It seems that every source going has confirmed Neville’s departure from WWE, except for the man himself and the company that he is likely still contracted to.
However, with the speculation being ramped up more and more by the minute we felt that it would be a good time to list three of the top stars outside of WWE that Neville should step in the ring with.
Will Ospreay
Will Ospreay (photo credit: Forbes)
The similarities between Neville and British sensation Will Ospreay cannot be overlooked. Besides their shared homeland both men have seen success throughout the British independent scene as well as Japan. Ospreay’s current performances for New Japan and Neville’s run on the japanese scene as PAC produced some incredible matches for Dragon Gate and NJPW, including the bout with Finn Balor that supposedly convinced Triple H sign both men.
The build to this encounter would write itself, who is the better British high flyer? I can easily see this match happening on a Revolution Pro Wrestling card at some point in 2018 and it would be a blockbuster affair.
Hiromu Takahashi
Keeping with the theme of New Japan, Hiromu Takahashi is another name that should be given a shot against Neville.
While Hiromu has been taking time to establish his ‘therapy cat’ gimmick it is important to remember that he is one of the most explosive and dynamic performers in NJPW’s Juniors division.
Stylistically I believe that these two men would mesh well and Hiromu’s ‘dangerous’ character traits could lead to a bout that showcases technical proficiency as well as some outstanding high flying moments, hopefully Neville returns to Japan and the powers that be at NJPW make this bout happen!
Cody Rhodes
Ring of Honor World Champion Cody Rhodes
Finally, why not let Neville have a shot against the Ring of Honor Champion? Both men have a similar past with their shared experience in WWE and it would be a perfect opportunity for both to prove their worth to a company that seemingly let them fall between the cracks.
Cody has been building his reputation on the independent scene and is now the reigning World Champion in ROH, his platform as part of the Bullet Club has seen a division between fans of stable and New Japan in general, he is either loved or hated within the group.
Many fans of WWE lauded the abilities of Neville during his ‘King of the Crusierweight’ run and believed that he should’ve transitioned to a place higher on the card, this may well be his opportunity to break out on the heavyweight scene.
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Who would you like to see Neville face outside of WWE? Let us know in the comments.
UK sensation Will Ospreay made history during Monday’s King of Pro Wrestling event for NJPW.
Ospreay defeated IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA to become the first ever British born holder of the prestigious championship. After the match ‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll appeared and challenged Ospreay, refuelling their longtime rivalry from several British Independent promotions.
The event is available to watch in full over on NJPWworld.com and also features the following matches:
Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga vs SANADA, BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi
Hirooki Goto & Toru Yano vs Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.
IWGP Junior Tag Championship Match: Ryusuke Taguchi & Ricochet vs Sho & Yoh
IWGP Tag Championship Tornado Elimination Match: Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs Raymond Rowe & Hanson vs Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
– After Monday’s WWE RAW went off the air, the dark match main event saw Finn Balor defeat Bray Wyatt with Coup de Grace.
Wyatt brought a kendo stick and used it on Balor but Balor took it and used it back. Wyatt also brought a table into the ring but Balor kicked Wyatt through it to get the win.
– Curt Hawkins noted on Twitter that he was unable to compete at last night’s RAW as a result of Braun Strowman’s attack last week. It’s probably just an angle, but Hawkins tweeted:
Due to the injuries I sustained at the hands of @BraunStrowman last week I'm not medically cleared for participation on tonight's #RAW
– ROH and NJPW high flyer Will Ospreay, one of the top independent workers in the world, revealed on Twitter that he also got hit with a Cease and Desist order by WWE. Ospreay noted that he’s no longer allowed to use the feline phrases “Paw is War” or “Kitty Style” because they are presumably too similar to WWE trademarks.
Well Young Bucks ain't the only one that's been hit with a Cease & Desist. I can no longer sell "Paw is War" or "Kitty Style" pic.twitter.com/xGUiJvub28
What Culture Pro Wrestling has announced the WCPW Title match for their upcoming ‘Refuse to Lose’ PPV.
