{"id":39081,"date":"2017-02-21T11:58:28","date_gmt":"2017-02-21T17:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=39081"},"modified":"2017-02-26T13:17:49","modified_gmt":"2017-02-26T19:17:49","slug":"njpw-axs-tv-best-super-juniors-xxiii-parts-1-2-ospreay-vs-volador-jr-gedo-vs-taguchi-elgin-omega","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/02\/21\/njpw-axs-tv-best-super-juniors-xxiii-parts-1-2-ospreay-vs-volador-jr-gedo-vs-taguchi-elgin-omega\/","title":{"rendered":"NJPW ON AXS TV: Best of the Super Juniors XXIII (parts 1 and 2): Ospreay vs. Volador Jr., GEDO vs. Taguchi, Elgin, Omega, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-991861063\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3><b>NJPW on AXS TV<br \/>\n<\/b><b>Best of the Super Juniors XXIII Parts 1 &amp; 2<br \/>\n<\/b><b>Sendai Sunplaza Hall<br \/>\n<\/b><b>By R.W. Andrews, PWTorch contributor<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>First, an apology.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been in and out of Nyquil stupors over the past few days, so pardon the lack of detail and wordplay normally baked into these reviews.<\/p>\n<p>The show opens with Ryusuke Taguchi standing in front of a beige pressboard to welcome us to the Super Juniors Tournament.\u00a0 He\u2019s wearing an amazing t-shirt which has a sketched rendition of his face profusely sweating out a green secretion as words spelled out in katakana fingers crest over his likeness.\u00a0 It\u2019s weird.\u00a0 It\u2019s creative.\u00a0 It\u2019s damn near art nouveau.\u00a0 I need it.<\/p>\n<p>This is my first trip back to AXS in a month and my how things have changed.\u00a0 The regular intro music has been replaced, booted out of the rotation by a jazzy number you\u2019d likely hear during a car commercial where the voice-over tries to oversexualize the \u201csmooth contours\u201d and \u201celegant style\u201d of whatever roadster happened to be the most fetching at the moment.\u00a0 Also included is a new graphic of the NJPW Lion\u2019s Head floating through a starry Windows screen saver as red rays leech out from behind its mane.\u00a0 It\u2019s a surprisingly elegant intro, although I\u2019ll personally miss the old theme.<\/p>\n<p>And might I just add that it feels so nice to be back in the throes of AXS\u2019s presentation of NJPW.\u00a0 Yes, the exterior got a fresh coat of paint, but those familiar acoustics within its walls bounce back perfectly.\u00a0 Just hearing J.R. and Barnett\u2019s voices is so calming after leaving the safety of the shallow end to tread in the deep waters of New Japan\u2019s live events.\u00a0 This is where I cut my teeth on the promotion, so to be back is a pleasant homecoming.<\/p>\n<p><b>Match#1 \u2013 Will Ospreay vs. Volador Jr.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Sunplaza Hall is a smallish venue cramming as many seats on the floor as reasonably possible without the crowd sitting ass to ankles.\u00a0 There are two entranceways flanking the sides of a triangular formation of chairs, both equally banal with crisscross beams serving as the anchors to hang an NJPW logo apron.\u00a0 The walk for each competitor is a short one, which is fine with me considering Will Ospreay\u2019s music doesn\u2019t quite fit the breakneck pace of his style.\u00a0 He comes out in a pair of black tights trimmed up the leg in yellow wrap-around stripes while his kneepads have a flame emblazoned on the caps.\u00a0 Volador Jr. on the other hand, not so much.\u00a0 He\u2019s wearing a rendition of Kane\u2019s original red and black attire, his face concealed in a Two Face inspired mask with Kane\u2019s color scheme on one side and a midnight matted demon snarling past the cheekbone on the other side.\u00a0 I feel bad knocking it because his hard earned bumps paid for that look, but f- me if he isn\u2019t entitled to a full refund.<\/p>\n<p>Ospreay and Volador shake hands and the masked man unsheathes his face to the crowd.\u00a0 JR: \u201cGood lookin\u2019 kid, this Volador Jr.\u201d\u00a0 The camera cuts to a shot of the crowd, and holy s- there is a guy seated second row who looks exactly like Bolo Yeung.\u00a0 In fact, I\u2019m fairly certain that it is him.\u00a0 Hell, he\u2019s got enough Kumite money to hop on a red eye and globetrot to whatever event he damn well pleases.<\/p>\n<p>Volador and Ospreay trade a whirlwind of reversals, showing off \u201cfast, twitch-like action\u201d as JR puts it, before Volador yokes up Ospreay\u2019s neck with his ankles and ushers him outside via headscissors.\u00a0 As Volador heads to the ropes, Ospreay slides back in and cartwheels out of a hurricanranna attempt to dropkick Volador out of the ring.\u00a0 Ospreay steps outside, running the apron to hit a shooting star press onto Volador.\u00a0 After both men work their way to the ring, Volador catches Ospreay with an enzuigiri and hits a high crossbody for two.\u00a0 He clotheslines Ospreay outside, leisurely steps out to the apron, and springboards backwards off the middle rope with a moonsault.\u00a0 He achieved tremendous hang time on it, his body floating through the air before crashing down on Ospreay.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1998419448\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Hattori counts as both men are down, with Volador rolling Ospreay inside at sixteen.\u00a0 Volador slides in after Ospreay and hits a backstabber for two.\u00a0 Ospreay whips Volador into the corner, but races right into a boot to the face.\u00a0 Volador slingshots Ospreay into the corner, with Ospreay landing safely on the turnbuckles to launch himself off with a backflip and snatch Volador\u2019s head on the way down for a DDT.\u00a0 Ospreay heads up top, but before he can achieve liftoff Volador dashes to the corner to smack him on the side of the face with an enzuigiri.\u00a0 Volador climbs up top, with both men standing on the top rope, and leaps up to flip Ospreay off with a top rope Frankensteiner.\u00a0 Volador covers, but Ospreay kicks out at two.<\/p>\n<p>Volador hoists Ospreay onto the top turnbuckle and tries for a big air Spanish Fly.\u00a0 Ospreay flips another half a rotation to land on his feet while Volador backpedals to try and stabilize his footing.\u00a0 Ospreay darts to the ropes, springboards off, and catches Volador with the OsCutter for the win.<\/p>\n<p>As Ospreay looks astonished by his own feats of otherworldly athleticism, JR expounds on the amazingness of the cutter by declaring, \u201cAbsolutely phenomenal.\u00a0 If ya hit it you\u2019re in the promise land.\u00a0 If ya miss it, ya go plumb to hell!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Winner: Will Ospreay in 8:58 to advance to the Best of the Super Juniors Tournament Finals<\/p>\n<p>The camera cuts to an interview in the back of the arena where a barely winded Ospreay keeps it brief and to the point.\u00a0 He says that he is going to realize his dream of becoming the first British wrestler to be crowned Best of the Super Juniors.