NJPW Best of the Super Juniors results: The A Block winner is decided

Today’s Best of the Super Juniors show in Osaka determined the winner of the A Block as the tournament begins to wind down. The results were:

Prelim matches —

– Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado defeated ACH & Volador Jr. when Kanemaru caught ACH with a flash pin. Desperado teased hitting Kanemaru with a chair, adding some tension to their match tomorrow.

– Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson & KUSHIDA defeated EVIL, BUSHI & SANADA when Taguchi pinned BUSHI with a la magistral cradle.

– Bad Luck Fale & Guerrillas of Destiny defeated War Machine & David Finlay after Fale hit the Grenade on Finlay.

– Yujiro Takahashi & Kenny Omega defeated Gedo & Kazuchika Okada when Takahashi pinned Gedo after hitting the Pimp Juice DDT.

Tournament results —

Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Taichi

This was more of a story-driven match than a match telling a story. The work itself was fine, but the storyline was dramatic enough to make things pretty interesting.

Taka Michinoku and El Desperado were out there to interfere early, and did so often in the first part of the match. They all beat up on Liger, with Taichi using the camera cord to choke him. Taichi continued to dominate the match, landing a superkick, but somehow Liger found a way to kick out.

Liger mounted a comeback, laying out Taichi with the shotei. Taichi threw the ref in Liger’s way, allowing all of Suzuki-gun to come in for a beatdown. The ref at this point was about to finally throw out the two instigators when, once again, Taichi threw Liger into the ref.

Using a pair of scissors, Taichi cut Liger’s mask and bodysuit, ripping it apart. Ryusuke Taguchi and KUSHIDA finally came in to even up the odds. Taichi went to use a steel chair, but Liger responded with the koppo kick, the shotei, and a brainbuster to pick up his first and only win in the tournament.

Liger cut a promo after the match, saying thanks to Taguchi and KUSHIDA he finally picked up a win. Next year without him, the junior heavyweight scene in the Best of the Super Juniors tournament will be even better. 

Taka Michinoku defeated Dragon Lee

This was pretty short. There wasn’t much to it, though what did go down was pretty good. Michinoku focused on the mask early, but Dragon Lee made a quick comeback. A lot of good back and forth and near falls took place towards the end. Michinoku landed the Michinoku Driver and pinned him, eliminating Lee from the tournament.

Marty Scurll defeated Ricochet

This was great, as the two meshed really well with one another and had a great back-and-forth match. The drama behind Scurll being Ricochet’s possible spoiler added to the match as well. It was probably the best match of the night.

Scurll jumped Ricochet at the bell, but Ricochet quickly came back and took him out with a Fosbury flop to the floor. He went to the top rope, but Scurll caught him with the chickenwing, only for Ricochet to escape.

Scurll worked over Ricochet with a couple of surfboards, but Ricochet bounced back with a 619 and a flying uppercut. Scurll landed a version of Adam Cole’s Last Shot, though Ricochet was able to kick out.

Ricochet fired back with some great kicks that took out Scurll. He went for a shooting star press, but Scurll got his knees up and landed a piledriver, then another one. He tried for a superkick, then Ricochet tagged him with one of his own.

He went for a reverse suplex, but Scurll transitioned around. Ricochet tried to roll him up into a bridge, but Scurll trapped him in the chickenwing and despite putting up a fight, Ricochet tapped out. That puts him out of the tournament, with the winner of the main event advancing to the finals.

Will Ospreay defeated Hiromu Takahashi

I don’t think this was a complete blow-away match, but this was still great with some crazy spots.

Ospreay started off hot, hitting a huge suicide dive and dropkicking Takahashi into a bunch of empty chairs in the crowd. Takahashi soon fired back with a sunset flip bomb to the floor.

Takahashi worked over Ospreay’s leg, but Ospreay fired back with a shooting star press and a corkscrew press for a near fall. They both countered their opponent’s finishing attempts, with Takahashi landing two German suplexes after Ospreay attempted the OsCutter.

Ospreay hit a shooting star press to the floor, then tried to follow with a Phoenix splash in the ring, but Takahashi got his knees up. Ospreay hit a Canadian Destroyer DDT and the imploding 450 splash — but Takahashi kicked out. The OsCutter then sent him to the tournament finals.

Ospreay cut a promo. He said two weeks ago when he beat Ricochet he said he would make it to the finals. The butterflies and nerves are gone, and while the Best of the Super Juniors is prestigious, he wants to make it even more so.

He is the champion of his block and he will challenge all comers. It doesn’t matter who the B Block champion is, he will become a back-to-back Best of the Super Juniors winner.

Tournament standings —

Block A ends with Will Ospreay earning ten points. Dragon Lee, Ricochet, Taichi, Hiromu Takahashi, and Marty Scurll finished with eight points. Taka Michinoku jumped up to four points, and Jushin Thunder Liger scored two points in his final Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

Everyone in Block B has six points heading into tomorrow. Whoever loses their matches on tomorrow’s show will be eliminated, and whoever wins will probably rely on tiebreakers to win their block.