Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 4) Review 5.21.17

Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 4) Review 5.21.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Will Ospreay defeated TAKA Michinoku @ 8:45 via pin [**¾]
– Marty Scurll defeated Jushin Liger @ 12:16 via submission [***]
– Taichi defeated Dragon Lee @ 9:05 via pin [*½]
– Ricochet defeated Hiromu Takahashi @ 12:15 via pin [***½]

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* Csonka’s Top 5 Omissions From The 2017 BOTSJ.
* Csonka’s Top 5 Potential BOTSJ Winners.
* Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 1) Review 5.17.17.
* Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 2) Review 5.18.17.
* Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 3) Review 5.20.17.

– These are block A matches today, single camera and no commentary..

Will Ospreay vs. TAKA Michinoku: Ospreay looked to work the arm right away, but TAKA countered and they did some slick transitions with Ospreay taking control. They then traded strikes and kicks, but TAKA eye poked Ospreay but then ran into a dropkick and was sent to the floor. Ospreay followed him out and they brawled towards the back, it was difficult to see with the single camera. We then see TAKA worked the crossface, ran back to the ring for the Gedo special (brawl into a countout tease). Back in and TAKA laid the boots to Ospreay, hit a corner knee charge and covered for 2. TAKA then tried to lock in the guillotine, but Ospreay was too close to the ropes so TAKA used the ropes to choke him out. TAKA stomps on him in the corner, but Ospreay fights back with strikes. TAKA kept challenging him to hit more, but Ospreay then hit the back handspring kick and running uppercuts. The running shooting star press connected for 2. TAKA then locked in the crossface, but Ospreay made the ropes. Ospreay cut off the slam attempt, but TAKA fired back with a superkick for 2 and locked in the crossface again. Ospreay fought, but TAKA cranked back on the hold only for Ospreay to get the ropes. Ospreay then hit the springboard forearm and tornado kick, and the OsCutter finished it. Will Ospreay defeated TAKA Michinoku @ 8:45 via pin [**¾] Pretty good overall, with TAKA laying the role of the smart veteran, constantly trying to take the young Ospreay out of his comfort zone. Really smart work from TAKA here.

Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Marty Scurll: Liger looks to work the arm early, but Scurll with the slick escape and takes Liger to the mat. Liger shoots Scurll the middle finger, takes him down and then looks for the Romero special, but Scurll makes the ropes. Scurll then starts to work the arm, keeping Liger grounded. Liger works into a head scissors, but Scurll easily escapes. Scurll does his bird celebration but Liger doesn’t have time for that and tosses him to the floor. Scurll takes a lap and yells at the young lions, makes his way back in and Liger looks for a sunset flip, but Scurll fights it off and stomps on his hand. Scurll then focuses his attack on the arm, working it over in the ropes. Really strong focus on the arm by Scurll here, as he continues to torture Liger in the ropes, tying up his arm. Scurll then runs into a boot, and Liger then hits the title a whirl back breaker to cut him off. Liger sets Scurll up top and the RANA follows for 2. Scurll fights off the liger bomb, and follows with strikes. The superkick follows, but Liger then hits the front rolling kick. Scurll fights off the brainbuster, slamming Liger to the mat and then looks for the chicken wing. Liger fights; keeping Scurll from fully locking it in and just makes the ropes. Scurll then kicks away at the arm, and heads up top. Liger cuts him off, follows him up and hits the SUPERPLEX! Liger shakes out the arm, but Scurll blocks the Shotei and does the finger snap spot. Liger gets an O’Connor roll, but Scurll counters into the chicken wing and Liger TAPS! Marty Scurll defeated Jushin Liger @ 12:16 via submission [***] Good back and forth match with Scurll picking up the huge submission victory (clean) over Liger. Scurll picks up his second win, while Liger is still shutout.

