New Japan Best of the Super Juniors

Okay, so I'm quite excited by this upcoming tournament.  I'm a big fan of tournaments and I'm going to try to watch as much of this as I can.  Hopefully at least House will join me.

As a warm up, I've thought I might try to watch some of the previous finals.

2014 - Kushida vs Ricochet 5*
This is a fine example of technical wrestling, with Kushida working the left arm of Ricochet hard for the first 15 minutes.  Then Kushida hits a hard baseball slide onto Ricochet's arm as Ricochet is mid-backflip off the ropes and follows this up with a somersault off the top turnbuckle to the outside.  And it is like both wrestlers move from 3rd to 5th gear as the whole match kicks up a couple of gears, each move looks like it is delivered to hurt that bit more and done that bit faster.  Pick your favourite moment, the 630 from Ricochet, or Benadryller off the top rope.  Mine would be Benadryller reversed into Kimura, I really thought Kushida had it then.  Doesn't matter, they had the crowd really popping.

Kushida probably comes back and wins the tournament this year, which makes me pretty glad that I caught up with this, because if that's his journey

They Ricochet/Kushida match was really good, if you like that you should check out Ricochet cashing in his title match against Ibushi from Dominion that year, I actually preferred that match though it was a little too short with an extra 5 mins it could have hit classic status.

So hyped for this years show though, it's not the strongest line up by a long shot compared to the classic 90's era or some of the more modern times with Devitt, PAC, Ricochet and Ibushi but it's a very fun and interesting mix of guys, I just hope we get someone other than Taguchi winning the A Block.

Cavernario vs O'Rielly, I cannot wait!

Also if your checking out Super Jr finals, Kanemoto vs Samurai from 97, you won't be sorry

Dr Gregory House MD wrote:Also if your checking out Super Jr finals, Kanemoto vs Samurai from 97, you won't be sorry

I'm just lining up the Devitt vs Shelley 2013 one now. Got some distance to go to get to this

I think you are right about this year. It's a good, but not exceptional line up. And unless he gets badly injured early it is hard to see Kushida not winning to face Omega. So, the question is who does he face out of Block A. And you are probably right that it will be Taguchi, but didn't I come here to escape the Sheamus Kiss Me Arse matches?

I'm looking forward to seeing Dave Finlay fight. I must have seen his father live 20 or 30 times and he was a massive factor in me getting into wrestling.

Yeh I can safely say I've never seen Finlay Jr work before, very interested in seeing how he does given he is essentially a young boy (and I don't doubt he's going 0-7) but to see him given the nod over Tanaka and the exceptional Jay White (where did they dig him up from?) It can't all be on name value can it?

Komatsu and Finlay are both going 0-7 (unless Gedo lets Komatsu go over him). And that's fine as they are both young boys, but its a great nod to the future for both. I don't think that Finlay can be there for nepotism reasons, because New Japan still won't let Cody Hall work a singles match, so he must have something.

I've only seen one Cavernario match (which I looked up after this got announced). Wow he is going to be fun! He could completely no-sell Komatsu, we just don't know yet.

I'm not a big native lucha watcher but Cavernario is my guy, his matches with Hechicero from the En Busca de Idol final and Rey Cometa at the 81st Anniversary last year were both among my favourite matches of the year, his splash from the top rope to the outside is so simple but awe inspiring

2013 - Prince Devitt vs Alex Shelley 4.5*
I'm not a big fan of outside interference and that makes a lot of Bullet Club matches much less enjoyable than their cool name would have you expect. And there's a spot here where Fale catches Shelley, but then seems to slip and they both fall into a pile of chairs, that could have gone very wrong. But even I got to agree that the big brawls outside the ring got the crowd going and me into the match. I love how legit peed off the ref looks when he sends them off.

This match is so well worked that I sit back again and wonder just why Finn is in NXT and not WWE. Its a truly great closing 5 minutes to this match.

I just saw that the first show of the 2nd season of NJPW on AXS TV 22 May will feature the '14 BOSJ. I am very much looking forward to checking that out again with English commentary, shame NJPWworld doesn't have these AXS TV shows uploaded.

