Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ Night Ten Review 5.30.18

Csonka’s NJPW BOTSJ Night Ten Review 5.30.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Block B Match: Marty Scurll defeated Dragon Lee @ 16:05 via submission [***¼]
– Block B Match: Ryusuke Taguchi defeated SHO @ 13:19 via pin [***½]
– Block B Match: Hiromu Takahashi defeated Chris Sabin @ 13:40 via submission [***½]
– Block B Match: KUSHIDA defeated El Desperado @ 18:30 via pin [***]

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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.
– You can read my night nine review at this link.

THIS IS A SINGLE CAM, NO COMMENTARY SHOW

Marty Scurll vs. Dragon Lee: They lock up and quickly work into some counter exchanges as they take the action to the ground. Lee picks up the pace with some luchaesque escapes, frustrating Scurll. Scurll looks to take control, but Lee cuts him off and they work into some back and forth as neither man can take a definitive control of things. Scurll finally cuts Lee off as he grounds the action and starts working the arm. Scurll now just stomps the shit out of Lee. Scurll gets a bit too cocky; allowing Lee to fire up, hit a RANA, and then a tope to the floor. Back in and lee maintains control, picking up near falls. Lee hits the enziguri, Scurll hits one as well and sends Lee to the floor. The apron superkick follows as Scurll follows Lee to the floor. Back in they go, and Scurll connects with a running knee strike for 2. Scurll takes Lee up top, but Lee trips him into the tree of WHOA, but Scurll suplexes him out of that and then misses a moonsault. Lee follows with a DDT for 2. They fire up, trading strikes and kicks, and Scurll finally hits a big lariat, taking Lee down. Lee counters the inverted suplex into a sleeper and then hits a PK for 2. Scurll does the finger break spot, but Lee cuts off the chicken wing with a cradle but Scurll levels him with a lariat. Scurll then connects with the Essex destroyer (fuck off William) for a good near fall. They work up top, Lee crotches (fuck off William) and into the tree of WHOA; the double stomp gets 2. Scurll counters out of DESNUCADORA and hits the last shot for a good near fall. Lee keeps fighting and hits a Spanish fly for 2. He heads up top, Scurll cuts him off, and the reverse superplex connects. The chicken wing finishes Lee. Marty Scurll defeated Dragon Lee @ 16:05 via submission [***¼] This was a good and fun match, the work was clean and the mix of styles worked for about 9/10 of the match. The ending felt a bit stretched out for no reason, I think if you clip 2-minutes or so, the match is tighter and better.

Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Sho: They circle, Sho teases strikes, while Taguchi teases ass attacks. Show lays in leg kicks, they work into some back and forth and then we get some light hearted comedy with Taguchi avoiding Sho’s imaginary arrows until one hits him in the ass. Taguchi fires up and hits as attacks, but Sho dropkicks him to the floor. Sho follows and attack the arm of Taguchi, wrapping it around the post and basically trying to rip it off. Back in and Sho works a bow and arrow, grounding the action. Sho maintains his focus on the arm, and then gets a cradle for 2. Taguchi fires up with chops, but Sho locks on a sleeper and drags him to the mat. He starts to transition to an arm bar, and then a heel hook but Taguchi makes the ropes. Sho lights him up wit chops, but Taguchi hits a desperation ass attack. He dumps Sho and follows with the step up high cross and then a tope. Back in and Taguchi misses a springboard but then hits the rolling suplexes until Sho cuts him off with Germans. Both men are down now. They fight to their feet and trade strikes, Sho hits a knee strike and turns Taguchi inside out with a lariat. Taguchi counters the German into an ankle lock, but Sho makes the ropes. Taguchi looks for bum a ye, but Sho counters into a German for 2. The arm bar follows, but Taguchi makes the ropes. Sho follows with a powerbomb into the back breaker for 2. He now looks for shock arrow, Taguchi fights and escapes. Taguchi now hits a reverse XPLODER and the sliding ass attack for 2. The ankle lock follows, Sho fights, and rolls out but Taguchi gets it back. Sho keeps fighting and transitions into an arm bar. But Taguchi counters back into the ankle lock and then the dodon gets 2. Taguchi finally puts him away with a dragon suplex. Ryusuke Taguchi defeated SHO @ 13:19 via pin [***½] This was playful at the beginning, which the crowd loved, and then slowly worked into a more serious setting as the intensity really picked up. Taguchi turned on BOTSJ mode and was here for a quality outing, while Sho continues he quality and consistent tournament run, leading to a very good and enjoyable match. Sho has noticeably grown as a performer during the tournament.

