Csonka’s New Japan Pro Wrestling BOTSJ Night Three Review

Introduction
As a reminder, this will not be another traditional recap, but instead it will be a mash up of the Rs, Instant Analysis and my usual Twitter ramblings I would do during the shows; completely uncensored and as the ideas flow unfiltered to the old keyboard. Remember, this is a review; and I am here to review the show. As always, I encourage discussion and even disagreement, just do so in a respectful manner. I will be doing the review for Raw and most PPVs and iPPVs going forward.

New Japan Pro Wrestling BOTSJ Night Three 5.25.15

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– BOSJ Block A Match: Beretta defeated Chase Owens via pin [***]
– BOSJ Block B Match: Mascara Dorada defeated David Finlay via pin [**¼]
– BOSJ Block B Match: Tiger Mask IV defeated Bobby Fish via pin [**½]
– BOSJ Block A Match: Kyle O’Reilly defeated Jushin Thunder Liger via submission [***¼]

* Note: This is one of the many shows that New Japan World is not airing live, but instead are making matches available the next day via VOD. On the next day airings they are only making the tournament matches available, so that is all that will be reviewed here. I will try to keep up with all of the tournament matches, but these reviews will be a bit more short form at times since we’re not dealing with a complete show. Thanks for joining me…

Beretta defeated Chase Owens: Chase Owens is a bit hit or miss with me, he’s never really been bad with New Japan, but I feel he is missing something at times. I have sang the praises if Beretta since his WWE release, so no need to do that there. These guys worked well together, got the crowd into it and had a strong 10-minute or so match. Both guys were 0-1, so this was an important win for Beretta to get some momentum going in the tournament. This was fun, and I enjoyed Owens’ work here, especially because of what Beretta was able to do with it with selling and the comeback.

Mascara Dorada defeated David Finlay: Mascara Dorada is a really fun high flyer, but going against young David Finlay we had a bit of a styles clash. Now do not get me wrong, they didn’t shit the bed or anything and they didn’t have a bad match, it just under whelmed. It was basic, it was clean and it was fine; but it lacked anything to get me to care about either guy, especially young Finlay. David Finlay has a fine look, he seems to be fundamentally sound (no shock there) but he’s done nothing to make me care about him thus far. I know he’s here to learn and to lose, a lot, but I still haven’t connected with him as a performer. This was fine.

Tiger Mask IV defeated Bobby Fish: This was another sub-ten minute match, which again wasn’t bad, but lacked something. Bobby Fish worked really hard and was he glue for the match, making up for some of the little things that Tiger Mask lacks as an al around performer. I was actually surprised that Tiger Mask won, as reDRagon have been well protected since they started working New Japan, and thought that this was an easy win for Fish to set he and O’Reilly up for the tag team clash for possible the top of the block. That still may happen, but I expected Fish to win here. In some ways I appreciate that he didn’t because I still like the element of surprise.

Kyle O’Reilly defeated Jushin Thunder Liger: It wasn’t a great match, but O’Reilly vs. Liger was the match of the night for me. I like the style that O’Reilly works, and old man Liger really works hard and has fun in his singles outings these days and I love them. Liger was working the ground and various holds, unfortunately for Liger that was right in O’Reilly’s wheelhouse. He then took control, and after some nice work connected with the brainbuster and tapped Liger with the arm bar. This was a good match, and credit to Liger who put over the importance of the tournament by being completely pissed off that he had to tap. Really nice work by both men here, which is exactly what I expected.

* End scene.

* Thanks for reading.

* Alex Shelley is officially out of the tournament after suffering ligament damage and a fracture in his left foot. His remaining opponents will receive forfeit victories. Here are the updated standings (with Shelley’s forfeits already added in)…

BLOCK A
* Gedo (2-0)
* Kyle O’Reilly (2-0)
* Jushin Thunder Liger (1-1)
* Bárbaro Cavernario (1-1)
* Ryusuke Taguchi (1-1)
* Baretta (1-1)
* Chase Owens (0-2)
* Yohei Komatsu (0-2)

BLOCK B
* Tiger Mask IV (3-0)
* Bobby Fish (2-1)
* KUSHIDA (2-1)
* Máscara Dorada (2-1)
* Nick Jackson (2-1)
* Rocky Romero (1-1)
* David Finlay (0-2)
* Alex Shelley (1-6) – Now Out Of Tournament

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”