The Best of the Super Juniors (often abbreviated BOSJ) is an annual professional wrestling tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), typically in May or June. Originally known as Top of the Super Juniors, the first tournament was held in 1988 with annual tournaments taking place since 1991. The wrestlers in the tournament are typically junior heavyweight wrestlers from promotions all over the world. , NJPW has held 37 Super Juniors tournaments. Hiromu Takahashi holds the record for most tournament wins with four. Takahashi is also the only wrestler to have won three consecutive tournaments. Kanemoto holds the record for the most final appearances, having wrestled eight finals between 1997 and 2009. Liger has participated in the most tournaments, competing in all tournaments except 1995 and 2000 until his 26th and final Super Junior tournament in 2017.
History and format 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.
Pre-existing Junior Heavyweight Tournaments (1981–1986) YearWinnerFinal venueAttendanceReference-1981Perro AguayoSuzuyo Memorial Gymnasiumunverified-1984 Dynamite Kid Kuramae Kokugikan12,000-1986 Shiro Koshinaka Ryogoku Kokugikan11,190
1981 Before the first official Top of the Super Juniors event, NJPW hosted at least three tournaments that shared the round-robin format & junior heavyweight focus. All were to crown a champion. In the case of 1981, it was for the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship. Despite being hosted by NJPW, it was essentially a tournament for the Universal Wrestling Association lucha libre promotion, consisted exclusively of its luchadors, and was defended predominantly in Mexico following the crowning of its first champion - Perro Aguayo.
As no point system is readily apparent, wins & draws are listed instead. Gran Hamada had rematches against Anibal and Fishman during the tour, which he also won.
+Final standings Wrestler Score Gran Hamada4 wins, 0 losses Perro Aguayo3 wins, 1 loss Aníbal2 wins, 2 losses George Takano1 win, 3 losses Fishman0 wins, 4 losses
Results Aníbal Fishman Takano Hamada Aguayo Aníbal Aníbal(?) Aníbal(?) Hamada(9:52) Perro(?) Fishman Aníbal(?) Takano(6:33) Hamada(?) Perro(?) Takano Aníbal(?) Takano(6:33) Hamada(?) Perro(?) Hamada Hamada(9:52) Hamada(?) Hamada(?) Hamada(?) Aguayo Perro(?) Perro(?) Perro(?) Hamada(?)
1984 A second tournament for a WWF-commissioned title - 1984's "WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship League" - stretched from January 1 to February 7, 1984. Held as a single block involving nine competitors, the final day featured 3 rematches between the top 3 finishers, with Dynamite Kid winning both of his to claim the title.
Bret Hart and Kuniaki Kobayashi wrestled twice, for unknown reasons. Their first match is counted towards the record shown here, in which Bret won by disqualification. The second match went to a double countout.
+Final standings Wrestler Score Dynamite Kid6 wins, 1 draw The Cobra5 wins, 3 draws Davey Boy Smith5 wins, 2 draws Black Tiger4 wins, 1 draw Bret Hart4 wins, 1 draw Kuniaki Kobayashi2 wins, 3 draws Isamu Teranishi2 wins, 1 draw Nobuhiko Takada1 wins, 0 draws Baby Face0 wins, 1 draw
Results Baby Tiger Hart Cobra Smith Kid Teranishi Kobayashi Takada Baby Tiger(11:27) Hart(10:22) Cobra(9:31) Smith(11:46) Kid(9:30) (10:49) Kobayashi(?) Takada(forfeit) Tiger Tiger(11:27) Tiger(9:34) Cobra(12:55) Smith(?) Kid(12:22) Tiger(11:39) (10:33) Tiger(12:25) Hart Hart(10:22) Tiger(9:34) (8:55) Smith(11:26) Kid(10:20) Hart(forfeit) Hart(10:41) Hart(6:59) Cobra Cobra(9:31) Cobra(12:55) (8:55) (6:42) Cobra(13:01) Cobra(12:36) (10:15) Cobra(14:22) Smith Smith(11:46) Smith(?) Smith(11:26) (6:42) Kid(14:11) Smith(9:52) Smith(9:57) Smith(11:15) Kid Kid(9:30) Kid(12:22) Kid(10:20) Cobra(13:01) Kid(14:11) Kid(11:47) (12:49) Kid(10:19) Teranishi (10:49) Tiger(11:39) Hart(forfeit) Cobra(12:36) Smith(9:52) Kid(11:47) Teranishi(6:33) Teranishi(10:56) Kobayashi Kobayashi(?) (10:33) Hart(10:41) (10:15) Smith(9:57) (12:49) Teranishi(6:33) Kobayashi(8:23) Takada Takada(forfeit) Tiger(12:25) Hart(6:59) Cobra(14:22) Smith(11:15) Kid(10:19) Teranishi(10:56) Kobayashi(8:23)
1986 The third prototypical juniors tournament 2 years later was the "IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship League" to crown the inaugural IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. It featured eight competitors, and stretched from January 3 to February 6. Its scoring system was relatively nuanced; a decisive win gave 5 points, a win by countout or disqualification gave 4, and a draw gave 2. Once again it was one block, with a final that re-matched the top two scorers. Shiro Koshinaka won by defeating points-leader The Cobra - whom had gotten disqualified against him during the earlier block stage - to become the first ever IWGP junior champion.
