Best of the Super Juniors Tournament XIV

The first post I put up on this blog chronicling a Dragon Gate wrestler outside of Dragon Gate was YAMATO’s run in the 2009 Best of the Super Juniors Tournament. Since then I’ve wanted to go back and write about BxB Hulk’s run in 2007. So here we go.

All matches occur between June 1 & 17 2007.

BxB Hulk vs. Koji Kanemoto [Round Robin Match]
The tour begins and ends in Korakuen Hall. This was the main event of the first show on the tour. Hulk hits a dropkick before the bell. Kanemoto swats away a dropkick and beats Hulk up in the corner. He washes Hulk’s face. Hulk avoids a second attempt and retakes control. He hits a back heel kick. Kanemoto boots him over the barricade. He controls with chest kicks in the ring. He hits a roundhouse kick. He hits a back kick and another chest kick. Hulk starts to absorb his kicks. Kanemoto hits a monkey flip of sorts. Hulk comes back with a running elbow for 2. Kanemoto slugs him into the ropes. He hits a senton for 2. Hulk hits a spin kick. They trade kicks until Hulk hits the Mouse. He hits another spin kick. He hits a fisherman buster for 2. Kanemoto hits a back superplex. He misses a moonsault. Hulk hits a roundhouse kick. He hits the EVO but takes too long to cover and only gets 2. Kanemoto puts on the anklelock. Hulk gets to the ropes. Kanemoto kicks Hulk’s leg until it’s too weak for him to run. Hulk hits a hurricanrana for 2. Kanemoto hits an overhead suplex. He kicks Hulk’s head off and reapplies the anklelock. Hulk tries to hold on has to quit at 12:05. This was mostly a typical Kanemoto B-match, wherein he slowly kicked the crap out of Hulk and didn’t seem all that interested in what was going on. Hulk took a good beating as usual, but the New Japan crowd didn’t care about him as an outsider looking for babyface fire.
Rating: **¼

BxB Hulk vs. Tetsuya Naito [Round Robin Match]
They fight over a wristlock to start. Hulk hits an armdrag. Naito hits a shoulder tackle. An awkward moment mercifully ends when Hulk hits a basement dropkick. Hulk hits a back heel kick. He hits a dropkick for 2. He puts on a chinlock. Naito drops back to escape. He dropkicks Hulk’s leg and then zeroes in on that appendage. Hulk hits a DDT. He hits a dropkick for 2. He puts on a Rings of Saturn variation but Naito gets to the ropes. He hits a bodyslam and a senton for 2. Naito comes back with a very cool bodyslam. He hits a baseball slide. He dropkicks Hulk’s face in the corner. He hits a missile dropkick for 2. Hulk hits a leg lariat. He misses a moonsault but hits a standing SSP for 2. Naito gets a roll up for 2. Hulk hits a back heel kick. Naito hits a leaping elbow for 2. Hulk hits the Mouse and a roundhouse kick. He hits another NASTY roundhouse kick. He hits the EVO for the win at 11:10. This started a little rough, but then they laid into each other down the stretch to pull It together.
Rating: **¾

BxB Hulk vs. El Samurai
They fight it out on the mat to start. Samurai puts on a chinlock. Hulk hits a dropkick. He hits another in the corner for 2. He hits a back heel kick. He hits the Ace Crusher for 2. Samurai works his arm and leg. Hulk hits a springboard spin kick. He hits a senton for 2. He puts Samurai up top and dropkicks him to the floor. Samurai hits a lariat. He hits an inverted DDT for 2. He puts on a kimura but Hulk gets to the ropes. He hits a hurricanrana off the top for 2. Hulk hits a roundhouse kick. He hits the fisherman buster and a standing SSP for 2. He hits an ugly hurricanrana (Samurai’s fault) for 2. Samurai hits a powerbomb. He hits a diving headbutt for 2. He puts on the kimura for the win at 8:53. Hulk got more offense here than he did against Kanemoto, but Samurai seemed even less interested in having an interesting match, probably because this wasn’t for TV.
Rating: **

BxB Hulk vs. Gedo [Round Robin Match]
Gedo attacks before the bell. Hulk hits a swinging DDT. Gedo takes a break on the floor. Back in the ring Hulk controls with chops. Gedo hits a low blow and the crowd cheers. He drags Hulk to the floor where he uses the barricade to abuse him. Hulk beats the count back in the ring. Gedo whips him into an exposed turnbuckle. He rams Hulk’s face into the steel. Gedo puts on a chinlock. Hulk gets a sunset flip for 2. Gedo hits a back elbow. He whips Hulk into the exposed turnbuckle again. He hits a stun gun on the barricade. He whips Hulk into the exposed turnbuckle a third time. He pokes Hulk’s eyes. Hulk hits a back heel kick. Gedo swats away a dropkick. Hulk hits a leg lariat for 2. He hits a dropkick. Gedo falls to the floor and drags Hulk out with him. Hulk rams Gedo’s face into the barricade. He hits a quebrada. That gets 2 in the ring. Hulk hits the Mouse and a roundhouse kick for 2. He misses a moonsault but hits a standing SSP for 2. Gedo avoids the EVO and hits the Complete Shot for 2. He hits a chinbreaker and a thrust kick for 2. Hulk comes back with the EVO for the win at 11:03. Gedo’s English swearing always makes for a good time, and he heeled it up enough to finally get Hulk over as a babyface.
Rating: ***