Dragon Lee vs. Taichi w/Desperado: Taichi attacks before the bell, beating on Lee with his mic stand. He then sends Lee to the floor so Desperado can work him over for a bit. Back in the ring and Taichi works over Lee, but Lee fights back and hits a basement dropkick. They battle on the floor, but Back in Lee hits a springboard missile dropkick. Desperado distracts the ref, allowing Taichi to use the bell hammer to work over Lee. Taichi then tries to remove his mask, and then sets Lee into the tree of WHOA. Lee frees himself, only for Taichi to go after the mask again and then beats on Lee in the corner. Lee fights back with a jumping knee strike and hits a RANA. He takes out Desperado and then hits suicide dives to both Taichi and Desperado. We get some brawling on the floor, and then back in the ring, Lee works over Taichi with forearm strikes. The corner dropkick connects for 2. Lee up top, but Taichi distracts the ref and rolls around with him. He then hits an enziguri but Lee hits an XPLODER into the corner. Lee follows with a snap German. Taichi grabs the ref to save himself from another German, allowing Desperado to hit Lee with a chair shot. Taichi hit a head kick to the kneeling Lee for a near fall. Taichi misses a superkick, but lee then runs into one for the near fall. Taichi finally finishes Lee with the last ride. Taichi defeated Dragon Lee @ 9:05 via pin [*½] Both men move to 2-1 overall. Taichi is still really bad, his act is bad and just feels so dated. All of the shenanigans are done to cover up his shortcomings as a performer, and they don’t even really help. The only reason that this didn’t completely suck was due to Dragon Lee. Post match, Taichi’s lack of originality continues, as he rips off Lee’s mask so now he’s stealing Desperado’s shtick.

Ricochet vs. Hiromu Takahashi: These guys had an awesome (****½) back at the Wrestling Toyonokuni event. They worked an even back and forth, playing off of the fact that thy know each other from their previous meeting. They kept the pacing brisk, with Takahashi finally cutting off Ricochet with an XPLODER to the buckles. Takahashi then took over, hitting the snap mare and sliding kick. Takahashi then grounded Ricochet, working a variation on the figure four. Ricochet made the ropes, sp Tanahashi laid in some kicks in the corner and then slapped him around. Chops followed, but Ricochet fought back with an elbow strike and dropkick. He then avoided a charge, hit the 619 and then the springboard uppercut for 2. Takahashi laid in more chops, and then a pop up powerbomb for 2. The falcon arrow followed (HE DID THE DEAL) for 2. Ricochet then fights off the time bomb, and huts the blue thunder bomb and running shooting star press for 2. Ricochet looks for the benadryller, but Takahashi avoids that shit and they both look for running cross bodies and collide center ring. They then traded strikes from their knees, and worked into a great series of counters, where Takahashi hit rolling Germans for a good near fall. Takahashi then ht the time bomb, but Ricochet survived. Ricochet counters out of the corner DVD, hits a German and then the bicycle kick. The sitout emerald flowsion then connects for a really good near fall. Ricochet fires up, lays in kicks and then hits the king’s landing for the pin. Ricochet defeated Hiromu Takahashi @ 12:15 via pin [***½] Ricochet moves to 2-1, while Takahashi surprisingly drops another match so early (and now has built in title matches with Lee & Ricochet). While not the high level PPV caliber match they recently had, this was a very good outing. They kept a good pace, the had a nice layout and it all built effortlessly to the finish.

BLOCK A STANDINGS
– Marty Scurll: (2-1) 4pts.
– Will Ospreay: (2-1) 4pts.
– Ricochet: (2-1) 4pts.
– Dragon Lee: (2-1) 4pts.
– Taichi: (2-1) 4pts.
– TAKA Michinoku: (1-2) 2pts.
– Hiromu Takahashi: (1-2) 0pts.
– Jushin Liger: (0-3) 0pts.

BLOCK B STANDINGS
– Desperado: (2-0) 4pts.
– Ryusuke Taguchi: (2-0) 4pts.
– Volador Jr: (1-1) 2pts.
– ACH: (1-1) 2pts.
– Tiger Mask: (1-1) 2pts.
– Yoshinobu Kanemaru: (1-1) 2pts.
– BUSHI: (0-2) 0pts.
– KUSHIDA: (0-2) 0pts.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

This is a solid, small venue set of matches with nothing must see, although Ricochet and Takahashi is very enjoyable. In closing, Taichi sucks and fuck that guy.