It will be Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon at NJPW Sakura Genesis.
Yota Tsuji is set to challenge his LIJ stablemate Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Sakura Genesis on Saturday, April 6. The title match was confirmed with Tsuji being crowned the winner of New Japan Cup 2024 on Wednesday.
Tsuji defeated Hirooki Goto in the finals of the tournament. In his promo after the victory, Tsuji declared himself the face of NJPW’s new era and vowed to win the IWGP World Heavyweight title.
Naito was on Japanese commentary for the New Japan Cup finals. He got into the ring for a staredown with Tsuji following the match.
During his run in the New Japan Cup, Tsuji defeated Goto, EVIL, Ren Narita, El Phantasmo, and Jeff Cobb.
This will be the second time Tsuji has ever challenged for the IWGP World Heavyweight title. He lost to then-champion SANADA at Dominion 2023.
Sakura Genesis is taking place from Sumo Hall in Tokyo on April 6.
Less than a week after Sakura Genesis, Naito is facing Jon Moxley in a special singles match at NJPW Windy City Riot in Chicago on Friday, April 12. Naito wants it to be a title match if he’s still IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
Hirooki Goto faces Yota Tsuji today in the New Japan Cup 2024 finals.
Goto is the only three-time New Japan Cup winner, although he has not won the tournament since 2012. Goto also has three runner-up performances to his credit, making him the most decorated New Japan Cup competitor in the tournament’s 20-year history.
This is the first New Japan Cup finals appearance for Tsuji.
The winner of today’s finals will face IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito for the title at Sakura Genesis on Saturday, April 6.
Naito will be in action in the semi-main event of today’s show, teaming with Shingo Takagi against EVIL & Dick Togo from Bullet Club’s House of Torture.
In a 10-man tag, Hikuleo, El Phantasmo, Toru Yano, Jado & Boltin Oleg will take on SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku of Just Five Guys.
YOH will face Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a special singles match on today’s show in the other featured bout.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi) defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato
This was a decent outing from the Young Lions. They were firey heading into the finishing sequence, but BUSHI was able to secure the win with a crab.
United Empire (Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan & TJP) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Tanga Loa & Tomohiro Ishii
This was a step up from what I expected. It almost felt like a decent effort was made in this match. Catch 22’s tandem offense led to the UE finish.
TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman & Jeff Cobb)
This was a highly competitive undercard tag. The closing sequence went back and forth, with a handful of nearfalls between Nicholls and Newman. In the end, Mikey landed his finish to secure the win.
BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens, Gabe Kidd & KENTA) defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe & YOSHI-HASHI
Most of this match’s disorder came from the babyfaces. By the end, BULLET CLUB was taking full advantage of this chaos. KENTA hit Tenzan with his belt, leaving Owens free to secure the pinfall win.
After the match, BC tried hitting YH with the belt, but YH escaped. Makabe and Kidd also continued to brawl after the closing bell.
House Of Torture (Jack Perry, Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated El Desperado, Shota Umino & Yuji Nagata
This was fine.
The crowd was really into this match throughout its runtime, and most of the cheating wasn’t insulting. The closing sequence saw Narita hit Nagata with a low blow before forcing him to tap with the cobra twist.
YOH defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru
This match kicked off with Kanemaru and SHO jumping SHO before the opening bell. From here, the typical HoT match played out, complete with distracted referees and outside beat downs.
After spending an extended amount of time in Kanemaru’s Boston crab, YOH escaped to the bottom rope. He then took advantage of an attempted distraction, leading to Kanemaru spitting his whiskey in SHO’s face. YOH then rolled up Kanemaru to win the match.
After the match, YOH left with the junior title in hand.
Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Jado), Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano defeated Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura)
This wasn’t a good match, but it didn’t try to be one.
Everyone had their moment to shine, but this was totally lighthearted bell-to-bell. In the end, ELP hit his finish and pinned TAKA to win the match.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) defeated House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL)
This was a by-the-book HoT tag.
The action worked its way into the crowd early on, with EVIL utilizing chairs to establish a lead. The fighting continued so long that the referee’s count reached 20, resulting in a double count-out.
Shingo grabbed the microphone and asked for a restart with EVIL’s belt in hand. HoT accepted the challenge, and the match restarted.
This was the second EVIL match to be thrown out and restarted in the past two days.
Once the match restarted, the fighting returned to the floor. EVIL and Togo isolated Shingo on the outside, hitting him with the turnbuckle cover and whipping him into the barricades. Once the match returned to the ring, the isolation continued.
Eventually, Naito tagged in and turned the match around for his team. HoT challenged Naito’s lead by choking him with a shirt, hitting a low blow, and bumping the referee. With the referee down, Togo choked Naito with his wire.
Once Naito escaped Togo’s wire, he used it himself. Naito then dropped Togo with a low blow and used a jackknife pin to win the match.
Shingo challenged EVIL to a match for the NEVER Openweight Championship after the match.
New Japan Cup: Yota Tsuji defeated Hirooki Goto
This match was a lot of fun, especially in the closing stretch. It’s easily one of the best matches of the tournament.
The match opened with a standard feeling-out process. This led to Goto leaving the ring, which Tsuji followed with a tope. Back inside the ring, Tsuji utilized body scissors to maintain his control.
A ushigoroshi reset the match, leading to a back-and-forth strike exchange. Goto won out, establishing control for the first time in the match. He tried for GTR but missed, leaving Tsuji free to drive him onto the mat.
Tsuji landed a pair of stomps for a nearfall. When Tsuji tried to follow up, Goto secured the sleeper hold. Goto then tried for GTR again, but Tsuji answered with a headbutt. Goto responded with eight headbutts of his own, maintaining his lead.
Goto landed Shouten Kai for one of the nearest nearfalls I’ve ever seen. After Tsuji kicked out, Goto paused, buying Tsuji enough time to respond with a knee. Tsuji went for Gene Blast but was cut off by a lariat.
Goto tried for a rainmaker, but Tsuji reversed into Gene Blast; Goto kicked out at one. Tsuji didn’t waste any time before hitting another Gene Blast. He then pinned Goto to win the New Japan Cup.
Tsuji cut the show ending promo, declaring himself the face of a new era. Naito joined him in the ring after Tsuji promised to take his belt. Naito questioned his readiness before having a friendly stare down.
Once Naito left the ring, Tsuji promised to take New Japan to greater heights.
Tsuji is set for action against his faction mate and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Tetsuya Naito, at Sakura Genesis.
The event is taking place in Nagaoka this Wednesday (March 20) and streams live on NJPW World starting at 4 a.m. Eastern time. In the main event, Hirooki Goto battles Yota Tsuji in the New Japan Cup tournament finals.
Goto advanced to the finals with a victory over SANADA, while Tsuji earned his place with a semifinal win against EVIL.
The winner of Goto vs. Tsuji will challenge Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on Saturday, April 6.
Naito is set for action in the semi-main event of Wednesday’s show. It will be Naito & Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL & Dick Togo.
Seven tag matches are part of the undercard for the New Japan Cup Finals. There will also be a special singles match between YOH and Yoshinobu Kanemaru.
Here’s the full lineup:
New Japan Cup Finals (Wednesday, March 20) —
2024 New Japan Cup tournament final: Hirooki Goto vs. Yota Tsuji
Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL & Dick Togo
Hikuleo, El Phantasmo, Toru Yano, Jado & Boltin Oleg vs. SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku
YOH vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Shota Umino, Yuji Nagata & El Desperado vs. Ren Narita, Jack Perry & Yujiro Takahashi
YOSHI-HASHI, Togi Makabe & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. KENTA, Chase Owens & Gabe Kidd
Zack Sabre Jr. & Mikey Nicholls vs. Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman
Tomohiro Ishii, Tanga Loa & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Great-O-Khan, TJP & Francesco Akira
Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima
The New Japan Cup is down to its final two competitors.
