Welcome to our coverage of the Best of the Super Juniors Final from Korakuen Hall on Monday.
We will be chatting about this show in further detail on the RAR “Overrun” show late tonight for members of the POST Wrestling Café (this is a separate show we have recently launched in addition to the free version of Rewind-A-Raw).
You can post feedback to the show on the POST Wrestling Forum.
Kevin Kelly began the show solo. He was great throughout the show.
TIGER MASK & SHOTA UMINO VS FLIP GORDON & CHRIS SABIN
Tiger Mask landed a Tiger Driver onto Sabin after being beaten down for several minutes.
Gordon was in with Umino, dropped him from the top with a springboard thrust kick and followed with a springboard 450 and pinned Umino.
WINNERS: FLIP GORDON (pinned Shota Umino) & CHRIS SABIN AT 6:32
Gordon, Sabin, and Tiger Mask all hugged and bowed to the audience.
MINORU SUZUKI, TAKASHI IIZUKA & TAKA MICHINOKU VS TOMOHIRO ISHII, TORU YANO & YOSHI-HASHI
Suzuki caught Yoshi-Hashi with an armbar in the ropes to the already injured shoulder of Yoshi-Hashi. Suzuki took him into the crowd and applied a kimura by the Japanese timekeeper, who resumed the count after he was knocked down.
In the ring, Suzuki was unable to hit the Gotch piledriver onto Yoshi-Hashi. They stomped him down and the shoulder taped fell off Yoshi-Hashi.
Iizuka was tagged in and began biting the arm and foot of Ishii.
The audience picked up as Suzuki entered with Ishii.
Yano removed the turnbuckle padding and Michinoku ran into the exposed buckle. Suzuki-gun triple-teamed Yano in the corner.
Iizuka took out the steel fingers, but Yano threw Michinoku towards Iizuka to prevent the attack and rolled up Michinoku for the pin.
WINNERS: TORU YANO (pinned Taka Michinoku), TOMOHIRO ISHII & YOSHI-HASHI AT 10:01
After the second match, Chris Sabin joined Kevin Kelly to call the rest of the show.
HIROOKI GOTO & ROPPONGI 3K VS TAICHI, EL DESPERADO & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU
They did the same spot as the night prior where Sho went for a tope con giro and Suzuki-gun pulled Tomoyuki Oka in the way to take the dive.
Kanemaru fought with Yoh into the hallway in the back with the camera following them.
Desperado attacked Sho’s ankle with a chair shot. Sho just beat the count at 19 into the ring.
Suzuki-gun triple-teamed Goto inside the ring.
Taichi removed his pants but was then caught with the Ushigoroshi by Goto.
Roppongi 3K attempted the 3K onto Kanemaru, but he stopped it by spitting whiskey into the eyes of Yoh. He tossed Sho to the floor, set up for the Deep Impact, but was blocked and Yoh bridged him with a roll up and caught Kanemaru with the pin.
WINNERS: YOH (pinned Yoshinobu Kanemaru), SHO & HIROOKI GOTO AT 11:45
Suzuki-gun immediately attacked Roppongi 3K after the match ended. With the 3K pinning the junior heavyweight tag champions, it appears they will be doing another title match between the two.
Roppongi 3K & Goto were dumped to the floor in the post-match.
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HIROSHI TANAHASHI & TOA HENARE VS MARTY SCURLL & YUJIRO
Tanahashi and Scurll did a spot with Tanahashi playing the air guitar and Scurll flapping his arms that the audience got into.
Scurll found a guy in the front row with a head-to-toe Jushin Thunder Liger, he gave him the middle fingers, then walked over to the real Liger on commentary and did the same.
Scurll went for the surfboard to Henare, which Tanahashi broke up, and the audience booed Tanahashi for the interference.
Tanahashi received a hot tag, mocked Scurll’s wings, and landed a dragon screw leg whip as the audience was pro-Tanahashi now. Scurll blocked a sling blade by grabbing the fingers, but Tanahashi slapped him to free his hand.
Scurll snapped Henare’s fingers. Tanahashi fought against both Scurll and Yujiro. He dropped Scurll with a sling blade and Yujiro with Twist & Shout.
Scurll and Tanahashi fought on the floor, Yujiro blocked a uranage and was able to hit the Pimp Drop for the win.
WINNERS: YUJIRO (pinned Toa Henare) & MARTY SCURLL AT 13:18
Yujiro and Scurll stomped Henare after the match, Tanahashi ran in and was hit with the umbrella. Scurll applied the chicken wing onto Tanahashi. Jushin Thunder Liger ran in to clear the ring and save Tanahashi.
Scurll yelled that he wants both “and Rey Mysterio” and will kill all the legends.
Liger proposed a six-man tag match teaming with Tanahashi and Mysterio against Scurll, Yujiro and another Bullet Club member for Dominion.
TETSUYA NAITO, EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI VS KUSHIDA, ACH, DRAGON LEE & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI
ACH started dancing to the music and led to the whole audience chanting his name. He was very entertaining. It led to Naito wanting to see him continue and then kicked him from behind.
Kelly continued to tease the idea of a Mask vs. Mask match between Dragon Lee and El Desperado following Sunday’s singles match and each tearing at the other’s mask.
