NJPW 2001 - Gedoism

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NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 TOUR PREVIEW

TEAM2000 stand tall atop the New Japan Pro Wrestling landscape once again, after Masahiro Chono reclaimed the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the first time in three and a half years in Amagasaki. Chono made a fiery proclamation after his victory over Kensuke Sasaki, lauding TEAM2000 as being stronger than ever and stronger than all other forces in NJPW combined. This invitation to all-comers will be tested across the NJPW Big Fight Series, as they will face off with ERUPTIONS, Blue Justice and Tencozy across the shows in various combinations.

The 9th annual Best Of Super Juniors tour follows the Big Fight Series and both the singles and tag team Jr. Heavyweight Championships will be on the line in the build-up at Hakata Star Lanes. Former tag team partners Minoru Tanaka and Koji Kanemoto meet in a rematch from Wrestling World in January, while Jado and Gedo defend their titles against the veteran and prospect duo of Jushin Thunder Liger and Wataru Inoue.

Also on that show, Blue Justice will do battle in a 4 vs. 4 match with Dradition, before Naeba Cup winners Nagata and Liger challenge teams from Team2000, in the lead-up to a 5 on 5 Elimination Match to close out the tour.

New faces will also be in action across the upcoming shows, with the debuts of world-travelled Englishman Norman Smiley, the American technician junior heavyweight James Gibson and hot Mexican prospect Astro Boy.

 

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES NIGHT 1 - Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
. Yuji Nagata vs. Osamu Nishimura
. Tencozy vs. TEAM2000 (Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto)
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Koji Kanemoto) vs. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Minoru Tanaka)

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES NIGHT 2 - Yokosuka Arena in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
. Manabu Nakanishi vs. Osamu Nishimura
. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs. ERUPTIONS (Shiro Koshinaka, Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe)
. Tencozy vs. TEAM2000 (Rob Van Dam and Tatsutoshi Goto)
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto) vs. ERUPTIONS (Super J and Minoru Tanaka)

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES NIGHT 3 - Citizen Gymnasium in Chichibu, Saitama, Japan
. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata and Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs. Dradition (Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura)
. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton and Koji Kanemoto) vs. ERUPTIONS (Super J and Minoru Tanaka)
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Rob Van Dam and Gedo) vs. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata)

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES NIGHT 4 - Lake Suwa Sports Center in Suwa, Nagano, Japan
. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi) vs. Dradition (Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura)
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and AKIRA) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata
. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Koji Kanemoto) vs. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Minoru Tanaka)

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES NIGHT 5 - Hakata Starlanes in Fukuoka, Japan
(1) Norman Smiley and Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Silver King and James Gibson
(2) Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura vs. Yutaka Yoshie and Blue Wolf
(3) Super J vs. Tatsutoshi Goto
(4) Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shinya Makabe

(5) IWGP JR. HV TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champions] Jado and Gedo vs. [Challengers] Jushin Thunder Liger and Wataru Inoue ~ 4th Defense

(6) TEAM2000 (Rob Van Dam and AKIRA) vs. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki)

(7) Tencozy vs. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton and Hiro Saito)

(8) IWGP JR. HV CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Minoru Tanaka vs. [Challenger] Koji Kanemoto ~ 8th Defense

(9) Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka and Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs. Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine)

 

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES NIGHT 6 - City Gymnasium in Kumamoto, Japan
. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger) vs. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton and Jado)
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto) vs. ERUPTIONS (Super J and Minoru Tanaka)

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES NIGHT 7 - Prefectural Gymnasium in Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan
. Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs. Dradition (Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura)
. Hiro Saito vs. Minoru Tanaka
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe) vs. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata)
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto) vs. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger)

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES NIGHT 8 - B-Con Plaza in Beppu, Oita, Japan
. Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs. ERUPTIONS (Super J and Shiro Koshinaka)
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and Gedo) vs. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger)
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Minoru Tanaka) vs. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata)

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES NIGHT 9 - Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagasaki, Japan
(1) Rey Mysterio Jr. and Astro Boy vs. Katsushi Takemura and James Gibson
(2) Yutaka Yoshie vs. Tadao Yasuda
(3) Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami and Super Strong Machine) vs. Norman Smiley and Blue Wolf
(4) Shiro Koshinaka vs. Katsuyori Shibata
(5) TEAM2000 (Tatsutoshi Goto and Gedo) vs. Blue Justice (Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue)

(6) Manabu Nakanishi vs. Osamu Nishimura

(7) TEAM2000 (Hiro Saito and AKIRA) vs. ERUPTIONS (Super J and Minoru Tanaka)

(8) 5 VS. 5 ELIMINATION MATCH: TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam, Jado and Koji Kanemoto) vs. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai)

(9) Tencozy vs. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki)

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NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 NIGHT 1
1. El Samurai and Wataru Inoue defeated Katsushi Takemura and James Gibson in 11:07 when El Samurai pinned James Gibson with a Lifting Reverse DDT. [52]
2. Rob Van Dam defeated Yutaka Yoshie in 11:08 by pinfall with a Five Star Frog Splash. [75]
3. Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Shiro Koshinaka and Kenzo Suzuki in 13:27 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a German Suplex. [63]
4. AKIRA defeated Shinya Makabe in 9:44 by pinfall with a Diving Splash. [55]
5. Yuji Nagata defeated Osamu Nishimura in 19:12 by pinfall with a Backdrop Hold. [68]
6. Jushin Thunder Liger, Rey Mysterio Jr. and Norman Smiley defeated Silver King, Jado and Gedo in 12:55 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned Jado with a roll up. [65]
7. Tencozy defeated Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto in 13:10 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Tatsutoshi Goto with a TenKoji Cutter. [70]
8. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Koji Kanemoto) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Minoru Tanaka) in 14:25 when Masahiro Chono pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Shining Black. [74]
9. Chono Promo, Wants Kanemoto To Win Jr Title So Team 2000 Have All Belts [68]

[72]

Chono makes his intentions clear after victory over Minoru in the main event, putting the pressure on his junior heavyweight protege to get the job done and do the same to complete the jigsaw for TEAM2000. Nagata overcomes Nishimura in a lengthy, technical battle on the undercard while RVD is an impressive winner in singles action over Yoshie.

