20 entrants announced with four debuts
Best of the Super Junior 31 gets underway on May 11 in Chiba, with twenty of the world’s best junior heavyweights competing over a one month span. Those twenty will vie to wrestle in the biggest final of the modern era on June 9, as the BOSJ final will take place at Dominion from Osaka Jo Hall. Here are the 20 participants in this year’s tournament:
SHO (7th entry, 7th consecutive. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion at time of writing). Career PB: 6-3 (2020)
Controversial though he may be, SHO was IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion at the time of the BOSJ lineups being announced. The Murder Machine could well end up being the man everyone wants to chase in Best of the Super Jr. 31- could he do what the HOUSE OF TOTURE heavyweights could not during New Japan Cup and lift the trophy?
Hiromu Takahashi (9th entry, 5th consecutive. 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 winner)
The first ever threepeat winner of Best of the Super Junior, and the only four time winner of the trophy, Hiromu Takahashi has been on the back burner of 2024 thus far after losing his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom. An explosive 2023 had seen him in the forefront of junior wrestling worldwide, but a year removed from All Star Junior Festivals, what’s next for the Time Bomb?
KUSHIDA (11th entry, 2nd consecutive. 2015, 2017 winner)
After medical appraisals following an injury sustained at Sakura Genesis revealed a dislocated left shoulder and damaged labrum for YOH, an empty position was open for Best of the Super Jr. 31. In a video message released to social media, KUSHIDA declared his intention to join the lineup, something now officially confirmed.
KUSHIDA makes his 11th entry to the BOSJ field and his second consecutive appearance. The 2015 and 2017 tournament winner and six time former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion carries an incredible track record into this tournament, as well as a chip on his shoulder, shaky results in 2023 precluding his initial entry into the running. KUSHIDA will be out to prove a point in the tournament starting May 11, and to get right back into the singles title hunt.
Ryusuke Taguchi (21st entry, 19th consecutive. 2012 winner)
2012 Best of the Super Junior winner Ryusuke Taguchi has been tapping into his younger roots of late. Might he be able to turn the clock back to his prior glories in the division and make a run to the final for the first time since 2016, or the trophy for the first in 12 years?
El Desperado (8th entry, 5th conseuctive) Career PB: runner-up (2020, 2022)
Twice making the finals against eternal foe Hiromu Takahashi, El Desperado will be seeking to make third time the charm in 2024. Frozen out of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship scene after his countout loss to SHO back in February, Desperado has spent long enough on the sidelines of conversation, and is eager to get right back to the front.
Kevin Knight (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive) Career PB: 3-6 (2023)
The Jet Kevin Knight shifts away from his tag combination with KUSHIDA to have a solely singles focus in his second Best of the Super Jr. entry. After making a solid six point run in 2023, the LA Dojo graduate wants to make 2024 his year with a strong run in the tournament.
BUSHI (12th entry, 9th consecutive) Career PB: 6-3 (2019)
Eight years removed from his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship reign in 2016, BUSHI is one of the elder statesmen of this tournament, but still one who can compete just as effectively as contemporaries El Desperado and Taiji Ishimori. Often the bridesmaid, BUSHI carries a recent pinfall win over Hiromu Takahashi into this year’s BOSJ with hopes high.
Titan (5th entry, 3rd consecutive) Career PB: Runner-up (2023)
Rounding up the LIJ entrants in this year’s field, Titan shocked the world in 2023 by making the finals of the tournament in Ota and coming up just short of Master Wato in the hunt for the trophy last year. Can El Inmortal go one step better and leave with the BOSJ crown?
TJP (4th entry, 3rd consecutive) Career PB: 4-5 (2022, 2023)
In the midst of big changes within the United Empire, TJP vowed to take on a leading role within the group, as well as to compete in an openweight space. While his incredible abilities, moulded by an inhuman alter ego in the Aswang, are not in question, the doubts as to whether he can truly be in a leadership position, as well as bring heavyweight style power as well as junioor speed and technique, will only be answered with a career best performance in this year’s BOSJ.
