The block phase of this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament ends at tonight’s show in Korakuen Hall. We have a seven-way tie for first in the A Block and a five-way tie for first in the B Block. I hope you like upsets and tiebreakers!

B Block: Jakob Austin Young [United Empire] (6 points) vs. SHO [House of Torture] (10 points)

SHO immediately goes after the turnbuckle pad before Young makes his entrance. As Young is making his entrance, Dick Togo chokes out Zane Jay, SHO jumps Young and referee Yuya Sakamoto gets bumped. SHO and Togo double-team Young, then chase him around the building. SHO and Togo follow Young through a door, then crawl out screaming in fear; Jake Lee emerges with a full greasepaint mask and gets a big pop. God help us, this gimmick is getting over. Back in the ring, we finally get a bell and Young hits Brain Rot for two. Young applies a Boston crab, but Togo rings the bell and Young gives up the hold, thinking that he’s won. SHO rolls up Young with a handful of tights and gets two, then entices Young to charge into the exposed buckle and applies the cross armbreaker. The bell rings again and SHO gives up the hold, but it was Jay who rang the bell, and Young rolls up SHO for two. SHO throws Sakamoto into Young, who tosses him away, and then SHO hits a spear and tries a straitjacket piledriver, but Young slips out and hits an enzuigiri. Young tries for the hammerlock DDT, but SHO counters into a Boston crab. A guy wearing a green mask and a United Empire shirt who is clearly Yujiro Takahashi runs to the ring and throws in the towel, and Sakamoto accepts it, for some reason. Young, Jay and Lee are beside themselves, but SHO gets to 12 points.

B Block: KUSHIDA (6 points) vs. Taiji Ishimori [Unbound Co.] (10 points)

On Japanese commentary, Toru Yano is sporting a new YTR football jersey that’s pretty cool. KUSHIDA is barefoot again, and both guys start out going for their submissions, but neither one can lock it in. They grapple on the mat for an extended period, and Ishimori eventually gets KUSHIDA in a crazy, Sabre-esque hold, but KUSHIDA is able to roll to the ropes for the break. Ishimori goes after KUSHIDA’s legs and feet, but KUSHIDA catches an Ishimori charge into the corner and hits a Downward Spiral into the pad. KUSHIDA targets the arm, hitting a top-rope knee onto it and then cutting off Ishimori’s handspring kick with a kick to the arm. Ishimori tries the Gedo clutch but only gets two, then they fight over a small package, which ends with KUSHIDA getting two. KUSHIDA lands the fisherman’s buster, but can’t hold the small package for the full Back to the Future. They trade strikes, and then KUSHIDA tries for the Hoverboard Lock, but Ishimori fights out and hits Bloody Cross for the pinfall to get to 12 points.

B Block: El Desperado (10 points) vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [House of Torture] (6 points)

Former Suzuki-gun partners face off in this one. No makeup for Desperado tonight, and no splits entrance, as I’m sure he’s wary of being jumped by the House. Kanemaru goes after the knee to start, but Desperado avoids several of his attacks. Desperado holds the ropes on a whip attempt while Kanemaru goes for the drop-down, then Desperado hits an elbow drop, but Kanemaru immediately grabs a tight headscissors; Desperado eventually gets the ropes after a long struggle. Kanemaru applies a cravat, but after another long struggle, Desperado counters with a kneebreaker and a dragon screw before applying the stretch muffler, but he can’t quite get Numero Dos before Kanemaru gets to the ropes. Kanemaru hits a tilt-a-whirl DDT, then hits a moonsault for two. Desperado fights out of a suplex attempt and kicks Kanemaru’s knee, but Kanemaru then throws Sakamoto at Desperado and hits a low dropkick to Desperado’s knee. Kanemaru goes for the bottle and Sakamoto tries to wrestle it away from him, but Desperado charges wildly and Sakamoto takes the spear. Desperado avoids the Suntory Surprise, but Sakamoto is out, so Desperado kicks Sakamoto to the floor and calls to the back for Kenta Sato, who obliges. Kanemaru gets a roll-up for two, but Desperado responds with a spinebuster. Desperado goes for Pinche Loco, but Kanemaru counters by flipping him on his back for two. Kanemaru gets a backslide for two, but Desperado responds with Pinche Loco for the pinfall. Desperado moves to 12 points, and this eliminates SHO, since Desperado and Ishimori both hold tiebreakers over him.

