Best of the Super Juniors 23

[soup23]

I am really excited for this tournament and have enjoyed watching the matches that have rolled out so far:

 

My review of Night 1 is here: http://placetobenation.com/new-japan-best-of-the-super-juniors-2016-day-1-review-05212016/

 

 

Night 2 Quick Hits:

 

Ricochet vs. Tiger Mask: This wasn't bad but I did want a little more aggression shown from Tiger Mask. I thought Ricochet looked good when he hit his signature spots when he needed to, but he does still falter a bit with putting together the connective tissue of a compelling match. **1/2

 

Jushin LIger vs. Bobby Fish: I dug this a lot. A simplistic match but one where Fish was able to target the arm of Liger and Liger sold it wonderfully all the way throughout. I don't really want to spoil the finish but it was one of my favorite moments of the year from any promotion and made perfect sense. This was never intended to be a MOTYC with the crowd chanting "these two guys", but for the story they tried to accomplish, this was spot on. ***1/2

 

Berretta vs. Volador: Pretty much a spot fest and while the last match showed a lot of restraint, this threw all of that to the wind in order to gain a reaction. Not my bag at all. **

 

Chase Owens vs. Will Ospreay: A slightly better version of the TM vs. Ricochet match because I like Owens as a base better than TM and I think Ospreay is even more dynamic than Ricochet. I did think Ospreay's strikes looked adequate here and I appreciated the way Owens cut him off with his highspots. The finish was a nice surprise. ***

 

 

 

[shoe]

I've really enjoyed the matches so far. One thing that really stood out to me so far was how smart the work has been.

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Day 3 Thoughts:

 

Matt Sydal vs. Bushi- Man, do I love Bushi going to every corner and sitting on it and then faking out his dive by laying down and staring at Sydal. This match really lent itself to a great face/heel dynamic and they played that up. It didn't go overboard and resulted in a very enjoyable match overall. ***

 

Gedo vs. Kyle O'Reilly - O'Reilly was able to hit some great kicks in the ending of this match especially his ending combo. He seems primed to make another deep run in the tournament. I thought Gedo was fine but could have been more vicious and dickish on top. Another good match that felt really different from the first one. ***1/4

 

David Finlay vs. Taguchi - I am not getting the Taguchi love. Maybe I just hate the guy but he didn't show any focus here to me, relied on his comedy stuff that didn't have Finlay reacting much to and still wants to use the ass offense. **

 

Rocky Romero vs. Kushida - I am starting to really get behind Kushida as the best wrestler in the world. This was a a really good match that felt worthy of the main event slot. The work was back and forth but told a compelling story and Romero held his own in working on top. Kushida now has his back against the wall but a bevy of challengers for his belt. ***1/2

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Night 4

 

Volador vs. Tiger Mask - Maybe the most unanticipated match of the whole tournament for me and they didn't do much to sway me from that notion. Volador removes his mask mid match and gets his dives in. TM does a big on grumpy work but then forgoes it. Really a nothing match. **

 

Chase Owens vs. Jushin Liger - Liger is just great here. A different kind of match than his first one and this time he has to overcome a bevy of cheating. While the prior match did paint by the numbers stuff, this one packed a neat story into 8 minutes and was much more successful. **3/4

 

Ricochet vs. Bobby Fish - Yeah, I am not digging Ricochet at all so far. I didn't think I was that heavy on wanting a limb emphasis in matches, but Ricochet feels so aimless on top. Fish starts working over the stomach here mid match and I thought it would lead to interesting territory but then it was deserted. A match with some good moments and highspots but not much substance behind it. **1/2

 

Will Ospreay vs. Baretta - Even more disjointed than the previous match. This felt like a pretty big blemish for Ospreay as someone that is an elite to 10 guy for the year. He came out trying to do a PWG style spotfest and it just didn't have any flow or connection with me in the slightest. This capped off an overall disappointing day of wrestling. **1/4

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Night 5

 

Gedo vs. Matt Sydal - Once again, Sydal is a great face to put in there against these dastardly heel contingent. Gedo jumps him from the bell and doesn't let up in this spirited seven minute match. Each person played their role well and the payoff of Sydal wining with the SSP felt sufficient and triumphant given the damage he had taken. ***

 

Kyle O"Reilly vs. Bushi - I am in the bag for these two but this was a damn good match. The slingshot clothesline is by far my least favorite thing O"reilly does and they somehow made that seem organic here. Bushi really focused on the neck and that helped bridge the first portion of the match. Kyle's strikes again looked on point during the comeback and it is really feeling he is the man to beat so far. ***3/4

 

David Finlay vs. Kushida - I thought this did a great job of presenting Finlay as not on the level as Kushida and rightfully so. This featured a multitude of great work on the arm from Kushida and Finlay sold it like a champ. When he did get in some offense, he maximized by having some powerful throws and even applying a stretch muffler which had me thinking for a second, he could pull out the huge upset. The arm work led right into a great Hoverboard submission. A strong match to pad out both guys year. ***1/2

 

Taguchi vs. Romero - Blah. I think one problem I have with Taguchi is I feel his work on top is aimless. Is he comedy? Is he serious now? What is his plan of attack in the ring? These are things I would like conveyed in the last match of the night setting. Instead, we get about 15 ass shots, some Nakamura impersonating from both me and the ankle lock submission that was applied twice but that was the only time the ankle was a point of emphasis for Taguchi. I get that snap submissions are a thing now but it is tough for me to take this ankle lock at the same value as someone like Sabre who has the rep and demeanor of someone that can snap your arm at any moment. **1/2

[SomethingSavage]

Really appreciate this coverage here, man. I look forward to the Super Juniors every year. I'm really slammed at the moment, so this will really help me to navigate and cherry pick whatever I want to see.

