LIVE 1 LIVE 2
Date: May 14, 2026
Location: Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Attendance: 1,445 (SOLD OUT)
The waiting is over. The speculation has ceased. The whispers that have been echoing through the corridors of puroresu fandom for the past two months have finally been silenced by the sound of 1,445 fans erupting inside the sacred halls of Korakuen.
Welcome to the opening salvo of BEST OF THE SUPER Jr. 33, and if tonight was any indication of the chaos, carnage, and technical brilliance we are about to witness over the next three weeks, we need to collectively buckle up. We are in for a generational ride.
For those of us who have followed New Japan Pro-Wrestling through the highs of the Golden Era and the uncertainty of recent transitions, there has been a palpable hunger for a tournament that feels dangerous again. A tournament where the old guard refuses to fade away, where the young lions sharpen their claws into bloody razors, and where the international invaders come to prove that the junior division is the most vibrant landscape in all of wrestling.
Tonight, at Korakuen Hall, BOSJ 33 delivered on every single promise.
This is not just a recap. This is a wake-up call. If you missed tonight, do not panic—but do not wait another second. Here is your definitive guide to watching every high-flying, limb-twisting, heart-stopping moment of Best of the Super Jr. 33 live online, anchored by the only source that matters.
The Only Place to Be: Why NJPW World is King
Before we dive into the violence that unfolded tonight, we need to have the “where” conversation. It is a short conversation, because there is only one answer.
Your journey begins and ends at www.njpw1972.com .
In an era where streaming services are fracturing into a thousand pieces, where you need three different apps to watch three different sports, New Japan has kept the faith. The spiritual home of Strong Style remains NJPW World.
Many of you might be tempted to look for clips on social media or scrambled restreams. Don’t. You wouldn’t watch the Super Bowl through a neighbor’s window, and you shouldn’t watch the greatest junior heavyweight tournament on the planet through a pixelated third-party stream.
NJPW World is the official, definitive, and frankly, the only way to experience the speed and fury of the Junior division. Here is the breakdown of why you sign up right now:
Pricing: Outside of Japan, the monthly subscription is priced at $9.99 USD . For the cost of a sandwich and a drink, you get access to the entire archive of New Japan history plus the live event.
Billing: The web subscription renews every 30 days based on your signup date .
The Interface: It is easier to navigate than ever. You can watch on your desktop, or if you want the true cinema experience, use the apps available for iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV .
The Prime Video Shortcut
For those who find the traditional Japanese interface a little intimidating, or if you just want to integrate it into your existing ecosystem, there is a fantastic workaround. NJPW World is available as an Amazon Prime Video channel . This often comes with a 7-day free trial, which is perfect if you want to test the waters tonight before committing to the full tournament run .
Do not be the person who misses the Match of the Year contender because you were waiting for a highlight reel. The highlight reel is happening right now.
Korakuen Hall: The Battlefield
There is no venue in professional wrestling quite like Korakuen Hall. It sits in the shadow of the Tokyo Dome, but while the Dome is for spectacle, Korakuen is for war. The hall holds just over 1,400 people, but the acoustics are such that every chop echoes like a gunshot, every stomp rattles the floor, and every gasp from the crowd is sucked directly into the broadcast feed.
Tonight, the atmosphere was thick.
Coming into the evening, the brackets were set, and the tension was immediate. The tournament features 20 of the world’s best junior heavyweights split into two blocks of ten . Over the course of the next month, they will grind each other into dust, culminating in the grand final at the Ota-ku Gymnasium on June 7 .
Tonight was the first chapter. And it was a violent one.
The Results: A Bloody Opening Chapter
Let me walk you through the card, because the numbers on the screen do not tell the full story of the desperation we witnessed. We had a mix of seismic upsets, shocking debuts, and the kind of squash matches that exist solely to remind the veterans that the Young Lions are no longer just “students”—they are predators.
Here is how the scores settled after the smoke cleared at Korakuen Hall .
Block B: The Opener (8:10)
Taiji Ishimori def. Jakob Austin Young
Submission (Bone Lock)
The “Bone Master” reminded everyone why he is a perennial favorite. Young showed heart, trying to outpace the veteran, but Ishimori is a master of pacing. He methodically broke down the international star before locking in the excruciating Bone Lock. Young tapped, but he looked like he belonged. A solid, if terrifying, welcome to Japan for Jakob Austin Young.
Block B: The Whiskey Rebellion (3:25)
SHO def. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Disqualification
Chaos. Pure, unadulterated CHAOS. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, the veteran “Heel Master,” has been in this game long enough to know the rules and exactly how to break them. Frustrated by SHO’s aggression, Kanemaru reverted to his old tricks. He spat whiskey in the face of the referee. Not SHO. The referee.
