Best of the Super Jr 2004 Line-up

[Tawren 0]

Sixteen men, more than ever before, will enter New Japan's "BEST OF THE SUPER JR. XI"! All participants were announced today, nine New Japan natives, two regular foreigners, and five others. 16-year-old junior supernova, Katsuhiko Nakajima, will be involved, a huge opportunity for him following an impressive performance at the Tokyo Dome. After facing Liger again at Korakuen, Osaka Pro rudo king, Big Boss MA-G-MA, competes in his first BOSJ. Hayabusa disciple, Garuda, will participate, and the one and only Ultimo Dragon is all but confirmed (not 100% finalized, but almost there...). The final spot was decided between Katsushi Takemura and Rocky Romero, with Rocky getting the nod. A few names missing that you might expect to be involved. Despite his progress this year, young Hirooki Goto hasn't been granted a place. Jado & Gedo also miss out on spots, after their huge slump this year. The sixteen entrants will be separated into two blocks of eight, with many great pairings (Liger vs. Kanemoto, Liger vs. AmDragon, Heat vs. Tiger Mask, Tiger Mask vs. Ultimo Dragon, and many more). But it doesn't end with a simple playoff! This is a huge tournament, and the top three of each block will advance to a special one night tournament at Korakuen Hall on 6/13 (see below). Will it be the "Greatest Jr. tournament ever" as subtitled? Only time will tell!

 

Block A

1. Jushin Thunder Liger (GHC Jr. Heavyweight Champion; 1992, 1994 & 2001 winner)

2. Koji Kanemoto (1998 & 2002 winner)

3. American Dragon (L.A. Dojo) (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion / 2004 American Best of the Super Jr. winner)

4. El Samurai (1997 winner)

5. Masahito Kakihara (2003 winner)

6. Wataru Inoue

7. Ryusuke Taguchi

8. Big Boss MA-G-MA (Osaka Pro)

 

Block B

1. Heat (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion)

2. Tiger Mask

3. Curry Man (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion)

4. Ultimo Dragon (Toryumon Japan)

5. Masayuki Naruse

6. Rocky Romero (L.A. Dojo)

7. Katsuhiko Nakajima (Kensuke Office)

8. Garuda (WMF)

 

-

 

NJPW, 6/13/04

Tokyo Korakuen Hall

 

1. Best of the Super Jr. - Round 2: Block B 2nd place vs. Block A 3rd place

2. Best of the Super Jr. - Round 2: Block B 3rd place vs. Block A 2nd place

3. Best of the Super Jr. - Semi Final: Block A 1st place vs. Winner of #1

4. Best of the Super Jr. - Semi Final: Block B 1st place vs. Winner of #2

5. Best of the Super Jr. - Final:

 

From puroresufan.com

 

 

 

Holy shit this looks good. Just imagine what we will see: Danielson/Liger! Danielson/Samurai! Danielson/Kanemoto! Ultimo/Romero! Romero/Tiger Mask! Tiger Mask/Heat! Romero/Daniels! Tiger Mask/Daniels! Ultimo/Daniels!

 

This is going to rock all.

[Guest Black Tiger]

Very nice looking tournament this year, the only participant I have any problem with is Nakajima. There is no way a 16 year old kid, deserves this kind of treatment. Trade him up for KENTA.

[Guest Real F'n Show]

I agree, put KENTA or Minoru Fujita in there instead of Nakajima and you have the perfect Jr. Tourney.

[Tawren 0]

I agree, put KENTA or Minoru Fujita in there instead of Nakajima and you have the perfect Jr. Tourney.

 

Edit: Nevermind, I'm wrong

[Guest Real F'n Show]

HEAT = Minoru Tanaka

[Tawren 0]

Correct you are, sorry.

[Scroby 0]

Hmm I wonder if Highspots will have this on tape or dvd pretty quickly. I'll be looking forward to it if they do.

[thuganomics 0]

This is a dang good show. I'm really looking forward to this on video.

[DCMaximo 0]

How good is Garuda in general? The only time I've seen him was at the WMF debut show, where he used a lot of Hayabusa's signature moves (Falcon Arrow, Firebird Splash etc) and I was wondering if he was doing that as tribute to Hayabusa for the show or if that was his regular moveset.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

This show looks great. I can't wait to pick this one up on tape as well. But who do you guys think they'll have win?

[Tawren 0]

This show looks great. I can't wait to pick this one up on tape as well. But who do you guys think they'll have win?

I reckon Danielson or Tiger Mask.

 

I can't wait to get some tapes of this stuff.

[Guest TigerDriver91]

I, for one, am very excited about Ultimo Dragon vs. Tiger Mask, as well as Jushin Lyger vs. American Dragon.

 

The whole tournament looks like it will be great.

[Guest The Last Free Voice]

So there is a legit chance of Danielson winning this? That is awesome.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

CURRY MAN FOR 2004 CHAMP!