B Block: YOH (10 points) vs. Daisuke Sasaki (6 points)

Sasaki tosses his jacket at YOH to start, then immediately goes for the crossface, but YOH quickly gets to the ropes. Sasaki tries the Tiger Driver, but YOH counters with the Paradise Lock, which gives YOH an opportunity to stretch and warm up before he hits the low dropkick. Sasaki tosses YOH to the outside, then slams his head into the apron before going over to demand Murata’s chair one last time; YOH responds by taking Milano’s chair, and they have a standoff while Sato counts them out of the ring that’s shot like a Sergio Leone western. They both jump in at 19, with neither having used their chair; that was a cute little bit of business. They trade strikes, but Sasaki gets the advantage with a rake to the eyes and a dragon screw. Sasaki goes after YOH’s knee, as Desperado did yesterday, but YOH hits a DDT to create some separation. YOH hits two more DDTs and goes for a third, but it’s too close to the ropes and Sasaki holds on. Sasaki hits a DDT of his own, then sends YOH to the outside with a low dropkick. Sasaki hits a tope suicida, then hits a flying clothesline from the top after YOH rolls back into the ring. Sasaki lands the Pedigree for two, and then goes for an elbow off the top, but YOH moves, and both men are down. YOH catches a kick and hits a dragon screw, then hits, uh, the “too sweet” hand gesture into a strike of some sort for two. YOH goes for a superkick, but Sasaki catches it and drives him down into the crossface; after a long struggle, YOH counters with the anaconda vise. Sasaki regains his feet, gets out of the hold by raking the eyes and tries to respond with La Mistica, but YOH blocks it and goes for the Tiger Driver; Sasaki slips out and gets a victory roll for a cover, but YOH counters with one of his own at two, followed by Sasaki trying again, this time with a handful of tights, and YOH countering that with the five-star clutch for the pinfall. This gets YOH to 12 points and eliminates Ishimori, since Desperado and YOH both hold tiebreakers over him.

B Block: Robbie Eagles [TMDK] (10 points) vs. Hyo (6 points)

So, if Eagles wins, he wins the block and YOH finishes second, by virtue of YOH beating Desperado last night; however, if Hyo wins, YOH wins the block and Desperado finishes second. They both go for their finishers to start, but both are blocked. They do a “feeling each other out” stalemate sequence that ends with a double dropkick spot. They shake hands, but then Eagles attacks the knee and hits a sitout powerbomb for two before going after the knee with a heel hook; Hyo quickly gets to the ropes. Eagles hits a wheel kick, then does his chant and finally hits a couple more kicks for two. Eagles chops Hyo and then snaps his suspenders, which apparently hurts even worse. Eagles tries the double knees in the corner, but Hyo avoids them, charges Eagles in the corner, gets backdropped onto the apron, and then springs back in and hits a cutter. Eagles rolls outside, and Hyo hits a tope con hilo. Back in the ring, Hyo hits a leg lariat followed by a senton for two. They trade strikes, and Eagles regains the advantage with a series of kicks and a northern lariat. Hyo responds with his all-fours misdirection into a DDT, followed by a bridging backdrop driver for two. Hyo tries for Hunting, but Eagles cuts him off, and after a long struggle in the corner, Eagles hits a super Turbo Backpack for two and then applies the Ron Miller Special for the submission. So, Eagles wins B Block and YOH finishes second. SHO comes out and is pissed, as he beat Eagles and finished with the same amount of points; Eagles had more and better tiebreakers, however. SHO attacks Hyo on the outside and tries to go after Eagles, but Hyo grabs SHO’s leg and Eagles wrestles away the cookie sheet and hits SHO with it. Hyo drags SHO to the back and Eagles celebrates.

A Block: Kosei Fujita [TMDK] (10 points) vs. Daiki Nagai [Unbound Co.] (0 points)

