It’s finally time to get started with this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament. Here’s a look at night 1, which takes place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

B Block: Taiji Ishimori [Unbound Co.] vs. Jakob Austin Young [United Empire]

This is one of those long shows that practically everyone is on. I hate these, because in a round-robin tournament where we’re told that every match matters, they sure do blow through the first seven or so matches on these shows like they absolutely do not matter, and we’ve got several of these types of shows to start the tournament. I suppose the theory is that front-loading these matches gives the wrestlers more burn when they’re fresher, but as a fan, I think it undercuts the significance of these tournaments. Tonight, we have “only” nine matches – Jun Kasai and Valiente Jr. are not on the show because Kasai is wrestling on a FREEDOMS show today.

The commentary team on this show is Chris Charlton and Gino Gambino. This is a pretty basic but hard-hitting match, as Young wrestles much more of a heavyweight style than most juniors. The Korakuen crowd is very into both guys, somewhat surprisingly. Young gets some flashes of offense here and there, working over Ishimori’s neck, but Ishimori wins pretty quickly with the Bone Lock. This isn’t a particularly good sign for Young, as NJPW tends to like to shine up the first-time entrants early in tournaments such as these, and while this wasn’t exactly a squash match, the result was never in question.

What’s next? Ishimori (2 points) wrestles El Desperado in the main event of Saturday’s show at Esforta Arena in Hachioji, while Young (0 points) gets YOH on the same show.

B Block: SHO [House of Torture] vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [House of Torture]

This is one of only three intra-faction matches in the tournament, and it’s the second match on the first show. Charlton makes a “Nox Raijin” joke during SHO’s entrance, referring to Hiromu Takahashi’s rumored WWE name. SHO cuts a promo before the match, promising a match-of-the-year contender. Kanemaru lies down, but then rolls up SHO for two when SHO goes to pin him. SHO argues with the ref and Kanemaru slips SHO’s wrench into SHO’s tights, which the ref sees, allowing Kanemaru to get a few more near-falls with roll-ups and cradles. Kanemaru gets SHO in a figure-four on the floor, and then nearly wins via countout by shoving Young Lion Taisei Nakahara into SHO at around the 16 count. After some more House hijinks, Kanemaru accidentally spits whiskey in the eyes of referee Yuya Sakamoto and gets disqualified. This was silly fun, though the ending certainly raises the question of why stuff like this doesn’t result in DQs in more House matches, because it happens all the time.

What’s next? SHO (2 points) wrestles Robbie Eagles on Saturday, while Kanemaru (0 points) gets Young on Sunday at Yoyogi National Gymnasium #2 in Tokyo. (Hyo has a match on Saturday’s Dragongate show, so Kanemaru also gets Saturday off.)

A Block: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Daiki Nagai [Unbound Co.]

Nagai is still using the Young Lions music, so graduation watch continues for now. Nagai attacks Taguchi while he’s pulling his little guy out of his tights (not like that), then puts a kibosh on Taguchi’s pass-through spot with a low dropkick; he appears to have no patience for Taguchi’s shenanigans. Nagai hits a tope suicida and then a missile dropkick, but Taguchi dodges a charge and hits a dropkick to take control. Taguchi surprisingly utilizes some light heel tactics, holding onto an ankle lock after Nagai gets to the ropes and choking Nagai with his t-shirt. Taguchi works over his knee for a while, but Nagai makes a good comeback, though he does get a bit lost at one point and has to grab a waistlock until the two sort things out. Nagai gets two with a corner dropkick but misses the diving headbutt. Taguchi gets two with a Bum-a-ye, but Nagai rolls him up when he tries for the Dodon. Taguchi gets two with a dropkick, then applies the ankle lock; after a long battle, Taguchi gives up the ankle lock and hits the Dodon for the pin. This was a fun little sprint; Nagai looked great, aside from that one little hiccup, and Taguchi working without excessive comedy is typically a delight.

What’s next? Taguchi (2 points) wrestles Master Wato on Saturday’s show, while Nagai (0 points) gets Valiente Jr. on the same show.