 

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 NIGHT 2
1. Silver King and James Gibson defeated El Samurai and Astro Boy in 12:30 when Silver King submitted Astro Boy. [56]
2. Blue Justice (Yutaka Yoshie, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue) defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Hiro Saito) in 12:21 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Jado with a Blizzard Suplex. [60]
3. Scott Norton and AKIRA defeated Norman Smiley and Rey Mysterio Jr. in 11:32 when Scott Norton pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. with a Powerslam. [61]
4. Osamu Nishimura defeated Manabu Nakanishi in 15:35 by pinfall with a fast roll up. [61]
5. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated ERUPTIONS (Shiro Koshinaka, Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe) in 13:02 when Yuji Nagata pinned Shinya Makabe with a Backdrop Hold. [69]
6. Tencozy defeated Rob Van Dam and Tatsutoshi Goto in 13:06 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Tatsutoshi Goto with a TenKoji Cutter. [79]
7. Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto defeated Super J and Minoru Tanaka in 14:28 when Koji Kanemoto pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Tiger Suplex. [74]

[74]

After having the gauntlet laid down to him the previous night, Kanemoto gains a further edge going into the Jr. Heavyweight Title match, proving he can defeat his former partner with a climactic Tiger Suplex. There's a mixed night for the rest of TEAM2000 though, while Nishimura bounces back with a win over Nakanishi.

 

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 NIGHT 3
1. Norman Smiley and Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Silver King and James Gibson in 15:22 when Norman Smiley submitted James Gibson with a Crossface Chickenwing. [56]
2. Tadao Yasuda defeated Blue Wolf in 8:53 by pinfall with a Tiger Driver. [49]
3. Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai defeated Jado and AKIRA in 14:06 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned Jado with a Brainbuster. [67]
4. Manabu Nakanishi defeated Tatsutoshi Goto in 8:04 by pinfall with a German Suplex. [66]
5. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura defeated Yuji Nagata and Hiroshi Tanahashi in 12:40 when Riki Choshu pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi with a Lariat. [73]
6. Scott Norton and Koji Kanemoto defeated Super J and Minoru Tanaka in 11:39 when Scott Norton pinned Super J with a Powerslam. [67]
7. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Rob Van Dam and Gedo) in 15:05 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Gedo with a TTD. [79]

[76]

Tencozy pick up another victory over TEAM2000 opposition in the main event, as they continue to chase another opportunity at the Tag Team Titles. Although he doesn't take the fall, it's another loss for Minoru against Kanemoto, while Choshu dishes out another lesson to Tanahashi in Dradition versus Blue Justice action.

 

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 NIGHT 4
1. Silver King, James Gibson and Katsushi Takemura defeated Norman Smiley, Rey Mysterio Jr. and Astro Boy in 15:27 when Katsushi Takemura pinned Astro Boy with a Fireman's Carry Facebuster. [53]
2. Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Blue Wolf in 6:55 by pinfall with a Goto Facebuster. [37]
3. Wataru Inoue defeated Shinya Makabe in 11:09 by pinfall with a Spear. [52]
4. Blue Justice (Takashi Iizuka, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai) defeated TEAM2000 (Hiro Saito, Jado and Gedo) in 12:39 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Gedo with a Blizzard Suplex. [73]
5. Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura in 14:04 when Yuji Nagata pinned Riki Choshu with a Backdrop Hold. [76]
6. Masahiro Chono and AKIRA defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata in 13:27 when Masahiro Chono submitted Katsuyori Shibata with an STF. [72]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Minoru Tanaka) defeated TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Koji Kanemoto) in 15:33 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Koji Kanemoto with a Lariat. [78]
8. Kensuke Promo, He And Kenzo Coming For Tag Titles [64]

[75]

Kensuke and ERUPTIONS try to challenge TEAM2000's attempted dominance over New Japan, finally putting a stop to Kanemoto's winning run on the eve of his shot at Minoru, after which Kensuke puts himself and Kenzo in line for RVD and Scott Norton's Tag Team belts as well. Blue Justice also respond with a win over Dradition, with Nakanishi proving a more hardened partner for Nagata than Tanahashi and Nagata picking up a statement win over Choshu.

 

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 NIGHT 5
1. Norman Smiley and Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Silver King and James Gibson in 11:32 when Norman Smiley submitted James Gibson with a Crossface Chickenwing. [63]
2. Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura defeated Yutaka Yoshie and Blue Wolf in 10:25 when Tadao Yasuda submitted Blue Wolf with a Sleeper. [53]
3. Super J defeated Tatsutoshi Goto in 9:47 by pinfall with a Choke Slam. [56]
4. Katsuyori Shibata defeated Shinya Makabe in 11:09 by pinfall with a Backdrop Driver. [58]
5. IWGP JR. HV TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Jado and Gedo (c) defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and Wataru Inoue in 15:02 when Gedo pinned Wataru Inoue with a Complete Shot. Jado and Gedo make defence V4 of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles. [69]
6. Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki defeated Rob Van Dam and AKIRA in 16:03 when Kenzo Suzuki pinned AKIRA with a Spear. [73]
7. Tencozy defeated Scott Norton and Hiro Saito in 14:31 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Hiro Saito with a TenKoji Cutter. [72]
8. IWGP JR. HV CHAMPIONSHIP: Koji Kanemoto defeated Minoru Tanaka (c) in 17:53 by submission with a Koji Clutch. Koji Kanemoto wins the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. [69]
9. Team 2000 Celebrate With All Titles [52]
10. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) in 18:02 when Yuji Nagata pinned Tatsumi Fujinami with a Backdrop Hold. [73]

[71]

As demanded, TEAM2000 leave Fukuoka with all the gold, as Jado and Gedo first overcome Liger and Inoue to keep the Jr. Tag Titles, before Minoru's lengthy reign as Jr. Heavyweight Champion is finally brought to an end by Kanemoto in his 8th defense. How long TEAM2000 keep all the titles remains to be seen though, as the Tag Team Champions both lose in separate matches to their two prospective next challengers - although neither champion is pinned, leaving the question of which challenger is first still undecided.

The main event sees Blue Justice come out on top over Dradition in a 5 on 5 encounter, with Nagata following up his pinfall victory over Choshu with one over Fujinami as well, knocking off two of NJPW's legendary figures in the space of two matches.

