Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ Night Nine Review 5.29.18

Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ Night Nine Review 5.29.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Block A Match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Tiger Mask @ 11:30 via pin [**¾]
– Block A Match: BUSHI defeated ACH @ 11:55 via pin [***¼]
– Block A Match: Yoh defeated Flip Gordon @ 11:15 via pin [***]
– Block A Match: Will Ospreay defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru @ 14:01 via pin [***¼]

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– You can read my night one review at this link.
– You can read my night two review at this link.
– You can read my night three review at this link.
– You can read my night four review at this link.
– You can read my night five review at this link.
– You can read my night six review at this link.
– You can read my night seven review at this link.
– You can read my night eight review at this link.

THIS IS A SINGLE CAM, NO COMMENTARY SHOW

Taiji Ishimori vs. Tiger Mask: Ishimori isn’t fucking around as he attacks before the bell. He beats down Tiger, laying in rights and then working him over in the corner. He follows with chops, but Tiger cuts him off with a spin kick and body kicks. Tiger dumps him to the floor, and Ishimori takes his time and walks around the ring. He then pulls Tiger to the floor and slams him off of a table. Back in and Ishimori covers for 2. He grounds the action, and then goes after the mask. Ishimori now chokes him out in the ropes and goes after the mask again. He follows with strikes, but Tiger cuts him off with a back breaker. He then fires away with kicks, takes Ishimori up top and follows him up. Ishimori fights, but Tiger hits the butterfly superplex for 2. Ishimori fights off the tiger driver but Tiger gets an arm bar. Ishimori fights and makes the ropes. Tiger follows with kicks, and then strikes. Ishimori hits the charging knees and PK for 2. He locks on a crossface, rolls him center and Tiger continues to struggle and fight for the ropes and makes it for the break. Tiger fires up with strikes, but Ishimori cuts him off with the back handspring kick. Tiger then hits a desperation tiger driver for 2. He looks to follow up, takes Ishimori up top and hits another superplex for 2. The arm bar follows, but Ishimori makes the ropes. Ishimori now counters the tiger suplex and hits a jumping knee strike. Bloody cross connects for 2. Ishimori is pissed and hits an implant DDT for the win. Taiji Ishimori defeated Tiger Mask @ 11:30 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good match, with Ishimori working with good aggression and intensity as he needed to pickup a win here.

ACH vs. BUSHI: ACH attacks with chops and rips off BUSHI’s shirt and lays in more. BUSHI battles back and chokes him out with the shirt and takes control. The apron DDT follows and they spill to the floor. Back in and ACH lays in chops to slow BUSHI’s attack, but BUSHI keeps landing strikes and grounds the action. He transitions to an arm bar, but ACH makes the ropes. BUSHI now hits the draping dropkick and covers for 2. ACH picks up the pace, trips him up, and hits the sliding kick. BUSHI fight of the flatliner, but ACH hits a bridging German for 2. The back breaker follows, ACH heads up top, but BUSHI rolls away. ACH drops back down, lays in strikes but BUSHI cuts him off and hits a missile dropkick and then a slingshot RANA to the floor. He lays the boots to ACH and then rolls him back in. In the ring, ACH hits a DVD and covers for 2. BUSHI fights off a Grumman, and cradles ACH for 2. ACH then hits a one armed dead lift German, and hits a running knee strike. ACH heads up top, and misses the 450. BUSHI looks for a code breaker, but ACH counters it. BUSHI transitions into a backstabber and hits the code breaker for 2. BUSHI heads to the ropes and hits the MX for the win. BUSHI defeated ACH @ 11:55 via pin [***¼] BUSHI needed the win here and picked it up in a good back and forth match here. ACH continues to have a strong tournament, and his selling of the arm injury has been really consistent throughout.

