Watch: NJPW World
After a good but tepid opening night time, Better of the Tremendous Juniors 31 rolls into Korakuen Corridor with one other smorgasbord of ten straight event matches. Will it fare higher than night time one? Will a match break the (subjective) four-star barrier? Will Daft Punk ever reunite? All of those questions might be answered!*
*Not all of those questions might be answered.
A Block – Blake Christian (4) def. Kevin Knight (2)
This was a a lot better exhibiting for Christian than night time one, each when it comes to transfer execution and since he was up in opposition to a babyface in Knight. He’s nonetheless not getting a lot of a crowd response (a symptom of this being his second time in entrance of a Japanese NJPW crowd ever, so I’ll minimize him just a little slack in that division) and his heel schtick wants extra work, however a minimum of this time the Fosbury Flop into the Last Minimize went off with no hitch. After an important exhibiting in opposition to TJP, Knight took it simpler, although he nonetheless hit a springboard plancha that regarded like he would possibly launch into the seventh row. With each guys on the apron, Christian kicked the center rope into Knight’s balls (his jet engines, if you’ll), hit the Step Up Stomp, then pinned Knight with a springboard 450 splash. A stable opener to get us began. ***
.@_BlakeChristian “Fosbury Flop → Last Minimize”
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— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) Might 13, 2024
B Block – Ninja Mack (4) def. Francesco Akira (2)
It’s not daily you see Akira dominate somebody smaller than him, however Ninja Mack is on the tinier facet, so it made for a novel visible. Akira attacked and stayed on Mack proper out of the gate, laying his strikes in. Essentially the most dazzling spotlight of the match was Akira going for an avalanche hurricanarana and Mack touchdown on his toes a la Will Ospreay (besides a lot smaller and dressed like a ninja). There was additionally a cool sequence the place Akira flipped Mack over his shoulders from a backslide place and instantly hit Speedfire. Akira went for the Fireball, however he ate a superkick, Shiranui, and at last the Ninja Bomb (a Phoenix 630 splash) to offer Mack the win. A enjoyable match with a dynamic we don’t usually see in Akira matches. Again the Mack, he’s on a roll! ***1/4
.@NinjaMack1 “🥷”
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— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) Might 13, 2024
A Block – Clark Connors (2) def. HAYATA (2)
The primary a part of this was a brawl across the ring, with HAYATA throwing Connors into some chairs and even slamming a hapless Younger Lion on high of him. Then we bought the precise wrestling portion of the match, with HAYATA once more dominating for a lot of it till Connors hit the Jeep Flip and a spear. Connors reversed a 403 Impression with a headbutt and No Chaser for the win and his first two factors. Though this was solely within the “first rate, but forgettable” territory, I nonetheless loved it greater than each guys’ matches on night time one. **¾
B Block – Robbie Eagles (2) def. Drilla Moloney (0)
The upside of all-tournament-match exhibits like these is that they have an inclination to go by rapidly, particularly the undercard matches which usually vary between 5-10 minutes. The draw back is that matches that look good on paper, like this one, get shortchanged on time and don’t get the possibility to hit that subsequent gear. It’s what it’s. Regardless, each guys put in a very good exhibiting. I hoped we might get a callback to the sick as hell end of their match from final 12 months’s BOSJ: Moloney stopping an Asai DDT in mid-air and transitioning it into the Drilla Killa. Fortunately, they didn’t disappoint me and teased it once more, besides this time, Eagles countered it right into a rana nearfall. Moloney additionally did a cool one-armed powerbomb out of a college boy. In the long run, Moloney went for an additional Drilla Killa, however Eagles sundown flipped over into the Ron Miller Particular for the submission win. Afterwards he picked up the IWGP Jr. Tag Staff Title, hinting at a future title shot. ***
Drilla Moloney “💪💪💪”
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— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) Might 13, 2024
A Block – Yoshinobu Kanemaru (2) def. TJP (0)
