NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 30.

[The Natural]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MFQmbnSWix8&pp=ygUETmpwdw%3D%3D

A Block:

• KUSHIDA
• Ryusuke Taguchi
• Lio Rush
• DOUKI
• Hiromu Takahashi
• Titan
• TJP
• Taiji Ishimori
• SHO
• Mike Bailey

B Block:

• Francesco Akira
• El Desperado
• BUSHI
• Yoshinobu Kanemaru
• YOH
• Robbie Eagles
• Master Wato
• Clark Connors
• Kevin Knight
• Dan Moloney

First BOSJ for KUSHIDA in 5 years. KUSHIDA won 2015-2016. Hiromu Takahashi, the current IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion has won the past three. Fancy El Desperado to win this time. BOSJ 30 will take place over 12 shows beginning 13th May and concludes 28th May. 

[Raziel]

Can we just save time and endlessly recycled matches and give B block to Despy and just cut A Block down to Hiromu, Rush, Bailey, and Titan?

[Sublime]

I think Eagles and Akira both have a chance to take b block so make b block a round robin of those three and Despy (and have Despy win) please

[Control]

Speedball!

Otherwise, this is the same lineup as the last five years, right?

[The Natural]

C&P from f4wonline.com:

Wheeler Yuta, Ace Austin, Alex Zayne, El Lindaman, and El Phantasmo are not entered into this year's BOSJ after having taken part in last year's tournament. 

[Raziel]

So everything that made last years at least not "the same fucking thing every year" got removed and replaced... with 2 new people.

 

[Pete]

After today's results I could see Knight in the B mix too.

[Horangi]

Feels very similar to last year, but I am not sure what anyone was expecting, it isn't like they are just going to remove half of their contracted juniors. There are four new entrants (Knight, Moloney, Rush & Bailey) as well as KUSHIDA who hasn't been in it for 5 years, and Catch 22 are on their second entry.  Sure, Taguchi, BUSHI and Kanemaru are older and are expendable (but after his evergreen performance last night, I'd definitely keep Kanemaru and BUSHI for whatever reason is over) and would much rather see a combination of Zayne, Soberano, Slex (TMDK) or a GLEAT guy (maybe Minoru Tanaka) in their place but in reality, NJPW is still going to prioritise their guys. 

I think the biggest reason it feels the same as last year is that the people replaced were new entrants bar ELP. Maybe an idea would be to cap factions to having 2 entrants only (could lead to some interesting play-in matches)? 

The one thing that does feel different though about this tournament to me is that Hiromu really doesn't have a shot at winning it. On the flip-side, they really are pushing Hiromu's goal of breaking Heat's defense record, so the winner is more than likely just going to be fodder for Hiromu. I'd love Despy to win to get the accolade, and undoubtedly he will be part of Hiromu's potential record-run at some point, but I think its early for Despy unless they are going to semi-main Dominion. I think Ishimori, Rush, KUSHIDA & DOUKI will be in the mix for Block A, Block B is Despy's to lose but I can see Wato, Eagles and possibly Connors making a run. Was talking to a mate at the Tamashii show, he's adamant Wato is winning, so lets see what happens. 

[lostinube]

It's Wato's year.

[Salads]

Considering that 9/20 of this line-up weren't around for BOSJ as recent as two years back I think any grumbles about repetition of matches should be directed towards the puro tradition for annual round robins in general rather than this announcement.

 

It's a sign that NJPW have been sneakily boosting their junior ranks that they can do a 20 man tournament with plenty of new names but with only one of them qualifying as a proper guest spot.

[blitzkrieg]

They announced with the lineups that the winners of Block A and B will face the runner ups from the opposite block and that the winners of those matches will face off in the finals. Should make things a little less straight forward and a bit more interesting on the final nights.

[SturmCRF]

Also, in case anyone hasn't seen Dan Moloney since the WWE UK tournament, he's reeeeeally fucking great now. Hardly a junior, but then neither was Shingo when he was in BOSJ, and he ruled too.

[Evil Otto]

First show tonight:  Hiromu vs. Mike Bailey in the main event at Korakuen!  Hooray!  Free show on New Japan World as well, if that helps anyone.

The show kicks off with Kevin Knight vs. Clark Connors.  They are obviously high on Knight, but Connors just joined Bullet Club, so it'll be interesting to see his approach to being a heel.  He's definitely a guy who already has shown a nasty, brutal in-ring aspect to his character in the past, so I have high hopes.  Hard to pick that one.  

I'm also particularly intrigued by YOH vs. Robbie Eagles and Titan vs. TJP, but there are plenty other possibly great match-ups.  

A 10-match, all hands on deck show, but I reckon it'll breeze by and the promise of Hiromu-Bailey at the end will surely keep me motivated!

 

 

[Evil Otto]

Outstanding show last night, as expected. The crowd was pretty much molten hot from start to finish.  

The matches I mentioned right above all completely delivered.  Highly recommended.  I could definitely see YOH or Eagles ending up in one of the B block semifinal slots.  They both belong there, to be sure.  Titan and TJP have incredible chemistry, with TJP being so precise and Titan being, well, a lunatic.  

