When the coronavirus pandemic delayed the Best of the Super Jr. tournament in 2020, the easy solution was to combine it with a World Tag League that had struggled to “be any good” for years. The two-tournament tour that came of it resulted in a batch of 3-star-ish matches for noise-restricted crowds, with only the Finals or spins on the 3-star formula feeling like something someone would be proud of.
One year later, the format returned and felt about the same plus another week. El Desperado, the Dangerous Tekkers and most of the finalists stood out in block matches, all of which came to an end Wednesday night at Sumo Hall with two Tournament Finals and appearances by other assorted New Japan stars and tournament losers.
1. Ryusuke Taguchi, Yuto Nakashima & Kosei Fujita vs. Minoru Suzuki, TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI
Taguchi and TAKA were two guys who stood out on tour, Taguchi spicing up the BOSJ with his reliable mix of ass jokes and sensible match pacing then TAKA getting his ass kicked in the Tag League and losing every match. My report right now on the newcomer Nakashima is that he is as full of angst as many before him and that’s a good start. Suzuki had a smidge of fun torturing him with a headlock and shutting down the spirit before DOUKS took the fall. **
2. Tiger Mask IV & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
Here’s the story: Tiger is wise, Oiwa is new, Bullet Club sucks, Oiwa will lose. It goes that way for approximately 150 seconds before ELP superkicks Oiwa out of a crab hold, Taiji gets the pin, and Tiger’s like whaaaa!? I kind of liked it. After the match, Robbie Eagles rescues his Tiger and Ryusuke Taguchi provides support until he attacks them too. Good thing Wrestle Kingdom is in a few weeks!! **
3. Toru Yano, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Master Wato vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
In a time with endless run-ins and forced character in wrestling (that may also just be called adulthood), Suzuki-gun’s no-BS heel approach is so refreshing that it’s basically turned them babyface. They spent about 10 minutes beating up a few nerds, then an appreciated yet brief urgency to win overtook the match before it came to a close. The heeling continues. *3/4
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
Out of both distinguished respect and distressing reality, the New Japan Dad edition of Tanahashi fit right in as he made his way to the ring with the other New Japan Dads. They wrestled remains of the Bullet Club led by Bad Luck Fale (back in Japan) and Tama Tonga (has facial hair again). Tanga Loa responds to the Kojima machine gun chops with machine gun slaps to various parts of the body which I think is a new thing for him, and we at Happy Wrestling Land support new things.
It didn’t feel like there was a ton of buzz in the arena as Chase Owens tried to get a second win over Tanahashi, though Tana was able to get a win back (albeit via cradle). KENTA challenged Tanahashi from the big screen after the match. **3/4
5. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb
I didn’t see every Naito and SANADA Tag League match, but the ones that would be presumably be the best were not very promising. I don’t need the second coming of Holy Demon Army or Midnight Express from a house show match in a pandemic, but something that feels sort of useful or enjoyable would be nice. This felt about at the level of the top-tier League matches, closing up with a finish that highlighted Cobb even if he lost to a cradle and even if it should have highlighted O-Khan. ***
6. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Kazuchika Okada & Robbie Eagles
Shingo Takagi and Kazuchika Okada are a pair of guys that deserved a break, and you could say they eased back into it tonight. They got in some light exchanges but most of the work went to Eagles (who had a big 2-appearance night) and BUSHI, who looked so gosh dang proud hearing the applause from his tope. Soon he fell to the Rainmaker, who got a dominant return win. Post-match, Okada puts his hand around Robbie’s shoulder and it has a real “Robbie’s my son now” message to it, maybe to Will. **3/4
7. World Tag League – Final: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi
This is a part of a Double Main Event, which really just feels like a way of making the big boys feel more secure about the little guys eating their lunch. It was a battle of tag team supremacy with one team that fits the bill, the Goto and YOSHI tandem that for a while has been one of those “quietly best in world” type teams for their reliability, skill, and capability in making people actually give a shit. The other team is House of Torture’s EVIL and Yujiro, who’s Tag League success had snuck up on me as best practice is to generally avoid their matches. Guess I’m seeing one now.
Tournament Finals at Sumo Hall or not, YOSHI-HASHI waltzes out too aloof to give a shit. He and Goto yuk it up for the crowd briefly before they’re both whipped into exposed steel turnbuckles and the crowd visually slouches in their seats in preparation for the offense to come. When the exposed steel and a lot of time spent stepping on YOSHI-HASHI’s face inexplicably does not result in complete victory, Goto makes his way in and rallies before EVIL calls in big Dick Togo, who isn’t a big step up from the face-stepping.