WCPW Champion and Prestige stable member Joe Hendry will be taking on NJPW star Will Ospreay. Ospreay has been making appearances for WCPW more and more over the last couple of months even while he looks to establish himself in Japan and more recently Australia.
You can watch the October 2nd PPV via WhatCulture Extra and tickets are still available to purchase via Eventbrite.
FloSlam has announced that EVOLVE 58 will be available to view for free on their streaming service for one week only.
The pay per view took place during Wrestlemania weekend and featured an incredibly stacked card. You can check out the full event here.
Here is the full breakdown of matches from the event:
EVOLVE Tag Team Title Match
Drew Galloway & Johnny Gargano (w/Kota Ibushi) (c) vs. The Premier Athlete Brand (Anthony Nese & Caleb Konley) (w/Andrea & SoCal Val)
EVOLVE Title Match
Timothy Thatcher (c) vs. Matt Riddle
Singles Match
Fred Yehi vs. Marty Scurll
Singles Match
Ethan Page vs. Sami Callihan
Singles Match
Ricochet vs. TJ Perkins
Singles Match
Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Tag Team Match
Catch Point (Drew Gulak & Tracy Williams) (w/TJP) vs. Heroes Eventually Die (Chris Hero & Tommy End)
Last night saw the Pro Wrestling World Cup come to a close. The final night featured two semi final matches as well as the highly anticipated final.
KUSHIDA defeated both Joseph Conners and Will Ospreay to become the first ever winner of the ambitious tournament. The final between KUSHIDA and Ospreay is especially worth checking out as it was a rematch from this year’s Best of the Super Juniors final and an incredible end to the tournament.
The event was/is available to watch in full on YouTube below:
Former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi has issued a challenge to UK star Will Ospreay, he made the following comments after the G1 Climax finals this week:
“Ahhhh, I’m hyped up! Excited for some pain! You know who I mean! That son of a b*tch who ruined my fairytale story! Will Ospreay! Let’s do it again! Every time I think of you at night, I can’t get any sleep! Where are you Ospreay? You’re in my damn head! Get out of my mind and in the ring! So when you do, we can have more, more, more! More!!! MORE!!!! Fun together.”
Credit to @NewJapanProNewsFeed for the translation
The current plans call for Ospreay and Takahashi to meet at the Destruction shows in September, with the winner of the bout becoming the number 1 contender to KUSHIDA’s IWGP Junior title.
New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor star Will Ospreay recently confirmed his intentions to move to Australia and “put Australian wrestling on the map.”
Whilst appearing for Melbourne City Wrestling. Ospreay laid out his intentions, including applying for “permanent residency” in the country and that he wants to bring stars such as Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada to the promotion.
Ospreay has been one of the standout performers from the UK scene since the explosion in 2014, his appearances for PROGRESS and Revolution Pro saw him make the transition to Japan and he has not looked back since.
Are you an Australian fan? Does this news excite you? Let us know in the comments.
The independent wrestling world is buzzing after Will Ospreay announced his intentions to move to Australia and… https://t.co/y0dBT42wlm
— Melbourne City Wrestling (@mcitywrestling) August 6, 2017
New UK based promotion Lucha Forever has released their latest ‘Lucha Live’ show for free on their streaming service. The card features the following bouts:
Bubblegum vs .Cara Noir
El Ligero vs. Drew Parker
Will Ospreay vs. Morgan Webster
Bea Priestley vs. April Davids
Pete Dunne vs. Kip Sabian
Lucha Forever Title Match – Travis Banks (c) vs. Mark Haskins
The promotion is co-owned by top UK performers Ryan Smile and Will Ospreay, they have been promoting shows across England over the past year and have an impressive roster including the likes of WWE UK Champion Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Lucha Underground’s Angelico, Mark Haskins and Travis Banks.
