By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Best of Super Juniors – Night 7”
May 20, 2025, in Gunma, Japan at G Messe Gunma
Streamed live on New Japan World
The venue is a mid-sized gym; it’s smaller than the one used on Sunday. The crowd was maybe 600-800. Walker Stewart provided commentary.
* This year’s tournament features 20 wrestlers, divided into two Blocks. It is a round-robin tournament, so each competitor has nine matches. The last three years, the top two of each Block have reached a four-man playoffs. However, this year, only the Block winners will meet in a finale. (So, someone will need to go 6-3 or possibly even 7-2 to win their Block.) A 5-4 record isn’t going to cut it!) Wins are worth 2 points; draws are 1 point each. We have five tournament matches tonight as the A Block is in action. Again, anyone who falls to 2-4 will be eliminated.
* Notable that we don’t have guardrails, which is the signature look of the BoSJ tournament shows, giving the high-flyers more room to move.
1. “Bullet Club” Taiji Ishimori and Gedo vs. Nick Wayne and Daiki Nagai. Ishimori and Wayne opened with standing switches. Gego and Nagai got in at 1:00. Ishimori tied up Nagai on the mat. Wayne got a hot tag at 4:00 and hit a flying elbow on Ishimori and a missile dropkick on Gedo, then a double Lethal Injection. He covered Gedo for the pin. Basic but fine. (A mild upset, in that history has shown that it was the Young Lion who would get pinned.)
Nick Wayne and Daiki Nagai defeated Taiji Ishimori and Gedo at 4:50.
2. Mao, El Desperado, Shoma Kato, and Masatora Yasuda vs. Yoh, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Katsuya Murashima. Tiger Mask and Kato opened. (Kato is the Young Lion who has shaved half his head.) The bigger Murashima got in – he’s clearly the top of this class of rookies – and he stomped on Shoma.Taguchi entered at 3:30 and hit some flying buttbumps on all his opponents. Mao pulled down the back of Taguchi’s pants, so his butt was hanging out again. Dumb juvenile humor.
Mao hit a low blow headbutt on Taguchi, and they cartoonishly were frozen in place until Taguchi finally collapsed. Yasuda and Murashuma re-entered at 6:30, and Yasuda hit a dropkick. Murashima hit a Bulldog Powerslam and was fired up. He applied a Boston Crab, and Yasuda tapped out. I don’t think Yoh and Desperado ever were in this match, making a ‘preview tag’ rather pointless, yes?
Yoh, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Katsuya Murashima defeated Mao, El Desperado, Shoma Kato, and Masatora Yasuda at 8:46.
3. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Titan and Yota Tsuji vs. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Hartley Jackson and Robbie Eagles. Yota wore a lucha mask. Titan and Eagles opened. Hartley and Yota locked up at 1:30. Hartley hit a senton at 3:30, and Yota removed the mask. Robbie targeted Yota’s left leg, but Tsuji hit a backbreaker over his knee. Titan hit a springboard crossbody block on Eagles, then he dove through the ropes onto Eagles at 5:00.
In the ring, Eagles tied Titan in the Ron Miller Special leg lock. Eagles hit a Sliced Bread on Yota, and Hartley hit a big splash on Yota for a nearfall. Tsuji dove through the ropes onto Hartley at 8:00! In the ring, Titan hit a top-rope doublestomp onto Hartley’s chest. Yota hit a Stomp, then a Gene Blaster (spear) for the pin. Far better than the first two matches.
Titan and Yota Tsuji defeated Hartley Jackson and Robbie Eagles at 8:34.
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, and Kevin Knight vs. “House of Torture” Sho, Sanada, and Yujiro Takahashi. The HoT attacked before the bell; Knight didn’t even have his shiny gold jacket off yet. Knight bodyslammed Sho. They all brawled to the floor and into the crowd. Back in the ring at 3:30, the HoT worked over Tanahashi. Hiroshi finally hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Sho. Knight got a hot tag at 5:30 and hit some clotheslines, then a dropkick on Sho for a nearfall.