 

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NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 NIGHT 6
1. Gedo defeated Astro Boy in 6:31 by pinfall with a Complete Shot. [51]
2. El Samurai, Rey Mysterio Jr. and Wataru Inoue defeated AKIRA, Silver King and James Gibson in 12:03 when Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned James Gibson with a Springboard Frankensteiner. [60]
3. Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Yutaka Yoshie and Blue Wolf in 7:33 when Hiro Saito pinned Blue Wolf with a Diving Senton. [52]
4. Osamu Nishimura defeated Norman Smiley in 15:40 by submission with an Octopus Hold. [56]
5. Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Scott Norton and Jado in 12:45 when Yuji Nagata submitted Jado with a Nagata Lock II. [71]
6. Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata in 12:53 when Kenzo Suzuki pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Spear. [72]
7. Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto defeated Super J and Minoru Tanaka in 13:55 when Masahiro Chono pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Yakuza Kick. [76]

[74]

Fresh off of Kanemoto's Jr. Title victory, Minoru tastes defeat again, this time at the hands of Chono in the night's main event. Ahead of Tencozy's match with Kensuke and Kenzo to close the tour, the ERUPTIONS team put away Tenzan and his understudy Shibata, while the Naeba Cup winners Nagata and Liger reunite for their first of three matches with TEAM2000 and pick up right where they left off with victory.

 

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 NIGHT 7
1. James Gibson, Jado and Gedo defeated El Samurai, Wataru Inoue and Astro Boy in 10:14 when Jado pinned Astro Boy with a Backdrop Driver. [54]
2. Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam defeated Yutaka Yoshie and Blue Wolf in 9:49 when Scott Norton pinned Blue Wolf with a Powerslam. [70]
3. Super J defeated AKIRA in 8:18 by pinfall with a Cobra Clutch Slam. [53]
4. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura defeated Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi in 14:47 when Osamu Nishimura pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi with a roll up. [64]
5. Hiro Saito defeated Minoru Tanaka in 10:53 by pinfall with a Diving Senton. [63]
6. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe) in 14:04 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Shinya Makabe with a Koji Cutter. [72]
7. Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto defeated Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger in 17:13 when Masahiro Chono pinned Jushin Thunder Liger with a Shining Black. [80]
8. Chono/Nagata Pull Apart [87]

[77]

The night's big match pits the Naeba Cup winners against the IWGP Heavyweight and Jr Champions and proves to be fiercely competitive - so much so that after Chono picks up the win on Liger while Kanemoto plays defense, he and Nagata have to be separated as tensions spill over. Elsewhere, Tencozy get a victory back on ERUPTIONS, Minoru's post-title slump continues and the Tag Team Champions stay sharp awaiting their next challengers.

 

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 NIGHT 8
1. Jado defeated Astro Boy in 7:57 by pinfall with a Backdrop Driver. [50]
2. Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam defeated Norman Smiley and Super Strong Machine in 11:55 when Rob Van Dam pinned Norman Smiley with a Five Star Frog Splash. [65]
3. Koji Kanemoto, AKIRA and James Gibson defeated El Samurai, Rey Mysterio Jr. and Wataru Inoue in 14:49 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Wataru Inoue with a Koji Clutch. [58]
4. Hiro Saito defeated Yutaka Yoshie in 9:12 by pinfall with a Senton. [58]
5. Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Super J and Shiro Koshinaka in 12:30 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Shiro Koshinaka with an Argentine Neckbreaker. [67]
6. Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Masahiro Chono and Gedo in 11:35 when Yuji Nagata pinned Gedo with a Backdrop Hold. [78]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Minoru Tanaka) defeated IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) in 14:32 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Katsuyori Shibata with a Minoru Special. [75]

[74]

ERUPTIONS bounce back against Tencozy, with Minoru picking up a much needed submission fall over Shibata to give his team the momentum heading into the tour's final match. Nagata also gains a measure of revenge with a Backdrop Hold on Gedo, Chono electing to walk away post match rather than get into another confrontation.

 

NJPW BIG FIGHT SERIES 2002 NIGHT 9
1. Rey Mysterio Jr. and Astro Boy defeated Katsushi Takemura and James Gibson in 10:21 when Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Katsushi Takemura with a Springboard Frankensteiner. [62]
2. Tadao Yasuda defeated Yutaka Yoshie in 9:46 by pinfall with a Tiger Driver. [59]
3. Tatsumi Fujinami and Super Strong Machine defeated Norman Smiley and Blue Wolf in 9:09 when Tatsumi Fujinami submitted Blue Wolf with a Dragon Sleeper. [52]
4. Shiro Koshinaka defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 11:40 by pinfall with a Powerbomb. [56]
5. Tatsutoshi Goto and Gedo defeated Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue in 11:48 when Tatsutoshi Goto pinned Wataru Inoue with a Goto Facebuster. [58]
6. Manabu Nakanishi defeated Osamu Nishimura in 18:04 by pinfall with an Argentine Neckbreaker. [65]
7. Super J and Minoru Tanaka defeated Hiro Saito and AKIRA in 11:43 when Super J pinned AKIRA with a Choke Slam. [64]
8. 5 VS. 5 ELIMINATION MATCH: TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam, Jado and Koji Kanemoto) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai) in 27:35.
1. Kanemoto eliminates Samurai with a Yakuza Kick off the apron to save Jado 2. Norton throws out Tanahashi 3. Liger surprises Jado with a quick pin 4. RVD eliminates Nakanishi, saving Norton 5. Nagata pins Kanemoto 6. Norton pins Liger 7. Chono, Norton and RVD gang up to eliminate Nagata [85]
9. Tencozy defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki in 16:39 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a TenKoji Cutter. [80]

[79] [gained pop in 1 region]

TEAM2000 come out on top in the big 5 on 5 Elimination bout, in a match where the championship hoarding unit look as united as ever. All of the eliminations come thanks to team-mates looking out for each other's backs and using the numbers advantage to take opponents out, resulting in Nagata being left three on one at the end. Despite his best efforts, the deficit proved too much and TEAM2000 continue to rule NJPW.

Victory for Tencozy in the main event gives them bragging rights in the chase for the IWGP Tag Team Championships, but Kensuke and Kenzo more than hold their own against the former champions and Kenzo puts in an eye-catching effort. Kensuke encourages the youngster in the post match interviews, stating that Kenzo has taken a big stride out of young lion status.

Kensuke: "This is just the beginning for ERUPTIONS... Tencozy, next time, we will be stronger... Kenzo will be even more ready... and those IWGP Tag Team Championships WILL be ours!"

 

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-TOUR NOTES-

TITLE CHANGE: Koji Kanemoto wins the IWGP Jr HV Championship for the fourth time.

BEST MATCHES:
TEAM2000 vs. Blue Justice N9 [85]
Tencozy vs. Kensuke and Kenzo N9 [80]
Chono and Kanemoto vs. Nagata and Liger N7 [80]

- New contracts have been handed out to Kensuke, Kenzo, El Samurai, Goto, Ohara and Super Strong Machine. Ohara lost his recent MMA fight and will be back soon.

