Tag: new japan cup results

New Japan Cup night three results: Okada vs. Shingo

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The New Japan Cup tournament continued today in the Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo. 

Here are the results and a report on the Cup matches. 

**********

Recommended matches —

  • New Japan Cup first round match: Minoru Suzuki vs. Tomoaki Honma
  • New Japan Cup first round match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi

Report —

Jay White, Chase Owens & Taiji Ishimori (w/Gedo) defeated Toa Henare, David Finlay & Yuya Uemura (9:38)

Ishimori pinned Uemura after hitting a Bloody Cross. 

Henare vs. White and Finlay vs. Owens are Cup matches on Wednesday, March 10.

Great-O-Khan, Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb (w/Bea Priestley) defeated Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI (10:55)

Cobb pinned BUSHI after a Tour of the Islands. 

There was very little in the way of tournament implications in this match. Cobb and O-Khan are through to the second round and could potentially meet in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 16 if Cobb beats EVIL and O-Khan beats Toru Yano. SANADA and Ospreay are on the other side of the brackets and could potentially face off in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 18.

New Japan Cup first round match: Minoru Suzuki defeated Tomoaki Honma (14:54)

This was awesome. This was the best Honma match in a long, long time. Suzuki is the perfect opponent for him and is a master of the art of pro wrestling. Honma more than held up his end of things. 

They began by firing off palm strikes to the chest. Honma got a knockdown and missed with two kokeshis. Suzuki took Honma outside and used the barricade as a weapon. Honma made it back in after a countout tease. 

Suzuki hit a hard series of kicks. Honma came back with a DDT and a running bulldog. Suzuki hit a headbutt. Honma hit a standing kokeshi. 

They fought on the turnbuckles and no one died, miraculously. Honma knocked Suzuki off the buckle and hit a diving kokeshi off the second rope. Honma tried for some sort of STF-like submission, then transitioned to a lateral press for a near fall. 

Honma slid out of a rear naked choke and hit a lariat. They both fired up. Suzuki hit two slaps to the face. They traded forearm shots. Suzuki was laughing with glee. 

Suzuki hit an unanswered series of forearm strikes to the neck. Suzuki used a rear naked choke to set up a Gotch-style piledriver. Honma valiantly fought off the attempt and cradled Suzuki for a near fall. 

Suzuki hit another forearm, then a massive Gotch-style piledriver for the pin. 

Suzuki advances and will face the winner of Juice/KENTA on Saturday, March 13.

New Japan Cup first round match: KENTA defeated Juice Robinson (w/David Finlay) (17:16)

This was good. I wouldn’t call it must-see, but they clearly put a lot of thought into the match layout. 

KENTA going after Juice’s eye after his recent return from a broken orbital bone was a story in the match. It didn’t really play into the finish, but Juice sold it throughout.

KENTA used a side headlock and a hair pull. Juice hit a back suplex to escape the headlock and picked up an early near fall. KENTA rolled out to the floor as Juice was setting up to hit a cannonball. 

KENTA hit Juice with the ring bell from the outside. KENTA began working Juice over with punches in the ring, then threw him outside and into the barricade. KENTA choked Juice with a camera cable and used the swinging gate on the barricade as a weapon. KENTA used a headlock. 

Juice came back with a spinebuster and a series of clotheslines. Juice hit a series of jabs. They raked each other’s faces. Juice hit a headbutt. KENTA hit a DDT over the ropes and a diving clothesline off the top for a two count. 

They exchanged big boots. KENTA sent Juice off the apron with a running kick. They fought on the outside. KENTA hit a backdrop over the barricade and Juice took a nasty bump over a table to the floor. 

KENTA climbed to the top rope. Juice cut him off. Juice hit a DVD on the floor. Back in, Juice used a powerbomb for a near fall. KENTA reversed a Pulp Friction attempt into a cradle for a near fall. KENTA hit a draping DDT. 

KENTA hit a running knee in the corner and a Shibata dropkick. Juice avoided a diving stomp and hit a leg lariat. KENTA went for Game Over. Juice blocked and hit a Juice Box for a two count at the 15 minute call. 

Juice blocked a G2S and rolled KENTA up for a near fall. KENTA blocked a Pulp Friction attempt and ducked a Left Hand of God. Juice connected with a right hand. 

KENTA reversed another Pulp Friction attempt and got Game Over applied. Juice tapped. 

KENTA advances and will face Suzuki on Saturday, March 13. 

New Japan Cup first round match: Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada (23:58)

This was a tremendous match. Okada’s performance was incredible given that he has two slipped discs in his back.

Okada tried for his trademark clean break after the opening lock up, but Shingo fired off a strike. Okada answered with a side headlock. They traded shoulder tackle attempts. Okada used a drop toehold and hit an elbow drop. 

Okada used a sliding dropkick to send Shingo outside. They traded whips into the barricade. Shingo hit a DDT on the floor, then tossed Okada back inside. Shingo hit a vertical suplex for a two count, then used a chinlock to continue working the neck after the DDT on the floor. 

Okada tried to fire off some strikes, but got dropped with a double chop. Okada hit three strikes. Shingo hit one and Okada went down. Shingo went for noshigami, but Okada reversed into a Money Clip. Shingo quickly broke the hold and teased a pumping bomber. Okada blocked with a big boot. 

Okada ducked under a lariat and hit a back elbow, a running back elbow in the corner and a DDT for a near fall. Okada teased a dropkick in the corner, but Shingo escaped and dropped him with a combination of strikes. 

Shingo hit two short lariats, a slam and a diving back elbow drop. Shingo mocked Okada’s Rainmaker pose. Shingo tried for a Rainmaker, but Okada blocked. Okada hit a flapjack into a double down. 

They had an intense striking battle in the center of the ring. Okada missed a dropkick. Shingo missed a clothesline. Okada blocked another pumping bomber and tried for the Money Clip. Shingo slid out and hit noshigami into another double down. 

Shingo still could not get the pumping bomber, as Okada blocked his next attempt with a dropkick. Okada hit a tombstone and slapped on the Money Clip. Shingo slid to the bottom strand to force a break. 

Okada hit a slam and called for a top rope elbow at the 15 minute call. Shingo cut him off on the top rope and hit a superplex. Okada sold his lower back on impact. Shingo hit a sliding lariat for a two count. 

Okada blocked another pumping bomber attempt. Shingo ducked a Rainmaker and hit Made in Japan for a great near fall. Okada blocked as Shingo went for Last of the Dragon. Shingo hit a lariat, then a series of forearm strikes. 

Okada reversed a whip and hit a dropkick. Okada grabbed Shingo’s wrist on landing, then went back to the Money Clip. Okada hit a spinning tombstone, then again applied the Money Clip. Okada hit a backbreaker as Shingo reached for the ropes, then went back to the hold. They teased a ref stoppage, but Shingo made the bottom rope. Everyone was great in their role here, Okada, Shingo and Red Shoes. 

Shingo fired off some strikes from his knees at the 20 minute call. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick, but Shingo popped right up and finally hit the pumping bomber. 

Okada hit a Rainmaker. Shingo ducked a second Rainmaker. Shingo blocked a spinning Rainmaker and hit a pumping bomber. Okada kicked out at two. The crowd really got into the match here. 

Shingo hit another pumping bomber. Okada escaped Last of the Dragon and trapped Shingo’s legs in a cradle for a two count. 

Shingo hit a uranage backbreaker over his knee. Shingo hit a massive pumping bomber for another great near fall. 

Shingo went for Last of the Dragon. Okada reversed into a Rainmaker attempt. Shingo ducked the Rainmaker and hit Last of the Dragon for the pin. 

Shingo moves on and will face Hirooki Goto in a second round match on Saturday, March 13.

New Japan Cup night two results: Hirooki Goto vs. Taichi

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The New Japan Cup tournament continued today in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. 

Here are the results and a report on the Cup matches. 

Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI defeated Tomoaki Honma, Gabriel Kidd & Yuya Uemura (10:46)

Suzuki pinned Uemura after a Gotch-style piledriver. Suzuki and Honma face off in a Cup match on tomorrow’s show, while Sabre faces Kidd in a tournament match on Sunday. 

EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens & Taiji Ishimori defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, YOSHI-HASHI, David Finlay & Tiger Mask (11:40)

EVIL used a Darkness Scorpion (scorpion deathlock) to submit Tiger Mask. 

EVIL, the 2020 New Japan Cup winner, and Tanahashi as the NEVER Openweight Champion were given first round byes. EVIL will face Jeff Cobb in the second round on March 11, while Tanahashi will take on the winner of Jay White vs. Toa Henare on March 15. 

Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Master Wato (9:14)

Cobb pinned Wato after hitting a Tour of the Islands. 

Cobb eliminated Kojima in the first round of the Cup yesterday. Ospreay vs. Tenzan is the main event of Sunday’s show. 

New Japan Cup first round match: Toru Yano defeated Bad Luck Fale by countout (5:50)

This was a Fale vs. Yano match. They’ve had funnier matches, but this was fine for the comic relief that it was. 

Fale attacked during Yano’s lengthy ring introduction and tried to roll him up. The ref counted even though the opening bell had not sounded. Yano kicked out. 

Yano rolled to the floor to try to escape. Fale sent him into the barricade repeatedly. They did a countout tease, but Yano beat the count back in at 19. 

Yano tried a slam, but Fale reversed it for a near fall. They traded forearm strikes. Fale ran into an exposed buckle. Fale hit two slams, then missed an elbow drop. Yano rolled back to the floor. Fale sent him into the barricade again. Fale missed a charge into the barricade. Fale posted Yano. 

Yano produced a roll of tape. Fale intercepted and taped Yano’s wrists together around the post. Yano kicked Fale low, then climbed back into the ring with his hands still taped and stole the countout win. 

After he was freed, Yano cried because Fale broke his KOPW trophy. 

Yano advances and will face Great-O-Khan on March 11.

New Japan Cup first round match: Hirooki Goto defeated Taichi (w/Zack Sabre Jr.) (22:43)

This built well and turned into a heck of a match by the end. 

They locked up a couple of times and Goto broke cleanly against the ropes. They locked up a third time and Goto grabbed a side headlock. Taichi threatened a backdrop suplex, but Goto slid out. After locking up again, Taichi refused to break cleanly and choked Goto in the ropes. 

The fight spilled outside Taichi sent Goto into the barricade and choked him with a camera cable. Goto beat the count back in at 19. Taichi continued choking Goto in the ring. Taichi hit some Kawada kicks. Goto fired up with palm strikes to the chest. 

Goto snapped and started choking Taichi in response to Taichi choking him again. Goto hit a lariat, a corner wheel kick and a bulldog for a near fall. Taichi blocked an ushigoroshi attempt and hit a gamengiri. They traded lariats. Taichi hit another gamengiri into a double down. 

Taichi tore his pants off. Goto cut off a buzzsaw kick attempt. Taichi blocked a misdirection lariat. Goto hit an ushigoroshi. Goto hit a reverse GTR for a two count. Taichi blocked a discus lariat and hit a chokeslam. 

Goto missed with a right hand and Taichi hit a backdrop suplex for a near fall. Taichi fired up and called for a last ride. Goto sprawled, but Taichi hit the powerbomb with a stack cover for another two count. 

Taichi went for Black Mephisto. Goto blocked. Taichi hit a rolling elbow. Goto hit a desperation Shouten Kai. Goto hit a mid kick. Taichi fired back with a kick. Goto hit a headbutt. Goto tried for a GTR, but Taichi slid out and hit a high kick. Taichi used a clutch hold for a great near fall. 

Goto blocked a high kick and hit a GTW for a near fall. Goto then hit another GTR and got the pin. 

Goto advances and will face the winner of tomorrow’s Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi match on March 13. 

NJPW 49th Anniversary show live results: Ibushi vs. El Desperado

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Recommended matches —

  • IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental double title match: Kota Ibushi vs. El Desperado
  • New Japan Cup first round match: Satoshi Kojima vs. Jeff Cobb
  • Hirooki Goto, Tomoaki Honma, Gabriel Kidd & Master Wato vs. Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI 

Report —

Hirooki Goto, Tomoaki Honma, Gabriel Kidd & Master Wato defeated Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI (10:39)

This was a good opener. All action. Wato and Sabre barely saw any action in the match, but Sabre took a crazy bump. 

Suzuki-gun tried a jumpstart attack, but were foiled. Suzuki and Honma began as the legal men. Honma hit a kokeshi. Kidd tagged in to continue working with Suzuki. Kidd and Sabre had an exchange on the apron. Sabre took a bump off the apron to the floor on a forearm strike. 

Suzuki-gun was able to turn this into a brawl and gained the advantage on Kidd. Kidd was worked over in the blue corner. Suzuki crotched Kidd with the post and put him in an ankle lock. 

Kidd came back with a dropkick on Taichi and tagged Goto. Goto ran wild on Taichi and an interfering DOUKI. Taichi cut Goto off with an illegal choke and some Kawada kicks. Suzuki-gun then went to work on Goto. 

DOUKI hit a double stomp to Goto and locked on a triangle. Honma broke the hold with a kokeshi. Honma and Suzuki brawled to the floor. DOUKI tried Daybreak. Goto blocked. DOUKI blocked an ushigoroshi. Wato hit a springboard forearm on DOUKI and a plancha to Taichi. 

Goto hit an ushigoroshi on his second attempt, then hit a GTR for the pin on DOUKI. 

Ahead of their first round New Japan Cup match, Honma and Suzuki traded blows after the bell. Suzuki dropped Honma with a forearm. 

EVIL, Jay White, KENTA, Chase Ownes & Taiji Ishimori (w/Gedo & Dick Togo) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Toa Henare & Ryusuke Taguchi (7:39)

This was a quick undercard tag with a funny finish.

White teased starting with Henare, but stalled instead. KENTA and Juice tagged in. KENTA used a choke against the ropes and a hair pull to gain the upper hand. KENTA fired off some kicks. Juice answered with jabs and an inverted atomic drop. 

KENTA fell victim to a 5-on-1. Tanahashi tagged in and he was on the wrong end of a 5-on-1 Bullet Club attack. Bullet Club used their human centipede abdominal stretch on Tana. Tana hit a dragon screw on Owens and tagged Finlay. Finlay was quickly cut off after an Owens knee strike. 

EVIL tagged in and got hit with a Finlay neckbreaker. Taguchi tagged in and immediately got hit with Everything is EVIL for the pin. 

Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & SHO defeated SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI (9:13)

There were some nice teases for first round New Japan Cup matches here with Okada vs. Shingo and Ishii vs. SANADA. 

Okada and Shingo locked up. They’ll face off in the main event on Saturday. Okada teased a clean break against the ropes. Shingo wouldn’t allow the clean break and fired off some forearms. 

SANADA and Ishii tagged in. SANADA wanted to have a grappling battle, while Ishii wanted to turn it into a fist fight. SANADA hit a leapfrog dropkick. Ishii did a great subtle sell of his ribs, which Jay White heavily worked over last Saturday. 

Shingo tagged in and traded strikes with Ishii. BUSHI tripped Ishii from the floor. LIJ used wuick tags in working Ishii over. BUSHI choked him with his t-shirt. SANADA hit a side suplex for a near fall. Ishii and SANADA traded finisher attempts. 

Okada and Shingo tagged back in. Okada hit a back elbow and DDT for a near fall. They traded strikes. Shingo hit a corner clothesline. Okada blocked a pumping bomber and tried a Money Clip. Shingo slid out and tried a lariat. Okada blocked with a big boot. 

SHO tagged in for a nice exchange with Shingo. Shingo hit a big tackle and tagged BUSHI. BUSHI connected with a missile dropkick, a basement dropkick and a DDT. Everyone jumped in ahead of the finish. Shingo and BUSHI doubled up on SHO. SHO hit Shingo with a spear. 

SHO hit a deadlift German to BUSHI. SHO hit a lariat and called for Shock Arrow. He hit it, then pinned BUSHI. 

Ishii and SANADA traded chops after the match. 

**********

Wrestle Grand Slam was announced for May 15 in Yokohama Stadium and in Tokyo Dome on May 29. 

***** Intermission *****

New Japan Cup first round match: Jeff Cobb defeated Satoshi Kojima (11:50)

This was slow, but the work was very solid and every move meant something. 

They opened up with some power spots. They traded tackles. Cobb missed a splash in the corner. Kojima hit machine gun chops in the corner. Kojima went for a top rope elbow, but Cobb cut him off. Kojima avoided a slam off the top. Cobb hit a lariat. 

Kojima kicked out of a second lariat. Cobb hit a standing moonsault for a near fall. Cobb hit chops in the corner. He teased a top rope elbow to taunt Kojima. Kojima cut him off and tried for a superplex. Kojima connected with the superplex after a struggle. 

Kojima hit a shining wizard. Cobb rolled to the floor. Kojima tried a plancha. Cobb caught Kojima out of mid-air, hit two backbreakers, then a slam on the floor. 

