12 Ups & 6 Downs From NJPW Best Of The Super Juniors 2019

1. A Perfect Finale

Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi was pegged as the likeliest BOSJ final from the moment the brackets were released. With Takagi undefeated and Ospreay bridging the gap between Junior and Heavyweight, it made all the sense in the world, and it's fitting that they were comfortably the tournament's two standout performers as well, with each assembling a ridiculous résumé of world-class matches.

The pressure was on after the outstanding Jon Moxley/Juice Robinson match. They stuck the landing, though. Of course they did. These guys are as good as wrestlers get, and their showdown was as good as wrestling gets.

Ospreay vs. Takagi's 32 minutes flew by as if they were half that, and they kept a ridiculously fast pace throughout. These men are cardio machines. That they were able to maintain such a demanding style for so long is testament to that, and they deserve all the credit in the world for going so hard for so long, and the knife-edge drama they generated down the stretch.

Ospreay had promised to "slay 'The Dragon'" in these finals. That's why he brought a goofy samurai sword to the ring. Still, there's a point in this match just after Takagi has kicked out of a 630 splash, Shooting Star Press, and OsCutter where Will looks despondent. It seemed like he'd lost faith in his ability to beat this brute, making the end result all the more satisfying.

The Englishman had to throw everything Shingo to secure his second BOSJ tournament victory, putting 'The Dragon' over as a force of nature. This was why Takagi went unpinned and unsubmitted for the best part of the year. The payoff was spectacular, and Ospreay is atop the world once more.