- Three new faces debuted on the tour and all three will be sticking around for the forseeable. Chono took an immediate liking to James Gibson and has taken him under his wing as a protege. Gibson was going to be a part of the BOSJ lineup anyway, but may now be a permanent fixture.

- Norman Smiley fit in well and provides another technical wrestler on the roster, which our fans like. His team with Super Strong Machine provided some Awful Chemistry though.

- Also sticking around will be Astro Boy, who was offered to us on a 2 year excursion by AAA to give him some experience. The plan seems to be to get him some seasoning away from Mexico, before repackaging him as a new character when he returns and the word is they have high hopes for him as a future star. We'll benefit in the meantime with a talented youngster to fill out undercards.
 

ELSEWHERE...
- Major changes occurred on-screen and off for the WWF - or, now, WWE. On screen, the much mooted roster split was put into action, with a draft separating wrestlers exclusively onto Raw and Smackdown. Rebranded World Champion Stone Cold heads up the Raw show and WWF Champion The Rock is on top on Smackdown. Within weeks of that major change, the company was forced into an off-screen rebranding too, with a complete name change due to legal problems with the other WWF.

- The early weeks of the brand split have seen HHH form a new version of his McMahon-Helmsley Regime, with Scott Hall, Rhyno, D-Lo and Mark Henry as allies. Stone Cold has aligned with Palumbo and O'Haire to oppose them.

- A number of names have gotten new deals, including Stone Cold, Mick Foley, Regal, Christian and X-Pac. Two people that weren't re-signed were Steve Blackman and, more surprisingly, Paul Heyman.

- A new Jeff Jarrett lead company launched under the NWA umbrella - NWA:TNA. The company is trying a new distribution strategy, running weekly PPV events, with an old booking strategy of employing Vince Russo.

Edited August 31 by cbacon87

[cbacon87]

NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING Presents...

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002

A BLOCK:
Koji Kanemoto - 7th entry, '98 Winner '97 '99 Runner Up, IWGP Jr. HV Champion
El Samurai - 9th entry, '97 Winner
Minoru Tanaka - 4th entry, '01 Runner Up
Jado - 2nd entry, IWGP Jr. HV Tag Team Champion
Katsuyori Shibata - 2nd entry
Tiger Mask IV - 1st entry
Curry Man - 1st entry
 

B BLOCK:
Jushin "Thunder" Liger - 7th entry, '94 '01 Winner '96 Runner Up
Gedo - 2nd entry, IWGP Jr. HV Tag Team Champion
AKIRA - 2nd entry
Wataru Inoue - 2nd entry
Rey Mysterio Jr. - 1st entry
Psicosis - 1st entry
James Gibson - 1st entry

 

BOSJ N1- A BLOCK: Kanemoto/Minoru, Jado/Curry B BLOCK: Liger/Psicosis, AKIRA/Rey
BOSJ N2- A BLOCK: Samurai/Shibata, Jado/Tiger B BLOCK: Gedo/Wataru, Liger/Gibson
BOSJ N3- A BLOCK: Minoru/Curry, Tiger/Shibata B BLOCK: AKIRA/Wataru, Rey/Gibson
BOSJ N4- A BLOCK: Kanemoto/Jado, Samurai/Curry B BLOCK: Liger/AKIRA, Gedo/Psicosis
BOSJ N5- A BLOCK: Minoru/Samurai, Jado/Shibata B BLOCK: Rey/Wataru, Psicosis/Gibson
BOSJ N6- A BLOCK: Minoru/Shibata, Kanemoto/Curry B BLOCK: Liger/Wataru, AKIRA/Gibson
BOSJ N7- A BLOCK: Kanemoto/Samurai, Tiger/Curry B BLOCK: AKIRA/Psicosis, Gedo/Gibson
BOSJ N8- A BLOCK: Minoru/Tiger B BLOCK: Gedo/Rey
BOSJ N9- A BLOCK: Kanemoto/Shibata, Minoru/Jado B BLOCK: Liger/Rey, Psicosis/Wataru
BOSJ N10- A BLOCK: Samurai/Tiger, Curry/Shibata B BLOCK: Gedo/AKIRA, Gibson/Wataru
BOSJ N11- A BLOCK: Kanemoto/Tiger, Samurai/Jado B BLOCK: Liger/Gedo, Rey/Psicosis

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BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 1
1. Katsuyori Shibata defeated Astro Boy in 7:25 by pinfall with a Backdrop Driver. [48]
2. Gedo and James Gibson defeated El Samurai and Wataru Inoue in 10:59 when Gedo pinned Wataru Inoue with a Complete Shot. [56]
3. A BLOCK: Jado defeated Curry Man in 11:54 by pinfall with a quick cradle. [51]
4. B BLOCK: AKIRA defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. in 12:17 by pinfall with a Diving Splash. [55]
5. B BLOCK: Psicosis defeated Jushin Thunder Liger in 11:43 by pinfall with a quick roll up. [56]
6. A BLOCK: Koji Kanemoto drew with Minoru Tanaka in 20:00 when the time limit expired. [63]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Shiro Koshinaka) defeated Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) in 11:14 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Super Strong Machine with a Northern Lights Bomb. [65]
8. Tencozy defeated Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto in 12:12 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Tatsutoshi Goto with a Lariat. [69]
9. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi) in 15:13 when Rob Van Dam pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi with a Five Star Frog Splash. [81]

[76]

A BLOCK: Jado 2 [1-0], Kanemoto 1 [0-1-0], Minoru 1 [0-1-0], Samurai 0 [0-0], Shibata 0 [0-0], Tiger 0 [0-0], Curry 0 [0-1]
B BLOCK: AKIRA 2 [1-0], Psicosis 2 [1-0], Gedo 0 [0-0], Gibson 0 [0-0], Wataru 0 [0-0], Liger 0 [0-1], Rey 0 [0-1]

