New Japan Pro Wrestling 5/17/2022 - Best of the Super Junior 29 Day 2

New Japan Pro Wrestling 5/17/2022 - Best of the Super Junior 29 Day 2

I saw the 5 BOSJ Tournament magtches here.

Best of the Super Junior 29 Block B - El Lindaman vs Douki

They run at each other and trade forearms. Linda gets him seated on the 2nd rope then neckbreakers him. Linda then gets stun gunned on the ropes. Douki puts him in a cobra twist on the mat and Linda ropebreaks. Douki goes into the ropes and Linda hits a nice dropkick on him.

Linda shoulder throws him then ddt's him for 2 then follows it up with a missile dropkick from the top. Douki comes back with an enzugiri then does a cool swing into a one handed northern lights suplex. Douki throws a lariat and goes for another but gets an exploder suplex instead.

Linda bangs his head off the mat to power up. He goes for a top rope splash but Douki catches him in a double armbar, which Linda ropebreaks for. Douki gets tuck on the 2nd rope then takes a running powerbomb then a high shoulder throw.

They trade pins then Linda germans him, takes a version of the gori bomb then Douki hits a delayed lifting dragon suplex to win it.

The ending was rushed, but they matched up well with each other and I thought it was okay. Linda shouldn't have lost here, but he's an outsider and he's going to pay for it by doing jobs.

Best of the Super Junior 29 Block B - Bushi vs El Phantasmo

ELP grabs the mask early then walks on him and struts with moonsaults in between. Bushi kicks him then top rope dropkicks him out. Bushi chases after ELP but gets outsmarted. ELP then pulls a shirt over Bushi's head and backrakes him and shirt chokes him. ELP then brainbusters him for 2.

ELP works his arm snaps his fingers. ELP Then twists his nipple. He then goes up the buckles and springboards only to backrake him. ELP then walks the ropes while clutching his arm but Bushi kicks the ropes and ELP crotches himself. Bushi then topes him.

Bushi ddt's him for 2. He then hits an enzugiri and a twisting neckbreaker for another 2. ELP comes back with a gorilla press gutbuster. They trade pin attempts and ELP hits a stiff lariat. They trade forearms on their knees then do it standing up. Bushi backcrackers him for 2.

ELP superkicks him then picks him up for a straightjacket piledriver and drops him body first to win it.

Phantasmo is athletic and does have some personality. The problem is he does the same goofy heel spots every match and after you've seen it a bunch of times, it loses its effect. I think this would have been better if he only did about half those spots. I wouldn't say it was bad but nothing particularly memorable.

ELP mocks a fan dressed up as Bushi outside then throws a towel on him.

Best of the Super Junior 29 Block B - Wheeler Yuta vs Robbie Eagles

Yuta rolls through a wristlock and trips him from behind. They do some legsweeps then Eagle does a gun pose at him. Yuta then grabs that hand and takes him down. Yuta surfboards him then slams and sentons him. Eagles is caught by the arm and runs up the ropes behind Yuta and armdrags him. Eagles then kind of misses a heel kick and poses.

Yuta hits a flurry of forearms then hits a nice dropkick. Yuta then does some top lariat or something and kips up. Eagles flips out of a german then hits a hard running elbow from behind. Eagles then hits a hard meteora for 2. Yuta gets out of a 450 and they trade face kicks. Yuta then forearms him as Eagles high kicks him and both go down.

They trade slaps and forearms on their knees and get up and forearm each other. Eagles high kicks and superkicks him then Yuta rolls him up for 2. Yuta has him up for a tombstone but grabs his leg and turns it into a submission then Eagles rolls and does a figure foure variation.

They roll each other up then Yuta does the elbow flurry on him. They do more roll-ups and Eagle finally pins him.

I thought they did a few too many roll-ups and reversals here especially towards the end. It was okay up to it though.

Best of the Super Junior 29 Block B - Master Wato vs TJP

TJP dropkicks him on his entrance then topes him. TJP misses a frogsplash, then is dropkicked out and then hit with a tope con hilo. Wato crossbodies him from the top but meets a dropkick in mid-air. Wato hurricanrana's him then spin kicks him. TJP facewashes him in the corner then slingshot sentons him for 2.

TJP double reverse armbars him then he pulls on his arms from the indian deathlock position. TJP then does a headstand spinning headscissors. Wato comes back with some facekicks and a dropkick. He then springboard uppercuts him for 2. Wato does a higer german on him for 2 then TJP hits a nice jumping spin kick. TJP then catches his kick and backdrops him.

TJP tornado ddt's him then does a final cut for 2. Wato comes back with a driver. Wato misses a spiral tap then TJP frogsplashes his back from the top then taps him out with an STF.

This wasn't anything special with a bunch of moves being done in place of a story.

Best of the Super Junior 29 Block B - Titan vs El Desperado

They do some reversals and escapes early. Titan is thrown into the buckles then head flips his way out. Titan then walks the top rope and headscissors Despy off it. Despy goes out but comes right back in and spears him. They trade shots outside then Despy slams him on the mat out there.

Despy tries to rip Titan's mask off then back body drops him for 2. Titan limbos out of a clothesline then uses his legs to drag his body over the top rope. Titan then top rope springboard moonsaults Despy. Titan top rope dropkicks him then puts him in a figure four variation. Despy then spinebusters him and stretch mufflers him.

They trade chest chops then Titan does a nice springboard off the 2nd rope into a tornado ddt. Titan top rope double stomps the back of his neck. Titan misses a springboard double stomp then gets speared. Despy then hits a pump handle driver for 2. Titan the ncomes back wit ha spinning headscisors.

He slap combos Despy and gets punched then takes a sitout spinning pedigree for the Despy.

There were a couple of nice moves here but I didn't much of this otherwise. There wasn't much of a story and this really wasn't anywhere close to Titan's best work.

Overall thoughts: Anyone who follows me knows I'm not the biggest fan of cruiserweight wrestling. I  thought Yuta's and Linda's matches were okay, but nothing spectacular or anything.