B Block: YOH vs. Hyo

Two men, three letters. YOH has new music; it is incredibly generic guitar rock that doesn’t fit his character at all. It sounds like something you’d hear during the renovation segment of an HGTV show. Hyo takes the advantage at first, showing off his offense in his first NJPW match. YOH eventually gets the Paradise Lock and low dropkick combo, then both guys get nearfalls with roll-ups and cradles. Hyo disorients YOH by running around on all fours, then hits a Stunner into the Samson Driver for a surprise pinfall in a very short match. After the match, the two make up and then kiss, which knocks out YOH.

What’s next? YOH (0 points) wrestles Young on Saturday’s show, while Hyo (2 points) gets Daisuke Sasaki on Sunday’s show.

A Block: Robbie X [Unbound Co.] vs. Nick Wayne

It still bugs me out that I was listening to the Bryan and Vinny Show back when they were talking about their friend’s newborn son, “El Hijo de Buddy,” and now here he is, wrestling in NJPW. They have a super-fast sequence to open, after which Wayne takes over with a European uppercut and slows it down a bit with strikes. X, however, manages to get it moving again with his high-flying offense. They go back and forth with strikes, and both guys tease their finishers before the other counters. X takes the advantage with an overhead kick and calls for X Marks the Spot, but Wayne hits a Poison Rana. Wayne, however, misses a kick and takes a Poison Rana of his own, followed by a Sky Twister Press to the outside and X Marks the Spot in the ring, but it only gets two. Wayne dodges the X Express, then hits a hellacious superkick and goes for Wayne’s World, but X counters with a backslide for two. The two run the ropes, then Wayne counters a Lionsault with a kick to the face and hits a buzzsaw kick and Wayne’s World for the win. This was really good. X has gotten really good at getting the crowd, and Wayne looked better than he did last year, when there was a moment or two in most matches where he seemed a bit green, which was understandable then and would probably be understandable now, since he’s still only 20.

What’s next? Robbie X (0 points) wrestles Francesco Akira on Saturday’s show, while Wayne (2 points) gets Kosei Fujita on the same show.

B Block: KUSHIDA vs. Robbie Eagles [TMDK]

Eagles has Hartley Jackson and Zack Sabre Jr. in his corner. KUSHIDA is wrestling barefoot tonight, and he opens the match with a mat wrestling display, though Eagles holds his own. After five minutes of this, KUSHIDA hits Eagles with an Inoki-esque kick to the back of the leg, which allows KUSHIDA to briefly take control, but Eagles fights back and they return to grappling. After a few more minutes of mat wrestling, Eagles stomps KUSHIDA’s foot to attempt to take control, and they engage in a long pinfall reversal sequence that ends without a victor. They battle over small packages and try another round of pinfall reversals, and eventually KUSHIDA hits Back to the Future for the win. This was fantastic – just a great back-and-forth mat wrestling display. Even Sabre gives KUSHIDA his props. Definitely check this one out.

What’s next? KUSHIDA (2 points) wrestles Daisuke Sasaki on Saturday’s show, while Eagles (0 points) gets SHO on the same show.

A Block: Master Wato vs. Titan [Unbound Co.]

Titan also has new music, which is a pretty cool symphonic metal-type track. This match starts off fast, and Titan takes the upper hand with a tope suicida. Titan dominates with a neckbreaker and nearly gets a submission with a leglock. Wato comes back with a Zig Zag, but Titan hits a stiff kick for a double-down. Wato fights back with a leg lariat and hits a tope con hilo into the front row. Back in the ring, Wato hits a missile dropkick, then tries for Recientemente, but Titan fights out and hits a tornado DDT into a suplex/cutter combo for two. Titan applies Llave Inmortal, but Wato gets to the ropes. Titan climbs to the top, but Wato knocks him down and tries for a German off the top; Titan counters, hanging Wato on the ropes, and hits a great-looking double stomp for a near-fall. Titan goes for another double stomp off the top, but Wato dodges and hits Recientemente, but Titan kicks out at two. Wato tries a spin kick, but Titan catches it and turns it into a Scorpion Deathlock; After a few seconds in the hold, Titan adds a bridge, which is too much for Wato, who taps out.

What’s next? Wato (0 points) wrestles Taguchi on Saturday’s show, while Titan (2 points) gets Jun Kasai on the same show.

