First wrestler qualifies for NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 32 finals

  • Ian Carey
  • By 

The A Block winner of the Best of the Super Juniors 32 has been determined.

Kosei Fujita advanced on a tie-breaker from a five way logjam at 10 points atop A Block. His wins over Hiromu Takahashi, Master Wato, and Clark Connors, all of whom had 5-4 records as well, put him at a 3-1 record against the other tied competitors.

The final night of A Block took place on Tuesday in Shizuoka.

A Block Matches

Ninja Mack vs. Dragon Dia kicked off the tournament portion of today’s show. Dia came into this one with a 4-4 record after having only won one match in last year’s tournament. The finish saw Mack miss a Ninja Bomb, and Dia attempt a top rope move only for Mack to counter with a 540 kick for the win. They both finish with 4-5 records.

Heading into the second tournament match, both Francesco Akira and KUSHIDA were still technically alive with 4-4 records. The finish saw Akira reverse KUSHIDA’s Hoverboard Lock into a Ground Tarantula to get the submission victory.

Shockingly, House of Torture got involved in Yoshinobu Kanemaru’s match against Master Wato. With SHO distracting the ref, Kanemaru used a whisky bottle to bash Wato’s knee while he had him in a figure four, eventually leading to the submission. House of Torture continued the assault after the match until YOH came out to make the save.

Heading into the semi-main event of the evening, Clark Connors needed a win over Kosei Fujita and a Hiromu Takahashi loss to Robbie X in the main event to advance. Fujita would advance on tie-breakers with a win and a Takahashi loss due to his record against the other wrestlers tied with 10 points. Connors brought out Mr. Wheel, or Wheel-san, the spare tire he has been using throughout the tournament, and worked over Fujita’s back. However, finish of the match saw Fujita reverse a No Chaser attempt into a Nemos Special to get the submission victory.

Heading into the main event, Hiromu Takahashi controlled his own fate. A win over Robbie X and he would advance to the finals with a chance to win his fifth Best of the Super Juniors tournament. He looked to have things won after hitting a Time Bomb, but another attempt was countered when X bent back his fingers and then hit a springboard cutter followed by his X Express finisher from the top for the win.

After his win, Robbie X told Fujita that if he wins the Junior Heavyweight title, he wants the first shot.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors night 11 results:

  • A Block: Robbie X defeated Hiromu Takahashi
  • A Block: Kosei Fujita defeated Clark Connors
  • A Block: Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Master Wato
  • A Block: Francesco Akira defeated KUSHIDA
  • A Block: Ninja Mack defeated Dragon Dia

A Block —

  • Master Wato (5-4): 10 points
  • Hiromu Takahashi (5-4): 10 points
  • Clark Connors (5-4): 10 points
  • Francesco Akira (5-4): 10 points
  • Kosei Fujita (5-4): 10 points
  • Robbie X (4-5): 8 points
  • Dragon Dia (4-5): 8 points
  • KUSHIDA (4-5): 8 points
  • Ninja Mack (4-5): 8 points
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru (4-5): 8 points

B Block —

  • El Desperado (5-3): 10 points
  • YOH (5-3): 10 points
  • MAO (5-3): 10 points
  • Robbie Eagles (4-4): 8 points
  • Taiji Ishimori (4-4): 8 points
  • Nick Wayne (4-4): 8 points
  • SHO (4-4): 8 points
  • Ryusuke Taguchi (3-5): 6 points
  • Titan (3-5): 6 points
  • Kevin Knight (3-5): 6 points

Upcoming Schedule

The final night of B Block takes place Thursday in Niigata.

  • B Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kevin Knight
  • B Block: El Desperado vs. Robbie Eagles
  • B Block: YOH vs. Taiji Ishimori
  • B Block: Titan vs. Nick Wayne
  • B Block: MAO vs. SHO