In the late 90s, the old NWO faction would release “paid advertisements” on Nitro. Bullet Club is now doing the same in NJPW.
The faction has been the focal point of NJPW’s marketing strategy for their July 1st and 2nd shows in L.A, and have now released the following video:
Bullet Club at NJPW G1 L.A Special
Somewhat surprisingly, Cody will receive an IWGP heavyweight title shot on night 1 of the 2-night event. At Dominion, Cody defeated Michael Elgin in what turned out to be a pretty important match.
The rest of the announced lineup so far:
NJPW July 1st 2017 Lineup
the Briscoes, Will Ospreay, & Roppongi Vice (CHAOS) vs. Bad Luck Fale, the Young Bucks, Yujiro Takahashi & Marty Scurll (Bullet Club)
Jushin Liger, Volador Jr., Dragon Lee & Titan vs. Sanada, Evil, Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi (Los Ingobernables)
IWGP U.S Championship Tournament (1st Round)
Jay Lethal vs. Hangman Page (Bullet Club)
IWGP U.S Championship Tournament (1st Round)
Juice Robinson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kushida, Jay White & David Finlay vs. Billy Gunn, Yoshi Tatsu, Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu
Corey Graves had some interesting comments regarding the …dive controversy on the latest episode of WWE Network exclusive ‘Bring It To The Table’.
Graves (alongside JBL and Peter Rosenberg) spoke at length about Randy Orton’s original tweet, his back and forth with Bully Ray/Bubba Ray Dudley and the Independent scene. Unsurprisingly both JBL and Graves were outspoken about the subject with JBL lambasting some independent performers as working “stupid.”
Graves disagreed with JBL and cited Will Ospreay vs Ricochet from last year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament as an example of well planned and well executed high flying wrestling. Ospreay has since taken to Twitter to show his appreciation for Graves’ comments:
New Japan’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament has come to an end. Here are the results for the final day:
Yuji Nagata, Shota Umino & Tomoyuki Oka b. Manabu Nakanishi, Tetsuhiro Yagi & Katsuya Kitamura – Oka took the win for his team using a Boston Crab on Yagi
Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Jado b. Hirai Kawato, Togi Makabe & Hiroyoshi Tenzan – Ishii secured the win for his team after hitting a Lariat on Kawato
Volador Jr., Tiger Mask IV & Jushin Thunder Liger b. TAKA Michinoku, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru – Volador beat TAKA with a Spanish Fly in a short match
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi b. ACH, David Finlay, Hanson & Raymond Rowe – Takahashi took the win for Bullet Club after hitting the Pimp Juice on Finlay
YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto b. Taichi & Minoru Suzuki – YOSHI took the win for his team after hitting the Karma on Taichi
Hiromu Takahashi, EVIL, BUSHI, SANADA & Tetsuya Naito b. Ryusuke Taguchi, Dragon Lee, Juice Robinson, Ricochet & Satoshi Kojima – Naito took the win for Los Ingobernables after finishing Kojima with the Destino. Tanahashi appeared after the match to proclaim that he will win the IC Title at Dominion and stop Naito from destroying it completely.
Kenny Omega & Marty Scurll b. Gedo & Kazuchika Okada – Scurll made Gedo tap with the Crossface Chickenwing on Gedo in just over 13 minutes. This has been an extremely successful debut tour for Scurll and he has adjusted well to the New Japan style
Best Of The Super Juniors Final: KUSHIDA b. Will Ospreay – KUSHIDA hit the Back to the Future in just under 28 minutes to win the BOSJ Tournament. This was an INCREDIBLE match that you must go out of your way to see
The full event is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com, New Japan’s next big live event is the Dominion show on June 11th featuring Okada vs Omega II.
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now heading towards its conclusion….
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Day 13 of the tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
BOSJ B Block Results
Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. El Desperado – Kanemaru took the win via count out and ends his tally on 4-3 (8 Points). Desperado finishes his run on 3-4 (6 Points)
Ryusuke Taguchi b. ACH – Taguchi wins with the Boston Crab to move his tally up to 4-3 (8 Points), ACH ends the tournament on 3-4 (6 Points)
BUSHI b. Tiger Mask IV – BUSHI continues his late surge with a win here over Tiger Mask, he finishes the tournament on 4-3 (8 Points), Tiger Mask ends his run on 3-4 (6 Points)
KUSHIDA b. Volador Jr. – KUSHIDA wins with the Back to the Future in just over 15 minutes, due to his record in the tournament against Kanemaru, Taguchi and BUSHI he wins B Block and will face Will Ospreay in the final (8 Points), Volador Jr ends the tournament on 3-4 (6 Points)
Block A & B winners have been decided! On June 3rd, Will Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA will determine …https://t.co/cwe37ALtn2
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now heading towards its conclusion….
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Day 12 of the tournament which is available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
BOSJ A Block Final Day Results
Jushin Thunder Liger b. Taichi – Liger FINALLY gets a win in the tournament to prevent Taichi from winning the block. Liger finishes his tally on 1-6 (2 Points). Taichi finishes on 4-3 (8 Points)
TAKA Michinoku b. Dragon Lee – TAKA takes the upset win with the Michinoku Driver II. TAKA ends his tournament run on 2-5 (4 Points), Dragon Lee is now out of the running on 4-3 (8 Points)
Marty Scurll b. Ricochet – Already eliminated Marty Scrull stops Ricochet from winning the block. Marty ends his tally on 4-3 (8 Points), Ricochet also ends on 4-3 (8 Points)
Will Ospreay b. Hiromu Takahashi – Ospreay hits the OsCutter to win A Block and advance to the final for the second year running in just over 15 minutes. His official tally is 5-2 (10 Points). Takahashi ends his tournament run on 4-3 (8 Points).
To confirm – Will Ospreay wins A Block and will be heading to the final on Saturday June 3rd, his opponent will be determined today at the final day of B Block matches. Any participant from B Block can advance to the finals, however our picks are KUSHIDA or Taguchi
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now heading towards its conclusion….
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Days 10 and 11 of the tournament which are now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
Day 10
Ricochet b. TAKA Michinoku – Ricochet wins the match after hitting the Benadryller, he is now 4-2 (8 Points). TAKA is 1-5 (2 Points)
Dragon Lee b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Dragon hit the Diving Foot Stomp to confirm his 4th win of the tournament, he is now 4-2 (8 Points). Liger is still unable to pick up a win in his last ever BOSJ, he is officially 0-6 (0 Points)
Taichi b. Will Ospreay – Taichi hit the Last Ride and scores the upset victory over the 2016 winner Ospreay, both men are now on 4-2 (8 Points)
Hiromu Takahashi b. Marty Scurll – Takahashi took the win with his TIME BOMB finisher, he is now 4-2 (8 Points), Marty is now on 3-3 (6 Points) and officially eliminated from the running
To confirm – Will Ospreay, Dragon Lee, Ricochet, Taichi, and Hiromu Takahashi are all still technically able to win A Block, Marty Scurll, Taka Michinoku and Jushin Thunder Liger are now mathematically eliminated from winning the block
Tiger Mask IV b. El Desperado – Tiger takes the win after hitting his Tiger Suplex finisher, he is now 3-3 (6 Points) in the tournament, Desperado is also now on 3-3 (6 Points)
BUSHI b. Yoshinobu Kanemaru – BUSHI took the win following the MX, he is now 3-3 (6 Points), Kanemaru is also 3-3 (6 Points)
Volador Jr. b. ACH – Volador hit an Avalanche Style Frankensteiner to take his tally up to 3-3 (6 Points), ACH is now also on 3-3 (6 Points)
