Series heads to Nagano
Night two of Best of the Super Jr. 30 sees the tour head up to the Olympic city of Nagano. After the Korakuen Hall opener, ten more league matches hit the home of the 1998 winter games.
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Main event- B Block: YOH (0-1) vs Master Wato (1-0 )
Singles record: 1-0 YOH
B Block headlines in Nagano as YOH goes up against Master Wato. Their only singles match post excursion being in 2021’s tournament, YOH can count his win over Wato that November 2021 night as a key part of the build to what would eventually be a spot in the finals. Some 18 months on and after a loss for YOH and win for Wato in their opening matches, who leaves with the two points tonight?
9th Match- A Block: Hiromu Takahashi (0-1) vs DOUKI (1-0)
Singles record: 3-0 Takahashi
Hiromu Takahashi and DOUKI is the night’s A Block headliner. A similar go for broke mentality with little regard for personal safety links DOUKI and Hiromu across three thrilling encounters. In all three to date though, it has been Hiromu victorious, even when DOUKI nearly memorably broke his arm in a bid to go all out in the face of the Time Bomb in 2021. DOUKI will look to get his first win over Hiromu tonight and his second of the tournament while Takahashi, down to Mike Bailey on night one, seeks a rebound victory.
8th Match: B Block- El Desperado (0-1) vs BUSHI (0-1)
Singles record: 3-3
A battle of the B Block masked men pits El Desperado against BUSHI. The even 3-3 record between the two men belies the fact that two of BUSHI’s three victories were obtained as a result of Desperado getting himself disqualified, but if Desperado had dominated the conversation when it came to BUSHI, last year saw a sea change. BUSHI would pin Desperado for the first time, and with recency bias a very real factor in pro-wrestling, it’s fair to say their respective momentum is just about even heading into this one. After both lost in Korakuen, who comes out with the recency bias in their favour and their first two points?
7th Match: A Block- Titan (1-0) vs Taiji Ishimori (1-0)
Singles record: 1-0 Ishimori
The first singles meeting for Titan and Taiji Ishimori since 2019 should see a high paced affair. After Titan bested TJP in Korakuen and Ishimori scored a quick submission against Ryusuke Taguchi for both to sit at two points apiece, who can continue their campaign strong?
6th Match: B Block- Kevin Knight (0-1) vs Francesco Akira (0-1)
A first time singles matchup pits two of the tournament’s most explosive young prospects against one another with a personal edge. After Kevin Knight and KUSHIDA ended Catch 2/2’s phenomenal run with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag team Championships, Akira is hungry for revenge on behalf of his team. A win could earn he and TJP a rematch should the pair want it; in the meantime, the two points at stake will be ample reward unto itself; the question is after Clark Connors steel chair assault in Korakuen whether Kevin Knight is in a fit state to compete.
5th Match: A Block- SHO (0-1) vs Mike Bailey (1-0)
After his opening bout against Hiromu Takahashi, Mike Bailey couldn’t ask for more of a polar opposite opponent for his second with SHO. The Murder machine’s devious ways are a far cry from Hiromu’s straight ahead approach, and Bailey will need to have his head on a swivel for a barrage of illegal tactics that are sure to follow. The question is whether Speedball can leave undefeated, or whether SHO will move to his first two points.
4th Match- B Block: Robbie Eagles (1-0) vs Clark Connors (1-0)
Singles record: 1-0 Eagles
Robbie Eagles and Clark Connors’ first singles meeting was back in 2019’s Super J-Cup; an environment where Eagles swept to competitive but convincing victory over a Young Lion Connors. It’s a very different prospect that greets the Sniper tonight however. Both men have shown new potential finishes in this year’s tournament, as Eagles’ Trigger knee strike competes with Connors’ No Chaser. Can Connors take down Eagles for two more points tonight, or do they belong to TMDK?
3rd Match: A Block- Ryusuke Taguchi (0-1) vs Lio Rush (1-0)
Friday night in Korakuen, Ryusuke Taguchi started strong with a no nonsense approach against Taiji Ishimori, but lost to a quick submission. Meanwhile Lio Rush dealt with plenty of nonsense in the face of SHO’s typical tricks, coming away with his first two points by defusing EVIL interference. Things should, in theory be on the up and up between the two tonight, but with Taguchi’s penchant for thinking outside the box, if not outside his pants, there could be some atypical hurdles designed to slow Rush down in this A Block contest.
2nd Match: B Block- Yoshinobu Kanemaru (1-0) vs Dan Moloney (1-0)
It was an impressive debut for Dan Moloney Friday in Korakuen Hall, with a win against BUSHI putting him at two points. Tonight, he looks to double up against Yoshinobu Kanemaru, but with the Heel Master’s considerable experience, that will be a difficult task. Moloney has admitted that he is more than willing to get his hands dirty in the ring; can he put away ‘Uncle ‘Nobu’?
1st Match: A Block- KUSHIDA (0-1) vs TJP (0-1)
Two of the most technical entrants into this year’s tournament, KUSHIDA and TJP meet for incredibly the first time in singles competition. This could be a dream match for many and would justifiably be in the main event, but will instead set a blazing pace in Nagano to start a big night of action. Who gets on the board in Nagano?