Sho hit a spear on Knight. Knight hit a backbreaker over his knee, and they were both down. Yoh entered for the first time and slapped Sanada on the top of his head, then he removed a corner pad. Sanada grabbed a guitar and did the “Eddie spot,” tossing a guitar to Yano, then collapsing to the mat. The ref turned around, saw Yano holding the guitar and Sanada down, and he called for the bell! We’ve seen it countless times, but it’s an okay way to end a preview tag.
Sho, Sanada, and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Toru Yano, Kevin Knight, and Hiroshi Tanahashi via DQ at 8:10.
* Nick Wayne joined Walker Stewart on commentary!
5. Hiromu Takahashi (4) vs. Ninja Mack (4) in an A Block tournament match. Again, whoever loses this match will be eliminated at 2-4. Quick lucha reversals early on. Hiromu hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall at 2:30, and he tied Mack in a Camel Clutch. Takahashi tried a huracanrana, but Mack rotated and landed in the Superhero Pose landing. Mack nailed the Sasake Special backflip to the floor at 5:00. Nice.
In the ring, Mack tied him in a half-crab, but Hiromu reached the ropes at 6:30. Mack hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall, then a German Suplex at 8:00. Hiromu hit his own German Suplex. Mack hit another, then a third one. Mack hit a running sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:00. Mack went for a top-rope corkscrew splash, but as he came down, Hiromu tied him in a Triangle Choke, and Mack tapped out. I figured four-time BoSJ winner Hiromu would win here to stay alive.
Hiromu Takahashi (6) defeated Ninja Mack (4) at 10:46.
6. Kosei Fujita (6) vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (4) in an A Block Tournament match. Kanemaru attacked from behind to open. Again, if Kanemaru loses, he also will be eliminated. Nick Wayne talked about wanting to be the youngest-ever BoSJ winner. Kanemaru stalled on the floor; Kosei finally followed, and they brawled at ringside. Kanemaru bodyslammed him on the floor, and Fujita sold the pain in his shoulder. Nick Wayne said he’s been wrestling with a torn labrum for three years! Kosei rolled back into the ring at 3:00, but Kanemaru immediately targeted the arm.
Kanemaru hit a tornado DDT at 7:00, and they were both down. Kosei went for the Jungle Boy Snare Trap, and he cranked back on Kanemaru’s neck, but Kanemaru broke free. Fujita hit a German Suplex with a High Bridge for a nearfall at 8:30. Kosei nailed a spin kick to the jaw. Sanada ran to ringside! Sho snuck in and hit a low blow as Sanada distracted the ref. Yujiro got in and hit Kosei with his staff. Kanemaru hit a brainbuster for the (very!) cheap pin to stay alive. So-so match.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru (6) defeated Kosei Fujita (6) at 9:50.
7. Clark Connors (4) vs. Sanada (6) in an A Block tournament match. Nick Wayne said he was 11 when he met Clark, when Connors went through his dad’s training academy; he pointed out that he (Nick) is a former Defy champion, and Connors is the current Defy champion. A feeling-out process and standing switches to open. Sanada hit a bodyslam at 2:00, and the commentators talked about Connors’ back injury after being powerbombed onto a tire two days ago. They brawled to the floor. Clark hit a snap suplex on the floor at 3:30.
Clark went under the ring and pulled out the vehicle tire! (Didn’t he learn his lesson from last time?) Kushida hit a Flatliner onto an open chair at ringside! Clark picked up the tire and hit Sanada in the gut with it, and he hit all the Young Lions with the tire for good measure. Nick Wayne pondered the legality of all of this. They got in the ring, where Connors hit a powerslam at 6:30, but he kept selling the pain in his back. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. Kushida hit a handspring-back-elbow, then a Shotei palm strike in the corner.
