This morning is another live event for New Japan, this time being broadcasted on New Japan World live at Korakuen Hall. This is the last show before the finals and semifinals, so we’ll have a clear idea of those matches by the time the show is over. We already know that Kushida is in the finals, but who will join him, as well as who will compete for third place, is still in the air.
Yohei Komatsu vs. Beretta
They had a fast paced match that was full of action. Komatsu got the half crab and managed to transition to an STF but Beretta grabs the ropes. Beretta follows with a tornado DDT and takes him to the apron, where he slams him with a fireman’s carry. Komatsu makes a tremendous comeback, kicking out of Beretta’s knee strike, then mounts a great comeback, but gets caught with another knee strike and is pinned. Really great opener.
David Finlay vs. Tiger Mask IV
A solid back and forth match. There were times that things seemed a bit off between the two, but mostly just solid back and forth work. Finlay kicked out of the tiger driver, but eventually submitted to a modified crossface chickenwing. For the record, both him and Yohei Komatsu ended up with no wins in this tournament.
This went less than ten minutes and was rather short. Back and forth early, then Fish worked on Finlay. He mounted a comeback, but Fish cut him off and applied a leglock for the submission. Can’t say much more beyond that other than this was a textbook definition of basic, though not bad.
Yohei Komatsu vs. Barbaro Cavernario
Cavernario started this match hot by sending Komatsu to the outside and unleashing a springboard crossbody, wiping him out on the floor. Komatsu caught him with a knees after he attempted a vader bomb and tried to do the Boston crab but Cavernario got to the ropes. He comes back with a buckle bomb and another splash but Komatsu kicks out. The thing with Komatsu’s kickouts is that they’re always perfectly timed and get a huge reaction from the crowd, it’s great. Komatsu comes back and tries a brainbuster but Cavernario slides from behind and takes him down with the la Cavernaria and submits him. Solid match.
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Chase Owens
Usual basic match structure with both O’Reilly and Owens trading offense. Owens attempted the package piledriver after some backbreakers but O’Reilly came back with his waistlock sleeper. Owens countered with a suplex for a nearfall. O’Reilly immediately went back on the offense and applied what looked to be a variation of the dragon sleeper for the victory. The crowd was largely dead for this , and it didn’t feel like a blow away match or anything.
Mascara Dorada vs. Nick Jackson
These two had great chemistry together and this turned out to be a fun match. Nick wiped out Dorada with a huge springboard tope con hilo to the floor and tries to get him counted out but Dorada arrived on time. They had a back and forth contest from here. Dorada tried to give him a sunset flip bomb to the floor but Nick escaped and went to kick him, hitting Jay White instead. They both got to the apron and Dorada did an amazing hurricanrana off the apron that sent Jackson to the floor. Jackson eventually got crotched on the ropes and Dorada did a ropewalk into a hurricanrana, then followed that with his Michinoku driver for the win. Pretty good.
Current Standings:
Block A:
Ryusuke Taguchi (10)
Kyle O’Reilly (10)
Chase Owens (6)
Jushin Thunder Liger (6)
Beretta (6)
Babaro Cavernario (6)
Gedo (4)
Yohei Komatsu (0)
Block B:
Kushida (12)
Rocky Romero (8)
Mascara Dorada (8)
Bobby Fish (8)
Tiger Mask IV (6)
Nick Jackson (6)
Alex Shelley (2) (Out of tournament due to injury)
David Finlay (0)
And here are recaps of the previous shows for quick reference:
They did some funny spots early where they shook each others hands, but went to jump each other after both handshakes, only for them to grab a leg and they had to explain themselves. Match was short, but solid. A lot of the match was Beretta, but Gedo made a brief comeback, only to be cut off again. When he didn’t get the pin with the knee strike, Beretta followed with the Omori driver for the win.
Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
Starts off with some mat wrestling early. Taguchi gets the early advantage with his hip attacks, but Liger cuts him off, including hitting his running senton off the floor. Once everyone gets back into the ring, this turns into a pretty fun back and forth contest. Taguchi goes for a la magistral cradle, but Liger shifts his weight and hooks Taguchi for a nearfall. They continue exchanging nearfalls until Taguchi catches Liger in a rollup and is pinned. Not much until the last few minutes.
Kushida vs. Rocky Romero
This was one of the longer matches of the tour, at least when it comes to these hard camera shows. Tons of back and forth. Romero started to mount a comeback and hit the dropkick while Kushida was draped on the top rope. Kushida slipped away and tried the kimura but Romero countered into a rollup for a nearfall. Romero missed the slice bread and Kushida hits the kimura. Romero tried to make the ropes, couldn’t, and tapped. A solid match.
Current Standings:
Block A:
Ryusuke Taguchi (10)
Kyle O’Reilly (8)
Chase Owens (6)
Jushin Thunder Liger (6)
Beretta (6)
Babaro Cavernario (4)
Gedo (4)
Yohei Komatsu (0)
Block B:
Kushida (10)
Rocky Romero (8)
Mascara Dorada (6)
Tiger Mask IV (6)
Nick Jackson (6)
Bobby Fish (6)
Alex Shelley (2) (Out of tournament due to injury)
David Finlay (0)
And here are recaps of the previous shows for quick reference:
Day 9 of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament has arrived Results are below, followed by the current rankings and links to previous results.
Rocky Romero vs. David Finlay
Solid match. A lot of it was Romero working over Finlay. Finlay tried to put Romero in a overhead leg lock but cradled him for a nearfall. He tries it again, succeeding, but Romero gets to the ropes. Finlay pelted Romero with uppercuts but he made a comeback and draped Finlay on the ropes, hitting a springboard dropkick. He follows that up with a tombstone and gets the win. Turned into a really fun match.
Yohei Komatsu vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
This wasn’t interesting for about a third of a match, but it picked up in the end. Taguchi hit a hip toss off the top rope, but Komatsu switched a dodon for a nearfall people were really into. He beat an ankle lock, but Komatsu fell to another dodon and this time Komatsu didn’t kick out. The last few minutes were good.
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Barbaro Cavernario
O’Reilly controlled early, but Cavernario came back, sent out O’Reilly and proceeded with a huge step up crossbody to the floor. Back and forth from here, but O’Reilly applying a sharpshooter but Cavernario quickly going to the ropes. He comes back and hits a bridging back suplex for the pinfall. This was fine.
Mascara Dorada vs. Bobby Fish
Dorada was in control early, but Fish knocked him off the apron with a kick and started to work on him. Dorada makes an amazing comeback, with a rope walk clothesline and a huge tope con hilo to the floor. They get back in the ring and he follows that up with a big moonsault for another nearfall. Fish cuts him off with a back suplex and a suplex into the ring post for a two count. Dorada tries to cut him off, but Fish grabs his leg and pelts him with kicks. A forearm shot and falcon arrow later gives him the win. Another pretty solid bout, though I think the best match of the night was probably Romero/Finlay.
Here we are, day 8 of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament! Only 3 matches today, since Shelley is out of the tournament. Results are below, followed by the current rankings and links to previous results.
Gedo vs. Chase Owens
Unlike the other matches we’ve seen in the tournament, Gedo was the face here as he gained control of the match after a referee distraction spot and a dropkick. Gedo made a comeback after the ref was knocked down with a low blow and a roll up. Owens cut him off, did the throwback from the top rope then pinned Gedo with a package piledriver. About as basic of a match as you can get, which isn’t a knock but nothing beyond that.
Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Beretta
This was solid. A lot of the match was Beretta working over Liger. Beretta reversed a hurricanrana off the top rope for a nearfall, but fell trap to a palm strike. Beretta hit his knee strike but Liger reversed a roll up into one of his own for the pinfall.
