New Japan Pro Wrestling 5/12/2023 Best of the Super Junior 30 Day 1

New Japan Pro Wrestling 5/12/2023 Best of the Super Junior 30 Day 1

Look, you guys know how I feel about juniors wrestling. I can't really do the full card for all 12 days, but I'll try to do what I can.

Best Of The Super Junior 30 Block B Match - Clark Connors vs. Kevin Knight

 

Kevin hits a punch flurry before even taking his entrance gear off and foot chokes him. Clark goes out to retreat and is plancha'd. Kevin hits strikes outside then is sent into the post. Kevin is sent into the post again then is whipped hard into the buckles. Clark foot chokes him and throws him hard into the buckles again. Clark suplexes him and they each pound on each other. Kevin hits a nice dropkick then stomps on him in the corner.

Kevin sits him on the top rope then standing hurricanrana's him. He then rolls into a splash for 2. Kevin hits a big sky high for 2. Kevin is stuck up top then comes off and gets powerslammed. Kevin comes back with a twisting springboard crossbody. Kevin then kind of jumps into a big spear then Clark hits a high elevated ddt and wins it.

It wasn't bad. It could have been a little shorter but it was a decent effort by both.

Clark stomps on his back after then chairs him.

Best Of The Super Junior 30 Block B Match - BUSHI vs. Dan Moloney

Dan goes to leapfrog early and is dropkicked in mid-air. He goes out and Bushi tries to dive on him, but Dan gets back in and dropkicks him. Dan rips off his shirt and they trade chops. Dan hits strikes on him then Bushi hurricanrana's him and they trade forearms. Bushi backdrops him then hits a top rope dropkick and does a spinarooni. Bushi knee dropkicks him then backcrackers him. Dan hits a step up enzugiri then baseball slides him.

Bushi misses an enzugiri then hits one on the reverse then Dan fisherman's busters him. Dan hits a big spear then over the shoulder piledrivers him and wins it.

This was short and ended before it could really get going. It needed double the time it had.

Best Of The Super Junior 30 Block A Match - KUSHIDA vs. DOUKI

They trade holds early and Kush armdrags him into a hammerlock and side headlock. Kush ties his arms up with his legs in a neat hold and Douki ropebreaks. Douki armdrags Kush then Kush does a nice takedown on him into an armbar. Kush kicks him in the arm multiple times then surfboards him. They trade shoulders then Douki hurricanrana's him.

They trade pin attempts and Kush does a nice roll-up into a pin attempt. Kush crossbodies him then hits a pele kick. Kush kicks the arm then Douki armdrags him into a roll-up and gets the surprise win.

This was all wrestling here and it was a decent back and forth wrestling match with nice pin attempts and submission holds.

Best Of The Super Junior 30 Block A Match - SHO vs. Lio Rush

Evil jumps Rush during his entrance. Sho lariated Rush then powerbombed him onto his knees. Sho hits a straightjacket piledriver then Rush backdrops on him on another shock arrow attempt. Evil gets on the apron with a chair and Sho ends up running into it. Rush topes Evil outside then topes Sho too. Evil grabs Rush while hes up top then Sho pushes the ref into Rush. Sho spears Rush. Rush low blows Evil and hits him and Sho with a wrench that he gets off them. Rush top rope frog splashes Sho and wins it.

This was unusual and was honestly more of an angle than a match. Sho should have been DQ'd long before Rush beat him.

Best Of The Super Junior 30 Block B Match - Robbie Eagles vs. YOH

Robbie yells out to the crowd and is rolled up. Yoh kips up out an armlock and puts his own on. Rob uses the ropes to flip to get out. Rob uses the ropes to armdrag him then hurricanrana's him. Rob misses a knee drop and they stand off. Rob rolls him up then basement dropkicks him.

Rob ties his legs up then does his taunt with Yoh's leg hooked. Yoh is kicked out of the ring but hangs on and gets some shots in. Yoh hits running forearms then plancha's him. Yoh does a vader bomb style twisting Elbow then Rob lariats him in the back of the head. Rob hits running corner knees for 2.

Yoh hits a spinning forearm then Rob sitout spinebusters him. Rob ties up the legs and Yoh ropebreaks. Yoh backflips out of a facekick then falcon arrows him for 2. They trade forearms on their knees, slap each other then forearm each other again. Rob is slammed over the knee then hits various kicks. Rob asai ddt's him for 2. then hits a 450 on the knee. Rob goes to put it in a hold and gets rolled up for 2. They go for superkicks at the same time and Rob superkicks him in the knee. Rob srpingboard dropkicks him in the knee then shining wizards him for the win.

The leg work was creative here. I would have liked Rob to win with something with the leg instead of a shining wizard. I ended up liking this more than I thought I would and it was a fun little match.

Best Of The Super Junior 30 Block A Match - TJP vs. Titan

Titan cartwheels and headflips out of an armlock then TJP cartwheels and headstand headscissors him to get out of one. They both do headflips and stand off. TJP headstands on the top rope and headscissors him off of it. Titan goes out. TJP misses a plancha then is tope'd. TJP cranks the arm back hard then starts untying his mask.

TJP facewashes him then backbreakers him. Titan springboard crossbodies him then bodyscissors him over the top. Titan top rope moonsaults him outside. Titan is hung over the 2nd rope and TJP top rope splashes him as he hangs. TJP hits a springboard ddt for 2. TJP goes up top and takes a pele kick then Titan top rope double stomps him on the apron. Titan goes for another double stomp then is caught with a regal stretch. Titan limbos out of a lariat then tornado ddt's him. Titan then wins with an indian deathlock.

I didn't like the finish as it had nothing to do with a match that was otherwise filled with flying.  If TJP would have done it, maybe it would have made more sense, but Titan was the one who won via submission.

Best Of The Super Junior 30 Block A Match - Hiromu Takahashi vs. Mike Bailey

Hiromu pulls him in off a handshake then Mike shoulders him over. Mike chest kicks him then hits alternating right and left kicks. They trade chops and forearms outside then Mike flying kicks him. Yujiro lariats and dropkicks him in the ring then dropkicks him off the apron. Mike is thrown into the rail. They go into the stands and Hiromu suplexes him on the walkway. Hiromu running dropkicks him then falcon arrows him for 2.

Mike flying kicks him then drops him with some kicks. Mike standing ssp's him for 2. Mike handspring back elbows but is caught and german suplexed. Mike takes a pop-up powerbomb then is death valley drivered into the buckles. Mike hurricanrana's him then does a standing moonsault double knee. Mike then takes a belly to belly into the buckles.

They run into each other then trade forearms. Mike superkicks him then is lariated. Mike is put on the apron, blocks a sunset bomb then Mike triangle moonsaults him outside. Mike legsweeps him on the apron and misses a standing moonsault double knee there. Hiromu then sunset bombs him to the floor. Hiromu hits a dynamite plunger for 2. Hiromu lariats him then they trade roll ups.

Mike hits a standing corkscrew spanish fly. They trade superkicks then Mike hits a high kick, a superkick then a spin kick in the corner. Mike hits his ultimate weapon 2nd rope ssp double knee and wins it.

I thought they did too much here with headdrops and even powerbombs on the floor not being enough to finish Bailey. They definitely did try to put Mike over here and make him seel like a big star.

Mike did a promo after saying he beat the former BOSJ winner and the former IWGP junior champ in Hiromu.

Overall thoughts: Clark/Knight, Kushida/Douki and Eagles/Yoh were all okay. I didn't really care too much for the main and semi-main.