Kushida hit a Frankensteiner, but Connors rolled through and got a nearfall at 8:00. Kushida tried a cross-armbreaker. Connors tried to power out but he collapsed because of the back injury. He finally got a foot on the ropes. Connors caught him with a spear out of nowhere at 10:00, then the No-Chaser spike piledriver for the clean pin! Like Kanemaru, Connors stayed alive with the win.
Clark Connors (6) defeated Kushida (6) at 10:21.
8. Dragon Dia (6) vs. Francesco Akira (4) in an A Block tournament match. Again, Akira needs a win to avoid elimination. Akira charged at the bell. Dia hit a plancha to the floor, and they traded chops at ringside. Akira whipped Dia into the rows of empty seats at 1:30, then he pushed Dia into the ring. He tied up both of Dia’s arms behind his back and leaned back on the limbs, and he kept Dia grounded. Dia hit his slingshot twisting press at 5:00. They each missed a standing moonsault, but Dia hit a Lionsault.
Dia hit an enzuigiri; Akkikra hit a stiff clothesline, and they were both down at 7:00. They traded rollups. Dia came off the ropes, but Akira caught him with a superkick, and they were both down again. Dia hit a Crucifix Driver for a believable nearfall. Akira tied him in the ‘Ground Tarantula’ – he used that the other day! – and Dia tapped out! Good match; I fully expected Akira to win, as it means nine of the 10 men in the Block will still be alive in the tournament.
Francesco Akira (6) defeated Dragon Dia (6) at 9:54.
9. Master Wato (6) vs. Robbie X (6) in an A Block tournament match. The winner will be alone in first place. A reminder that Wato won this tournament in 2023. A tie-up and an extended feeling-out process to open. Stewart talked about how Wato got serious, dropped some weight, and took the (blue) color out of his hair. Wato tried to apply Vendeval at 2:00, but Robbie scrambled to the ropes. On the floor, Robbie whipped Wato into rows of chairs. Nick Wayne noted that these hard (non-folding) chairs “will cut you up.” In the ring, Robbie tied him up and even bit Wato’s fingers at 6:30.
Wato fired up and hit a leg lariat, then a flip dive to the floor at 8:30, then a springboard back elbow for a nearfall. In the ring, he locked in the Vendeval (submission hold around the neck and shoulder) in the center of the ring, but Robbie X got a foot on the ropes at 10:00. Robbie hit a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. He went for his Lethal Injection, but Wato caught him. Wato mousetrapped both arms and got the seatbelt cover for a nearfall at 12:30. Robbie hit a top-rope corkscrew press to the floor on Wato; he rolled into the ring and ordered the ref to count. Stewart said it is a sign of desperation that he’s willing to win via count-out.
Wato dove back in at the 19-count, but Robbie immediately hit a basement dropkick at 15:00, then a sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Robbie went for the X Express (corkscrew press), but Wato got his knees up to block it. They traded rollups, and Robbie hit a Pele Kick, then a spin kick to the head. Wato hit a German Suplex with a high bridge for a believable nearfall, and he was fired up! Wato again mousetrapped both arms, got the seatbelt cover, and this time the pin. A very good match; both men really stepped up here.
Master Wato (8) defeated Robbie X (6) at 17:12.
* Wato addressed the crowd to close out the show. Stewart read the quick translation, saying Wato vowed to win the tournament after missing last year due to an injury.
Final Thoughts: A solid show, with a very good main event. I’ve never really warmed up to Wato – I generally find him fine but a bit bland – but no doubt, this was a very good match from him and Robbie X, and they easily win the match of the night. I’ll go with Connors-Kushida for second and the Mack-Hiromu match for third. So, Wato is alone at 4-2 (8 points), while Ninja Mack is the only eliminated wrestler at 2-4 (4 points). Everyone else is at 3-3 and in the running.
The tournament has a day off on Wednesday, with the B Block in tournament action on Thursday, with El Desperado vs. Yoh as the headliner.
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