It’s time for another night of action from the NJPW Best of The Super Juniors tournament! The first night saw names like SHO & Hiromu Takahashi claim early points, but can they keep things moving? Only one way to find out, let’s get right into the action.
NJPW Is Turning 50!
First however, NJPW is nearing their 50th anniversary as a company – and have a series of announcements for fans. They announced a series of shows in the first quarter of 2022, including the return of the classic New Years Golden Series branding. There will also be an art gallery on display, including items like ring worn boots from Andre The Giant’s time in NJPW. Special merchandise will also be released for this occasion.
Nothing huge for international fans, but the 50th anniversary show in 2022 will be one to keep an eye out for. Their mission statement for 2022 is as follows: “All the way through next year, we will have dream matches, dream cards and dream events to bring everyone the power of pro-wrestling and bring us to a post COVID world.“
YOH & Robbie Eagles Need To Find Out Who They Are – And Do It Fast!
Kicking off tournament action was YOH & DOUKI. YOH is using this tournament to find out who he is before meeting his former partner SHO. Unfortunately, the controlled chaos of DOUKI is not a spot for self exploration, and YOH was rushed down with Suplex De La Luna, without much resistance. DOUKI now has two in a row, a far cry from his 2020 tournament where he got his sole win on final night.
Ryusuke Taguchi & BUSHI would meet next. It was a match of two acts, the first full of slapstick comedy, and the second a more focused and technical affair. First half saw Taguchi crotched on every surface available, but in the second he countered a codebreaker into an ankle lock with a percistison that would make Kurt Angle blush. In the end, BUSHI nailed MX for the win – getting on the scoreboard.
Robbie Eagles, much like YOH – is spending the early sections of this tournament figuring out who he is after losing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. He’d take the fight to a very game Master Wato, and weather some heavy strikes before getting a roll up for the win.
Speaking of Master Wato, he as ELP pissed after beating him in their match to kick the tournament off. He’d want revenge, but his bitterness meshed with the constantly bitter Kanemaru in a dirty fight of a match. They’d trade heavy blows and roughneck headlocks. Kanemaru tried to get another count out win by tossing Young Lions around, but had to inside get a small package in the ring after an eye poke.
Hiromu Takahashi Falls To House Of Torture, El Desperado Fails To Rally Back
Hiromu Takahashi would get to take on SHO here, which is basically now just a match with a faster EVIL. He’d try to close it early to not give House of Torture a chance to rush the ring, but was unable to do so. SHO would cheat to gain control, but we’d see some glimpses of the great wrestler he is. Takahashi almost had it when he nailed Victory Royale – but the referee fell. We’d have Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL come to the ring – and this one was done for Takahashi.
Finally, El Desperado & Taiji Ishimori would get into the ring. Both men dropped their first matches, and it’s time to get moving. Ishimori started this one strong with a grappling edge – and maintained this edge with a big armbreaker. While SHO cheated to beat Desperado, Ishimori just out-worked him at every step and tapped him out. His wrestling skills are underrated, and this was a dominant showing.
Who’s Got The Lead?
Following this show, the point totals are as follows.
4 points – DOUKI, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO,
2 points – Hiromu Takhashi, BUSHI, Master Wato, Robbie Eagles, Rysuke Taguchi, Taiji Ishimori
0 points – El Phantasmo, YOH, El Desperado
Some are starting to pull ahead and others fall behind. Could we see SHO clean the tournament up with House of Torture help? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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