May 18, 2017
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Hirai Kawato, Tiger Mask IV, & Tomoyuki Oka vs Katsuya Kitamura, Shota Umino, & Tetsuhiro Yagi - 4.5/10
Good stuff, I just don't get bored of Oka and Kitamura destroying each other; furthermore, i don't get tired of seeing Oka and Kitamura destroying other people. Everyone got a chance to do some stuff in the ring, Kawato took the win via submission. I love it when young lions bow to the crowd, it's such a noble thing.
Volador Jr & ACH vs Suzuki-Gun - 6/10
Desperado and Kanemaru representing Suzuki-Gun. Tons of great aerial display from the babyface side, Volador botched some flips, but he botched them before rotating potentially saving his neck, so good. Suzuki-Gun had the heat on Volador for a long while, at one point Desperado took Milano's phone and smashed Volador in the head with it. ACH got a good hot tag until he did the dick-check on Kanemaru, and it's not that it's a babyface cheating, it's just a dumb spot. Wrestling after that was ok, Volador took an ugly bump to the outside. Finish saw Desperado steal the win when he grabbed the ref allowing Kanemaru to strike ACH with a foreign object.
War Machine & David Finlay vs Bullet Club - 5.5/10
Yujiro and GoD representing Bullet Club. No introductions, they went straight for the brawl. It was an ok match, nothing special, War Machine got to look great and it built their feud with GoD. Finlay got killed in the finish and War Machine just left without checking on him, dick move guys.
Taguchi Japan vs Los Ingobernables de Japon - 7/10
Kojima, KUSHIDA, Tagushi, and Juice Robinson representing Taguchi Japan. TJ doing some comedy in their introduction and pose, it was good. During the LIJ entrance, Naito slammed the IC title against the ring steps over and over again, he actually broke it this time. Match started with the babyfaces having the upper hand over LIJ, mostly focusing on Robinson vs Naito and 4-man spots. LIJ then turned the tide and got the heat on Taguchi for a while, then on Kojima, and finally KUSHIDA managed to make a comeback for his team before all hell broke lose. This was a great match that had some funny stuff, but also great wrestling, continuing the feud between Taguchi Japan and LIJ. BUSHI pinned KUSHIDA, who continues his losing streak. Now it seems like a terrible idea for ROH to put the title on him since now he's gaining challengers that cost money to bring to the US.
BOSJ24 Block A
Taka Michinoku (2) w/Desperado vs Taichi (0) w/Yoshinobu Kanemaru - Dud, but an Awesome Dud!
Right off the bat, this is Suzuki-Gun vs Suzuki-Gun, I honestly don't expect anything else other than shenanigans. As it seems, these men are reluctant to fight each other, the ref has called for a fight like 5 times already, this is really getting intense, the suspense of the first shoulder and elbow lock is killing me. They continue avoiding each other for the longest time until Taka first outsmarts Taichi low blowing him, then Taichi outsmarts Taka when he runs himself into the post shoulder first. Taichi fakes a leg injury and then rolls up Taka for the win. This was a no wrestling tournament match, but it worked well. All Suzuki-Gun guys embrace in ring.
BOSJ24 Block A
"The Villain" Marty Scurll (2) vs Dragon Lee (2) - 8/10
Lee had to have the longest ever shirt thrown without cannons. This match was really kept grounded by Scurll for a long time, Scurll working Lee's arm, which works if you lock in the Chickenwing, but it doesn't cripple Dragon Lee, who's legs are the real deal, and so soon Dragon Lee made a comeback with kicks, jumps, and running, tons of running. Dragon Lee proved harder to put down, so Scurll started going for more kicks on the head with the hopes to weaken Lee. I don't think there are any other commentators right now that sell the finger break as much as the NJPW guys. Finish saw Lee and Scurll fight it off on the top turnbuckle, with Lee winning the forearm exchange and hitting the foot stomp for the 2 pts. I gotta say, I loved seeing Lee act like Scurll when almost falling. Great match, not like these guys' matches from Day 1, but still great. Lee is now lead of the group. Can Ricochet tie him?
BOSJ24 Block A
Jyushin 'Thunder' Liger (0) vs Himoru Takahashi (0) - 9/10
This is Liger's final BOSJ match in Kouraken Hall, let that sink in. Both men have zero points as of this match, so they're both fighting to get themselves out of the bottom of the group. Liger started the match going all out, giving Himoru the Shotei, rolling senton to the floor, and a brainbuster on the floor, and I think this seriously pissed off Himoru, because he came back full force against Liger, even going for the mask at times. After this exchange, the match got really heated, fans are going crazy, Liger is hitting HImoru with all he has, Shotei, Liger Bomb, and all the fighting spirit of an Ishii, but Takahashi keeps kicking out! Finish saw Himoru counter a final Shotei into a Time Bomb to give the legend his second loss in his final BOSJ. This was a fucking awesome match!
Post-match - Liger talked on the mic, I have no idea what he said, but from crowd's reaction, it just sounded like his BOSJ goodbye from Kouraken and saying he will make a comeback. I'm obviusly making all this up. Whatever it was Milano shed a tear for it.
BOSJ24 Block A
"King" Ricochet (2) vs "Quicksilver" Will Ospreay (0) - 9.5/10
Jim Cornette, time to turn of the show, they're about to kill the business. The stories that i'm seeing here is that Ospreay is coming in with zero points, but he has once defeated Ricochet in Kouraken Hall at BOSJ. At the start of the match you can see that Ospreay is definitely coming in more serious than before, serious enough that he pissed Ricochet off and this started to get serious and started kicking Ospreay's ass. Will would have some counters here and there, but Ricochet was definitely in control, until Ricochet got cocky and wanted to end Ospreay with his own moves, he botched the Tornillo kick and landed the Os Cutter, but Will kicked out. Battle continued with Ospreay paying him with the same coin, but Ricochet kicked out. Eventually Ospreay hit his own moves for the win. Small thing to take home, Ospreay is now 2-0 against Ricochet in BOSJ.
Match had a lot more time than last year, so they were able to expand on it, they actually did some stuff from last year, but a lot more this time. Match I felt was considerably slower, which made it better and you can't complain that it looks choreographed anymore. I've seen these guys wrestle in every promotion they work for, this is close to the top favorite.
Post-match - Will Ospreay cuts a promo saying Ricochet is his best friend but worst enemy. He on BOSJ in his first try, and he's going to do it again.
Post-show interview - Ospreay's birthday was May 7 and he hasn't been home to celebrate. He just says that same thing that he is here to win BOSJ back to back.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
We're back to doing just one block per show which means that half of the show feels irrelevant, but it means that we can get other guys like LIJ in the show and i'll not complain about that, this also means I'll have to review tons of more shows. A lot of people are gonna hate the Taichi vs Taka match, but I thought it was brilliant as a one time thing, don't expect to see it between Kanemaru and Desperado. The Liger story so far is being done correctly (not like Tenzan's), and quite biased, but I love that Dragon Lee closes the show being the only man to achieve 4 pts (we know that won't last, nor it means anything). Definitely go watch the last 4 matches if you won't do the non-tournament ones.