Yota Tsuji vs. Hirooki Goto will take place in the finals on Wednesday, March 20 in Nagaoka. The winner will advance to face IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito at Sakura Genesis on April 6.
The tournament semifinals took place on Monday in Fukushima. Tsuji defeated EVIL on the show, needing help from his LIJ teammates to overcome repeated interference by House of Torture. Goto then defeated SANADA in the second semifinal.
Tsuji’s route to the finals included wins over Jeff Cobb, El Phantasmo, Ren Narita, and EVIL. Goto’s route included wins over Chase Owens, a forfeit win over David Finlay, and SANADA.
New Japan Cup 2024’s semifinals take place today in Fukushima.
One one side of the bracket, SANADA of Just Five Guys will face Hirooki Goto of CHAOS in a battle of former tournament winners.
SANADA won the New Japan Cup 2023, defeating David Finlay in the finals. Goto remains the only three-time New Japan Cup winner, but his last victory came in 2012, and he has not made the finals since 2016.
On the other side of the bracket, Yota Tsuji of Los Ingobernables de Japon will battle EVIL from Bullet Club’s House of Torture.
EVIL won the tournament in 2020, defeating Kazuchika Okada in the finals and going on to defeat Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Championships at Dominion that year.
The winners of today’s tournament matches will meet in the finals on Wednesday, with the overall tournament winner advancing to face Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 6.
Zack brought so much out of the Young Lions; both looked great. Of course, Oleg led his team with multiple power-based sequences but also tried his hand at grappling. Kato was firey, adding to the energy of the match. Ultimately, ZSJ forced Kato to submit to win the match for TMDK.
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) defeated El Desperado, Togi Makabe & Tomohiro Ishii
This was an uninspiring six-man.
This was filled with what you would expect: a handful of middling back-and-forths, an Ishii/Taichi striking battle, and Makabe taking the loss. The match ended after Uemura forced Makabe to tap out with an armbar.
After the match, Ishii and Taichi traded more strikes.
Ryusuke Taguchi & Tanga Loa defeated United Empire (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan)
Bad. This was bad.
The only person who seemed like he wanted to be there was Newman. Unfortunately, this meant he was on the receiving end of some ugly-looking offense. Thankfully, this match eventually came to an end. Loa won the match for his team by forcing Newman to submit with a crossface.
After the match, Taguchi put his butt on Newman’s face. Loa then challenged O-Khan for the KOPW belt.
BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens, Gabe Kidd & KENTA) defeated CHAOS (Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI) & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
This was a by-the-book BULLET CLUB match.
After prolonged isolation from the BULLET CLUB trio, they distracted the referee. KENTA hit Tenzan with the tag belt and pinned him to win the match.
After securing the win, BULLET CLUB continued to beat down their opponents.
Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo), Shota Umino & YOH defeated House Of Torture (Jack Perry, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)
Before the match began, HoT attacked Hikuleo, setting the pace for the rest of the match. There was a lot of shenanigans, as you would expect. After Umino cleared the ring of Perry, he forced Yujiro to submit with a crossface.
After the match, YOH stole the junior title ahead of their match on the 20th.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) defeated United Empire (Francesco Akira, Jeff Cobb & TJP)
They’re really pushing the idea that TJP is stepping up to lead UE without him actually winning anything. Other than that, this was a totally average showcase tag.
This match featured heavy interactions from the pairings you would expect. Hiromu and Akira were the main focus heading into the final stretch. With the end in sight, Akira set up for his finish, but Hiromu reversed into the Hiromu roll to win the match.
New Japan Cup: Yota Tsuji defeated EVIL
This match was really bad. It was nothing short of frustrating from the first opening bell to the close. That said, Tsuji winning in the end did feel great (mostly because it marks the end of HoT in the cup, but hey, a win is a win).
Before the match began, Tsuji attacked HoT on the outside. This occupied Tsuji long enough for EVIL to take advantage, whipping Tsuji into the barricade. From here, HoT rushed the ring, leading to a beatdown on Tsuji. LIJ ran to the ring to make the save, but the sheer numbers from HoT proved to be too much.
The referee couldn’t gain order so he called for the bell. The match was ruled a no-contest.
An irate Tsuji grabbed the microphone and asked for a restart. In order for the match to restart, HoT and LIJ had to return to the back, which they did.
The match kicked off for the second time with an impassioned Tsuji rushed EVIL. EVIL retreated to the outside, where he lay in wait. When Tsuji met him on the floor, EVIL slammed him into the barricade and removed the cover from the turnbuckles.
Back inside the ring, EVIL pulled the hair of Tsuji, chopped his chest, and gouged his eyes. EVIL then worked Tsuji into the corner. Tsuji responded with a sudden curb stomp, resting the match. Before Tsuji could gain a footing, EVIL slammed him into the exposed corner and landed a fisherman suplex to re-cement his lead. EVIL followed up with Darkness Falls for a nearfall.
Tsuji reset the match again by driving EVIL into the exposed corner. A sit-out bomb from Tsuji scored him a nearfall. As soon as Tsuji was in a winning position, EVIL bumped the referee. HoT rushed the ring again, leading to a full-fledged beatdown. LIJ tried to make the save, but again, they were outnumbered.
Once a new referee entered the ring, EVIL floored Tsuji with a lariat. EVIL tried for Everything is Evil, but Tsuji flipped out and landed a headbutt and powerbomb in response. EVIL bumped the referee again and hit a low blow. Before Narita could hit Tsuji with his pushup bar, Shingo Takagi hit the ring and cleared HoT. BUSHI misted EVIL, and Shingo hit him with a pumping bomber to even the odds. This left Tsuji free to hit Gene Blast and win the match.
Tsuji, in his first New Japan Cup post-excursion, is in the finals.
New Japan Cup: Hirooki Goto defeated SANADA
This match opened with a slow feeling-out before working its way to the floor. On the outside, SANADA dropped Goto with a piledriver. Back inside, SANADA maintained his lead with basic offense.
Goto eventually dropped SANADA with a lariat to gain some footing. He then utilized more strikes to further his lead. SANADA didn’t let Goto’s lead develop, however. He landed a dropkick to send Goto to the floor followed by a plancha, regaining a strong lead.
SANADA attempted Skull End, but Goto escaped. This led to a short scramble, but SANADA landed TKO to stay on top. SANADA tried for the rounding body press but missed, leaving Goto free to land a ushigoroshi, resetting the match.
After a striking battle, SANADA hit a shining wizard. He then secured Skull End in the middle of the ring. Once Goto was freed, he dropped SANADA with a headbutt. When he tried for GTW, SANADA reversed and attempted multiple quick pins.
Goto kicked from SANADA’s cheap attempts at pinning Goto. SANADA followed up with a shining wizard, but Goto was quick to respond with GTR and GTW to win the match.
The match is set. On Wednesday, in his seventh finals, Hirooki Goto will face Yota Tsuji for the New Japan Cup.
The semifinals for the New Japan Cup 2024 will be set following today’s last quarterfinals bouts in Shizuoka.
Both tournament matches tonight feature a member of Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. a member of Bullet Club’s House of Torture.
Former LIJ’s Shingo Takagi & HoT’s EVIL will meet in the main event quarterfinals matchup with a spot in Monday’s semifinals on the line.
