New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual tournament to determine the best junior heavyweight single’s wrestler in the world begins next month. The promotion announced all but 1 of the 20 wrestlers who will compete in the tournament this year.
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors

The tournament will run from May 13th to June 5th, 2019. Announced for the 26th edition of the Best of the Super Juniors are:

  • Ryusuke Taguchi (16th appearance)
  • Tiger Mask (18th appearance) (won in 2005 & 2005)
  • Rocky Romero (7th appearance)
  • Sho (2nd appearance)
  • Yoh (2nd appearance)
  • Will Ospreay (4th appearance) (2016 winner)
  • Taiji Ishimori (3rd appearance)
  • El Desperado (4th appearance)
  • Taka Michinoku (7th appearance)
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru (3rd appearance)
  • Bushi (7th appearance)
  • Flip Gordon (2nd appearance)
  • Titan (2nd appearance)
  • Marty Scurll (3rd appearance)
  • Dragon Lee (3rd appearance)
  • Robbie Eagles (1st appearance)
  • Jonathan Gresham (1st appearance)
  • Bandido (1st appearance)
  • Shingo Takagi (1st appearance)
  • One competitor to be announced later.

The tournament schedule and blocks will be announced at a later date.


NJPW Wrestling Dontaku

Before the Best of the Super Juniors, however, NJPW has 3 big events to close out April and kick-off May.

Wrestling Hi no Kuni 2019 – Kumamoto – April 29th:

  • Ren Narita, Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma vs Yuya Uemura, Yota Tsuji, Toa Henare
  • Taguchi, Tiger Maski, Jushin Liger, YOSHI-HASHI, Jeff Cobb vs Taka Michinoku, El Desperado, Kanemaru, and Minoru Suzuki, Taichi
  • Will Ospreay & Dragon Lee vs Hikuleo & Taiji Ishimori
  • Mikey Nicholls vs Bad Luck Fale
  • Juice Robinson vs Chase Owens
  • Roppongi 3K, Tomohiro Ishii, and Kazuchika Okada vs Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA
  • IWGP Tag Team Championships: Guerillas of Destiny (c) vs Toru Yano & Togi Makabe
  • Hirooki Goto vs Jay White

Wrestling Dontaku – Fukuoka – May 3rd:

  • Ren Narita, Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma vs Yuya Uemura, Yota Tsuji, Toa Henare
  • Taguchi, Tiger Maski, Jushin Liger, YOSHI-HASHI vs Taka Michinoku, El Desperado, Kanemaru, and Minoru Suzuki
  • Will Ospreay, Toru Yano, Togi Makabe vs HKIULEO, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa
  • Roppongi 3K vs Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, and Tetsuya Naito
  • Mikey Nicholls, Juice Robinson, Hirooki Goto vs Jay White, Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale
  • Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada vs EVIL & Sanada
  • NEVER Openweight Championship: Jeff Cobb (c) vs Taichi
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Dragon Lee (c) vs Taiji Ishimori

Wrestling Dontaku – Fukuoka – May 4th:

  • Ren Narita, Shota Umino vs Yuya Uemura, Yota Tsuji
  • Taguchi, Tiger Mask, Toa Henare, Yoshi Hashi, Jeff Cobb vs Taka Michinoku, El Desperado, Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, Taichi
  • Jushin Liger, Toru Yano, Togi Makabe vs Jado, Tanga Loga, Tama Tonga
  • Tomoaki Honma, Mikey Nicholls, Juice Robinson, Hirooki Goto vs Hikuleo, Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, Jay White
  • Will Ospreay & Dragon Lee vs Taiji Ishimori & TBD
  • Roppongi 3K vs Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, Shingo Takagi
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs EVIL
  • IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs SANADA