May 27, 2017
published on NJPW World
(taped May 27, 2017)
City: Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Venue: Tsukuba Capio Arena
Attendance: 1,213
Series: Best of the Super Jr. 24
Commentary: none
Ring Announcer: Makoto Abe, Kimihiko Ozaki
Notes: stationary camera, only tournament matches published on NJPW World
Match 1
Tomoyuki Oka & Hirai Kawato vs Shota Umino & Katsuya Kitamura
(referee: Kenta Sato)
Result: Hirai Kawato pins Shota Umino after a missile dropkick
Time: 8:37
Match Thoughts
This match was not published on NJPW World.
Match 2
Jado & Will Ospreay vs TAKA Michinoku & Taichi
(referee: Kenta Sato)
Result: Taichi pins Jado after a superkick
Time: 9:22
Match Thoughts
This match was not published on NJPW World.
Match 3
Best of the Super Jr. 24 B Block Match
El Desperado vs ACH
(referee: Marty Asami; ring announcer: Makoto Abe)
Result: ACH wins via pinfall after a Midnight Driver (Michinoku Driver II)
Time: 9:56
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. ACH started by avoiding come of El Desperado’s dirty tactics, but Desperado took the fight to the outside and gained control. Back in the ring, Desperado maintained control for most of the match, going after ACH’s knee with strikes and submissions. This was a more methodical match for El Desperado with less cheap tricks than usual. The finish felt a little like it came out of nowhere, but it still worked.
Match 4
Best of the Super Jr. 24 B Block Match
BUSHI (NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Champ) vs Volador Jr.
(referee: Marty Asami; ring announcer: Makoto Abe)
Result: BUSHI wins via pinfall after MX (diving double knee facebreaker)
Time: 10:53
Match Thoughts
Good match. The momentum went back and forth in this one, and both guys hit some nice high-flying moves. The pace wasn’t extremely high, but it picked up at times during the match.
Match 5
David Finlay & Jushin Thunder Liger & War Machine (IWGP Tag Champs) vs Marty Scurll & Yujiro Takahashi & Tanga Roa & Tama Tonga
(referee: Marty Asami)
Result: Raymond Rowe pins Yujiro Takahashi after a War Machine Combo Slam
Time: 8:44
Match Thoughts
This match was not published on NJPW World, but it’s nice to see War Machine finally get a victory.
Match 6
Best of the Super Jr. 24 B Block Match
Ryusuke Taguchi vs Tiger Mask
(referee: Red Shoes Unno; ring announcer: Makoto Abe)
Result: Ryusuke Taguchi wins via submission with the Oh My & Garankle (ankle lock)
Time: 9:29
Match Thoughts
Good match. It started with a little comedy (as usual with Taguchi) before Tiger Mask starting taking over. Tiger Mask applied a number of submission holds, but Taguchi endured and put on a few of his own.
Match 7
Best of the Super Jr. 24 B Block Match
Yoshinobu Kanemaru w/ TAKA Michinoku vs KUSHIDA (ROH TV Champ)
(referee: Red Shoes Unno; ring announcer: Kimihiko Ozaki)
Result: KUSHIDA wins via pinfall with Back to the Future (small package driver)
Time: 13:17
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Kanemaru started the match by attacking KUSHIDA prior to the opening bell and taking the fight to the outside. He cheated as much as he possibly could, but KUSHIDA stayed in the fight. This match contained a lot of shenanigans such as the ref getting knocked out of commission for a while and Kanemaru’s buddies TAKA and Taichi helping, but even though not all of those spots were convincing, the majority of the action was very good. It built the excitement nicely to a satisfying finish both for this match and for the tournament as a whole.
Match 8
Dragon Lee & Ricochet & Juice Robinson & Satoshi Kojima vs Hiromu Takahashi (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champ) & EVIL & SANADA (NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Champs) & Tetsuya Naito (IWGP IC Champ)
(referee: Red Shoes Unno)
Result: Tetsuya Naito pins Satoshi Kojima after Destino
Time: 12:02
Match Thoughts
This match was not published on NJPW World.
Show Impressions
With the exception of KUSHIDA vs Kanemaru, I think the tournament matches tonight were fairly average. Still, it was a decent show.
Match of the Night
Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs KUSHIDA
Hands down the best match of the night. It built a nice story in the ring and felt like it was important for the tournament. KUSHIDA needed this win to realistically stay in the running.
Standings After Night 9
Block A
| Wrestler | Win | Loss | Draw | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Ospreay (defending champ) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| Dragon Lee | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Hiromu Takahashi | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Marty Scurll | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Ricochet | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Taichi | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Taka Michinoku | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Jushin Thunder Liger | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Block B
| Wrestler | Win | Loss | Draw | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACH | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| El Desperado | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Ryusuke Taguchi | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Yoshinobu Kanemaru | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Bushi | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| KUSHIDA | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Tiger Mask | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Volador Jr. | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |