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NJPW BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS 33 NIGHT 3 REPORT
JUNE 3, 2026
KORAKUEN HALL
TOKYO, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
-All twenty men in the blocks will wrestle their final block matches tonight. As usual, a ton of guys are still able to win, with seven men on ten points in A Block, while five men are on 10 in B Block.
(1) JAKOB AUSTIN YOUNG (w/Zane Jay) (6 points) vs. SHO (w/Dick Togo) (10 points) – B Block match
In B Block, it’s a novel final night as there are five men at 10, and five at 6, all eliminated – but all five of the men at 10 are facing men at 6, who will look to play spoiler.
Dick Togo used his garrote on Zane Jay before the match to distract Young and get an advantage. If this attack leads to Jay never being on color commentary again, that’s not such a bad thing. SHO fought Young up the stairs and near a door, where a face-painted Jake Lee popped out of the door and stalked a freaked-out SHO. The bell finally sounded after all the extracurriculars. Young hit the Brain Rot suplex for two early. He hit a Boston Crab and SHO went for the ropes, but Lee was there and SHO stopped trying to get there. Togo sounded the bell to fool Young into thinking there was a submission, and SHO put Young in a Fujiwara armbar. This time Zane Jay sounded the bell and SHO let go of the hold, tasting his own medicine. The two exchanged rollups and SHO speared Young, then set up the Shock Arrow. Young escaped and hit an enzuigiri. SHO stepped over into a Boston Crab, and a large man in a United Empire shirt and a green mask went up and threw in the towel, which was enough to fool referee Sakamoto for some reason. As Young complained to the ref, it was revealed that the masked man was House of Torture’s Yujiro Takahashi. You have to really suspend some disbelief for this finish.
WINNER: SHO at 3:09 (1/2*)
(2) KUSHIDA (6 points) vs. Taiji Ishimori (10 points) – B Block match
Nearly always on ten-block nights, matches rotate between Block A and B, but tonight they’ve decided to do all five B Block matches before the five A Block matches. They grappled to open and Chris Charlton tried to lay out the possibilities of Ishimori advancing, but the tiebreakers are so complicated that there’s still almost no point to going through it. Kushida kept it technical early but Ishimori is more than willing to meet him there. Ishimori had the advantage but Kushida rolled to a break. Ishimori stomped the leg, then wrapped up Kushida in the ropes to work Kushida’s bare foot. Kushida fought back with some chops. Ishimori punched his way out of a headlock but Kushida flatlined Ishimori into a corner pad. Kushida threw some kicks and fired up. Ishimori trapped Kushida in the Gedo clutch for two. The two rolled and reversed inside cradles and Kushida ended up on top for a very clos near-fall. Kushida hit Back to the Future but couldn’t make the cover. Kushida missed a kick but hit the next couple. Ishimori escaped a DDT and hit the Bloody Cross.
WINNER: Taiji Ishimori at 6:22 (**1/2)
That was about as good a match you can have in this short form. This nearly but does not totally eliminate SHO.
(3) EL DESPERADO (10 points) vs. YOSHINOBU KANEMARU (6 points) – B Block match
They locked up early. Kanemaru smacked Despe instead of breaking clean, then dropped Despe into the splits. Desperado went outside to regroup. Desperado dropped an elbow but Kanemaru immediately caught him in a headscissors and held on through some escape attempts. He repositioned a couple of times to retain control. He twisted his body for some torque until Desperado finally reached a rope to break. Kanemaru worked a cravat and held on through some break attempts there as well. Desperado managed a shin breaker to finally work some offense. Desperado hit Numero Dos, his stretch muffler, until Kanemaru was able to reach for the bottom rope. The two went to evasions and reversals until Kanemaru hit a DDT. Kanemaru went up and hit a moonsault for two. Kanemaru went for a suplex but Esperado fought it off and laid in a kick to the back of Kanemaru’s knee. Kanemaru used referee Sakamoto to get Desperado in a prone position and lay in a kick. Kanemaru tried to use his whiskey and the ref got bumped. Kanemaru tried to spit in Desperado’s face but Desperado smacked his face and the whiskey flew up and out of harm’s way. Referee Kenta Sato ran to the ring and Kanemaru managed a rollup for two. Desperado bridged out of a pin and hit Pinche Loco.