Kojima hit a chop block to Cobb on the apron. Kojima followed with a DDT on the apron. Kojima hit a top rope elbow. Cobb blocked a cutter and hit a jumping uppercut forearm. Cobb hit a powerslam into the corner pad. Kojima answered with a cutter and a brainbuster for a near fall. 

Kojima teased pulling off his elbow pad for a lariat. Cobb stopped him and hit a spin cycle and a gutwrench powerbomb for a near fall. 

Kojima blocked Tour of the Islands. Cobb blocked a lariat. Kojima hit a lariat, but Cobb kicked out. 

Kojima removed his elbow pad. Cobb blocked a lariat with a superkick. Kojima blocked a lariat with a shoulder block. 

Kojima went for another lariat, but Cobb caught him coming in and hit a Tour of the Islands for the pin. 

New Japan Cup first round match: Great-O-Khan defeated Tetsuya Naito by referee stoppage (20:20)

This was a struggle. Naito did his best to have a good match and they paced it well given that they had to go so long, but O-Khan is learning on the job and isn’t up to the NJPW standard for long singles matches yet. 

A quick openingexchange saw Naito send O-Khan outside, then mock O-Khan’s pose. Back inside, O-Khan used a choke on the mat. He sent Naito ouside and they brawled around the ring. O-Khan whipped Naito into the barricade. 

O-Khan hit a throw, then sat on Naito’s back in the corner. Naito came back with a one-legged dropkick and a combinacion in the corner. Naito scored with a neckbreaker. O-Khan came back with Mongolian chops and used a figure four around the post. 

O-Khan hit Naito’s right knee with a chair as it was wrapped around the post. O-Khan hit a kneebreaker on the chair at the base of the ramp. Naito made it back in at 19. O-Khan used a claw on Naito’s knee. A claw on the knee.

O-Khan hooked Naito’s knee with a modified deathlock. O-Khan again used a claw on the knee. I don’t know. 

Naito hit a backdrop, then a series of back elbows in the corner. Naito hit diamond dust for a near fall. Naito went for Gloria. O-Khan blocked and hit a face-first slam. 

Naito blocked two Dominator attempts and hit a desperation Destino. Naito could not follow with a pinfall attempt. Naito hit an enzuigiri. O-Khan blocked a second Destino and hit a lariat for a near fall. 

O-Khan used a key lock on the knee, then used a kneebar. Naito fought the hold for a long time. He teased tapping out, he teased reaching the ropes, but Red Shoes eventually called for the stoppage. 

O-Khan continued stomping on the knee after the bell. Naito was helped to the back. 

IWGP Heavyweight Championship & IWGP Intercontinental Championship double title match: Kota Ibushi defeated El Desperado (w/Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) to retain the titles (20:36)

This was exactly what it should have been. Ibushi gave Desperado a ton and they had a great match.

They started out with chain wrestling. Desperado got the slight edge in the opening exchange and worked Ibushi’s left arm over the middle rope. Ibushi turned to strikes and hit a mid kick. The fight went to the floor. Ibushi sent Desperado into the barricade. Back in, Ibushi hit a slam for a near fall. 

Ibushi used a chinlock to set up a quick near fall. Ibushi fired off more strikes and dared Desperado to strike with him. Ibushi repeatedly got the better of the striking battles. 

Desperado went after Ibushi’s left leg with dragon screws. Desperado applied Numero Dos, but Ibushi fought to the ropes. Ibushi blocked Guitarra de Angel. Ibushi hit a powerslam and teased a follow-up moonsault. Desperado kicked Ibushi off the ropes to the floor. 

Desperado hit a suicide flip dive through the ropes. Back inside, Desperado hit Guitarra de Angel for a two count. Desperado continued attacking the left leg with stomps. Ibushi fought off a figure four attempt. Ibushi hit a double stomp, but sold his knee on landing. 

They traded strikes. Desperado picked Ibushi’s ankle and got Numero Dos applied again. Ibushi fought to the ropes to force a break. Ibushi countered a low dropkick attempt with another double stomp. 

They traded strikes. Desperado fired up after a series of hard kicks. Desperado hit a slam for a two count. Desperado went up top and connected with a frog splash for a close near fall. 

Desperado went for Pinche Loco. Ibushi blocked and hit a mid kick, a palm strike to the chest, then a v-trigger. Desperado blocked a high kick with a straight right hand. 

Ibushi blocked another Pinche Loco attempt and hit a lariat. Ibushi hit last ride for a two count. Ibushi called for the Kamigoye. Desperado reversed into el es culero for a two count. 

Ibushi hit a high kick. Desperado avoided Kamigoye and locked on Numero Dos. Ibushi reversed into a cradle for a near fall. Ibushi hit Kamigoye. Desperado kicked out. 

Ibushi hit a second Kamigoye and this time it was enough for the 1-2-3. 

Ibushi held up Desperado’s hand in a show of respect after the match. 

Ibushi cut a promo. He said he will unify the titles, he will take on all challengers and specifically called out Tanahashi at the commentary desk. 

He closed saying will never leave us, he will never betray us. 

New Japan Cup night eight results: Semifinal matches

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Recommended matches —

All four matches are worth a look but just watch the last two if you’re pressed for time. 

  • EVIL vs. SANADA
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Report —

Korakuen Hall was again the venue for today’s show. 

Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & El Desperado defeated Yuji Nagata, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Gabriel Kidd (12:14)

The focus here was on Sabre and Taichi vs. Tanahashi and Ibushi, the tag title program. This was a solid opener.

Tanahashi and Taichi started off. Taichi choked Tana with a length of rope, a trick he also used last night against SANADA. The match broke down into a brawl. Suzuki and Nagata paired off, as did Tanahashi and Taichi and Sabre and Ibushi. 

Taichi choked Tanahashi with a piece of security fence. When the match returned to the ring, Suzuki-gun began working over Tanahashi’s right leg. Taichi brought the tag belts into the ring while Sabre and Suzuki tied Tanahashi up in holds. 

Ibushi got a tag and had a nice exchange with Sabre. Ibushi went for a standing moonsault but Sabre caught him in a submission on the landing. Suzuki and Nagata tagged in and renewed their rivalry. Suzuki went for the Gotch-style piledriver but Nagata blocked and hit an exploder. 

Kidd tagged in for an exchange with Suzuki. Kidd fought off a double team from Desperado and hit Suzuki with a dropkick. The match broke down. Ibushi hit a dive to Sabre. 

Desperado and Kidd ended up the legal men. Desperado hit a straight right hand and used Pinche Loco to pin Kidd. 

The post-match was intense. After the bell, Sabre put Ibushi in a triangle. Taichi and Tanahashi faced off on the outside. Nagata made the save for Ibushi. Ibushi went after Sabre and Taichi but was held back. 

Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & SHO defeated Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI (13:18)

SHO and Shingo looks to be the NEVER Openweight title program so they started off the match. 

SHO and Shingo traded some power strikes. Ishii tagged in and cut Shingo off with some hard chops. Naito jumped in and hit a dropkick to Ishii’s left knee to cut him off. Naito and BUSHI took turns working on Ishii while SHO and Shingo brawled on the floor. 

Ishii came back with a powerslam on Naito and tagged Goto. Goto hit a backdrop suplex. Naito answered with a back elbow and a dropkick. BUSHI entered for a double team which allowed Naito to hit a one-legged dropkick. 

Shingo and SHO tagged back in. Shingo missed a sliding lariat but blocked a spear. They traded vertical suplexes and lariats. Shingo hit a German. SHO responded with two rolling Germans. Shingo blocked a third. SHO hit a knee strike. Shingo hit a lariat. 

BUSHI tagged in for an enzuigiri and a DDT. Ishii jumped in but BUSHI dispatched him. LIJ went 3-on-1 on SHO. BUSHI hit a backstabber. Goto made the save for SHO. 

BUSHI went for an MX. SHO ducked it. Ishii and Naito jumped in. Ishii hit a brainbuster on Naito. Shingo hit a pumping bomber on SHO. 

The finishing sequence saw SHO hit a power breaker on BUSHI for a two count, then use the Shock Arrow for the pin. 

SHO hit Shingo with a spear after the match and stood over him with the NEVER Openweight title in hand. 

**********

A Way to the Grand Master video played. The Grand Master then debuted. This was the former Hirai Kawato, now using the name Master Wato. Wato has all blue gear and blue hair. 

Wato came to the ring and cut a brief promo. He was then jumped from behind by DOUKI who left him laying with several shots with a pipe. 

This was an underwhelming debut to say the least. 

We then had an intermission before the two semifinal matches. 