Tiger Mask IV vs. Kushida
Tiger Mask worked on Kushida’s leg early in the bout. They did a spot where they did stereo kicks to the temple and both fell to the ground momentarily. Tiger Mask laid out Kushida with a butterfly suplex off the top rope but Kushida came back with the hoverboard lock and Tiger Mask submitted. This got more time than the other two matches on the show, and they used that time to have a fine match.
Current Standings:
Block A:
Kyle O’Reilly (6)
Ryusuke Taguchi (6)
Chase Owens (6)
Jushin Thunder Liger (6)
Babaro Cavernario (4)
Gedo (4)
Beretta (4)
Yohei Komatsu (0)
Block B:
Kushida (10)
Mascara Dorada (6)
Tiger Mask IV (6)
Nick Jackson (6)
Rocky Romero (6)
Bobby Fish (4)
Alex Shelley (2) (Out of tournament due to injury)
David Finlay (0)
And here are recaps of the previous shows for quick reference:
Wrestle-1, the Japanese promotion owned by Keiji Muto and now run by Sanshiro Takagi, is doing a five date East Coast tour late this months with APWA out of West Virginia.
We had reported a few months ago on the tour but they officially announced these dates today:
6/23 in Philadelphia at the 2300 Arena
6/25 in Belle Vernon, PA at the Rostraver Ice Arena
6/26 in Parkersburg, WV
6/27 in Shelby, NC at the site of the old Crockett TV tapings
6/28 in Atlanta
Tickets go on sale at the 2300 Arena tomorrow for the first show.
A 7.8 magnitude Earthquake hit Japan earlier today, although it was far enough away that it didn’t cause serious damage in Tokyo.
The earthquake, located at its epicenter near the Ogasawara Islands, shook the entire country. The epicenter was about 620 miles from Tokyo, where New Japan Pro Wrestling held a show at Korakuen Hall.
The earthquake took place at about 8:28 p.m. local time, during the semifinal of he show between Ryusuke Taguchi and Kyle O’Reilly. The match had to be stopped and restarted. Dozens of other shows in the country last night were also impacted.
Buildings shook and there were said to be some injuries from falls in the city, but it didn’t do serious damage.
Day 7 of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament takes place live this morning at Korakuen Hall. Updated rankings will be available after the show.
Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu vs. Tomoaki Honma and David Finlay
Honma and Finlay played the heels here, working over Tanaka and Komatsu whenever possible. A lot of mat wrestling early. Komatsu made a hot comeback and hit a senton on a standing Finlay for a nearfall. He tried for the half crab but Finlay escaped. Honma makes a comeback but misses the kokeshi headbutt. Tanaka makes a comeback and goes for the half crab but Tanaka won’t give up as both of the young lions apply half crabs, but they’re both broken up. Tanaka hits a great deadlift German suplex for a nearfall. Tanaka hits the ropes but walks into a torpedo kokeshi, then Honma hits the top rope kokeshi for the pinfall. A fantastic opener and easily the best match of the tour thus far.
Tiger Mask IV and Jay White vs. Barbaro Cavernario and Chase Owens
There was comedy early as White complained that Cavernario smelled after locking up. Cavernario then proceeded to do gross out humor such as grabbing his armpit then wanting to tag in Owens. Tiger Mask made the hot tag for his team and took out Cavernario with the tiger driver. Owens made the comeback for his team as Cavernario hit a huge dive and Owens hit the package piledriver on White for the pinfall. These guys worked together better than you’d think and this ended up being a good match.
Kazuchika Okada and Roppongi Vice vs. Cody Hall, Yujiro Takahashi and Nick Jackson
After the usual feeling out process, the babyfaces made fun of Nick after Okada did the “suck it” sign and injured his foot kicking the announce table. Yujiro made the comeback for his team and worked on Romero. He tags in Okada, but he gets cut off after Cody Hall is tagged in. Soon breaks out into a melee after Okada hits a back body drop on Hall, with bodies flying everywhere. When the dust settles, it’s Hall and Okada, and the latter soon takes out Hall, does the rainmaker pose, then hits the rainmaker on Hall for the win. Good match.
Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazushi Sakuraba, Yoshi Hashi, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Togi Makabe, Captain New Japan and Katsuyori Shibata
This started off like every ten man tag NJPW does- everyone paired off based on who they were feuding with. Ishii and Makabe went at it and Makabe was alid out. He was worked on until he finally was tag to tag in Goto, who ran wild. Sakuraba and Shibata go at it for a while, with Sakuraba throwing in some stiff offense. Tanahashi is tagged in, and eventually gets his hands on Yano. He makes a tag to Captain New Japan who, despite doing a fine comeback, falls to a low blow by Yano after Yano pulls his costume over his head. Your usual New Japan ten man tag, but it was good.
Shibata and Sakuraba, as well as Ishii and Makabe, went at it after the match before they were eventually seperated.
Gedo vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
These two worked a slower match than usual. Gedo took control of the match early and after some work on the outside, took Liger back in and worked on a leglock for a good while. Liger eventually reverses. Good back and forth action from here. Liger does the Thesz press and the palm strike for near falls, then hooks Gedo’s legs with his own and pins him. Different than the usual matches we’ve seen thus far, but I liked this.
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kyle O’Reilly
This turned out to be pretty good. O’Reilly dominated the first half, but eventually it became a back and forth match. Taguchi made a comeback with the hip attacks and landed the three amigo suplexes. O’Rilley made a comeback including hitting a cool back bridge suplex for a nerfall. Tauchi catches him in an ankle lock but O’Rilley reverses into a sharpshooter. Taguchi hits the dodon for a nearfall then comes back to the ankle lock, which gets him the win. Really good back and forth match.
Bobby Fish vs. Kushida
Fish worked on Kushida’s leg early on in the bout and that became part of the match. Great back and forth match. Fish hit a giant Michinoku driver off the top rope for a great nearfall that people popped huge for when Kushida kicked out. Kushida went for a sliced bread #2 to honor Shelley but Fish tried to counter, only for him to get locked into the hoverboard lock. Fish tries desperately to escape, but eventually has to tap.
Kushida cut a promo after the match, thanking the fans.
Overall a really great show. the opener and the main event delivered, plus everything else was pretty good.
Current Standings:
Block A:
Kyle O’Reilly (6)
Ryusuke Taguchi (6)
Babaro Cavernario (4)
Gedo (4)
Beretta (4)
Chase Owens (4)
Jushin Thunder Liger (4)
Yohei Komatsu (0)
Block B:
Kushida (8)
Mascara Dorada (6)
Tiger Mask IV (6)
Nick Jackson (6)
Rocky Romero (6)
Bobby Fish (4)
Alex Shelley (2) (Out of tournament due to injury)
David Finlay (0)
And here are recaps of the previous shows for quick reference:
Day 6 of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament took place early Friday morning. Results, and updated ranking, are as follows.
Yohei Komatsu vs. Chase Owens
Basic match, nothing much, nothing more. Owens dominated from the start. Komatsu made some nice comebacks and did his usual shine spots, including getting Owens in the half boston crab. He escapes, makes a back, then hits the throwback followed by a cradle piledriver for the pinfall.
Nick Jackson vs. David Finlay
Jackson took the advantage early, crotch chopping Finlay at every opportunity. He took him to the outside with a great missile dropkick. Finlay counter with a ropes assisted hurricanrana on the outside. Jackson tries for a senton but Finlay gets the knees up and makes a fun comeback. Jackson, however, derails him with a superkick and follows soon after with a 450 for the win. This was fine, but the crowd was absolutely dead for it.
