Csonka’s NJPW BOSJ 26 (Night 12) Review

Csonka’s NJPW BOSJ 26 (Night 12) Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Yoh defeated Ren Narita @ 12:25 via submission [***¼]
– Bandido defeated Robbie Eagles @ 9:30 via pin [***¾]
– BUSHI defeated Rocky Romero @ 10:25 via pin [***]
– Will Ospreay defeated DOUKI @ 16:30 via pin [***½]
– Taguchi defeated El Phantasmo @ 20:25 via submission [***½]

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Yoh vs. Ren Narita: They lock up and work into grappling exchanges. Narita looks to work the arm early on, but Yoh counters out and starts attacking the leg as they work into a standoff. Lock up again, but Yoh grounds the action. Narita fights and transitions into a head lock. They trade shoulder tackles, and Narita takes Yoh down. Yoh has targeted the leg, grounding the action and looking to set up the calf killer. He locks on a knee bar, but Narita makes the ropes. Narita fires back with strikes and follows with a dropkick. He lays in back elbows and clotheslines, and then a suplex for 2. Yoh fights off the crab, and follows with a flying forearm. Yoh up top, Narita tries to cut him off, but Yoh fights him off and then follows with dragon screws. Narita counters the suplex, but Yoh catches him with the calf killer but Narita counters into the leg lace. He sits back, but Yoh makes the ropes. He then does the deal with the falcon arrow for 2. They trade cradles for near falls, and Narita hits an overhead suplex. The bridging German follows for 2. Yoh then rolls into he calf killer, and Narita taps. Yoh defeated Ren Narita @ 12:25 via submission [***¼] This was good stuff as Yoh has really locked into his singles offense, and Narita brought the underdog/young lion fire and near falls, delivering again. Narita has made the most of his BOSJ run, putting in good performances and continuing to grow as a performer; he just needs to up his hair game like Umino. Yoh is still technically in the mix thanks to holding wins/tiebreakers over Taguchi & Phantasmo.

Bandido vs. Robbie Eagles: Bandido attacks at the bell and runs wild, all fired up and looking for a win. Eagles cuts him off, dumps him and follows with a suicide dive. Bandido fires back but Eagles backdrops him on the ramp. Bandido just barley beats the count, fires back with kicks and the tornillo press. He then hits a knee strike, but Eagles fires back with kicks and then runs into a pop up cutter. Bandido follows with an inverted suplex, and covers for 2. Eagles fires back with an enziguri and then dropkicks the knee and locks on the Ron Miller special. Bandido fights, and makes the ropes. Eagles follows with a sliced bread into a DDT for 2. Eagles then follows with a flurry of kicks, but Bandido hits the snapdragon for 2. The GTS follows, but Bandido counters 21-plexinto a reverse RANA for 2. Bandido heads up top, and the 450 eats knees and Bandido cradles him for 2. He follows with a superkick, but Bandido counters sliced bread and takes him up top for the fall away moonsault press and Bandido picks up the win. Bandido defeated Robbie Eagles @ 9:30 via pin [***¾] With the loss, eagles no longer controls his destiny here, but Is mathematically still in it. The match was very good, with a great energy and overall smooth and fun work.

Rocky Romero vs. BUSHI: Romero breaks out the old Black Tiger mask for his entrance, unmasks and mists BUSHI and they brawl to the floor. Back in and BUSHI does the shirt choke, and then attacks the knee of Romero. BUSHI grounds things, and covers for 2. The draping knee strike misses and Romero stuns his arm off the ropes. He follows with chops and then starts focusing on the arm. The RANA follows, and then it’s back to the arm. Romero then hits the draping dropkick and covers for 2. Forever clotheslines are stopped, and BUSHI hits a missile dropkick. They trade chops, Romero fires up and follows with the rewind kick and BUSHI hits one of his own. They trade strikes now, and Romero hits clotheslines until BUSHI hits the dropkick sand apron DDT. Romero counters the neck breaker, hits a knee strike and then transitions into an arm bar. BUSHI bites Romero to escape. Romero follows with kicks, but BUSHI attacks the knee and follows with a code breaker for 2. He looks for MX, hits it and picks up the win. BUSHI defeated Rocky Romero @ 10:25 via pin [***] BUSHI’s late run continues as they delivered a good match that played off of their established rivalry.