In tonight’s other quarterfinals match in the semi-main, LIJ’s Yota Tsuji faces HoT’s Ren Narita.
The winners of today’s tournament matches will meet on Monday’s show in the semifinals. Hirooki Goto vs. SANADA is already set for the other semifinals bout on Monday’s show.
Six tag team matches round out today’s undercard, including an LIJ vs. Just Five Guys trios match featuring Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura.
Today’s show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 2 a.m. Eastern time.
This match featured heavy back and forth from the Young Lions. Taguchi wore his own Young Lion attire, matching the energy from the others. Oleg won the match for his team with a big drop to Kato.
Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Tanga Loa) defeated United Empire (Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan & TJP)
This was an absolutely nothing match. After minutes of struggle, Loa won the match for GoD.
TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman & Jeff Cobb)
This was a solid showcase between these teams. The isolation work and breakdown sequences were a blast. The match ended with a ZSJ arm bar on Newman that forced the submission.
El Desperado, Shota Umino & YOH defeated House Of Torture (Jack Perry, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)
This was a total HoT match. There was a chicanery involving the Junior belt. Umino was able to overcome the hijinks to win the match.
This was a standard Bullet Club match built around isolation and the hot tag. Ishii and Kidd continue to be the best part of these showcase tags. Once Ishii and Kidd stopped brawling, YH won the match for his team.
Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito)
This match featured heavy interaction between SANADA and Naito early. An extended match breakdown followed with a back-and-forth between teams. The scramble ended with Uemura securing a quick pin on BUSHI.
New Japan Cup: Yota Tsuji defeated Ren Narita
Narita opened the match by rushing Tsuji. He tried taking advantage on the floor, but Tsuji reversed, whipping Narita into the barricade. This forced Narita to the ring to recover.
After a pause, Narita went back outside and reversed momentum by driving Tsuji into the fencing. Narita then slammed Tsuji into the Shizuoka wall before throwing him into a sea of chairs. Narita followed up by attacking Tsuji with the floor seats. Back in the ring, Narita continued this advance. Tsuji eventually knocked Narita to the floor, but Narita cut off his dive with a chair shot.
Tsuji eventually launched into a rally. After scoring a couple of two counts from big moves, Tsuji set up for Gene Blast. Narita reversed and attempted Double Cross. Tsuji blocked Double Cross with a handstand and went for Gene Blast again. This time, Narita pulled the referee into Tsuji’s path.
After the ref bump, HoT hit the ring in full. Thankfully, LIJ was right behind and cleared the ring. Narita tried to take advantage of the distraction by hitting Tsuji with his pushup bar but he missed. Narita didn’t waste any time, though; he hit a low blow to follow up. Before Narita could capitalize, however, Tsuji transitioned into the pin and won the match.
Tsjui has defeated Narita for the first time in his career to advance to the semi-finals.
After the match, HoT beat down Tsuji. EVIL joined the beatdown, prompting Shingo Takagi to join the conflict ahead of the main event.
New Japan Cup: EVIL defeated Shingo Takagi
The brawl that marked the end of the last match kicked off this one. Shingo started hot, but EVIL was able to reverse momentum by utilizing his environment. Inside the ring, EVIL choked Shingo with a shirt, taking advantage of a distracted referee.
Shingo eventually launched a rally, but a kick from EVIL sent him to the mat. This led to HoT filling the floor with chairs. EVIL tried suplexing Shingo into the hardware, but Shingo reversed, giving EVIL a taste of his own medicine. Shingo then hit a suplex in the ring to further his newfound lead.
A sliding lariat from Shingo scored him a nearfall. EVIL needed separation, so he pretended to be injured. This distracted the referee, leading to a ref bump and HoT rushing the ring. HoT beat down Shingo, leaving EVIL in strong position.
Shingo dug deep to challenge EVIL’s lead, hitting a lariat to reset the match. After knocking EVIL to the floor, Shingo hit Made in Japan. During the count, HoT rang the bell before the referee could finish his count, triggering another distraction.
EVIL shoved Shingo into the referee again, leading to a full breakdown between LIJ and HoT. EVIL ate a face full of black mist, whiskey, and mystery powder before the referee woke back up. EVIL landed Everything is Evil and pinned Shingo to win the match.
David Finlay will miss another date due to illness.
NJPW announced that Finlay has not been cleared to compete for Sunday’s NJPW Cup event in Shizuoka due to the illness that kept him off his match against Hirooki Goto on March 16. Finlay withdrew from the tournament due to being sick.
Yesterday, New Japan Cup entrant David Finlay was forced to withdraw from his tournament matchup with Hirooki Goto due to a health complaint before matches took place.
Finlay has additionally not been cleared to compete in today’s event in Shizuoka. We apologise to fans who were looking forward to seeing Finlay wrestle and appreciate your understanding.
Finlay was scheduled to team with KENTA, Chase Owens, Gabe Kidd, and Taiji Ishimori against Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, and Hiroyoshi Tezan. Gedo will take his place.
The event in Shizuoka will determine the semifinals for the New Japan Cup, which will be held on March 18 in Fukushima. The finals of this year’s tournament will take place on March 20 in Niigata.
Though they ended up taking different paths to get there, SANADA and Hirooki Goto have both advanced to the semifinals of New Japan Cup 2024.
SANADA booked his spot in the semifinals by defeating Jack Perry in a quarterfinal match at NJPW’s event in Nagoya on Saturday. Goto vs. David Finlay was also supposed to take place at the show, but it was announced that Finlay couldn’t compete due to illness. Goto instead advanced to the semifinals by forfeit.
“David Finlay will not compete [on Saturday] in Nagoya due to illness,” NJPW announced. “He is currently undergoing evaluation at a local hospital. Hirooki Goto will advance to the semifinals via forfeit.”
Both semifinal matches in the New Japan Cup are taking place on Monday (March 18). SANADA vs. Goto is the first semifinal that’s been confirmed.
Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL and Yota Tsuji vs. Ren Narita at Sunday’s New Japan Cup event will determine who advances to the other semifinal.
The New Japan Cup finals are being held on Wednesday (March 20). The winner earns an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot against Tetsuya Naito at Sakura Genesis on Saturday, April 6.
New Japan Cup 2024 is down to its final eight participants.
Ren Narita and Yota Tsuji secured their spots in the quarterfinals with victories at NJPW’s event in Osaka on Friday. In the main event of the show, Narita upset Zack Sabre Jr. after interference by House of Torture. Tsuji advanced with a victory over El Phantasmo.
Here’s the full quarterfinals schedule:
Saturday, March 16 —
SANADA vs. Jack Perry
Hirooki Goto vs. David Finlay
Sunday, March 17 —
Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL
Ren Narita vs. Yota Tsuji
Both semifinal matches will then take place on Monday (March 18), which leads into the finals being held on Wednesday (March 20).
The New Japan Cup winner earns an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot against Tetsuya Naito in the main event of Sakura Genesis. Naito has held the title since winning it from SANADA at Wrestle Kingdom 18 this January.
Sakura Genesis is taking place at Sumo Hall in Tokyo on Saturday, April 6.
The final eight in the 2024 New Japan Cup field will be set following today’s event in Osaka.
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ren Narita in the main event, plus Yota Tsuji vs. El Phantasmo in the semi-main event are today’s Cup matches, the final second round bouts of the tournament.
The winners of today’s matches will square off in the quarterfinals on March 17.
Today’s undercard will feature four tag team bouts, and the show kicks off with a pair of singles matches.
The featured tag team bout is an eight-man with LIJ’s Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI facing UE’s Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, TJP & Francesco Akira.