Nagai attacks Fujita before the bell with a tope suicida, then tosses Fujita in and hits a missile dropkick for two. Nagai misses a charge into the corner and gets chopped down by Fujita to halt his momentum. Fujita tosses Nagai to the outside, then throws Nagai into a seating section. Fujita sits Nagai in a chair, then runs the length of the mats, jumps onto and off of the Japanese announce table and hits a dropkick that sends Nagai into another seating section. Fujita tosses Nagai into the ring, but only gets a one count. Fujita applies a single-leg crab, but Nagai makes it to the ropes. Fujita lands some stiff chops, but Nagai counters with a shotgun dropkick, a pounce and a corner dropkick for two. Nagai hits a kick to the head and applies the Boston crab. Fujita twists out of it and tries to lift Nagai into the Thrill Ride position, but Nagai slips out. Nagai slaps Fujita in the face and hits the ropes, but Fujita takes him down into an armbar, which he transitions into a wacky Sabre-esque submission. After a long struggle, Nagai makes it to the ropes, and the Korakuen crowd responds by chanting his name. Nagai keeps fighting with weak strikes and spits in the face of Fujita (the loogie stays on Fujita’s face, and Fujita knows better than to wipe it off), but Fujita hits him with a stiff headbutt and applies the Liontamer, which causes Sato to call for the bell. This was red hot, and I can’t wait to see a lot more of it over the next 20 years or so. Fujita finally wipes the loogie onto Matsumoto’s shirt afterward, then talks some more shit to Nagai until the other Young Lions come to get him. Fujita has tiebreakers over Titán, Francesco Akira and Nick Wayne, so he needs a little bit of help.

A Block: Valiente Jr. (4 points) vs. Robbie X [Unbound Co.] (10 points)

They do an excessively flippy feeling-out sequence, as you might imagine. Valiente hits a step-up enzuigiri, but X avoids a charge, sending Valiente to the apron, hits a flip kick and then hits a springboard Sky Twister Press to the outside. Back in the ring, X hits a dropkick to the back for two. They trade strikes and then clotheslines, but X regains control with a superkick. Valiente catches an X charge into the corner, tosses him back to the middle of the ring and hits a Code Red for two. Both guys roll to the apron, where they exchange more strikes. X hits a flip kick and goes to the top, but Valiente cuts him off and hits a Spanish Fly from the top for two. Valiente goes for the Valiente Special, but X flips out and gets an inside cradle for two. Valiente misses a charge in the corner and X hits a spin kick, followed by a standing shooting star for two. X hits a Liger bomb for two, then applies the bridging chinlock and tries for a power bomb, but Valiente gets two with a victory roll and then gets a near-fall with the Skayde Special. Valiente counters an X Marks the Spot attempt with a pop-up knee strike, then hits the Valiente Special and applies a leg grapevine, which causes X to tap out. X is eliminated from contention, and his loss makes the road to the semis easier for Fujita, since X was one of the guys who held a tiebreaker over him. 

A Block: Ryusuke Taguchi (6 points) vs. Jun Kasai (10 points)

In American football, this is what is known as a “trap game.” If Kasai wins, he’s through to the semis, since only one other guy (Titán) can reach 12 points and has a tiebreaker over Kasai. Taguchi comes to the ring with a stepladder, indicating his desire to get extreme in this one. Ref Marty Asami tries to get the stepladder from Taguchi, but Kasai dropkicks Taguchi into the corner, immediately bumping Asami; that might be a new record. Taguchi hits the Funky Weapon, then hits Kasai about as softly as possible with the stepladder. Taguchi sets up the stepladder, waves over Matsumoto and Yasuda to hold it for him, and dons a swim cap and goggles to parody Kasai’s Pearl Harbor spot. He misses the hip drop, of course, and Kasai hits him across the back and ass with the stepladder. Kasai gets out the hypodermics and sticks them in Taguchi’s ass, then drives the skewers into Taguchi’s head. Kasai goes for the lariat, but gets cut off by the Funky Weapon. They trade strikes, then Kasai hits an enzuigiri and a DDT and gets a visual pin, but Asami is still out. Kasai goes for his head-of-steam lariat, but Taguchi turns it into his pass-through spot and hits the Funky Weapon, followed by a gamagoye. Taguchi tries for Dodon, but Kasai counters with a backslide for two. Kasai hits the reverse Tiger Driver for two and goes for the inside cradle, but Taguchi reverses it to a pinning predicament of his own for two, then hooks his own inside cradle for the pinfall. Kasai takes his frustrations out on Nakahara after the match. Because Kasai lost, Fujita is through to the semis.