The bell rang instantly. SHO gets the two points, but he didn’t get the satisfaction. This feud is far from over, and frankly, that disqualification felt like a draw in terms of momentum. Kanemaru is playing 4D chess while everyone else is playing checkers.
Block A: The “Funky” Warm-Up (6:02)
Ryusuke Taguchi def. Daiki Nagai
Pinfall (Dodon)
The crowd needed a breather, and Taguchi provided it—sort of. “The Funky Weapon” is often dismissed as a comedy act, but his veteran savvy is undeniable. Daiki Nagai, the young lion, tried to muscle the veteran, but Taguchi avoided the power moves, wiggled his hips for the masses, and hit the Dodon. Easy two points for the veteran.
Block B: The Samson Driver (2:36)
Hyo def. YOH
Pinfall (Samson Driver)
Statement made. Hyo is a massive presence in the junior division, and he treated YOH like a ragdoll. This was a blitz. YOH tried to fire up, but Hyo caught him mid-flight, drove him into the mat with the Samson Driver, and that was all she wrote. At 2:36, this was the fastest loss of YOH’s recent career. Hyo is a monster.
Block A: Wayne’s World Arrives (7:30)
Nick Wayne def. Robbie X
Pinfall (Wayne’s World)
The AEW prospect has arrived in New Japan, and he looked flawless. Robbie X is a high-flyer from the UK with a cult following, and he pushed Wayne to the limit. This was a back-and-forth showcase of modern junior wrestling: fast, crisp, and dangerous. But Wayne hit his cutter variation, “Wayne’s World,” in the center of the ring, and the three count was academic. The future is here, and his name is Nick Wayne.
Block B: Back to the Future (9:11)
KUSHIDA def. Robbie Eagles
Pinfall (Back to the Future)
The Timesplitter is back. KUSHIDA, the former ace of the division, looked like he never left. Robbie Eagles, the Sniper of the Sky, is one of the most technically sound wrestlers in the world, but tonight he was out-classed in the mat game. KUSHIDA locked in the Hoverboard Lock attempt multiple times, but it was his finisher, the Back to the Future (a running flipping facebuster), that sealed the deal. A masterclass in pacing from two absolute pros.
Block A: Titan’s Redemption (8:43)
Titan def. Master Wato
Submission (Gideon 1:21)
This was heartbreaking for the “Blue Prince” fans in attendance. Master Wato came into this tournament with something to prove—doesn’t he always? But Titan of Los Ingobernables de Japon is on a tear. The Mexican star is looking to break out of the mid-card and into the elite tier. Wato tried to grapple, but Titan was faster to the draw, snatching an arm and transitioning into the brutal armbar known as Gideon 1:21. Wato had no choice but to tap .
Block B: The Main Event Scare (16:10)
Daisuke Sasaki def. El Desperado
Submission (Crossface Lock)
The upset of the night.
El Desperado is a fan favorite, a killer, a man who wears a mask so he can hide his smile while he rips your face off. He was the favorite to win this block. But Daisuke Sasaki—the DAMNATION T.A. leader who crossed over from DDT—is proving he belongs in the big leagues.
This was a war of attrition. Desperado targeted the back, trying to set up his “Numero Dos” stretch. But Sasaki absorbed the punishment. As Desperado went for a lariat, Sasaki ducked, caught the arm, and wrenched back into a deep Crossface Lock in the center of the ring. Desperado fought. He clawed. But he passed out from the pain. The referee called for the bell. The pinfall never came; the submission was purely on pain tolerance. Sasaki just beat arguably the best junior in the world .
Block A: The Main Event (16:56)
Kosei Fujita def. Francesco Akira
Pinfall (Thrill Ride)
Match of the Night.
Kosei Fujita and Francesco Akira. The future of the TMDK faction versus the former leader of the United Empire. These two young men have the weight of the world on their shoulders, and they responded with a 17-minute sprint that left the crowd gasping.
This was tight. Akira brought the fire and the striking, determined to prove that leaving the Empire was the best decision for his career. Fujita brought the grit and the grappling that makes TMDK so dangerous.
It looked like Akira might take it. He had Fujita staggered. But Fujita caught a kick, spun him around, and hit the Thrill Ride (a modified Death Valley Driver into a jackknife pin) for the clean three count.
With this win, Fujita ties with Nick Wayne, Titan, and Taguchi at the top of Block A with 2 points .
