Best of the Super Juniors

The tournament was formed in 1988 by NJPW. It was originally called the Top of the Super Juniors. The tournament is a round-robin style tournament where a wrestler scores points. The winner, assuming they are not already the champion, receives an opportunity to wrestle for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship not long after the tournament is over. Since 2010, the title match has taken place at June/July's Dominion event. In 1994, the tournament was renamed the Best of the Super Juniors. Since 1996 the tournament has been divided into a two-block system used in many other puroresu tournaments. In this format the top two scorers in each block advance to the semifinals, at which point single-elimination rules take effect. During the round-robin portion, a win is worth two points, a time limit draw is worth one, and any other result zero; all matches have a 30-minute time limit, though in the past it has been twenty minutes. ==Top of the Super Juniors (1988–1993)==

1988 The 1988 Top of the Super Juniors was a 12-man tournament held from January 4 to February 7. The points system at this time was different from today's, though exactly how is unclear. The two wrestlers with the most points at the end of the tournament, Shiro Koshinaka and Hiroshi Hase, faced off in a singles match to determine the winner. The winner, Koshinaka, went on to win the Junior Heavyweight Championship from Owen Hart on June 24, 1988, after failing to win the title from Hiroshi Hase twice on March 19 and May 8. 1991 The 1991 Top of the Super Juniors was a seven-man tournament held from April 15 to April 30 and the first to use the modern points system. Before the tournament, the reigning Junior Heavyweight Champion, Jushin Thunder Liger, vacated the title so the winner of the 1991 Top of the Super Juniors also became the champion; with his victory over Liger in the final, Norio Honaga also won the championship. 1992 The 1992 Top of the Super Juniors was a nine-man tournament, held from April 16 to April 30. The winner, Jushin Thunder Liger, became the first man to win the tournament while holding the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. 1993 The 1993 Top of the Super Juniors was an 11-man tournament held from May 26 to June 14. As the result of a four-way tie for second place (Jushin Thunder Liger was also tied, but was eliminated due to injury), the four men held a playoff tournament to challenge first-place Pegasus Kid (better known as Chris Benoit) in the final; this ended up being El Samurai, who would nonetheless fall against Pegasus Kid. Pegasus became the first foreign wrestler to win the tournament as a result. He also went on to challenge the champion Liger unsuccessfully on August 8. Eddie Guerrero participated in the 1992 tournament under his real name, but wrestled in the 1993 tournament as the second incarnation of "Black Tiger" ==Best of the Super Juniors (1994–present)==

1994 The 1994 Best of the Super Juniors, the first tournament to be held under that name, was an 11-man tournament contested from May 26 to June 13. Jushin Thunder Liger once again won while also the reigning Junior Heavyweight champion, and also became the first wrestler to win the tournament twice. Guest natives included Super Delfin and Taka Michinoku from Michinoku Pro Wrestling and Masayoshi Motegi from Wrestle Dream Factory. 1998 The 1998 Best of the Super Juniors was a two-block, 12-man tournament held from May 16 to June 3. Like the previous year, it used a simpler points system, including one point for a win and zero for a loss or draw. The winner, Koji Kanemoto, would make an unsuccessful challenge to the champion, Jushin Thunder Liger, on July 15, as well as an equally unsuccessful rematch on January 4, 1999, before beating Liger for the title on March 17, 1999. The winner, would unsuccessfully challenge champion Tiger Mask IV on July 6, despite having beaten him in the tournament. On May 31, 2010, it was announced that Tiger Mask IV had injured a vertebra during his match against La Sombra and would be out of action for two months. As a result, Tiger Mask IV withdrew from the competition and forfeited the rest of his matches, which automatically gave all of his opponents two points. On June 6, 2010, Fujita had to forfeit his match against Akira due to injury, thereby also forfeiting the rest of the tournament. 2011 The 2011 Best of the Super Juniors featured 18 participants in two blocks, and was held from May 26 to June 10. This marked the largest number of entrants in the history of the tournament. Outside entrants included Daisuke Sasaki (freelancer), Fujita "Jr." Hayato (Michinoku Pro), Great Sasuke (Michinoku Pro), Kenny Omega (DDT Pro-Wrestling), Kota Ibushi (DDT), Máscara Dorada (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre), and TJP (freelancer). Sasaki and Taichi earned their spots in the tournament by winning Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournaments on April 8, 2011. Kota Ibushi became the first wrestler not affiliated with New Japan Pro-Wrestling to win the tournament. 2012 The 2012 Best of the Super Juniors featured 18 participants and took place from May 27 to June 10. Outside entrants included Alex Koslov (American independents), Ángel de Oro (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre), Brian Kendrick (American independents), Daisuke Sasaki (freelancer), and Pac (Dragon Gate). Black Tiger earned his spot in the tournament by winning the Road to the Super Jr. 2Days Tournament on April 15, 2012. On May 9, New Japan announced that Davey Richards had to pull out of the tournament, following his doctor's orders after a car accident. He was replaced by Brian Kendrick. On May 25, New Japan announced that Black Tiger had been pulled from the tournament, two days after the character's performer Nosawa Rongai had been arrested for smuggling marijuana. He was replaced by Hiromu Takahashi. The tagline of the event was "The Door to the Glory". 