**********

New Japan Cup semifinal match: EVIL defeated SANADA (20:14)

There have been better matches in this tournament but the storytelling here was off the charts great. EVIL has been showing a more ruthless side throughout the entire tournament and that peaked here with his brutal beating of his own tag partner. 

SANADA offered a handshake at the opening bell. EVIL looked to accept it but then went for an STO. SANADA blocked and went for Skull End. EVIL slid out. EVIL hit a tackle. SANADA hit an arm drag and EVIL rolled outside to stall. 

EVIL clotheslined SANADA to the floor and then posted his arm inside a chair. SANADA came back with a dropkick and a plancha. EVIL raked SANADA’s eyes and used a ref-assisted mid kick. SANADA hit a back suplex. 

EVIL hit a ref-assisted Magic Killer. They did a long double down before trading strikes at the ten minute mark. EVIL hit a misdirection lariat out of the corner and used Darkness Falls for a two count. 

SANADA blocked Everything is EVIL. EVIL blocked Skull End. SANADA used a dragon suplex for a two count. SANADA used Skull End but EVIL slid out and hit a lariat for a near fall. 

There was a scary spot at the 15 minute mark. SANADA tried to flip out of the corner for Skull End. It looked as though EVIL was supposed to block and hit a suplex but SANADA somehow got spiked on top of his head. 

SANADA used an O’Connor roll to set up Skull end. SANADA gave up the hold and went for a top rope moonsault but EVIL got his knees up. EVIL shoved SANADA into the ref and the ref took a bump to the floor. 

With the ref down, EVIL hit a low blow. He then brought two chairs into the ring. He placed one around SANADA’s neck and hit it with the other. EVIL set up like he was going for the scorpion deathlock but hit another low blow instead. 

EVIL revived the referee at the 20 minute mark. He then immediately hit Everything is EVIL and pinned SANADA. 

**********

There was another brief intermission before the main event. 

**********

New Japan Cup semifinal match: Kazuchika Okada defeated Hiromu Takahashi (27:00)

I expected a match of the year candidate. This was a match of the year candidate. 

Okada broke cleanly after they locked up at the outset. Hiromu feigned doing the same before hitting a forearm strike and a flying headscissors. Okada locked on a head and arm choke but Hiromu forced a break. 

They rolled outside where Okada hit a neckbreaker on the floor. Back inside, Okada hit a slingshot senton before covering for a one count. Hiromu came back with a lariat and a dropkick. 

Okada rolled outside and Hiromu nailed him with a shotgun dropkick off the apron. Okada went flying through the security fence. Back inside, Hiromu hit a superkick and a falcon arrow for a near fall. 

Okada hit a huge flapjack. He went for a top rope elbow but rolled through and landed on his feet. Hiromu hit a German. They traded strikes and Okada got the better of the exchange. Okada hit a Woo dropkick. He sat Hiromu on the top rope and hit another dropkick sending Hiromu crashing to the floor. 

Okada whipped Hiromu into the barricade and then sent him over it with a big boot. Okada hit a draping DDT off the barricade. Okada hit a missile dropkick off the top for a two count. He hit a dropkick to the back before trying a standard dropkick and missing. Hiromu answered with a shotgun dropkick. This was an incredible sequence. 

Hiromu sat Okada on the top rope and then sent him to the floor with a dropkick, a call back to the earlier spot where Okada did the same thing. Hiromu hit a sunset bomb off the apron. He followed up with a Dynamite Plunger for a near fall. 

Hiromu went for Time Bomb. Okada blocked. Hiromu hit the ropes but ran right into an Okada dropkick. Okada hit a tombstone and locked in the cobra clutch. Hiromu grabbed Okada by the hair and hit a DVD into the buckle to break the hold. 

Okada blocked Time Bomb. Okada hit a dropkick. Hiromu hit a lariat. Hiromu then hit a Rainmaker for a near fall. Hiromu hit Time Bomb but Okada kicked out at the last instant. 

Hiromu ducked under a spinning Rainmaker and locked in a triangle. Okada broke it with a powerbomb. Hiromu used a cradle for a near fall and a wheelbarrow facebuster. Okada hit a dropkick but Hiromu no-sold it and hit a lariat. 

Hiromu went for Time Bomb 2. Okada blocked and hit a spinning tombstone at the 25 minute mark. Okada went back to the cobra clutch. Hiromu slid out. Okada hit a Rainmaker and went back to the clutch. He gave up the hold and hit two more Rainmakers. 

Okada then locked in the cobra clutch one final time. Hiromu passed out in the hold and the ref called for the stoppage finish. 

Okada closed the show with a promo. 

New Japan Cup night seven results: Ishii vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Recommended matches —

  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Taiji Ishimori

Report —

Korakuen Hall was the venue again today. 

New Japan Cup quarterfinal match: Hiromu Takahashi defeated Tomohiro Ishii (19:12)

These are two of the ten best wrestlers in the world and they had a either the best or second best match of the tournament so far here in the opener. 

They opened by trading shoulder tackles. Hiromu held his own in the exchange but Ishii established the clear advantage. They then traded hard chops. Again Hiromu held his own but again Ishii got the better of the exchange. 

Hiromu fired up and hit chops. Ishii answered with one headbutt which sent Hiromu stumbling to the ropes. Hiromu rolled outside but Ishii went right after him and threw him back in the ring. Hiromu landed a snapmare and a dropkick but Ishii was back in control after a vertical suplex. 

Hiromu hit a falcon arrow for a near fall. Hiromu hit a shotgun dropkick. Ishii popped right up and sent Hiromu into the buckle with a tackle. They did an intricate series of counters ending with Ishii hitting a backdrop suplex. 

Hiromu hit a rana and rolled through into a triangle choke. They did a long submission tease but Ishii broke the hold by powering Hiromu into the corner pad. Ishii hit a hard corner clothesline to set up a delayed superplex. Both guys sold this great on landing. Ishii got a near fall. 

Hiromu blocked a lariat. Ishii hit an enzuigiri. Ishii then connected with the lariat. Hiromu struggled to his feet and hit some weak forearms. Ishii answered with a single forearm shot and a sliding lariat for a two count. 

Ishii went for the Vertical Drop Brainbuster. Hiromu countered into a triangle. Ishii again broke the triangle and hit a lariat. Hiromu took a crazy flip bump off the lariat. Hiromu popped up and hit a dynamite plunger for a near fall. 

Hiromu hit two lariats and a superkick. He then hit a DVD into the corner pad. Ishii sold this like he was dead. They did a series of finisher teases. Hiromu no-sold a German. Ishii no-sold a lariat. Hiromu dropped Ishii with a single headbutt in a callback to the start of the match. 

Hiromu hit a lariat. He hit Time Bomb but Ishii kicked out at two. 

Ishii hit a headbutt. Hiromu spiked Ishii with a brainbuster then hit Time Bomb 2 for the pin. 

Both guys sold for a long time after the bell and both stumbled to the back after. This was a war. 

New Japan Cup quarterfinal match: EVIL defeated YOSHI-HASHI (2:00)

YH sold the knee injury from yesterday’s show during his entrance. EVIL attacked as YH posed on the buckle before the bell rang. EVIL repeatedly hit the knee with a chair. 

Once the bell rang, YH tried to fire up and hit chops but EVIL would kick at the leg and cut him off. 

EVIL used a scorpion deathlock. They did a long submission tease. YH refused to tap but the referee called for the bell and a stoppage. 

EVIL went back after the leg after the match. They continue to build EVIL as a monster who will do anything to win this tournament and they protected YH on the loss. 

Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI defeated Hirooki Goto, SHO & Yuya Uemura (9:34)

Uemura started off and did well for himself against Shingo. SHO tagged in to face off with Shingo as that still appears to be a NEVER title direction. SHO got cut off and LIJ worked him over. 

SHO made a tag to Goto who got some offense in on Naito. Naito tagged BUSHI who hit Goto with a missile dropkick. Goto tagged Uemura. 

Uemura and SHO doubled up on BUSHI. Uemura hit a nice dropkick. Everyone jumped in for a big move as the match broke down. SHO and Shingo traded hard clotheslines. 

BUSHI and Uemura were left the legal men. BUSHI hit an enzuigiri and a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall before hitting a fireman’s carry into a codebreaker for the pin. 

Shingo and SHO faced off after the match. Shingo taunted SHO with both his NEVER Openweight title and his NEVER Six-Man title belt. 

**********

Way to The Grand Master video and intermission time.

**********

New Japan Cup quarterfinal match: Kazuchika Okada defeated Taiji Ishimori (16:52)

Okada went to lock up but Ishimori hit a thumb to the eye instead. Okada quickly established the advantage once they did lock up and Ishimori rolled outside. 

