Top 3 Standouts for Best Of The Super Jrs Block A
Marie Shadows gives her top 3 standouts for night 1 Block A of BOSJ.
Clark Connors - LA Dojo graduate
Ace Austin - IMPACT Wrestling & X-Division Champion
Akira Francesco - United Empire member & former All Japan Pro Wrestling Jr Heavyweight Champion
Best of the Super Jrs 29 kicked off today, May 15, 2022. This is a review of night 1. Best of the Super Jrs has new blood in both Block A and Block B. Today was the start of Block A. I’ll go over the Best of the Super Jrs matches only. I will not cover any opening matches during this tournament.
Best of the Super Jrs tournament is a round robin style where wrestler accumulate points to propel them to the finals.
a win = 2 points
a draw = 1 point
a loss = 0 points
all matches are contested under a 30-minute time limit.
It’s similar to the G1 Climax which will be held later this year. Best of the Super Jrs ends on June 3, 2022. The winner gets a one-winged silver trophy. The winner can challenge for the IWGP Jr Heavyweight Championship which is currently held by Bullet Club’s Bone Solider Taiji Ishimori. Or, if the winner is lucky can challenge NJPW current golden champion, Rainmaker Kazuchika Okada for his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Night 1 of the Best of the Super Jrs held 5 matches:
✨Clark Connors vs Ace Austin✨
If I’m going to be honest about this match it’s going to be this: two wonderful talents from respective companies NJPW and IMPACT Wrestling gave the Japanese audience a wonderful opening for Night 1. It was unfair to have them fight so early in Block A. I enjoy both of their wrestling careers. Who did I choose? Well, to be honest, Clark has won me over with his mini promos for each person in Block A. Creative and smooth.
However, Ace Austin gave Clark Connors a really good match. Both were evenly matched. But! Ace Austin, the clever trickster pulled out his calling card, that gambit like card and sliced the webbing of Clark’s hand. It probably stung like a paper cut.
Ace Austin used his speed against Clark who has more size over Austin. But both men wrestled effortlessly. Clark does a beautiful snap Powerslam to Ace Austin.
However, in the end, Ace Austin hits the FOLD finisher on Clark Connors and picks up his first 2 points in the tournament.
Ace Austin = 2 points | Clark Connors = 0 points.
✨Alex Zayne vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru✨
I wanted to put Alex Zayne on the standout list but it’s going to take a little more watching his Best of the Super Jrs run for me to be convinced. I know he’s an indie darling and he showed great potential fighting against Yoshinobu Kanemaru but this was the wrong match up. Yoshinobu controlled the pace of the match until Alex found an opening and started to take advantage. Alex went 100 in this match with the flips and athletic ability against a Japanese wrestler that’s used to a single style of wrestling.
Yoshinobu doesn’t need to adapt or evolve in Japan because he’s used to wrestling Gedo, Jado, Dick Togo, Evil, Yujiro, and more that can match his speed, power, and wrestling psychology for his matches. Yoshinobu isn’t made for an Alex Zayne that shows off with flashy moves. Yoshinobu held his own but this match-up felt so off. The moment a wrestler slows down Alex like how Yoshinobu does, the excitement leaves the match, the momentum slows. Alex has super potential in the tournament and can show off his work with the right wrestlers.
And I say all this as Alex Zayne does win the match against Yoshinobu with his Sky Twist Press.
Alex Zayne = 2 points | Yoshinobu = 0 points
✨SHO vs Akira Francesco✨
All I ever wanted was Bullet Club vs United Empire. I guess since SHO and House of Torture is still under the Bullet Club banner, this might be as good as anything at the moment besides what BC stories are happening.
This match, SHO vs Akira is my first introduction to Akira Francesco. He’s the newest member to the United Empire. SHO is the adorable heel in House of Torture.
At the beginning of the match, SHO jumps Akira before the bell. Such is the House of Torture and Bullet Club tactic. However, Akira gains his bearings. Akira uses his speed against SHO, not letting up, trying to end his first round robin style match early. The longer the match gets drawn out, it favors SHO because SHO can do shenanigans which, yes, he does in this match. A House of Torture match without shenanigans?