WINNER: El Desperado at 7:03. (**1/4)
For the third match in a row, the rich get richer. Desperado has the tiebreaker and SHO has been eliminated. With SHO facing elimination in a match where his own partner had to win, it was a weird booking decision to not have him go out there and try to cause trouble. This was another good match with a minimum of shenanigans by House of Torture.
(4) YOH (10 points) vs. Daisuke Sasaki (6 points) – B Block match
YOH has been wearing a Playboy jacket and shorts throughout the tournament during his entrance. Sasaki threw his own jacket at YOH to distract him and attack before the bell. The bell sounded and YOH almost immediately caught Sasaki in the Paradise Lock. YOH stretched his legs and goofed around for a bit because Sasaki was trapped in the hold. He finally dropkicked Sasaki’s posterior.
Action went outside where Sasaki beat YOH’s head into the mat. Sasaki tossed NJPW’s head announcer out of his chair to take it, and YOH did the same to color commentator Milano Collection AT and took his. The two held their chairs, threatening to hit the other, and just had a staredown – with YOH making overly theatrical faces – until the count reached 19 and they rolled back inside without their chairs. They went to a corner, where Sasaki hit a dragon screw leg whip. Sasaki leaned on the worked knee. YOH fought back with a DDT and tried to wake up his left knee. He hit another. They went to a few evasions and YOH hit a third DDT. YOH went for a fourth while yelling out “DDT!” so Sasaki grabbed a rope to keep from taking the move. YOH got bumped to the outside and Sasaki hit him with a tope suicida. YOH sold on the outside for a bit and got back in just to eat a flying clothesline. Sasaki hit the Pedigree for two. Sasaki went up for an elbow drop but YOH rolled out of the way. YOH hit his own dragon screw, then hit Bullet Club hand signals to Sasaki’s eyes. Sasaki caught YOH with a crossface and had him in the middle of the ring. YOH reversed into an Anaconda Vise. Sasaki went to referee Kenta Sato’s eyes so he could do the same to YOH to break. The two reversed and YOH trapped Sasaki in the five star to finish Sasaki in a fourth straight match where the lead guys won. YOH is now guaranteed a spot in the semis.
WINNER: YOH at 9:43 (**)
It was mostly played for laughs, which is an interesting choice heading into the semis, but YOH can turn it on and off whenever, and the gags are a huge part of what’s kept him so popular.
(5) ROBBIE EAGLES (10 points) vs. HYO (6 points) – B Block match
If Eagles wins, he’s in with YOH. If Hyo wins, Desperado is in with YOH. I figured YOH and Desperado to get through before the tournament started and it’s looking like that might be the case, though all other men who came in at 10 had some chance as well.
Eagles almost hit the Ron Miller Special out of the gate. He let Hyo know how close it was. The two ran all over the ring and kept reversing every move and landing on their feet until they had to reset, and both spurred on the crowd after the sequence. They went for a respect handshake but Eagles hit a spinebuster quickly after for two. Spinning heel kick by Eagles. Eagles laid in a chop but missed in a corner. Hyo hit a huge cutter and Eagles rolled outside. Tope con giro by Hyo. The flamboyant Hyo got a great reaction, as he has through all of his first New Japan tour.
Hyo tuned up the band and evaded a kick and laid in one of his own. Eagles elbowed his way back into it and hit some combo kicks and then laid Hyo out with a rear-side lariat. Eagles threw some kicks to the chest but Hyo ran low around Eagles until he leapt into a DDT. German with a bridge by Hyo for two. They went up in a corner and each laid in palm strikes. Eagles set up and hit the turbo backpack from the top for a long two. He trapped Hyo in the Ron Miller Special and Hyo clawed toward the ropes, but Eagles pulled Hyo to the center of the ring and got the tap.