Gedo appeared and distracted Okada. Ishimori attacked from behind. Okada then rolled outside where Gedo hit him with a wrench to the gut. Ishimori used a chinlock and hit a leg drop for a two count. 

Ishimori hit an enzuigiri and a sliding German for a two count. Ishimori then went back to the chinlock. Okada came back with a flapjack and more of his signature spots. Okada hit a DDT for a two count. 

Ishimori fought out of a tombstone attempt and hit a handspring kick. Ishimori hit a meteora. He went for a knee strike but Okada ducked and rolled him up for a two count. 

Ishimori got the Yes Lock applied but Okada forced a rope break immediately. Ishimori attacked Okada’s abs with strikes. Okada hit an air raid crash at the 10 minute mark. 

Okada hit a slam and teased a top rope elbow. Gedo jumped on the apron and allowed Ishimori to recover. Ishimori knocked Okada off the apron and hit a golden triangle off the post to the floor. 

Back inside, Ishimori hit a shotgun dropkick and a meteora for a two count. Ishimori got the Yes Lock again. Okada did a great job selling this like it was a potential finish but he made the ropes. 

Okada hit a dropkick. Ishimori reversed a tombstone into a lungblower for a near fall. Okada sold his abs big. Okada made it to his feet and hit a spinning tombstone. 

Okada went for his head and arm choke. Gedo jumped on the apron and Okada gave up the hold. Okada got the hold again. Ishimori pulled the ref down and the ref took a bump. 

Gedo jumped in with brass knuckles. Okada ducked the knuckles and sent Gedo outside after a Woo dropkick. 

Okada hit Ishimori with a dropkick and then used the head and arm choke for the submission. 

This was Ishimori’s best match in about two years. He has to pick his spots now because he’s had so many injuries and he picked today to turn it on. 

They felt that the interference was necessary given that Ishimori has been an undercard junior heavyweight tag guy for the last year and it worked to enhance the match. 

New Japan Cup quarterfinal match: SANADA defeated Taichi (22:50)

Taichi pulled a length of rope out of his pants and used it to choke SANADA on the opening lockup. Taichi then beat SANADA around ringside. He sent him into the barricade. He dragged him through the building and choked him with a piece of fence. He posted SANADA’s left shoulder. 

Back inside, Taichi went for a cover but Red Shoes refused to count the pin. Taichi again choked SANADA. SANADA came back with a low dropkick. He hit a second dropkick to Taichi’s left leg and Taichi rolled outside. SANADA hit a plancha. 

Taichi hit a thumb to the eye and a jumping high kick at the ten minute mark. SANADA caught a thrust kick and tried to lock in Skull End. Taichi blocked and hit a backdrop suplex. 

They traded strikes. Taichi went for Black Mephisto. SANADA blocked. SANADA ducked an axe bomber and hit a draping neckbreaker. Taichi blocked a springboard attack but SANADA turned it into a sunset flip for a near fall. 

SANADA used a moonsault to set up Skull End. Yoshinobu Kanemaru ran in and took the referee. Taichi tapped to Skull End but the ref didn’t see the tap. SANADA gave up the hold. Taichi hit a backdrop suplex. 

Taichi used a dragon sleeper with a body scissors. SANADA teased tapping but eventually reached the ropes to force a break. 

Taichi went for a last ride but SANADA fought it off. Taichi hit an axe bomber and a jumping high kick at the 20 minute mark. 

Taichi hit a backdrop suplex with a bridge for a near fall. SANADA ducked an axe bomber and hit a hurricanrana for a two count. SANADA hit a TKO. 

The finish saw SANADA use a spinning Skull End. He went for a moonsault press but Kanemaru jumped on the apron. Taichi shoved the ref down and hit a low blow. SANADA shoved Taichi into Kanemaru and Kanemaru flew off the apron. SANADA then used an O’Connor roll for the pin. 

Taichi shoved the ref down after the match as SANADA continued selling the low blow. 

SANADA closed the show with a promo. 

**********

The semifinal matches tomorrow: 

  • EVIL vs. SANADA
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiromu Takahashi

New Japan Cup night six results: EVIL vs. Hirooki Goto

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Recommended matches —

  • SANADA vs. SHO
  • EVIL vs. Hirooki Goto

Report —

An empty Korakuen Hall was the venue today.

New Japan Cup second round match: YOSHI-HASHI defeated BUSHI (10:22)

This was a solid opener marred by an apparent injury to YH’s right knee. 

BUSHI attacked YH as he posed on the turnbuckle during his entrance. BUSHI choked YH with his t-shirt. YH came back with a shoulder block and a series of strikes and chops in the corner. YH no-sold a series of strikes. 

YH appeared to tweak his knee as BUSHI blocked a charge into the corner. YH slid on the mat as he planted his feet and his right knee gave out. He continued working with a notable limp and the referee checked in on him for the rest of the match. 

BUSHI hit a suicide dive and a draping DDT on the apron. BUSHI hit a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. BUSHI called for the MX but YH caught him coming off the buckle with a lariat. YH hit a second lariat for a near fall. 

YH used the butterfly lock. They did a long submission tease but BUSHI forced a rope break. BUSHI used a backslide with a weird bridge for a two count. 

The finish saw YH slide out of a fireman’s carry and hit Karma for the pin. 

New Japan Cup second round match: SANADA defeated SHO (14:43)

This was very good. 

SHO has put on some mass with all of it residing in his quads and his biceps. 

They started with chain wrestling. SHO got a cross armbreaker but SANADA forced a break. SHO wrenched on SANADA’s left arm. He slammed it on the top rope and used a wristlock around the post. 

SANADA came back with a dropkick to the back on the apron. SANADA barred the left knee but SHO reached the ropes. SANADA no-sold some strikes and kicked at the left knee as he found his point of attack. 

SHO came back with a spear and a dropkick. He went back to the armbar but SANADA forced a break. SANADA tried his leapfrog dropkick but SHO caught him with a German and went back to the armbar. SHO transitioned to a triangle and SANADA broke the hold with a  powerbomb. 

SHO hit a power breaker. He went for Shock Arrow but SANADA blocked. SANADA landed on his feet off a German attempt. SANADA used a TKO threat to transition to Skull End. SHO reversed and used a cradle for a two count. 

SHO used a kimura. SANADA rolled through into Skull End. SHO reversed into a wheelbarrow German with a bridge for a near fall. SHO fired up. 

SHO again went for Shock Arrow. SANADA blocked and got Skull End. SHO escaped and tried Shock Arrow again. SANADA blocked and hit a spinning Skull End. SHO escaped. 

The finish saw SANADA tease a moonsault press. Instead he landed on his feet on the moonsault and locked in Skull End again. SHO tapped. 

Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Yota Tsuji (13:04)

Hiromu and Yano continued their comedy series here. Yano pulled a bag of Hiromu’s hair clippings out of his tights as they faced off. 

Shingo and Tsuji started the match for real. Tsuji was quickly cut off. Shingo and Naito worked Tsuji over. Tsuji came back with a dropkick to Naito. 

Hiromu and Ishii tagged in and business picked up. Ishii was tremendous in selling like he wasn’t taking Hiromu seriously as they first engaged. Hiromu made him a believer after a series of signature spots. Ishii fired up and they traded strikes. Hiromu hit a brainbuster. Ishii hit a backdrop suplex. 

With Hiromu down, Tsuji tagged back in. He used a variation on a guillotine which looked nasty on Hiromu’s surgically repaired neck. Everyone jumped in. Yano took Shingo and Naito down with hair pulls. 

Tsuji went for a crab but Hiromu blocked. LIJ went three-on-one on Tsuji. Naito and Hiromu hit stereo dropkicks for a near fall. 

The finish saw Hiromu go for a crab. Tsuji blocked. Hiromu hit a superkick and went back to the crab and Tsuji tapped. 

Ishii and Hiromu faced off after the match. They face each other in a tournament match tomorrow. That match is going to rule. 

Hiromu also stared down Naito before finally participating in the LIJ fist bump. Was that foreshadowing the Cup final? That match is also going to rule. 

**********

Way to the Grandmaster video and cleaning intermission time. 

**********

New Japan Cup second round match: Taichi (w/ Zack Sabre, Jr.) defeated Kota Ibushi (w/ Hiroshi Tanahashi) (18:08)

There was some good action here but I’m going to stop short of recommending it given the screwy finish. 

If you get nauseous watching head drops this was not the match for you. 

Sabre tripped Ibushi from the floor early on. Taichi took the ref and Sabre pounded on Ibushi on the outside. Taichi beat Ibushi around the arena and choked him with camera cables. Ibushi made a comeback as the action returned to the ring and used a standing shooting star for a near fall. 