+Final standings Wrestler Score The Cobra 28 Shiro Koshinaka 27 Johnny Mantell 26 Tony St. Clair 26 Black Tiger 23 Don Arakawa 12 Scorpio 9 Shunji Kosugi 7 Keiichi Yamada 6
Results Tiger Arakawa Cobra Mantell Yamada Scorpio Koshinaka Kosugi St. Clair Tiger Tiger(7:08) Cobra(10:59) Mantell(10:46) Tiger(14:07) Tiger(10:36) (11:10) Tiger(9:10) (10:59) Arakawa Tiger(7:08) Cobra(6:00) Mantell(6:23) Arakawa(11:01) Scorpio(7:52) (12:21) Arakawa(10:31) St. Clair(4:57) Cobra Cobra(10:59) Cobra(6:00) Cobra(10:18) (11:45) Cobra(10:37) Koshinaka(7:45) Cobra(12:00) (10:31) Mantell Mantell(10:46) Mantell(6:23) Cobra(10:18) Mantell(15:43) Mantell(11:00) Mantell(11:35) (10:02) (12:13) Yamada Tiger(14:07) Arakawa(11:01) (11:45) Mantell(15:43) Yamada(12:30) Koshinaka(13:56) Kosugi(12:34) St. Clair(8:37) ScorpioTiger(10:36) Scorpio(7:52) Cobra(10:37) Mantell(11:00) Yamada(12:30) Koshinaka(7:01) Scorpio(10:44) St. Clair(10:59) Koshinaka (11:10) (12:21) Koshinaka(7:45) Mantell(11:35) Koshinaka(13:56) Koshinaka(7:01) Koshinaka(12:12) Koshinaka(9:26) Kosugi Tiger(9:10) Arakawa(10:31) Cobra(12:00) (10:02) Kosugi(12:34) Scorpio(10:44) Koshinaka(12:12) St. Clair(9:13) St. Clair (10:59) St. Clair(4:57) (10:31) (12:13) St. Clair(8:37) St. Clair(10:59) Koshinaka(9:26) St. Clair(9:13)
Top of the Super Juniors (1988–1993) YearWinnerFinal venueAttendanceReference1988 Shiro Koshinaka Nakajima Sports Center 6,150 -1990 Jushin Thunder Liger Gifu Industrial Hallunverified 1991 Norio Honaga Ryōgoku Kokugikan 11,500 1992 Jushin Thunder Liger 11,500 1993 Pegasus Kid Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium 6,580
1988 The 1988 Top of the Super Juniors was a 12-man tournament held from January 4 to February 7. The points system from 1986 was carried over, with wins by forfeit also counting for 4 points. The two wrestlers with the most points at the end of the tournament, Shiro Koshinaka and reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Hase, faced off in a singles match to determine the winner. The winner, Koshinaka, went on to win the Junior Championship from Owen Hart on June 24, 1988, after failing to win the title from Hiroshi Hase twice on March 19 and May 8.
Norio Honaga presumably withdrew due to injury, as he wrestled in tag matches on the first two days of the tour, then did not wrestle again until weeks after the tournament had finished.