\u00a0 Like I said, short and to the point.<\/p>\n<p><i>(Andrews\u2019 Analysis:\u00a0 This is in no way a knock on Ospreay, but after being wined and dined by his match with Shibata, this felt more like a sparring session than a match to get into the finals.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get me wrong, both guys took their fair share of risk, but there just wasn\u2019t much to the match.\u00a0 They just kind of did their thing and left in a tidy sub-ten minutes.\u00a0 I feel like if I never would have watched in the present time and had only seen Ospreay\u2019s match with KUSHIDA a few months back, then this would have had far more impact than it did.\u00a0 But alas, I\u2019ve been spoiled too much.)<\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Match#2 \u2013 KUSHIDA vs. BUSHI<\/b><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s the attack of the Caps Lock button.\u00a0 I\u2019m looking forward to this one, as the more I\u2019ve seen BUSHI the more I\u2019ve really gotten into the guy.\u00a0 He comes to the ring wearing an amazing mask &#8211; one part processional dragon\/one part cocaine-eyed Boogieman with bugged out, bloodshot oculars.\u00a0 He\u2019s tailor made in a black three-piece complete with driving gloves.\u00a0 It\u2019s very Gentlemen\u2019s Quarterly, so much so that I suspect when he got fitted with Naito that the boss was probably thinking, \u201cGod damn he looks good.\u00a0 I knew I should have went with the gloves\u201d.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1965109887\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>While BUSHI makes his way to the ring, Barnett gives his thoughts on LIJ: \u201cThey have a despicable attitude.\u00a0 Very unscrupulous individuals.\u00a0 BUT\u2026they\u2019re great athletes.\u201d\u00a0 He also adds some really nice supplemental material to the Naito documentary on The World by telling us that BUSHI, Naito, and EVIL all trained together at Animal Hamaguchi\u2019s gym.<\/p>\n<p>And then we get the drums.\u00a0 The crowd claps along to the beat of KUSHIDA\u2019s theme as he peels the apron apart to reveal those incredible championship McFly\u2019s \u2013 well warranted considering the title draped around his waist at this point in time.\u00a0 As KUSHIDA climbs the turnbuckles to pose for the crowd, the cameraman catches a great shot of BUSHI perched atop the next top turnbuckle over with his arms folded while impatiently waiting for the fanfare to subside.<\/p>\n<p>Before KUSHIDA can even disrobe, BUSHI hops off the turnbuckles and dropkicks KUSHIDA outside.\u00a0 He stays on him, sprinting to the ropes before springing back with a suicide dive that trucks KUSHIDA over.\u00a0 Then he takes him deep into the crowd \u2013 so deep that the lights can\u2019t even pick them up \u2013 as Barnett says of BUSHI, \u201cHe\u2019s still got his merch on so he can hopefully sell some more t-shirts.\u201d\u00a0 Anyways, all you can see is one silhouette slamming another silhouette face-first into a wall.\u00a0 BUSHI walks back into the light unscathed, so mystery solved on who is on the floor.\u00a0 As KUSHIDA rolls to his side, Red Shoes starts his count.\u00a0 Shocker.\u00a0 BUSHI rolls back into the ring and lays on the mat, playfully waving KUSHIDA to get in before the twenty is reached.\u00a0 KUSHIDA beats the count, rolling in to get draped between the ropes and see-sawed right back to the apron and back to the floor.<\/p>\n<p>As KUSHIDA writhes in pain, the camera picks up a pair of shoes lying near his head.\u00a0 JR picks up on it, stating, \u201cSomebody got knocked right out of their Nikes.\u00a0 Lookie there.\u00a0 They\u2019re laying there all by themselves.\u201d\u00a0 Red Shoes counts well after the damage has been done, but has wasted enough time for KUSHIDA to beat the count at nineteen.\u00a0 BUSHI strips off his shirt and begins to choke KUSHIDA until Red Shoes confiscates it.\u00a0 BUSHI drapes KUSHIDA over the ropes, but KUSHIDA counters an axe-handle attempt with an enzuigiri, followed by a springboard dropkick to the face.\u00a0 He hits an inverted atomic drop into a basement dropkick, finishing the combo with a cartwheel punt to the arm.<\/p>\n<p>They trade chops near the ropes as JR notices the large number of ladies in the audience, musing that they are there for KUSHIDA.\u00a0 BUSHI twists between the ropes to kick KUSHIDA as he charges in.\u00a0 He does a Spinaroonie, which causes JR to launch into a Booker T impression that misses the mark worse than a Storm Trooper sniper shot.\u00a0 BUSHI runs to the ropes as KUSHIDA follows closely to knock him outside with a springboard kick.\u00a0 He dives out after BUSHI, crushing him with a senton.<\/p>\n<p>BUSHI beats Red Shoes\u2019 count at sixteen by lunging over the second rope, breaching the barrier to a KUSHIDA dropkick.\u00a0 KUSHIDA misses a moonsault, which allows BUSHI to attempt the MX, but KUSHIDA blocks it and transitions right into the Hoverboard Lock.\u00a0 BUSHI immediately crawls to the ropes while KUSHIDA works tirelessly to roll him into another lock, but gets pushed to the apron.\u00a0 He elbows BUSHI away and springboards back in, straight into BUSHI\u2019s awaiting knees.\u00a0 BUSHI charges KUSHIDA in the corner with a double knee and moves smoothly into a neckbreaker that connects for two.<\/p>\n<p>He heads to the second rope, waiting for KUSHIDA to rise, but misses an axe-handle.\u00a0 They have a Batsu spurt of forearms before KUSHIDA kicks him repeatedly to win the round.\u00a0 BUSHI smacks him and ducks a retaliatory clothesline.\u00a0 He sends out a kick that is caught by KUSHIDA, but as he drops to the mat he whips his other leg around to lash KUSHIDA across the face.\u00a0 KUSHIDA counters with a Pele Kick and both men fall to the mat.<\/p>\n<p>KUSHIDA is up first, racing towards BUSHI with a PK to the arm and floats over for the Hoverboard lock.\u00a0 BUSHI gets to his knees as KUSHIDA begins to bend his wrist backwards.\u00a0 BUSHI tries to snag the ropes, but KUSHIDA rolls him back while transitioning into an armbar.\u00a0 BUSHI tries to roll KUSHIDA into a pin, but KUSHIDA slams him back down with his legs and puuuulls his arm back.\u00a0 As BUSHI flops around to get back to his knees, he begins biting KUSHIDA\u2019s leg.\u00a0 Red Shoes steps too close when he tries to get a better look \u2013 failing once again to avoid getting grabbed by the collar.\u00a0 With one hand shoving Red Shoes\u2019 head away from the action, he turns and begins spraying green mist in KUSHIDA\u2019s face.\u00a0 Multitasking perfection!\u00a0 BUSHI is let free and heads to the top rope to fly off and hit a blinded KUSHIDA with the MX.\u00a0 He covers, but KUSHIDA narrowly escapes the pinfall!\u00a0 KUSHIDA gets to his feet, wandering aimlessly while trying to wipe his eyes.\u00a0 BUSHI heads back to the top turnbuckle and launches off to hit another MX!\u00a0 BUSHI covers again, pushing KUSHIDA\u2019s face away from Red Shoes while getting the three in the process.