast to Coast” Tour coming to the United States. In August, PROGRESS will hit Boston, Seattle, New York, Detroit, and Chicago. That last one got a “CM Punk” chant.
Jim then introduced someone who wanted to talk to Pete Dunne today, wXw’s Christian Michael Jakobi. CMJ came out and talked about being the most powerful man in European wrestling. He namedropped a bunch of guys he helped shape and find, who are the future of wrestling, like Alexander Wolfe, RINGKAMPF, Aleister Black, and Axel Dieter Jr. However, a name that’s missing is Pete Dunne. The fans believe Dunne is the best independent wrestler in the world, which is a lie according to CMJ. CMJ claimed Dunne wasn’t even the best in Europe. He came with an offer for Dunne to prove his status as the best. The challenge laid down by the man they call “unbesiegbar” (invincible/unbeatable), Ilja Dragunov! I’ve never seen him wrestler, but I’ve heard great things. For reference, people were literally jumping out of their seats in excitement at the challenge. I smell another Wembley match.
PROGRESS Women’s Championship: Toni Storm [c] vs. Charlie Morgan
Morgan joined the House of Couture recently, though she doesn’t really seem to fit in with them. Jinny, the stable leader and Toni’s opponent for Chapter 69, joined commentary. There was an intense pace to this from the start, as Toni caught a charging Charlie with a German. They brawled outside, with Toni being thrown into chairs and taking an Asai moonsault. Morgan fared better than a lot of Toni’s opponents. The champion had to resort to some rarely seen offense, like a middle rope leg drop. However, Morgan’s arrogance cost her and allowed Toni to gain some momentum. I loved the spot where Morgan hit a superplex and went to roll over into another suplex (ala Seth Rollins), only for Toni to be prepared with her own Brainbuster. The finish was awesome, as Morgan caught a diving Toni with a cutter. When she went for a springboard, Toni cut that off with a German and added Strong Zero to successfully defend her title for the 14th time in 9:28. Better than I thought and I had high expectations. It was heated, told a great story, and featured some great counters. Toni continues to find new ways to add layers to her matches and is in the midst of arguably the best title reign in wrestling. [***½]
Non-Title Match: TK Cooper vs. PROGRESS Atlas Champion WALTER
WALTER’s shot at the PROGRESS World Title was ruined by TK Cooper, so he was out for some revenge. This was an angry WALTER, who dominated Cooper. Travis Banks showed up to cause a distraction. It led to TK hitting a Roman Reigns Spear, but it obviously wasn’t enough. WALTER hit a powerbomb and pulled TK up in the middle of the pin. He added a lariat and Boston crab, which he transitioned into an STF that made TK tap in 2:52. The right kind of squash. [NR]
After the match, Banks put himself over as the best PROGRESS Champion of all time (15 successful defenses is a fantastic number). He told WALTER to stay in his division and as long as WALTER was Atlas Champion, he had no business getting a World Title shot. As a result, WALTER picked up the Atlas Title and handed it to Jim Smallman, before going after Banks. Yes, the title has been vacated. That’s a great way to do a “drop the title” angle without making the title look bad. Jim was showered with “Jim is our champion” chants.
Super Strong Style 16 Finals: Kassius Ohno vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Here’s one of the best rivalries in recent wrestling history. They faced off all over the place including Evolve (where Ohno dominated Sabre until their final meeting before he went to WWE), NOAH, PWG, wXw, AAW, and more. There’s also the added intrigue of this being WWE vs. NJPW happening on a PROGRESS show. Something that made their matches work in the past was the bully nature of Ohno. He attempted that at the start, but Sabre managed to catch his leg and twist it in weird ways. That turned the match into a battle of strikes against submissions, which is a good idea for these two. Ohno seemed a bit rattled by losing to Sabre in their last match, so he busted out some rarely seen stuff, including a moonsault. Of course, Sabre caught into an armbar. It’s as if that previous win gave him the confidence he needed to take things to the next level. Late, Ohno just began throwing elbows and strikes, overwhelming Sabre. However, the Brit managed to pull him into the European Clutch and win the tournament in 18:58. Another great match between the two, though not quite on par with their best stuff. I appreciated how Sabre seems to have grown from their series and used it to help him win here. [****]
Sabre adds Super Strong Style 16 to the Battle of Los Angeles, New Japan Cup, and 16 Carat Gold Tournament wins. The two men embraced and showed each other respect after the match. The fans also showed a lot of respect for Ohno as well. Sabre got on the mic and insinuated that he’s taking his title shot at Wembley.
