Aomori brings pre-penultimate block action
Night seven for the Best of the Super Jr. blocks sees action hit Aomori on May 19. Now with the sands of time running thin, some participants are already eliminated, and more will be on the edge of the bubble tonight.
Watch all of Best of the Super Jr. 30 live in English on NJPW World!
Main event: A Block- Hiromu Takahashi (4-2) vs TJP (4-2)
In what should be a gripping main event in Aomori, Hiromu Takahashi faces TJP. Considering his status as back to back to back trophy holder, Hiromu has somewhat surprisingly been away from the very top in A Block for the tournament to date, but his four wins have put him firmly in the mix. Also at 4-2, TJP is also very much in the final four hunt, but with just two matches remaining after tonight, the heat is on for both men to pick up a win.
9th Match: El Desperado (4-2) vs Dan Moloney (2-4)
Moloney needs to win
With United Empire snapping up both main event spots in their respective blocks, El Desperado takes on Dan Moloney tonight. The powerful Moloney enters the final third of his campaign at just four points, and though his odds are long at making the final four, he will not want to give in just yet, nor pass up the chance of a signature victory over pre-tournament favourite Desperado. At eight points after his wild victory over Clark Connors in Iwate, El Desperado is in strong shape with three matches left, and can’t afford to give up two points to the Drilla tonight.
8th Match: A Block- Mike Bailey (5-1) vs Taiji Ishimori (4-2)
Singles record: 1-0 Ishimori
Another match that is sure to light up the crowd in Iwate sees two competitors in the very top mix of A Block at ten and eight points collide. Taiji Ishimori and Mike Bailey have in fact faced off once before back in 2017, over the IMPACT X Division Championship in Ariake. It was Ishimori with his hand raised then; five and a half years on, will Bailey get his win back in the same way he avenged an old loss to Hiromu Takahashi to kick off his campaign?
7th Match: B Block- YOH (4-2) vs BUSHI (1-5)
Singles record: 3-1 BUSHI
BUSHI is mathematically eliminated
BUSHI has had a torrid BOSJ 30 campaign, his 0-5 a career worst opening stretch that saw him reach mathematical elimination in short order, even after scoring his first points Thursday. All but playing for pride, BUSHI wants to at least finish strong, and could spoil his last three opponents at a critical juncture. That starts with the 4 2 YOH, who BUSHI has beaten in the last three of their singles encounters. Should BUSHI get a fourth win over YOH it could certainly derail hopes of a Direct Drive to the final four.
6th Match: KUSHIDA (1-5) vs Lio Rush (4-2)
Singles record: 1-0 KUSHIDA
KUSHIDA is mathematically eliminated
Some six weeks removed from a meeting in Globe Theater at Multiverse United, Lio Rush looks to avenge a loss that night in LA by putting himself at 5-2 in BOSJ30. KUSHIDA was riding a wave of momentum in the States in the early spring, but has struggled to put things together, everything going wrong despite impressive performances. After exploding out of the gates, Rush’s incredible 4-0 start was stalled by DOUKI in Sendai this week, and after a second loss to Titan in Iwate, Rush has to get back on track and get a win back over KUSHIDA in the process.
5th Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru (2-4) vs Francesco Akira (4-2)
Singles record: 1-0 Akira
Kanemaru must win
One year almost to the day since Francesco Akira scored two points over Yoshinobu Kanemaru in last year’s tournament, the Nova Fireball is hoping for the same result in Aomori. At 4-2, two points can keep him at the joint top of the table with just two bouts left. The Heel Master is sure to look at taking away the Fireball knee of Akira, but will the Italian have other tricks up his sleeve enough to score the win?
4th Match: A Block- Titan (4-2) vs SHO (2-4)
Singles record: 1-0 SHO
Way back in 2019, SHO’s one singles meeting with Titan during Best of the Super Jr. 26 saw him victorious. It was a very different SHO that night to the one that has been terrorising rings in HOUSE OF TORTURE since the summer of 2021; a much more devious SHO, but also a much less successful one. As the Murder Machine nears the end of another dismal tournament, will Titan remind SHO of the man he once competed with in a show stealer four years ago?
3rd Match: B Block- Kevin Knight (3-3) vs Robbie Eagles (4-2)
With a trio of impressive wins in this tournament, Kevin Knight has nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to his debut Best of the Super Jr. attempt. Yet there are steps the Jet can take to bring his run from highly respectable to spectacular, one such step being to put away a block leader in Robbie Eagles. Knight’s first win in this campaign was at the expense of a technically gifted Heel Master Kanemaru who tried to take away the flying base of the Jet. Eagles is well known for the very same offensive gameplan; will it lead to the same result for Knight?
2nd Match: A Block- Ryusuke Taguchi (0-6) vs DOUKI (2-4)
ingles record: 3-0 Taguchi
Taguchi is mathematically eliminated
DOUKI must win
Ryusuke Taguchi’s Best of the Super Jr. 30 has been all but cursed. A 0-6 record has seen him the first to be mathematically eliminated, and despite his best efforts to bring ‘big match Taguch’ the results have been nothing short of abysmal. Yet if there’s hope for Taguchi victories yet, one may come against DOUKI. Japones Del Mal has faced his own curse with the Coach in recent years, never having been able to put Taguchi away. Is this the night for him to break the curse and heap more mud on Taguchi’s BOSJ, or might the Coach finally fire back and show there’s life in the veteran yet?
1st Match: B Block- Master Wato (4-2) vs Clark Connors (3-3)
B Block action will kick us off on Friday night when Master Wato takes on Clark Connors. At eight and six points respectively, both men are still in the hunt, but as time wears thin, moves have to be made from the opening bell tonight. Who gets another vital two points?