WINNER: Robbie Eagles and 8:37 (**3/4)
The ring announcer gave the official word that YOH is through as second place in the block, and Eagles has won the block. Amazingly, the very consistent Eagles has never reached the playoffs in this tournament. SHO came out to the ring and lost his mind because he beat Eagles, but the five-way tie has SHO on the outside. Take this man to math class! He attacked Hyo in the absence of any other solution. Eagles took out SHO. This was another strong match that could’ve gone longer, but they kept the B Block matches short as the bigger matchups are in B Block.
(6) KOSEI FUJITA (10 points) vs. DAIKI NAGAI (0 points) – A Block match
The tiebreak scenarios aren’t kind to defending champion Fujita, so I figure he’s winning here only to be bumped by tiebreakers. Nagai hit Fujita with a tope suicida during his entrance. There was a big “Nagai” chant. Nagai is still a Young Lion, which explains the zero points in the standings. They brawled to the outside and Fujita set up Nagai in a chair and ran toward him, stopping to jump off of the announce table for a shotgun dropkick. Nice. Fujita snapped on a half-crab and held on until Nagai managed a rope break on a second effort.
Fujita leveled Nagai with a palm strike. He threw chops in the corner. He absorbed some shots as Nagai fought to get back into it. Nagai kicked away a chop attempt and booted Fujita as he charged. The crowd chanted for the Young Lion again, as they often do. Nagai hit a strong dropkick on a grounded Fujita in the corner. Nagai hit a PK and turned Fujita over into a Boston Crab. Fujita reversed but Nagai escaped and flipped off Fujita. Fujita grounded Nagai and worked an arm submission. Fujita trapped a leg as well, but Nagai finally kicked his way to the bottom rope. He isn’t winning, but they’re getting a lot of crowd reaction out of this for a foregone conclusion.
Nagai tried to lay in strikes from below, and they did nothing, so Nagai spit up at Fujita, getting him right near the mouth. He gave Fujita the bird again, defiantly. Fujita leaned back into a submission and got it.
WINNER: Kosei Fujita at 8:28 (**3/4)
Charlton said about half of the remaining scenarios get Fujita through to the semifinals, but guys don’t usually get booked to face the Young Lion on the final block night if they’re advancing, so I’m guessing it doesn’t hold. Nagai has so much more personality than the usual Young Lion, which added a lot to this.
(7) EL VALIENTE JR. (4 points) vs. ROBBIE X (10 points) – A Block match
Charlton talked about Robbie X having an argument as wrestler of the tournament. That’s not where I’d go, but there really is a groundswell for him online recently. They went to evasions and a stalemate early. Valiente hit a couple of leg-slapping kicks, then charged and ended on the apron, where X bumped him to the floor and flew out to lay him out again. “Robbie” chant. X took Valiente inside and rolled him up for two. X went for a chinlock and referee Marty Asami made sure he wasn’t trying to remove Valiente’s mask.
The two hit their feet and went to an exchange of palm strikes, then forearms. Both attempted lariats and staggered, but didn’t fall. They went to the spot a second time. X hit a superkick to put Valiente on the mat. Valiente caught a charging X, held him up for a bit and tossed him across the ring. Code Red got two.
Action went to the apron again and they slowed down and exchanged high-impact chops. X managed a risky overhead kick. Valiente rolled inside and X went up, but Valiente kicked him and joined him on top, hitting Spanish Fly for two. Valiente got he crowd into it but X hit an inside cradle for two. X strung together some kicks in the corner, then hit X Marks the Spot for two. X held up Valiente for a Liger Bomb and got two. X hit a modified Muta Lock, then tried to transition, but Valiente rolled him up and then trapped him for a long two. They went to a third lariat spot wher both guys staggered. Valiente launched X and hit a big knee. Valiente Special into a leg submission. X tapped, a little out of nowhere.