They traded hard kicks. Ibushi sold a roundhouse kick big. Ibushi hit a sick Pele kick but sold his neck on landing. Ibushi hit a backdrop suplex for a two count and Ibushi sold his neck again.

Taichi removed his pants. Taichi hit an axe bomber. Ibushi answered with his own lariat. Each tried a last ride but both escaped. Ibushi hit a high kick. Ibushi then connected with a last ride for a two count. 

Ibushi teased a Kamigoye. Sabre took the referee. Taichi hit a low blow and used a Gedo clutch for a near fall. Tanahashi tried to fire Ibushi up.

Ibushi missed a charge into the corner. Taichi hit a jumping high kick and a sick backdrop suplex that dropped Ibushi on his head. They traded high kicks into a double down. 

Ibushi blocked a buzzsaw kick. He teased sending Taichi into the buckle like a lawn dart but settled for a nasty spike package piledriver instead. Ibushi again went for Kamigoye but Taichi pulled the referee in his path. The ref took a bump and fell out of the ring. 

Sabre jumped in and hit Ibushi with strikes. He went for a Zack Driver but Tanahashi saved. Tanahashi hit Sabre with twist and shout and they brawled to the back. 

With the ref still down, Taichi hit Ibushi with the iron glove. Taichi then hit Black Mephisto for the pin. 

Taichi posed with Ibushi and Tanahashi’s tag titles after the match. 

They’re serving two masters by simultaneously pushing Taichi as a serious threat to win the cup and also going so hard in the direction of Sabre and Taichi vs. Tanahashi and Ibushi. That’s not a criticism, it’s just an interesting strategy worth noting. 

New Japan Cup second round match: EVIL defeated Hirooki Goto (18:25)

This was a hard-hitting main event. They protected Goto on the finish and established that EVIL will cheat to win if he has to. 

EVIL stood blocking the ring steps after his entrance, waiting for Goto to appear. Goto entered and they brawled all over the building before they ever set foot in the ring. That was a creative start. 

The brawl continued in the ring. Goto hit a big kick before going to a chinlock. Goto has been going to that chinlock early in all of his recent matches. Goto hit some more strikes. EVIL came back with a lariat that sent Goto over the top to the floor. 

EVIL sent Goto into the barricade before Pillman-izing Goto’s arm against the post. Back inside, EVIL used a chinlock. EVIL hit a shoulder tackle. Goto escaped a brainbuster and hit a misdirection lariat. 

Goto hit a Saito suplex for a near fall. EVIL answered by taking Goto to the mat with a hair pull. EVIL hit a seated senton in the corner for a two count. They did an awesome series of misdirection spots that ended with Goto hitting an ushigoroshi. 

They traded strikes. Each fought for a suplex. Goto hit a rolling elbow and an inverted GTR for a two count. Goto hit a series of mid kicks. EVIL caught a kick and hit a German. Goto no-sold it and they hit simultaneous lariats. Goto hit a lariat for a near fall. 

Goto went for a GTR. EVIL blocked and hit a counter elbow to the orbital bone. EVIL hit a fisherman buster for a two count just past the 15-minute mark. 

EVIL hit Darkness Falls for a two count. EVIL called for Everything is EVIL but Goto blocked. They did a series of counters ending with Goto hitting a headbutt. 

Goto hit a mid kick and a GTW but EVIL kicked out. Goto went for a GTR but EVIL shoved him off into the referee. The ref took a bump. EVIL hit a lariat and a low blow before reviving the ref. EVIL covered for a two count. 

EVIL then hit Everything is EVIL for the pin. 

EVIL closed the show with a promo. 

**********

So the quarterfinals are now set. Here are the matches:

  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
  • Taiji Ishimori vs. Kazuchika Okada
  • SANADA vs. Taichi
  • EVIL vs. YOSHI-HASHI

New Japan Cup night five results: Kazuchika Okada vs. Yuji Nagata

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Recommended matches —

  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Toru Yano
  • Kazuchika Okada vs. Yuji Nagata

Report —

Korakuen Hall was again the venue today. 

New Japan Cup second round match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru (9:18)

This had a creative start as Kanemaru attacked Ishimori on the stage during is entrance. Kanemaru proceeded to work over Ishimori’s left leg. 

Ishimori’s selling was great but there wasn’t much to the match otherwise. Kanemaru worked over the leg for five minutes. Ishimori hit a handspring kick and started his comeback. 

Ishimori missed a knee strike. They traded cradles. Ishimori went for the Bloody Cross but Kanemaru pulled the ref in his path. The ref took a bump. Kanemaru hit a low blow. Kanemaru tried to spit whiskey but Ishimori covered his mouth and made him swallow it. Ishimori covered for a two count. 

Kanemaru went for Deep Impact. Ishimori caught him coming off the ropes and teased Bloody Cross. Kanemaru blocked and used a cradle for a near fall. 

The finish saw Ishimori try for a Yes Lock. Kanemaru blocked. Ishimori hit a lungblower for a near fall, then hit Bloody Cross for the pin. 

New Japan Cup second round match: Tomohiro Ishii defeated Togi Makabe (13:28)

It’s clobbering time. 

The bar for stiff brawls between veterans has been set very high in this tournament. This was good but I honestly expected more. 

They traded power moves right away as both men went for tackles and lariats. Ishii got the upper hand and hit some hard chops in the corner. Makabe came back with a powerslam and a northern lights suplex for a near fall. 

Ishii hit a German on Makabe into the turnbuckle. Makabe sold this as if he had been shot by a sniper rifle. Ishii dropped some knees on the neck area as he went to work.

Makabe came back with a lariat, dropping Ishii. They traded simultaneous lariats before Makabe dropped Ishii with a lariat. Makabe hit a spider German but Ishii no-sold it and hit a lariat with Makabe perched on the buckle. 

Ishii hit a delayed superplex. Makabe no-sold it. Ishii hit a lariat for a two count. Makabe hit a German with a bridge for a two count. 

Makabe went up top for the King Kong Knee Drop but missed with it. Ishii hit a headbutt and a lariat. Ishii hit another headbutt. Makabe fired up and hit a series of chops and forearms to the side of Ishii’s neck. Ishii cut him off with a lariat. 

Ishii then hit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster for the pin.  

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI (13:55)

Ibushi charged the ring as if he had been shot out of a cannon and beat up Suzuki-gun one-on-three before the opening bell. 

Sabre and Taichi recovered and cut Tanahashi off in the ring. Taichi held Tanahashi while Sabre hit a dragon screw. Taichi then brawled around the arena with Ibushi, choking him with a cable. 

Back inside, Sabre and DOUKI worked over Tanahashi’s left leg. This continued forever. I genuinely believe that Taguchi may have been sleeping on the floor during the match. Sabre worked for a cobra twist. Tana slid out and hit an inverted dragon screw. 

Ibushi and Taichi got tags. They traded a series of kicks. Taichi hit a mid kick. He tried a last ride but Ibushi blocked and hit a high kick into a double down. 

Taguchi tagged in and Taichi tagged him with a kick on the belt line before tagging DOUKI. DOUKI hit Taguchi with a lariat for a two count. DOUKI hit Suplex de la Luna. Ibushi jumped in and broke up the pin. Ibushi and Taichi brawled to the floor. 

Taguchi used two different cradles for near falls. DOUKI blocked a hip attack. Tana jumped in and hit DOUKI with a slingblade. 

The finishing sequence saw Taguchi hit a Bomaye for a near fall. Taichi and Sabre jumped in. Ibushi and Tana took them out to the floor. DOUKI used a cradle for a near fall. Taguchi then hit an enzuigiri and used Dodon for the pin. 

**********

Sabre and Taichi attacked Tanahashi and Ibushi after the match. They teased hitting a belt shot but Taguchi jumped in and grabbed the belts. Tana and Ibushi recovered and Taichi and Sabre bailed. 

**********

Another Way to the Grandmaster video played before intermission. 

**********

New Japan Cup second round match: Hiromu Takahashi defeated Toru Yano by countout (9:17)

This was one of the best comedy matches you’ll ever see. 

Hiromu entered wearing a construction helmet and started the match still wearing it. The referee took hand sanitizer away from Yano before the match. 

The match began and Yano immediately produced hair clippers. Hiromu rolled outside and crawled under the ring. Yano went out after him. Hiromu appeared on the other side of the ring and grabbed the clippers. 

Hiromu threatened to use the clippers but the battery was dead. Yano then produced a second set of clippers and threatened Hiromu’s hair with them. Hiromu ran wild with a shotgun dropkick. He sent Yano into the barricade. 

