New Japan ran Day 9 of Best Of The Super Junior today, kicking off the second half of the tournament with the end of a Tokyo tripleheader.
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 in Japan so different presentation and commentary-no Milano Collection A.T. on the Japanese side today, instead a female commentator (missed her name at first) and Shingo Takagi was a guest on commentary.
The announced paid attendance was 1015. While the lowest of the 3 Korakuen events this was still a near-sellout.
All matches were Best Of The Super Junior matches.
Match 1: Master Wato beat Titan.
Match 2: TJP beat DOUKI by submission.
Match 3: Clark Connors beat Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
Match 4: Alex Zayne beat Ryusuke Taguchi.
Match 5: Francesco Akira beat Yoh.
Match 6: El Lindaman beat Wheeler Yuta.
Match 7: Ace Austin beat Taiji Ishimori.
Match 8: BUSHI beat El Desperado.
Match 9: Sho beat Hiromu Takahashi.
Main Event: Robbie Eagles beat El Phantasmo by submission. This was the longest match of the tournament so far at almost 25 minutes.
Standings:
Block A:
1-Austin, 5-1, 10 points
2-Ishimori, 4-2, 8 points
3-Zayne, 4-2, 8 points
4-Connors, 3-3, 6 points
5-Yoh, 3-3, 6 points
6-Sho, 3-3, 6 points
7-Takahashi, 3-3, 6 points
8-Akira, 2-4, 4 points
9-Kanemaru, 2-4, 4 points
10-Taguchi, 1-5, 2 points (OUT)
Block B:
1-Lindaman, 4-2, 8 points
2-Desperado, 4-2, 8 points
3-Phantasmo, 4-2, 8 points
4-Eagles, 3-3, 6 points
5-BUSHI, 3-3, 6 points
6-Yuta, 3-3, 6 points
7-TJP, 3-3, 6 points
8-DOUKI, 3-3, 6 points
9-Wato, 2-4, 4 points
10-Titan, 1-5, 2 points (OUT)
Only the winner of each block advances to the Finals. And we have our first official elimination today-Taguchi is now out of it. Because of the remaining Block B matches, namely Desperado-Phantasmo on the final day, Titan is now out too.
Ishimori has dropped 2 in a row and that’s allowed Austin to take the Block A lead with Zayne now also a win behind. Takahashi’s 3-peat bid is in serious danger now, he has no margin for error left-he must win out and get help. His last 3 are Zayne, Connors, Ishimori. Austin has an easier path to the Block A title, but not by much-he goes Sho, Taguchi, Akira. Zayne has a difficult trio left-Takahashi, Yoh, Connors.
Block B is wide open but remains largely about El Derby. While it almost certainly will come down to the last leg on 5/31 with Desperado-Phantasmo, Lindaman now seems to have the easiest path to the Final-Eagles, Wato, BUSHI. Desperado goes Eagles, DOUKI, Phantasmo. Phantasmo goes TJP, Yuta, Desperado. Which puts Eagles in the sitting pretty position to steal it with some big upsets, he’s got two of the El’s and Titan and beat Phantasmo, so if he can pull off the El sweep The Sniper Of The Skits should shoot to the top.
Day 10 is Saturday at Makuhari Messe International Conference Hall 3 in Chiba. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2 AM PT/5 AM ET.
In other NJPW news, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb made a surprise appearance in All Elite Wrestling last night on AEW Dynamite, interfering during an ROH World Tag Team Title match between FTR and Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero. This could be the start of a program leading into a match at Forbidden Door next month.