The current and former IWGP Jr HV Champions start off their tournament by holding each other to a time limit draw, leaving them both on 1 point each - whether it will be a point gained or a point lost remains to be seen. Jado wins the other A Block match over the debuting and eccentric Curry Man. The B Block sees somewhat of an upset, as Psicosis catches Liger with a pin to start his tournament strong, while AKIRA comes out on top in the other bout.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 2
1. AKIRA defeated Astro Boy in 6:18 by pinfall with a Diving Splash. [52]
2. A BLOCK: El Samurai defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 11:05 by pinfall with a Samurai Bomb. [57]
3. A BLOCK: Jado defeated Tiger Mask IV in 12:45 by pinfall with a surprise cradle. [57]
4. Minoru Tanaka and Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Koji Kanemoto and Psicosis in 12:59 when Minoru Tanaka pinned Psicosis with a Wrist-Clutch Fisherman's Driver. [58]
5. B BLOCK: Gedo defeated Wataru Inoue in 11:19 by pinfall with a Gedo Clutch. [57]
6. B BLOCK: Jushin Thunder Liger defeated James Gibson in 15:30 by pinfall with a Liger Bomb. [67]
7. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Michiyoshi Ohara and Tatsutoshi Goto) defeated Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka and Hiroshi Tanahashi) in 12:21 when Michiyoshi Ohara pinned Takashi Iizuka with a Powerbomb. [66]
8. Tencozy defeated Super J and Shiro Koshinaka in 12:22 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a TenKoji Cutter. [70]
9. Masahiro Chono and Rob Van Dam defeated Yuji Nagata and Yutaka Yoshie in 13:11 when Masahiro Chono pinned Yutaka Yoshie. [80]

[76]

A BLOCK: Jado 4 [2-0], Samurai 2 [1-0], Kanemoto 1 [0-1-0], Minoru 1 [0-1-0], Curry 0 [0-1], Shibata 0 [0-1], Tiger 0 [0-1]
B BLOCK: AKIRA 2 [1-0], Gedo 2 [1-0], Psicosis 2 [1-0], Liger 2 [1-1], Gibson 0 [0-1], Rey 0 [0-1], Wataru 0 [0-1]

Liger bounces back with a victory in his second block match, but is pushed all the way for it in an impressive showing from underdog James Gibson. It puts four men on 1 win in the B Block, as Gedo beats Inoue in their first tournament match. Gedo's partner Jado is the first to post two wins, while Liger's regular tag partner also starts his tournament with a victory.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 3
PS. Blue Wolf defeated Toru Yano in 5:49 by pinfall. [22]
1. Psicosis defeated Shinya Makabe in 7:02 by pinfall with a Diving Leg Drop. [55]
2. A BLOCK: Minoru Tanaka defeated Curry Man in 9:56 by submission with a Minoru Special. [63]
3. B BLOCK: Wataru Inoue defeated AKIRA in 9:19 by pinfall with a Cross-Legged Brainbuster. [54]
4. TEAM2000 (Koji Kanemoto, Jado and Gedo) defeated Astro Boy and Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 11:48 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Astro Boy with a Koji Clutch. [70]
5. B BLOCK: Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated James Gibson in 9:47 by pinfall with a Springboard Frankensteiner. [45]
6. A BLOCK: Tiger Mask IV defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 14:40 by pinfall with a Tiger Suplex. [57]
7. Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam defeated Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura in 12:15 when Scott Norton pinned Riki Choshu. [76]
8. Tencozy defeated Mad Dogs in 12:21 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Tatsutoshi Goto with a TenKoji Cutter. [74]
9. Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito in 14:57 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Hiro Saito with a German Suplex. [81]

[78]

A BLOCK: Jado 4 [2-0], Minoru 3 [1-1-0], Samurai 2 [1-0], Tiger 2 [1-1], Kanemoto 1 [0-1-0], Curry 0 [0-2], Shibata 0 [0-2]
B BLOCK: Gedo 2 [1-0], Psicosis 2 [1-0], AKIRA 2 [1-1], Liger 2 [1-1], Rey 2 [1-1], Wataru 2 [1-1], Gibson 0 [0-2]

Things remain deadlocked in the B Block, thanks to a surprise win for Blue Justice's Inoue over AKIRA. Everyone in the block sits on 2 points with the exception of James Gibson, who's previous experience against Rey Mysterio does him little good. Minoru gets his first victory in A Block, while Tiger Mask IV and Shibata's hard-hitting encounter sees the Michinoku Pro man come out on top over the New Japan prospect.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 4
PS. Kenzo Suzuki defeated Toru Yano in 7:30 by pinfall with a Spear. [40]
1. Wataru Inoue defeated Astro Boy in 7:14 by pinfall with a Triangle Lancer. [36]
2. A BLOCK: El Samurai defeated Curry Man in 11:27 by pinfall with a Samurai Bomb. [51]
3. A BLOCK: Koji Kanemoto defeated Jado in 8:47 by submission with a Koji Clutch. [50]
4. Minoru Tanaka and Tiger Mask IV defeated James Gibson and Katsushi Takemura in 14:57 when Tiger Mask IV submitted Katsushi Takemura with a Crossface Chickenwing. [52]
5. B BLOCK: Gedo defeated Psicosis in 10:07 by pinfall with a quick roll up. [47]
6. B BLOCK: Jushin Thunder Liger defeated AKIRA in 14:28 by pinfall with a Brainbuster. [65]
7. Tencozy defeated Scott Norton and Michiyoshi Ohara in 12:10 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a TenKoji Cutter. [65]
8. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto in 11:19 when Yutaka Yoshie pinned Tatsutoshi Goto with a German Suplex. [58]
9. Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Masahiro Chono and Rob Van Dam in 16:34 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Rob Van Dam with an Argentine Neckbreaker. [79]

[74]

A BLOCK: Samurai 4 [2-0], Jado 4 [2-1], Minoru 3 [1-1-0], Kanemoto 3 [1-1-0], Tiger 2 [1-1], Shibata 0 [0-2], Curry 0 [0-3]
B BLOCK: Gedo 4 [2-0], Liger 4 [2-1], Psicosis 2 [1-1], Rey 2 [1-1], Wataru 2 [1-1], AKIRA 2 [1-2], Gibson 0 [0-2]

The battle of TEAM2000 team-mates sees IWGP Jr Champion Kanemoto draw closer to Jado's position on top, with El Samurai also unbeaten, prevailing over the winless but eye-catching Curry Man. B Block sees Gedo and Liger go out in front with victories.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 5
1. Super J defeated Toru Yano in 5:38 by pinfall with a Cobra Clutch Slam. [38]
2. B BLOCK: James Gibson defeated Psicosis in 8:21 by pinfall with a Tombstone Piledriver. [34]
3. B BLOCK: Wataru Inoue defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. in 7:56 by pinfall with a fast roll up. [46]
4. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV and Curry Man defeated TEAM2000 (Koji Kanemoto, Gedo and AKIRA) in 13:20 when Tiger Mask IV pinned AKIRA with a Tiger Suplex. [67]
5. A BLOCK: Katsuyori Shibata defeated Jado in 10:11 by pinfall with a Roundhouse Kick. [58]
6. A BLOCK: El Samurai defeated Minoru Tanaka in 15:11 by pinfall with a Samurai Bomb. [61]
7. Kensuke Sasaki and Shiro Koshinaka defeated Mad Dogs in 11:37 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a Three-Quarter Nelson Suplex. [65]
8. Tencozy defeated Takashi Iizuka and Yutaka Yoshie in 11:44 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Takashi Iizuka with a TenKoji Cutter. [74]
9. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) in 16:06 when Masahiro Chono pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi. [83]