At any time when I see TJP’s black United Empire flag, it makes me suppose the secure must be known as The Black Parade, however Gerard Manner won’t approve. Should you blinked throughout this match, you most likely missed it. After a ref bump 90 seconds in, TJP went for the Ohtani boot wash and bought blinded by the Suntory shock. The Aswang, sensing hazard from deep throughout the bowels of TJP’s chassis, instinctively spat out crimson mist however his human vessel couldn’t see, so it missed its goal. Kanemaru rolled up TJP with the Samson Clutch for the win in a shade over two minutes. The Aswang is not going to be happy with this shedding streak. N/R
B Block – Taiji Ishimori (4) def. Dragon Dia (0)
Ishimori hit Dia together with his skateboard and mockingly yelled “Dragon Dia” like his theme track, which popped me. Very similar to Dia’s first match, he didn’t get loads of time to showcase with Ishimori in management. Stephen A. Smith voice BUT! When he finally did get on offense, he maximized his minutes. He hit an Asai moonsault to the skin. He tripped Ishimori together with his thighs (?!) then hit a springboard corkscrew splash. He hit the Vampire Headscissors, which was Okay-ness’ outdated transfer the place he does a headscissors takedown off the highest rope. There was a casadora driver the place Ishimori bought spiked proper on his head. It was like this little peak inside a doorway (some would possibly even name it a gate) the place we bought to see Dia strut his stuff, however just a bit bit earlier than Ishimori closed it shut. Dia went for the Reptilian, however Ishimori countered with the World Liner (!) for a really shut nearfall. A ref bump, a pop-up low blow, and a Bloody Cross sealed the deal for Ishimori. For what this was, it was essentially the most satisfying match on the present for me to this point as a result of Dia’s little run of offense was so eye-catching. I’m certain Dia didn’t take pleasure in it, particularly when Ishimori hit him with the skateboard once more after the match. Possibly Ishimori continues to be bitter in regards to the Sailor Boys gimmick from his Toryumon X days. ***1/4
.@dragondia “619 → Asai Moonsault”
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— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) Might 13, 2024
A Block – Titán (4) def. BUSHI (0)
The battle of LIJ stablemates wasn’t a lot to write down residence about. The spotlight was Titán diving off the staircase overhang within the alley of the stands. It wasn’t as loopy because the dive he did on Desperado ultimately 12 months’s semifinals, nevertheless it’ll do. After that, they mainly went by means of the motions, which is the baseline for a BUSHI match. I’ll level on the market was a uncommon misstep from Titán when he went for his signature twister DDT, his foot slipping by means of the ropes. He bought it on the second strive although. Titán put BUSHI away with the straight jacket Llave Inmortal, so it seems to be like that’ll be his new twist on the transfer going ahead. **½
B Block – KUSHIDA (4) def. SHO (2)
SHO bought on the mic beforehand and stated KUSHIDA was solely right here as a result of he put YOH on the shelf, so he ought to let him win by forfeit. He then accused KUSHIDA of being scared to face him, and if there’s one factor you don’t do to somebody dressed like Marty McFly, it’s name them hen. KUSHIDA attacked SHO, and very similar to the Hiromu match he was just a little feistier than regular. Possibly it was due to SHO’s taunting or perhaps this might be how he’s the entire event, we’ll see. When these two wrestled within the 2018 BOSJ, they’d what amounted to a RINGS match. We didn’t get that right here. We nonetheless bought submission work with each males working over the opposite’s arm. We additionally bought Yujiro hitting KUSHIDA with a reverse DDT on the skin and SHO hitting KUSHIDA’s elbow with a chair. I don’t suppose Volk Han ever used these ways. KUSHIDA saved one-upping SHO within the submission sport, first countering a double wrist lock right into a cross armbreaker, then countering a spear into one other cross armbreaker. He offered it like he couldn’t get the complete grip together with his injured arm, which was a neat contact. Yujiro hit KUSHIDA with the pimp cane for a nearfall, SHO distracted the ref to carry Yujiro in however he ate a Masahiro Tanaka punch, just for SHO to low blow KUSHIDA. SHO went for the Shock Arrow, however KUSHIDA slipped out and rolled up SHO with a straight jacket jackknife maintain for the win. SHO and Yujiro beat on KUSHIDA after the bell till Kevin Knight ran them off. Usually I react to Home of Torture bullshit just like the Ludovico Method, however because it wasn’t that lengthy and the gang responded nicely to the interference, I’ll be beneficiant. We’ll see how I really feel after a number of extra weeks. KUSHIDA begins off his event at 2-0. In the event that they do a “one final run” story with him all the way in which to the finals, I wouldn’t thoughts it as a result of he can nonetheless go. ***