Overall: 8.5/10. Another successful Super Strong Style show. A fitting end to a very strong set of shows. The tournament semifinals were both very good and we were treated to a great finals. WALTER’s squash worked well and the Women’s Title match ruled. The Wasteman Challenge was a lot of fun. The segments really worked, from the Dragunov announcement to the incredible Havoc/Ospreay promo.
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXV Night Four
May 22nd, 2018 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,720
The B Block returns to Korakuen Hall for their second night of action. Today features one of the most intriguing matchups of the entire tournament in El Desperado vs. Hiromu Takahashi, as well as some other interesting sounding matches. Of note, Chris Jericho appeared in a video to further taunt Tetsuya Naito, saying he was going to fuck him up at Dominion.
B Block: Chris Sabin [2] vs. SHO [0]
Sabin won his first NJPW singles match by beating KUSHIDA for Alex Shelley’s love. SHO had a banger against Dragon Lee in a loss. There’s an interesting dynamic when you consider SHO and YOH. YOH has been made to look like he’s struggling as a singles guy. SHO has been on par with his opponents. In fact, it was SHO who seemed a step ahead here. He was just so much quicker than the 36 year old veteran. Sabin had to reach into his bag of tricks and turn back the clock a bit to keep up. That included taking to the skies like it was a decade earlier. The crowd was behind SHO and began biting on the near falls that came in the final five minutes, making for a much better atmosphere than Sabin’s match with KUSHIDA. Those late near falls made for some great drama down the stretch. SHO managed his first tournament win with the Shock Arrow in 15:09. Another banger for SHO, who is making an early case for the breakout star of the tournament. Lots of action in a smartly worked match.[***¾
]
B Block: CMLL World Lightweight Champion Dragon Lee [2] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [0]
Lee beat SHO on night two, while Taguchi lost to Desperado. They poked fun at Taguchi being in worse shape than Lee early. These guys teamed together in Taguchi Japan multi-man tags in the past. They continued the lighthearted nature of the match with some comical exchanges and the usual Taguchi antics. Lee was more than willing to play into it, which made for an enjoyable contest. Lee’s leg became a target, which was a perfect setup for Taguchi’s Ankle Lock. Taguchi applied it when he missed the diving double stomp. Lee survived and nailed a German, before adding a knee and Desnucadora for the win in 11:14. Another good outing for both guys. The comedy stuff worked, the action was good, and there was even some psychology thrown in with the leg work. My brother, not someone who watches NJPW, saw Dragon Lee and said he looked like a combination of Finn Balor and Kalisto. Anyway, B Block continues to deliver. [***¼]
B Block: KUSHIDA [0] vs. NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion Marty Scurll [0]
