New Japan Pro Wrestling
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Night 1
May 14, 2026
Korakuen Hall
Tokyo, Japan
Watch: NJPW WORLD
This show might have been just what we needed from New Japan. After a mixed Dontaku and a mediocre-looking Dominion card, New Japan started to walk the tight rope again. One more slip and we’re back in the doldrums. We needed something exciting that’s not bogged down in the tiring booking and often puzzling direction of the wider promotion.
This show certainly gave us that. It was, overall, a whirlwind of exciting action. The show flew by, giving us short, exciting matches topped off with an excellent main event.
Most importantly, it made me excited for the rest of the tournament. There are a lot of wrestlers ready to make their mark and I can’t wait to see it.
Let’s break down the first night of action!
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Block B Match
Taiji Ishimori [2] def. Jakob Austin Young [0]
The mere mention of Ishimori can attract a few eyerolls, but I’m not quite ready to dismiss him yet. He certainly got Korakuen bouncing here with his fake tope spot blending seamlessly into a slingshot.
Young doesn’t even get the aforementioned eyerolls, firmly occupying “just a guy” status, but he performed beyond expectations here. He was dropping big bombs, with neckbreakers and dropkicks flying everywhere.
The crowd were firmly behind Ishimori and they leveraged that into a solid match. The babyface fought from behind as the crowd willed him on. This was a solid, enjoyable match. ***¼
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Block B Match
SHO [2] def. Yoshinobu Kanemaru [0]
There’s an old saying that is very applicable here: if this match was in my back garden, I’d close the curtains. If I wasn’t covering the tournament here, it would have been an instant skip.
SHO opened proceedings with a promo, arguing that they shouldn’t be the second match as they were about to put on the greatest match of all time. I assume the punchline to his joke revolves around the fact that House of Torture matches can barely be described as wrestling.
Kanemaru lay down for SHO to pin him, but shockingly jumped up and tried to steal the win for himself. It was a twist anyone could see coming, and we were subjected to a few minutes of the usual HOT bollocks.
Interestingly, Kanemaru was disqualified for spitting his whisky at the referee. I was shocked to see there were still some standards in New Japan officiating. DUD
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Block A Match
Ryusuke Taguchi [2] def. Daiki Nagai [0]
Daiki Nagai is a scrappy wrestler who fights with all of his heart. He’s the embodiment of the Young Lion spirit, and I’m finding myself more and more captivated by him with each match.
He was definitely scrappy here. He launched himself at Taguchi during his entrance and wrestled the first half of the match like a kid high on sugar. He revelled in the raucous Korakuen crowd, adding bucketloads of emotion to every moment. He wouldn’t let Taguchi do his silly running spot, choosing to give him the boot instead. He scrambled out of every ankle lock attempt with such conviction it was impossible not to get behind him.
Taguchi was always going to be the weak link here, but he wasn’t as bad as expected. He took some good bumps and wrestled relatively seriously. Unfortunately, he just can’t move like he needs to.
I can’t wait to see what Nagai does with a more spry opponent. ***1/2
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Block B Match
Hyo [2] def. YOH [0]
Dragongate has been out of my rotation for a while, and I wasn’t familiar with Hyo. I didn’t see much that impressed me here. I am willing (and hoping) to be proven wrong, but matches involving cuddly toys aren’t for me.
It may have been the YOH effect. He was terrible. His finest moment was pretending to urinate on Hyo.
Once the speed picked up, the wrestling was OK and Hyo certainly seems to have a lively repertoire. Hopefully we’ll see him actually wrestle on this tour. *½
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Block A Match
Nick Wayne [2] def. Robbie X [0]
I used to cover BritWres for Voices of Wrestling, and as such it is my sworn duty to praise Robbie X wherever possible. He will never be a world champion, but he looks like a plasterer who can do amazing flips. Robbie X is a national treasure.
Robbie, as always, was very good here. His speed is always impressive and the cannonball and cutter spots were very cool.
Wayne was sloppy. He played the heel through hyperbolic gestures and it didn’t feel natural. He had some good high spots, but his fundamentals were lacking. Basic spots like sunset flip reversals looked clunky and there were a couple of spots that felt like dead air.
The high spots were cool enough to save the match, however, and it’s worth watching. ***¼
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Block B Match
KUSHIDA [2] def. Robbie Eagles [0]
Never mind the flips, this was a mat based technical showcase and it was incredible. KUSHIDA took his shoes off and tried to stretch Robbie Eagles, but Eagles more than matched his skill on the mat.
I was expecting the technical opening to evolve into something more fast paced, but they maintained the traditional holds throughout the match. It was refreshing, especially after the speed of the previous match. This really was a different flavour of ice-cream, and it really worked.
They built the holds up to a big shoulder block and Eagles finally stamped on KUSHIDA’s foot. It was the simple kind of wrestling story I love, and I hope KUSHIDA does similar matches throughout the tournament. Great stuff. ***¾
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Block A Match
Titan [2] def. Master Wato [0]
This didn’t quite find the same quality as their BOSJ 2023 final, but it was still a very good match.
Titan was excellent here, diving through the ropes like a mad man. There were no barriers so his tope suicida seemed even more dangerous. He was able to move from holds to pins to submissions with lightning speed, and it was incredible to watch.
Wato was certainly in the match, but this was the Titan show.
Unfortunately there were too many clunky moments holding the match back. There was a spot in the corner where Wato essentially allowed himself to be stomped in a nonsensical spot that is becoming more and more common.
This wasn’t essential, but enjoyable. ***¼
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Block B Match
Daisuke Sasaki [2] def. El Desperado [0]
Daisuke Sasaki is not a wrestler I get particularly excited to see, so starting this match slowly was a mistake. El Desperado tried his best to appear wary of his opponent, but the opening minutes were a slog.
It slowed to a halt when Sasaki invited Despe outside for a “clean fight.”
Fortunately, the speed increased and the bumps got nastier. Desperado fell backwards off the apron into the chairs, and Sasaki delivered a brutal looking elbow from the top rope to the floor.
The danger elevated it, but Sasaki’s lack of charisma was a ceiling impossible to overcome. ***¼
Best Of The Super Junior 33 Block A Match
Kosei Fujita [2] def. Francesco Akira [0]
This match was defined by hatred. Fujita was a bully and Akira refused to be bullied. They started in anger and it escalated throughout the match. It was emotional, allowing us to feel the anger of the two competitors.
The work was brutal, but the key component of the match was Akira’s ability to convey his anger. It wasn’t corny, but rooted in reality. He bled early in the match, and the sight of his own blood sent him into a rage. He bounced Fujita around Korakuen Hall, and his eyes consolidated that rage into something more tangible.
They worked at a breakneck speed, and I watched them do it with a grin on my face. They sold teetering suplexes to perfection. Kicks were swung with violent intent. Submissions and pins were battles to hold and to escape.
Fujita reversed a hurricanrana into a powerbomb through a table, and I cheered.
This was great pro-wrestling, elevated by absolute rage. It was a great match that will take great effort to surpass. ****½
Final Thoughts
I started the show out of obligation, but ended it with a great deal of hope. Nearly every match was good and the main event was excellent. It was free of run-ins and extended cliched cheating. In short, it was a joy to watch.
The HOT match aside, it felt like a proper pro-wrestling show. Some matches were more successful than others, of course, but the bad bits were short and low on the card. It felt like a great display of different wrestling styles, and the majority of the workers took pride in their work.
I can’t wait for the rest of the tournament!