Mikey Nicholls of TMDK takes on Callum Newman of United Empire in one singles bout, while Young Lions Shoma Kato & Katsuya Murashima square off in the opener.
Today’s show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
Time Limit Draw: Shoma Kato vs. Katsuya Murashima
Oh, how I’ve missed the Young Lion exhibitions.
This was a straightforward, efficient, and fun ground war. The match ended with Kato locking in a Boston Crab, but Murashima held on to earn the time-limit draw.
Mikey Nicholls defeated Callum Newman
This was a decent little singles match.
There were a handful of competitive sequences and interesting offenses ahead of the finish. Ultimately, Nicholls won the match with a Master Blaster.
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) defeated Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma), El Desperado & Oleg Boltin
This was a totally standard preview tag. It was fun; GBH had a lot of ring time. That said, it’s nothing worth going out of your way for.
The match ended with a back-and-forth between Honma and Uemura. Uemura was overwhelmed momentarily but eventually reversed momentum. He hit Honma with his deadbolt suplex and won the match.
BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens, David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori) defeated CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI) & Ryusuke Taguchi
This was almost your typical BULLET CLUB match, but the interactions between Kidd and Ishii elevated it above average. It’s not awful, but it’s not worth seeking out.
The match ended after a full-scale breakdown, which left Owens and Taguchi alone in the ring. Owens hit Taguchi with the package piledriver and won the match.
Guerrillas Of Destiny (Hikuleo, Jado & Tanga Loa), Shota Umino & YOH defeated House Of Torture (Dick Togo, EVIL, Jack Perry, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)
If you’ve seen one HoT match, you’ve seen them all. Shota’s goal was to pin Perry, but he couldn’t get the job done. Instead, after minutes of back and forth, YOH pinned Togo with a bridging pin.
United Empire (Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & TJP) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito)
This match was fine, even if it felt like little more than a card filler.
Both teams exchanged control multiple times in this match. Only after multiple match breakdowns Cobb isolated BUSHI from his team. He landed on Tour of the Islands to win the match.
New Japan Cup: Yota Tsuji defeated El Phantasmo
This match kicked off with some common grappling. It turned into a strike-off, which ELP took full advantage of. ELP landed a rana and attempted a dive, but Tsuji cut him off with a kick.
Back in the ring, Tsuji slammed ELP into the corner. He then took ELP to the mat with a body scissor. Once ELP secured a rope break, Tsuji hit a scoop slam and a splash. ELP remained on the back foot until he caught him with a DDT.
Tsuji fled to the outside, but ELP was right behind him with another DDT. ELP then hit a senton and moonsault combination for a nearfall. ELP tried for Sudden Death, but Tsuji avoided the finish. Tsuji followed up with a tilt-a-whirl for a match reset.
Tsuji caught ELP with a boot, sending ELP back to the floor. Tsuji then positioned ELP on the mat, where the pair struggled for control. ELP tried for CR2, but Tsuji avoided it. Tsuji attempted his curb stomp on the apron, but ELP dodged it. ELP attempted a dive to the floor, but again, he missed. Tsuji was quick to respond with a curb stomp on the floor. ELP barely beat the count, only to eat another curb stomp as soon as he entered the ropes.
Instead of going for the finish, Tusji hoisted ELP to a standing position. He then slapped ELP, landed a corner splash, and lifted him to the top rope. From the top, Tsuji hit a Spanish Fly for a nearfall. Tsuji set up for a Gene Blast, but ELP lept the attack and hit a Sudden Death superkick for a nearfall of his own.
A sequence of quick pins nearly ended the match. Tsuji took advantage of a momentary pause after the back-and-forth to kick ELP to the mat. Tsuji attempted another Gene Blast, but ELP intercepted Tsuji. ELP transitioned into CR2 for a convincing false finish.
Another strike exchange escalated into a sequence of heavy moves. Tsuji landed a knee strike and a curb stomp. With ELP laying in the corner, Tsuji lept to the top rope and delivered another curb stomp, resulting in a win.
Yota Tsuji is set for quarter final action.
New Japan Cup: Ren Narita defeated Zack Sabre Jr.
I would have been pumped if you told me this match was happening one year ago. This was far better than that match would have been. This was great. Both men looked focused and intense. Even the HoT interference wasn’t nearly as infuriating as it should be. Color me impressed.
Narita came to the ring holding his pushup bar, accompanied by Jack Perry, Dick Togo, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, & Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Mikey Nicholls made sure they were expelled to the back before the match began.
The match opened with a scramble for control. No one won out, but Narita was outclassed, so he fled to the floor. Once he returned, he tried catching ZSJ with strikes, but ZSJ fought back with some of his own. Narita held on long enough to throw ZSJ to the floor.
On the outside, Narita carried ZSJ into the floor seats. He tried throwing ZSJ into the wall, but ZSJ blocked him before locking in the cobra twist. Once the referee forced ZSJ to break his hold, ZSJ struck Narita, forcefully sending him back toward the ring.
Once the pair was ringside, Narita whipped ZSJ into the barricade, sending him crashing into English coms. Narita followed up with a sick sling blade-esq lariat into the fencing. Narita dropped ZSJ with a chair before punting him on the apron.
Back in the ring, Narita established control of the mat. He utilized holds, whips, and kicks, really putting ZSJ on the back foot. ZSJ eventually fired back, knocking Narita to the mat. ZSJ then employed his own holds, whips, and kicks to reset the match in his favor.
It took a quick slap and a clothesline from Narita to retake control. ZSJ answered by initiating a passionate strike battle, ending with a pair of big boots; during this exchange, Narita’s nose busted, resulting in a lot of blood. Narita won out, hitting a Narita special and a guillotine for nearfall.
ZSJ tried to regain his lead with two quick pin attempts. A stunning suplex followed, resulting in another nearfall. Once both men returned to their feet, ZSJ attempted the Zack Driver, but Narita slipped free, catching ZSJ in the octopus hold. ZSJ escaped; Narita followed up with a guillotine knee for another nearfall.
Narita tried for Double Cross, but ZSJ transitioned into a cross-arm breaker. A quick exchange of holds followed, but ZSJ maintained control. This signaled HoT to hit the ring. Nicholls was as fast to the ring as possible, but he couldn’t hold off HoT alone. The distraction left Narita free to drop ZSJ with the pushup bar and a double cross to win the match.
The 2024 New Japan Cup continues today in Okayama with two second round matches.
In the main event, Shingo Takagi faces Gabe Kidd with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.
In the night’s other tournament bout, EVIL will face Hikuleo for a place in the quarterfinals.
The winners of today’s tournament matches will square off in the quarterfinals on March 17.
The New Japan Cup field will be whittled down to 10 following today’s show, with the final 8 being set following Friday’s show. Yota Tsuji vs. El Phantasmo, and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ren Narita are Friday’s tournament matches.
Six tag team matches will fill out today’s undercard, including an eight-man tag pitting Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI of Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. Tanga Loa, El Phantasmo, Togi Makabe & El Desperado.
Today’s show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time.
United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb) defeated Tomoaki Honma & Toru Yano
This was a totally by-the-book opening tag. There was some goofiness from Yano, Honma, and O-Khan. O-Khan won the match for UE by submitting Honma with his abdominal/stretch claw combination.
CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & TJP)
This match had some substance but isn’t something I’d recommend going out of your way to see. There were a handful of competitive sequences throughout this match before the finish. Ultimatly, the match ended once Bishamon hit Newman with Shoto, pulling off a CHAOS win.