<\/p>\n<p>After the match, a disgusted JR states the obvious.\u00a0 \u201cJosh, logically, how does the referee think that green mist, or substance, got in the face and eyes of KUSHIDA?\u00a0 I realize that you can\u2019t call what you don\u2019t see, but I think one can see that something has gone awry here.\u201d\u00a0 Barnett can\u2019t offer an explanation as BUSHI grabs the belt and sprays green mist on it before tossing it at KUSHIDA.\u00a0 He grabs a mic and tells KUSHIDA that NJPW isn\u2019t all about him.\u00a0 He says that everyone wants to win and that\u2019s what he wants to do.\u00a0 He promises to take the title from KUSHIDA before lying on the mat to smile at a still blinded KUSHIDA.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: BUSHI in 13:17<\/p>\n<p>We get a backstage interview with BUSHI, who says that he\u2019s \u201creally sad and vexed\u201d that he\u2019s not heading to the finals of the tournament.\u00a0 He says that he had to win in order to stop KUSHIDA from reaching his third tournament finals.\u00a0 The more that KUSHIDA shines in glory, the more that his fire of hatred and vexation burns stronger.<\/p>\n<p>They cut to KUSHIDA, who has one arm draped over a ringside crew member\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 His face is covered in green mist as he says that the loss is \u201cjust a stain in my career\u201d.\u00a0 He mentions that he still can\u2019t see anything, which alerts the crew member to help him to the back so he can receive treatment.<\/p>\n<p><i>(Andrews\u2019 Analysis:\u00a0 Damn fun match.\u00a0 I\u2019m not saying that just because of KUSHIDA was in it either.\u00a0 BUSHI was awesome to watch in this one.\u00a0 He can keep up with the best of them in the ring, and besides nearly killing Ricochet at Wrestle Kingdom 11, the MX is a bad ass move.\u00a0 I loved, loved, LOVED how he grabbed Red Shoes and turned him away in order to spray KUSHIDA in the face and escape the Hoverboard lock.\u00a0 Any time someone can use Red Shoes\u2019 inevitable downfall to swing the advantage is a highlight for me.\u00a0 I normally hate ref bumps, but with Red Shoes he\u2019s never down long and it just add to his mystique as a guy just trying to do the best he can but always finding himself as the pawn in the game.)<\/i><\/p>\n<p>We cut to a present day interview with Taguchi.\u00a0 He says that the final of the tournament was being held in Sendai, which is his home town.\u00a0 That has made him more motivated than ever.\u00a0 He talks about feeling pressure from the company because of where the finals were taking place.\u00a0 He adds that the company didn\u2019t say anything to him directly, but he could feel it.\u00a0 As far as his opponent Gedo is concerned, he says that in the prior year\u2019s tournament Gedo really got him.\u00a0 He says that he planned some tactics for Gedo in the 16\u2019 tournament and it worked out rather swimmingly for him.<\/p>\n<p><b>Match#3 \u2013 Gedo vs. Taguchi<\/b><\/p>\n<p>That damn Gedo is in terrific shape going on 27 years as a pro wrestler.\u00a0 It\u2019s insane.\u00a0 Okada is shown at ringside commentary while Gedo makes his way down the aisle.\u00a0 JR and Barnett talk about the Seattle Supersonics for whatever reason and how \u201ceverything went to hell when they went to Oklahoma City.\u201d I don\u2019t have the slightest clue what prompted that.\u00a0 Taguchi comes out with a baby blue bandana over his eyes to mock Gedo.\u00a0 Barnett: \u201cOh, I thought that was Mike Muir from Suicidal Tendencies right now.\u201d\u00a0 JR chuckles, then says, \u201cWell I wish I knew who Mike was, or even Suicidal Tendencies would be nice to know.\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019ll say it again, this is a pleasant homecoming.\u00a0 Taguchi does a little Johnny Football money motion with his hands and gets side-kicked in the gut for it.\u00a0 Gedo snatches the bandana off of Taguchi\u2019s head and whips it at the back of his skull.\u00a0 And we\u2019re off.<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi is writhing on the mat, holding his forehead for some reason, while Red Shoes picks up the bandana and gives it a little Frisbee toss outside.\u00a0 Gedo strips Taguchi of his shirt and chokes him at the ropes with it.\u00a0 Taguchi gets tossed outside, where Gedo follows after him and grabs the time keeper\u2019s hammer.\u00a0 And then he hits Taguchi in the back of the head with it!\u00a0 Right in front of god damn Red Shoes!\u00a0 He just takes a squat on the bottom rope and shakes his head as if to say \u201cI don\u2019t condone this, but what the can I do about it?\u201d\u00a0 Gedo hits Taguchi in the back of the head again with the hammer!\u00a0 What in the hell is going on around here?\u00a0 Red Shoes hops outside and picks up the hammer as Gedo says, \u201cSorry, sorry, sorry,\u201d to which Red Shoes replies with, \u201cOk.\u201d\u00a0 What in the absolute f-!?<\/p>\n<p>Gedo is actually not sorry.\u00a0 He slams Taguchi\u2019s head against the time keeper\u2019s table and once again gavels the back of his head.\u00a0 And again Red Shoes just squats on the bottom rope and watches on!\u00a0 Gedo takes Taguchi towards the ring post and slingshots him into it.\u00a0 And it gets better!\u00a0 Red Shoes climbs on the ropes to count out Taguchi &#8211; nevermind the divot in the back of the man\u2019s skull &#8211; while Gedo is all the way on the other side of the ring on one knee untying the turnbuckle pad.\u00a0 It\u2019s absolute insanity!\u00a0 The ineptitude of Red Shoes meets the cowardice of Gedo.\u00a0 As Red Shoes continues to count out Taguchi while Gedo chucks the turnbuckle pad outside, JR and Barnett start talking about Bootsy Collins.\u00a0 I am loving every second of this.<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi rolls in and gets Irish Whipped into the exposed turnbuckles.\u00a0 With Taguchi clutching his chest on the mat, Gedo screams out \u201cWhat do you say?\u00a0 Do you quit?\u00a0 Do you quit, huh?\u201d before turning to Red Shoes and screaming, \u201cYou shut up, Jay.\u00a0 Shut up!\u201d\u00a0 JR: \u201cIs he talking to you or me?\u201d\u00a0 Gedo whips Taguchi into the exposed buckles a second time as a girl shrieks in the background.\u00a0 More JR: \u201cYou got about eighty-eight attendants around the ring and not a damn one of them are going to lift a hand to put the turnbuckle pad back in the corner!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gedo hits a twisting neckbreaker on Taguchi for two before putting him in a chinlock until Taguchi can reach the ropes.\u00a0 Taguchi takes another trip to the corner, falling to the mat face-first at Gedo\u2019s feet.\u00a0 Gedo whips him in again, but Taguchi reverses and chucks Gedo into the corner.\u00a0 Gedo reverses Taguchi\u2019s Irish Whip into the corner, sending Taguchi scrambling up the second rope to springboard off with a leaping hip attack that sends Gedo sliding out of the ring.