[shoe]

I'm with you Chad that Ricochet vs Bobby Fish match just didn't click. I see in some circles it getting a lot of love. I found it aimless , and lacking heart. So what if Ricochet hit a couple of nice high spots. His work on top was pretty unispiring.

[InYourCase]

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2016/05/27/njpw-best-super-juniors-night-6-may-27-review/

 

Here's my review of the show this morning. I'm interested as to what people on this site think of the main event and how they differ from my thoughts.

[Woof]

Pretty shocking that both Kushida and Ospreay lost their opening two matches. Not a great start for either when you consider those two along with O'Reilly and maybe Ricochet seem like the most likely finalists.

[soup23]

Sydal & Big Mike vs. Romero and Yoshi-Hashi – A fun opener in comparison for New Japan in that this involved some unique lineups and pairings. Sydal and Elgin do make a fun big guy/little guy tag team and Yoshi-Hashi perpetually is someone that has a niche in these undercard matches and does a good job keeping the action moving no matter who is in there with. Elgin does a double slam on both opponents in a nice spot and actually takes some offense from Hashi forcing him to tag out to Sydal. The tease of Romero winning his arm on the ropes was also well done. After a few more reversals, Romero is able to gain the victory and they are really pushing him so far throughout the tournament. I am used to a certain expectation with New Japan openers and this really exceeded them and went an appropriate amount of time. I expect Hashi/Romero to maybe challenge Sydal and Ricochet down the road to mix things up. ***

 

Finlay/O’Reilly/Nakanishi/Nagata/Tenzan vs. Taguchi/White/Juice Robinson/Shibata/KUSHIDA – One of the things I enjoy about getting just the BOSJ matches is avoiding the stiffs like Nakanishi and Tenzan. Things start with Kushida vs. O’Reilly which is smart given the crackling match they had in the same building days before. Robinson vs. Nakanishi pairing up is terrifying. Taguchi dancing in front of Tenzan did make me laugh. This is the pedestrian match that I usually expect where people just do moves. Shibata and Nagata show a littler fire to build up their match but besides that, a whole lot of nothing. *1/2

 

Tiger Mask vs. Chase Owens – Wasn’t expecting anything from this but at least Owens jumps TM at the bell to make things slightly exciting. TM gets dragged to the back and the referee isn’t counting for some reason. TM returns after choking out Yujiro. Anyone complaining about Adam Page in Bullet Club only needs to look at Yujiro as a more disposable member. TM makes his comeback and the match totally betrays its pace and slows down to a halt. To complicate things, we get a ref bump and Yujiro interference. Owens hits a nut shot and retrieves the referee but TM reverses the package piledriver and gains the flash win. Probably the worst match so far in the BOSJ and block B has produced some stinkers. *1/2

 

Bobby Fish vs. Beretta – Speaking of clunkers, Trent has had a rough go so far. This had the advantage of Fish being on top for the majority of the match which helped rein in some of Treents more annoying qualities. Still, there is many instances here where you get the sense that Trent saw an awesome gif and wanted to implement that into his match. Stuff like the suplex to the outside didn’t really fit the narrative being told at all and makes the match seem disjointed. The finishing sequence with Trent still feeling the effects of the leg damage was well done. I was glad that this was paid out with the leg submission in the end. A perplexing match in that some portions were really well done but there was some annoying stuff thrown in. A mixed bag, and I may be giving it the benefit of the doubt in calling it good overall. ***

 

Fale/Omega/Yujiro vs. Captain New Japan/Yoshi Tatsu/Kojima – The face side here is hilariously bad. The BC contingent isn’t much better. Anything above ** would be considered a big accomplishment. Did Kojima kick Capt New Japan in this to try to wake him up to tag him? That was at least one innovative spot in this. My Taguchi hate can run deep but he looks world class compared to what Yujiro and Yoshi Tatsu have been offering up. Kojima gets the hot tag, does a scary clunky DDT to Omega and then goes on a tear. He gets in a lot of offense on Omega and I wonder if a spot challenge for the IC belt is in his future after Omega gets done with Tanahashi. Finishing stretch was nothing until Omega does the slingblade and High Fly Flow on Captain to end this. I guess this hit their maximum quota as while not entertaining, it wasn’t absolutely awful either. **

 