[78]

A BLOCK: Samurai 6 [3-0], Jado 4 [2-2], Kanemoto 3 [1-1-0], Minoru 3 [1-1-1], Tiger 2 [1-1], Shibata 2 [1-2], Curry 0 [0-3]
B BLOCK: Gedo 4 [2-0], Liger 4 [2-1], Wataru 4 [2-1], AKIRA 2 [1-2], Gibson 2 [1-2], Psicosis 2 [1-2], Rey 2 [1-2]

Three wins out of three see El Samurai lead the way in the A Block after pinning the former Jr. HV Champion Minoru in the night's feature tournament match. That result means Curry Man becomes the first elimination from BOSJ, with Samurai already holding a win over him. Shibata would have joined him, had he not picked up a major scalp in defeating early pacesetter Jado with an out of nowhere knockout. B Block sees it's own upset with Inoue catching Mysterio by surprise, leaving him tied at the top. James Gibson gets off the mark by beating Psicosis.

[cbacon87]

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 6
1. Shinya Makabe defeated Astro Boy in 7:52 by pinfall with a Brainbuster. [50]
2. B BLOCK: AKIRA defeated James Gibson in 6:36 by pinfall with a Diving Splash. [48]
3. A BLOCK: Koji Kanemoto defeated Curry Man in 8:48 by submission with a Koji Clutch. [59]
4. El Samurai, Tiger Mask IV and Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Psicosis, Jado and Gedo in 11:33 when El Samurai pinned Psicosis with a Lifting Reverse DDT. [58]
5. B BLOCK: Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Wataru Inoue in 7:34 by pinfall with a Liger Bomb. [69]
6. A BLOCK: Minoru Tanaka defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 15:58 by submission with a Minoru Special. [59]
7. Tencozy defeated Super J and Kenzo Suzuki in 12:26 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a TenKoji Cutter. [72]
8. Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito defeated Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura in 11:14 when Masahiro Chono pinned Riki Choshu. [74]
9. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Michiyoshi Ohara) in 13:58 when Yuji Nagata pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a Backdrop Hold. [78]

[75]

A BLOCK: Samurai 6 [3-0], Kanemoto 5 [2-1-0], Minoru 5 [2-1-1], Jado 4 [2-2], Tiger 2 [1-1], Shibata 2 [1-3], Curry 0 [0-4]
B BLOCK: Liger 6 [3-1], Gedo 4 [2-0], Wataru 4 [2-2], AKIRA 4 [2-2], Psicosis 2 [1-2], Rey 2 [1-2], Gibson 2 [1-3]

Victories for Kanemoto and Minoru close the gap on El Samurai at the top of the A Block, with Kanemoto facing the leader next. Minoru's victory over Shibata knocks the prospect out of contention, having already been beaten by Samurai. Gibson is the first elimination from B Block with his defeat to AKIRA, while Liger gets the better of his Blue Justice team-mate Inoue to end his streak of upsets abruptly.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 7
PS. Katsuyori Shibata defeated Toru Yano in 5:34 by submission. [38]
1. Jado defeated Astro Boy in 7:10 by pinfall with a Backdrop Driver. [53]
2. B BLOCK: AKIRA defeated Psicosis in 7:58 by pinfall with a Diving Splash. [47]
3. A BLOCK: Tiger Mask IV defeated Curry Man in 9:33 by pinfall with a Tiger Driver. [58]
4. Jushin Thunder Liger and Wataru Inoue defeated Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe in 11:51 when Wataru Inoue pinned Shinya Makabe with a Spear. [69]
5. B BLOCK: Gedo defeated James Gibson in 10:02 by pinfall with a Five Star Frog Splash. [54]
6. A BLOCK: Koji Kanemoto defeated El Samurai in 17:59 by submission with a Koji Clutch. [66]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Kenzo Suzuki) defeated Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) in 12:01 when Super J pinned Super Strong Machine with a Cobra Clutch Slam. [66]
8. Yuji Nagata and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Rob Van Dam and Michiyoshi Ohara in 13:23 when Yuji Nagata pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a Backdrop Hold. [80]
9. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito) defeated Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka and Yutaka Yoshie) in 13:06 when Masahiro Chono submitted Takashi Iizuka. [75]

[75]

A BLOCK: Kanemoto 7 [3-1-0], Samurai 6 [3-1], Minoru 5 [2-1-1], Tiger 4 [2-1], Jado 4 [2-2], Shibata 2 [1-3], Curry 0 [0-5]
B BLOCK: Gedo 6 [3-0], Liger 6 [3-1], AKIRA 6 [3-2], Wataru 4 [2-2], Rey 2 [1-2], Psicosis 2 [1-3], Gibson 2 [1-4]

TEAM2000 dominate the night, with new leaders at the top of both blocks to close the evening. Gedo remains the only undefeated man left in B Block, with AKIRA's only match remaining against his ally. Kanemoto hands Samurai his first loss to move to the top of A Block and gain a crucial tiebreaker over him in the process. Tiger Mask IV remains in the hunt though, with three matches left to try and make an impact.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 8
1. Katsuyori Shibata defeated Toru Yano in 8:26 by submission. [41]
2. Jado and Psicosis defeated Curry Man and Astro Boy in 9:41 when Psicosis pinned Astro Boy with a Diving Leg Drop. [52]
3. Shiro Koshinaka defeated Tatsutoshi Goto in 6:46 by pinfall with a Samoan Driver. [45]
4. Blue Justice (Jushin Thunder Liger, El Samurai and Wataru Inoue) defeated Koji Kanemoto, AKIRA and James Gibson in 14:52 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned James Gibson with a Liger Bomb. [61]
5. Gedo Attacks Rey's Knee Pre-Match [53]
6. B BLOCK: Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Gedo in 3:49 by pinfall with a quick roll up. [36]
7. A BLOCK: Tiger Mask IV defeated Minoru Tanaka in 15:36 by pinfall with a Tiger Driver. [59]
8. Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Kenzo Suzuki) in 12:23 when Riki Choshu pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a Lariat. [66]
9. Tencozy defeated Hiro Saito and Michiyoshi Ohara in 8:40 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a TenKoji Cutter. [70]
10. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Rob Van Dam and Scott Norton) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi) in 15:59 when Masahiro Chono submitted Hiroshi Tanahashi. [79]