WINNER: El Valiente Jr. at 8:29 (**1/2)
As a veteran viewer would expect, Valiente plays spoiler and Robbie X is out of the way. Fujita remains on top but needs to weather some more tiebreakers. Valiente’s leg-slapping is more noticeable and egregious than most, but he’s very young and will only get better.
(8) RYUSUKE TAGUCHI (6 points) vs. JUN KASAI (10 points) – A Block match
In preparation for his match with a Japanese hardcore icon, jokester Taguchi brought a ladder to the ring that was about 18 inches tall. Kasai – as a company outsider – leads all tiebreakers, so the outcome here is probably obvious. However, if he loses, Fujita is actually guaranteed a spot as the tiebreakers all change. Asami tried to take the tiny ladder from Taguchi, and Kasai booted Taguchi from behind, and he ended up trapping Asami in the corner with the ladder, bumping Asami to the outside.
Taguchi nailed Kasai with the tiny ladder, then set it up, and put on a swim cap and goggles. He went for a flying legdrop and Kasai moved. The audience ate up the silliness. Kasai took the ladder an of course, used it properly as he battered Taguchi. He pulled out his pair of trademark syringes and stuck them in Taguchi’s butt. They didn’t stick, thankfully. He took out his chopsticks and stuck them in Taguchi’s skull, but Taguchi fired up and threw hands. Kasai hit an enzuigiri and a DDT. He covered, but Asami was still bumped to the outside. Kasai ran the ropes but Taguchi took him down with a hip attack. Backslide by Kasai got two. Kasai hit X-Factor and covered for two. Taguchi rolled up Kasai for two, then trapped him for the three.
WINNER: Ryusuke Taguchi at 5:09. (*1/2)
Walker Stewart talked about an amateur hold being the undoing of the hardcore legend. This moved Taguchi to #1 on the all-time list of wins in Best of the Super Juniors with 86, surpassing Jushin “Thunder” Liger. Charlton ran though the scenarios again. There’s actually one way it could be a three-way tie, but they won’t do that without an extra show waiting, so Fujita can be penciled in.
(9) TITAN (10 points) vs. FRANCESCO AKIRA (w/Zane Jay) (10 points) – A Block match
Both can be finalists, but both need help. As many tours as these guys have done, they’ve never gone one-on-one. Titan can only go to the next round in a three-way tie, and would need a play-in match that Charlton said would open the next show if necessary. Action spilled outside pretty quickly and Akira charged Titan through the set up chairs and to the bleachers. Akira grabbed a fan’s Mexican flag and mockingly waved it around, drawing boos. Akira rolled Titan in and stepped on him to cover, and got one.
Akira tied up Titan in a complicated submission and held on for about thirty seconds. Akira laid in dismissive knees to try to draw something out of Titan. He threw don rights, then tried to remove Titan’s mask to big heat. Charlton mentioned that Akira knocked himself out of the tournament last year by getting himself disqualified. Titan laid in a chop but Akira threw a harder one to maintain control. Titan strung together some kicks to take control. Akira got bumped to the outside and got wiped out on the apron with a Pele kick. Titan went high and hit a double stomp on Akira on the apron, and both crumbled to the floor. Titan rolled Akira inside for two.
Titan got the crowd going and beat down Akira with some kicks. Akira backed up Titan to a rope and they went to an exchange of palm strikes. Akira feigned a punch but instead went to the eyes to boos. Akira booted Titan and both guys sold on the mat. Akira hit Speed Fire, a spinning cutter, for two. Titan ducked a stomp but Akira came right back with a kick. Titan trapped Akira in a reverse figured four, then transitioned to Yahweh Imortal as Akira fought toward the ropes. Akira once again went to the eyes, and he ripped at Titan’s mask to get Titan to give up the hold.
