New Japan BOSJ | Night 2 | Block B | TUE. MAY. 17. 2022 | BELL 18:30 | Yamagata | Sakata City Gymnasium
Opening Tag Match | Yuto Nakashima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & YOH Vs Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa & Clark Connors
Time: 11m 01s
Winner via a Trophy Kill: Clark Connors [LA DOJO]
Taka Michinoku & Yoshinobu Kanemaru [Suzuki-Gun] Vs Ace Austin [IMPACT] & Tiger Mask [Main Unit]
Time: 6m 55m
Winner via The Fold: Ace Austin [IMPACT]
Alex Zayne, Rysuke Taguchi & Jado Vs SHO, Tiji Ishimori, & Dick Togo [Bullet Club]
Time: 6m 27s
Winner via a Snakebite: SHO [Bullet Club]
El Linderman [Strong Hearts] Vs DOUKI [Suzuki-Gun]
After a little slip from El Linderman as he tried to get to the top rope during his entrance this match goes down without a hitch. This is El Linderman’s first New Japan BOSJ Tournament while this is DOUKI’s third. This match is fast-paced and full of DDT’s and Top Rope moves. This is the first-time meeting between the two and they gel incredibly well. Hopefully, we will get to see Suzuki-gun and Strong Hearts face-off inside a New Japan ring in the future. This match was one that I listed in my need to see list and I was definitely right about that.
Time: 9m 21s
Winner via a Suplex De La Luna: DOUKI
Rating: ****.75
BUSHI [L.I.J] Vs El Phantasmo [Bullet Club]
This is BUSHI’s 10th super juniors appearance and he will be facing off against El Phantasmo who is sporting some X-PAC-inspired gear. These two are some of the dirtiest players in New Japan, they both have amazing skills and are known for their high flying acrobatics but they also will try and cheat whenever they can.
This match is fast-paced and all go from start to finish, which is what you would expect from a New Japan BOSJ bout. The two go in hard during this match, not just with their fast-paced top rope maneuvers but also when they get down to the mat. There is a common misconception that BOSJ and the junior heavyweight division are all flips but that’s not the case, here we see some real submission grappling too. And Yes, both men do try and cheat but El Phansamo is just too sneaky for BUSHI during this one.
Time: 10m 43s
Winner via a CRII: El Phantasmo
Rating: ****.5
Robbie Eagles [CHAOS] Vs Wheeler Yuta [Blackpool Combat Club]
The second best match of the night and one I predicted in my article for WhatCulture would be a must-watch match of the tournament. This has everything from high flying, to hard chops all the way down to the mat so both men can show off their pure wrestling ability.
Wheeler Yuta was a part of CHAOS up until around a month and a half ago when he faced off against Jon Moxley and was brought into the fold of the Blackpool Combat Club. Robbie Eagles turned his back on Bullet Club a few years ago to join CHAOS so knows what it is like to jump ship, so it is only fitting that these two would face off on the first night of Block B action.
You can see during this match the influence William Regal, Moxley, and Bryan Danielson have had on Yuta’s style, he has always been a great in-ring worker but here we get to see something different. Yuta is more brutal than before with a greater focus on submission, grappling, and joint manipulation while also bringing a new vicious brawler style to his arsenal.
For the first part of this match, Yuta has Eagles’s number but his lack of experience catches up with him as once Eagles’ gets going there is no stopping him. These two men are exhausted by the end of this bout with neither one being a desperation roll-up, which is the right way to use such a move I must say. This is a must-watch match of this year’s New Japan BOSJ.
Time: 11m 30s
Winner via a Roll-Up: Robbie Eagles
Rating: *****
Master Wato [Taguchi Japan/Main Unit] Vs TJP [United Empire]
This match was a sleeper hit of the night, which shouldn’t be surprising with TJP being a part of the match. I personally don’t understand the appeal of Master Wato but you can’t deny that he has improved since coming back from excursion. This match is really all about TJP and establishing the United Empire as a force to be reckoned with.
Master Wato and TJP work really well against each other and the veteran does make the younger wrestler look incredible. This is definitely a match that I personally wasn’t that bothered by and it surprised me. If you get the chance do seek it out, it’s great
Time: 12m 21s
Winner via a Pinoy Stretch: TJP
Ranking: ****.5
El Desperado Vs Titan [CMLL]
Titan made his New Japan BOSJ debut 9 years ago but has had to sit out the last two years because of the Covid pandemic. El Desperado is one of the most outstanding junior heavyweights in modern-day New Japan and is finally getting his flowers. The match starts off with an offering of a handshake, which Despy denies, as both men’s styles are deeply rooted in lucha libre and this is a first-time meeting in singles competition for the pair.
These two men really bring it to one another with hard chops that echo through the room. Both men target each other’s knees trying to ground each other but they manage to power through the pain. along with some exciting high-flying moves and a stunning tornado DDT from Titan. They both show off their submission skills and despite Titan having slowed down and paird back his repotue the match is fast moving from start to finish. Match of the night in my opinion.
Time: 13m 45s
Winner via a Pinche Loco: El Desperado
Rating: ***** [MOTY]
Standings For Block B of New Japan BOSJ After Night 2
| DOUKI | 2 |
| El Phantasmo | 2 |
| Robbie Eagles | 2 |
| TJP | 2 |
| El Desperado | 2 |
| El Linderman | 0 |
| BUSHI | 0 |
| Wheeler Yuta | 0 |
| Master Wato | 0 |
| Titan | 0 |