Sanada let go of a Skull End to ACH as Taguchi ran in and completely missed with the hip attack. ACH recovered with a roll up for a big near fall on Sanada.
After Sanada got back up, he re-applied the Skull End for the submission of ACH.
The audience was heated throughout the match.
WINNERS: SANADA (submitted ACH), TETSUYA NAITO, EVIL & BUSHI AT 8:10
A taped promo from Chris Jericho aired after the match. He told Naito he wasn’t the real main event at Wrestle Kingdom 12, it was him and Kenny Omega. Jericho kicked him out of the main event picture. He came after Naito because he is the best New Japan has to offer, he should be the IWGP champion and he’s not. He is going to help Naito become a worldwide star, “you fucking moron.”
Jericho called the Japanese fans “filthy animals”, so he’s watching Colby Covington promos. He poured a glass of Grey Goose and drank to Naito and “I’ll see you on June 9th, fuck face.”
Naito was lying on the mat pretending to sleep during the promo. He responded that “he’s too long” and should shorten it up and make it simple. Jericho may be a big star worldwide, but he still shoots his own promos on a phone and has a lot of time on his hands. He will shut his mouth at Dominion.
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KAZUCHIKA OKADA & WILL OSPREAY VS KOTA IBUSHI & CHASE OWENS
Chris Sabin confirms that Okada is his favorite wrestler and hopes Okada notices him ringside.
The story heading into Dominion is that Okada has been off fishing while Omega is training like a madman.
Ospreay attempted for the Storm Breaker and was blocked by Owens. This led to Owens attacking the neck of Ospreay. Owens hit a slingshot into a Death Valley Driver, which looked great.
Okada entered and hit a top rope elbow drop onto Owens. He called for the Rainmaker, Owens ducked and Ibushi connected with a missile dropkick to Okada.
Ospreay and Ibushi hit simultaneous Pele kicks and faced off for the first time in the match. The place went crazy for the two. Their brief sequence was the highlight of the match.
Ibushi hit a huge Golden Triangle that almost overshot Ospreay on the floor.
Okada blocked a package piledriver from Owens, connected with a dropkick, hit a V-Trigger and the Rainmaker and pinned Owens.
WINNERS: KAZUCHIKA OKADA (pinned Chase Owens) & WILL OSPREAY AT 13:03
This was great, the V-Trigger spot was great to incorporate and the interaction of Ospreay and Ibushi was the best thing on the show thus far.
Okada cut a promo after the match, he mentioned Kenny Omega is not here and there is nothing left before next weekend’s third match in Osaka.
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TAIJI ISHIMORI VS HIROMU TAKAHASHI IN THE BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS FINAL
Kelly set this match up very effectively with the importance of this match for Ishimori as his justification for leaving a promotion in NOAH, where he had a job for life.
Ishimori blocked a sunset bomb to the floor with a back flip onto his feet. This led to a brawl up the aisle and up into the bleachers. Takahashi sprinted across the arena and hit a huge dropkick as Ishimori flew from the impact.
Ishimori countered a powerbomb and sent Takahashi rolling all the way down the cement stairs and looked awful. This was insane.
Takahashi hit the sunset bomb to the floor after they returned to the ring. He followed with a wheelbarrow slam onto the floor and running missile dropkick from the apron onto the floor.
Sabin explained how some guys temper their style because they want to be working in ten years, Takahashi is not thinking of that and only thinking about winning tonight.
Ishimori applied a crossface for a long period, ending with a rope break. Several minutes later, Ishimori re-applied the move off a tilt-a-whirl, similar to La Mistica, but ending in the crossface. Ishimori hyperextended the arm and the arm went wild as Takahashi finally made it to the rope for the break. This leaves Takahashi with a damaged left shoulder.
Takahashi caught him with a belly-to-belly into the corner and Korakuen Hall was cheering on Takahashi for his comeback. He hit the Dynamite Plunger for a two-count.
Ishimori countered the Time Bomb, he hit a reverse ‘rana, but Takahashi popped right up and hit his own reverse ‘rana. The seamless execution has been incredible.
Ishimori landed a massive lariat and Takahashi kicked out at one. Ishimori hit the tombstone onto the double knees and Takahashi kicked out.
Takahashi blocked the Bloody Cross and applied the triangle onto Ishimori. Ishimori tried to powerbomb out but was stopped with the submission still locked on. On his second try, he lifted Takahashi and powerbombed him into the turnbuckle to break free.
Ishimori went for a 450 splash and landed on Takahashi’s knees.
Takahashi hit the same butterfly piledriver he used on KUSHIDA on Sunday’s card. He went back to the triangle and Ishimori made it to the rope.
Takahashi drove Ishimori into the turnbuckle off the shoulders and hit the Time Bomb to win the match.
WINNER: HIROMU TAKAHASHI AT 34:02
What an incredible match.
This will probably be most people’s choice for the best match of the tournament and one of the best matches of the year.
Chris Sabin was in awe of what he saw.
The trophy was presented to Takahashi.
Will Ospreay came out, he congratulates Takahashi sarcastically. He said the trophy means nothing to him and the only thing that matters is his title, he has beaten Takahashi twice before and they set up the match for Dominion next weekend in Osaka. The segment ended with the two holding up the IWGP junior heavyweight title and the Best of the Super Juniors trophy.