Prometheus wrote:2013 - Prince Devitt vs Alex Shelley 4.5*
I'm not a big fan of outside interference and that makes a lot of Bullet Club matches much less enjoyable than their cool name would have you expect.  And there's a spot here where Fale catches Shelley, but then seems to slip and they both fall into a pile of chairs, that could have gone very wrong.  But even I got to agree that the big brawls outside the ring got the crowd going and me into the match.  I love how legit peed off the ref looks when he sends them off.

This match is so well worked that I sit back again and wonder just why Finn is in NXT and not WWE.  Its a truly great closing 5 minutes to this match.  

This was back at a time when I was still on board with the bullet club interference, it was fresh and interesting, how times have changed.

Spoilers will follow, but I as I think it'll be only House that might even look in this thread I'm not going to bother hiding them.

Jushin Thunder Liger vs Komatsu (3*)
Liger is in about his 24th BoSJ tournament, but he can still bring it.  I really enjoyed this opener.  

Tiger Mask vs Nick Jackson (3*)
I guess as everyone thinks this year's tournament is a foregone conclusion we need a few surprises along the way.  Some lovely spots in this and the usual Bullet Club interference was cleared out fairly quickly.

Alex Shelley vs David Finlay (1.5*)
Being in a tournament like this Finlay is going to learn a lot very quickly.  He didn't embarrass himself here.

Babaro Cavernario vs Chase Owens (2.5*)
This was the one I was looking forward to.  I might get bored of watching a caveman wrestle, but not today.  The look on Okada's face after the match

10-man tag (3.5*)
I know these guys can do this in their sleep, but they do it so, so well.  Crowd was loving it, I was loving it, great pacing, everyone got their go.

Bobby Fish vs Rocky Romero (3.5*)
This is an example of why I love wrestling.

Beretta vs. Kyle O'Reilly (4*)
This was just such a great back-to-back match with the previous one.  What a great pair of workers, with probably one of the best sells of a DDT ever!  Best match so far, fantastic pacing.

Mascara Dorada vs Kushida (3.5*)
That is one of the highest moonsaults I have ever seen!  Someone give these guys another 15 minutes.

Gedo vs Taguchi (3*)
This was nicely worked.

Word that Rocky and Shelley are out with injuries already.

Just got finished watch the 1st half

Lyger is a man defying time can't believe he's 50+, the outfit certainty helps in that respect but the man can still go, really enjoyed Komatsu here as well, I love my young boy action (insert joke here) but he's supremely talented for a guy at his level

Nick vs Tiger Mask was fine, always an interesting novelty to see one of the bucks flying solo, think at this stage it's safe to say No 4 is not the finest of the Tiger Mask lineage

Was really interested to see Finlay Jr, initial thoughts, he should wear a bowtie because he looks like Matt Smith (and bowties are cool), that back tattoo is ugly (tribal back tats on skinny white guys are not cool) and he's not a bad little wrestler from first impression, enjoyable match all round

Always great to see Cavernario, dynamic and breathtaking as always, Owens held up his end as well even if he still strikes me as generic Indy worker #227, still not a bad match and it tickles me that Owens splits his time between working low level NWA shows and taking on one of Luchas rising stars in Kouraken for the 2nd biggest company in the world

Finally standard New Japan multi man tag, I generally skip these unless I'm told to otherwise, not because they're bad but because they're rarely exceptional and these shows are long enough as it is, I made an exception for opening night and was rewarded with exactly what I thought I'd see, a good but not great match that gets the big guns out on the card

Overall I'm enjoying the show so far and going by the Prometheus approved star ratings (Hobo's right who needs Meltzer) the 2nd half promises to be even better though I'll probably save that for the morning

Great to get your thoughts House. From reviews I've read I think I'm scoring slightly high. But my scoring is easy, how into the match do I get and how much do I enjoy it. And some of this wrestling is right down my street.

Don't miss the 10-man. I nearly skipped it. And it is skippable, you've seen it all before. But it's bloody great fun.

On another note. Hearing a lot of good things about PWG's Don't Sweat the Technique, I might need to invest....