2013 The twentieth Best of the Super Juniors tournament was officially announced on March 28, 2013, and took place over ten shows between May 24 and June 9. The participants were announced on May 3; outside entrants included Beretta (American independents), Brian Kendrick (American independents), Kenny Omega (DDT), Ricochet (Dragon Gate), and Titán (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre). Ryusuke Taguchi, who originally won Block B, was sidelined with a hip injury following June 6 and was replaced in his semifinal match by Taka Michinoku, who had finished third in the block. The winner, Prince Devitt, became only the third wrestler to win all of his matches in the tournament. When Jushin Thunder Liger achieved the feat in 2001, his tournament comprised only six matches, while Devitt's comprised ten. 2014 The twenty-first Best of the Super Juniors tournament was officially announced on March 14, 2014, and took place between May 30 and June 8. The participants were announced on May 4; outside entrants included Kenny Omega (DDT), Máscara Dorada (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre) and Ricochet (Dragon Gate). For the first time in four years, the reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion did not take part in the tournament as Kota Ibushi was concentrating on chasing the NEVER Openweight Championship. Alex Shelley won block B of the tournament, but was forced to pull out of the semifinals after suffering a shoulder injury in his final round-robin match. As a result, Taichi, who had finished third in the block, advanced to the semifinals. 2015 The twenty-second Best of the Super Juniors tournament was officially announced on March 4, 2015, and took place between May 22 and June 7. The participants were announced on May 7; outside entrants included Bárbaro Cavernario (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre), Bobby Fish (Ring of Honor), Chase Owens (National Wrestling Alliance), Kyle O'Reilly (ROH) and the debuting David Finlay Jr., the son of Dave Finlay. For the second year in a row, the reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Kenny Omega, did not enter the tournament. Instead, the winner of the tournament would challenge for his title at Dominion 7.5 in Osaka-jo Hall. Alex Shelley was forced to pull out of the tournament after his opening match with a foot injury, forcing him to forfeit the rest of his matches. 2016 The twenty-third Best of the Super Juniors tournament took place between May 21 and June 7, 2016. The participants were announced on May 3. Outside entrants included Volador Jr. (Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre), Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, Matt Sydal, Barreta (Ring of Honor), Chase Owens (National Wrestling Alliance), Will Ospreay (Revolution Pro Wrestling) and Ricochet (Dragon Gate, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla). Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson were originally announced for the tournament, but both were forced to pull out with injuries before the opening day. On May 19, Matt was replaced with David Finlay Jr. and Nick with Chase Owens. With his win, Will Ospreay, the first English winner of the tournament, also became the youngest Best of the Super Juniors winner in history. Ospreay went on to unsuccessfully challenge Kushida for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on June 19 at Dominion 6.19 in Osaka-jo Hall. The tournament became known for a controversial match between Ospreay and Ricochet on May 27, which received widespread attention in the professional wrestling world with some, like William Regal, praising the two and others, like Vader, comparing the match to a "gymnastics routine". 2017 The twenty-fourth Best of the Super Juniors tournament took place between May 17 and June 3, 2017. The participants were revealed on May 3. In addition to NJPW regulars, the tournament also featured Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) wrestlers Dragon Lee and Volador Jr., Ring of Honor (ROH) wrestler Marty Scurll and independent wrestler ACH Veteran wrestler Jushin Thunder Liger, who took part in his 17th Best of the Super Juniors tournament in a row, stated that the 2017 tournament would be his last. 2018 The twenty-fifth Best of the Super Juniors started on May 18 and ended on June 4, 2018. The participants were revealed on May 7. In addition to NJPW regulars, the tournament also features Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) wrestler Dragon Lee, Ring of Honor (ROH) wrestlers Marty Scurll, Flip Gordon and Chris Sabin, and independent wrestler ACH The final match between Taiji Ishimori and Hiromu Takahashi became the longest match in BOSJ history breaking the previous record from 2015. It was also the first time since 2011 that the final did not feature a gaijin wrestler. The final match was given a 5 star rating by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 2019 The twenty-sixth Best of the Super Juniors started on May 13, 2019, and ended on June 5, 2019. The final took place at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The participants were all revealed bar one on April 23. In addition to NJPW regulars, the tournament will also feature Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) wrestlers Dragon Lee and Titán and Ring of Honor (ROH) wrestlers Marty Scurll, Jonathan Gresham and Bandido. This is the first edition to have twenty wrestlers entering the tournament. Before the tournament, El Desperado had to pull out due to injury and was replaced by Douki. Flip Gordon also had to pull out due to visa issues, being replaced by young lion Ren Narita. Taka Michinoku forfeited his final three matches due to a leg injury. The 2019 edition included a record twenty participants; Shingo Takagi won all his matches in Block A, therefore becoming the first person to win nine matches within the same block, and setting a new record for most points scored at the tournament with 18 (apart from the inaugural 1988 edition, which used a different points system); the previous record for the current format was held by Prince Devitt, who won all eight of his matches in 2013 and scored 16. 