KUSHIDA b. Ryusuke Taguchi – KUSHIDA hit his new Back to the Future finishing move to secure the win. He is now 3-3 (6 Points) in the tournament, Taguchi is also 3-3 (6 Points)
To confirm – every performer in B Block is on 6 points heading in to the final night. This will go right to the wire on the final night of B Block action on June 1st
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Days 8 and 9 of the tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
Day 8
BOSJ A BLOCK Matches
Taichi b. Marty Scurll – Taichi won the bout with his variation of the Gedo Clutch, he advances to 3-2 (6 Points), Marty Scurll is also 3-2 (6 Points)
Ricochet b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Ricochet took the win with the King’s Landing, he is now 3-2 (6 Points) in the tournament. Liger has still not won a match and is 0-5 (0 Points)
Hiromu Takahashi b. TAKA Michinoku – Hiromu took the win after hitting his patented TIME BOMB. He moves to 3-2 in the tournament (6 Points). TAKA is now at 1-4 (2 Points) and officially has no chance of winning
Will Ospreay b. Dragon Lee – Ospreay gained his 4th win to move to 4-1 (8 Points) and top A Block. This was Dragon’s second loss, he is now at 3-2 (6 Points)
ACH b. El Desperado – ACH hit the Midnight Driver to advance to 3-2 (6 Points). Desperado is also now 3-2 (6 Points)
BUSHI b. Volador Jr. – BUSHI hit the MX to secure the win. He is now at 2-3 (4 Points), Volador is also 2-3 (4 Points)
Ryusuke Taguchi b. Tiger Mask IV – Taguchi took the win in just under 10 minutes to take his tally up to 3-2 (6 Points). Tiger Mask is now 2-3 (4 Points) after his early upset victories against ACH and KUSHIDA
KUSHIDA b. Yoshinobu Kanemaru – KUSHIDA hit his new Back to the Future move to take the win, he is now 2-3 (4 Points). Kanemaru is on 3-2 (6 Points)
Ring of Honor has announced that they will be returning to the UK this August for the first ever War of the Worlds UK Tour.
ROH will be joining Rev Pro, CMLL and New Japan Pro Wrestling for three dates in London, Liverpool and Edinburgh. Ring of Honor sent out the following press release for the Tour:
“Coming hot off the heels of the sold-out War of the Worlds 2017 Tour in North America, ROH is thrilled to announce, in conjunction with NJPW, CMLL and Revolution Pro Wrestling, the first-ever War of the Worlds UK Tour from August 18th , 2017 – August 20th, 2017! With stronger-than-ever partnerships, stars from the top professional wrestling organizations in the world will do battle over the course of three nights!
The tour comes in overwhelming response to not only the resoundingly successful ROH Reach for the Sky UK Tour, but also to the rapid sellouts of Ring of Honor, New Japan, CMLL, and Rev Pro events around the globe. The match possibilities are endless, dream teams could be formed, and various championships WILL be contested!
ALSO, RPW (Rev Pro) will host their annual ‘Summer Sizzler’, which will serve as a special Kickoff Event on Thursday August 17 at York Hall in London! From there, the stars of ROH, CMLL, NJPW, and RPW will compete at York Hall on Friday August 18 and then head the Liverpool Olympia on Saturday August 19! The tour will wrap up on August 20th in at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange to mark ROH’s first ever event in Scotland! Tickets for the most-recent WOTW USA Tour sold out so keep it locked into ROHWrestling.com to ensure you are the first to have the opportunity to purchase tickets to these historic events!
If history is any indication, anything can and will happen on these tours! On the Reach for the Sky Tour, the ROH World Television Title changed hands twice, while on the most recent War of the Worlds Tour, a New Japan star captured the World Television title!”
The last UK tour for Ring of Honor saw the company debuts of Marty Scurll and Will Ospreay, although there has been no indication of any debutants for this tour expect Ring of Honor to make a blockbuster announcement for their return to one of the hotbeds of pro wrestling later this year.
