It’s time for the first-ever NJPW show in the brand-new Asue Arena in Osaka. (It’s a pretty good-looking building.) It’s an A Block show that could very well feature the tournament’s first elimination and definitely will feature a big-time grudge match in the main event.

A Block: Daiki Nagai [Unbound Co.] (0 points) vs. Nick Wayne (4 points) 

Walker Stewart is rolling solo here, as you’d probably expect on a block show outside Tokyo. If Nagai loses, he is eliminated from tournament contention. Nagai attacks before the bell, as he has been doing throughout the tournament, then hits a tope suicida. Back in the ring, Nagai gets two with a body slam, but gets caught with a spinning uppercut from Wayne to turn the tables. Wayne gets two with a snap suplex, then hits a missile dropkick for another near-fall. Wayne goes for a dragon suplex, but Nagai battles out and hits a dropkick. Nagai hits a corner dropkick for two. Nagai goes for a brainbuster, but Wayne slips out and hits a German of his own, which Nagai no-sells; however, Nagai runs right into a dragon suplex for a near-fall. Nagai dodges Wayne’s World and tries to apply a Boston crab, but Wayne rolls him up for two. Nagai goes for the Boston crab again and, this time, stuffs Wayne’s roll-up attempt for two. Nagai gets two with a spinebuster, then gets the Boston crab, but Wayne makes it to the ropes. Nagai goes for the diving headbutt, but Wayne catches him with a cutter and then hits Wayne’s World for the pin. With that, Nagai is eliminated from contention.

What’s next? Wayne (6 points) takes on Jun Kasai on Sunday in Kyoto, and Nagai (0 points) wrestles Francesco Akira on the same show.

A Block: Ryusuke Taguchi (6 points) vs. Titán [Unbound Co.] (8 points)

They shake hands before the bell. Taguchi gains the upper hand early, but Titán hits an armdrag and a dropkick to send Taguchi outside, then hits a tope suicida. Back in the ring, Titán goes for the double stomp, but Taguchi dodges, hits a low dropkick and applies the ankle lock, but Titán immediately gets to the ropes. Taguchi continues to work on the leg, but when he goes for a backdrop, Titán flips out the back and responds with his striking combo, which Taguchi then cuts off and mocks. Both men hit hip attacks on each other, leading to a semi-comical double-down. Titán wins a striking battle, then hits a tornado DDT, a gourdbuster and a hip attack. Titán goes for the double stomp again, but falls victim to an atomic drop. Taguchi applies the ankle lock again, then gets two with the Bum-a-ye. He goes back to the ankle lock, then goes for Dodon, but Titán counters into a roll-up for two. Titán goes for Llave Inmortal, but Taguchi rolls him up for two. Titán hits a kick and then the clothesline in the corner through the ropes, then finally gets the double stomp, but it only gets two. However, he applies Llave Inmortal, and Taguchi is forced to tap out. This was pretty good, despite Taguchi working through an injury; it just goes to show how talented both guys are.

What’s next? Titán (10 points) takes on Robbie X on Sunday, while Taguchi (6 points) wrestles Kosei Fujita on the same show.

A Block: Valiente Jr. (2 points) vs. Francesco Akira [United Empire] (2 points)

Valiente offers a handshake, which Akira accepts before shoving Valiente to the mat. They wrestle to a stalemate to start, but Akira hits an impressive headscissors takeover to take control. (Akira, in his charmingly accented English, tells Valiente, “I can do some f*cking lucha too, bitch!”) Valiente hits a tijeras and a dropkick to send Akira to the outside, but he misses a sliding dropkick, and Akira hits a suplex on the floor before choking Valiente with a fan’s Mexican flag. (Akira: “Viva Mexico, cabrón!”) Back in the ring, Akira gets one, then gets two with a body slam and one with a standing moonsault. Akira goes after the mask, but ref Marty Asami breaks it up. Outside the ring, both guys try to shove the other into the post, but Valiente gets the upper hand with a superkick, then hits a pretty handstand tijeras. Valiente hits a suplex on the outside, then rolls Akira back in the ring for a two count. Valiente hits the Roll of the Dice for two, then goes for the Valiente Special, but Akira blocks it and triggers a striking battle, which Valiente gets the best of. Valiente goes for a springboard attack from the outside in, but Akira counters with a dropkick. Akira hits the slingshot clothesline into the bottom rope, then hits the Firesault for two. Valiente counters Speedfire with a handstand, then gets two with a jackknife press; Akira powers out, but Valiente gets two with a backslide. Akira hits an enzuigiri and charges Valiente, but Valiente hits a pop-up knee strike. Valiente goes for the Valiente Special again, but Akira grabs his mask and turns it around, then hits a buzzsaw kick and finally, finally hits the Firebolt variation slam for the pinfall. This was also good, though I do suspect that we’re not quite getting the full Valiente after that injury scare last Sunday.