<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi gives chase, running along the apron to fly off and smack Gedo with another hip attack.\u00a0 Taguchi rolls inside early in Red Shoes\u2019 count, with Gedo rolling in right before twenty.\u00a0 Butt stuff at the ropes \u2013 thrice over \u2013 followed by forever butt stuffs with the added wrinkle of Taguchi sliding under the ropes and hitting a high hip attack to the side of Gedo\u2019s head.\u00a0 After all that running around, Taguchi gets a two.\u00a0 Taguchi hits two of three rolling suplexes, but on the third Gedo slips off and counters with a crossface.\u00a0 Taguchi keeps slapping the mat, but in Red Shoes\u2019 world that is not a tapout, apparently.\u00a0 Taguchi grabs Gedo\u2019s Air Jordan \u2013 he really is rocking a nice pair of Jordan\u2019s that JR refers to as \u201csoft walkers\u201d \u2013 and twists Gedo\u2019s ankle to slip out transition into an ankle lock.\u00a0 Gedo palm-walks towards the ropes, but Taguchi pulls him back, the momentum helping Gedo flip Taguchi into a victory roll for two.<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi is backdropped to the apron, but retaliates with a slap to the face.\u00a0 He springboards back in with a hip attack that misses, yelling out the name \u201cGedo!\u201d as he runs into a superkick.\u00a0 Taguchi drops to his knees and eats another superkick.\u00a0 Gedo covers, but Taguchi kicks out at two.\u00a0 Gedo calls for rain, but as he unrolls Taguchi, Taguchi counters with a hip attack.\u00a0 Taguchi calls for rain!\u00a0 The crowd lets out an ambient \u201cOoooooh\u201d as he outstretches his arms.\u00a0 The camera even pulls back for him!\u00a0 To no surprise, Taguchi loses Gedo\u2019s wrist in the spin-out, met by a smack to the face.\u00a0 Taguchi answers with a jumping enzuigiri that drops Gedo to the mat.\u00a0 As Taguchi lifts Gedo back to his feet, Barnett mentions that Gedo would be \u201cbeside himself\u201d if he was able to spoil Taguchi\u2019s homecoming.\u00a0 Gedo goes for a Tiger suplex, but Taguchi flips away and hits a low dropkick to the face.<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi goes back to the ankle lock, sending Gedo scurrying across the mat for the ropes.\u00a0 He finds Red Shoes, who he uses to help himself back to one foot before whipping the ref behind him and into Taguchi to free himself.\u00a0 Taguchi pins Gedo\u2019s arms back for possibly Dodon\u2019s Throne, but Gedo pops his heel up to catch Taguchi in the groin.\u00a0 Gedo hits the Complete Shot and grabs Taguchi\u2019s head to put him away with the Gedo Clutch, but Taguchi snapmares Gedo over his shoulder as Red Shoes flies into the camera shot to count the three.<\/p>\n<p>Winner: Taguchi to meet Will Ospreay in the tournament finals<\/p>\n<p>We go to the interview area where Taguchi calls the feeling of moving on to the finals \u201cunbelievable\u201d.\u00a0 He says that we wants to return home with honors, stating that he\u2019s prepared for Ospreay and is going to go \u201cTaguchi-Spreay on him\u201d.\u00a0 He makes himself laugh, calling his own words \u201cnonsense\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><i>(Andrews\u2019 Analysis: I like Taguchi when he is forced to wrestle as opposed to relying on comedy and hip attacks.\u00a0 He can move, there\u2019s no doubt about that.\u00a0 And Gedo is just incredible to watch.\u00a0 I obviously loved the cheating, but once he started to wrestle you really got a sense of how sharp his skills really are.\u00a0 This match was fun from start to finish, with high honors going to the madness created the second Gedo struck Taguchi with the hammer.\u00a0 I typically don\u2019t laugh out loud while watching wrestling, but that few minutes of chaos was genuinely hilarious.)<\/i><\/p>\n<p>We go back to present day Taguchi, who says that he did the same mockery of Gedo in the prior year\u2019s tournament.\u00a0 He wanted to make Gedo recall the prior year\u2019s match, but aimed to turn around the result.\u00a0 He talks about his penchant for fooling around, mentioning that the new fans \u2013 like myself \u2013 have only seen that side of him.\u00a0 He wanted to show new fans that he actually knows how to fight, that he\u2019s not just an old man who jokes around.\u00a0 About his future, he says that he\u2019s going to really push his clowning around to new heights and continue to do whatever he wants.<\/p>\n<p><b>Match#3 \u2013 Michael Elgin &amp; Satoshi Kojima vs Kenny Omega &amp; Bad Luck Fale<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Kojima gets the honors for the entrances over Elgin, which is a proper show of respect for your elder.\u00a0 Elgin is wearing his usual battel attire, while Kojima comes out wearing a pair of orange, black, and white trunks that have a striking resemblance in color and design to a pair of board shorts that I use quite often in the waves.\u00a0 We get a super quick-cut to Omega sweeping the commentary desk of Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino before too-sweeting them.\u00a0 Corino was kind of meh about it, but Kelly looked stoked to receive the honor.<\/p>\n<p>Now I\u2019ve already mentioned in prior reviews that I\u2019m going to really try to get into Fale moving forward, but since this is a match from the past I have to report what I see.\u00a0 He looks exceptionally plump here, his shoulders showing no definition as his stomach stretches the very integrity of the fabric trying to hold it all together.\u00a0 He\u2019s got the same physique as god damn Baymax for Christ\u2019s sake.\u00a0 I\u2019m really hoping he comes back in better ring shape.\u00a0 Omega, on the other hand, looks terrific sporting a Young Bucks inspired multi-pasteled pair of tights with tasseled flare.<\/p>\n<p>Right off the bat, Elgin tosses Omega outside and heads out after him, leaving Kojima and Fale in the ring.\u00a0 Fale shoves Kojima out of a side-headlock, with Kojima taking the momentum to the ropes and coming back with a shoulder-tackle attempt.\u00a0 Fale doesn\u2019t move an inch, though Kojima was sent shuffling back.\u00a0 Kojima tries again, garnering a wobble out of Fale.\u00a0 He goes for the trifecta, connecting flush to force Fale to one knee.\u00a0 Fale gets up and plows over Kojima with a shoulder-tackle of his own, forcing Kojima to roll to his corner and tag in Elgin, but never actually stopping his roll until he disappears under the horizon of the ring.\u00a0 It was weird.<\/p>\n<p>Even weirder, Fale just follows Kojima\u2019s path, turning his back on Elgin in the process.\u00a0 Elgin takes full advantage by hopping onto the top of the neutral corner and diving off with a shoulder-tackle that puts Fale down.\u00a0 Omega tries to sneak in the flashiest way possible, heading up top of the opposite neutral corner.\u00a0 With those pants it wasn\u2019t happening.\u00a0 Elgin sees him and catches Omega\u2019s crossbody attempt.