Ring of Honor has also announced that CMLL stars Atlantis, Rey Bucanero, Ultimo Guerrero and Mistico will be joining the historic tour in August.
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Day 7 of the tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
Non Tournament Matches
Hirai Kawato & Tomoyuki Oka b. Katsuya Kitamura & Shota Umino b. Kawato took the win for his team after hitting a diving Missile kick on Umino.
Taichi & TAKA Michinoku b. Will Ospreay & Jado – Taichi took the win after hitting the Tenshojujiho on Jado.
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi & Marty Scurll b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson, David Finlay & Ricochet – Tanga Loa took the pinfall win over Finlay
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Satoshi Kojima, Juice Robinson, Jushin Thunder Liger & Dragon Lee – Naito took the win for Los Ingobernables after hitting Destino on Kojima
Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. Tiger Mask IV – Kanemaru hits the Deep Impact to take his tournament tally up to 3-1 (6 Points). This was Tiger Mask’s second loss, he is now 2-2 (4 Points)
Volador Jr. b. El Desperado – Volador Jr takes the win to advance to 2-2 (4 Points) in the tournament. This was Desperado’s first loss, he is now at 3-1 (6 Points)
BUSHI b. Ryusuke Taguchi – BUSHI finally gets his first win after hitting the MX, he is now at 1-3 (2 Points). This was Taguchi’s second loss, he is at 2-2 (4 Points)
ACH b. KUSHIDA – In yet another upset KUSHIDA loses to ACH following the Midnight Driver, ACH is now 2-2 (4 Points) and KUSHIDA is at a shocking 1-3 (2 Points)
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Day 6 of the tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
Non Tournament Matches
Volador Jr., Tomoyuki Oka & Shota Umino b. ACH, Katsuya Kitamura & Tetsuhiro Yagi – Oka won the match for his team after locking in a Boston Crab on Yagi
Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado b. Tiger Mask IV & Hirai Kawato – Desperado took the win for his team using the Pinche Loco on Kawato
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Satoshi Kojima, Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi & KUSHIDA – Naito took the win for Los Ingobernables after hitting the Destino on Kojima
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Yujiro Takahashi b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson & David Finlay – Tanga Loa took the win for his team in just over 6 minutes after pinning Finlay
Marty Scurll b. TAKA Michinoku – Scurll locked in the Crossface Chicken Wing to record his third win of the tournament, he is now 3-1 (6 Points). TAKA’s tally is now at 1-3 (2 Points)
Will Ospreay b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Ospreay took the win with his patented OsCutter to move to 3-1 (6 Points) in the tournament. This was Liger’s fourth straight loss and the Japanese legend has now been officially eliminated from his last ever Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
Hiromu Takahashi b. Daichi – Hiromu moves his tally to 2-2 (4 Points) after beating Taichi with the TIME BOMB. Taichi is also 2-2 in the tournament.