What’s next? Akira (4 points) takes on Nagai on Sunday, while Valiente (2 points) wrestles Jun Kasai on tomorrow’s B Block show in Himeji to make up for the match they missed on Night 1, when Kasai had was booked on a FREEDOMS show.

A Block: Robbie X [Unbound Co.] (4 points) vs. Jun Kasai (4 points)

Time to see if the “X” really does stand for extreme. Kasai jumps X to start, throws him outside and tosses him into a seating section. Kasai tries to run X into the ringpost, but X counters with a climbing moonsault off the post. X hits Kasai with a chair, sits him in the chair, sets up another chair and uses it as a springboard to hit Kasai with a cannonball. X throws a bunch of chairs into the ring, then tosses Kasai in and goes for a springboard something-or-other; he gets a chair thrown in his face for his trouble, of course. Kasai bites him in the corner, then hits a senton for two. Kasai mocks X, then hits a dropkick to the back of the head for two. X fires back with forearms, then hits a spin kick in the corner and a running shooting star for two. Kasai tries to call time out, but X flips him off. Kasai fights out of a waistlock and hits a lariat and a suplex for a two count. Kasai gets out a fork, and Asami tries to get it away from him, but X clobbers Kusai in the corner and Asami gets knocked down, then X charges again and Kusai moves, leaving X to hit Asami with full force; this seems like very bad news for X. X picks up Kasai in the fireman’s carry position, but Kasai stabs him with the fork, then hits him with a second fork shot. Kasai hits the Angel’s Wings for a visual pinfall, but Asami is still out. Kusai pulls a 10-foot ladder out from under the ring and sets it up in the corner. Kusai goes for a body slam, but X slips out the back, gets Kusai in the fireman’s carry position and hits the Kamikaze. He starts climbing the turnbuckle, but then, in a shot that was perfectly captured by the NJPW camera crew, looks over his shoulder, sees the ladder and thinks, “Why don’t I do something crazy instead?” He goes to the top (with the Young Lions helpfully holding the ladder for him) but misses the X Express, and Kasai hits a lariat. Kasai climbs the ladder himself, but X catches him at the top. They trade forearms at the top, and Kasai knocks him off with a nasty shoot headbutt, from which X takes a huge bump, then hits the Pearl Harbor splash from the top of the ladder. Asami rolls into the ring, counts two and then stops and points to the ladder; Kusai is like, come on, dude. Kasai gets the better of a striking battle, then hits a huge lariat, but only gets one. Kasai then gives him the kiss of death and hits the Tiger Driver for the pinfall. This was nuts, but it really should have ended with the splash.

What’s next? Kasai (6 points) takes on Valiente Jr. tomorrow night in Himeji, while X (4 points) wrestles faction-mate Titán on Sunday in Kyoto.

A Block: Master Wato (4 points) vs. Kosei Fujita [TMDK] (4 points)

This is one of the most hyped-up matches of the tournament, as these two brawled at the press conference and hate each other in storyline; plus, Osaka is Wato’s home prefecture. Wato jumps Fujita before either guy can get their entrance gear off, then they hit each other with stiff strikes. Wato gets the best of it and sends Fujita outside, then throws him into a seating section. Back in the ring, Wato continues to have the upper hand, but Fujita bails once again and Wato follows him out. Fujita slams Wato on the floor and then tosses him into a seating section. Fujita then sits Wato in a chair and hits a springboard dropkick off the Japanese announcers’ table, wiping out another seating section. Fujita tosses Wato back in the ring and gets one. Fujita hits a kneebreaker and a standing moonsault for two. Fujita applies a half-crab, but Wato makes it to the ropes. Fujita hits a couple of stiff chops in the corner, but Wato responds with a leg lariat and a running elbow strike. Wato gets two with stiff kicks and then goes for the Tsutenkaku German, but Fujita fights out; Wato, however, gets a sunset flip and turns it into Vendeval. Fujita eventually makes it to the ropes, and after the break, they have a fighting spirit striking battle, which Fujita gets the best of. Fujita tries for Recientemente, but Wato battles out, and the two knock each other out with kicks. Fujita recovers first and hits a German for two. Wato strikes at Fujita, but Fujita catches it and drives Wato down into the Fujiwara armbar; Wato eventually makes it to the ropes, however. Fujita hits a deadlift German for two and then hurks him up for the Thrill Ride, but Wato slips out the back and hits the Tenzan tombstone for two. Wato goes for the Tsutenkaku German again, but Fujita counters with Recientemente for two. Fujita tries the Thrill Ride again, but Wato escapes again and hits a huge lariat. Wato hits Receintemente and gets two, then gets the pin with the Tsutenkaku German. Wato stands over Fujita in the ring, and then Fujita spits at Wato while he’s leaving, so there’s no feel-good mutual respect moment after this one. This was excellent – one of the best matches of the tournament so far.

What’s next? Wato (6 points) takes on Valiente Jr. on Sunday, while Fujita (4 points) wrestles Taguchi.