Gedo/Ishii/Okada/Goto vs. Senada/Naito/Bushi/Evil – I really liked the fire that Okada showed at the onset here. He does a big dive to Naito and really drives him into the announce table. This was great as both Naito and Okada are playing different stoic/uninterested character takes so one being the aggressor makes sense and Okada is the challenger so it is a good role for him to have. I have no idea if anything will happen between Milano and Naito but I always enjoy them bickering with each other. This feud has been really entertaining with me and all the iterations. I have liked Senada working his way in here and the build with Goto and EVIL going after each other and that giving way to Naito stepping in with Okada was really well done. Finish continued the tension well and the feud keeps chugging along. ***1/4

 

Liger vs. Volador – I thought this was a good popcorn style match. Liger took some great bumps and may be honestly having his best in ring year in the last 6-7. He was a good base for the big dive of Volador and mixed in some nice near falls like the La Magistral cradle. The count out tease after the high crossbody was well done. It is these little touches that give Liger’s matches some context and prove he is one of the best of all time. Liger taking the Spanish Fly was impressive at his age and gave Volador a huge win. ***

 

Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay - ****1/2

[soup23]

Ospreay/Baretta/Ishii vs. Volador/Tenzan/Elgin – Ospreay and Volador have an established sequence now to impress the fans. I thought it was odd that Ospreay and Baretta essentially worked rudo for portions of this match. Ospreay doing the Vader Time was pretty hilarious and I was off twitter for most of the weekend so I didn’t know that happened. I even dug Tenzan and Ishii throwing each other around a bit in this setting. Tenzan still makes me nervous as hell that his body will breakdown at any moment. Volador moonsault was wild with his knee banging off the table. Another enjoyable start to a NJ show. ***

 

TM 4/Liger/Nakanishi/Nagata vs. Jay White/Juice Robinson/Shibata/Fish – Fish talking shit about them warming up in the back was funny. This match was a backdrop to set up the Shibata vs. Nagata match at Dominion. Nakanishi doing a dive off the top rope was something. This match was full of shit talking from Juice and Fish on the apron. Fish is amazing as the douche encouraging his team on. OH RICKY MORTON. Even White gets in on the action telling Juice and Fish to get em boys. Can these guys come to ROH and out dick Bullet Club? Nagata does get the last laugh isolating White and putting him away with the back suplex. Screw it, I enjoyed this match much more than I thought I would. **3/4

 

Gedo vs. David Finlay – A under the radar group match that I have reasonably high expectations for. Finlay can go toe to toe with anyone and Gedo shines in this setting. I also think this match has some intrigue in regards to Finlay’s future in NJPW and the fact that he is wrestling the bookerman. I don’t know if the audio is more pronounced or the lack of announcing but I am hearing a lot more audible screams of pain and dialogue from the guys as Gedo gets in on the action here. It is a nice change of pace and makes me feel like I am inside the arena. Finlay being super aggressive to start was a good pace setter and I liked Gedo retreating to the outside and resulting in cheating tactics such as using the ring bell hammer and the announce table. The count out teases where well worked here. Gedo really laid in some grinding, vicious work on top and it made for a good contrast when Finlay came firing back. The filming of Finlay barely not being able to lock in his fingers for the stretch muffler was beautiful. The finish was an excellent moment and one of the most times I have marked out watching New Japan this year. Put this match up there with Liger vs. Fish as maybe not great matches, but well worthy of a watch as you catch up on the tournament as a whole. ***1/2

 

Bushi vs. Rocky Romero – Bushi’s entrance is great and ominous. Overall, this match suffered from coming off the heels of the last one. I found Gedo’s offense more engaging than Bushi’s here. I do still think Bushi is much improved and care about him and I don’t think he has turned in a bad performance per say in this tournament, but a lot of other competitors have put in some varied performances and mixed things up while Bushi’s matches have been business as usual. That lessens the impact on the mist and shirt choking when watching a good chunk of stuff in quick succession. Even his opponent here in Romero has had more variety in the matches worked. Also, I don’t think we absolutely have to have a countout tease in every match. Again, it is something that was cute at first but feels like it has been overkilled here. Romero’s dropkick counter from bushi’s dive on the top rope was a highlight here. There is the mist that you knew was coming and Bushi is able to pick up a much needed win. Again, I didn’t think this was bad, but it honestly was my least favorite thing of the opening half of this show and felt the most ho hum. **1/2

 

Omega/Fale/Yujiro/Owens vs. Ricochet/Captain New Japan/Kojima/Yoshi Tatsu – A pretty awful match on paper and not what I wanted to see coming out of intermission. Captain NJ gets clowned and my second screen pops open. Ricochet does get in some nice sequences vs. Omega. Finish is same sequence we saw on day 6 with Omega doing his insult of Tanahashi’s big moves to his best bud. Blah. *1/2

 

Okada/Goto/Yoshi-Hashi vs. Evil/Senada/Naito – This feud rages on. I am not sure who Senada will be against at Dominion although I assume it will be Goto. This was more of the same as we have seen all tour. It is enjoyable stuff with Naito getting into Milano’s face and Senada being protected really well. On the Chaos side, Hashi is given glimpses to shine and Evil and Goto continue to hate each other. The finishing stretch here was exciting with everyone firing off their big moves and bodies going all over the ringside area. Evil and Goto are the two men left standing and Goto is able to secure the win for his faction showing a nice parity in the series. Afterwards we get a scuffle and I am still unsure what the pairings will be at Dominion besides Okada vs. Naito for the IWGP. ***