2020 The twenty-seventh Best of the Super Juniors was originally scheduled to take place from May 12 to June 6, 2020. It was postponed as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and combined with the World Tag League from November 15 to December 11. On the intermission of the November 2, 2020 Road to Power Struggle show, it was announced that the tournament will be held in a single block format with ten participants. Yoshinobu Kanemaru was scheduled to participate in the tournament, however, he pulled out due to injury and was replaced by young lion Yuya Uemura. The final was held at Nippon Budokan. 2021 The twenty-eighth Best of the Super Juniors started on November 13, 2021. The entire field of participants was announced on November 8, 2021. Like last year's tournament, it was held in a single block format, with twelve participants instead of ten. Many of last year's participants returned, along with Yoshinobu Kanemaru, who was originally scheduled to compete last year. The final was held at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Hiromu Takahashi became the second wrestler to win two consecutive Best of the Super Jrs. tournaments after Tiger Mask IV, who previously won in 2004 and 2005 and the third person to become a three-time tournament winner after Jushin Thunder Liger and Koji Kanemoto. 2022 The twenty-ninth Best of the Super Juniors began on May 15 and finished on June 3 at Nippon Budokan. For the first time in 2 years, the tournament went back to its traditional calendar position of mid-May–early June, ran on its own separate from World Tag League, and returned to a two-block format, featuring wrestlers from NJPW Strong, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Impact Wrestling, Gleat, and All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hiromu Takahashi became the first-ever wrestler to win three consecutive Best of the Super Jrs. tournaments and also the first to become a four-time tournament winner. 2023 The thirtieth Best of the Super Juniors began on May 12 and finished on May 28 at Ota City General Gymnasium. The entire field of participants was announced on April 27, 2023. There were also 4 competitors making their tournament debuts: Lio Rush, Kevin Knight, "Speedball" Mike Bailey representing Impact Wrestling, and Dan Moloney representing Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro). The tournament was held in front of cheering crowds for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The schedule also featured semifinal block matches for the first time since 2014. Taiji Ishimori withdrew from the tournament after suffering a cervical spine injury, forcing him to forfeit his final match. 2024 The thirty-first Best of the Super Juniors began on May 11 and ended on June 9 at Osaka-jō Hall, at Dominion. The entire field of participants was announced on April 6, 2024. This year's tournament featured participants from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Noah, and Dragongate The tournament featured the debuts of Kosei Fujita (NJPW), Blake Christian (ROH), Hayata (Noah), Ninja Mack (Noah), and Dragon Dia (DG). Originally, Yoh and Ryusuke Taguchi were scheduled to participate in the tournament, but due to injuries, were replaced by Kushida and Dia, respectively. The tournament followed the same format as last year's tournament, with the top two wrestlers from each block advancing to the semi-finals, taking place on June 3. Francesco Akira withdrew the tournament due to a knee injury. 2025 The thirty-second Best of the Super Juniors began on May 10 and finished on June 1 at Ota City General Gymnasium. The entire field of participants was announced on April 5, 2025. This year's tournament featured participants from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, All Elite Wrestling, DDT Pro-Wrestling, and Dragongate. This tournament featured the debuts of Mao (DDT) and Nick Wayne (AEW). Bushi was originally supposed to take part in the tournament, but after announcing that he would depart NJPW, he was replaced by Robbie X. 2026 The thirty-third Best of the Super Juniors will be held from May 14 to June 7, concluding at Ota City General Gymnasium. The full list of participants was announced on April 4, 2026, at Sakura Genesis. This year's tournament featured participants from New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, All Elite Wrestling, DDT Pro-Wrestling, Dragongate, and Pro Wrestling Freedoms. This tournament featured the debuts of Valiente Jr. (CMLL), Jun Kasai (Freedoms), Jakob Austin Young (NJPW) and Hyo (DG), as well as the return of Daisuke Sasaki (DDT), 14 years after his last appearance, making it the longest gap between BOSJ appearances. On April 29, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Douki, announced that he would not partipate in the tournament. Douki will be replaced by Daiki Nagai, who will make his tournament debut. ==References==