A Block: Titán [Unbound Co.] (10 points) vs. Francesco Akira [United Empire] (10 points)

Both of these guys need some help to get through to the semis – if Akira wins, he needs Nick Wayne to beat Master Wato in the main event, while Titán would need Wato to beat Wayne, which would create a three-way tie for first. Akira needs a haircut – he’s starting to look a bit too much like Beavis for me to take him seriously. After a quick feeling-out process, Akira sends Titán to the floor and goes for a dive, but Titán jumps back in, hits the ropes and runs right into a cutter from the outside in. Akira tosses Titán outside and throws him into a seating section and the bleachers. Back in the ring, Akira gets one and then locks in a straitjacket chinlock around his shin. Akira goes after Titán’s mask, but Titán fights back with chops, then a crazy striking sequence, followed by a springboard cross body and a dropkick that sends Akira to the outside. Titán hits the ropes for a dive, but Jay pulls Akira out of the way before Titán can do anything. Akira gets up to the apron, but Titán hits a Pele kick and then the double stomp from the top, which appears to tweak Titán’s knee; Titán rolls Akira back in and gets two. They trade strikes, and Akira goes for the eyes to take a momentary advantage. However, Titán reverses a whip into a tornado DDT attempt, but Akira shoves him off and gets a victory roll into a double stomp. Akira hits Speedfire for two, then tries for the Fireball; Titán dodges it, but then falls victim to a step-up enzuigiri. Akira goes for the Fireplex, but Titán counters with a lucha deathlock, then transitions to Llave Inmortal; Akira gets out of it by ripping at Titán’s mask. Titán hits a series of kicks, then his clothesline through the corner assembly, which seems to exacerbate his knee problem. Eventually, Titán goes to the top, but Jay jumps on the apron to distract Titán, which allows Akira to cut Titán off. They battle on the top, and Akira hits a superplex, which he holds onto, but Titán hits a gourdbuster and goes for a superkick, which Jay takes for Akira. Titán dodges a clothesline Matrix-style, then hits a high kick and ascends to the top, but instead of attacking Akira, he hits a cross-body on Jay on the floor. Titán hits a springboard dropkick on Akira, which sends him to the outside, followed by a tope suicida. Spectacular stuff. Titán rolls Akira back in and goes for the double stomp from the top, but Akira avoids it and tries to apply the Ground Tarantula; Titán counters with a cradle for two, however. Akira hits the Fireball for two, then applies the Ground Tarantula for the submission. This was a fantastic match. So, Titán is out, and this takes Wayne out as well, since Akira holds the tiebreaker against him.

A Block: Master Wato (10 points) vs. Nick Wayne (10 points)

So, it’s pretty simple now – if Wato wins, he wins the block and Fujita finishes second; if Wayne wins or they draw, Fujita wins the block and Akira finishes second. Also, a Wato win would mean that the semis would feature two matches between tag partners, with Fujita vs. Eagles and Wato vs. YOH. Wato appears to have the makings of a pretty nasty scar on his forehead from that match with Kasai yesterday. They feel each other out to start, and Wayne gets the best of it with a flying uppercut. Wato dodges a charge and hits a facebuster out of the corner, then applies a chinlock, but Wayne makes the ropes. Wato hits a back elbow and applies a rear chinlock, then hits a side slam for two. Wato goes back to the chinlock, but Wayne fights out, blocks a charge into the corner and hits a second-rope dropkick, followed by a handspring stunner into an Asai DDT for two. Wayne tries for the Prodigy Plex a couple of times, but Wato fights out and sends Wayne to the outside with a tijeras. Wato hits a tope con hilo, then tosses Wayne back in and hits a missile dropkick for two. Wato goes for Recientemente; Wayne blocks it and hits a forearm, but then runs into a leg lariat, which sends him outside. Wato tries a plancha, but Wayne avoids it and then hits a Spanish Fly on the floor. Both guys dive in at the count of 19, then go to the fighting spirit strike exchange. Wato gets the advantage with a strike to the midsection, but then Wayne hits a shot to the back and a dragon suplex, followed by a Code Red for two. Wayne goes to the top and hits a fantastic frog splash for two, followed by the Prodigy Plex for another near-fall. Wayne hits a hook kick and then goes for Wayne’s World, but Wato catches him and tries for the Tsutenkaku German; Wayne flips out and tries for a clothesline, but Wato catches him in the crucifix position and hits Recientemente for a near-fall. Wato blocks a hook kick and then hits one of his own. Wato tries for the half-nelson suplex, but Wayne flips out and hits a hook kick, then tries for a lariat but is hit with a Sling Blade instead. Wato hits the Tenzan Tombstone for two, then hits the Tsutenkaku German for the pinfall. This was terrific. After the match, Wato tells Wayne, in English, “You are so great,” and he’s right.

So, Wato wins the A Block and Fujita finishes second, which, again, means that on Friday in Gunma, the two semi-final matches are Wato vs. YOH and Eagles vs. Fujita. That should be a lot of fun, and God help me, we’re finally, finally done with these 10-match tournament shows for a while.