Hiromu Takahashi vs. Chris Sabin: After a gentlemanly handshake, Takahashi attacked and they worked into some back and forth. Sabin takes him to he floor and hits an apron cannonball. He follows with chops and then a high cross back in. Sabin then locks on the octopus looking to keep Takahashi slowed. He transitions into a cradle for 2. Takahashi then slides to the floor, making Sabin chase him and tries the sunset bomb to he floor, but instead hits an apron bomb, either way it was going to suck for Sabin. Takahashi then posts him as he takes control and lays the boots to him on the floor. Back in and Takahashi follows with chops, beating Sabin down in the corner. Sabin avoids the sliding kick and looks to fire up, but Takahashi gets a tarantula to stop that. He then slams Sabin on the floor. Takahashi’s not done as he hits an apron dropkick to continue his assault on Sabin. Back in and Takahashi hits the missile dropkick and then dares Sabin to fire back. Takahashi lays into him with chops and looks for dynamite plunger, Sabin counters and plants Takahashi with a DDT. Sabin fires back with kicks and a missile dropkick. He takes Takahashi up top and hits a RANA. The springboard into a DDT follows for 2. Takahashi powders, Sabin follows and hits an apron PK. Back in and Takahashi hits a pop up powerbomb and dynamite plunger for a good near fall. Sabin fights back, but Takahashi suplexes him to the buckles. The dynamite plunger gets 2 again. They trade superkicks and then clotheslines. Enziguri by Sabin and a big lariat takes Takahashi down. Takahashi fires back, turning him inside out with a vicious lariat. Both men are down. They trade strikes now, lighting each other up. Sabin then catches the RANA and powerbombs Takahashi. The superkick follows, and then an enziguri. Sabin then hits the cradle shock for a good near fall. He looks for hail Sabin, but Takahashi cradles him for 2. The RANA into he triangle follows and Sabin fights, fades and has to tap. Hiromu Takahashi defeated Chris Sabin @ 13:40 via submission [***½] The Chris Sabin redemption tour continues with another very good and spirited effort. Due to injuries and working so much as a tag guy, I think that many have forgotten how good he can be and he’s shown it here. Takahashi continue to be great and I love that the triangle is becoming a new and viable finish for him; this was very good.

KUSHIDA vs. El Desperado: I don’t know how to break this to you guys, but Desperado, in an act of unsportsmanlike conduct, attacked KUSHIDA before the bell. He even raked the eyes, that bastard. This angered good babyface KUSHIDA, who dropkicked him to the floor, set him in a chair and then wiped him out with a cannonball. Back in and KUSHIDA hits an enziguri but Desperado used the ref as a shield and attacked, taking things back to the floor. He then attacked KUSHIDA’s knee with chair shots. He then got out a dolly and laid KUSHIDA in it and ran him through the first 10 or so rows of chairs. The stretch muffler followed on the floor. He then took him on another dolly trip through more chairs, leading to a countout tease. KUSHIDA limped his way back to the ring and Desperado kept control by attacking the injured knee. KUSHIDA tries to fire up with chops, but Desperado takes out the knee again. The half crab follows, and KUSHIDA makes the ropes. Desperado stays a step ahead until KUSHIDA hits the cartwheel dropkick and tope. Back in and they rake each other’s eyes, and KUSHIDA then hits a back handspring elbow. Desperado cuts him off, working the stretch muffler. KUSHIDA counters into the kimura, but Desperado keeps the muffler. KUSHIDA powers out and to the ropes. To the floor and Desperado pulls up the mats and heads up top. He pulls KUSHIDA up with him, teasing a suplex to the floor, but KUSHIDA attacks the arm and escapes, slamming it to the buckle. KUSHIDA pulls him back up top, and hits a flying arm bar; Desperado makes the ropes. KUSHIDA keeps attacking the arm, but Desperado takes out his knee. They trade strikes from their knees, KUSHIDA fires up, but Desperado cuts him of and then cradles him for 2. Kicks by KUSHIDA follow, and into the hover board lock. We get a ref bump, of course. That allows Desperado to get a chair, and he lays out KUSHIDA. Desperado then hits Guitarra de Angel for a good near fall. KUSHIDA looks for a hover board lock, they work into counters and KUSHIDA hits the flatliner to the buckles. The springboard RANA into he cradle gets 2. KUSHIDA hits back to the future for the win. KUSHIDA defeated El Desperado @ 18:30 via pin [***] This was an overall good match that went a bit too long and again, was hurt by the lazy Suzuki-gun bullshit. Shorten it up and take away the bullshit and it’s much better.

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

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.3

The final score: review Good

The 411

Night 10 of the 2018 NJPW BOTSJ was another good outing from the B Block. Everything was good and the standings have tightened up as we enter the parity-booking portion of things, which I don’t like as much, but the wrestling was good.