How to Watch Moving Forward: The Strategy
We are only one night in. The tournament runs until June 7, with the Finals taking place at the Ota-ku Gymnasium . You have no excuse to miss the rest.
Step 1: Go to www.njpw1972.com .
Step 2: Click the “Sign Up” or “Join” button for NJPW World.
Step 3: Choose your payment method—web direct ($9.99) is reliable, but the Prime Video channel offers that 7-day free trial if you are in the regions that support it .
Step 4: Search for “BEST OF THE SUPER Jr. 33” or browse the “Schedule” tab to set reminders for the live shows.
The Schedule (Upcoming Highlights):
- May 16: El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori (B Block) . Desperado is wounded and 0-2 after tonight’s loss. Ishimori is in the exact same position.
- May 17: Robbie Eagles vs. El Desperado . This is a must-win for both. Do not miss the desperation in this one.
- May 20: Robbie X vs. Kosei Fujita (A Block) . The leader vs. the explosive newcomer.
- May 23: YOH vs. Robbie Eagles (B Block) . Two men currently at the bottom of the bracket, fighting for survival.
The Deeper Narrative: Why This Matters
For those who have followed NJPW through the last few years, you know we are in a transition period. The era of Tanahashi is fading, and the “Reiwa Three Musketeers” (Tsuji, Umino, Narita) are taking over the heavyweights . But down in the junior division? The revolution never stopped.
Look at that card tonight. You had KUSHIDA, a veteran who defined the division a decade ago. You had Nick Wayne, an 18-year-old prodigy from the US. You had Hyo, a powerhouse breaking the mold. And you had Kosei Fujita, a technical wizard who is only 22 years old.
This tournament isn’t just about winning a trophy. It’s about survival.
The Juniors are the heartbeat of New Japan. When the heavyweights get bogged down in strike exchanges, the Juniors fly. They innovate. They bleed.
Tonight, we saw the changing of the guard happen in real-time. Daisuke Sasaki walked into the lion’s den and choked out the favorite. The Young Lions are no longer pushovers. The international talent is here to stay.
Bonus Content: The Official Companion
To truly immerse yourself, you need to listen to the NJPW Official English Podcast.
Hosted by Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton, the podcast breaks down the nuances that Western eyes might miss. They analyze the body language, the Japanese crowd etiquette, and the backstage politics that drive these stories .
Subscribe to their feed on your podcast app of choice. It is the best way to turn a 3-hour wrestling show into a week-long obsession.
Final Verdict: Secure the Bag
Let me be brutally honest with you.
If you are a wrestling fan, and you are not watching BEST OF THE SUPER Jr. 33, you are not a wrestling fan. You are a nostalgia act.
This is the most exciting time of the year for pure in-ring product. There are no gimmicks. There are no 20-minute promos to open the show. There is only the bell, the mat, and the desire to win.
We just watched Nick Wayne announce himself to the Japanese audience. We watched KUSHIDA roll back the clock. We watched Daisuke Sasaki pull off the upset of the year. And we are only on Night 1.
There are 20 men in this tournament. By the time June 7 rolls around, 18 of them will have failed. The journey to see who survives is the best story in wrestling right now.
Do not rely on illegal streams. Do not wait for the “clips to load on Twitter.” Support the industry that gives us this art. Go to www.njpw1972.com right now . Sign up for NJPW World. Use the Prime channel if you need that 7-day free safety net . Set your alarm for the next live show.
The juniors have the floor. And right now, they are stealing the whole damn show.
Stay tuned. Stay violent. Stay Strong.
— Your favorite NJPW Blogger
Helpful External Resources (SEO Corner)
To help you navigate the ecosystem, here are some valuable links that are currently live and providing excellent coverage:
- Official NJPW Website: www.njpw1972.com (The primary source)
- NJPW World Subscription Help (Japanese): help.njpwworld.com (Useful for troubleshooting billing if you are using the Japanese portal)
- Tournament Analysis (F4WOnline): Check out their recent article on the Fan Voting and Lineups for insights into who the crowd is backing .
- Event Guides (F4WOnline): They maintain excellent guides on how to navigate NJPW World for major shows .
- Voices of Wrestling (2026 Primer): For deep dives into the storylines leading into this year, their annual primer is essential reading to understand the context of the “New Japan Meltdown” .
Internal Blog Suggestions:
- *”The Fall of the Empire: Where Does Francesco Akira Go From 0-2?”*
- “Desperado’s Desperation: Is the Masked Maestro’s Title Shot Slipping Away?”
- “Young Lions Unleashed: The New Era of NJPW Begins in Korakuen.”