Dragon Lee b. Ricochet – Dragon Lee recorded his third win in the tournament after hitting his Hanging Double Footstomp, he is now 3-1 (6 Points). This was Ricochet’s second loss, he is now 2-2 (4 Points)
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Day 5 of the tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
Non Tournament Matches
Hirai Kawato & Tomoyuki Oka b. Katsuya Kitamura & Shota Umino – Kawato took the win for his team with a Boston Crab in around 7 minutes
Taichi & TAKA Michinoku b. Will Ospreay & Jado – Taichi took the win for his team after hitting the Tenshojujiho on Jado
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi & Marty Scurll b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson, David Finlay & Ricochet – Tonga took the win for Bullet Club after hitting the Gun Stun on Rowe
Satoshi Kojima, Juice Robinson, Jushin Thunder Liger & Dragon Lee b. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI – Juice Robinson took the win for his team after hitting the Pulp Fiction on EVIL
Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. Volador Jr. – Kanemaru hit the Deep Impact to take his tournament tally to 2-1 (4 Points). Volador is now on 1-2 (2 Points)
Tiger Mask IV b. ACH – Tiger Mask wins in another upset with his Crucifix Hold. He is now 2-1 in the tournament (4 Points). ACH is now at 1-2 (2 Points)
El Desperado b. Ryusuke Taguchi – Desperado wins again with his Pinche Loco, he is now 3-0 (6 Points). This was Taguchi’s first loss, he is now at 2-1 (4 points)
KUSHIDA b. BUSHI – KUSHIDA finally gets his first win to take his tally up to 1-2 (2 Points). This was BUSHI’s third consecutive loss 0-3 (0 Points)
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Day 4 of the tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
Non Tournament Matches
Volador Jr, Tomoyuki Oka & Shota Umino b. ACH, Katsuya Kitamura & Tetsuhiro Yagi – Oka took the win for his team in just under 7 minutes with a Boston Crab on Yagi.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado b. Tiger Mask IV & Hirai Kawato – Desperado secured the win with a Pinche Loco on Kawato
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi & KUSHIDA – EVIL hit his namesake manoeuvre on KUSHIDA to take the win in around 13 minutes. Naito destroyed the IWGP Intercontinental Championship after the match
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Yujiro Takahashi b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson & David Finlay – Yujiro took the win for Bullet Club after hitting the Pimp Juice on Finlay
Will Ospreay b. TAKA Michinoku – Ospreay hit the OsCutter to take his tournament tally to 2-1 (4 points), TAKA is now on 1-2 (2 Points)
Marty Scurll b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Scurll locked in the Crossface Chicken Wing to take his tally up to 2-1 (4 Points), Liger suffered his third loss, he is now at 0-3 (0 Points)
Taichi b. Dragon Lee – Taichi hit the Last Ride to take his tournament tally up to 2-1 (4 Points), this was Dragon Lee’s first loss so he is also now on 2-1 (4 Points)
Ricochet b. Hiromu Takahashi – Ricochet hit the Kings’ Landing in around 12 minutes to take his tournament total up to 2-1 (4 Points). This was Hiromu’s second loss, he now on 1-2 (2 Points)
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament is now well underway.
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Day 3 of tournament which is now available to view on NJPWWorld.com.
Non Tournament Match – Hirai Kawato & Tomoyuki Oka b. Katsuya Kitamura & Shota Amino – Oka scored the win for his team with a Single Leg Crab on Umino.
Non Tournament Match –Taichi & TAKA Michinoku b. Will Ospreay & Jado – TAKA and Taichi of Suzuki-Gun took the win after Taichi hit a Super Kick on Jado
Best of the Super Juniors B BLOCK Match – Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. ACH – Kanemaru won in just over 10 minutes with the Deep Impact, he is now 1-1 in the tournament, ACH is also 1-1.
Best of the Super Juniors B BLOCK Match – Tiger Mask IV b. KUSHIDA – Tiger Mask won the match with his Tiger Suplex in what can only be described as an upset. Tiger is now 1-1 and KUSHIDA is 0-2.
Non Tournament Match – Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi & Marty Scurll b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson, Jushin Thunder Liger & David Finlay – Bullet Club took the win after Yujiro hit the Pimp Juice on Finlay
Best of the Super Juniors B BLOCK Match – El Desperado b. BUSHI – Desperado took the win via pinfall to move to 2-0 in the tournament, BUSHI is now at 0-2
Best of the Super Juniors B BLOCK Match – Ryusuke Taguchi b. Volador Jr. – Taguchi hit the Dodon to advance to 2-0 in the tournament, Volador is now at 1-1
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Ricochet & Dragon Lee – Naito secured the win for his team after hitting the Destino on Kojima
New Japan’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament started yesterday with a bang. You can check out the complete results from Day 1 here.
