New Japan Pro Wrestling’s 29th Best of Super Juniors tournament is underway and some surprising talent made early leads this week. A Block is already starting to have some frontrunners, two of which are very surprising. While stalwart talents like Hiromu Takahashi and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori are currently undefeated in block competition, as expected, but two foreign talents have broken out in their BOSJ debuts.
IMPACT X Division Champion Ace Austin is making a name for himself on his inaugural excursion to NJPW. Slicing opponents with a playing card between the fingers, and crumpling them with his patented Fold technique, Austin has been doing well to keep any of the A Block wrestlers from becoming contenders for his X Division Title.
Elsewhere in A Block, Alex Zayne has notched another impossible dream in his short and storied career. From backyard wrestling to WWE, and now NJPW, Zayne remains undefeated through two rounds of A Block competition. Not only is the young star finding success in the ring, fans seem to already be gravitating towards the colorful character. Zayne has immersed himself in the local food culture and is crediting his success to the pungent soybean treat known as Nattō.
One wrestler still working to find his footing in A Block is United Empire’s Francesco Akira. The BOSJ debutante won his first match against SHO, but found himself on the wrong end of Time Bomb II against Hiromu Takahashi. While there’s still plenty of time for Akira to bounce back, his plucky underdog spirit is in direct conflict with United Empire’s brutish, cocky ways.
Over in B Block things are much more competitive, El Phantasmo and El Desperado have broken out from the pack, but with multiple champions in the block, there’s plenty of consequences to the usually-boilerplate block competition.
Robbie Eagles snuck out a win against ROH Pure Champion Wheeler Yuta, likely putting him in contention for the title. Also DOUKI got the better of GLEAT G-Rex Champion EL LINDAMAN, before falling to the Pure Champion on May 19th.
There is still plenty of tournament left, but already the passion from the hungry foreign talent has created the most electric Super Juniors in some years. Here are the full results from nights 2-4.
READ MORE: Night 1 results
5/17
NJPW Best of Super Juniors 29: Night 2
Available on NJPWWorld.com
- Non-Tournament Match: Clark Connors, Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita def. YOH, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Yuto Nakashima by pinfall. (11:01)
Clark Connors pinned Yuto Nakashima via Trophy Kill. - Non-Tournament Match: Ace Austin & Tiger Mask def. Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & TAKA Michinoku) by pinfall. (6:55)
Ace Austin pinned TAKA Michinoku via The Fold. - Non-Tournament Match: Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, SHO & Dick Togo) def. Ryusuke Taguchi, Alex Zayne & Jado by submission. (6:57)
SHO submitted DOUKI via Snake Bite. - B Block: DOUKI (2) def. EL LINDAMAN (0) by pinfall via Suplex De La Luna. (9:21)
- B Block: El Phantasmo (2) def. BUSHI (0) by pinfall via CR II. (10:43)
- B Block: Robbie Eagles (2) def. Wheeler Yuta (0) by pinfall via rollup. (11:30)
- B Block: TJP (2) def. Master Wato (0) by submission via Pinoy Stretch. (12:21)
- B Block: El Desperado (2) def. Titán (0) by pinfall via Pinche Loco. (13:45)
5/18
NJPW Best of Super Juniors 29: Night 3
Available on NJPWWorld.com
- Non-Tournament Match: Tiger Mask & Yuto Nakashima def. Kosei Fujita & Ryohei Oiwa by pinfall. (8:10)
Tiger Mask pinned Kosei Fujita via Tiger Driver. - Non-Tournament Match: Master Wato, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Jado def. Bullet Club (Gedo, Dick Togo & El Phantasmo) by submission. (9:45)
Master Wato submitted Gedo via Venvedal. - Non-Tournament Match: Wheeler Yuta, Titán & Robbie Eagles def. Suzuki-gun (DOUKI, El Desperado & TAKA Michinoku) by pinfall. (8:06)
Wheeler Yuta pinned TAKA Michinoku via Seatbelt. - A Block: YOH (2) def. Clark Connors (0) by pinfall via DIRECT DRIVE. (12:03)
- A Block: Ace Austin (4) def. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (0) by pinfall via The Fold. (10:58)
- A Block: Alex Zayne (4) def. SHO (0) by pinfall via Taco Driver. (12:01)
- A Block: Taiji Ishimori (4) def. Ryusuke Taguchi (0) by pinfall via Jackknife. (12:17)
- A Block: Hiromu Takahashi (4) def. Francesco Akira (2) by pinfall via Time Bomb II. (17:05)
5/19
NJPW Best of Super Juniors 29: Night 4
5:30am ET on NJPWWorld.com
- Non-Tournament Match: YOH & Hiroyoshi Tenzan def. Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & TAKA Michinoku) by pinfall. (7:35)
YOH pinned TAKA Michinoku via DIRECT DRIVE. - Non-Tournament Match: Alex Zayne, Clark Connors, Ryusuke Taguchi & Jado def. Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, SHO, Gedo & Dick Togo) by submission. (8:08)
Ryusuke Taguchi submitted Gedo via Ankle Lock. - Non-Tournament Match: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi) def. Tiger Mask & Ace Austin by pinfall. (8:33)
Shingo Takagi pinned Tiger Mask via Pumping Bomber. - B Block: Wheeler Yuta (2) def. DOUKI (0) by pinfall via Seatbelt. (9:55)
- B Block: EL LINDAMAN (2) def. Titán (0) by pinfall via German Suplex. (11:32)
- B Block: BUSHI (2) def. Robbie Eagles (2) by pinfall via MX. (11:15)
- B Block: El Phantasmo (4) def. Master Wato (0) by pinfall via CR II. (16:28)
- B Block: El Desperado (4) def. TJP (2) by pinfall via Pinche Loco. (16:07)
NJPW Best of Super Juniors 29 will continue on May 21st at 3am ET on NJPWWorld.com
