The 31st edition of NJPW’s Best of the Super Juniors began tonight with sub factions of Bullet Club battling it out. Bullet Club War Dogs took on The House of Torture with Sho taking on Drilla Moloney. It was no surprise that instead of the high-flying moves we have come to expect from the Super Juniors tournament we got lots of shenanigans that stretched the rules from them both.
Sho was wearing some animal skull with braids hanging off of it when he came to the ring.
Chris Charlton: What the hell has he got on his head? Did Jack Perry give him that?
The champions hold the belts up high as they shake hands in the middle of the ring. As soon as the bell rings both men try to clobber the other with their belts. The official demands they put the belts on the mat in their respective corners.
Both men catch the other’s kick.
“Let’s have a clean fight,” says Drilla as they release each other’s legs.
Immediately, they try to kick each other in the “lower abdomen” again. They each let go at the same time but Sho rakes Drilla’s eyes.
Drilla gives Sho a backbreaker before whipping him hard into a corner.
“A clean fight, man!” Drilla asks once again.
Drilla comes off the ropes. Sho pushes the official in the way. Sho ducks out of the ring and Drilla follows. Sho takes the bell hammer off the time keeper’s desk. He beats on Drilla with it and then chokes him with it.
Sho clears out the first row by slamming Drilla’s head into an empty steel chair. Back in the ring, Sho chokes out Drilla with his t-shirt. Drilla drills Sho with a standing drop kick. To show how much they hate Sho the crowd cheers for Drilla. Drilla slams Sho and drops a senton on him.
“Clean fight!” yells Drilla covering Sho for a two count.
Sho spears Drilla off the ropes for a two. Sho takes Drilla to the floor smashing his head on a steel chair and a table. Sho runs at Drilla. Drilla slams him on the table. Drilla heads back into the ring demanding the official begin their count.
Sho is about to reenter the ring. Drilla starts arguing with the official about the pace of his count. Gedo runs down to the ring punching Sho in the “lower abdomen”. Yujiro Takahashi sneaks in the other side punching Drilla in the same spot.
Yujiro and Gedo fight on the floor. Yujiro throws Gedo into the ring. The official warns Gedo to get out of the ring. Sho nails Drilla in the head with his wrench. Sho pins Drilla. Drilla is pissed after the match.
Best of the Super Juniors Standings
Best of the Super Juniors A Block
Best of the Super Juniors Block B
Best of the Super Juniors – Night One Results
A Block- El Desperado vs Titan
Titan makes Desperado submit with his Llave Inmortal (Great Muta Lock).
Winner: Titan
B Block- Hiromu Takahashi vs KUSHIDA
Kushida comes out on top in this back and forth match. He puts Hiromu in a brutal arm, wrist bar. Hiromu submits.
Winner: KUSHIDA
A Block- Kevin Knight vs TJP
Knight is hit by two running knee smashes. Knight foils the Mamba Splash with a head scissors. TJP is pinned by Knight’s leaping DDT. The crowd is stunned.
Winner: Kevin Knight
B Block- DOUKI vs Taiji Ishimori
Ishimori pins Douki with Bloody Cross.
Winner: Taiji Ishimori
A Block- Blake Christian vs Clark Connors
The official goes down. Blake pulls out some brass knuckles from his trunks. He punches Connors in the face. Christian pins Connors with a Curb Stomp.
Winner: Blake Christian
B Block- Drilla Moloney vs SHO
Winner: SHO
A Block-Kosei Fujita vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru
The crowd is really behind Fujita and he takes full advantage of that. He pins Kanemaru with Abandon Hope. The crowd is estatic.
Winner: Kosei Fujita
B Block- Robbie Eagles vs Ninja Mack
It is great to see Robbie Eagles back in NJPW. He really is one of the best of his generation. Will someone give him a bigger break? Slam Wrestling will thank you.
After roll-up after roll-up, Mack manages to, well, roll Eagles up for two points.
Winner: Ninja Mack
A Block- BUSHI vs HAYATA
Hayata is from Pro Wrestling Noah. Hayata wins with a brain buster, DDT move.
Winner: HAYATA
B Block-Francesco Akira vs Dragon Dia
Dragon Dia is from Dragon Gate. An important note as per usual there are no guardrails around the ring because many of the Super Juniors are high-flyers. Akira wins with his Fireball running knee smash.
Winner: Francesco Akira