\u00a0 Elgin pops Omega up and holds him vertically before hitting a brainbuster.\u00a0 As Omega escapes outside, Elgin turns his attention to Fale and pops him with multiple forearms before racing to the ropes to get tripped up by Omega.\u00a0 Fale drops an elbow onto Elgin and covers, but Kojima runs in and stomps the back of his head to break up the pin.<\/p>\n<p>Fale grabs Kojima and pitches him back outside as Omega claws at Elgin\u2019s face.\u00a0 Omega drags Elgin to the floor, grabs one of those mini-ladders he\u2019s so fond of, and hops onto the commentator\u2019s table to ride it down onto Elgin.\u00a0 Meanwhile, Fale has taken Kojima to a section of seats as the crowd begins to scatter.\u00a0 He slams Kojima\u2019s head onto a chair as a ringside crew member moves out of the way to reveal a very nebbish looking older gentleman with the most flowing gray hair you will ever see draped past his collar.\u00a0 As Fale is choking Kojima, the guy is constantly running his fingers through that flowing mane.<\/p>\n<p>The count has finally started as Omega strips off his shirt and starts swiveling his hips at the commentators.\u00a0 Omega rolls Elgin in, and for some reason the ref is on his back.\u00a0 What in the hell is happening here?\u00a0 As the ref makes his way to his feet, Fale gets his attention so Omega can start choking Elgin with his shirt.\u00a0 Before Elgin has even had a chance to asp for air, Barnett says, \u201cI guess that\u2019s one way to get your money\u2019s worth on your merchandise.\u201d\u00a0 To which JR replies, \u201cThose one hundred percent cotton shirts are dangerous, Folks.\u00a0 I\u2019m just telling you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Omega gets back on the apron with broom in tow as Fale fires Elgin into his awaiting boot.\u00a0 Omega gets in, broom in hand, and twirls it around before tossing it aside.\u00a0 Omega slams Elgin into the turnbuckle padding and chokes him with his boot.\u00a0 He hoists Elgin onto his shoulders in a Fireman\u2019s carry, lands the forward-flip slam, but Elgin rolls out of the way of the moonsault as Omega lands on his feet.\u00a0 He runs at Elgin, who has positioned himself in the corner, and is greeted by a rope-assisted enzuigiri.\u00a0 Before Elgin can build upon the opening, Fale sticks him in the neck with a clothesline, stalling Elgin long enough to receive a tag from Omega.<\/p>\n<p>Elgin slips out of a powerslam attempt, but is grabbed by Omega and held for Fale to strike with a left hook to the body.\u00a0 He runs to the ropes, but Elgin moves out of the way and Omega is pushed off the apron, sending him flying past the commentators.\u00a0 Elgin smacks Fale with a leaping enzuigiri and crawls to Kojima for the tag.<\/p>\n<p>The crowd roars as Kojima hits machinegun chops on Fale.\u00a0 Omega comes in swinging a trashcan lid, which Kojima ducks, though Fale fails to.\u00a0 Omega, still clutching the lid like he\u2019s grasping hold of a steering wheel, gets placed in front of Fale for a round of machinegun chops.\u00a0 Kojima turns to the crowd for a beat and swings another chop towards Omega that is blocked by the lid.\u00a0 Kojima grabs Omega and whips him into the corner opposite Fale and races towards him to hit a flying forearm to the face.\u00a0 Fale tries to blindside Kojima, but Kojima has been around the block enough times to know what\u2019s coming.\u00a0 He sidesteps Fale, who runs into the corner, and lands a succession of forearms.\u00a0 Kojima heads to the ropes, coming back to Fale\u2019s hand clenched around his throat, but boots him in the stomach before hitting a cutter as the crowd applauds.<\/p>\n<p>He gets the tag to Elgin as Omega races to stop him.\u00a0 Elgin slings his body over the ropes and hits a back elbow, sending Omega staggering to the corner.\u00a0 Elgin smacks him with a lariat to the chest, followed by one to the back of the head.\u00a0 Omega counters with a superkick, which is shrugged off by Elgin, and gets the piss knocked out of him by a spinning lariat.\u00a0 Elgin connects with clotheslines switching between Omega\u2019s chest and back until deciding to run the ropes, getting pummeled by a running knee to the face on the rebound.<\/p>\n<p>Elgin rolls outside as Omega hits the T2 pose before diving up and over the top to crash down on Elgin AND a young boy situated at ringside.\u00a0 Omega looks furious, dead-eyeing the poor fella before forcing the guy\u2019s head back into the guardrail with his boot.\u00a0 He gets up, kicks the guy in the side of the head, and grabs the mini-ladder.\u00a0 He sets it up inside the ring and begins to climb the rungs with the ref hugging his ankle to stop him.\u00a0 Elgin rolls back in as the ref continues to defy Omega\u2019s attempt to buck him off.\u00a0 Once free of the ref\u2019s hug, Omega kicks him in the face.\u00a0 Elgin sends a forearm his way, nearly knocking Omega off the ladder.\u00a0 Elgin goes up after him and scores with an avalanche brainbuster.\u00a0 He covers, but Fale finally reappears to break it up.<\/p>\n<p>Kojima gets back in and clotheslines Fale to the floor.\u00a0 While he heads back out to pick apart Fale, Omega grabs the ladder and slams it onto Elgin\u2019s back.\u00a0 He sets it up so it\u2019s leaning against the second rope and picks up Elgin for the One-Winged Angel.\u00a0 Elgin slips off, forearms Omega, and picks him up for a powerbomb.\u00a0 He lobs Omega onto the ladder, snapping it into a perfect ninety degree angle!\u00a0 Elgin lifts Omega back to his feet and hits a sit-out powerbomb that he holds for the win.<\/p>\n<p>Winners: Satoshi Kojima &amp; Michael Elgin in 11:43<\/p>\n<p>After the match, Omega grabs the mic and tells Elgin that the ladder match is his \u201cgoddamn specialty\u201d.\u00a0 He accepts Elgin\u2019s challenge for a ladder match down the road and politely tells him \u201cgood night\u201d on the way to the back.<\/p>\n<p><i>(Andrews\u2019 Analysis:\u00a0 Well, it served its purpose &#8211; existing solely to set up a ladder match between Omega and Elgin.\u00a0 I haven\u2019t seen that match, but what are the odds that it\u2019s spectacular?\u00a0 I\u2019d go back and watch it after this episode, but I have a sneaky suspicion that JR and Barnett are going to call it in all of its glory.\u00a0 At least I hope they do.)<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Fale didn\u2019t look great in this one.\u00a0 He seemed a step or two slower than everyone else, which is understandable considering his size.\u00a0 I will say this though.\u00a0 His nickname is The Underboss, and he played that roll rather effectively by just kind of assisting Omega the best he could until Kojima neutralized him with whatever in the hell happened outside while the camera crew focused on Omega and Elgin.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure it wasn\u2019t the most intriguing action in the world, but it would have been nice to peek in from time to time.)