Yano reversed another whip into the barricade. They brawled around the arena. Yano produced a pair of scissors and again threatened to cut Hiromu’s hair. 

They fought their way back to the ring. Yano exposed a turnbuckle. Hiromu avoided the exposed buckle and hit a superkick. Hiromu went for a sunset bomb off the apron but Yano blocked. Yano produced another set of scissors. 

Yano taped Hiromu to Yota Tsuji. Yano used the scissors to cut off a chunk of Hiromu’s hair. 

They fought backstage. Hiromu used the tape to blindfold Yano and pushed him into an elevator. Hiromu sent the elevator to the ground floor. 

Still taped to Tsuji, Hiromu hopped back to the ring. He beat the count back in at 19 and advanced. 

Hiromu and Tsuji hobbled to the back together after the match, still taped together. 

New Japan Cup second round match: Kazuchika Okada defeated Yuji Nagata (20:15)

The story early on was that Okada may have been too confident going into the match and Nagata was going to make him fight for everything he got. 

Nagata opened with a headlock takeover. Okada ran into a high kick. They brawled outside where Okada sent Nagata into the barricade. 

Back inside, Nagata ducked a back elbow and hit an exploder. Okada came back with a back elbow. Nagata blocked a tombstone attempt and hit an overhead belly-to-belly at the ten minute mark.  

Okada’s facial expressions were awesome in this stretch of the match, as though he was realizing that he might actually lose. 

They traded strikes as the intensity was kicked up a notch. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick and an air raid crash for a two count. Okada teased a top rope elbow but Nagata cut him off and hit an exploder off the turnbuckles for a two count. 

Okada hit a dropkick to the back, then a second dropkick. Okada went for his Deep In Debt head and arm choke but Nagata reversed into a Nagata Lock crossface. Okada forced a break. 

Nagata fought for an exploder. Okada blocked and applied a cobra clutch. They did a long submission tease but Nagata broke the hold with an exploder. Okada missed a dropkick. Okada caught a PK. 

They traded strikes and slaps. Nagata ducked a spinning Rainmaker and hit a backdrop suplex for a near fall. Nagata fought for a suplex. Okada grabbed the top rope. Nagata hit a grazing enzuigiri. 

Okada then rolled off the ropes into the head and arm choke. Nagata’s facial expressions while in the choke were incredible. 

Nagata fought the choke for a long time but eventually tapped. 

Okada closed the show with his post-match press conference in the ring. 

New Japan Cup night four results: Satoshi Kojima vs. EVIL

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Recommended matches —

  • YOSHI-HASHI vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
  • Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, SHO & Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi
  • EVIL vs. Satoshi Kojima

Report —

Korakuen Hall was again the venue for today’s show.

New Japan Cup first round match: BUSHI defeated YOH (15:43)

These guys worked hard but this badly needed a crowd. They didn’t work particularly stiff, so it was two guys working in a dead silent arena and the match went too long. 

The opening exchange saw YOH hit a hurricanrana. BUSHI rolled to the floor and YOH hit him with a plancha. YOH may have tweaked his left knee as he landed awkwardly and came up limping. BUSHI again rolled outside where he sent YOH into the barricade. 

BUSHI hit a neckbreaker against the barricade. YOH made it back inside after a countout tease. BUSHI went to work on YOH. YOH came back with a handspring elbow and a figure four. YOH used a dragon screw and falcon arrow for a near fall. 

BUSHI came back with a neckbreaker and a draping DDT on the apron for a near fall. YOH hit a pair of bridging Germans for near falls. They traded strikes. BUSHI hit an enzuigiri and a rewind kick. YOH hit a superkick.

They did a series of standing switches. BUSHI hit a backstabber for a near fall. YOH hit a flatliner for a near fall. YOH locked on a calf crusher. YOH gave up the hold and teased a dragon suplex. BUSHI blocked and hit a code breaker. 

BUSHI hit an elevated neckbreaker and used the MX for the pin. 

New Japan Cup first round match: YOSHI-HASHI defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan (17:37)

These guys beat the hell out of each other. Both had welts all over their chests from hard chops. I can’t believe I’m recommending a YOSHI-HASHI match but I am.

They started off trading tackles. Then they moved to chops. Tenzan hit some Mongolian chops. YH sent him outside and they brawled on the floor. They did a countout tease but Tenzan made it back in at 19. 

Tenzan hit a brainbuster for a near fall. They traded more chops. YH hit double knees for a near fall. Tenzan went for a brainbuster off the second but YH hit a sunset bomb for a near fall. Tenzan hit a massive spear and used an STF. 

Tenzan hit a slam. He missed a top rope moonsault. YH missed a swanton bomb off the top rope. They traded strikes. Tenzan hit chops and a headbutt. YH hit a lariat and made a cover. Tenzan kicked out at one. 

YH hit a diving headhunter off the top for a two count. He locked on the Butterfly Lock but Tenzan forced a break. YH went for a headhunter but Tenzan hit a mountain bomb for a near fall. 

Tenzan locked in an anaconda vice. YH powered his way to his feet and Tenzan used an anaconda buster for a near fall. 

The finish saw Tenzan go back to the anaconda vice. YH turned him over into a crucifix for a near fall, then locked in the Butterfly Lock and Tenzan tapped. An excellent match.

Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii, SHO & Toru Yano went to a double countout with Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi (12:29)

Yano and Hiromu began with some comedy. Hiromu acted disgusted at the sight of Yano. He took forever to get in the ring and start the match. The ref checked Yano’s tights and found a bottle of and sanitizer. 

While the ref disposed of the hand sanitizer, Yano pulled hair clippers from his tights and chased Hiromu around the ring with hair clippers. Hiromu’s selling made this funny. 

SHO and SANADA had an exchange, then SHO and Shingo, then Ishii and Shingo were in together. They traded hard chops and punches before Naito and Okada tagged in. Okada hit an air raid crash. Naito hit a spinebuster. 

They built back to Yano and Hiromu. Hiromu went for a sunset bomb off the apron. Yano pulled a second pair of clippers out of his tights and chased Hiromu through the building with them. 

They fought up onto the concessions area. Yano pulled out a roll of tape and taped Hiromu’s legs together. Okada ran to the concourse and tried to get Yano back to the arena but it was too late and both Yano and Hiromu were counted out. 

Rather than cutting the tape off Hiromu, Naito and Shingo carried him back to ringside. 

**********

A Way to the Grandmaster hype video aired before intermission.

**********

New Japan Cup first round match: Hirooki Goto defeated Yujiro Takahashi (w/ Jado) (16:41)

This took a few minutes to get going but the closing sequence was well done. 

They started off trading tackles. They brawled to the floor where Yujiro hit an inverted DDT to take control of the match. Yujiro hit kicks in the corner and used a uranage for a two count. 

Goto fired back with palm strikes to the chest and a lariat. Goto hit a wheel kick in the corner and a Saito suplex for a two count. Goto went for an ushigoroshi but Yujiro raked his eyes and escaped. 

Yujiro hit a fisherman’s superplex for a near fall. They did an intricate series of misdirection spots that ended with simultaneous lariats. Goto hit a headbutt. Yujiro hit a big boot. 

Goto hit a draping GTR for a near fall. Yujiro grabbed the referee. Goto shoved the referee away. Jado hit a kendo stick shot. Yujiro hit Miami Shine for a near fall. 

Yujiro went for Pimp Juice but Goto fought it off at the fifteen minute mark. Yujiro hit two thrust kicks. Yujiro hit a headbutt. He again went for Pimp Juice. Goto reversed into an ushigoroshi attempt. Yujiro blocked with an eye rake. 

The finishing sequence saw Jado take the ref. Yujiro swung his pimp cane at Goto but missed. Goto hit a headbutt. Goto hit ushigoroshi for a near fall and hit a GTR for the pin. 

New Japan Cup first round match: EVIL defeated Satoshi Kojima (20:09)

This was a very good main event. Kojima is limited but they built a match around what he can still do and it worked. 

They traded shoulder blocks. EVIL rolled outside. Kojima missed a pescado and crashed to the floor. EVIL sent Kojima into the barricade. EVIL used a chair and Pillman-ized Kojima’s right arm against the post with a chair. 

EVIL went to work on the right arm. Kojima tried a slingshot elbow but missed. EVIL went back to the arm. Kojima fired up and hit machine gun chops in the corner. He went for a top rope elbow but EVIL cut him off. 

They fought to the apron. EVIL teased Everything is EVIL on the apron but Kojima blocked and hit a DDT. Kojima tossed EVIL back in and hit the diving elbow. EVIL came back with an eye rake and mid kick at the ten minute mark. 