Both men lost on night two, with KUSHIDA dropping a match to Sabin, while Scurll lost the main event to Hiromu Takahashi. KUSHIDA holds a 2-0 lead over Marty outside of NJPW, with two very good ROH TV Title matches. Though this wasn’t the main event, it kind of felt like one. They were given enough time that they were allowed to utilize a slow build. Scurll targeted KUSHIDA’s limbs, making the babyface get creative for his comeback. I appreciated how KUSHIDA sold everything very well and not just when he felt like it. For example, as he tried for the Hoverboard Lock, he couldn’t fully grasp it because of the damage done to his fingers on a Scurll snap. Great stuff. When he couldn’t fully lock it in, he punted at Scurll’s arm and ended up hitting Back to the Future to get his first two points after 19:22. One hell of a match that was about on par with their previous outings. I appreciated the attention to the ground based stuff and the little nuances that made it stand out. [***¾]
B Block: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion El Desperado [2] vs. Hiromu Takahashi [2]
Desperado topped Taguchi, while Hiromu beat Scurll for his two points. One of my most anticipated tournament matches. They last met over six years ago when both were Young Lions together and they have the existing rivalry over the Jr. Tag Titles. In a different turn of events, Hiromu attacked the Suzuki-Gun guy before the bell. I appreciate that, as it shows he knows his opponent well. Unlike ACH/Flip, these guys brawling into the crowd made sense given their feud and characters. They hit each other with everything they possibly could have, from chokes to chairs. Some of those chair shots affected Hiromu’s back, which set the tone for Desperado’s focus. When that work eventually led to a Boston crab, it was great because that’s the Young Lion finisher, which worked as a callback for these two. Down the stretch, both guys continued to throw bombs at each other. Each guy came so close to pulling out the win. There were so many big spots, but none of it felt forced or out of place like in so many other big matches. Realizing he was in trouble, Desperado tried using his title as a weapon. That backfired, but he still used a low blow to set up El Guitarra de Angel. When that wasn’t enough, he added Pinche Loco for finally win in 22:48. Holy shit. That was incredible. It felt so different from everything else we’ve had in the tournament. They had great callbacks, ridiculous spots, and nail biting drama late. It felt like there was animosity from the start and like they were fighting for more than just two points. Awesome and the best BOTSJ match since O’Reilly/KUSHIDA in 2016. [****½]
Overall: 9/10. I’m so happy NJPW went with Desperado/Hiromu as the main event. They could’ve gone with the bigger names in KUSHIDA/Scurll, but what we got worked so much better as a capper. The rest of the show delivered in spades, too. Taguchi/Lee was a fun match that was somehow the worst thing we got. SHO/Sabin ruled and Scurll/KUSHIDA was very good. One of the best BOTSJ block of matches I’ve ever seen.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Taiji Ishimori | 4 (2-0) | Dragon Lee | 4 (2-0) |
| Tiger Mask IV | 4 (2-0) | El Desperado | 4 (2-0) |
| Will Ospreay | 2 (1-1) | Hiromu Takahashi | 2 (1-1) |
| ACH | 2 (1-1) | SHO | 2 (1-1) |
| Flip Gordon | 2 (1-1) | Chris Sabin | 2 (1-1) |
| YOH | 2 (1-1) | KUSHIDA | 2 (1-1) |
| BUSHI | 0 (0-2) | Marty Scurll | 0 (0-2) |
| Yoshinobu Kanemaru | 0 (0-2) | Ryusuke Taguchi | 0 (0-2) |
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXV Night Three
May 20th, 2018 | Kira Messe Numazu in Numazu, Shizuoka | Attendance: 1,550
It took NJPW a full day to upload the VOD for BOTSJ night three. Thankfully, they’re off today, so we don’t get too bogged down with matches to watch. The A Block returns for their second night of action. This is a single camera show, which gives it an automatic house show feel.