I couldn't stay focused for the whole duration of the show, darting in and out at times, but Kanemaru-Desperado and especially Douki-Kushida seem to be getting strong reviews as well, and from I saw, deservedly so.  

Hiromu vs. Bailey was unbelievable.  I could say "what a year Hiromu is having!" but Bailey isn't so far behind.  

Spoiler

Bailey picks up the win, speaks four languages in his in-ring promo after the match, then proceeds to cut a promo in Japanese backstage.  He completely nailed it.  

Oh, the match?  Once Bailey did his signature rapid-fire front thrust kicks in succession in the first few minutes, the match was completely off the rails from then on, in the best way possible.  If you think describing a Hiromu-Bailey match would be hard in terms of detailing all the insane sequences, you would be right and I'm not going to even bother.  Just enjoy the ride.  

I can't say I see Bailey winning the tournament, but he's got his title shot now, and I'm not sure where that will go down.  Hiromu-Bailey is a Tokyo Dome-level match in terms of quality and star power in my opinion, so it could be slotted into any major event this year, who knows.  Although the next few upcoming shows will not be nearly as great, this Korakuen card definitely set the tone and pace for the rest of the tournament perfectly.  

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by Evil Otto

[Evil Otto]

The 5/14 card in Nagoya was another really solid show all the way through, but I would strongly recommend Fransesco Akira vs. Robbie Eagles, TJP vs. Mike Bailey, and the Hiromu vs. Lio Rush rematch in the main event.  Hmmm, there appears to be a pattern emerging...

[Salads]

I know the usual thing is to promote certain matches as being worthy of going out of your way for because everyone has a packed schedule of great wrestling for free already, but watching the Korakuen Hall offering cements that for me the appeal of the last two BOSJs has been the format in general.

Two ten man blocks mean whole cards with nothing but junior singles. I'm not making a comparison on quality because it's been two decades since I last saw them but it's stirring memories of watching J-Cup / Crown tapes. A bunch of wrestlers of varying fame with different looks and styles taking turns to do gnarly junior shit (including matwork!) in a variety of ways before wrapping things up promptly and making way. Most are either in their primes or a potential future star. Matches don't linger and are somewhat flashy for the short of attention but grounded enough to stay out of spotfest territory. When someone is in a figure four after having their leg worked all match it gets a tap out as God intended, and I'm grateful for that.

The G1 may have better matches, but this is more digestible. Despite being a tour it might be my sweet spot formula for TV wrestling viewing.

[S.K.o.S.]

Loved Speedball vs. KUSHIDA from the latest show. I certainly hope all those Impact Plus subscribers out there are taking advantage of getting to watch the Bailey matches, he's having a fantastic tournament so far.

[Horangi]

Finally caught up with nothing to do at work over the last few days. Night 1 & 3 are the definite better shows, but night 4 had some fun stuff (KUSHIDA/Bailey and Rush/Ishimori). Hiromu really is having a hell of a year, his matches with Bailey and Rush I thought were great, the DOUKI match is probably the only one really seeking out from Nagano on night 2. 

BoSJ is my favourite tour that New Japan does, for the reason Salads mentioned, there is just so much variety and matches don't drag on. I hadn't seen much of Mike Bailey for example before this, and now want more (I really need to watch more IMPACT). Would love to see Bailey/Eagles or Bailey/Desperado in the semis...fingers crossed! 

[Evil Otto]

Night 5 in Sendai, another great show with a super hot crowd.  Bailey vs. Titan was tremendous, and I would've been satisfied with that, but hot damn, YOH and Desperado somehow managed to top it.  

Spoiler

I think tonight was yet another turning point for YOH, as he leaned way into being a heel for this occasion, and it was amazing.  I have no idea if digging deeper into his dark side was, storyline-wise, simply in order to finally vanquish Desperado, but I'm inclined to think this is the beginning of something more for him.  He's never come across as a true babyface to me at all for various reasons, and now seeing this more sinister side of him on display, I reckon it will be hard to go back.  A very intriguing development, and definitely one of the best matches of the tournament so far.  

 

[Teflon Turtle]

On 5/16/2023 at 4:12 AM, Evil Otto said:

The 5/14 card in Nagoya was another really solid show all the way through, but I would strongly recommend Fransesco Akira vs. Robbie Eagles, TJP vs. Mike Bailey, and the Hiromu vs. Lio Rush rematch in the main event.  Hmmm, there appears to be a pattern emerging...

On 5/16/2023 at 5:35 AM, Salads said:

The G1 may have better matches, but this is more digestible. Despite being a tour it might be my sweet spot formula for TV wrestling viewing.

Haven't had a chance to log in to the board in a few days, but I'm glad we're all watching the same tournament! I wanted to call out all of the matches Evil Otto mentioned and make this exact same point that Salads made first. Kudos to both of you.

Anyway, to try and add some content of my own - this has been a pretty stellar first four shows so far. You have a really good chance of (for the uninitiated, and if you aren't watching the shows start to finish) just picking a match at random and seeing something great. 