Flip Gordon vs. Yoh: They lock up and work into some counters, Yoh hits a shoulder tackle and they start looking for pin attempts. Gordon hits a dropkick, PK, and standing moonsault for 2. The back handspring elbow connects but Yoh avoids the second and cuts off Gordon with a neck breaker. He grounds Gordon, hitting a running senton for 2. Yoh now starts working submissions, keeping Gordon grounded, and taking control. Yoh now takes him to the corner and hits a running elbow and suplex for 2. Gordon finally fires up enough to hit a head kick, and heads to the apron and springboards in with a dropkick. Yoh rolls to the floor and Gordon follows with a run up high cross to the floor. Back in and Gordon looks for Samoan pop, but opts for a slingshot sling blade. The cradle gets 2, but Yoh locks on a dragon sleeper. Gordon fights out, hits a kick, and knee strike. Samoan pop follows and then the running shooting star press gets 2. Yoh cuts him off with a head kick and we get a double down. They trade strikes now, and both fire up until Gordon drops Yoh. They keep trading; Gordon hits an enziguri and heads up top. Yoh cuts him off and follows him up. They battle up top and Yoh hits a superplex but Gordon cuts him off, doing the deal with a falcon arrow for 2. Gordon then hits the 450 for a really good near fall. The head kick follows but Yoh cradles him to pick up the big win. Yoh defeated Flip Gordon @ 11:15 via pin [***] The theme of the night continues as Yoh picks up a much-needed win. This was a good match, with Gordon working with good confidence, while Yoh is still scraping by and working hard for absolutely everything he gets.

Will Ospreay vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru: In a shocking turnoff events, Kanemaru attacks before the bell. Ospreay quickly battles back and sends him to the floor and follows with a plancha. They brawl at ringside, and into the crowd. Ospreay charges but Kanemaru throws a chair into his face to cut him off. He then throws Ospreay into the first few rows of chairs and attacks the neck with one. This leads to a Gedo special countout tease. Ospreay makes it back in and Kanemaru immediately attacks the neck and grounds the action with a head scissors. He then lays the boots to Ospreay, but Ospreay slowly battles back with strikes. Kanemaru cuts him off with a jumping knee strike and then DDTs him to the floor. This leads to another countout tease. Kanemaru gonna Kanemaru. Ospreay back in and Kanemaru attacks the neck again, working a camel clutch. Ospreay makes the ropes, Kanemaru rakes the eyes, but Ospreay cuts him off with the back handspring kick. Ospreay hits an enziguri and 619, heads up top and springboards in with the flying forearm for 2. Ospreay now lays in kicks, but Kanemaru rakes the eyes. The tornado DDT follows for 2. The inverted DDT follows for 2. Kanemaru looks for a moonsault, Ospreay avoids and hits an enziguri and running shooting star press for 2. Ospreay looks for storm breaker, Kanemaru counters out and we get a fucking ref bump. Ospreay gets the phantom cover for more than 3. Low blow by Kanemaru, He gets a chair but Ospreay cuts him off, and the ref takes the chair from him. Ospreay blocks the whiskey mist and hits the inverted suplex for 2. Ospreay hits the Robinson special , but Kanemaru counters the Oscutter with a dropkick. He follows with a suplex for 2. Kanemaru to the ropes, looking for deep impact, and it connects for a good near fall. Kanemaru heads up top and flies into a head kick from Ospreay. Ospreay hits a head kick, and then the draping shooting star press. Back up top and the corkscrew shooting star press gets 2. Storm breaker finishes it. Will Ospreay defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru @ 14:01 via pin [***¼] This was a good, but far from great main event. Part of that is that even with the Kanemaru shenanigans (which were not needed) I never bought into him winning, making his near falls feel like filler. Ospreay was really good here, and was working his ass off, and that made it good and fun.

BLOCK A:
* Flip Gordon: (3-2) 6pts.
* Tiger Mask: (3-2) 6pts.
* Taiji Ishimori: (3-2) 6pts.
* Will Ospreay: (3-2) 6pts.
* Kanemaru: (2-3) 4pts.
* ACH: (2-3) 4pts.
* YOH: (2-3) 4pts.
* BUSHI: (2-3) 4pts.

BLOCK B:
* Dragon Lee: (3-1) 6pts.
* Marty Scurll: (2-2) 4pts.
* Desperado: (2-2) 4pts.
* Chris Sabin: (2-2) 4pts.
* KUSHIDA: (2-2) 4pts.
* SHO: (2-2) 4pts.
* Hiromu Takahashi: (2-2) 4pts.
* Ryusuke Taguchi: (1-3) 2pts.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.1

The final score: review Good

The 411

Night nine of the 2018 NJPW BOTSJ was a good and consistent show, and while there was nothing must see, it was an improvement over the last block A show. We had lots of movement on the board as guys that needed a win got one.