Barbaro Cavernario vs. Beretta
Beretta was in control early despite Cavernario biting his fingers early in the match. Beretta fell out to the floor and Cavernario responded with a huge springboard crossbody to the floor, then soon followed that with a waistlock northern lights suplex. Never seen that before. Beretta came back with a tornado DDT. Cavernario cut him off and hit an amazing splash to the floor. Beretta cuts him off again, hits a flying knee strike then follows with the Omori driver for the win. One of the better matches of the tournament thus far that even woke up this crowd to an extent.
Tiger Mask vs. Rocky Romero
Romero came out wearing his Black Tiger mask. He taunted Tiger Mask with a replica masked, then jumped him out the outside. He unmasked and started work on Tiger Mask by posting him on the guardrail. Romero was on offense until Tiger Mask hit him with a kick and landed a butterfly suplex from the top rope. Romero made a comeback, including draping Tiger Mask on the top rope and following with a dropkick, also from the top rope, then followed with a tombstone for the win. It was fine, but nothing out of this world.
Current Standings:
Block A:
Kyle O’Reilly (6)
Babaro Cavernario (4)
Gedo (4)
Ryusuke Taguchi (4)
Beretta (4)
Chase Owens (4)
Jushin Thunder Liger (2)
Yohei Komatsu (0)
Block B:
Tiger Mask IV (6)
Kushida (6)
Mascara Dorada (6)
Bobby Fish (6)
Nick Jackson (6)
Rocky Romero (6)
Alex Shelley (2) (Out of tournament due to injury)
David Finlay (0)
And here are recaps of the previous shows for quick reference:
Day 6 of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament took place early Friday morning. Results, and updated ranking, are as follows.
Yohei Komatsu vs. Chase Owens
Basic match, nothing much, nothing more. Owens dominated from the start. Komatsu made some nice comebacks and did his usual shine spots, including getting Owens in the half boston crab. He escapes, makes a back, then hits the throwback followed by a cradle piledriver for the pinfall.
Nick Jackson vs. David Finlay
Jackson took the advantage early, crotch chopping Finlay at every opportunity. He took him to the outside with a great missile dropkick. Finlay counter with a ropes assisted hurricanrana on the outside. Jackson tries for a senton but Finlay gets the knees up and makes a fun comeback. Jackson, however, derails him with a superkick and follows soon after with a 450 for the win. This was fine, but the crowd was absolutely dead for it.
Barbaro Cavernario vs. Beretta
Beretta was in control early despite Cavernario biting his fingers early in the match. Beretta fell out to the floor and Cavernario responded with a huge springboard crossbody to the floor, then soon followed that with a waistlock northern lights suplex. Never seen that before. Beretta came back with a tornado DDT. Cavernario cut him off and hit an amazing splash to the floor. Beretta cuts him off again, hits a flying knee strike then follows with the Omori driver for the win. One of the better matches of the tournament thus far that even woke up this crowd to an extent.
Tiger Mask vs. Rocky Romero
Romero came out wearing his Black Tiger mask. He taunted Tiger Mask with a replica masked, then jumped him out the outside. He unmasked and started work on Tiger Mask by posting him on the guardrail. Romero was on offense until Tiger Mask hit him with a kick and landed a butterfly suplex from the top rope. Romero made a comeback, including draping Tiger Mask on the top rope and following with a dropkick, also from the top rope, then followed with a tombstone for the win. It was fine, but nothing out of this world.
Current Standings:
Block A:
Kyle O’Reilly (6)
Babaro Cavernario (4)
Gedo (4)
Ryusuke Taguchi (4)
Beretta (4)
Chase Owens (4)
Jushin Thunder Liger (2)
Yohei Komatsu (0)
Block B:
Tiger Mask IV (6)
Kushida (6)
Mascara Dorada (6)
Bobby Fish (6)
Nick Jackson (6)
Rocky Romero (6)
Alex Shelley (2) (Out of tournament due to injury)
David Finlay (0)
And here are recaps of the previous shows for quick reference:
