NJPW Best of the Super Juniors night 12 results: Ospreay vs. DOUKI

One match will decide the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors B Block winner. 

Will Ospreay and Ryusuke Taguchi earned their sixth wins of this year’s tournament today in Osaka, assuring that their match on Monday (June 3) will have a spot in the final at stake. 

Both will be gunning for a chance to win BOSJ for the second time. Ospreay won the tournament in 2016, while Taguchi claimed victory in 2012. 

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

TITAN, JONATHAN GRESHAM & TOA HENARE DEFEATED SHO, TIGER MASK IV & YOTA TSUJI

The bulk of the match was spent working over Titan, who may have a legitimate knee injury. SHO and Gresham had an intense striking exchange, which the crowd loved. SHO went for a cross-armed piledriver, but Gresham got the octopus applied. SHO broke the hold. 

Henare and Tsuji exchanged tackles. Tsuji hit a dropkick and a powerslam. The match broke down. Tiger hit a Tiger Driver, and the ring cleared, again leaving Henare and Tsuji. Henare hit a lariat for a near fall, then a massive headbutt. He followed with a uranage for the pin. A good opener, with good crowd response. 

TAICHI & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU DEFEATED TOMOHIRO ISHII & SHOTA UMINO

Suzuki-gun did not use an attack before the bell. Rather, as soon as the bell rang, Taichi jumped in for an illegal double team on Umino. Taichi beat Umino around ringside and dragged him into the crowd. 

Kanemaru and Taichi cut the ring in half, working over Umino. Umino finally hit a dropkick, then tagged Ishii. Ishii kicked out of a buzzsaw kick from Taichi, but fell to an enzuigiri. After a double down, Kanemaru and Umino got tags. 

Umino missed a dropkick, but connected with a vertical suplex. Umino used an armbar, but Taichi jumped in to break the hold. Ishii came in for the save, but got sent outside by Taichi. 

Umino hit a dropkick, sending Taichi to the floor. Kanemaru hit a dropkick, then used an inverted DDT for a near fall. Kanemaru hit Deep Impact and got the pin. 

After the bell, Taichi used a camera cable to choke Ishii, and put him in the stretch plum on the floor. Those two will face off for the NEVER Openweight title at Dominion on June 9. Taichi started to cut a promo on Ishii, but Ishii chased him from the ring with a chair. 

The post-match was effective, but the match itself was just sort of there. 

JUICE ROBINSON & DRAGON LEE DEFEATED MARTY SCURLL & BRODY KING 

Scurll and King worked over Dragon, focusing on his right arm. Dragon made a comeback, hitting Scurll with a knee strike, a thrust kick, and an STO. Juice and King got tags and exchanged chops. King hit a flying headscissors, then a cannonball as Juice was kneeling against the ropes. 

Juice went for Pulp Friction, but King countered with a Bossman Slam. Scurll and Dragon brawled to the floor, while Juice hit the Left Hand of God twice. He followed with Pulp Friction for the pin. Good work from all involved, but they didn’t get a lot of time. 

SHINGO TAKAGI & TETSUYA NAITO DEFEATED TAIJI ISHIMORI & GEDO

Ishimori and Shingo started off, ahead of their big match tomorrow. Ishimori showed off his speed, while Shingo countered with his power. Naito got a tag and things quickly devolved into a brawl around ringside. Ishimori posted Shingo, while Gedo did the same to Naito. 

Back inside, Ishimori and Gedo worked over Naito. They used a series of eye rakes and closed fists. Naito made his own comeback, hitting a hip toss and a dropkick to Ishimori. Shingo got a tag, then landed a vertical suplex for a near fall. 

Shingo and Ishimori exchanged strikes. Shingo blocked a handspring kick. Ishimori blocked a Last of the Dragon attempt and ducked a Pumping Bomber, before hitting a handspring kick. 

Naito and Gedo got tags, and Naito hit some trademark spots. Gedo and Ishimori used an illegal double team to regain the advantage. Naito ducked a brass knuckles shot from Gedo, while Shingo hit a DVD on Ishimori. 

With Ishimori taken out, Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber on Gedo, and Naito picked up the pin. This was all action, and a very good undercard tag match. 

B BLOCK MATCH: YOH DEFEATED REN NARITA

Narita held his own in the opening mat wrestling sequence. After another exchange of holds on the mat, Narita scored a knockdown with a shoulder tackle. YOH countered by attacking Narita’s right leg, softening it up for the Calf Crusher. 

Narita fired off some palm strikes, but YOH went back to the leg, using kicks and a kneebar. Narita landed a dropkick, then hit a forearm strike for another knockdown. Narita hit a vertical suplex for a near fall. 

Narita went for a belly-to-belly, but YOH blocked it. YOH went for a dragon screw, but Narita fought it off. YOH hit a flying forearm, then a dragon screw. YOH went for the Calf Crusher, but Narita cradled him for a near fall. 

Narita blocked a falcon arrow, then rolled out of a Calf Crusher, and used his Narita Special leg lace. After a fight, YOH reached the ropes. YOH hit a superkick, then hit the falcon arrow for a near fall. He followed up with a dragon suplex attempt, but Narita blocked it. 

They traded cradles, and Narita used a backslide for a near fall. Narita hit a belly-to-belly, but could not get the bridge. He followed with a bridging German for an awesome near fall. Narita went for another belly-to-belly, but YOH rolled through to the Calf Crusher for the submission. 

YOH offered a handshake after the match, and Narita slapped his hand. A good match with some awesome near falls. 

B BLOCK MATCH: BANDIDO DEFEATED ROBBIE EAGLES

They stormed out of the gate, trading dropkick attempts and backflips. Bandido hit a dropkick, but Eagles countered with a suicide dive. They continued to fight on the floor, where Eagles hit a backdrop on the ramp. They teased a countout, but Bandido made it back in at 19. 

Bandido avoided a 450 attempt, then hit a tornillo. Bandido hit a jumping knee strike, but Eagles quickly countered with a series of kicks. Bandido hit a pop-up cutter, an inverted suplex, and used a shining wizard for a near fall. 

Eagles slipped going for a springboard dropkick, but still connected with it. He rolled into the Miller Special, but Bandido reached the ropes. Eagles hit a DDT for a near fall. Eagles teased Turbo Backpack, but Bandido slipped out. Eagles hit a series of kicks, but Bandido countered with a snap suplex for a near fall. 

Bandido hit a GTS. He went for the 21 Plex, but Eagles reversed into a poison rana for a close near fall. Eagles went for a 450, but Bandido got his knees up, and used a cradle for a two count. Eagles hit a thrust kick to retain the advantage. 

They exchanged kicks. Eagles went for Sliced Bread, but Bandido cut him off. They fought on the top rope, and Bandido hit an avalanche moonsault slam for the pin. Awesome match. 

B BLOCK MATCH: BUSHI DEFEATED ROCKY ROMERO

Rocky entered wearing his Black Tiger mask. He spit mist in BUSHI’s eyes, but BUSHI countered the sneak attack with a suicide dive. BUSHI choked Rocky with his t-shirt, then went after the left leg. Rocky went after BUSHI’s left arm, snapping it over the top rope. 

Rocky used an arm wringer, then hit a series of chops. He hit a flying headscissors, then a knee strike to the arm off the middle rope. Rocky sent BUSHI into the corner, but sold his leg, and could not hit forever clotheslines. 

Rocky hit a double stomp to BUSHI’s back as he was draped over the ropes. BUSHI hit an Eat Defeat, then a missile dropkick. They exchanged chops, then traded rewind kicks. After an exchange of strikes, BUSHI hit a dropkick, then a DDT on the apron. 

BUSHI went for a neckbreaker, but Rocky countered with a knee strike. Rocky hit a falcon arrow into a cross armbreaker, but BUSHI bit Rocky’s leg, forcing him to give up the hold. Rocky hit a series of kicks to the left arm. He went for Sliced Bread, but his knee buckled on the landing. 

BUSHI hit a codebreaker in the ropes for a near fall. He then hit the MX to pick up the win. A technically sound match, and they told a good story. 

B BLOCK MATCH: WILL OSPREAY DEFEATED DOUKI

DOUKI swung a pipe at Ospreay before the opening bell, but Ospreay ducked it. Ospreay hit a plancha. Taichi provided a distraction from the commentary table. DOUKI tried another sneak attack, but Ospreay whipped him into the crowd, then launched himself at Taichi over the commentary table. 

In the ring, Ospreay went for a diving attack, but DOUKI ducked and Ospreay spilled outside. DOUKI hit a seated senton off the post to the floor. DOUKI took the referee, allowing Taichi to hit Ospreay with a chair. Ospreay beat the count back inside at 15. 

DOUKI hit a double stomp and picked up a two count. DOUKI used a body triangle over Ospreay’s arms, then rolled to a cradle for a near fall. Ospreay hit a handspring kick, then a kick to the body. Ospreay hit a dropkick in the corner, then a standing Shooting Star Press for a two count. 

Ospreay hit a 619. He went for a second Shooting Star, but DOUKI caught him in a triangle choke. Ospreay made the ropes, forcing a break. DOUKI hit a northern lights suplex for a near fall. He went for Suplex de la Luna, but Ospreay escaped and trapped him in a cradle for a near fall. They traded strikes, into a double down. 

DOUKI was first up and landed a series of strikes. Ospreay made it to his feet, and they continued to trade. Ospreay ended the sequence with a kick. Ospreay hit Pip Pip Cheerio. He went for a Storm Breaker, but DOUKI blocked it, then used a backslide for a two count. 

DOUKI teased a springboard DDT, but Ospreay caught him with a kick. Ospreay hit a Shooting Star Press as DOUKI was draped over the ropes, picking up a near fall. Ospreay hit a hook kick. DOUKI hit a snap rana, then pulled Ospreay into a pin, getting a two count. 

Ospreay hit a powerbomb for a two count. DOUKI made a cover, but pulled Ospreay up. He went for Suplex de la Luna, but Ospreay countered. Taichi jumped on the apron and took the ref. He slid DOUKI a pipe. DOUKI hit Ospreay with the pipe for a near fall. 

Ospreay hit the Hidden Blade, then used the Storm Breaker for the pin. This was just another day at the office for Ospreay, but he probably gave DOUKI the best match of his life. 

B BLOCK MATCH: RYUSUKE TAGUCHI DEFEATED EL PHANTASMO

ELP punted Taguchi’s rugby ball towards the stage before the opening bell. Taguchi quickly got an ankle lock applied, but ELP reached the ropes. ELP grabbed a headscissors on the mat, but Taguchi used a handstand to escape. Taguchi used a headscissors, and ELP used a handstand to escape. 

They did a rope-running comedy spot, ending with Taguchi collapsing from exhaustion. ELP did his ropewalk spot, into a flying headscissors for a near fall. ELP hit a series of hip attacks, mocking Taguchi. Taguchi used a roll-up for a quick two count. 

Taguchi tried to do the rope-walk spot, but ended up crotched on the top rope. Taguchi rolled to the floor, and ELP hit knee strikes to the groin. ELP tied Taguchi to the tree of woe and continued his assault on Taguchi’s personal area. 

Taguchi tried for a hip attack, but ELP hit an atomic drop. They repeated the spot, and ELP spanked Taguchi. Taguchi hit a hip attack, then a series of hip attacks in the ropes. Taguchi landed a springboard hip attack for a two count. 

Taguchi went for Three Amigos, but ended up trading rolling suplexes with ELP. They each hit two, before Taguchi hit the third amigo. Taguchi sent ELP to the floor with a hip attack, then hit a tope con hilo. 

On the floor, ELP posted Taguchi. He went to the top, then landed a moonsault off the post to the floor. ELP sold his left leg on the landing. Robbie Eagles came to ringside under the guise of checking on ELP. ELP was not pleased that Eagles showed up. 

Back in the ring, Taguchi hit a hip attack and picked up a near fall. Taguchi went for Dodon, but Eagles grabbed the referee and hit a low blow. ELP used an airplane spin, then got a two count. ELP went for a frog splash, still selling his leg. He missed, and Taguchi grabbed an ankle lock. ELP immediately rolled to the ropes. 

Taguchi hit a Bomaye, but ELP kicked out at two. Taguchi hit Dodon onto his knees, but ELP again kicked out. Taguchi went to the top rope, but ELP cut him off. ELP went for an enzuigiri on the top, but Taguchi caught his leg and got the ankle lock. ELP rolled through into a cradle for a two count. 

Taguchi again got the ankle lock, then pulled ELP up into a suplex for a two count. Taguchi hit Dodon for a near fall, then pulled ELP into the ankle lock. ELP tapped out. A fun main event, but not as good as the semifinal. 

B BLOCK STANDINGS

  • Ryusuke Taguchi: 12
  • Will Ospreay: 12
  • El Phantasmo: 10 (Out of contention)
  • Robbie Eagles: 10 (Out of contention)
  • BUSHI: 10 (Out of contention)
  • YOH: 10 (Out of contention)
  • Bandido: 8 (Out of contention)
  • Rocky Romero: 6 (Out of contention)
  • DOUKI: 2 (Out of contention)
  • Ren Narita: 0 (Out of contention)

A BLOCK STANDINGS

  • Shingo Takagi: 16
  • Taiji Ishimori: 14
  • Dragon Lee: 12 (Out of contention)
  • Marty Scurll: 10 (Out of contention)
  • Jonathan Gresham: 8 (Out of contention)
  • SHO: 8 (Out of contention)
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru: 4 (Out of contention)
  • Tiger Mask: 4 (Out of contention)
  • Titan: 4 (Out of contention)
  • TAKA Michinoku: 0 (Out of contention)