[Tawren 0]

Stolen from EWB:

 

 

5/22 – Yamato Sports Center

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Heat vs. Tiger Mask IV

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Koji Kanemoto

 

 

5/25 – Tomi City Fureai Gym

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Masayuki Naruse vs. Rocky Romero

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Big Boss MA-G-MA vs. Ryusuke Taguchi

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: GARUDA vs. Ultimo Dragon

 

5/26 – Kira Messe Numazu

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Curry Man vs. GARUDA

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: American Dragon vs. El Samurai

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Heat vs. Masayuki Naruse

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Wataru Inoue vs. Koji Kanemoto

 

5/28 – Toyota City Gym

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Big Boss MA-G-MA vs. El Samurai

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Rocky Romero vs. Ultimo Dragon

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Tiger Mask IV

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Wataru Inoue vs. Jushin Thunder Liger

 

5/29 – Soka City Sports Gym

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: GARUDA vs. Masayuki Naruse

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: American Dragon vs. Wataru Inoue

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Curry Man vs. Heat

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Koji Kanemoto vs. Ryusuke Taguchi

 

5/30 – Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall #11

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Ultimo Dragon

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Masahito Kakihara vs. Ryusuke Taguchi

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Rocky Romero vs. Tiger Mask IV

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. El Samurai

 

6/1 – Toba Citizen Gym

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Curry Man vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Masahito Kakihara vs. El Samurai

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Big Boss MA-G-MA vs. Wataru Inoue

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: GARUDA vs. Heat

 

6/2 – Minokamo Plaza Chutai

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: GARUDA vs. Rocky Romero

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: American Dragon vs. Big Boss MA-G-MA

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Curry Man vs. Tiger Mask IV

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Koji Kanemoto vs. El Samurai

 

6/4 – Takamatsu City Gym

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Masayuki Naruse

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Big Boss MA-G-MA vs. Masahito Kakihara

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: American Dragon vs. Ryusuke Taguchi

 

6/6 – Tsuyama City Gym

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Curry Man vs. Rocky Romero

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Wataru Inoue vs. Ryusuke Taguchi

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Masayuki Naruse vs. Ultimo Dragon

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Masahito Kakihara

 

6/7 – Matsue City Gym

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Wataru Inoue vs. El Samurai

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: GARUDA vs. Tiger Mask IV

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Heat vs. Rocky Romero

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: American Dragon vs. Jushin Thunder Liger

 

6/8 – Text Port Imabari

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Katsuhiko Nakajima vs. Rocky Romero

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: American Dragon vs. Masahito Kakihara

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Curry Man vs. Ultimo Dragon

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Big Boss MA-G-MA vs. Koji Kanemoto

 

6/9 – Kurashiki City Park Fukuda Gym

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: GARUDA vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Wataru Inoue vs. Masahito Kakihara

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: El Samurai vs. Ryusuke Taguchi

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Curry Man vs. Masayuki Naruse

 

6/11 – Takasago City Gym

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Masayuki Naruse vs. Tiger Mask IV

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: American Dragon vs. Koji Kanemoto

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Block A: Big Boss MA-G-MA vs. Jushin Thunder Liger

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Block B: Heat vs. Ultimo Dragon

 

6/13 – Korakuen Hall

1. Best of the Super Jr. – Quarterfinals: Block B 2nd Place vs. Block A 3rd Place

2. Best of the Super Jr. – Quarterfinals: Block A 2nd Place Block B 3rd Place

3. Best of the Super Jr. – Semifinals: Block A 1st Place vs. Winner of #1

4. Best of the Super Jr. – Semifinals: Block B 1st Place vs. Winner of #2

5. Best of the Super Jr. – Finals:

[Guest TigerDriver91]

So any predictions for the final four in the tournament? Who will walk away the winner this year?

 

[SinToxic 0]

Garuda is somewhat slow on the rise compared to how fast Hayabusa became an elite worker. Aside from trying to be like Hayabusa the people (WMF) behind his push seem to have good ideas, sorta taking it from where Hayabusa left off.

 

I put my money on Tiger Mask winning this year. Block B is pretty soft, I see him drawing with Heat and setting up a nice title match afterwards.

[Guest Black Tiger]

Hayabusa's initial big push in FMW came off the heels of Onita retiring, and his big push started with him losing many big matches, in his attempts to become the top guy in FMW. It also happened to get him massively over.

 

I'm guessing that either Heat, or Tiger Mask wins the tournament, I'm also expecting American Dragon to get pretty far.

[Frosty 0]

I'm new at this J cup stuff, That seems like alot of matches... will all of them matches be on the tape/DVD?

 

If so how many Disc/tapes will it be, and if not how do they decide what matches to put on there.

[Guest Black Tiger]

The commerical release of the tournament doesn't show every match, just usually the best ones and the ones that aren't televised. The finals are almost never on the commerical release (I believe that the last one they were included on is the 1995 tournament)/

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

The commerical release of the tournament doesn't show every match, just usually the best ones and the ones that aren't televised. The finals are almost never on the commerical release (I believe that the last one they were included on is the 1995 tournament)/

Then I take it the only way to get the finals would be to order Japan TV tapes???

[Guest Black Tiger]

Then I take it the only way to get the finals would be to order Japan TV tapes???

 

You take it correctly, I have no idea who thought that'd be a good idea.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Then I take it the only way to get the finals would be to order Japan TV tapes???

 

You take it correctly, I have no idea who thought that'd be a good idea.

SERIOUSLY?!?!?! Wow, that sucks. I guess Lynch would be a good source BT?

[Guest Black Tiger]

It depends on which ones your looking for, with the Complete Edition shows starting in 2001, its pretty easy to come by them, but for 1996-2000, I can't think of anyone else BUT Lynch who'd have them.