A Block: Tiger Mask IV [2] vs. YOH [2]
On night one, Tiger Mask bested Kanemaru, while YOH beat BUSHI. This was a veteran against a young gun and they played into that. Tiger Mask took YOH to the mat and proceeded to teach him some lessons. In fact, it was kind of a dominant performance by Tiger Mask. YOH used his speed for a rally and gave us our first dive of the evening. However, it was odd to see it done to the opposite side of the camera. It’s just not something I’m used to seeing. The final stretch was the best part, as YOH started looking more like an equal and both guys picked up near falls, including one for Tiger Mask on a Tiger Driver. Surprisingly, a super butterfly suplex didn’t end it either, but a Tiger Suplex did in 13:33. It went a bit long for what they did. YOH came off looking weak. I understand he’s a young tag wrestler, but he probably got dominated a bit too much. Still, they told a fine story and the last few minutes worked. [**½]
A Block: Flip Gordon [0] vs. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Yoshinobu Kanemaru [0]
Flip lose to the more impressive ACH on night one, while Kanemaru saw Tiger Mask steal one from him. Consider my thoughts on Flip and Kanemaru, this is one of the matches I’m least looking forward to in the entire tournament. Of course, Kanemaru jumped Flip before the bell because, Suzuki-Gun. Flip spent the next few moments evading him with his ability to…flip. These guys did exactly what you’d expect them to do. Kanemaru used all the underhanded tactics he could think of, from utilizing a chair to pulling the referee in harm’s way, while Flip took to the skies. They had an exchange of close calls late before Flip won with a springboard 450 in 10:03. The ending felt abrupt. As I said, this was just what you’d expect from these two. Wildly mediocre. [**]
A Block: BUSHI [0] vs. Taiji Ishimori [2]
Two of the three guys I’m a fan of from this block (the other being ACH). BUSHI lost to YOH on night one, while Ishimori beat Willy the Ospreay. PIMPED OUT BUSHI IN AN AWESOME SUIT, HAT, AND NECKLACE. He brought the early mind games, taunting and acting like he didn’t take Ishimori seriously. The new Bone Soldier turned it around, interrupting a BUSHI dive and choking him with his own t-shirt, a staple of BUSHI matches. Both guys showed off impressive offense, like BUSHI’s tope suicida and Ishimori’s awesome rope hung snap German. They moved into trading big blows, from overhand strikes to some of their best moves. BUSHI nearly won it with a Destroyer, but it wasn’t enough. Ishimori countered MX with one of his own and added the Bloody Cross to win in 12:02. Best match of the night. Two great wrestlers having a strong back and forth battle. They both played to their strengths and made a heel/heel style match work. [***½]
A Block: ACH [2] vs. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay [0]
These two only met once before, in RevPro in 2016, which Ospreay won. He lost to Ishimori on night one, while ACH outclassed Flip. We got a potentially nasty moment early when these guys were going through the obligatory “we are athletic exchange.” Will did a leap frog and ACH cartwheeled, accidentally taking out his leg. Will’s lucky he didn’t get hurt. Of course, he immediately used that leg for offense. Get it together, Willy. Following some short work outside, Will put a target on ACH’s taped up arm. Is ACH wearing tape like DDP’s gimmick from the late 90s? I feel like he’s had it forever. ACH managed to avoid the Cheeky Nando’s Kick (I hate that name) and began firing off chops. The arm work paid off when he couldn’t whip Ospreay to the ropes. Though his arm wasn’t working well, ACH still had Ospreay scouted and countered some of his better moves. As usual with NJPW stuff, the closing stretch was arguably the strongest part. Ospreay eventually used Storm Breaker to pull out the victory in 16:50. Like night one, this was a very good main event that never quite reached great level. [***¾]
Overall: 6.5/10. I thought the opener was solid and the second match was average at best. However, the last two matches turned things up and gave us some good stuff to close the show on. An above average effort from A Block on night three and a step up from what we got on night one.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Taiji Ishimori | 4 (2-0) | Chris Sabin | 2 (1-0) |
| Tiger Mask IV | 4 (2-0) | Dragon Lee | 2 (1-0) |
| Will Ospreay | 2 (1-1) | El Desperado | 2 (1-0) |
| ACH | 2 (1-1) | Hiromu Takahashi | 2 (1-0) |
| Flip Gordon | 2 (1-1) | KUSHIDA | 0 (0-1) |
| YOH | 2 (1-1) | Marty Scurll | 0 (0-1) |
| BUSHI | 0 (0-2) | Ryusuke Taguchi | 0 (0-1) |
| Yoshinobu Kanemaru | 0 (0-2) | SHO | 0 (0-1) |
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXV Night One
May 18th, 2018 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
The Best of the Super Juniors Tournament has returned. The typically lackluster juniors division usually steps up come tournament time. I wasn’t big on the 2015 edition, but 2016 and 2017 were both very good. The A Block, the group in action today, doesn’t sound nearly as interesting as the B Block, but I’m intrigued at how this goes.
