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Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 6) Review 5.23.17

May 23, 2017 | Posted by Larry Csonka
Dragon lee FantasticaMania Image Credit: CMLL/NJPW
6.2
The 411 Rating
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Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 6) Review 5.23.17  

Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 6) Review 5.23.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Marty Scurll defeated TAKA Michinoku @ 8:52 via submission [**]
– Will Ospreay defeated Jushin Liger @ 10:10 via pin [***]
– Himoru Takahashi defeated Taichi @ 9:04 via pin []
– Dragon Lee defeated Ricochet @ 13:07 via pin [***½]


* 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.
* Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 4)Review 5.21.17.
* Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ (Night 5) Review 5.22.17.

These are block A matches today, with no commentary, and only a single camera.

Marty Scurll vs. TAKA Michinoku: Scurll played to the crowd, and then worked a knuckle lock, looking to work some slick World of Sport shit on TAKA. But TAKA was like, “I got grappling too son” and quickly countered out. The tried to out heel each other, much better than that shit with Taichi the other day. Scurll did his dramatic fight off the sunset flip spot, and then got a jack knife cradle for 2. They then traded strikes, but TAKA no sold and poked Scurll in the eyes. TAKA then chokes him out in the ropes and corner. TAKA followed with a charging knee strike for 2. Scurll fought back with chops and uppercuts, but TAKA locked in the crossface. Scurll fought and made the ropes. He then hit the superkick, and then started to work the shoulder. The apron superkick followed for 2. Scurll called for the chicken wing, but TAKA fought it off. They traded strikes, TAKA then hit knee strikes for 2. They did the rolling small package spot, with Scurll finally covering for 2. Scurll then did the finger break spot, locked in the chicken wing and TAKA tapped. Marty Scurll defeated TAKA Michinoku @ 8:52 via submission [**] They worked a lighthearted heel vs. heel battle, it wasn’t bad but there wasn’t much to it. It was just ok, but really felt like they were taking the night off.

Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Will Ospreay: They did some basic back and forth, with Liger looking to grapple and ground Ospreay. Ospreay quickly escaped, but Liger took him to the mat and started to work for submissions and locked in a version of the Romero special. Ospreay made the ropes, he tried to show off with some flippity doos, and Liger dropkicked him in the face. Liger then worked the dragon sleeper, smartly grounding Ospreay. He followed with chops but Ospreay connected with a running forearm strike. More forearms followed, and then Ospreay locked in the tequila sunrise, showing that he can work submissions as well. Ospreay followed with a basement dropkick for 2. They traded strikes, Liger hit a boot and a tilt a whirl back breaker to cut off Ospreay. The shotei followed, and then the RANA of the ropes got 2 for Liger. Ospreay avoids another shotei, and sends Liger to the floor with an enzuguri. The Sasuke special followed, and back in, Ospreay went up top and hot the springboard forearm and running shooting star press for 2. Ospreay followed with forearm strikes, but Liger cut him off with a wicked shotei, but ran into a dropkick and enziguri. Liger wasn’t done yet, hitting the Liger bomb for the near fall. Liger sets Ospreay up top, looks for the superplex, but Ospreay escapes and hits the trapped superkick in the corner. The shooting star press connects for Ospreay, getting a great near fall. The tornado kick follows, and the OsCutter puts Liger away. Will Ospreay defeated Jushin Liger @ 10:10 via pin [***] And thus, Liger’s final BOTSJ ends with a whimper as this officially eliminated him from the possibility of winning. This is a deluxe shit burger served up here by Gedo, with an extra side of fail sauce. Liger didn’t have to win, but him at the very least being in contention would have been a great story, which they pissed away. It was a good back and forth match, with some good near falls down the stretch.

Taichi vs. Hiromu Takahashi: TAKA is out with Taichi. Taichi attacks Takahashi before the bell, and they work to the floor for some crowd brawling. TAKA distracts the ref so that Taichi can beat on Takahashi with his mic stand as the lackadaisical crowd brawling continues. Back in the ring, Taichi works over Takahashi with the bell hammer as TAKA again takes the ref. Taichi then chokes out Takahashi in the ropes for a while and follows with corner clotheslines. Takahashi then fires up with strikes, and then a RANA. To the floor and he hits the running dropkick off of the apron. Takahashi tosses TAKA aside and takes things back into the ring. Taichi begs off, and then gives Takahashi some black trunks. Takahashi seemed mesmerized, but then beat on Taichi, put them on over his tights and continued to attack. Takahashi talked some shit, put the trunks on Taichi’s face and kicked at him. Takahashi then slapped him around, Taichi fired up and they brawled to the floor where, in full sight of the ref, Taichi attacked with chair shots. Back in the ring, Taichi hit the head kick and then a powerbomb for 2. Takahashi escaped another powerbomb with a RANA and then hit the air raid crash. They traded strikes and kicks, very slowly, acting as if they had been battling for 30-minutes. Taichi rips off his pants, and hits the big superkick for a near fall. Takahashi fires back, they trade more kicks and strikes; Taichi hits an enziguri and then Takahashi hits a pair of superkicks. The lariat followed, and then the time bomb got 2. The fuck? Why is Taichi kicking out of the time bomb? Takahashi then hits the corner DVD, hits a sloppy time bomb and Taichi is thankfully done. Himoru Takahashi defeated Taichi [*½] This was slow, uninspired and even a bit sloppy at times. It also felt as if it lasted an hour, which is not good. Taichi is really bad that not even Takahashi could get something of quality out of him, seeing him in there with top tier guys exposes how bad his entire act is. Fuck Taichi.

Ricochet vs. Dragon Lee: Ricochet works some arm drags to begin, and then looks to focus on the arm, but Lee picks up the pace, they work into a few lucha passes, with both men countering head scissors and we then get a stand off. They trade kicks to the cut, and then Ricochet connects with the neck breaker. Kicks to the back follow, and then Ricochet works a standing neck crank. Ricochet keeps working submissions, and then slams Lee down, covering for 2. Lee finally picks up the pace, hitting a knee strike and dropkick. He then locks in an STF, grounding Ricochet who makes the ropes. The corner dropkick follows, they work into a series of counters, and Lee looks for the RANA to the floor but Ricochet lands on his feet. Lee then sends him back to the floor, and follows with a tope. Back in and lee hits a dead lift German for 2. Ricochet fires back, hitting uppercuts and a dropkick. Lee cuts that off with knee strikes but then runs into a lariat and sick looking Saito suplex for a near fall. Ricochet follows with uppercuts, but Lee fights off a DDT and hits the dump suplex, which got a near fall. Lee talks some shit, sets Ricochet up top, but Ricochet avoids the double stomp and then hits a destroyer and sit out emerald flowsion for a near fall. Lee avoids the shooting star press, hits a snap German and then a Spanish fly for another good near fall. lee up top, but Ricochet cuts him off and follows him up. Thy battle, Lee traps him in the tree of WHOA and hits the double stomp for the win. Dragon Lee defeated Ricochet @ 13:07 via pin [***½] This was a very good, back and forth match, but it just didn’t have the workings or reactions to make it great. I really wish that this would have taken place at Korakuen Hall, because I feel the energy would have been higher and that the atmosphere would have really added to the match.

BLOCK A STANDINGS
– Marty Scurll: (3-1) 6pts.
– Will Ospreay: (3-1) 6pts.
– Dragon Lee: (3-1) 6pts.
– Ricochet: (2-2) 4pts.
– Hiromu Takahashi: (2-2) 4pts.
– Taichi: (2-2) 4pts.
– TAKA Michinoku: (1-3) 2pts.
– Jushin Liger: (0-4) 0pts.

BLOCK B STANDINGS
– Desperado: (3-0) 6pts.
– Ryusuke Taguchi: (2-1) 4pts.
– Yoshinobu Kanemaru: (2-1) 4pts.
– Tiger Mask: (2-1) 4pts.
– Volador Jr: (1-2) 2pts.
– ACH: (1-2) 2pts.
– KUSHIDA: (1-2) 0pts.
– BUSHI: (0-3) 0pts.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

 photo fe36ffd0-0da4-4e3b-a2d3-b026b341dd87_zps41ef5d61.jpg
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.2
The final score: review Average
The 411
This was a solid but unspectacular night of action, with Ricochet vs. Dragon Lee being the only thing really worth the time.
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