Updated list of NJPW Best of the Super Juniors entrants
The lineup for NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 is now almost fully set with 18 of the 20 entrants confirmed.
NJPW has announced that junior heavyweight mainstays KUSHIDA and Ryusuke Taguchi will be participating in this year’s tournament. Along with that, Dragon Gate wrestler Hyo has been added to the list of entrants as he makes his official NJPW debut.
KUSHIDA and Taguchi are both former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions and BOSJ winners, with KUSHIDA having won the tournament in 2015 and 2017 and Taguchi winning in 2012.
Though this is Hyo’s NJPW debut, he won the promotion’s bodybuilding contest in 2025. He’s a two-time Open the Brave Gate Champion, which is Dragon Gate’s version of a junior heavyweight title.
BOSJ 2026 begins on May 14 and runs through June 7. The final two entrants, along with the block lineups, are set to be revealed this Saturday at NJPW Sakura Genesis. A title shot will be awaiting the BOSJ winner — if current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI does not win the tournament himself.
Here is the updated list of entrants:
NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 —
- Kosei Fujita
- DOUKI
- El Desperado
- Yoshinobu Kanemaru
- SHO
- Daisuke Sasaki
- YOH
- Master Wato
- Jakob Austin Young
- Francesco Akira
- Valiente Jr.
- Robbie Eagles
- Taiji Ishimori
- Robbie X
- Titan
- KUSHIDA
- Ryusuke Taguchi
- Hyo
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.