<\/i><\/p>\n<p>We get a present day interview with Will Ospreay seated in front of drywall smudged in what suspiciously looks like blood.\u00a0 When questioned about the tournament, as opposed to the potential key piece of evidence to a homicide, Ospreay says that he knew going in that it was going to be one of the hardest few weeks of his life due to the scheduling of matches.\u00a0 He said that it was a dream of his to even be in the tournament, so for him it was an honor to be a part of it.\u00a0 As far as reaching the final, he said that he was very emotional and was in tears when he got to the back.\u00a0 He mentioned Prince Devitt and KUSHIDA &#8211; guys that he looks up to &#8211; and how he is blessed to be in the same position they once were in tournaments past.\u00a0 He was shocked to find out that Taguchi was in the finals with him because in his mind Taguchi was always a comedy guy.\u00a0 He does, however, admit to having a lot of respect for Taguchi because he can go with the best of them.<\/p>\n<p><b>Match#5 \u2013 Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Will Ospreay<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Ospreay comes out sporting a really nice black and gold hooded, sleeveless robe to match his pants.\u00a0 Both Barnett and JR gush about Ospreay, which how could you not?\u00a0 JR mentions that a three-way match between AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Samoa Joe was the match that pushed Ospreay over the edge to become a pro wrestler.\u00a0 Roppongi are in his corner for moral support.\u00a0 Taguchi is out next with Liger and Tiger Mask IV by his side to provide that same level of morale boosting.\u00a0 When his name is called, he hits the ropes and dives backwards in a nod to Shinsuke Nakamura as the crowd applauds appropriately for their hometown hero.\u00a0 Is hero a bit much?\u00a0 For a guy with basically ass based offense?\u00a0 Hell, I\u2019m sure some kid out there idolizes him.<\/p>\n<p>Red Shoes naturally gets the call for the occasion, witnessing the two competitors shake hands before the bell.\u00a0 Taguchi looks serious as he retreats to his corner to focus.\u00a0 Both men are cautious when the bell starts, eyeing up one another as the crowd chants for Taguchi.\u00a0 They tie-up, with Taguchi backing Ospreay into the ropes.\u00a0 He breaks clean to a round of applause, so you know his ass is serious.<\/p>\n<p>They tie up again, this time Ospreay backing Taguchi into the ropes.\u00a0 He does the Okada pat-down, which garners an icy glare from Taguchi, but also elicits a very loud \u201cOspreay\u201d chant from the crowd.\u00a0 You fair weather mo********ers.\u00a0 Ospreay gets a hammerlock, but Taguchi reaches down to trip him up and transitions into a side headlock.\u00a0 Ospreay tries to roll him for a pin, getting a one-count before Taguchi kicks out and they get back to their feet.\u00a0 After another roll on the mat, Taguchi winds up in the ropes and Red Shoes forces them apart.\u00a0 The crowd applauds the effort and chants for Taguchi as they reset on Red Shoes\u2019 whim.\u00a0 Look at Red Shoes, making junior heavyweights bow to his power.\u00a0 Let\u2019s see him try that with Suzuki.<\/p>\n<p>Ospreay twirls Taguchi around and takes him down with a wristlock.\u00a0 Taguchi feigns a kip-up and rolls to his feet, reversing positions with Ospreay.\u00a0 Ospreay kips up a half dozen times, takes Taguchi down in a headscissors, which Taguchi escapes in a matter of seconds.\u00a0 Taguchi gets sent to the ropes, charging back and hitting a freaking hurricanranna!\u00a0 Well done, Ryusuke Taguchi!\u00a0 He follows that impressive feat of athleticism with a leaping hip attack.\u00a0 One out of two ain\u2019t bad.<\/p>\n<p>Ospreay rolls outside as Taguchi races to the ropes, throwing his butt out for a cheek attack as Ospreay moves away.\u00a0 Taguchi hangs out for a moment until Ospreay swings a wild right hook at his ass, which Taguchi rolls away from and poses like he\u2019s waiting for Ospreay to come in and leap-frog him.\u00a0 Peering between his legs, Taguchi gives Ospreay double-ok hand gestures which makes Ospreay shake his head and roll back to the floor.\u00a0 The crowd ate it up.\u00a0 Red Shoes decides to push the junior heavyweights around some more by making Taguchi wait for Ospreay to get in.\u00a0 This god damn guy.\u00a0 He\u2019s hammered out of his mind on power.<\/p>\n<p>Ospreay gets back into the ring and gets put in a side headlock.\u00a0 Ospreay sends Taguchi to the ropes, but gets bowled over by a shoulder-tackle.\u00a0 Ospreay leapfrogs over Taguchi\u2019s dash forward, flips over a drop-down, handsprings towards the ropes and into a backflip \u2013 rolling over Taguchi\u2019s back mind you \u2013 and back into the air to hit a dropkick that sends Taguchi to the floor.\u00a0 Whoa!\u00a0 Ospreay flies from rope to rope, coming back with trapeze act intentions, but catches Taguchi sliding away.\u00a0 Ospreay handsprings against the ropes, flips backwards into his signature pose and transitions into the same leapfrog receiving position as Taguchi to give him the double-oks.<\/p>\n<p>While Ospreay preens over his shoulder, Taguchi give shim a smattering of applause.\u00a0 Red Shoes lets Taguchi reenter the ring, but Ospreay rushes in with a knee to the face.\u00a0 Ospreay lays a chop into Taguchi\u2019s chest, throws him into the corner, and hits an even louder chop.\u00a0 Barnett is in the middle of explaining the various offense on display, adding \u201cremember this is a sport, pro wrestling, for those watching at home.\u201d\u00a0 And you know Vince is at home watching too, probably grumbling into his Brandy snifter, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t JR correct his friend?\u00a0 He knows that it\u2019s entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ospreay clamps a cravate onto Taguchi before throwing him to the mat and hitting a dropkick at lobby level.\u00a0 Ospreay follows up by twisting Taguchi in an Octopus Hold, which takes Taguchi some very uncomfortably contorted stretches to reach the ropes and break the hold.\u00a0 Taguchi and Ospreay trade shots in the middle of the ring before Ospreay sends out a kick that Taguchi catches.\u00a0 Ospreay backflips away from him, but lands awkwardly on the landing.\u00a0 Taguchi takes advantage, hitting a basement dropkick to Ospreay\u2019s shin.\u00a0 Ospreay clutches his leg and rolls to the apron as Red Shoes\u2019 hand reaches into camera view to give it a slight stroke with his fingertips.\u00a0 Taguchi says the hell with that and darts forward to hit a low dropkick inches from the mat that strikes Ospreay on the knee.\u00a0 Red Shoes walks off in a huff as Taguchi follows Ospreay to the floor.<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi slams Ospreay\u2019s leg against the floor each time Ospreay tries to crawl away.\u00a0 He rolls Ospreay back in and leg drops his knee.\u00a0 Ospreay tries to get away again, but falls into the corner.