Titan fired up and hit a corner lariat, continuing on through the ropes and to the floor after impact. Titan went up, but Zane Jay hopped up on the apron for the distraction. Titan and Akira went up in the corner until Akira managed a superplex from the second buckle, then held on for another. Titan tried to superkick Akira, but he moved, and instead he took out Jay. Titan went up and hit a cross-body on Jay to keep him neutralized. Back inside, shotgun dropkick by Titan. Akira bailed, and Titan immediately hit a tope suicida despite a high degree of difficulty on that side with the bleachers nearly up to the ring.
Back inside, Titan rolled up Akira for two. Akira hit for two. Akira transitioned to a submission and Titan tapped.
WINNER: Francesco Akira at 13:55 (***1/4)
Nick Wayne is eliminated with this result. It’s either Fujita/Akira or Wato/Fujita. A strong affair here and Akira continues to wear the black hat very effectively ever since United Empire leaned hard into the heel side of things.
(10) MASTER WATO (10 points) vs. NICK WAYNE (10 points) – A Block match
Lockup and grappling to open. They went to a series of reversals before a reset. Rope run and a block by Wayne. Another rope run and a back kick by Wayne. Wayne is so young that Charlton made the observation that although he can’t win this tournament anymore, he’ll still have three more chances to be the youngest winner ever of the tournament (it’s currently Kosei Fujita, who took the record last year). Wato worked a headlock on the mat and Wayne elbowed his way free. He hit a dropkick and sold a bit. He went for a cutter but Wato fought it off. Wayne hit it on a second effort for two.
Wato put on the brakes and avoided a suplex. Rope run and a rana by Wato. Wayne bailed and Wato hit a tope con giro. Back inside, Wato hit a missile dropkick for two. Wato put the knees to Wayne. Action spilled outside and Wayne hit Spanish Fly on a charging Wato. Both guys laid on the mat outside the ring. The count got to 19 and both guys got in at the last moment; Wayne making it in time was a bit suspect, but they love that spot in Japan.
The two exchanged forearms. After some jockeying, Wayne hit a dragon suplex and Code Red for two. Frog splash got two for Wayne. Wayne hit the Prodigy Plex for two. Wayne nailed Wato with a kick but Wato caught the next one and trapped Wayne for a long two. Wato fought off a kick and laid one in. Rope run and a sling blade by Wato. Tombstone got two for Wato. High-angle German suplex with a bridge finished for Wato.
WINNER: Master Wato at 14:10 (****)
This creates a wild pair of semifinals, as two pairs of regular tag teamers will collide: Wato will face YOH, and Robbie Eagles will face Kosei Fujita.
After the match, Wato said out to Wayne, “Thanks for the match. Next time I see you, I’ll kill you,” drawing laughs from the announcers and audience. The match was very strong as Wato has a very good idea of who he is now, and Wayne continues to live up to the moniker of prodigy.
FINAL STANDINGS:
A Block
Master Wato, Kosei Fujita & Francesco Akira – 12 points (Akira misses semifinals on tiebreakers)
Jun Kasai, Nick Wayne, Robbie X & Titan – 10 points
Ryusuke Taguchi & Valiente Jr. – 6 points
Daiki Nagai – 0 points
B Block
Robbie Eagles, YOH, El Desperado, Taiji Ishimori & SHO – 12 points (Despe, Ishimori & SHO miss semifinals on tiebreakers)
Jakob Austin Young, Hyo, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Daisuke Sasaki & KUSHIDA – 6 points
SEMIFINALS
Master Wato vs. YOH
Robbie Eagles vs. Kosei Fujita
FINAL THOUGHTS: It was a fun, easy to digest night of action as there was a lot of good action, nothing outstayed its welcome, and Wato & Wayne had a strong main event while otherwise we paced ourselves before a pair of semifinal matches that will no doubt deliver. Fujita is the defending tournament winner and Wato has won it as well, while YOH is a two-time bridesmaid and Eagles has surprisingly never gone to the playoffs. All four are fan favorites, making all of them likely enough challengers to Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI.
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