Like I do with the G1 Climax, I’ll only be reviewing the tournament matches. The undercard tags are usually fine, but I just don’t have time for them. Unlike last year, we’re not opening with both blocks in action, which is unfortunate.
Can the BOTSJ be as good as 205 Live has been this year? Let’s find out.
A Block: Tiger Mask IV [0] vs. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Yoshinobu Kanemaru [0]
Not exactly getting the tournament off to a hot start. This is a very uninteresting matchup on paper. We got the usual Kanemaru antics. He did all the generic heel stuff, including going after Tiger Mask’s mask. That’s always weird to type. The referee looked like he was done with Kanemaru’s shit about two minutes in. To be fair, so was I. Tiger Mask made the babyface comeback, though the underdog fighting from behind isn’t exactly a great role for him. Kanemaru had one heel antic spot I enjoyed, as he threw a young boy at Tiger Mask to stop him from beating a countout. Tiger Mask still got back in and took a superplex. However, he cradled him on the landing and stole the win at 10:17. A lackluster start, but about what I expected from these two. [**]
A Block: ACH [0] vs. Flip Gordon [0]
ACH was great in this tournament last year. Meanwhile, I’m still sitting here waiting to see what’s so special about Flip Gordon. Personality wise, he seems very problematic. Shout out to ACH for wearing the AAW Title to the ring. Flip was out to impress the crowd by doing a whole bunch of kip-ups in a row, for no real reason. It’s an athletic thing to do, but so many people do a version of it now that it’s completely lost its luster. It’s like, “Cool. You’re an athlete. Good for you.” His annoying persona irked ACH, who began to take it to him. To Flip’s credit, the Korakuen crowd popped for every high flying exploit he did. I saw some compare this debut to Will Ospreay’s in 2016, but Will gave one of his best performances ever that night. This was not that. ACH sold his banged up shoulder throughout and did everything he could to allow Flip to strut his stuff. They fought into the crowd for reason other than so Flip could dive off something out there. They eventually made it back to the ring, where ACH continued to sell the shoulder. His tape came off after Flip missed a Spiral Tap. ACH masterfully hit a deadlift German, while clearly only using his good arm. So smart. He hit the Big Bang Attack to win in 15:26. I saw a lot of praise for that match, but I’m not really getting it. It had good moments, but felt like it tried to be too many things at once. A showcase for Flip, a brawl, an aerial display, etc. ACH shined here, making Flip look as good as possible, selling well, and showcasing some psychology near the end. At least for now, Flip is basically just Will Ospreay on his worst nights, which isn’t good.[**¾]
A Block: BUSHI [0] vs. YOH [0]
CAPS ATTACK! I love BUSHI and really like YOH, so this was probably my most anticipated match of night one. Roppongi 3K’s theme is pretty terrible, by the way. BUSHI attacked YOH during his entrance, because he’s a heel like that. YOH brought fire to his offense, but BUSHI wisely kept him grounded. The fans weren’t nearly as interested in this style as they were for the previous match, but they still rallied behind YOH. It did feel like YOH wasn’t too comfortable in the early stages, probably being so used to working tags lately. He regrouped in the second half to close out the match strongly. They began trading strikes and kicks, before BUSHI hit a Canadian Destroyer from out of nowhere. Where did that come from? The finish came off a bit weird, as BUSHI went for a lung blower, only for YOH to awkwardly counter into a pin and win in 15:18. This was a good match once it picked up. It started slow and had a wonky finish, but the middle worked very well. [***]
By the way, for the second time in three matches, a babyface won with a rollup type pin and got jumped after the match. Oh, Gedo.