Francesco Akira (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive) Career PB: 4-5 (2022, 2023)
Nobody walked out of February’s Dog Pound Cage match in Osaka between United Empire and the War Dogs the same, but if anybody walked away in a better position than when they came in, it was Francesco Akira. Finding a new aggression inside the steel, Akira will bring added fire into his third Best of the Super Junior. Will this be the year for him to carry the standard of junior heavyweight wrestling for United Empire and all of NJPW?
DOUKI (6th entry, 6th consecutive) Career PB: 3-6 (2022, 2023)
In his first BOSJ tournaments, DOUKI was notable for making slow but steady progress, getting one more win a year each time, before plateauing at six points in recent years. Japones Del Mal’s in ring fortitude has certainly come on leaps and bounds, but has not seen point payoffs of late. Yet, still relatively fresh off of doubtless the biggest singles win in his career to date over Hiromu Takahashi in Sapporo this February, and now in a position to become IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion at Satsuma no Kuni, DOUKI might be in his strongest position to make a major splash since his 2019 debut.
Robbie Eagles (6th entry, 6th consecutive) career PB: 5-4 (2019, 2022, 2023)
Consistently with a winning record in league competition, but unable to make the big push to the final stage to date, Robbie Eagles is always a threat in BOSJ. In his sixth straight tournament, and with more than enough championship experience under his belt, could this be the year that the Sniper takes his shot?
Taiji Ishimori (8th entry, 7th consecutive) Career PB: runner-up (2018)
Almost always in the mix when the league phase of Best of the Super Jr. hits crunch time, Taiji Ishimori hasn’t challenged for junior heavyweight gold since November of 2023, and feels like he’s been out of sight and mind for too long. With his 2023 campaign cut short right near the end with a neck injury, the Bone Soldier is hungry to make up for a lost year in 2024.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru (7th entry, 4th consecutive) Career PB: 4-3 (2017)
Heel Master Yoshinobu Kanemaru enters his first Best of the Super Jr. as a member of HOUSE OF TORTURE in 2024. While only ever getting a positive win record once in his career, Kanemaru has been a trap game every night every year, and with two IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship challenges in the last 12 months, is feeling a resurgence in confidence as a singles competitor. Could he playt the ultimate spoiler to benefit SHO…or himself?
Clark Connors (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive) IWGP Junior Heravyweight Tag Champion at time of writing Career PB:4-5 (2022, 2023)
After eight point finishes in his first two Best of the Super Jr., Clark Connors heads into his third with the benefit of championship experience, albeit in the tag team ranks. Now one year removed from joining David Finlay’s BULLET CLUB, Connors is comofrtable, confident, and ready for a career best run this May.
Drilla Moloney (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive) IWGP Junior Heravyweight Tag Champion at time of writing Career PB:4-5 (2023)
Drilla Moloney made his BOSJ debut last year as a member of the United Empire, but it was in a wild brawl in Osaka against Clark Connors that he found a kindred spirit, and where BULLET CLUB found a dangerous and imposing junior bruiser. Now, it’s a very different Drilla taking on the field in 2024, and the heaviest and hardest hitting man in the tournament is a threat to everyone.
Kosei Fujita (debut entry)
TMDK’s youngest punk brings his world tour to Best of the Super Jr this year for his debut entry. After impressing in Super Jr. Tag League competition, Fujita is all upside going into this tournament- could he make a run out of the league stage on his first try?
Blake Christian (debut entry)
It’s a long awaited Best of the Super Jr. debut for Blake Christian, who will be representing ROH in the tournament this year. One of the standout stars of the early days of NJPW STRONG, Christian has long been floated as a potential BOSJ entrant with limitless potential. Yet it’s now, after an attitude shift from his All Heart youth to All Heat maturity, that he finally hits the BOSJ stage. How far will this debutant go?
Ninja Mack (debut entry)
Ninja Mack attacks Best of the Super Jr. flying the emerald green of NOAH. A former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion and the current holder of the GHC Hardcore title, Mack’s unpredictable high flying offense is sure to cause issues for anybody opposite him as he seeks to make waves in his debut entry.
HAYATA (debut entry)
Five times a GHC champion in both singles and tag ranks, HAYATA is NOAH’s other representative in the tournament this year. His championship resume impressive in his home promotion, will HAYATA prove just as successful when green meets blue in BOSJ this year?