That's me done night 1

Fish vs Rocky was very good even though something never quite clicks with me when Rocky is in singles action, he's an excellent worker and I enjoy his matches but I can never bring myself to look forward to them, dunno why

I enjoyed the way the match bled into Trent vs O'Rielly, wasn't surprised both ReDragon guys went over, I expect RPG Vice to rematch the bucks soon and to regain their belts, making this the great basis for a ReDragon challenge down the line, match was excellent though O'Rielly's sell of the tornado DDT would have made Ziggler blush

Kushida vs Dorada was great, I'm really enjoying Dorada he's such a fluid mover, his moonsaults are particularly exquisite, and everyone knows Kushida is great, I agree this match could have done with more time and could easily have been the main event over....

Gedo vs Taguchi, I am not a Taguchi fan and I really wish he would stop having matches with people I like as it makes it difficult to skip, at least no one was molested with a flag pole which is the water mark of my expectations for the guy, Gedo was tremendous fun as always with his veteran heel schtick and kept my interest in the match, hard to believe he's the same chubby guy who wrestled in PJs back in the 90's

Overall it was nothing blow away on the card but it was good fun and kept my interest throughout I see Night 2 is up now so I'll check that put tomorrow

Prometheus wrote:.

On another note.  Hearing a lot of good things about PWG's Don't Sweat the Technique, I might need to invest....

I just got finished it back end of last week and it's well worth the investment one of the best PWG cards I've seen in a while, Roddy vs Sabre Jr and Hero vs End were both excellent, even though Ive seen a lot of indy flyers go at it Ricochet vs Everett left me in genuine awe, the rest of the card was great fun with Matt Sydal (the former Evan Bourne) and Chris Sabin vs The Monster Mafia being another match that really stood out

PWG is one of my favourite promotions,very high on the fun factor of wrestling, 2014 wasn't their strongest year but 2 shows in 2015 seems like a return to form and I can say I've never been disappointed spending money on one of their shows

One piece of advice if you do plan to order the DVD is that they do require a signature on delivery, so if you're not in be prepared to nip to the post office the next day

Thanks for the info House.

I kind of fast forwarded through the 3 matches from the 23rd. I'm hoping to get chance to come back, sit down and watch them properly. But if I don't, I didn't notice much that was must see.

May 23

Gedo vs Komatsu (2*)
Yeah, its a match. It's a house match. I don't know what else to say.

Barbaro vs Taguchi (1.5*)
Taguchi came to the ring with a bone. That's probably the most noteworthy thing here. There's an interesting Zayn-like dive from the caveman, but I can do without anything Taguchi does (he even led with his ass on the tope, didn't he?). This went about twice as long as I needed it to, and then it just seemed to realise that and ended.

Jackson vs Kushida (2.5*)
Solid if not spectacular. All the moves were there, but it all felt a little 3rd gear.

Just to say that I have been watching the shows, everything's much of a muchness in that it's good without being great, really enjoying Komatsu think he's really coming out of his shell in this, Taguchi is the absolute pits though, he had a bad match with Cavernario which should be punishable by death, sadly I think his tiebreaker win over O'Rielly garuntees we'll be seeing him vs Kushida in the finals barring O'Reilly going 3-0 in his last 3 matches and Liger upsetting Taguchi as he ain't losing to Owens and Finlay Jr

I've only watched the first 3 days. I'm hoping to set time aside later this week to catch up. But, I've been keeping an eye on reports and they very much mirror what you are saying about the matches being fine, but passable. Still love the hell out of having NJPWWorld and being able to watch this stuff.

Just got finished with the finals, what a match, had everything from smooth mat work, striking, into big spots and finally into the pure attrition of the final 10 or so minutes, Kushida's facials were magnificent legitamatly though he was ko'd by O'Riellys discus elbow, easily eclipsed last year's final for me, god bless you Chase Owens for giving us this match

I had a binge yesterday.  I wasn't watching closely enough and fast forwarded through a few matches to rank them, but the event was consistently solid.

The final match, I must have just finished as you started.  This is what I wrote in the MotY thread:

"Doubt I'll be watching a better submissions match this year than O'Reilly vs Kushida. The moonsault to arm bar had me on my feet, and that was only half way through!"

Which looking back, I maybe even sold the match short as it was so much more than submissions.  You've got the sliced bread, the desperation brainbuster on the apron!  

What a match....! Let's roll this into the G1 now.