House Of Torture (Jack Perry & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi & Shota Umino
The was a less egregious HoT match than normal. Perry and Shota continued their rivalry here with some hate-filled interactions. Perry won the match for HoT with his “Glass Jaw” knee strike on Taguchi.
After the match, HoT beat down Shota. Perry then told Sanada he was “next.”
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura) defeated BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens, David Finlay, Gedo & KENTA)
This was a fairly uninteresting match. There was a lot of Bullet Club-led isolation and not-so-compelling offense from the babyfaces. DOUKI submitted Gedo with the DOUKI-chokie to leave with the win.
TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated House Of Torture (Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)
This was the second HoT match that was less bad than expected. It seems they’re saving the worst for the EVIL/Hikuleo match. They still cheated, but there wasn’t endless interference. The match ended once TMDK thwarted the usual referee distraction spot, and ZSJ hit Yujiro with a penalty kick.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji) defeated Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Tanga Loa), El Desperado & Togi Makabe
This match felt as if it was here just to fill time. It was supposed to set up ELP/Tsuji, but I think this made me even less interested in their cup match. After an extended time alone in the ring, Tsuji hit Makabe with Gene Blast and won the match for LIJ.
New Japan Cup: EVIL defeated Hikuleo
My expectations for this match were already very low. This managed to be worse than I thought it’d be.
EVIL opened the match by attacking Hikuleo’s injured knee. Hikuleo fought back, taking the fight to the floor, all while limping. He whipped EVIL into the barricade and chopped him around the ring.
Back inside, EVIL retook control by turning his attention back to the knee. He worked holds on the mat and targeted the injury with various strikes. EVIL then threw Hikuleo to the floor, allowing Dick Togo to attack the knee with a chair.
Inside the ropes, EVIL paused for a second, allowing Hikuleo to cut him off with a lariat. Hikuleo then cemented his control with a big boot and a suplex. This prompted a HoT run in and beatdown.
Hikuleo tried fighting off HoT on his own. He landed the TKO, prompting another distraction, ref bump, and beat down. This time, GoD ran in to make the save, clearing the ring of HoT. It wasn’t enough, however, as EVIL closed the match with Everything is Evil moments later.
New Japan Cup: Shingo Takagi defeated Gabe Kidd
I’ve seen more intense brawls from both men, but this was still a blast. While it’s not saying much at this point, this was one of the better Cup matches so far.
Before Takagi entered the ring, Kidd rushed him, leading to a fight on the outside. Kidd attacked him with a chair and forced him into the crowd. He taunted Shingo with a live microphone, inciting Shingo to fight back. Shingo whipped Kidd into the barricades himself, but Kidd kept up the fight, biting Shingo before throwing him in the ring.
When Kidd followed Shingo between the ropes, Shingo immediatly dropped him with a shoulder tackle. The bell then sounded, singling the main event had, in fact, begun. A rocked Kidd fled to the floor, but Shingo maintained his pressure.
Kidd was forced to drive Shingo into the barricade to buy a moment of separation. He then tore down the barricades, slammed the fencing into Shingo, and hit a piledriver on a pile of chairs. Kidd returned to the ring and demanded the referee begin his count. Shingo struggled but eventually found his way back in the ring.
As soon as Shingo beat the count, Kidd hit a back suplex. Kidd then tried his best for another countout, but this gave Shingo time to recover. Kidd tried to strike down Shingo but fought back, hitting a clothesline to buy a momentary break.
Kidd tried keeping Shingo on the backfoot with another suplex, but Shingo answered by initiating a strike exchange. Strikes turned to headbutts before turning back to strikes. Kidd dropped Shingo with a clothesline, but Kidd answered with one of his own. The pair continued going back and forth with heavier and heavier offense until Kidd spat in Shingo’s face. Shingo hit Kidd with a back suplex and Made in Japan for a nearfall.
Kidd fired back, hitting a lariat and a tombstone for a nearfall of his own. Once Shingo kicked out, another fierce back and forth. Shingo hit the pumping bomber and immediately followed up with Last of the Dragon to win the match.
The 2024 New Japan Cup continues today in Ehime with two second round matches.
In the main event, Hirooki Goto faces Chase Owens. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals round.
In the other tournament bout on the show, Tanga Loa will take on David Finlay for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The winners of today’s tournament bouts will square off in the quarterfinals round on March 16. SANADA will face Jack Perry in the quarterfinals on that show as well.
Today’s undercard will feature six tag team matches, including a Los Ingoernables de Japon vs. Bullet Club six-man. It will be LIJ’s Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Bullet Club’s KENTA, Gabe Kidd & Taiji Ishimori in that contest.
Shingo & Kidd will square off on tomorrow’s show in the main event in a New Japan Cup tournament match.
Today’s show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 6 a.m. Eastern time.
This match opened as a test of Murashima. Once he tagged out, the now-typical Oleg rally played out. Murashima eventually tagged back in, challenged Ishii, and submitted to a Boston Crab.
TJP & Francesco Akira defeated El Desperado & Ryuske Taguchi
This was, in a lot of ways, a Taguchi-led match. His normal offense played out, and both Desperado and UE matched his energy. UE eventually overcame the silliness, with TJP hitting a knee and pinning Taguchi.
Yuya Uemura, Taichi, & SANADA (Just 5 Guys) defeated Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, & Jeff Cobb (United Empire)
This was a totally by-the-book outing for these teams. Everyone had a chance to get in their signature offense. The match eventually broke down, ending with Uemura hitting Newman with the deadbolt suplex to win the match.
Zack Sabre Jr. & Mikey Nicholls (TMDK) defeated BUSHI & Yota Tsuji (Los Ingobernables de Japon)
This was a fun match, especially compared to what was earlier on the card.
Tsuji matched the styles of both of his opponents before tagging out to BUSHI. BUSHI led an energetic sequence into a match breakdown. ZSJ emerged from the chaos with control, which he used to submit BUSHI.
After the match, ZSJ and Tsuji had a quick scuffle.
House Of Torture (EVIL, Jack Perry, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo), Shota Umino, Togi Makabe & YOH
This was an even more over-the-top HoT match than normal. After a runtime full of cheating, Kanemaru spat whiskey in Makabe’s face. EVIL then hit Everything is Evil, winning the match.
After the match, HoT continued to attack Hikuleo. The babyfaces ran them off, ending with a chokeslam to EVIL.
BULLET CLUB (Gabe Kidd, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito)
This was a decent little preview for Shingo/Kidd while it lasted. Kidd’s reckless energy significantly increased my enjoyment of this match.
Hiromu and Ishimori also interacted extensively, teasing a more formal encounter. Ishimori won the match by hitting Hiromu with a low blow and trapping him in a quick pin.
New Japan Cup: David Finlay defeated Tanga Loa
This certainly was a match that happened—not a good match, but a match. Finlay didn’t look horrible, but he never looked good. Loa was horrible, on the other hand.
Loa jumped Finlay at the curtain before the match began. The brawl worked its way into the crowd, with Loa throwing Finlay into barricades and chairs. Once the match worked its way to the ring, Loa maintained the lead he established.
Finlay gained control by taking the match back to the floor. He returned the favor, driving Loa into the barricade and throwing him into the empty floor seats. Between the ropes, Finlay continued picking apart Loa.
When Loa regained the lead, he pushed Finlay back outside and slammed him back into the barricades. He dropped Finlay on the apron before taking the action back inside. During Loa’s follow-up, he fumbled a 619, went for it again, and still hit it in the most awkward way possible. Loa eventually hit a powerbomb for a nearfall.
A relatively high-impact back-and-forth followed. Finlay hit a headbutt and a powerbomb for a near fall. After the kickout, Finlay hit his new finish, “Overkill,” and pinned Loa to end this dreadful match.
