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5/28/23 Results from the Finals of Best of the Super Juniors 30 From Ota City, Japan:
1 - Bolton Oleg and Togi Makabe vs. Oskar Leube and Yuto Nakashima
Makabe pins Nakashima after a Knee Drop from the top rope.
2 - Ryohei Oiwa vs. Clark Conners
Conners spent a lot of time Trash talking the crowd, building his heel persona. Conners gave Oiwa a lot of offense.
Conners hits a spear and No Chaser.
Conners pins Oiwa.
Gedo threw a chair in the ring and Conners destroyed the chair on Oiwa’s back.
3 - Lio Rush and YOH vs. Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles
Fujita looked good against YOH and Rush.
YOH and Rush hit a double superkick on Fujita. Rush hits Final Hour.
Rush pins Fujita.
4 - Kevin Knight, KUSHIDA, Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Dan Moloney, Francesco Akira, TJP, Aaron Henare and Great O-Khan
Henare pins Tenzan after hitting the Streets of Rage.
TJP and Akira challenge KUSHIDA and Knight for a shot at the IWGP Jr. Tag Titles for Dominion.
O-Khan and Henare sit at ringside to watch the next match.
5 - Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs. SHO, Yujiro Takahashi and EVIL
House of Torture were on the defensive, until EVIL and Yujiro attacked O-Khan and Henare and threw them in the ring. Everyone started fighting and the referee called it a “No Contest”.
O-Khan took the mic and said the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles belong to the United Empire and demanded to be in the title match at Dominion. YOSHI-HASHI took the mic and accepted the the challenge. The match is officially a three way match.
6 - Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada vs. Mike Bailey, El Desperado, Ren Narita and Shota Umino
Wild match. Okada in particular went after both Umino and Narita trying to mock them and rough them up. Crowd reacted to the vicious side of Okada.
Narita forced Taguchi to submit to the Cobra Twist.
After the match, partners Mike Bailey and El Desperado exchanged hand shakes, then hit each other with wicked chops. Desperado laughed and hoped to see Bailey as an opponent later.
Shota Umino took the mic and made a challenge to Okada for the NEVER Openweight 6-man Titles. Umino said his partners are Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli. Umino guaranteed he will the one that beats Okada for the titles. Okada said he is choosing good partners, and he better not let them down.
Sounds like the challenge is accepted.
7 - DOUKI, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi and SANADA vs. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito
Naito pins DOUKI after a Destino.
Kevin Kelly wondered if Yota Tsuji was a member of Los Ingobernales de Japon.
Hmmm.
8 - Best of the Super Juniors 30 Finals: Master Wato vs. Titan
LIJ comes to the ring with Titan. Hiroyoshi Tenzan accompanied Wato.
Good mat wrestling at the beginning. Wato with a Frankensteiner sending Titan to the floor. Wato with a plancha. Titan with a dropkick to the knee and applies a Mexican figure four. Rope break. Titan applies a modified Indian Death Lock. Rope break. Titan dropkicks the leg again. Titan reverses out of Wato’s attacks. Wato goes to the floor. Titan tries a tope suicida but Wato kicks him in the face. Wato hits a tope con hilo. Wato hits a springboard uppercut and applies Vendeval. Titan gets the ropes. Wato goes for Recientemente. But Titan grabs the ropes. Titan takes Wato to the floor with a body scissors and hits a top rope springboard moonsault. Both men spill into the crowd.
Titan hits a tope con hilo. Titan throws Wato in the ring to avoid a count out. Titan makes the cover but Wato kicks out at two. Titan picks up Wato and they trade kicks. They exchange elbows. Wato grabs Titan in a crucifix and transitions to Recientemente. Two count. Wato applies Vendeval. Titan gets the ropes. Titan with a tornado DDT. Titan hits a flying lariat. Titan hits a springboard double stomp on Wato’s lower back. DAMN!! Wato kicks out. Titan applies another Indian Death Lock. Titan transitions to Inmortal. Crowd is screaming so loud. Wato blocks the chinlock and grabs the ropes. Titan goes for a waist lock and roll up cradle. But Wato reverses and hits the Tsutenkaku German. Titan kicks out. Titan hits La Mistica and a roll up. Two count.
Titan hits 4 quick kicks. Titan hits a double stomp off the top. Wato kicks out! Wow! Titan goes for Inmortal but Wato rolls him into a cradle. Two count. They trade kicks. Wato hits a big Tsutenkaku German and the Recientemente.
Wato pins Titan.
Master Wato wins the Best of the Super Junior 30.
Wato is presented with the BOSJ Trophy.
The crowd chants for Titan as he leaves the ring. Wato calls Hiromu Takahashi back to the ring and challenges him for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight. Hiromu accepts. The match will take place at Dominion.
Dominion Preview:
Dominion is on June 4. The full card is not yet announced but here is the run down of what has been announced after tonights event. New Japan is juggling a lot here with completing the BOSJ, getting ready for Forbidden Door and G1 Climax in July.
1. Number One Contender to the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship: Will Ospreay vs. Lance Archer
This match could have taken place on U.S. soil and it would have been fine. I don’t know why they need the match on this card. With Forbidden Door later in June, I would expect Kenny Omega wanting to replicate the Wrestle Kingdom match with Ospreay. Ospreay wins and goes to challenge Omega.
2. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Bishomon vs. House of Torture vs. United Empire
O-Khan and Henare win the Titles pinning Yujiro. This will lead to a title defense against Bishomon at Forbidden Door.
3. New Japan World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jeff Cobb
Both men went to a draw last time. I expect Zack to pull out a win with a Euro Clutch or a quick pin, but not a submission.
4. NEVER Openweight 6-man Tag Team Championship: Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada vs. Shota Umino, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli.
On paper, this should be a fun match. The story is between Okada and Umino, with everyone else in a supporting role. I can see the Blackpool Combat Club winning the titles at Dominion and having a rematch at Forbidden Door, which will get both Okada and Tanahashi on the card.
5. NEVER Openweight Championship: David Finlay vs. El Phantasmo
This match could have benefited from preview tags. Phantasmo was betrayed by Bullet Club and joined Hontai. But no one has seen them in a month. This makes the match an afterthought. Finlay just won the title so it makes no sense for him to lose it now. It will hurt Phantasmo having to lose in his first match since the betrayal, but hopefully he will gain momentum in the G1.
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Master Wato
This should be a good match. Wato should win the title. His story should conclude with championship victory. Whether he can carry the division on his shoulders is another question altogether.
7. IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji vs. SANADA
Lots of questions surround this match. The bottom line is SANADA cannot lose the belt to a newcomer. So there must be a story to be told around this match that will progress into the G1 Climax. Kevin Kelly suggested that Tsuji could join LIJ. That would be an interesting twist going forward.
Possible Matches:
IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: KUSHIDA and Kevin Knight vs. Catch 22
They paired up tonight in a preview tag and Knight specifically mentioned a title match with TJP and Akira at Dominion. I think Catch 22 get their titles back and be the top heel team everyone is chasing. They will take a break and heal during the G1 Climax and be ready for Super Jr. Tag League later in the year.
Thank you for reading.
James Kurokawa
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