NJPW: 5 highlights from the first half of Best of the Super Juniors

Jonathan Gresham was one my most anticipated additions to the tournament. I had hopes that he’d be involved in the Best of the Super Juniors due to the ROH/New Japan relationship and was over the moon to see his name on the list of competitors.

Gresham brings a unique style to the Junior Heavyweight division filled with strong style and lucha libre practitioners. Rather than rotating endlessly through the air like a Bandido or Will Ospreay, Gresham breaks his opponents down similarly to Zack Sabre Jr.

Not only does he bring a unique in-ring style, but Gresham also brings a ton of personality in everything he does. It’s easy for a ring technician to be seen as bland or boring despite being incredibly impressive.

That’s not a complaint anyone could possibly have with ‘The Octopus’ in the ring.

As a brand new face in the company, Gresham has seemingly been adopted as quickly as Colt Cabana was during the New Japan Cup. Overcoming a language barrier with ability and character, Gresham has carved out a space for himself in the division that can’t be occupied by anybody else on the current roster.

Also living in a space all his own is Bandido. Bandido has competed on a couple of the joint ROH/New Japan shows but is showing his grit and grace as the days roll on in the Best of the Super Juniors.

What can be said about Bandido that hasn’t already been said?

The dude flies like an absolute maniac. His moves are as breathtaking as they are death-defying. He’s got one of the cooler masks in lucha libre right now and, if Juice Robinson is to be believed, is a dreamboat beneath the mask.

As impressive as he is, Bandido may also be one of the more polarizing figures in the tournament. At times, his offense can seem contrived and take you out of the moment, his springboard 450 to a forever-waiting YOH one of the most glaring examples.

While I’m not a blind believer of Bandido, I do still think that he’s bringing the style and substance to a Junior Heavyweight division which has felt stale since the untimely departure of the ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ last year.

Dragon Lee isn’t a new face to a New Japan ring, but this is obviously his most substantial stint with the company yet. After becoming the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion at G1 Supercard in New York, Lee has vowed to remain champion long enough for the injured Hiromu Takahashi to challenge him for the championship.

So far, Lee has been one of the more dominant competitors in the tournament. Racking up a total of 6 points so far, he’s dropped losses to only two men – the former champion, Taiji Ishimori, and the seemingly unstoppable Shingo Takagi.

It’s basically a given that everybody will lose to Shingo as he prepares to run the table without a single loss, so dropping a match to him isn’t quite so deflating. Even with the loss to Ishimori, Lee has pulled out star-making performances putting the Junior Heavyweight division back on the map.