NJPW Best of the Super Juniors night nine results: Romero vs. ELP

Rocky Romero’s first singles main event in Korakuen Hall was a memorable one. 

Romero defeated El Phantasmo in a fantastic main event, which nearly went to the 30-minute time limit. 

ELP took his first loss of the Best of the Super Juniors, but remains atop the B Block, by virtue of his win over Will Ospreay. Shingo Takagi remains undefeated atop the A Block. 

Here are full results and match recaps from Friday’s show:

A BLOCK MATCH: SHO DEFEATED TIGER MASK IV

They started the show with a grappling battle. SHO pulled guard, while Tiger tried to throw some shots from top position. Tiger hit a series of kicks to SHO’s arms. SHO came back with a spear, then used a cross armbreaker. Tiger rolled to the ropes for a break. 

SHO went for a powerbomb, but Tiger slipped out and hit a couple of jumping knee strikes. Tiger hit a knee strike, then hit a Tiger Bomb for a near fall. Tiger tried for a Tiger Suplex, but SHO turned it into a Shock Arrow. SHO could not capitalize. 

Tiger used a crucifix for a near fall. SHO hit a lariat, then a powerbomb on the knees for a near fall. SHO hit a second Shock Arrow to get the pin. Solid opener.

B BLOCK MATCH: WILL OSPREAY DEFEATED REN NARITA

Narita hit an arm drag and a shoulder tackle. Ospreay came back with a 619 and a knee drop. Ospreay hit a handspring, but bounced right into a German from Narita. Narita used a vertical suplex for a two count. 

Ospreay hit a dropkick in the corner, then a standing Shooting Star Press for a near fall. Ospreay hit Pip Pip Cheerio, and Narita rolled to the floor. Ospreay teased a plancha, but Narita stepped out of the way. Ospreay landed on his feet, and Narita hit a belly-to-belly on the floor. They teased a countout, but Ospreay made it back in at 19. 

Ospreay hit a Robinson Special. He went for an OsCutter, but Narita caught him coming in. Narita used a modified cloverleaf. Ospreay teased tapping out, but made the bottom rope for a break. Narita tried for another belly-to-belly, but Ospreay landed on his feet. 

Ospreay went for a Storm Breaker, but Narita turned it into a backslide for an awesome near fall. Ospreay popped up, hit an OsCutter, and got the pin. This was tremendous. 

A BLOCK MATCH: MARTY SCURLL DEFEATED YOSHINOBU KANEMARU

This was a lot of fun. They had an intense comedy brawl. 

They started with some ha ha. Scurll swung his umbrella, while Kanemaru threatened to attack with his whiskey bottle. They had a long crowd brawl. They teased a double countout, but both made it back in at 19. 

Back inside, the ref took a bump. Kanemaru used a tornado DDT and had a visual pinfall. Kanemaru spit whiskey, but Scurll used his umbrella to block it. 

Kanemaru grabbed the umbrella, and Scurll grabbed the whiskey. Scurll spit whiskey in Kanemaru’s face for a near fall. Scurll then hit Black Plague for the pin. 

B BLOCK MATCH: ROBBIE EAGLES DEFEATED DOUKI

The Robbie Eagles entrance song is an absolute banger. 

Eagles hit a series of knee strikes. DOUKI avoided a charge by doing the splits, and Eagles fell outside. DOUKI posted Eagles, then hit him with a chair. The chair caught Eagles on the top of his head and split him open. 

Eagles was bleeding profusely. They continued with the match, but the nasty cut was the only thing I could focus on. DOUKI went for his modified triangle, but Eagles reversed it into a Miller Special. DOUKI rolled to the ropes. 

DOUKI hit a springboard DDT for a near fall. DOUKI used a series of cradles for near falls. Eagles hit an enzuigiri. DOUKI hit a lariat. Eagles blocked a Suplex de la Luna and hit a Turbo Backpack for a near fall. 

Eagles hit a 450, then used the Miller Special for the submission. 

A BLOCK MATCH: SHINGO TAKAGI DEFEATED TAKA MICHINOKU

TAKA used an eye poke, followed by a headscissors. Shingo rolled outside, and TAKA posted him. Shingo clotheslined the post. TAKA used a figure four around the post. TAKA hit a thrust kick on the apron and followed with a moonsault off the post to the floor. Turn back the clock night for TAKA. 