To expand on Salads' point a bit: all of the matches aren't overlong, have a ton of great, varied action from bell-to-bell, and match finishes are many times happening suddenly on things that aren't finishers. If I have a complaint about that last bit, it's as follows: when NJPW suddenly has shorter matches with finishes happening on moves that aren't exactly finishers, it sort of breaks their internal logic. Meaning: guys who usually tank through damage and regularly engage in 20-30+ minute matches that always end on a finishing move are suddenly dropping falls to stuff that wouldn't usually beat them, and in half the time. You can't use the "well, guys are worn down from all of these tournament matches" explanation when these things are happening right away. That said...these shorter matches with unpredictable finishes are probably way closer to most viewers' "pro wrestling ideal," mine included, than the usual house main event style. So, it's not much of a complaint if it's a change for the better.

Other random points:

I have never seen a Mike Bailey match before this tournament. I kind of regret that now. He has been fun to watch in every match he's had so far. I feel bad for typing this, but I can't be the only one who has ever made a "Strip Mall, not Speedball" joke about his martial arts striking and overall style, right...? I don't even mean that in a bad way, as I've been enjoying his work unironically. But, still...

Ryusuke Taguchi - I have an unexplainable soft spot for Big Match Taguch, and BOSJ is pretty much the only chance we get to see that version of him now. His match with Ishimori was brief, but perfect. I have no idea if this is what they were actually going for, but their match was a perfect illustration of what happens when a wrestler tries to change their game up. The timing on defense is different, openings are left that aren't usually there - thus, the end came quickly. Taguchi's subsequent match lengths have been a bit longer as the timing comes back. I know NJPW has done "tournament veteran is getting too old to do this any longer" stories before, but this doesn't really feel quite like what's happening, and I like the distinction. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by Teflon Turtle

[Horangi]

Iwate last night was another really enjoyable show. Hiromu's epic 2023 continues with a really good match against KUSHIDA, and most of the rest of the card delivered (Wato/Eagles, Titan/Rush, Bailey/DOUKI & TJP/Taguchi all worth watching). Admittedly Taguchi has always been the guy in the junior division I've never really been a fan of, and before the start of the tournament I was hoping he wouldn't be included, but I am really enjoying the serious Taguchi story arc with each match he gets better and better. The TJP and Titan matches in particular were quite good, am interested to see if he does figure it all out and pick up a win down the line, he does have KUSHIDA on the last day which I could see Taguchi picking up a win. 

If I do have any disappointments in the tournament so far, it'd be Connors and Moloney, Clark still feels like he is figuring out his new character, but when he's been given time he has been okay (I did like the Knight match at Korakuen, and last night against Desperado was good). Moloney on the other hand I just don't get, but in saying that his next two matches are Desperado (Aomori) and Eagles (Korakuen) so I am hoping he can change my mind, and I think there is a good chance when he is against two of the best juniors in the world so lets see. 

[The Natural]

Taiji Ishimori off NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 30 due to a cervical vertebrae injury on Sunday versus Hiromu Takahashi. Get well soon.

[The Natural]

Taiji Ishimori off NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 3 due to a cervical vertebrae injury on Sunday versus Hiromu Takahashi. Get well soon.

[Horangi]

Ishimori was released from hospital and allowed to recover at home, so it seems he will avoid surgery at this stage. 

"After being given an assessment, Ishimori was discharged and is able to recuperate at home. He is currently comfortable and able to move normally, but does not have a timetable for a return to the ring at this time."

On a brighter note from Korakuen, Desperado vs Akira may very well be the match of the tournament so far. A Desperado master class, and also quite possibly the best match I've ever seen of Akira, a real star performance against an extra heelish Desperado. Crowd was absolutely bonkers for the match too. Rush vs TJP was really good too, TJP might just be the unsung hero of the tournament. Moloney finally stepped up and looked great against an always awesome Robbie Eagles, and Taguchi/Bailey was a blast too! 

[Teflon Turtle]

Full agreement. I think El Desperado/Francesco Akira moved up to the "best match of the tournament" slot for me as well. Has to be considered a MOTYC, too. Maybe my favorite puroresu match template is "younger, hungry wrestler oversteps against a veteran." Everybody involved served to further that story, and there are so many places that they could go from there. There has to be more matches between the two in the future, no doubt. But, Despe interacting with O'Khan a bit and talking to TJP during the match also plants some seeds. Akira felt far more over leaving than he did going in. Flawless, to my eyes.

Overall - and it might just be novelty - but Mike Bailey still might be my tournament MVP so far. Every match he's had has been fantastic. But, as mentioned in my previous post, I love Big Match Taguch, too. They absolutely got me to bite on near-falls/tapouts in their match. 

About TJP: I was really looking forward to his matches in this tournament after seeing the Jr. Heavy Tag Title match between Catch 2/2 and Knight/Kushida from 4/27/23. TJP and Kushida's matwork to start that match off was so, so cool. 

Finally: I did not anticipate looking forward to YOH matches as the tournament went along, but here I am. I don't know exactly what has gotten in to him, but it has been interesting. 

Edited May 23, 2023 by Teflon Turtle