A Block – El Desperado (2) def. Kosei Fujita (2)
The lone spotlight of this match was a toddler yelling Desperado’s title and the gang applauding. (Okay it wasn’t actually the lone spotlight, nevertheless it was fairly cute.) In all seriousness, this match dominated. What separated it from the 18 earlier event matches to this point was A) it had the most popular crowd reactions, and B) the depth. You could possibly really feel the animosity simmering because the opening catch wrestling salvo devolved into each guys wrenching on the opposite’s leg in simultaneous knee bars, not letting go at the same time as they rolled out of the ring and virtually bought counted out with the submissions nonetheless on. Desperado locked in Numero Dos on the ground early on and focused Fujita’s knee like a surgeon. That continued the story from night time one the place it was Kanemaru attacking Fujita’s knee. Desperado went for an additional Numero Dos, however this time Fujita took a web page out of his TMDK stablemate (and Despy’s former Suzukigun stablemate) Zack Sabre Jr.’s playbook, countering it into Clarky Cat. The Japanese commentary crew picked up on it, I picked up on it, and the gang certain picked it up on it as a result of they made loads of noise throughout this spot. That noise bought louder as Fujita tried to lock in Orienteering with Napalm Demise, just for Despy to succeed in the ropes. Fujita bought a nearfall with a bridging German suplex after which went for Abandon Hope, just for Desperado to knock his block off with a forearm that gave the impression of a gunshot. Each males weary, Fujita blocked Pinche Loco and tried to go for an additional submission, however Despy maneuvered into Numero Dos. As the gang loudly chanted “Fujita! Fujita!” Despy totally locked within the submission and Fujita gave up. This was the primary nice match of the event that individuals ought to search out. Should you simply parachute in, you’ll take pleasure in it, but when the ZSJ-Despy-Fujita connections, it is going to add some good backstory to it as nicely. ****¼
.@njpw_Fujita “Submission”
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— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) Might 13, 2024
B Block – DOUKI (2) def. Hiromu Takahashi (0)
The DOUKI chants overwhelmed the Hiromu chants when the bell rang. He’s a preferred man, that DOUKster. Whereas this wasn’t the wildest match these two have had—the 2021 match the place DOUKI almost broke his arm on a guardrail doing a DOUKI Bomb involves thoughts—they nonetheless put their paces in to make it an thrilling fundamental occasion. Early on they did the “each guys do a working crossbody on the similar time” spot, besides it was within the stands. They each almost bought counted out after that. Down the again half it was go go go, with each hitting their semi-big strikes just like the working DVD within the nook, the Doton no Jutsu, and the Victory Royal to no avail. Hiromu hit the Hiromu-chan Bomber and went for Time Bomb II, just for that transfer to get countered right into a submission for the second match in a row as DOUKI locked within the Italian Stretch #32. Hiromu tried to get out, together with a short-range powerbomb, however DOUKI wouldn’t let go. Pink Footwear lastly known as for the bell as Hiromu was actually foaming on the mouth. That was a sick visible. This was a shade below the semi-main for me, nevertheless it was nonetheless the second finest match of the event to this point. Good on ya, DOUKI. With Hiromu 0-2, it seems to be like he’s about to go on a run for the following a number of exhibits. ****
.@DoukiPerros “Italian Stretch No.32”
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— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) Might 13, 2024
Last Ideas
The one-two punch of Desperado-Fujita and Hiromu-DOUKI capped off what was a greater present than night time one. The Korakuen crowd wasn’t all the time sizzling, however once they had been, they positively sounded louder than the Chiba followers. Should you’re actually pinched for time, the highest two will do ya, however like I stated earlier, you may breeze by means of this entire present like a lightweight lunch.
Standings
A Block
Blake Christian – 4 factors
Titán – 4 factors
Clark Connors – 2 factors
El Desperado – 2 factors
HAYATA – 2 factors
Kosei Fujita – 2 factors
Yoshinobu Kanemaru – 2 factors
BUSHI – 0 factors
TJP – 0 factors
B Block
KUSHIDA – 4 factors
Ninja Mack – 4 factors
Taiji Ishimori – 4 factors
DOUKI – 2 factors
Francesco Akira – 2 factors
Robbie Eagles – 2 factors
SHO – 2 factors
Dragon Dia – 0 factors
Drilla Moloney – 0 factors
Hiromu Takahashi – 0 factors