Will Ospreay vs. DOUKI: DOUKI attacks, but Ospreay fights him off and follows with a plancha. Ospreay follow with strikes on the floor, Taichi distracts him but Ospreay slams DOUKI into the chairs. Ospreay then attacks Taichi, basically because Taichi’s a dick. Back in and Ospreay follows with strikes, but DOUKI dumps him to the floor, and follows with the insane top rope senton to the floor. Taichi then levels Ospreay with a chair shot. Back in and DOUKI grounds the action. DOUKI slaps him around, but Ospreay fires back and follows with the back handspring kick. Ospreay follows with strikes and the hesitation dropkick. The running shooting star press connects for 2. Ospreay follows with chops, an enziguri and then a 619. The PK follows, but DOUKI catches him with the Italian necktie. Ospreay fades, but then slowly fires up and makes the ropes. DOUKI follows with a northern lights suplex for 2. Ospreay fights off suplex de la luna, and follows with an enziguri but then runs into a lariat. Ospreay fires back, cuts him off and follows with the springboard clothesline. DOUKI fights off storm breaker, but Ospreay lays in kicks until DOUKI hits the widow’s peak for 2. DOUKI now lays in strikes but Ospreay cuts off the DDT with a head kick and follows with the draping shooting star press for 2. The hook kick follows, but DOUKI hits a RANA into a cradle for 2. Ospreay then plants him with a vicious sitout powerbomb for 2. DOUKI counters storm breaker, but eats a hook kick. The oscutter is stopped by Taichi, allowing DOUKI to hit Ospreay with the pipe and he covers for 2. Ospreay fires back with kicks and hidden blade & storm breaker finishes DOUKI as the lions hold off Taichi. Will Ospreay defeated DOUKI @ 16:30 via pin [***½] This was DOUKI ‘s best effort in the tournament so far. Ospreay worked some magic and this was very good overall.

El Phantasmo vs. Taguchi: Taguchi takes control right away, grounding the action and teases the ankle lock until Phantasmo makes the ropes. They lockup and Taguchi grounds things, but Phantasmo counters into a head scissors. Taguchi escapes, and they lockup again and they work to the mat. Phantasmo tries to escape, and does. Taguchi then makes Phantasmo run the ropes but Phantasmo then makes him run. He gets tired and Phantasmo cradles him for 2. Phantasmo does the ropewalk, and follows with a RANA. Phantasmo then hits grounded ass attacks, but Taguchi cradles him for 2. Taguchi now does the ropewalk, and end up crotched. Phantasmo shakes the ropes, and sends Taguchi to the floor. Phantasmo follows and hits a low blow and then another. Back in and Phantasmo hits a slow motion senton atomico. The back rake follows, and he then puts Taguchi in the tree of WHOA, and stomps on Taguchi’s balls. He then grounds the action, and then cuts off ass attacks. Taguchi finally hits one. He follows with more ass attacks, and the springboard ass attack follows for 2. Taguchi hits the 3 amigos but Phantasmo then counters but Taguchi hits another suplex. THE BIG MATCH GUCH TOPE follows! Phantasmo post him and follows with a top rope moonsault. Phantasmo then comes up holding his leg, and Eagles arrives. Back in and Phantasmo hits the superkick. CR2 is countered, and Taguchi hits an ass attack for 2. Phantasmo fights off dodon, he grabs the ref and low blows Taguchi and follows with the argentine cutter for 2. Phantasmo heads up top and misses the splash. Ankle lock by Taguchi, but Phantasmo makes the ropes. Taguchi now sets for bum a ye, and hits it for 2. Dodon connects and that gets 2. Taguchi heads up top, gets crotched, and Phantasmo follows him up. Taguchi fights, and gets the ankle lock but Phantasmo rolls into a cradle but Taguchi hangs on. Phantasmo grabs the ref, but Taguchi hits the German for 2. Dodon connects and Phantasmo kicks out but Taguchi gets the ankle lock and Phantasmo taps. Taguchi defeated El Phantasmo @ 20:25 via submission [***½] This was very good overall, with Taguchi picking up the win to set the rematch with Ospreay on B Block’s final night to determine the block winner.

– So a rematch of the 2016 BOSJ finals between Ospreay & Taguchi will determine the B block winner.

A BLOCK
Shingo Takagi: (8-0) 16pts.
Taiji Ishimori: (7-1) 14pts.
——————————-
Dragon Lee: (6-2) 12pts.
Marty Scurll: (5-3) 10pts.
Sho: (4-4) 8pts.
Jonathan Gresham: (4-4) 8pts
Tiger Mask: (2-6) 4pts.
Titan: (2-6) 4pts.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru: (2-6) 4pts.
TAKA Michinoku: (0-8) 0pts.

B BLOCK
Will Ospreay: (6-2) 12pts.
Ryusuke Taguchi: (6-2) 12pts.
———————————-
El Phantasmo: (5-3) 10pts.
Robbie Eagles: (5-3) 10pts.
Yoh: (5-3) 10pts.
BUSHI: (5-3) 10pts.
Bandido: (4-4) 8pts.
Rocky Romero: (3-5) 6pts.
DOUKI: (1-7) 2pts.
Ren Narita: (0-8) 0pts.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 24. On the show, the good brother, Jeremy Lambert, joins 411’s Larry Csonka; the guys will preview NXT Takeover 25, discuss Jon Moxley’s appearance on Talk is Jericho & the problems within WWE, Moxley’s upcoming debut with NJPW, and then play catch up with NJPW BOSJ reviews. The show is approximately 115-minutes long.

* Intro
* NXT Takeover 25 Preview: 5:15
* Jon Moxley on Talk is Jericho: 37:45
* Jon Moxley Heading to NJPW: 115:55
* NJPW BOSJ Day 10 Review: 129:05
* NJPW BOSJ Day 11 Review: 146:20

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 on Wrestling Podcast via the above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

Night 12 of the NJPW BOSJ 26 was an overall good and consistent night of action, with the B Block finals coming down to Taguchi vs. Ospreay in a rematch from 2016.