A Block: Taiji Ishimori [0] vs. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay [0]
The big match of the evening. Ospreay is the champion and got attacked by Ishimori earlier this month. I’ll say it right now and people will probably disagree, but I believe Ishimori is a far better wrestler than Ospreay. Thankfully, Ospreay charged with an attack at the bell. It makes sense given the attack at Wrestling Dontaku and I was worried they’d go with a traditional slow start. They brawled outside, and in an awesome spot, Ospreay avoided being thrown into chairs by leaping over and onto the stage, before diving off. It’s things like that I appreciate. Don’t just use your athleticism to show off, use it in a way that helps the match and makes sense. Ishimori targeted Will’s bad neck, leading to his over the top yell selling. Both men had offense that looked great. The final few moments saw Taiji hit a reverse rana, only to run right into Spanish Fly. Hearing the Japanese commentator straight up say, “It’s amazing,” was great. Taiji countered the Oscutter into Bloody Cross to win in 13:47. This was closer to the kind of Ospreay match I’m looking for. His selling is still troublesome. For example, if your neck bothers you so much, why keep doing moves that see you land on your neck? It just doesn’t make sense. Other than that, this hit a lot of good points. Both guys had strong moments and the match was kept short and to the point. Too many of Will’s prior matches were long for the sake of it and reached an over the top level of absurdity because of it. This was much more tight. [***¾]
Overall: 6/10. An average start to the Best of the Super Juniors. These are the kind of nights I expect from A Block. Some good, some average, and some lackluster, with nothing feeling must see. Ishimori and ACH were the standout performers on night one. I’d like to see them be at the top of the block in the end, though I suspect it comes down to that Flip/Will match.
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors XXV Night Two
May 19th, 2018 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,721
A Block didn’t impress too much on night one, but the B Block looks so much better on paper. All four matches on this show sound strong.
B Block: CMLL World Lightweight Champion Dragon Lee [0] vs SHO [0]
Dragon Lee opened the tournament with a big win over Hiromu Takahashi last year. SHO is one half of Roppongi 3K, who was looking to start with a win like his partner on night one. Both men came out of the blocks strong, trading strikes instantly. SHO is fast, but Lee is unreal in that department, so he used it to his advantage. SHO had to resort to a power advantage on more than one occasion. They also seemed to focus on the arm of the other man. It led to a few submission attempts that I didn’t expect to see. Though they both had damaged arms, they fired up to exchange strikes that would’ve felt at home in a NEVER Title match. One series of them happened until they were both nearly counted out. From there, they started trading big blows, from high impact moves to great arm based submissions. SHO’s strength advantage came into play when he blocked Dragon’s apron rana with a powerbomb. His Project Ciampa also looked particularly brutal. The finish came when Dragon countered an armbar into Desnucadora, his suplex/powerbomb hybrid, in 17:31 Awesome match that marks the first great one of the tournament. It was hard hitting, explosive, and showed two guys trying to prove themselves. It was such a smartly worked match and I’m so glad they got a lot of time to work with. Lee continues to be great, while this felt like a coming out party for SHO. [****]
B Block: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion El Desperado [0] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [0]