+Final standings Wrestler Score Shiro Koshinaka 41 Hiroshi Hase 41 Nobuhiko Takada 40 Owen Hart 39 Kazuo Yamazaki 38 Keiichi Yamada 31 Kuniaki Kobayashi 24 Hiro Saito 24 Tony St. Clair 14 Tatsutoshi Goto 9 Masakatsu Funaki 8 Norio Honaga 0
ResultsSaito Hase Yamazaki Yamada Kobayashi Funaki Takada Honaga Hart Koshinaka Goto St. ClairSaito Hase(13:27) Yamazaki(13:22) Saito(11:11) Kobayashi(12:36) Saito(7:32) Takada(12:28) Saito(forfeit) Hart(11:49) Koshinaka(12:03) Saito(12:28) Saito(12:29)Hase Hase(13:27) Yamazaki(11:26) Hase(12:38) Kobayashi(10:51) Hase(10:09) (13:31) Hase(forfeit) Hase(13:09) Hase(12:04) Hase(13:49) Hase(12:13)Yamazaki Yamazaki(13:22) Yamazaki(11:26) Yamada(10:07) Yamazaki(15:06) Yamazaki(13:28) Yamazaki(14:08) Yamazaki(forfeit) Hart(12:56) Koshinaka(12:58) Yamazaki(11:55) Yamazaki(8:55)Yamada Saito(11:11) Hase(12:38) Yamada(10:07) Kobayashi(16:12) Yamada(9:24) (12:28) Yamada(forfeit) Yamada(10:54) Koshinaka(18:14) Yamada(13:18) Yamada(10:01)Kobayashi Kobayashi(12:36) Kobayashi(10:51) Yamazaki(15:06) Kobayashi(16:12) Funaki(9:10) Takada(10:18) Kobayashi(forfeit) Hart(10:34) Koshinaka(13:49) Kobayashi(11:12) Kobayashi(11:09)Funaki Saito(7:32) Hase(10:09) Yamazaki(13:28) Yamada(9:24) Funaki(9:10) Takada(20:05) Funaki(forfeit) Hart(10:55) Koshinaka(12:04) Goto(10:28) St. Clair(7:32)Takada Takada(12:28) (13:31) Yamazaki(14:08) (12:28) Takada(10:18) Takada(20:05) Takada(forfeit) Takada(13:43) (20:34) Takada(19:34) Takada(11:29)Honaga Saito(forfeit) Hase(forfeit) Yamazaki(forfeit) Yamada(forfeit) Kobayashi(forfeit) Funaki(forfeit) Takada(forfeit) Hart(forfeit) Koshinaka(forfeit) Goto(forfeit) St. Clair(forfeit)Hart Hart(11:49) Hase(13:09) Hart(12:56) Yamada(10:54) Hart(10:34) Hart(10:55) Takada(13:43) Hart(forfeit) Hart(15:00) Hart(7:57) Hart(11:28)Koshinaka Koshinaka(12:03) Hase(12:04) Koshinaka(12:58) Koshinaka(18:14) Koshinaka(13:49) Koshinaka(12:04) (20:34) Koshinaka(forfeit) Hart(15:00) Koshinaka(8:12) Koshinaka(9:50)Goto Saito(12:28) Hase(13:49) Yamazaki(11:55) Yamada(13:18) Kobayashi(11:12) Goto(10:28) Takada(19:34) Goto(forfeit) Hart(7:57) Koshinaka(8:12) St. Clair(7:47)St. Clair Saito(12:29) Hase(12:13) Yamazaki(8:55) Yamada(10:01) Kobayashi(11:09) St. Clair(7:32) Takada(11:29) St. Clair(forfeit) Hart(11:28) Koshinaka(9:50) St. Clair(7:47)
1990 Whilst there was not a named "Super Juniors" event in 1990, there was nonetheless a month-long round-robin junior heavyweight tournament in the same vein at the beginning of the year, to establish a #1 contender for the championship. The block matches took place on the "NJPW New Spring Gold Series 1990" tour, stretching from January 5 to January 30, with the winner receiving their championship match at the tour's finale on January 31. There was no "final", with individual wins (of any type, ending the system from the previous two tournaments) being worth 5 point each and the overall winner being whoever accrued the most points. Jushin Thunder Liger won the tournament by last defeating Owen Hart, and defeated Naoki Sano to regain the title that Sano had defeated him for months prior, thus beginning his second reign.
As in the previous tournament, Norio Honaga was originally booked to compete, and instead forfeited all of his matches. Strangely however, on this occasion he was still present throughout the tour, instead wrestling in tag matches alongside "Blond Outlaws" teammate Tatsutoshi Goto. Biff Wellington likewise forfeited his final 2 matches, presumably due to injury (as he did not wrestle again for several months).
A block match between Hiro Saito & Akira Nogami did not take place, possibly due to both having been mathematically eliminated from the tournament.
+Final standings Wrestler Score Jushin Thunder Liger 40 Owen Hart 35 Takayuki Iizuka 30 Hiro Saito 30 Akira Nogami 25 Biff Wellington 20 Black Tiger 20 Osamu Matsuda 10 Hirokazu Hata 10 Norio Honaga 0