SHO distracted the referee by pointing at TJP who came over to help and cheer on his United Empire stable mate Akira, so the referee dealt with TJP for SHO to grab the Best of the Super Jrs trophy. The referee saw this and SHO gave him the trophy only for SHO to grab a chair to hit Akira with. SHO and the referee find their way back to the ring. Akira makes it, but barely.
TJP sees SHO reaching for his weapon, the wrench. TJP steps in and takes the weapon away and slyly goes back to leaning on the Japanese announce table. Oh no! What can SHO do now? SHO’s choice of weapon since joining House of Torture is a wrench, and he won most…if not all his matches this way. Akira is now done playing games as he does a Fireplex (suplex. Akira’s thing is fire.) on SHO. SHO surprisingly kicks out. Akira then turns it up and hits The Last Round followed by Fireball to pick up the win over SHO.
Akira is going to be such a wild card in this tournament. He’s a nice addition to the Jrs division.
Akira Francesco = 2 points | SHO = 0 points
✨Taguchi vs Hiromu✨
Comical at best. Hiromu in his own right is a damn awesome wrestler. He withstand 219 chops from Suzuki during last years G1 Climax. Taguchi is cool too. He’s one half of the IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. Taguchi promised the press that he’ll be serious in this tournament and he won’t do any “butt” stuff. But that was proven false in the beginning of the match. Taguchi goes for his famous butt attack or hip attack. Hiromu moves out the way.
Taguchi, feeling embarrassed, lays in the middle of the ring and tells Hiromu to cover him. Hiromu doesn’t trust Taguchi and knows it’s a trap. But Taguchi convinces Hiromu to cover him by tucking his hands under his back and crossing his feet. Hiromu then covered Taguchi, but only with his foot. Before the three count, Taguchi quickly applies an ankle lock on Hiromu. Hiromu quickly slithers aways and yells at Taguchi. Then we have a chase on the outside of the ring. It’s not until Taguchi gets the upper hand and focuses on Hiromu’s ankle as he’s known to have a history of a bad ankle. Hiromu then does a drop kick to Taguchi, followed by a face buster. Taguchi manages to try for a hip attack to Hiromu and it hits. However, Hiromu uses the momentum to do a roll up special where Hiromu hooks onto Taguchi’s wrist for the win.
Remember, wrist control is powerful in wrestling. Ask Okada.
Hiromu = 2 points | Taguchi = 0 points
✨YOH vs Taiji Ishimori✨
When it comes to tournament, I personally don’t like when the champion is involved. If the goal of the tournament is to face the IWGP Jr Heavyweight Champion at the end, then why should the champion compete with a risk of getting injured?
YOH has been in a weird state. He’s floating around ever since SHO betrayed him — hmm, seems like a common theme in Bullet Club — and broke up Roppongi 3K to join House of Torture. SHO has become better than YOH. YOH comes out with oversize boyfriend hoodies as his gear and doesn’t have personality like his former tag team counterpart. Ladies love him because he’s good looking. Hiromu was right about YOH and Hiromu tried to bring out a fire in YOH but nothing has been happening.
Taiji Ishimori’s level of wrestling is above YOH. Taiji didn’t need this match. Taiji distracted the referee by throwing the ring bell hammer into the ring while he choked YOH with a chain. Taiji even threw YOH into the exposed steel of the turnbuckle. YOH did managed to get the upper hand against Taiji by doing some dragon screws here and there. He even applied an ankle lock to Taiji then transition to a German Suplex. But Taiji breaks YOH’s grip before the move happens and Taiji goes in for a face buster and transitions to the Bone Lock. Taiji Ishimori picks up the win.
I would say that YOH needs to win Best of the Super Jrs 29 because he needs it, but if he’s not going to invest in himself, then I can’t do the same. I’ll keep watching YOH. He’s a good wrestler. But he needs a whole new makeover like how SHO embraced his dark side. YOH just needs *something* to truly take over the NJPW world. Maybe send him to NJPW Strong? Tour America for bit?
Taiji Ishimori = 2 points | YOH = 0 points
✨Standings✨ (as of night 1 - 5.15.22)
Who’s your TOP 3 STANDOUTS FOR NIGHT 1 OF BEST OF THE SUPER JRS 29? Let me know in a comment! Please and thank you!
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