\u00a0 Taguchi stays on the attack, first with a spinning toe hold transitioned into a \u201cvariant of an Indian Deathlock\u201d, which I could never find the words to describe the way he has Ospreay pretzeled.\u00a0 Just know that it is something you would NEVER think Taguchi would bust out.\u00a0 Then \u2013 and this is a stock is rising moment \u2013 Taguchi catches Ospreay\u2019s arm flailing around and tries to put him in a hammerlock while he\u2019s still got him in the deathlock!\u00a0 Incredible!\u00a0 Taguchi rolls Ospreay into a pin, garnering a two before the kickout.<\/p>\n<p>Ospreay gets to his feet, fires out a forearm, but gets another basement dropkick.\u00a0 JR: \u201cIt\u2019s like a boxer using a great jab.\u201d\u00a0 Ospreay rises in the corner, with Taguchi climbing over him to hit hip attacks.\u00a0 Ospreay gets away, dropping Taguchi\u2019s head as he takes his leave, and comes back with a superkick that hits Taguchi in the ass.\u00a0 It has no effect, evident by the camera zooming in on Taguchi\u2019s \u201cFunky Weapon\u201d tights.\u00a0 Ospreay hits a springboard shining wizard to finally slow Taguchi down.<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi runs at Ospreay in the corner, but Ospreay boots him in the chops.\u00a0 He hops outside, favoring his ankle on the landing, but manages to slam Taguchi\u2019s head into the turnbuckle padding before kicking him in the side of the head.\u00a0 Ospreay springboards off the top rope on one leg and comes down with a forearm to Taguchi.\u00a0 Then Ospreay hits a one-legged standing corkscrew moonsault!<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi tries to pull the rug out from under Ospreay with a right hook, but Ospreay cartwheels over it and hits a low dropkick to Taguchi\u2019s head.\u00a0 Ospreay calls for rain!\u00a0 He spins Taguchi out, countered into a pinfall attempt that Ospreay kicks out of.\u00a0 Taguchi hold onto his leg and rolls him into an ankle lock!\u00a0 This is Ryusuke Taguchi we\u2019re talking about here!\u00a0 Ospreay raises his leg and kicks it down atop his other leg to break free and hits Taguchi with a back elbow.\u00a0 Awesome counter!\u00a0 They trade reversals on backdrops before Taguchi hits a spinning Flacon Arrow!\u00a0 F****ng Taguchi, Man!<\/p>\n<p>As Taguchi gets to his feet, Ospreay crawls to the ropes and rests the back of his head against it.\u00a0 Taguchi backs into Ospreay, \u201cgrinding the old taint into Ospreay\u2019s face\u201d as Barnett so eloquently describes.\u00a0 Taguchi takes off for the opposite end of the ring and hits a running hip attack before sliding out and connecting with a hick kick to Ospreay\u2019s head.\u00a0 Then Taguchi hits a springboard hip attack!\u00a0 Again, this is Ryusuke Taguchi!\u00a0 Ospreay rolls outside, and Jesus Christ!\u00a0 Taguchi dives over the top rope and lands on Ospreay!\u00a0 Holy s-!<\/p>\n<p>As Red Shoes\u2019 count gets to sixteen, Taguchi garbs Ospreay to roll him into the ring, but smartly clubs him on the back of the head before diving in before the twenty.\u00a0 At nineteen Ospreay dives in stylishly &#8211; rolling his body mid-air to weave right under the bottom rope.\u00a0 Taguchi chides Red Shoes for the pace of his count, but that s- fell on deaf ears.\u00a0 Red Shoes just walked away, having zero time for anyone \u2013 especially a junior heavyweight &#8211; questioning his rhythm.\u00a0 Even Tiger Mask starts giving him s- about it.<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi scoops up Ospreay, hits two rolling suplexes transitioned into a facebuster.\u00a0 He misses a hip attack in the corner, as does Ospreay who tries to jump him, and hits an Exploder on Ospreay!\u00a0 This is incredible!\u00a0 He poses like Nakamura on the ropes, rotates into the split-legged double-oks, and hits a running hip attack.\u00a0 He covers.\u00a0 1, 2, Ospreay slips away!<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi grabs Ospreay off the mat and pins his arms back for Dodon\u2019s Throne, but Ospreay leaps up and rolls Taguchi into a pinfall that nets a two.\u00a0 He hits a thrust kick to Taguchi, two very hard slaps to the face with his foot, but runs straight into an enzuigiri.\u00a0 Taguchi pins Ospreay\u2019s arms back again and goes for Dodon\u2019s Throne, but Ospreay reverses off his shoulders with a hurricanranna.\u00a0 Ospreay clips Taguchi with a Flash Kick and lariats him outside.\u00a0 He gingerly heads to the ropes and handsprings up and over the top rope with a twisting half-gainer flip that juuuust hits Taguchi.\u00a0 Ospreay comes face to face with KUSHIDA, who is on commentary for the match, and is met with an approving nod.\u00a0 Ospreay rolls Taguchi back in and heads to the top rope, favoring his ankle as he steadies himself for a 450.\u00a0 Taguchi rolls out of the way, but Ospreay lands on his feet, his ankle yet again sending him shuffling away.\u00a0 Taguchi goes for a low dropkick, but Ospreay leaps into the air and comes down with a double-stomp to Taguchi\u2019s chest!\u00a0 Amazing timing!<\/p>\n<p>Ospreay hits a 720 Shining Wizard to the back of Taguchi\u2019s head, then springboards off the ropes with a hip attack of his own.\u00a0 But Taguchi is the master of the hip attack, holding onto Ospreay leg as he pops up off the mat and puts him into the ankle lock!\u00a0 Ospreay tries to get to the ropes at every angle, but Taguchi keeps pulling him back to the middle of the ring.\u00a0 Ospreay finally gets to his feet and brushes the top ropes, but Taguchi pulls him back and hoists him into the air for Dodon\u2019s Throne!\u00a0 He goes for the pin, with Red Shoes flying front and center of the camera view to count!\u00a0 1, 2, Red Shoes pulls away to reveal Ospreay successfully kicking out!<\/p>\n<p>Taguchi goes right back to the ankle lock, with Ospreay biting his knuckles before rolling to his back.\u00a0 He boots Taguchi in the face, but Taguchi hangs on and flips Ospreay right back to his stomach before slamming down on the mat with the ankle lock cinched in tight.\u00a0 Ospreay is clawing at Red Shoes, who is on his knees right over the action.\u00a0 Taguchi twists Ospreay\u2019s ankle as he gets to his feet to pull him back.\u00a0 Ospreay hops onto his other foot and flips Taguchi off of him.\u00a0 As Ospreay tries to get up, Taguchi races towards him, dashing straight into a Spanish Fly!\u00a0 Ospreay covers.\u00a0 1, 2, Taguchi kicks out!<\/p>\n<p>Ospreay tries to go up top, but Taguchi hunts him down with a slap to the face.\u00a0 Taguchi goes up with him, but Ospreay slips out and drops Taguchi\u2019s head for a superkick to the face.\u00a0 Taguchi falls to the mat as Ospreay climbs back to the top rope, his back to Taguchi.\u00a0 He steadies himself, then leaps outward to hit an inverted shooting star!\u00a0 He covers.\u00a0 1, 2, Taguchi kicks out!\u00a0 Ospreay runs to the ropes, chased Taguchi who is still holding his ribs, and springboards off and catches Taguchi with the cutter.\u00a0 He covers again.\u00a0 1, 2, 3!!!