Pantoja’s NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night Five Review

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2022 Night Five

May 21st, 2022 | Maeda Arena in Miyata, Aomori

I have worked for a few hours in the yard, worked out on the Peloton, and ran some errands. I am now ready for to review this show with a responsibly consumed rum and coke. That might make a mediocre show into a good one or turn a good one into a great one!

A Block: Clark Connors [0] vs. SHO [0]

SHO is off to a rough start, while the 0-2 record for Connors is expected. SHO ran down one end of the arena, sprinted to the other side, and then jumped Connors from behind during his entrance. The entire sprint aspect made no sense and even Kevin Kelly questioned his stupidity. Connors also turned it around pretty quickly though he took a ROUGH accidental shot from a chair that cut him open. After about two minutes of pre-match brawling, they got inside to officially start this. Funny enough, it was about another minute or two because they were fighting back outside with SHO using weapons and attempting to steal this via countout. It’s like Gedo’s obsession with this stupid House of Torture stuff has ruined a legitimately great wrestler. Once it was just the two of them in the ring, this got pretty good with Connors throwing SHO off thanks to his unorthodox style. SHO got so desperate that he knocked over the referee, tried to use a wrench, and then won with a low blow and rollup in 10:29. That could’ve ruled but the overdone House of Torture stuff is just so bad and it drags everything down. This booking team has got to go but I’ve been calling for that for years now. [***]

A Block: Francesco Akira [2] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [0]

Taguchi has been lackluster in this tournament while Akira has been a highlight. It seems like Taguchi has grasped that being overly goofy is a mistake as he’s 0-2 and he was more serious here. Granted, he was still down for some antics and ass-based offense but it wasn’t overdone and he felt more like the Taguchi we’ve come to know in this tournament. Akira hit a sweet tope con hilo and Taguchi came back with ass attacks before going for the Ankle Lock though that didn’t stay held on. They played this whole match like they were on an even level. It seemed like Akira was better but Taguchi was the wily veteran who knew how to stay a step ahead. They went into a series of rollup attempts and counters with Taguchi winning out after 12:17. Good stuff and we got a look at Akira being very frustrated with the referee. Also of note, Taguchi apparently now has the most minutes in tournament history, surpassing Jushin Thunder Liger. [***]

A Block: YOH [2] vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [0]

These two met in the 2018 BOJ (**½) and again in 2021 (***). YOH was nearly counted out in the opening minutes as Kanemaru jumped him before the bell. I will admit that they sold that like it would be the finish. You usually get one countout or quick match in these round-robin tournaments and Kanemaru is a good bet for it, especially when combined with YOH’s penchant for being a geek. The action here wasn’t all that interesting, which has been a theme for Kanemaru so far. I did like the finish where Kanemaru got his whiskey bottle only for YOH to take a swig and spit it at him. Tase of his medicine and such. YOH added a superkick and Direct Drive to win in 10:43. That was kind of bland. This drink isn’t helping this show. [**¼]

A Block: Ace Austin [4] vs. Hiromu Takahashi [4]

Considering how well Ace has performed in this tourney and that Hiromu is Hiromu, this became one of my most anticipated matches. Early on, you got the sense that they were trying to move a bit too fast. It’s not usually a problem for Hiromu but some of what they did came off awkwardly and like they weren’t sure of each other. I liked the character stuff here like Hiromu knowing the card trick gimmick but still taking the paper cut. Austin was seemingly a step ahead of Hiromu which isn’t something that happens often but it really helped cement that the X-Division Champion is a threat in this tournament. They went back and forth throughout this, with Austin looking every much like Hiromu’s equal. That’s hard to pull off given that Hiromu is probably the company’s best wrestler. In the end though, Hiromu put him down with Time Bomb after 12:50. The best match of the night as Austin and Hiromu continue to stand out. Alas, I am hoping the tournament gives me one four-star match soon. [***¾]

A Block: Alex Zayne [4] vs. Taiji Ishimori [4]

Zayne isn’t something who has impressed that much so far, while Ishimori is a consistently strong wrestler. I do admit that Zayne looked at his best here. He hit a pretty sweet slingshot senton gimmick on the apron early on and Ishimori felt like a guy who would work well with him. Ishimori put the focus on Zayne’s arm, working it over throughout the course of this match and Zayne did a good job of selling it. He’s sold well in this tournament overall. Ishimori held serve with that for a while but Zayne stopped his momentum with a clothesline and somersault kick. I dug Ishimori ripping off Zayne’s arm wrap and hitting a lungblower style move to it. I live for that stuff. Zayne started a rally that the crowd got into but Ishimori snuffed it out, rolling him into the Bone Lock for the submission in 13:45. A good main event though not on par with Hiromu/Austin. [***¼]

6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

Again, the B Block remains a step ahead but there’s not really anything about A Block that is flat out bad. They just kind of deliver consistently solid stuff, one match that typically stands out, and then one match that is meh.