 

Matt Sydal vs. Kyle O’Reilly – These guys had a really good match in ROH earlier this year and they matched that effort here. Whereas Romero vs. Bushi had the potential to be good and missed that mark, this match did have the potential to be great and they missed that slightly for me. However, in the former I felt that was a disappointing result and I didn’t feel that way here. I think the difference was in the overarching theme of the match and that this was more of a traditional athletic contest between two friends whereas Bushi and romero did try to mix in more hatred and storyline overall. This had a variety of hold exchanges and stiff sequences that resonated with me. I can see some thinking this came across as an exhibition and aimless but it really skirted the line for me which admittedly could be my preference and investment in both guys at the moment. The finish took me by surprise but made sense given the point totals of both guys. It also felt it escalated well to a fitting climax. ***3/4

 

Taguchi vs. Kushida – Here we go, Taguchi has a chance to really impress me on a big stage as I am feeling lonely in my disappointment with him so far in this tournament. The opening mat work here was so engrossing. The biggest issue I have with Taguchi is that I don’t buy the switch that is flipped between happy go lucky guy to pissed off fighter. That worked out well here in the opening stanza. Taguchi was once a darling of the junior scene just a few years ago. Now, he is being relegated to the comedy ranks while one of his closest buds, Kushida, has carried the torch. Taguchi knows this is his moment to prove he still belongs here in the upper echelon. The mat work gives way to Taguchi being in control and this is one instance where the butt offense works and doesn’t come off as arbitrary with him just throwing it in to get some laughs. Kushida starts to target the arm looking for the ever looming Hoverboard and gets in a big bit of offense with an armbar slam from the apron. Taguchi winces in pain in a totally legitimate and believable manner. Kushida wiffs on a dropkick and Taguchi is right back working the leg. That is short lived and Kushida amps the offensive arsenal with the huge tope to the outside. Even Taguchi doing the three amigos happens really organically with him countering a Hoverboard attempt. That also transitions into some work of the leg of Kushida. There is a really great sense of attrition at the end of this match with the sweat beating down of both men. I have no idea if Taguichi was supposed to get the slam on Kushida that leads to the finish but it works brilliantly into the storyline as Kushida catches him in the cross armbreaker leaving Taguchi no choice but to tap. Brilliant match. ****1/4

[soup23]

Day 8

 

Chase Owens vs. Beretta – Continuing the trend of Block b having more matches I am eh on. This one starts on the outside with some generic brawling. Owens works over a bulk of this match but it doesn’t work for me because I don’t find Beretta compelling at all as the face. We also get some Yujiro interference to muddle things up further. Finish was generic with a back and forth exchanging of holds ending with Owens picking up the win. *3/4

 

Will Ospreay vs. Tiger Mask IV – Coming off his big win vs. Ricochet, I was interested to see how Ospreay would look here and how grouchy TM would be. TM warms my heart by stomping on Ospreay right away and having no time for his flippy shit. Ospreay does come back on offense and runs through his usual gambit of impressive looking stuff. I am conflicted in this match because while TM is a wily veteran, it seemed odd that he would have the perfect counter to most of Ospreay’s dynamic offense. It seemed to make them feel moot in a way. Beyond that, he gets a pretty shocking submission victory. **

 

Volador vs. Bobby Fish – This was worked more like a sprint which was a big contrast from the mat/control oriented matches Fish has worked elsewhere in the tournament. A really exciting match resulted. Fish does work over Volador in the middle portion but it is used as a more vicious striking arsenal than focusing on a body part. Volador taking off his match annoys me more and more with each match. Voladors comeback was full of flash with Fish trying to counteract by continuing to strike. Fish was able to secure the victory with a leg submission. Good match. ***

 

Ricochet vs. Jushin Liger – This show has been pretty bad so far but really could use a shot in the arm. I liked Ricochet jumping Liger at the gun and going after him. Ricochet really dominates the opening portion of this match and does it in compelling fashion without relying on high spots. Liger gives a great comeback and running Shotei off the apron. Ricochet is able to return back to the neck basics and regain control. This is a great showing for Ricochet who is proving himself after a rough opening week. Speaking of which. Liger may honestly be in my top 20 wrestlers in the world right now and keeps rising. That is amazing for someone that was also in that position when I was 4 years old. Liger’s nearfalls were all well done. Ricochet again results to the brainbuster on the neck and then finishes off with a submission again emphasizing damage on the neck. A great match to finish us off tonight. ****

[soup23]

Night 9

 

Bushi vs. Finlay – Finlay rushes the ring and Bushi is still halfway in his suit. He hits a big dive to Finlay on the outside and then disrobes. He back and forth here worked better for me than in the last Bushi match and the teases Finlay was able to get on his rollups worked given his upset previously. The upset was not to last as Bushi picks up the win although he is out of contention with the standings overall. **1/2

 

