NJPW reveals full Best of the Super Juniors 2018 lineup
New Japan Pro Wrestling has rounded out the lineup for this year’s Best of the Super Juniors.
Taiji Ishimori, ACH, and Chris Sabin were confirmed as the final three additions for the tournament, joining IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay, KUSHIDA, Hiromu Takahashi, BUSHI, Marty Scurll, Flip Gordon, Dragon Lee, Sho, Yoh, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Tiger Mask IV.
Ospreay, Ishimori, ACH, BUSHI, Gordon, Yoh, Kanemaru, and Tiger Mask make up the A Block. KUSHIDA, Takahashi, Sabin, Scurll, Lee, Sho, Desperado, and Taguchi are in the B Block.
The first 13 wrestlers for BOSJ were revealed in advertising for the tournament. Ishimori being one of the remaining three additions became apparent when he attacked Ospreay and was revealed as the new Bone Soldier at Wrestling Dontaku night two last Friday.
Ishimori, Gordon, Sabin, Sho, and Yoh didn’t take part in the tournament last year, and Gordon, Sabin, and Sho are appearing in their first BOSJ.
The tournament will begin at Korakuen Hall on May 18th and conclude at the same venue on June 4th. If Ospreay doesn’t win, the winner will likely challenge for his Junior Heavyweight title at Dominion on June 9th. If he does, he’ll probably pick his own challenger for the show.
Here’s the schedule of tournament matches:
May 18th (Korakuen Hall, A Block) —
Will Ospreay vs. Taiji Ishimori
Yoh vs. BUSHI
ACH vs. Flip Gordon
Tiger Mask IV vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
May 19th (Korakuen Hall, B Block) —
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Marty Scurll
KUSHIDA vs. Chris Sabin
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. El Desperado
Dragon Lee vs. Sho
May 20th (Shizuoka, A Block) —
Will Ospreay vs. ACH
Taiji Ishimori vs. BUSHI
Flip Gordon vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Tiger Mask IV vs. Yoh
May 22nd (Korakuen Hall, B Block) —
Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado
KUSHIDA vs. Marty Scurll
Dragon Lee vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
Chris Sabin vs. Sho
May 24th (Shiga, A Block) —
Will Ospreay vs. Yoh
Taiji Ishimori vs. Flip Gordon
ACH vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Tiger Mask IV vs. BUSHI
May 25th (Osaka, B Block) —
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee
Sho vs. El Desperado
KUSHIDA vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
Marty Scurll vs. Chris Sabin
May 26th (Aichi, A Block) —
Will Ospreay vs. BUSHI
Taiji Ishimori vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
ACH vs. Yoh
Flip Gordon vs. Tiger Mask IV
May 27th (Aichi, B Block) —
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
KUSHIDA vs. Sho
Dragon Lee vs. Chris Sabin
Marty Scurll vs. El Desperado
May 29th (Tochigi, A Block) —
Will Ospreay vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Flip Gordon vs. Yoh
ACH vs. BUSHI
Taiji Ishimori vs. Tiger Mask IV
May 30th (Fukushima, B Block) —
KUSHIDA vs. El Desperado
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Chris Sabin
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Sho
Dragon Lee vs. Marty Scurll
May 31st (Aomori, A Block) —
Yoh vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Will Ospreay vs. Tiger Mask IV
Taiji Ishimori vs. ACH
Flip Gordon vs. BUSHI
June 2nd (Gunma, B Block) —
KUSHIDA vs. Dragon Lee
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Sho
Marty Scurll vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
Chris Sabin vs. El Desperado
June 3rd (Korakuen Hall, A and B Block finals) —
Will Ospreay vs. Flip Gordon
Taiji Ishimori vs. Yoh
ACH vs. Tiger Mask IV
BUSHI vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Takahashi
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Chris Sabin
Dragon Lee vs. El Desperado
Marty Scurll vs. Sho
June 4th (Korakuen Hall, Tournament finals) —
A Block winner vs. B Block winner