Finlay advances to the quarter-finals.
New Japan Cup: Hirooki Goto defeated Chase Owens
These first two rounds have been pretty bad, and this was another match worth avoiding.
Goto immediately took control, forcing Owens into the corner, and leveling him with heavy offense. In order to challenge Goto, Owens took the fight to the floor, using his environment to establish a lead. Back in the ring, Owens maintained his lead by working Goto on the mat.
Goto eventually hit Owens with a lariat to reset the match. Owens fought back, forcing Goto to hit him with more lariats. Owens answered him with a lariat of his own, knocking Goto to the mat.
Owens tried for C-trigger but missed. Goto followed up with ushigoroshi before initiating a strike exchange. Goto won out and locked Owens in a choke. Goto followed up with a GTW for a nearfall.
Owens tried for a rollup, but Goto kicked out. A short scramble followed, sending Goto to the floor. On the outside, Owens hit a swinging neckbreaker. Owens then removed the protective mat on the floor, exposing the concrete. Owens tried for a piledriver, but Goto reversed into a backdrop. Owens kept up the attack, brutalizing Goto’s arm. Back in the ring, Owens hit a C-trigger and a green killer for a pair of nearfalls.
Owens tried for something off the top, but Goto pulled him off, sending him crashing to the floor. Goto followed up with GTR for a nearfall. Goto then tried for Shoto, but Owens attacked the eyes.
Owens hit an enziguri and a C-trigger to put Goto back on the backfoot. He then landed another C-trigger into the ropes before attempting his piledriver. Goto slipped free and dropped Owens with a pair of headbutts. Goto then hit GTR and pinned Owens to win the match.
This match advances Goto to the quarters to face David Finlay. It also sets up a Bishamon tag title match down the line.
The second round of the New Japan Cup begins today in Ehime.
SANADA vs. YOSHI-HASHI is the headline tournament match, with the winner advancing to the final eight and the quarterfinals round.
SANADA was one of four wrestlers to receive a first round bye in this year’s New Japan Cup, so Monday’s contest will be his first match of the tournament. YOSHI-HASHI defeated KENTA in an opening round contest back on March 6 to advance.
Jack Perry faces Toru Yano in today’s other New Japan Cup tournament bout.
Perry defeated Shota Umino in his NJPW in-ring debut on the March 6 show to advance to the second round, while Yano beat Yujiro Takahashi by countout on the 6th to advance.
The winners of today’s tournament matches will meet on March 16 in the quarterfinals at Dolphin’s Arena in Aichi.
Our coverage of today’s show begins at 6 am. Eastern time.
For a while now, Oleg has been presented as a step above his fellow Young Lions (deservingly), and this was no exception.
At the beginning of the match, TMDK picked Kato apart, basically without challenge. Oleg tagged in, completely reversing the momentum for the Young Lion pair. Eventually, the veterans proved too much, forcing a tag back to Kato. ZSJ and Nicholls were able to close the match quickly following the tag.
This match for the first-round losers and people who weren’t even in the cup was little more than a meaningless card-filler.
DOUKI was the star of this match, initiating most of the interesting sequences. After going to battle with Ishii, DOUKI tagged out to Uemura, while Ishii tagged out to Honma. After a back-and-forth, that was far more competitive than it needed to be, Uemura hit a crossbody and forced Honma to tap with an armbar.
After the match, Ishii and DOUKI continued to trade strikes, perhaps setting up something down the road.
This was a kind of preview for a Bishamon/BULLET CLUB title match. Oh boy.
Owens and KENTA opened the match by isolating Goto. Goto and Makabe fired back with a fight on the floor, but BC held on to control.
After an extended period of isolation, Goto tagged out to Makabe. This led to the most competitive sequence between the teams. KENTA won out and pinned Makabe to win the match.
After the match, the BULLET CLUB pair attacked Goto.
Shota Umino, Tanga Loa, & Jado defeated David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, & Gedo (BULLET CLUB War Dogs)
The War Dogs opened this match with a brawl. They gained full control of the match, which they maintained for most of this match’s runtime. The Babyfaces eventually launched a rally with a legal Umino and Gedo. Umino hit Gedo with Death Rider and won the match.
EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Ren Narita (BULLET CLUB House of Torture) defeated Hikuleo, El Phantasmo, YOH, Ryusuke Taguchi
HoT started the match by brawling with the babyfaces. The babyfaces won the initial scuffle, which they used to establish control over Yujiro. The babyfaces continued to find success for quite some time but eventually were overwhelmed by the usual HoT tactics. Eventually, SHO hit Taguchi with his pushup bar and the double cross to win the match.
After the match, HoT beat down Hikuleo with a pile of chairs.
Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, TJP, Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan (United Empire) defeated BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, & Yota Tsuji (Los Ingobernables de Japon)
This match opened with a few back-and-forths between individuals. Once the match broke down, UE emerged with control. This lasted until the second match breakdown, where LIJ came out ahead.
Takagi was in charge of maintaining control for LIJ. Once BUSHI tagged in, the match lost structure again, ending with O-Khan locking BUSHI in his abdominal stretch/iron claw submission to win the match.
New Japan Cup: Jack Perry defeated Toru Yano
This was a Yano match and a HoT match, complete with all the fixings (meaning it was bad).
Yano removed the corner pad immediately after following the opening bell. This backfired, allowing Perry to take the lead. Perry picked apart Yano, taking complete control with basic holds and moves.
When Yano looked to be gaining a lead, Perry resorted to underhanded tactics to maintain his lead. Eventually, Yano landed a suplex, which started a small rally. Yano threw Perry into the exposed corner multiple times, hit a couple of moves, and tried for a couple of quick pins to no avail.
HoT then ran to the ring and beat down Yano. Yano tried to hold off HoT but was pinned after Perry hit a knee.
New Japan Cup: SANADA defeated YOSHI-HASHI
This was another forgettable main event. It was horribly uninteresting for 90% of it’s runtime but transitioning into a passable, but still formulaic, closing sequence.
The match opened with a YH taking SANADA to the mat, working the arm. SANADA fired back, taking control by also working holds on the mat. This back-and-forth continued to play out for some time.
Eventually, SANADA hit a dive to the floor. SANADA then took the fight back to the ring but failed to follow up, leading to another back-and-forth, this time with more substantial moves. YH actually won out, hitting a powerbomb before returning to holds.
SANADA ended YH’s control with a cutter from the fireman’s carry. He then tried for the skull end multiple times, but YH continuously escaped. SANADA eventually locked in the hold, which he maintained for an extended period of time. When SANADA attempted his follow-up moonsault, YH extended the knees, resetting the match.
After the reset, SANADA and YH traded strikes. SANADA hit a spinning neckbreaker to end YH’s attempt at a rally. He followed up with a pair of shining wizards and a rounding body press for a nearfall.
After kicking out, YH hit SANADA with a suplex and a lariat for another match reset. Another strike exchange followed. SANADA tried for a shinningwizard again but missed. YH hit a Meteora, which he followed with a sequence of bombs. Looking to close, YH tried for a suplex, but SANADA reversed. SANADA then hit deadfall and won the match.
SANADA advances to round three of the New Japan Cup to face Jack Perry—a Forbidden Door rematch.
The 2024 New Japan Cup continues today in Hyogo with the final opening round matches.
Yota Tsuji faces Jeff Cobb in the headline bout on today’s show.
Taichi takes on Ren Narita in the semi-main event.
El Phantasmo vs. Mikey Nicholls is today’s other tournament match.