YOSHI’s unique good guy charisma and CHAOS’ double-teams on the comeback provided some good wrestling, but what were they really up against? Boots in faces and Dick Togo? Yujiro does a great WTF face off a DDT near fall and EVIL takes a monster bump into the guardrail to setup the finish, but they’re late additions to an otherwise pretty nothing contribution from the House. Good tag, OK tournament final. ***1/4
8. Best of the Super Jr. – Final: Hiromu Takahashi vs. YOH
I’ll be upfront with bias case you haven’t been keeping up with each and every Happy Wrestling post:
Love love love Hiromu Takahashi, both as in-ring talent and general personality even if injuries and pandemic crowds have made me question that more than I’d like. He was a bright spot of the BOSJ and the Desperado pairing is guaranteed magic, but can a man not wonder aloud if Hiromu without his trademark recklessness is still capable of greatness?
I’m a big YOH guy too, or at least the kind of guy who would say that. He did enough with Roppongi 3K to prove he’s good at this, the less flashy partner who if you wanted to actually sit own and think about it is probably better all-around.
I’m also a sucker for a tournament final in Japan, almost always pre-loaded with a big deal atmosphere unless the wrestling really sucked or it’s literally against the rules to make noise. We are where we are now though and you do what you can with it — clap clap clap.
YOH keeping up with the big leagues was the focus from bell-to-bell, rope-running and jaw-jacking early that gave way to furious chop exchanges where the chest damage was — given YOH’s pale complexion — on immediate and vivid display. His selling during and especially late into the match was excellent, but if it wasn’t the blood red color all over his chest was a useful reminder.
YOH tried to put something together as they went past 20 then 30 minutes, and look: New Japan and pro wrestling in general are packed with 20-30 minute matches that just suck, whether they’re badly wrestled or just don’t have enough highlights or stakes to overcome their complacency. In the Content Era or whatever this is now (adulthood??), it’s eating up the reputation of 20-30 minute matches that are actually good. This is one of those good ones, using classic favorites like pacing and putting someone over plus stuff like an apron Death Valley Driver and run-ins from all their friends. And here’s the kicker: it almost goes 40!
Right after the DVD, Hiromu — wide smile across his face — went for the now-rare sunset flip powerbomb on the floor which YOH countered into a hurricanrana followed by a gorgeous tope con hilo that enveloped all of Sumo Hall’s consciousness into an understanding that a suitable new generation had arrived. It was phenomenal.
The commitment to story bell-to-bell was especially helpful when SHO emerged a half-hour in for some #Interference. He dropped YOH with a particularly nasty Shock Arrow on the floor and laid out Hiromu too, then demanded the match just be called off which was honestly kind of a funny bit. Goto and YOSHI chased SHO away, Naito and Shingo rallied YOH and Hiromu to stand up, and an intrusion that felt unnecessary at first ended up feeling like an acceptable way to give a tournament final with a clap-clap crowd a little something extra.
With their heavyweight buddies now watching from ringside, Hiromu and YOH continued — hurting, exhausted, but earnestly trying to close. Occasionally something like a handspring backflip counter would pop up but they mostly stuck to strikes, headbutts, and in Hiromu’s case a few different rollups that worked in the past because nothing else seemed to be working on YOH. When a kickout of YOH’s Dragon suplex hold left Hiromu dazed, it felt like YOH was going to happen. It would’ve worked too, but soon he ran out of ammunition, even though even across 40 minutes he never seemed get a perfect shot.
Yes, Hiromu Takahashi is still great. Like New Japan’s other top guys, he just doesn’t always have to be. He almost casually carried his half of a great year-end main event, with the other carried by YOH who was anything but casual in proving he could put it all together in a big time spot. If it’s not a breakout performance, that’s just because nobody’s watches New Japan. Great wrestling, actual emotion, tournament final!!! ****3/4
Happy Thoughts: Most roads still lead to Ospreay, but New Japan’s 2021 Tag League and BOSJ Finals delivered a pair of good to great if not mind-changing matches. Also, HEY — Katsuyori Shibata got in the ring and announced he was going to have another wrestling match. 3.0 / 5.0