[74]

A BLOCK: Kanemoto 7 [3-1-0], Samurai 6 [3-1], Tiger 6 [3-1], Minoru 5 [2-1-2], Jado 4 [2-2], Shibata 2 [1-3], Curry 0 [0-5]
B BLOCK: Gedo 6 [3-1], Liger 6 [3-1], AKIRA 6 [3-2], Rey 4 [2-2], Wataru 4 [2-2], Psicosis 2 [1-3], Gibson 2 [1-4]

The first of Tiger's remaining matches see him pick up a big win over Minoru, who is clearly still reeling from his IWGP Jr Title loss and mathematically eliminated with the three men above him still with matches against each other. It seems as though Mysterio's tournament is over too, after a sneak attack by Gedo before their match even gets underway. Mysterio refuses to forfeit the match though and ends up turning the tables instead, catching an unsuspecting and overconfident Gedo with a Victory Roll to deliver his first loss and shake up the standings.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 9
1. Gedo defeated Astro Boy in 7:53 by pinfall with a Frog Splash. [55]
2. El Samurai and Curry Man defeated AKIRA and James Gibson in 10:24 when El Samurai pinned James Gibson with a Samurai Bomb. [55]
3. B BLOCK: Psicosis defeated Wataru Inoue in 8:14 by pinfall with a Diving Leg Drop. [35]
4. A BLOCK: Minoru Tanaka defeated Jado in 11:55 by submission with a Minoru Special. [63]
5. A BLOCK: Koji Kanemoto defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 14:44 by submission with a Koji Clutch. [64]
6. B BLOCK: Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Jushin Thunder Liger in 10:58 by pinfall with a Frankensteiner. [70]
7. Kensuke Sasaki and Super J defeated Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura in 13:21 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Osamu Nishimura with a Northern Lights Bomb. [72]
8. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated TEAM2000 (Rob Van Dam, Tatsutoshi Goto and Michiyoshi Ohara) in 12:16 when Yuji Nagata submitted Tatsutoshi Goto. [76]
9. Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito defeated Manabu Nakanishi and Takashi Iizuka in 12:07 when Masahiro Chono submitted Takashi Iizuka. [77]

[75]

A BLOCK: Kanemoto 9 [4-1-0], Minoru 7 [3-1-2], Samurai 6 [3-1], Tiger 6 [3-1], Jado 4 [2-3], Shibata 2 [1-4], Curry 0 [0-5]
B BLOCK: Gedo 6 [3-1], AKIRA 6 [3-2], Liger 6 [3-2], Rey 6 [3-2], Psicosis 4 [2-3], Wataru 4 [2-3], Gibson 2 [1-4]

Kanemoto puts himself one win away from advancing to the final, surviving a spirited effort from Shibata to pick up his fourth victory in a row. Minoru regains a little bit of pride with his win over Jado meanwhile, who's 2-0 start crumbled quickly. In the B Block, Mysterio maintains hopes of a miraculous comeback, with a win over Liger that leaves him one of four men tied on 6 points going into the final shows. Wataru is prevented from joining them by Psicosis.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 10
1. Jado defeated Astro Boy in 7:46 by pinfall with a Backdrop Driver. [55]
2. B BLOCK: Wataru Inoue defeated James Gibson in 9:02 by pinfall with a Cross-Legged Brainbuster. [35]
3. B BLOCK: Gedo defeated AKIRA in 9:10 by pinfall with a Gedo Clutch. [53]
4. Koji Kanemoto and Psicosis defeated Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe in 15:27 when Psicosis pinned Shinya Makabe with a Diving Leg Drop. [63]
5. A BLOCK: Katsuyori Shibata defeated Curry Man in 7:51 by submission. [52]
6. A BLOCK: El Samurai defeated Tiger Mask IV in 12:27 by pinfall with a Samurai Bomb. [51]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Kenzo Suzuki) defeated Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) in 12:20 when Shiro Koshinaka pinned Super Strong Machine with a Samoan Driver. [66]
8. Tencozy defeated Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto in 11:55 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Hiro Saito with a TenKoji Cutter. [69]
9. Team2000 (Masahiro Chono, Rob Van Dam and Scott Norton) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Jushin Thunder Liger) in 15:38 when Scott Norton pinned Jushin Thunder Liger. [85]

[79]

A BLOCK: Kanemoto 9 [4-1-0], Samurai 8 [4-1], Tiger 6 [3-2], Minoru 7 [3-1-2], Jado 4 [2-3], Shibata 4 [2-4], Curry 0 [0-6]
B BLOCK: Gedo 8 [4-1], Liger 6 [3-2], Rey 6 [3-2], AKIRA 6 [3-3], Wataru 6 [3-3], Psicosis 4 [2-3], Gibson 2 [1-5]

With one show left, the permetations are set for the final. Samurai's win over Tiger Mask eliminates Tiger and means he still has hope, but he needs Tiger to upset the Jr. HV Champion and to beat Jado himself to overtake. The B Block picture is more complicated, although AKIRA is out of the equation thanks to Gedo's victory. Liger faces Gedo on the final night and Rey faces Psicosis - a draw for Gedo is enough, a Liger win and Rey draw or loss puts him through, but Mysterio has the tiebreaker on both, so can advance if he beats Psicosis. Curry Man is the only man to end without a win, while Inoue's impressive showing ends on 6 points.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - NIGHT 11
1. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue defeated Curry Man and Astro Boy in 7:12 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Astro Boy. [58]
2. AKIRA and James Gibson defeated Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe in 8:44 when AKIRA pinned Shinya Makabe with a Diving Splash. [62]
3. B BLOCK: Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Gedo in 13:59 by pinfall with a fast roll up. [72]
4. B BLOCK: Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Psicosis in 12:28 by pinfall with a Springboard Frankensteiner. [49]
5. A BLOCK: El Samurai defeated Jado in 9:57 by pinfall with a Samurai Bomb. [56]
6. A BLOCK: Tiger Mask IV defeated Koji Kanemoto in 15:37 by pinfall with a Tiger Suplex. [58]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Kenzo Suzuki) defeated Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu and Super Strong Machine) in 11:44 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Super Strong Machine with a Northern Lights Bomb. [64]
8. Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Michiyoshi Ohara in 7:20 by submission. [70]
9. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated TEAM2000 (Rob Van Dam, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito) in 12:56 when Yuji Nagata pinned Hiro Saito. [79]