Matt Sydal vs. Romero – An interesting match on paper here. I don’t think either guy has been at their best throughout this tournament but also not at their worst either. These two feel like the most net neutral of all the competitors so far. I liked the opening mat work from Sydal as he really wrenched in the attack. The flip hurricanarana looked really good and the spinning kick connected flush as well. This sort of played out the template of their tournament so far. This was a good match but not a great one. It is one that is enjoyable to watch but not something that will be retained a month down the line. ***

 

Gedo vs. KUSHIDA – Gedo may honestly be a top five New Japan worker. I don’t think that is quite as controversial as it may sound on the surface. Him playing the Ogawa role in these matches is so refreshing and brings a different dynamic to every match he competes in. Here he sets the tone from the onset by nearly rolling up Kushida is his Clutch and then shows Kushida how close he was to winning. We just saw Gedo have an embarrassing loss but that felt like a moment that could have honestly ended the match. That versatility is a special trait. The match rolls out a nice story from there with kushida arm work and Gedo being really aggressive for him in his attack. Gedo sneaking out his huge punch was great and the pinning reversals was done extremely well to reset the match to the final moments. One compliment of both Gedo and Kushida is that Kushida misses on his kicks are really well done and narrowly miss. We get the Gedo Clutch for an amazing nearfall. Kushida fights through locks on the Hoverboard and that is a wrap to a great match. ****

 

Oreilly vs. Taguchi – I liked O’Reilly shaking his head at the shenanigans of Taguchi in the early moments and then grinding him out on the mat. The arm work that KOR did was on point and the comeback by Taguchi had him implementing his ass stuff in the same way he did vs. Kushida in a logical way. He also did a good job again avoiding KOR’s kicks in the last second. The transition from the chokehold to the leg submissions was also done in an organic way. The rollup was a good false finish as he used KOR tropes against him. I also thought Taguchi showed really good tenacity going back to the ankle and that is rewarded for him in the finish. Great match. ****

[soup23]

Day 10 Thoughts:

 

Owens vs. Volador - Probably the most surprisingly good match of the whole tournament. Owens has been really solid throughout and Volador honestly hasn't been that annoying, but I never expected myself to like this match as much as I did. Owens really turned it up in grounding Volador and being a dick to him by wearing his mask and making a mockery of the annoying trope Volador is doing by removing the mask each match. This made the highspots that Volador ran through in the end feel earned and a justifiable receipt to this prick. ***

 

Tiger Mask vs. Liger - In watching the whole tournament, having a match like this is very smart. *1/2

 

Ospreay vs. Fish - I just don't know about Bobby Fish. Him and Roderick Strong are the two most complexing workers in the world in 2016 having great performances one second and lackluster ones the next. Ospreay honestly isn't too far behind. Here, Ospreay's character work and selling of the leg really bothered me. Ospreay would wince and Fish would cut off his offense by attacking the leg, but Ospreay still ran through his gambit of offense without much harm and he weakened Fish in the process. I was really disappointed in this one. **3/4

 

Ricochet vs. Trent Baretta - Another match that didn't do much for me. I watched this match around 2 hours ago before Day 11 started and after watching that show, I am already hazy of the highlights to call out here. I think that speaks to the fact that Ricochet is good at adapting to others match styles at times but for every Liger match where that is a good result, we get this. Trent really has dropped for me like a stone throughout this tournament and I think he should be exclusively a tag worker going forward. **1/2

[soup23]

Day 11

 

Ricochet/Volador/Tenzan vs. Ospreay/Trent/Ishii – Man do I wish Will would shut up. The showcase sequence him and Volador have in the beginning of this match was really clumsy. Tenzan can barely run from one ring corner to another at this point. Tenzan as FIP was an odd choice but it does show that someone like Trent is far superior for me in tag settings where he can get in and out. They did save the Ricochet vs. Ospreay showdown and it was a highlight of the match when they matched up. Finishing stretch kicks off with a moonsault from Volador and big dive from Ricochet. Back inside, it appears that Volador is in control but Trent is able to secure the win with a quick rollup. A rocky start but this got better as it kept going. **3/4

 

White/Fish/Shibata/Robinson vs. TM/Liger/Nagata/Nakanishi – This match really depends on how shit Fish is going to talk at ringside as to whether it will be enjoyable or not. Bobby is actually pretty subdued here so the match suffers. You know the drill with these guys. Everyone does some stuff but this centers around the issue of Nagata vs. Shibata. Nagata gets a busted mouth and takes it out on Jay White to get the submission. I liked this much less than the 5/29 tag. **

 

Kyle O’Reilly vs. David Finlay – This may be me artificially looking into things but I really bought Finlay here because the style and pacing O”reilly likes to work really suits Finlay as well. I liken it to a Tennis star that always has trouble with someone that is a master on a surface like clay. What O’Reilly does best, Finlay also does really really well, KOR just has more overall tools in his bad. Anyway, this was a nice slugfest with some arm work from KOR and leg work from Finlay that looked brutal. Everything looked tough to take here from the strikes, submissions and throws. Finlay was given a nice kickout out of the brainbuster but then taken out with the triangle choke. I really enjoyed this one. ***1/4

 