<\/p>\n<p>Winner: Will Ospreay in 22:05 to win the Best of the Super Juniors XXIII Tournament<\/p>\n<p>After the match, Taguchi\u2019s neck is getting iced down while Red Shoes raises Ospreay\u2019s hand in the air.\u00a0 KUSHIDA applauds the win as Ospreay looks nonplussed towards the cheering crowd, his eyes misty as he intertwines his fingers together in prayer.<\/p>\n<p>We get a backstage interview with Taguchi who is still icing down his neck.\u00a0 He says that he shouldn\u2019t have been joking around.\u00a0 Although he made his entrance serious, he was fooling around during the match.\u00a0 He says that it is his path and it\u2019s all in his plans.\u00a0 He inquisitively asks himself where that path will lead, answering that he will just keep going.\u00a0 He thanks the interviewers before taking his leave.<\/p>\n<p>Back in the ring, Ospreay drapes himself in the Union Jack flag in front of the Super Juniors trophy.\u00a0 He gets the mic as the crowd chants his name.\u00a0 He tells KUSHIDA that they need to have a talk as KUSHIDA obliges by getting into the ring.\u00a0 He tells KUSHIDA that they aren\u2019t finished, but tells the crowd that he has all the respect in the world for the champion.\u00a0 He informs KUSHIDA that OKADA brought him into CHAOS to take his title, then announces, \u201cOspreay, KUSHIDA, one more time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>KUSHIDA takes the mic and congratulates him.\u00a0 His words are succinct, stating, \u201cLet\u2019s fight to see who is better.\u201d\u00a0 He reaches out to shake Ospreay\u2019s hand, which Ospreay accepts as the crowd cheers the sportsmanship.\u00a0 KUSHIDA gives Ospreay the mic back, who tells his friends\/family\/NJPW World subscribers that he can\u2019t thank them enough.\u00a0 Silver confetti rains down, with one dangling over the camera lens as Ospreay raises the flag and the trophy in the air.<\/p>\n<p><i>(Andrews\u2019 Analysis:\u00a0 Now that\u2019s how you wrestle, Taguchi!\u00a0 He was phenomenal in this match, taking advantage of an injury while hitting moves I never knew was in his toolkit.\u00a0 I can honestly say that this was the best Taguchi performance I have seen thus far and I am not entirely sure that I\u2019ll get another one.\u00a0 And it\u2019s not because he was going against Ospreay either.\u00a0 This was a Taguchi match \u2013 with him as the focal point on both offense and defense against a high flyer he tirelessly worked to ground.\u00a0 Taguchi was so good that I am beyond excited to watch him wrestle Takahashi for the title.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Ospreay deserves some serious credit for selling his injury throughout the entire match, even when trying to take flight.\u00a0 Hell, the guy even daintily ran the ropes and took forever to find his footing on the top rope before each takeoff.\u00a0 I am really hopeful that AXS can get KUSHIDA\/Ospreay II in front of JR and Barnett because the first one was out of this world.)<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Present day Ospreay, still in front of the crime scene, calls winning the tournament a dream come true.\u00a0 He talks about the greats who have won the trophy and says that he won it for Britain.\u00a0 For him, winning the tournament was the best moment of his life.\u00a0 Although he was aware that he was the first British wrestler to not only make it to the finals, but to win the whole thing, he didn\u2019t know until after the tournament that he was the youngest man to ever win it.\u00a0 When asked about his future goals and prospects, Ospreay says that his dream is to wrestle at the Tokyo Dome, but the crowning moment will be to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.\u00a0 He looks into the camera and thanks everyone for their support and tells all of us that he loves us.\u00a0 He came off as such a gracious dude.\u00a0 Big thumbs up.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OVERALL THOUGHTS&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There was more bad than good between the two shows, but the good revolved around three men.\u00a0 Taguchi was incredible against Ospreay.\u00a0 I\u2019m not entirely sure if he can be that great on an every-match basis, but it is a welcome sight that I\u2019d love to see more often than not.\u00a0 The first Ospreay match seemed more like a warm-up than a shot at the finals, but he was nothing short of spectacular once in the finals.\u00a0 I can honestly say that to this point I have not seen Ospreay put in a poor performance.\u00a0 He\u2019s been a consistent dynamo in the ring, even against Volador in the tune-up match.\u00a0 And now, Gedo.\u00a0 He was f****ng terrific!\u00a0 I have become such a huge fan of his and thoroughly regret ever comparing him to a glorified Muppet.\u00a0 But that\u2019s the beauty of learning &#8211; though the more I watch, the less I\u2019ll be able to make ill-educated assessments of one\u2019s role in the wrestling world.<\/p>\n<p>Actually, the hell with that.\u00a0 Ignorance is the foundation of this review series, and damn it that very same ignorance shall hold sway until I\u2019ve run out of apologies.\u00a0 And that s- isn\u2019t happening around here anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>Sorry for the mini-tangent.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS REPORT ON NJPW ON AXS:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/01\/21\/documentary-review-njpw-origins-tetsuya-naito\/\">DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: NJPW Origins: Tetsuya Naito<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-9937071\"><div id=\"pwtor-3463037414\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>NJPW on AXS TV Best of the Super Juniors XXIII Parts 1 &amp; 2 Sendai Sunplaza Hall By R.W. Andrews, PWTorch contributor First, an apology.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been in and out of Nyquil stupors over the <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/02\/21\/njpw-axs-tv-best-super-juniors-xxiii-parts-1-2-ospreay-vs-volador-jr-gedo-vs-taguchi-elgin-omega\/\" title=\"NJPW ON AXS TV: Best of the Super Juniors XXIII (parts 1 and 2): Ospreay vs. Volador Jr., GEDO vs. Taguchi, Elgin, Omega, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,4345],"tags":[1367,306,875,4787,4788,488],"class_list":["post-39081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tvshowsandevents","category-njpw-on-axs","tag-gedo","tag-kenny-omega","tag-kushida","tag-ryusuke-taguchi","tag-volador-jr","tag-will-ospreay"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/12\/NJPW_AXS_logo.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39081"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39081\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39083,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39081\/revisions\/39083"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35802"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}