BxB Hulk vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [Round Robin Match]
Typical feeling out process ends with Hulk hitting an armdrag. Hulk hits a dropkick. He hits another off the top. He hits another for 2. He hits another in the corner for 2. Okay Hulk, that’s enough with the dropkicks. He hits a senton for 2. He hits a back heel kick. Taguchi hits a basement dropkick for 2. He puts on a surfboard stretch. He puts on a cross armbreaker but Hulk gets to the ropes. Taguchi ties Hulk in a knot. He goes after the arm again but Hulk gets to the ropes. Taguchi hits a bodyslam for 2. Hulk hits a roundhouse kick. He hits a springboard leg lariat for 2. He hits the Mouse for 2. He hits the fisherman buster and a standing SSP for 2. Taguchi hits a superplex. He holds on and hits another vertical suplex and a Falcon Arrow for 2. He hits a fisherman suplex and puts on the kimura. He floats into a cross armbreaker but Hulk gets to the ropes. The fans applaud Hulk’s resilience. Taguchi hits a missile dropkick. He hits a German suplex for 2. Hulk gets a roll up for 2. He hits a hurricanrana for 2. Taguchi escapes a backslide and hits a dropkick. He hits the Dodon for the win at 12:30. I guess the arm work made it harder for Hulk to counter the Dodon, since it starts as a double chickenwing. This was easily the most fluid of Hulk’s tournament matches so far, which makes Taguchi 2 for 2 in having good matches against Dragon Gate guys.
Rating: ***¼

BxB Hulk vs. Minoru [Round Robin Match]
This was the last tournament match for both guys, and neither had enough points to make it into the semifinals. That said, bragging rights are still on the line. They trade holds to start. Minoru overpowers Hulk and works his arm. He hits a snap suplex. He hits a kneedrop on the arm. He puts on an armbar. Hulk gets to the ropes. Minoru dropkicks the arm. He reapplies the armbar but Hulk gets to the ropes. Hulk hits a leg lariat. He hits a spin kick for 2. He hits a standing SSP for 2. He hits a dropkick and Minoru bails. Hulk misses a plancha. Minoru shoves him into the post. In the ring Minoru misses one dropkick but hits another. He hits a backdrop driver. He hits a sick dropkick. He hits a fisherman superplex for 2. He hits a German suplex but Hulk pops up. Hulk hits the Mouse. He gets a backslide for 2. Minoru kicks his head off. Hulk gets a small package for 2. He hits a roundhouse kick for 2. He hits a moonsault for 2. Minoru avoids the EVO and hits a high kick. He puts on the Minoru Special for the win at 11:42. It was good to see the arm work pay off, but the match seemed to be building to an upset win for Hulk. As such the finish was a bit jarring. Either way, Hulk would have one more chance to prove himself in New Japan.
Rating: **½

BxB Hulk & Gedo vs. Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito
We’re back in Korakuen Hall for the tour’s finale. Gedo and Yujiro start. They trade holds in an exchange that Yujiro controls. Yujiro hits a northern lights suplex. Naito hits Hulk with a shoulder tackle. He hits a head scissor takedown. Hulk hits a dropkick. He hits another in the corner for 1. Gedo goes to the eyes and dumps Naito on the floor. He tells Hulk to attack but Hulk just rolls Naito back into the ring. The crowd likes that, but Gedo does not. Gedo pitches Naito back to the floor and shoves him into the barricade. Again he tells Hulk to attack on the floor and again Hulk refuses. Naito knocks Gedo off the apron, but that allows Hulk to take control. Hulk hits a back elbow and a senton for 2. He hits a dropkick to the back. He misses a leg lariat. This crowd is hot for everything! Naito hits a dropkick. He hits a baseball slide. He hits Gedo with a leaping elbow. Yujiro tags in and cleans house with lariats. He hits Gedo with a powerslam. He suplexes Hulk for 2. He hits a dead lift powerslam for 2. Hulk hits the Mouse and a roundhouse kick. He dropkicks Naito and hits Yujiro with a standing moonsault for 2. Gedo and Yujiro screw up a spot, but Yujiro tries to recover by hitting a powerslam. Naito hits a missile dropkick. Yujiro hits a dead lift German suplex for 2. Gedo hits the Complete Shot for 2. Hulk won’t let Gedo use his baton. He nails Gedo with an elbow. Yujiro hits Hulk with a lariat. Gedo sneaks up and gets the Gedo Clutch on Yujiro for the win at 9:08. He attacks Hulk after the match. Hulk fights back and hits a dropkick. Yujiro hits a spear. Yujiro and Naito congratulate Hulk on his win. Yujiro was an animal here, and the issue between Hulk and Gedo allowed the Dragon Gate star to leave as a babyface, just like the New Japan fans wanted.
Rating: ***¼

The whole tournament seemed to be building to a Hulk vs. Naito rematch, but as far as I know that never happened. My biggest hope is that since Hulk wrestled in the tournament in 2007, and YAMATO did the same in 2009, that someone else from Dragon Gate will in 2011.