Gedo vs. Rocky Romero – Really good comedy bit beforehand with Gedo promising to do the fingerpoke of Doom and having some great interaction with both members of RPG Vice. Gedo of course doesn’t lay down and the match has a great shtick vibe to it. Romero sticks the boots to Gedo and Gedo comes back against both Rocky and Trent. The Nakamura tribute spots were fun here. Gedo removing the turnbuckle was a great spot. The numbers game catches up to Gedo as he was disposing of Trent, Rocky is able to hit two huge running knees to pick up the win. Fun match. ***

 

Elgin/Yoshi Tatsu/Captain New Japan/Kojima vs. Omega/Yujiro/Fale/Owens – We do at least get a Big Mike dive to start things off so this has been more lively than a lot of these matches between these teams so far. Omega does a Rick Rude tribute. Big Mike gets a hot tag and runs through a bunch of guys. The powerslam he does from the Omega springboard looks good. I am unsure of Elgin’s role in Dominion vs. Omega be but he looked like a beast here picking up the win against Owens. This was a big improvement over the previous matches between these guys and was enjoyable. **1/2

 

Sanada/Evil/Naito vs. Okada/Goto/Yoshi-Hashi – Our final never ending pairing match to fill out the BOSJ card. Yoshi-Hashi is feeling testy today and wants a piece of Sanada. We then get Goto and Evil going after each other. This series has been good but this match was a highlight so far with very strong action throughout and a really exciting extended ending sequence featuring

Okada and Naito. More pressure is put on them now that Tanahashi is out of Dominion so it was nice to see them ramp up the intensity here. I said last review how unsure I was of Sanada’s opponent but it is looking more and more like Yoshi-Hashi which could be really fun even with the end result guaranteed. Evil and Sanada team up here for a slam/moonsault combo. Yoshi kicks out the saito suplex which was a nice hope spot. Evil actually has to save Sanada from getting pinned on Yoshi’s knee. We then get stereo dives and big moves from Okada/Goto allowing Yoshi to pick up a big near fall that really should have been the finish. Sanada fights through and is finally able to make Yoshi submit to the dragon sleeper. This was really good and helped tremendously by the hate that Chaos showed. ***3/4

 

Bushi vs. Taguchi – God, am I turning the corner on Taguchi? I actually was smirking watching him walk out here. What a troll. Bushi continues to have completely amazing attire. We saw a great BS match already with Gedo vs. Romero but this was even better and it had an extra gear of hate at the end. Taguchi trolling Bushi in the beginning was great. Even better was that Bushi has felt a little bland this tournament and he was forced to show more aggression here after being stood up by Taguchi. From there the match holds a good structure with Taguchi doing ass stuff but also hitting a nice running kick from the aisle and a big tope con hilo to the outside. The finishing sequence starting with Bushi’s low blow and culminating in him finally getting the mist was extremely well done. Bushi is able to be the spoiler here and pretty much means Taguchi isn’t going to win in my eyes. Taguchi is on quite a role. ***1/2

 

Sydal vs. Kushida – This is worked at a huge difference from the rest of the show in the early portion. Some simple mat wrestling and switching of moves working in and out of a headlock. They do a respect spot which wasn’t the best but did make temper flare up a bit. The crab that Kushida locks in looks brutal. Sydal’s comeback was well timed and we continued to have a hint to the early arm damage that Kushida worked on in the early going. Finishing stretch was really exciting. The Reverse Rana looked odd in set up but man did Sydal spike him in the mat. Kushida feels like the only thing he has left in him is the hoverboard and that is what he goes after. The counter Sydal does here is really good interlocking his arms in the back. Kushida does a great reversal and then locks in a sick Hoverboard to gain the submission victory and now there is a lot of stuff in play going into the final group day. ****

[soup23]

Day 12

 

The home stretch is in sight

 

Rocky Romero/Yoshi-Hashi vs. Taguchi/Jay White – White’s hair continues to get weirder and weirder. This was fine but I actually expected more as all four guys here are capable and regardless of my feelings of how good Taguchi really is, he does well in tag settings picking his spots. This kind of ran through the motions and then the predictable pin on White happened. **1/2

 

Nakanishi/Finlay/O’Reilly/Nagata/Tenzan vs. Juice/Kushida/Shibata/Sydal/Capt – What a combo of shit and greatness on both sides. This did a good job of giving everyone a chance to shine and the shit stayed mostly out of the way. We had O’Reilly sequences with Kushida and Sydal and Nagata and Shibata continue the road to Dominion for them. Finish somehow results in Tenzan and Captain being in there and Tenzan dips into the fountain of youth hitting a moonsault for the win. **3/4

 

Tiger Mask vs. Trent Beretta – Block B has been much more lackluster than Block A for me and a match like this is a prime reason why. Give me Taguchi vs. Romero any day over this pairing. In fairness, they did add some new things throughout this match like Trent heeling it up more. I actually think this may be his best performance on the tour so far as I have found him pretty bad throughout. We get a big dive using the arena and some mask pulling by Trent. Finishing stretch became more of a your turn to do a big move, my turn, but overall this exceeded my expectations. **3/4

 