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner. Here are the results from Day 2:
Non Tournament Matches
Tiger Mask IV, Hirai Kawato & Tomoyuki Oka b. Katsuya Kitamura, Shota Umino & Tetsuhiro Yagi – Kawato made Yagi submit with a single leg crab
Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado b.Volador Jr. & ACH – Desperado took the win for his team after hitting a jumping crucifix hold on ACH
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Yujiro Takahashi b. Raymond Rowe, Hanson & David Finlay – Tama Tonga secured the win for Bullet Club when he hit the Gun Stun on Finlay
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Satoshi Kojima, Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi & KUSHIDA – Bushi used the Bushiroll on KUSHIDA to take the win in just over 9 minutes
Taichi b. TAKA Michinoku – Taichi took the win with his patented Gedo Clutch in a very entertaining DDT style ‘match’
Dragon Lee b. Marty Scurll – Dragon takes his second win in the tournament after hitting a Patellas en el Pecho on Scurll for the pinfall win
Hiromu Takahashi b. Jushin Thunder Liger – Hiromu defeated the legend Liger with his TIME BOMB finishing move. This was his first win and Liger’s second loss
Will Ospreay b. Ricochet – Ospreay took the win in a mesmerising match after hitting the OsCutter
New Japan’s yearly Best of the Super Juniors tournament has now officially begun.
The Best of the Super Juniors (also known as BOSJ) is essentially the Junior Heavyweight version of the G1 Climax tournament that takes place in July. Competitors are split into two Blocks and must compete with every wrestler in their block round robin style. Points are awarded for victories and the eventual winners of the two groups face off in a final match to determine the winner.
Here are the results from Day 1 of the tournament:
A BLOCK Matches
TAKA Michinoku b. Jushin Thunder Liger – TAKA took his first win in the tournament after hitting the Heavy Killer #1
Ricochet b. Daichi – Ricochet took his first win of the tournament following the Shooting Star Press in just under 9 minutes
Marty Scurll b. Will Ospreay – ‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll took the win in his debut NJPW match after making Ospreay submit with the Crossface Chicken Wing
Dragon Lee b. Hiromu Takahashi – Lee takes the win over longtime rival Takahashi using the Phoenix Plex.
NJPW and Ring of Honor star Will Ospreay recently sat down with ESPN to discuss a variety of topics including his ROH War of the Worlds match, his in ring style and the controversy with Randy Orton. Here are some excerpts:
On Jay White:
“Jay White is probably one of the most polite and down-to-earth guys I’ve ever met, He was brought up through the young lion New Japan Dojo, so he knows his stuff. He’s probably going to be the biggest star once he goes back to Japan. I consider him a friend, and I think he would even say, as well, that we were overwhelmed by the people and the kind of response we had with people saying that was probably the best match on the card, and some people were even saying it was probably match of the year. I was like, ‘Oh wow, that’s incredible.'”
On the injuries he sustained during his War of the Worlds match:
“I’m fine, my foot is killing me though,” My foot is so wrecked from the suicide dive, and he [Jay White] powerslammed me into the barricade. My foot wrapped across the barricade. It was the most painful thing ever. My back is all scratched up. My obliques are all cut up. That’s what this company is built on. It’s built on sacrifice. I’m happy to sacrifice my body if it means this place is going to get more recognition.”
On his in-ring style:
“I would like to show people that what I do is professional wrestling,” A lot of people give me a lot of stick — I’m cool, I can take it. Because my style is apparently not believable in a fight situation. Well, I’ve seen worse things, trust me on that. Ricochet says it best: Wrestling is an art form. I don’t bash people for doing death matches, but I love death matches. I’ve done one a while ago at Progress [Wrestling]. I loved it. I don’t mock the tech wrestling ’cause I can do it, but I don’t like it. But at the end of it, I still think it’s wrestling.”
On the ….dive controversy:
“I thought it was really funny. I do agree a bit, quite a lot of it. I do feel like wrestling has become very similar [in style], but just listen to that crowd from New York. It is that format, and everyone was going insane. I don’t know what to say but … dive.”