New Japan Ran Day 8 of Best Of The Super Junior 30 today, the penultimate day of preliminary round action.
Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World in Japanese and English. This was a Samurai! TV broadcast.
The announced paid attendance was 1416, a legit sellout.
All matches were Best Of The Super Junior matches, 30 minute time limit.
Match 1: Block A: Titan beat DOUKI.
Match 2: Block B: Clark Connors beat Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
Match 3: Block A: KUSHIDA beat Sho.
Match 4: Block B: Master Wato beat BUSHI.
Match 5: Block A: Mike Bailey beat Ryusuke Taguchi.
Match 6: Block B: Dan Moloney beat Robbie Eagles.
Match 7: Block A: Lio Rush beat TJP.
Match 8: Block B: Yoh beat Kevin Knight.
Match 9: Block A: Hiromu Takahashi beat Taiji Ishimori by ref stoppage. Shoulder injury.
Main Event: Block B: El Desperado beat Francesco Akira by submission.
Standings:
Block A:
1-Bailey, 6-2, 12 pts
2-Takahashi, 6-2, 12 pts
3-Rush, 6-2, 12 pts
4-Titan, 5-3, 10 pts
5-Ishimori, 5-3, 10 pts
6-TJP, 4-4, 8 pts (OUT)
7-Sho, 3-5, 6 pts (OUT)
8-DOUKI, 3-5, 6 pts (OUT)
9-KUSHIDA, 2-5, 7 pts (OUT)
10-Taguchi, 0-8, 0 pts (OUT)
Block B:
1-Desperado, 6-3, 12 pts
2-Yoh, 6-3, 12 pts
3-Wato, 6-3, 12 pts
4-Eagles, 5-3, 10 pts
5-Akira, 4-4, 8 pts (OUT)
6-Connors, 4-4, 8 pts (OUT)
7-Knight, 3-5, 6 pts (OUT)
8-Moloney, 3-5, 6 pts (OUT)
9-Kanemaru, 2-6, 4 pts (OUT)
10-BUSHI, 1-8, 2 pts (OUT)
The top 2 in each block advance to the Semifinals. In Block A, one thing is certain for Day 9-the Rush-Bailey winner advances. If it goes the distance, who moves on depends on Takahashi-Titan. Takahashi is through with a win. Titan beat Rush so he’d need to beat Takahashi and have Bailey win. If the top 3 somehow finish in a 3-way tie, Takahashi is probably out as he lost to both Bailey & Rush. Ishimori is the big question mark because of health-if he can’t go on Day 9 he’s out and TJP would get a free win. KUSHIDA & Taguchi face off for pride and points. In Block B, there could also be a 3-way tie at the top, if that happens the one out is Wato because his losses are to Desperado & Yoh. Desperado has Eagles, Yoh has Kanemaru, Wato has Knight.If Eagles beats Desperado, he needs Wato to lose to have a chance because Eagles beat Yoh but lost to Wato.
Day 9 is Tuesday at Osaka Prefectural Gym 2 in Osaka with only Block A along with non-tournament matches (Block B finishes Wednesday). Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2 AM PT/5 AM ET.
UPDATE: Ishimori was legit injured. Cervical vertebra. Out the rest of the tournament. TJP gets a free win in his final tournament match, which was to have been against Ishimori. Ishimori is out indefinitely.