Will Ospreay vs. Jushin Liger – I was really looking forward to this one and actually thought it probably should have been the main. I was surprised that this only got 9 minutes but it was a really good sub 10 minute match. Ospreay looked good and flashy on top but reigned in when needed by Liger. Liger’s timing is still impeccable as evidence by him getting the knees up on the SSP at the right moment and having a really nice nearfall cradle as a result. Liger is a true treasure and we got the good Ospreay tonight. ***1/4

 

Bobby Fish vs. Chase Owens – Good match. I appreciated the dueling leg work and that each person went back to that well within the closing stretches of the match. The finish was sufficient in

getting over this as the main theme of the match. A match that wouldn’t be used to carry a show but one that fills out a show very nicely. ***

 

Volador Jr. vs. Ricochet – Pretty much the best you could hope for here was a balls out spotfest and that was essentially what he got. Some moves made me roll my eyes at their ridiculousness but others were pretty breathtaking in their execution. Overall, this lived up to my expectations and is worth watching. ***1/2

 

Tatsu/Big Mike/Kojima vs. Omega/Yujiro/Fale – This feud has to rage on. I really hate these matches and don’t have much hope in Big Mike vs. Omega as this set up took a more comedic tone that really missed the mark. This has been a real good show so far but this drug it down significantly. *

 

Sanada/Naito/Evil/Bushi vs. Goto/Gedo/Okada/Ishii – A nice looking eight man to close us out tonight. I feel like a broken record but this was another good iteration in this feud. This may have been slightly disappointing like the opener given that the arsenal of the stables looked full blast here. I did like seeing Gedo and Bushi mixing it up with the others in the feud as something that has felt fresh. Sanada still is booked strong. ***

[soup23]

Will Ospreay vs. Ryusuke Taguchi – What an electric crowd for this one. This was a complete classic match. The opening work started out really great with some intricate wrestling and mixing of one upsmanship and feeling out process. Then the match really kicks off from a storyline perspective with the leg work on Ospreay. I was nervous as hell when this happened as Taguchi did a great job of pouncing on it and Will was screaming in pain. A one legged handstand similar to the one he did vs. Kushida was an indication that this wasn’t going to be swiftly ignored. A one legged springboard elbow was a new wrinkle which was incredible to see. Ospreay still cant hit the Rainmaker and Taguchi turns that right into an ankle lock opportunity. A series of counters leads into the Blue Thunder Bomb and the match resets as we head into the final stanza. Big dive for Taguchi and you knew this being New Japan we were getting a countout tease. I did like Taguchi realizing it and then hurriedly going back in. Ospreay’s kicks looked great here and him pandering to the crowd did allow Taguchi enough time to react and get a strike of his own without it seeming like he was ignoring the damage down. Sasuke Special was a great highspot for Ospreay to pull out as a tribute. We then get a great camera angle showing Ospreay staring at KUSHIDA on commentary. Just when it looks like Ospreay is going to hit the cutter, Taguchi hooks on the ankle lock for a tremendous sequence with the crowd squealing. Corino losing his mind on commentary is excellent. Ospreay is finally able to fight out and hits Spanish Fly for nearfall. Reverse 450 was awesome and another insanely close nearfall. Now Ospreay hits the cutter and wins it. Amazing match. ****3/4

[soup23]

Day 13

 

Berretta vs. Liger – Short opener but one with good energy. This tournament has really made Liger shine and he has done a great job having all sorts of different matches. This was probably the most spot fest heavy type match as he has had as this was a 7 minute sprint running through a ton of spots but it was entertaining nonetheless. It sort of pains me seeing stuff like Berretta pin Liger but that is where he is at right now as the aging legend. **3/4

 

Bobby Fish vs. Tiger Mask 4 – A nice change of pace that was worked around grappling and didn’t overstay its welcome. I would still like to see more aggression overall from TM but Fish looked really good tonight constantly going after the finish and keeping his small hopes alive of winning the block. Solid stuff to start the show. **1/2

 

Chase Owens vs. Ricochet – I can see someone really invested in Ricochet being annoyed here as we had a ton of Yujiro interference and other chicanery, but I loved the way this played out as a contrast to everything else we have seen. Owens was the old school heel and Ricochet was the sympathetic babyface that is able to overcome the odds at every turn but ultimately loses out in the very end. Owens plays the spoiler role really well. ***

 

Volador vs. Will Ospreay – I dug the spotfest with Volador vs. Ricochet and this was even better. Ospreay hit some absolutely breathtaking moves here including the flipping DDT, a SSP off the apron where he lands on his feet and a crazy finish where he lands on his feet from the top rope Spanish Fly and then hits his cutter for the win. I knew this would be a high octane style match and it delivered in really showcasing Ospreay as something special. ***3/4

 

Evil/Okada/Sanada vs. Goto/Yoshi-Hashi/Okada – I don’t want to repeat myself but this was in the upper tier of these matches between these teams so far. This had the added wrinkle on US commentary of LIJ giving Corino a fist bump pre match and Kevin Kelly and Corino discussing that most of the match. I also really loved the tease finish of Sanada having Hashi in the dragon sleeper and Goto making the save. That was negated a minute later as Sanada finishes off Hashi with a moonsault as Naito stares down a prone Okada on the floor. ***1/2

