NJPW’s premier junior tournament is just over a week from getting started. And following a series of announcements made on Wednesday, we now know what to expect on each day of the upcoming tour.
The two blocks for Best of the Super Junior 32 were revealed this week, as was the tournament’s schedule through the month of May.
The tournament includes a solid mix of NJPW vets with some borrowed talent, providing for some fresh encounters alongside renewed rivalries.
Seasoned names like Taiji Ishimori, YOH and Titan will share the ring with 19-year-old AEW standout Nick Wayne for the very first time as part of B Block action.
Also competing in the block will be DDT’s Mao, CMLL’s Titan, and El Desperado, who is coming back after winning his first-ever BOSJ last year. Kevin Knight, who earlier this year reportedly inked a dual deal with NJPW and AEW, is also in the Block.
Key names in the A Block include four-time BOSJ winner Hiromu Takahashi, 2023 winner Master Wato, plus stand-out tag wrestlers like Francesco Akira, Clark Connors and Kosei Fujita, who could all be primed for a breakout singles run as part of the tournament. Other interesting additions include Dragon Gate’s Dragon Dia and the high-flying Ninja Mack.
Here’s how the blocks look, plus the full tournament schedule:
A Block: KUSHIDA, Master Wato, Ninja Mack, Hiromu Takahashi, Kosei Fujita, Francesco Akira, Clark Connors, Robbie X, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Dragon Dia
B Block: El Desperado, Ryusuke Taguchi, YOH, Kevin Knight, Titan, Robbie Eagles, Taiji Ishimori, SHO, Nick Wayne & MAO.
5/10: Chiba
- Nick Wayne vs. SHO (B Block)
- Kosei Fujita vs. Francesco Akira (A Block)
- Dragon Dia vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (A Block)
- El Desperado vs. Titan (B Block)
- KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Takahashi (A Block)
5/11: Miyagi
- Ninja Mack vs. Robbie X (A Block)
- Kevin Knight vs. MAO (B Block)
- Master Wato vs. Clark Connors (A Block)
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Taiji Ishimori (B Block)
- YOH vs. Robbie Eagles (B Block)
5/14: Korakuen Hall
- Ninja Mack vs. Francesco Akira (A Block)
- KUSHIDA vs. Robbie X (A Block)
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kosei Fujita (A Block)
- Clark Connors vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (A Block)
- YOH vs. SHO (B Block)
- MAO vs. Taiji Ishimori (B Block)
- Master Wato vs. Dragon Dia (A Block)
- El Desperado vs. Nick Wayne (B Block)
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Titan (B Block)
- Kevin Knight vs. Robbie Eagles (B Block)
5/15: Korakuen Hall
- Dragon Dia vs. Clark Connors (A Block)
- KUSHIDA vs. Ninja Mack (A Block)
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. Francesco Akira (A Block)
- Robbie X vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (A Block)
- Master Wato vs. Kosei Fujita (A Block)
- Titan vs. Mao (B Block)
- El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori (B Block)
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. SHO (B Block)
- YOH vs. Kevin Knight (B Block)
- Robbie Eagles vs. Nick Wayne (B Block)
5/17: Yoyogi
- Master Wato vs. Ninja Mack (A Block)
- Francesco Akira vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (A Block)
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Dia (A Block)
- Clark Connors vs. Robbie X (A Block)
- El Desperado vs. MAO (B Block)
- Kevin Knight vs. Nick Wayne (B Block)
- KUSHIDA vs. Kosei Fujita (A Block)
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. YOH (B Block)
- Robbie Eagles vs. SHO (B Block)
- Titan vs. Taiji Ishimori (B Block)
5/18: Hachioji
- Ninja Mack vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (A Block)
- Kosei Fujita vs. Robbie X (A Block)
- KUSHIDA vs. Dragon Dia (A Block)
- Master Wato vs. Francesco Akira (A Block)
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. Clark Connors (A Block)
- Robbie Eagles vs. Taiji Ishimori (B Block)
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Nick Wayne (B Block)
- Kevin Knight vs. Titan (B Block)
- El Desperado vs. SHO (B Block)
- YOH vs. MAO (B Block)
5/20: Gunma
- Master Wato vs. Robbie X (A Block)
- Ninja Mack vs. Hiromu Takahashi (A Block)
- Francesco Akira vs. Dragon Dia (A Block)
- Kosei Fujita vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (A Block)
- KUSHIDA vs. Clark Connors (A Block)
5/22: Osaka
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. MAO (B Block)
- Kevin Knight vs. SHO (B Block)
- Nick Wayne vs. Taiji Ishimori (B Block)
- El Desperado vs. YOH (B Block)
- Titan vs. Robbie Eagles (B Block)
5/24: Hyogo
- Ninja Mack vs. Clark Connors (A Block)
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (A Block)
- KUSHIDA vs. Master Wato (A Block)
- Francesco Akira vs. Robbie X (A Block)
- Kosei Fujita vs. Dragon Dia (A Block)
- Kevin Knight vs. Taiji Ishimori (B Block)
- Titan vs. SHO (B Block)
- YOH vs. Nick Wayne (B Block)
- El Desperado vs. Ryusuke Taguchi (B Block)
- Robbie Eagles vs. MAO (B Block)
5/25: Aichi
- Francesco Akira vs. Clark Connors (A Block)
- KUSHIDA vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (A Block)
- Dragon Dia vs. Robbie X (A Block)
- Ninja Mack vs. Kosei Fujita (A Block)
- Master Wato vs. Hiromu Takahashi (A Block)
- Taiji Ishimori vs. SHO (B Block)
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Robbie Eagles (B Block)
- YOH vs. Titan (B Block)
- El Desperado vs. Kevin Knight (B Block)
- MAO vs. Nick Wayne (B Block)
5/27: Shizuoka
- Ninja Mack vs. Dragon Dia (A Block)
- Kosei Fujita vs. Clark Connors (A Block)
- KUSHIDA vs. Francesco Akira (A Block)
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. Robbie X (A Block)
- Master Wato vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru (A Block)
5/29: Niigata
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Kevin Knight (B Block)
- El Desperado vs. Robbie Eagles (B Block)
- MAO vs. SHO (B Block)
- YOH vs. Taiji Ishimori (B Block)
- Titan vs. Nick Wayne (B Block)
6/1: Ota
- BOSJ 32 Grand Final
