NJPW Super J Cup 2019 Day 2

Super J Cup 2019 Round 2 Match
Soberano Jr. vs Caristico - 4/10

This event appears to be a static, one camera shoot.

A lucha exchange begets another lucha exchange. Rope walk armdrag leads to a dive tease by Caristico. A count out tease, and Soberano getting the momentum leads to a Fosbury Flop. We now get out third rope aided kick from the apron spot from Caristico who doesn't look the worse for wear despite a big count out tease. Now it's Caristico's turn to do a big dive to the outside. I've always been on the "dive" side of the "headlock vs dive debate" but is this what Team Headlock sees? Just two lads trading dives? Because I get it now. Caristico exits the ring, presumably to check on Soberano but it doesn't restart the count for some reason. Chop exchanges, and the ones on Caristico's end make no noise. Now they're exchanging running clotheslines to the corner and super kicks, and I don't know if Caristico actually just went for a back kick but it actually looks like he ate shit. Either way, it justifies a double down. Caristico stomps on Soberano's hand when he's on all fours, and this is the kind of stuff we should've seen on a more consistent basis from him in the first round. Now Caristico is working Soberano's taped arm. Soberano fights back though and gets our fourth apron kick spot of the match, for a top rope Rocker Dropper that Caristico is characteristically out of position for for a two. Soberano chops him, and Caristico does the most low key hulk up of all time to get the momentum back A cool spot in which Caristico gets tangled up in the ropes off a running move and Soberano hits a moonsault for a two. Caristico is up before Soberano can get up top and hits the most plain to see run up the turnbuckle for a top rope Spanish Fly. This is the finish, and Caristico advances, ugh.

I know I whine all the time about people not knowing their place on the card and opening with a main event match in terms of workrate. But you can put on an opening match without transparently motoring through your signature spots, dives, and going home. These guys, unfortunately, do not do that.

Post match - Because Caristico's actual theme is copyrighted music, it's dubbed over a generic track, while Kevin Kelly in post, motors through the next two months of the NJPW calendar. Caristico meanwhile, poses with the belt and bows to it. Weird set of circumstances overall

Super J Cup 2019 Round 2 Match
TJP vs El Phantasmo - 8.75/10

Oooh a heel vs heel match! Color me intrigued! Luckily, ELP dissed Americans super loud, so he sets himself up as the heel of the piece, as he should. TJP similarly breaks clean on a lockup and does the "harmlessly slaps your chest" spot, to which Phantasmo sarcastically sells. Normally I'd hate this but we know ELP is a childish, unrepentant dickhead, so it works. Similarly, ELP does not break clean on a similar spot. Crusierweight exchange, which ends when TJP blocks an eyepoke, awesome! They tease a handshake but ELP "psyches" and spits in his hand. ELP backhands the ref and flips him off. Ummm, DQ? TJP mockingly throws up the Bullet Club sign, and ELP mockingly dabs.They volley back and forth, but TJP springs onto Phantasmo for an Octopus Stretch. Phantasmo gets out of it and they go back and forth. ELP has to divert the referee's attention to eyepoke TJP out of a turnbuckle headstand. Again, unrepentant dickhead. Kevin Kelly calls referee Marty "not the brightest bulb" and that's all I need. Phantasmo does heel things which genuinely infuriates someone close to the camera, who is screaming "WRESTLE!" The ref refuses to count a pin after Phantasmo does the old step on the groin in the tree of woe, which is weird. TJP does a great job selling some joint manipulation. Somehow, Phantasmo does a springboard rope walk and makes it a heel maneuver. TJ gets the upper hand though. They do a cool spot where Phantasmo tries to yoink TJ off the top rope to block a superplex, but TJ lands on the apron and jumps in for a Super Huricanrana. This ruled. Flurry of high flying offense from TJ only gets a two. They do a neat inversion on the strong style flourish, where they do the kicks that would normally lead to a double down, but just go right back to striking. I think it made both guys look tough. TJP grabs Phantasmo by the beard but we get the NIPPLE TWISTER. TJ counters a side kick into an overhead suplex, unf. Phantasmo does a rope walk moonsault! This and a splash only gets a two. They go back and forth Phantasmo oversells a turnbuckle walk stunner so hard he flips over TJP. TJP hits the Detonation kick for a two. More heelery leads to TJ crotched, which leads to a scary Huricanrana off the top. TJP blocks half of the one man Bang for Your Buck. Chicken Wing Facebuster into the second heel hook of the night for TJP. TJ's been watching himself some Kurt Angle tapes, dragging ELP away from the ropes and floating back into it off a supposed counter. ELP grabs the ref and throws him into TJ to break the hold! Falcon Punch to the dick and a rollup nets the win for ELP

These guys overcame the challenge of telling a babyface vs heel story with two heels in the match, and El Phantasmo once again shows us why he's the heel of the bracket. I really hope at some point somebody wears a cup to counter the Falcon Punch though, that would rule.

Super J Cup 2019 Round 2 Match
Ryusuke Taguchi vs Dragon Lee - 7/10

Dragon Lee and Ryusuke play with Taguchi's rugby ball before the match starts. Seeing as their in the same stable, this made me smile.

The story of this match is that Ryusuke tries to juke his opponent, as he does everyone, Dragon has a counter for it, but Ryusuke has an answer for that as well. Unique, low impact take on the flurries that usually opens junior heavyweight matches. They do the spot where Ryusuke runs himself ragged, and Dragon halfheartedly ducks it. I wonder if that's the CHAOS equivalent of appeasing your wacky uncle? Now that that's done Dragon turns it up with a big kick and a big dive. Dragon counters the hip attack with an Atomic Drop which I don't think I've seen, but gets hip attacked anyway. At least Taguchi can sell. More hip attacks, Lee blocks the Drive By Hip Attack, but Taguchi steps out of the way of a dive. Taguchi responds with a triangle crossbody of his own, what the heck? Taguchi hits Bombs Away for a two, and Lee crumples out of the way of a hip attack. Crazy strong style exchange which involves Taguchi getting a hip attack countered into a Deadlift German and no-selling it! Taguchi does the Ultimate Warrior hulk up and collapses, but it was all a ruse you see, for Taguchi to get a roll up for a nearfall. Lee does his best Shibata impression for a nearfall. Taguchi dodges the foot stomp and Lee subsequently dodges for an ankle lock, but Taguchi gets it in after a two count. The guys trade and block big moves. Lee wins with a big kneepad-less PK.

I wasn't expecting much given Taguchi but this match was actually pretty good. Taguchi got his stuff in and still told the story of two stablemates who knew each other's stuff.

Super J Cup 2019 Round 2 Match
Will Ospreay vs SHO - 9/10

The two go hold for hold until SHO counters Pip Pip Cheerio with a forearm and then a baseball slide to Will who's on the apron. From there it's all SHO who works the arm, Will tries to fire back, and finally does when he chops SHO off the turnbuckle to the outside. More disgusting chops by Ospreay. Ospreay misses a running dropkick and eats guard rail. Ospreay fires back and hits...something off the guardrail but it's just off camera so we can barely see. Will takes control, and a strong style strike exchange sees SHO trying struggling to fire back. SHO kicks Will's hands out from under him mid handspring which was pretty dope. SHO works the arm and Will has to scramble. From about the 14 minute mark till the end of the match (which ends up going for another 15 minutes,) these guys go hell for leather on each other, basically going non stop and hitting big moves on each other. Ospreay wins. Go and check this match out if you can.

Conclusion
Aside from the opener this is a solid hour and a half of professional wrestling. Absolutely worth your time.