The winner of today’s main event will face the winner of Phantasmo vs. Nicholls on March 15. The Taichi/Narita winner will face Zack Sabre Jr. on the March 15 show. Sabre is one of four wrestlers who received byes into round two.
The tournament will be whittled down to the final 16 competitors following today’s matches.
Five tag team matches round out today’s undercard, including a Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. United Empire eight-man bout, with LIJ’s Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI facing UE’s Great-O-Khan, TJP, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman.
The show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 2 a.m. Eastern time.
Bullet Club cheated, and the upcoming Goto/Owens match was teased throughout this match’s runtime.
The babyfaces spent quite a bit of time on top, but we’re cut off by tandem attacks. Most of the Bullet Club offense was focused on Honma. After prolonged isolation, KENTA trapped him in a pin with his feet on the ropes to steal the win.
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA & Yuya Uemura) defeated CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) & Ryusuke Taguchi
Yano and Taguchi set the pace of this match from the beginning. After tons of chicanery, Ishii tagged in, leading to a competitive back and forth with DOUKI. Uemura then challenged Ishii, utilizing his arm drags to establish control.
Uemura and Ishii traded strikes in the center of the ring. Ishii overwhelmed Uemura, forcing a tag to SANADA and Taguchi. Taguchi, with Yano’s help, unloaded on SANADA, taking back control. Taguchi launched into a pinning spree, which backfired when SANADA caught him in one of his own. Taguchi failed to kick out, leaving J5G with the win.
Guerrillas Of Destiny (Hikuleo, Jado & Tanga Loa) defeated BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Gabe Kidd & Gedo)
The War Dogs started this match with a brawl. They cleared the ring of the babyfaces, establishing solid control. BC then worked to isolate Jado, keeping him away from his partners for minutes.
The eventual double tag led to a babyface rally. Loa gained quite a bit on Finlay. Once Finlay tagged out, the War Dogs hit the ring in an attempt to retake control, but he held them off on his own. Loa then hit Gedo with a knee strike to win the match.
El Desperado, Oleg Boltin, Shota Umino & YOH vs. House Of Torture (EVIL, Jack Perry, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)
Before the match began, EVIL forced an announcer to call Jack Perry to the ring. Perry then replaced SHO in this match.
Unsurprisingly, this match opened with a HoT-initiated brawl. Oleg reversed momentum for his team in the ring before tagging out. Once Desperado established a more substantial lead, HoT rushed the ring, starting another brawl.
Once Umino tagged in, the match began to turn around for the babyfaces. HoT attempted to cheat their way back into control, but a match breakdown followed. The babyfaces maintained their lead through the chaos, leaving Umino free to unload on Yujiro. Umino locked in a crossface and held onto it through a distracted referee long enough to win the match.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan & TJP)
A full-fledged brawl kicked off this match. Once the match gained some order, UE had full control over Hiromu.
Eventually, Naito tagged in and beat down O-Khan (who had spit on him during UE’s control). Naito uloaded on O-Khan and his backup before returning the favor, spitting on O-Khan multiple times.
A double tag to Shingo and Newman led to an athletic back-and-forth. The match broke down once both men exhausted each other, and everyone else hit the ring. Shingo emerged from the chaos, standing tall. He then dropped Newman with a pumping bomber and Made in Japan to win the match.
New Japan Cup: El Phantasmo defeated Mikey Nicholls
This match opened with a pro-longed feeling-out sequence. The pair began to trade forearms, leaving the stronger Nicholls in the driver’s seat. Nicholls then tossed ELP to the floor, where he continued his attack. Back in the ring, Nicholls continued his advance, virtually uncontested.
Eventually, ELP landed a kick, which opened the door for a methodical rally. ELP landed a pair of springboards for a nearfall. When Nicholls attempted to reverse momentum, ELP caught him with a DDT and a moonsault to the floor.
Nicholls powered up, ending ELPs steak of offense with a lariat. He then hit ELP with a superplex and a sitting lariat. Once ELP kicked out, Nicholls climbed to the top and attempted a moonsault, but ELP rolled out of the way.
With Nicholls on the back foot, ELP caught him with a burning hammer. Instead of going for the cover, he hit Nicholls with sudden death; Nicholls kicked out. Nicholls then attempted a quick pin, leading to a back-and-forth. After multiple roll-throughs, ELP successfully pinned Nicholls.
ELP advances to round two.
New Japan Cup: Ren Narita defeated Taichi
This match was about as unenjoyable as a match could be. Calling this underbooked would be a massive understatement. There were probably ten ref bumps, twelve run-ins, and thirty fouls.
Narita and Yoshinobu Kanemaru attacked Taichi before the match could begin. Taichi held them off before throwing Kanemaru to the floor. Boltin Oleg then ran to the ring, grabbed Kanemaru, and carried him to the back.
Once the bell sounded, Narita launched an attack on the outside of the ring. Narita threw Taichi onto the floor seats before attacking him with a chair. Taichi was then forced to beat the referee’s count. In the ring, Narita continued to pick apart Taichi.
After an extended period on the defense, Taichi caught Narita with a kick. A massive forearm from Taichi sent Narita crashing to the floor. On the outside, Taichi returned the favor, whipping Narita into the barricades and chairs.
Taichi grabbed Narita’s pushup bar, leading to a confrontation with the referee. With the referee distracted, Narita attempted a low blow, but Narita avoided it. Taichi dropped Narita and ripped off his breakaway pants.
Narita interrupted Taichi’s offense by pulling the referee in front of Taichi. This allowed Narita to lock in holds, reversing momentum. Narita then hit Taichi with a low blow and a German suplex for a nearfall.
After surviving Narita’s tactics, Taichi hit Narita with his own low blow. Taichi then locked in a hold in the middle of the ring, forcing Dick Togo to hit the ring. With the referee distracted, Narita tapped out, and Taichi broke the hold. Narita shoved Taichi into the referee, leading to a full-fledged attack from House of Torture.
Just 5 Guys eventually hit the ring to save Taichi. They cleared the ring of HoT and pulled the referee back in. Taichi then hit the Dangerous Suplex for a nearfall. Taichi hit another, but the count was interrupted by Jack Perry.
Perry tried for a running knee, but Taichi knocked him down with an axe bomber. Narita tried to hit Taichi with the pushup bar, but Taichi kicked it from his hands. Kanemaru then ran to the ring, spit whiskey in Taichi’s face, and hit him with the bottle. Narita closed the match by hitting the double cross and pinning Taichi.
Narita, and the rest of HoT, will be seen in the second round.
New Japan Cup: Yota Tsuji defeated Jeff Cobb
This was the comfortable match of the night and the only match I would recommend checking out. This was a very good match; the progression worked extremely well on a native level, and the action was a blast. Great.
A collar-and-elbow tie-up kicked off this match. This led to a strike battle that turned into shoulder blocks. Cobb bested the footballer with a tackle, forcing Tsuji into the corner.
Tsuji turned the match around with a rana from the top rope. He attempted a tope, but Cobb caught him and slammed him into the apron. On the outside, Cobb clubbed Tsuji with forearms before returning to the ring.
In the ring, Cobb maintained his dominance, tossing Tsuji around with ease. He slammed Tsuji into the corner and hoisted him to the top rope; Cobb then hit Tsuji with a gut-wrench suplex from the top, scoring a nearfall.
Cobb placed Tsuji back in the corner. This time, Tsuji caught Cobb with a stomp on the mat, opening the door for a rally. Tsuji hit a head scissor takedown to send Cobb to the floor, which Tsuji followed with a successful tope.