[75]

A BLOCK: Samurai 10 [5-1] ; Kanemoto 9 [4-1-1], Tiger 8 [4-2], Minoru 7 [3-1-2], Jado 4 [2-4], Shibata 4 [2-4], Curry 0 [0-6]
B BLOCK: Rey 8 [4-2] ; Gedo 8 [4-2], Liger 8 [4-2], AKIRA 6 [3-3], Wataru 6 [3-3], Psicosis 4 [2-4], Gibson 2 [1-5]

An unexpected BOSJ final is set, after drama on the final night of block action comes to pass. Liger victory over Gedo in the B Block leaves the path open for Mysterio, picking up the neccessary victory over his longtime rival from Mexico to pip Liger on the tiebreaker and win a block he was seemingly out of the running for at halfway, with big victories to close out the competition. Waiting in the final is Liger's teammate El Samurai, who does his part of the bargain with a win over Jado, before watching Tiger Mask IV upset the odds and beat the IWGP Jr. HV Champion to see him miss out by a single point - his opening night draw with Minoru proving costly in the end.

 

BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 2002 - FINAL NIGHT
1. Mad Dogs defeated Blue Wolf and Toru Yano in 6:30 when Tatsutoshi Goto pinned Toru Yano with a Goto Facebuster. [48]
2. Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 8:56 when Super Strong Machine pinned Katsushi Takemura with a Diving Headbutt. [63]
3. Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe defeated Psicosis and James Gibson in 14:37 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Psicosis with a Minoru Special. [65]
4. Takashi Iizuka and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Super J and Kenzo Suzuki in 12:54 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Kenzo Suzuki. [60]
5. Riki Choshu defeated Hiro Saito in 10:19 by pinfall with a Lariat. [58]
6. TEAM2000 (Koji Kanemoto, AKIRA, Jado and Gedo) defeated Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, Wataru Inoue and Astro Boy in 11:06 when Jado pinned Astro Boy with a Backdrop Driver. [72]
7. Kensuke Sasaki and Shiro Koshinaka defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata in 13:37 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Northern Lights Bomb. [71]
8. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Rob Van Dam and Scott Norton) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) in 21:53 when Masahiro Chono submitted Hiroshi Tanahashi. [82]
9. Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated El Samurai in 13:33 by pinfall with a Springboard Frankensteiner. Rey Mysterio Jr. wins the NJPW Best Of The Super Juniors. [64]

[68] [lost pop in 8 regions]

Having overcome the odds to even make it to the final, it's a dream come true for Rey Mysterio Jr. as he captures the Best Of Super Juniors crown on his first try, defeating the former winner El Samurai despite the wear and tear of the tournament taking it's toll. Mysterio's next goal is the IWGP Jr. HV Title and he tells Kanemoto to be ready in the post-show interviews, saying he'll be back soon for the gold.

[cbacon87]

-TOUR NOTES-

TITLE CHANGE: Rey Mysterio Jr. wins his first BOSJ title.

BEST TOURNAMENT MATCHES:
Liger vs. Gedo N11 [72]
Rey vs. Liger N9 [70]
Liger vs. Inoue N6 [69]

BEST MATCHES:
Chono, RVD and Norton vs. Nagata, Nakanishi and Liger N10 [85]
Chono, RVD and Norton vs. Nagata, Nakanishi and Tanahashi N12 [82]
Nagata and Nakanishi vs. Chono and Saito N3 [81]
Chono, RVD and Norton vs. Nagata, Yoshie and Tanahashi N1 [81]

- What felt like a Best Of Super Juniors with tons of potential pretty quickly turned into a bit of a disaster.

- Rey Mysterio was set up to be the surprise winner of the tournament, but wasn't able to deliver as intended. His opening night match with AKIRA was dogged by Poor Chemistry, before he came out of Night 2's tag team match favouring his knee - a long standing, chronic issue, aggravated before his tournament had really even gotten going. Not able to perform at 100%, there was almost an audible called in the lead-up to his match with Gedo to switch direction - pull Rey from the tournament due to injury and go with a Liger/Samurai final instead. The decision went to the day of the show, before ultimately it was decided to do the injury angle, have the Gedo match be shortened and to gut through his final three matches. In the end all three were fine, the Liger match in particular, but it wasn't the crowning achievement it was intended as and plans for Mysterio's title match with Kanemoto have been put on hold, until he's healed up in a couple of months time.

- That wasn't the only issue dogging the tournament, with the amount of new faces in the tournament dragging down some of the crowd reactions. Inoue and Gibson had Poor Chemistry on Night 10 which hurt an already cold match. Tiger Mask IV and Kanemoto's Poor Chemistry in the crucial decider match on Night 11 harmed another key bout. It just wasn't the tournament that it could have been.

- The man who held the tournament together was, of course, Jushin Liger. Besides delivering all of the best matches, he debuted a new hope spot towards the end of the tour in a Night 10 six man tag and used it again during the tournament's high point against Gedo. With Rey in the wings for a while, Liger may need to come to the rescue again.

- The undercard was largely more of the same, with plenty of TEAM2000 versus Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS against Tencozy. The pleasant surprise came on Night 7, when the random pairing of RVD and Ohara showed Great Chemistry in their match with Nagata and Tanahashi.

- A new young lion, Toru Yano, debuted on the tour.

- Choshu has revealed he intends to retire from in-ring competition after the next tour. It's our lengthiest tour of the year, which at least gives us opportunity to give him a good sendoff. He's been a pretty regular competitor on shows, despite his age, so it does leave a bit of a void.

ELSEWHERE...
- It's been the first month of a new name and new split-brand format for WWE, with an understandable adjustment period. A largely uneventful Insurrextion show in the UK was followed by a much better Judgment Day, with Kurt Angle taking the WWE Title from The Rock in the main event. Edge and Kanyon's strange reign as Smackdown Tag Champions was ended by The APA.

- Rumours of a Shawn Michaels comeback seem to have been off the mark, with talk now that he won't be returning to the ring after all.

- AJPW have made a number of new signings, with former NOAH star Takao Omori making a surprise debut, as well as a number of foreign talents joining. Rick Steiner has swapped New Japan allegiance, while the former Godfather, Charles Wright and ECW stars Shane Douglas and Nova will be on future tours.