TAKA took the fight into the crowd and used a Just Facelock. Shingo beat the count back inside. TAKA used a roll-up and a magistral cradle for a pair of near falls. TAKA hit a knee strike for a two count, then went back to the Just Facelock. Shingo rolled to the ropes. 

TAKA hit another knee, and again used the Just Facelock. Shingo again reached the ropes. Shingo recovered and got his first meaningful offense of the match. He hit a pair of short lariats, then followed with a Pumping Bomber. 

TAKA went for a cradle, but Shingo blocked it and hit Last of the Dragon for the win. This was an awesome sprint. TAKA had his best performance in years, and Shingo has been built up perfectly since his NJPW debut. 

B BLOCK MATCH: BANDIDO DEFEATED RYUSUKE TAGUCHI

Bandido can do it all, including Taguchi comedy matches. They started off with some rope-running comedy before settling down into a more serious confrontation. 

Bandido hit a sunset flip to the floor, then powerbombed Taguchi into the post. Bandido hit a suicide dive into the fourth row. Back inside, Bandido hit a springboard high cross, followed by a dropkick to the back. 

Taguchi tried for a pair of hip attacks, but Bandido blocked both with atomic drops. Taguchi connected with a crossbody to the floor, a hip attack, and a tope con hilo. Taguchi hit Three Amigos for a near fall. 

Bandido hit an inverted suplex and a hip attack of his own. He went for another, but Taguchi caught him in an ankle lock. They traded a series of victory rolls for near falls. Taguchi went for a hip attack off the second rope, but Bandido caught him. Bandido hit a bridging suplex for a two count. 

Bandido teased the 21 Plex, but Taguchi cut him off. Bandido hit a GTS, then hit a 21 Plex for the pin. 

A BLOCK MATCH: TAIJI ISHIMORI DEFEATED JONATHAN GRESHAM

They spit on each other. Gresham took a chest-first turnbuckle, and Ishimori hit a sliding German. Gresham hit a flying headscissors, and Ishimori rolled outside. Gresham hit a knee strike off the apron to the floor. 

Back inside, Gresham hit a high cross off the top. Ishimori hit a handspring kick. Gresham used a poison rana into a pinning combination for a near fall. Ishimori escaped a bridging clutch and used a Yes Lock, but Gresham reached the ropes. 

Gresham used an octopus hold, but Ishimori broke it, then hit a shotgun dropkick. Ishimori hit double knees in the corner for a near fall, then hit a Bloody Cross for the pin. They did a lot of good stuff, but they didn’t get a lot of time. 

B BLOCK MATCH: BUSHI DEFEATED YOH

BUSHI hit a dropkick before the opening bell and followed with a suicide dive. BUSHI used his belt to whip YOH on the floor. Back inside, BUSHI used an STF. YOH reached the ropes, but BUSHI raked his eyes on the break. 

They exchanged chops. YOH missed a dropkick, but connected on a flying forearm. YOH hit a second dropkick, then a third to the legs. BUSHI hit his own dropkick, then teased a DDT on the apron. YOH hit a dropkick, and BUSHI rolled to the floor. YOH connected with a tope con hilo.

YOH hit a missile dropkick to the right knee, then used a Calf Crusher. After a struggle, BUSHI reached the ropes. YOH hit a superplex into a falcon arrow for a near fall. YOH hit a bridging suplex for another two count. 

YOH tried for a dragon suplex, but BUSHI reversed into a swinging neckbreaker. They traded slaps to the face. BUSHI hit a rewind kick, then hit two codebreakers. BUSHI hit a Canadian Destroyer for a near fall, then hit an MX for the pin. 

This was a good action match, but BUSHI’s selling was a little underwhelming and hurt the match. 

A BLOCK MATCH: DRAGON LEE DEFEATED TITAN

Dragon gave Red Shoes a mask to wear, and he refereed the opening sequence while wearing it. Awesome. 

They started with an awesome lucha sequence, ending in a stalemate. Dragon sent Titan to the floor, then hit a tope con hilo. Dragon hit a chop. Titan followed with a running clothesline in the corner and a slingshot dropkick. 

Dragon hit a delayed dropkick in the corner, and Titan hit a dropkick to the legs. Titan hit a rana off the apron to the floor, then followed with an Asai moonsault. Back inside, Titan came off the top rope into a jumping knee strike from Dragon. 

Titan hit a dragon screw, then used a figure four. They sat on the top rope, trading strikes. Titan teased hitting a double stomp, but Dragon threw him off. Titan hit a backflip kick. He tried for a top rope rana, but Dragon cut him off and hit a double stomp. 