Back in the ring, Tsuji began to work over Cobb, busting his nose in the process. Tsuji attempted a curb stomp, but Cobb powered through, provoking Tsuji into a strike exchange. Tsuji won out and dropped Cobb with an STO.
Tsuji tried for the curb stomp again, but Cobb rolled out of the way. Cobb followed up with a moonsault, resetting the match in his favor.
Another back-and-forth strike battle began, with Tsuji winning out. This didn’t deter Cobb, leading to a slick exchange of finish attempts. Cobb attempted Tour of the Islands, but Tsuji slipped free. Tsuji tried for Gene Blast, but Cobb reversed into a powerbomb.
Cobb hit a spin cycle and an F5000 for a pair of nearfalls. Tsuji tried answering Cobb only to eat a lariat. Cobb then pierced Tsuji with a colossal spear for a convincing false finish.
Cobb, looking to finish, tried for the Aloha Maker. Tsuji avoided the attack, dropping Cobb with a headbutt. Tsuji then landed a curb stomp and pulled Cobb to the corner. Tsuji then planted Cobb with a curb stomp from the top rope and a Gene Blaster to win the match.
The 2024 New Japan Cup continues today in Yamanashi with three opening round matches.
Shingo Takagi faces Yuya Uemura in the headline bout on today’s show.
The battle between Bullet Club War Dogs & United Empire continues in the semi-main position with Bullet Club’s Gabe Kidd taking on United Empire’s Callum Newman.
The winners of today’s main event and semi-main will square off in a second round match on March 13.
In today’s other first round matchup, Hikuelo faces Boltin Oleg. The Hikuleo/Oleg winner will advance to a second round match against EVIL on March 13. EVIL is one of four wrestlers who received byes into round two.
Five tag team matches round out today’s undercard, including a Los Ingobernables de Japon vs. United Empire matchup with LIJ’s Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI facing UE’s Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, TJP & Francesco Akira.
The show streams live on NJPW World beginning at 4:30 a.m. Eastern time.
CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI) & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens, David Finlay, Gedo & KENTA)
This was the same BULLET CLUB vs. CHAOS match we’ve seen 1,000 times with a slightly different coat of paint.
BC utilized environmental offense and cheating whenever possible. After minutes of BC torturing Taguchi’s rear, Ishii tagged in, leading to a CHAOS rally. The rest of CHAOS maintained this momentum long enough for Bishamon to hit Shoto, winning the match.
ELP held his own against TMDK before tagging out to Honma. TMDK established and maintained a lead against Honma early. A hot tag to ELP led to an extended comeback, but in the end, TMDK held on. Nicholls hit Honma with the Mikey Bomb to win the match.
El Desperado, Shota Umino & YOH defeated House of Torture (Dick Togo, EVIL & Jack Perry)
Jack Perry filled in for SHO again tonight.
The match opened with a HoT brawl. As the match calmed down, Perry and Umino squared off. Once Perry established a lead, he passed the momentum to his partners, who used typical HoT tactics to stay ahead. This continued as the rest of the babyfaces entered the fray. Eventually, YOH was able to gain some footing before hitting Togo with direct drive, winning the match.
Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA & Taichi) defeated House of Torture (Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)
More HoT stuff here. Nothing special.
After minutes of isolation segments and a bit of cheating, SANADA hit the ring. Once he established the lead, HoT rushed him to put him back on the defense. SANADA avoided a face full of whiskey just as Taichi and DOUKI started providing backup. With the ring cleared, SANADA hit Yujiro with a shining wizard and locked in Skull End to secure the win.
United Empire (Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & TJP) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji)
This was a fairly basic match, here to tease the upcoming Cobb vs. Tsuji match.
UE established a lead early, working to isolate Naito. Once he tagged out, Cobb and Tsuji traded heavy strikes. The match calmed down as BUSHI entered, but a full-scale match breakdown followed moments later. The ring eventually cleared out, leaving Cobb free to hit BUSHI with Tour of the Islands, winning the match.
New Japan Cup: Hikuleo defeated Oleg Boltin
I love Oleg, but this could have been better. It was the biggest match of Oleg’s career thus far, and he performed well, but some pacing issues held it back.
Before the match, an amateur Kazakhstani wrestler in a Japanese exchange student program gifted Oleg with a bouquet.
Oleg’s first-ever New Japan Cup match opened with a test of power. Both men fought for control, utilizing holds and throwing themselves at each other. Oleg overwhelmed Hikuleo early, forcing him into the corner to recover.
Once Hikuleo worked his way to the center of the ring, he knocked Oleg to the mat. A big body slam scored Hikuleo a two-count. A second slam and an elbow drop yielded another. Hikuleo then worked a hold on the mat, forcing Oleg into the ropes.
Once both men were standing, they began trading chops to the chest. Oleg forced Hikuleo into the corner and hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a quick nearfall. Oleg then locked in the Boston crab. A massive standing suplex followed by a German scored a convincing nearfall.
Hikuleo caught Oleg on a rebound with a scoop slam. He then hit Oleg with a chokeslam, winning the match and advancing to the second round.
New Japan Cup: Gabe Kidd defeated Callum Newman
This match was great. It was a total burst of energy filled with fun offense. Easily the best match of the tournament as of now.
As soon as the opening bell rang, Newman tried stealing a win with a quick pin. A lightning-fast back-and-forth followed that soon spilled to the floor. On the outside, Newman slammed Kidd into the barricade before attempting a dive. On the descent, Kidd hit Newman with a forearm before throwing him into the railing and a sea of chairs.
Back in the ring, Kidd taunted Newman, prompting a barrage of strikes. Kidd responded by sitting Newman on the top rope and pushing him to the floor. With Kidd holding onto control, the taunting continued.
Newman caught Kidd with a suplex followed by a tope to reverse momentum. Newman then used some stiff kicks to further his lead, but Kidd answered with a dropkick and a suplex. During Kidd’s follow-up, Newman landed a few strikes and a Spanish fly, stopping Kidd in his tracks.
Newman missed a dive from the top, and Kidd spit on his face. Newman responded by attempting a slew of moves, eventually scoring a nearfall. Newman attempted another dive but missed. Kidd knocked him down with a lariat, a brainbuster, and a piledriver to win the match.
After the match, Kidd promised to kill his second round opponent.
New Japan Cup: Shingo Takagi defeated Yuya Uemura
This was a very disappointing match. It bored me to tears for nearly all of its runtime. The only thing positive I have to say about it is that, hopefully, I won’t remember it this time next year.
The match opened with some basic wrestling. Uemura gained control of the arm, taking the action to the mat. Shingo answered Uemura with a lariat before taking the match to the outside. On the floor, Shingo whipped Uemura into the barricades, establishing a strong lead.
Back in the ring, Shingo worked Uemura on the mat. Uemura fired back by turning his attention back to the arm. They eventually worked their way into the corner, where Shingo delivered a superplex.
Shingo tried to get Made in Japan, but Uemura cut him off with a strike; a back-and-forth exchange followed. Uemura won out, hitting two suplexes for a nearfall. Uemura then hit a dropkick and a slam for another.
Shingo fired back by hitting a pumping bomber and Made in Japan, but Uemura kicked out. To answer, Uemura caught Shingo with an awkward rana, which he transitioned into an armbar, forcing Shingo into the ropes. Uemura then dropped Shingo with a headbutt before trying for a deadbolt suplex, but Shingo avoided it.
Uemura hit the ropes, but Shingo caught him with a powerbomb. Shingo then landed a pumping bomber, but Uemura kicked out. Finally, Shingo landed Last of the Dragon to win the match.