 

Rocky Romero vs. Kyle O’Reilly – Opening work here was really well done including the fake out by Rocky to the dive on the outside. Even better was Kyle being on step ahead and catching his attempt as he stepped into the ropes. O’Reilly took a lot of this match and worked on the arm of Rocky. Then just when I thought we were going to the finishing sequence, O’Reilly starts getting his arm worked over. I enjoyed the parity here and how both guys are wounded when trying to hit their final moves. I really thought the finish was upon us when Kyle locked on the cross armbreaker. The build to the upset with Romero going over was really well done and felt satisfying even though it erased O’Reilly from contention in the tournament. ***3/4

 

Matt Sydal vs. David Finlay – Pretty clear with Kyle losing that Sydal was going over here to set up some interesting scenarios in the final two matches. Even though the finish was never in doubt, they did a good job here showing opportunities for Finlay and areas where he could capitalize. I especially liked the fake out of the SSP and thought Finlay might have a smidgen of a chance. ***

 

Gedo vs. Taguchi – It felt like these guys had faced each other already but I guess not. Early start with Gedo being offended at Taguchi’s insults and going right after him. We get some heel work on the floor and Gedo removing a turnbuckle pad. Taguchi makes his comeback and does a big butt dive to the outside. Taguchi having the camera pan out when he does the Rainmaker pose was funny. The reverse of the Gedo Clutch was a very clever finish. I liked this match but did think this was the worst Taguchi has looked since the very early days of the tournament. ***

 

Bushi vs. Kushida – Loved there February match so expected good things here. Bushi starts off really hot and works well within the spoiler role. We of course get some countout teases. I wish those would pay off at some point. The arm work from Kushida was as usual really well done. Bushi had a nice flurry with the missile dropkick and keeping the selling up. I don’t know what I would say overall for Bushi in this tournament. He wasn’t bad but didn’t rise up my rankings of wrestlers for the year and felt too one note watching this many matches in quick succession. The arm submissions and finish was good even with red shoes not paying attention to Bushi having some pin attempts. This set up the mist in a great way and Bushi does a great tease of winning. One more from Bushi and he spoils Kushidas dreams. Very good match. ***1/2

[soup23]

Jay White vs. David Finlay – Finlay had a good tournament for himself so it will be interesting to see if there is any difference in his positioning on the Young Lions ladder. This was the typical good match between these two with Finlay especially having some great strikes. Finlay really looked in control until Jay White picked up the flash pin. Kind of an anticlimactic finish. **1/2

 

Tatsu/Captain New Japan vs. Yujiro/Chase Owens – Rough pairings here. Bullet Club jumps the faces right out of the gate. Not a lot happens here of note except I do enjoy Owens being scuzzy. Yujiro predictable gets the pin on perineal jobber Captain new Japan **

 

Shibata/Juice vs. Nagata/Nakanishi – Another one that didn’t really get me excited on paper. Juice and Nakanishi stood mostly out of the way and again we have Nagata and Shibata firing off on each other. I don’t know if their match at Dominion will be good or not as I liked the Dontaku match well enough but this seems to be built more based on strikes. I liked the grappling aspects of the Dontaku match. The finishing sequence here had some no selling and exchanging that was annoying. Shibata kicks Nakanishi down and wins. **1/4

 

Kyle O’Reilly/Bobby Fish/Tenzan vs. Ishii/RPG Vice – Finally a good looking match on paper minus dead weight Tenzan. KOR and Romero start off with a good exchange to play off their match the night before. Ishii and Tenzan actually have a fun exchange too. This was a real spring at just over 8 minutes but it never went up for fresh air and provided a fun match to watch. Popcorn wrestling. ***

 

Jushin Liger/Tiger Mask/Volador Jr vs. KUSHIDA/Ricochet/Matt Sydal – This was a showcase affair but it was a lot of fun to watch and no one looked out of place. It did accomplish the feat of me looking at all six and not minding any singles pairing that would result even stuff like Tiger Mask vs. Ricochet that didn’t light the world on fire in the tournament. Popcorn wrestling. ***1/4

 

Kojima/elgin vs. Omega/Fale – I know this is a match that will have their fans and I know that NJ has their hands tied with Tanahashi out. That said, I don’t give a shit about Elgin vs. Omega and while the crowd undoubtedly popped for the ladder spots, I was left cold and indifferent. That really affected the overall match because we also got a more spirited Kojima than at any other point on tour. I see how this would have praise heaped on it, but it wasn’t for me. **3/4

 

Chaos vs. LIJ – Here we go again. This has been a crackling feud all tour with everything coming to a head at Dominion with the single matches and tags that will play out. I thought Bushi and Gedo on the respective sides added some juice and variations here and Okada looked more fired up and pissed off than at any point prior. ***

[Bierschwale]

So using the G1 standard over the last few years, if KUSHIDA retains, then BUSHI, KO'R, & Romero all have challenge claims and if Wee Willie wins, it's Beretta, Chase, and TM4. That's some good parity booking,