Dragon teased Desnucadora, but Titan reversed it into a tornado DDT. Dragon hit a knee strike. Titan hit a Canadian Destroyer, but Dragon no-sold and hit another knee. Dragon went for Desnucadora again, but Titan reversed into a falcon arrow. 

Dragon hit a brainbuster for a near fall. He followed with a knee strike, a poison rana, and another knee. Dragon pulled down his knee pad and hit another knee, then followed with Desnucadora for the pin. Awesome match. 

B BLOCK MATCH: ROCKY ROMERO DEFEATED EL PHANTASMO 

Phantasmo ripped off Rocky’s entrance hat and threw it into the crowd. Rocky hit a dropkick, and Phantasmo rolled outside. Rocky hit a suicide dive. Phantasmo recovered quickly and landed a series of chops. They continued to fight on the floor, then into the crowd. 

After a lengthy crowd brawl, Rocky hit a knee strike inside. Phantasmo came back with a quebrada, then hit a series of strikes. Rocky came back with strikes, but Phantasmo hit a dropkick to the knee. 

The pace slowed significantly as Phantasmo landed some chops. Rocky tried for forever clotheslines, but Phantasmo tied him to the tree of woe and stomped on his groin. Phantasmo did his rope walk. Rocky pushed him off the ropes to the floor, then hit a pescado. 

Rocky posted Phantasmo’s left arm. He tried for a knee strike, but posted himself. Phantasmo crotched Rocky on the post. Phantasmo ripped up some of the ringside padding. He teased a CR2 on the floor, but Rocky hit a backdrop. He followed up by using Phantasmo as a lawn dart, sending him into the post. 

Rocky hit a flip dive off the post to the floor. Back in the ring, Rocky hit a series of kicks to the left arm. He hit a double stomp to the back as Phantasmo was draped across the ropes. Phantasmo teased a BME, but Rocky crotched him on the top, then tied him to the tree of woe. Rocky stomped on Phantasmo’s groin. 

Rocky hit a tornado DDT, into a falcon arrow, into a cross armbreaker. Phantasmo transitioned to an ankle lock, but Rocky slipped to a triangle. Phantasmo hit a powerbomb, breaking the hold. 

Phantasmo hit an enzuigiri. Rocky hit a rewind kick. Rocky went for Sliced Bread, but Phantasmo cut him off. After a fight, Rocky was able to land Sliced Bread for a near fall. Rocky tried for an armbreaker, but Phantasmo rolled to the ropes for a break. 

Rocky hit a couple of forever clotheslines in the corner, but Phantasmo cut him off. Rocky tried for a backslide, but Phantasmo hit an airplane spin. He went for a cover, but Rocky rolled to the floor. They teased a countout, but Rocky made it back inside. 

Phantasmo missed a frog splash. They exchanged strikes. Rocky hit a pair of lariats at the 25-minute mark for a near fall. Rocky hit a standing Sliced Bread, but Phantasmo kicked out at one and threw Rocky into Red Shoes. Red Shoes took a bump. 

Phantasmo tried for a low blow, but Rocky caught it and used a cross armbreaker. He gave up the hold, and Phantasmo hit a low blow. Phantasmo used a cradle for a near fall, then landed on Red Shoes, who took another bump. 

Phantasmo grabbed his belt, and he and Rocky did the Eddie Guerrero spot. Red Shoes teased a DQ, but Rocky used a roll-up for a near fall. Phantasmo tried for CR, but Rocky hit a rana for a near fall. 

Rocky got the cross armbreaker — and Phantasmo tapped out. Amazing main event. SHO and YOH came in to celebrate with Rocky after the win. 

A BLOCK STANDINGS

  • Shingo Takagi: 12
  • Taiji Ishimori: 10
  • Dragon Lee: 8
  • Jonathan Gresham: 6
  • SHO: 6
  • Marty Scurll: 6
  • Titan: 4 (Out of contention)
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru: 4 (Out of contention)
  • Tiger Mask: 4 (Out of contention)
  • TAKA Michinoku: 0 (Out of contention)

B BLOCK STANDINGS

  • El Phantasmo: 10
  • Will Ospreay: 10
  • Robbie Eagles: 8
  • Ryusuke Taguchi: 8
  • Bandido: 6
  • BUSHI: 6
  • YOH: 6
  • Rocky Romero: 4
  • DOUKI: 2 (Out of contention)
  • Ren Narita: 0 (Out of contention)