B Block: El Desperado vs. Daisuke Sasaki

Sasaki’s home promotion is DDT, but he’s also been doing some jobs in Ring of Honor recently. He’s wrestled in NJPW and has even been in this tournament before, but not since 2012. They display mutual respect at the outset, and they start out with mat wrestling, with Desperado working on Sasaki’s knee. Desperado goes for Numero Dos early, but Sasaki gets to the ropes. Afterward, Sasaki invites Desperado to fight on the outside; Desperado declines, but Sasaki gives him a neckbreaker over the top rope, and this time he doesn’t leave it open to debate. He slams Desperado into the announcers’ table and then does the old EVIL “chair around the neck into the ringpost” spot. Sasaki works over the neck for a while, then applies a crossface; however, Desperado gets to the ropes. Sasaki goes for a neckbreaker, but Desperado goes back to work on the knee, then hits a trio of suplexes, ending with Guitarra de Angel for two. Desperado hits a superplex, but Desperado can’t capitalize because of his neck. Desperado gets caught up in the ropes, and then Sasaki spears him from the apron to the floor and he wipes out in the front row. Sasaki hits a crazy diving elbow from the top rope to the floor, then drags Desperado back in and hits a clothesline from the top, followed by a Pedigree for two. Sasaki attacks off the ropes, but Desperado counters with a facebuster and a spinebuster to even things up, then applies Numero Dos, but Sasaki counters into a crossface; Desperado turns this into a roll-up for two, however. Desperado goes for… something, but Sasaki counters into a DDT. Sasaki shoves Desperado into the ref and then kicks him low (Charlton points out that Sasaki was trained by Dick Togo) and hits La Mistica into the crossface for the submission. This was good, but it also kind of felt like Desperado doing a little too much to try to get his buddy over.

What’s next? Desperado (0 points) wrestles Ishimori on Saturday’s show, while Sasaki (2 points) gets KUSHIDA on the same show.

A Block: Kosei Fujita [TMDK] vs. Francesco Akira [United Empire]

These two brawled at the press conference yesterday. As Akira is making his entrance, Fujita throws a chair at him and then drags him into the crowd and slams his head against a sign, busting him open. Fujita tosses him into the ring and then hits a stiff bridging German for two. Akira goes outside and gets kicked by Fujita, who then attempts to throw Akira into the front row but gets hoisted by his own petard and wipes out the seating section. Akira gets a table from under the ring and then shoves Red Shoes down. They tease a table spot from the apron, but Akira ends up hitting a nifty-looking cutter into the ring instead. Akira takes control in the ring for several minutes, but Fujita turns the tables with a springboard dropkick, followed by a senton to the floor onto Akira and Zane Jay. Fujita gets two with a PK, then goes for the Nemosu Special, but Akira gets to the ropes. Akira turns the tables with a slingshot clothesline to the bottom rope, followed by the Italian Press for two. The two fight over the Speedfire, but Akira eventually hits it and gets a near-fall with it. Akira beats up Fujita some more and goes for the Fireball, but Fujita dodges and hits a roundhouse kick. The crowd is actually chanting for Akira as both guys are down. They get to their feet and have a striking battle, which Fujita gets the best of, and he hits another bridging German, once again getting two. Fujita tries to suplex Akira through the table, but Akira shoves him into the ring post and then tries a tijeras to the floor; however, Fujita catches him and powerbombs him through the table. Fujita tosses Akira in the ring and tries another German suplex, but only gets two. Fujita transitions to an armbar, then captures the leg a la Sabre (who is at ringside), but Akira gets to the ropes. Fujita goes for the Thrill Ride, but Akira escapes and tries for the Fireball, which Fujita catches and attempts to turn into the Nemosu Special, but Akira turns that into an inside cradle for two. Akira goes for something from the wheelbarrow position, but Fujita counters with a suplex, then hits a Poison Rana; however, Akira fires up and hits the Fireball for a near-fall. Akira goes for the Firebolt, but Fujita counters into the Thrill Ride, which gets the pinfall. This was just terrific – non-stop action and great fire.  

After the match, Fujita cuts a promo, promising to surpass everyone’s expectations of him. He then jumps into the Korakuen crowd to celebrate.

What’s next? Fujita (2 points) wrestles Wayne on Saturday’s show, while Akira (0 points) gets Robbie X on the same show.