For most of the year, Taguchi is a comedy guy. But, he usually brings something more for the BOTSJ. Desperado, EASILY the best Suzuki-Gun junior, beat Taguchi in a good one in the tournament last year (***¼). Desperado jumped him before the bell because that’s what Suzuki-Gun does. The focus of the match became Taguchi’s crotch and ass. Yes, you read that right. It was strange, yet made sense since Desperado is a dick like that and Taguchi uses his ass for offense. At one point, Desperado wedged a chair between Taguchi’s legs and smashed another chair into it. Creative. To fight back, Taguchi used some offense we don’t often see from him, like a tope to the outside. Desperado kept up with the cheap tactics, while moving his target to the leg a bit to set up the Stretch Muffler. As Taguchi got near victory, Desperado used a low blow and rollup to steal the win in 13:19. Like last year’s match, this was good. They balanced the comedy with the smart, as the groin work made sense, even if it is kind of goofy. [***¼]
B Block: Chris Sabin [0] vs. KUSHIDA [0]
Winner gets Alex Shelley’s undying love. Both guys won the Jr. Tag Titles with him at one point. It’s Sabin’s first NJPW singles match. So far in the tournament, we’ve had matches based around high flying, vengeance, strong style, and even some comedy. This was our technical outing and it helped ensure a diverse tournament. Their early exchanges felt like two guys who got notes on the other from their past partner. They had a feeling out process where they looked for the first real opening left by their opponent. Even when either man got that opening, they seemed to have a counter for the other. It was a mistake that cost KUSHIDA big. He went high risk and took too long, allowing Sabin to German suplex him off the top. Cradle Shock and Hail Sabin connected to give the Motor City Machin Gun the upset over the Time Splitter in 13:47. I really appreciated how this was different from the rest of the show. Great chain and counter wrestling from two guys who came in well prepared. The crowd wasn’t as invested as I hoped, probably due to Sabin not being around often in recent years. [***½]
B Block: Hiromu Takahashi [0] vs. NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion Marty Scurll [0]
Hiromu bested Scurll in the tournament last year in a very good match (***¾). They also met at War of the Worlds (***¾) and Epic Encounter (***½), with Hiromu holding a 2-1 advantage overall. These two understood that the crowd was actually excited for this main event. They milked the reactions before even touching. Marty took the upper hand early, focusing his attacks on the arm and neck to set up the CHICKEN WING. But, Hiromu is a wild man who tends to ignore pain at times. He still hit his insane spots, like the Sunset Flip Bomb to the floor, after Marty had it scouted a few times. Scurll went into the bigger offense, like a tombstone on the apron. It was the kind of overboard stuff that hurt his recent Ospreay match. His cockiness cost him a bit, as he talked smack and opened the door for Hiromu to get going. Hiromu survived the CHICKEN WING, a finger snap, and a superkick before firing up. Scurll countered the Time Bomb, but Hiromu turned that into a triangle choke and Scurll faded out for the ref stoppage finish in 20:48. A very good main event. They worked a slow build where the moves and offense got bigger as time went on. It was NJPW 101 and it worked, especially in the setting of a lot of the break neck paced juniors matches. [***¾]
Hiromu got on the microphone to say that the BOTSJ will be better than the G1 Climax this year.
Overall: 8.5/10. Much better than night one. There was no bad or fluff this time around. Desperado/Taguchi was the worst match and still managed to be a good, creative outing. Sabin/KUSHIDA was a different kind of technical battle, while the main event delivered what I expect from those guys. Of course, SHO and Dragon Lee was an excellent start that stole the show and the tournament so far.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| ACH | 2 (1-0) | Chris Sabin | 2 (1-0) |
| Taiji Ishomori | 2 (1-0) | Dragon Lee | 2 (1-0) |
| Tiger Mask IV | 2 (1-0) | El Desperado | 2 (1-0) |
| YOH | 2 (1-0) | Hiromu Takahashi | 2 (1-0) |
| BUSHI | 0 (0-1) | KUSHIDA | 0 (0-1) |
| Flip Gordon | 0 (0-1) | Marty Scurll | 0 (0-1) |
| Will Ospreay | 0 (0-1) | Ryusuke Taguchi | 0 (0-1) |
| Yoshinobu Kanemaru | 0 (0-1) | SHO | 0 (0-1) |