EVIL hit a cannonball and used a Fujiwara armbar while wrenching back on Kojima’s fingers. Kojima forced a rope break. Kojima blocked a lariat and hit a Koji Cutter. Kojima then hit a second rope Koji Cutter for a near fall. EVIL took the bump right on his knee which looked like it sucked. 

Both fought for a suplex. EVIL won the struggle and hit a fisherman’s suplex. Kojima blocked Darkness Falls and hit a lariat. Kojima hit the ropes for another lariat but EVIL blocked and hit a lariat for a two count. 

EVIL hit Darkness Falls for a two count. He went for Everything is EVIL but Kojima blocked. Kojima blocked a lariat and hit a lariat for a two count. 

Kojima hit a brainbuster for a near fall. Kojima called for one more lariat. EVIL pulled the ref in Kojima’s path. EVIL hit a ref-assisted Magic Killer. EVIL was down. Kojima was down. The ref was down. 

EVIL hit a corner clothesline and top rope superplex for a two count. EVIL pulled off his elbow pad. He went for a lariat but Kojima ducked and hit a lariat. Kojima covered for a two count. 

The final sequence saw Kojima hit a lariat to the back. He charged in for a second lariat but EVIL caught him coming in and hit Everything is EVIL for the pin. 

EVIL closed the show with a promo. 

New Japan Cup night three results: Tanahashi vs. Taichi, Ibushi vs. ZSJ

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Recommended matches —

  • SANADA vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Shingo Takagi vs. SHO
  • Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Taichi

Report —

Korakuen Hall was the venue today. 

Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI defeated Yuji Nagata, Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura & Gabriel Kidd (10:34)

This was a fun opener. 

Suzuki-gun attacked before the opening bell. Kidd and DOUKI ended up starting the match as the legal men. Kidd and Uemura cut DOUKI off. 

Suzuki-gun then stormed the ring as a unit and cleared it. A wild brawl broke out around the ring. Suzuki choked Nagata with a camera cable. Suzuki-gun gained the upper hand in the brawl and began working Uemura over in the ring. 

The match built to a Suzuki and Nagata showdown. Suzuki blocked an exploder attempt. Nagata blocked a penalty kick. Suzuki worked for a choke but Nagata fought it off. Suzuki-gun cleared the ring and quadruple-teamed Nagata. 

Nagata came back with an overhead belly-to-belly on Desperado. Tsuji tagged in. Tsuji and Kidd doubled up on Desperado. Tsuji hit a spear and got a Boston crab applied but Kanemaru broke it up. 

Uemura hit a dropkick on Kanemaru. Suzuki put Uemura in a choke. Nagata broke the hold and brawled to the floor with Suzuki. 

The finishing sequence saw Desperado block a vertical suplex and hit a spear off a misdirection. Tsuji fought off Pinche Loco and hit a vertical suplex for a two count. Desperado hit a strike, then used Pinche Loco to pin Tsuji. 

New Japan Cup first round match: SANADA defeated Ryusuke Taguchi (15:47)

This was a very good match. They did a little bit of comedy early just so you knew that it was a Taguchi match but Taguchi had his working boots on. 

Taguchi offered a fist bump before the bell but SANADA declined. 

They locked up and started off with a chain wrestling sequence that ended in a stalemate. Taguchi again offered a fist bump. SANADA pondered the offer for several seconds. He accepted, but was on guard for when Taguchi tried to throw a kick. 

Both went for a dropkick simultaneously and missed. SANADA then offered a fist bump. Taguchi accepted. Both then tried to throw kicks at the same time. Taguchi tried the paradise lock and posed and danced. The hold was not applied. SANADA then correctly applied the hold and broke it with a dropkick. 

SANADA hit some atomic drops and Taguchi sold his ass. SANADA stepped out of the way of a hip attack and covered for a two count. SANADA used a chinlock. Taguchi blocked a charge into the corner and hit a dropkick. 

Taguchi hit a series of hip attacks in the ropes. Taguchi went for three amigos. SANADA blocked the third amigo and briefly applied Skull End. Taguchi escaped and hit the third amigo. 

SANADA blocked a bomaye. Taguchi rolled outside. SANADA missed a plancha. Taguchi hit a diving crossbody off the second rope to the floor. 

Back inside, Taguchi got an ankle lock applied. SANADA escaped and applied Skull End. Taguchi escaped that and went back to the ankle lock. SANADA powered out and used Skull End. SANADA used the spinning Skull End but Taguchi cradled him for a near fall. 

Taguchi used a magistral cradle for a two count and rolled SANADA up for another close near fall. SANADA rolled through and used a Japanese clutch for the pin. 

New Japan Cup first round match: SHO defeated Shingo Takagi (17:07)

An excellent match. 

This was an upset in the sense that Shingo rarely loses. In another sense you could see that Shingo and SHO for the NEVER title is a planned direction so the finish made sense. 

Shingo had his right hand taped up so they built the match around SHO attacking the injury. 

They charged at each other at the opening bell and traded an awesome series of power lariats. SHO got a near fall off one of the lariats and locked in an armbar. Shingo forced a rope break. SHO kicked at the right arm. 

SHO hit a dropkick. Shingo no-sold it and hit a shoulder block before clotheslining SHO over the top rope. Shingo rammed SHO into the barricade and hammered him with kicks. Shingo hit a DDT on the floor and they did a countout tease. 

The pace slowed for the first time at the five minute mark as Shingo used a chinlock and hit some short kicks. They traded strikes. SHO tried a spear but Shingo blocked with a front facelock. SHO powered out of that and hit a vertical suplex.

SHO hit a lariat, ducked under a Shingo lariat and hit a spear. Shingo elbowed out of a German attempt but left his arm vulnerable and SHO attacked it. Shingo hit a jab and a lariat. 

Shingo went to the mat and SHO locked in a cross armbreaker. He transitioned to a triangle which Shingo powered out of. Shingo went for noshigami but SHO blocked and hit a series of kicks. They hit simultaneous lariats. They traded suplexes. 

Shingo hit a lariat. SHO hit a jumping knee strike. Shingo hit a pumping bomber off a misdirection spot and followed with noshigami. SHO kicked out at two. 

Shingo hit a left arm lariat in the corner. They climbed to the top. Shingo went for a superplex. SHO blocked with headbutts. SHO hit a powerbomb on his knees. 

SHO hit a lariat and Shingo took a flip bump. Shingo kicked out at one. SHO hit a wheelbarrow German into a bridge for a near fall. 

SHO called for Shock Arrow but Shingo powered out. They exchanged lariats and forearm strikes. Shingo hit a double sledge to the chest. SHO hit ten unanswered forearm strikes. Shingo hit a jab and a headbutt. Shingo hit Made in Japan but SHO kicked out. 

Shingo hit another pumping bomber but SHO again kicked out. Shingo went for Last of the Dragon but SHO blocked and got a kimura. 

Shingo tried to roll through the kimura but SHO kept the hold and then hit a piledriver. SHO followed with Shock Arrow for the pin. 

**********

The Way to The Grandmaster video played before intermission. 

**********

New Japan Cup first round match: Kota Ibushi defeated Zack Sabre Jr. (15:16)

This was good but these two have had much better matches. Sabre is usually protected in the New Japan Cup and Taichi and Sabre have clearly been pushed as challengers for Ibushi and Tanahashi’s tag titles, which makes me wonder if something is up. 

They told a striker vs. grappler story. Sabre used his mat skills to attack all of Ibushi’s limbs.

Sabre tried to get Ibushi to the mat right away. Ibushi tried to keep his distance and measure Sabre for kicks. 

Sabre finally got Ibushi to the mat. Ibushi escaped and rolled outside. Ibushi hit some hard kicks to Sabre’s legs, dropping him. Sabre caught a kick and got a heel hook. Ibushi forced a break. Sabre used a scissors on one of Ibushi’s legs and an ankle lock on the other. 

Sabre missed a charge into the corner. Ibushi hit a high kick and a standing moonsault for a one count. Ibushi hit a hurricanrana and Sabre rolled outside. Ibushi teased a golden triangle but Sabre stepped away before Ibushi tried it. 

With Sabre on the apron, Ibushi hit a high kick. Sabre pulled Ibushi to the floor and used a kneebar. Back inside, Sabre used another heel hook around the bottom rope. Ibushi hit some punches but Sabre took out his legs with a sweeping kick. 

Sabre blocked a series of strikes. Ibushi hit a lariat into a double down. Ibushi went for a last ride but Sabre blocked with a guillotine. Sabre grabbed a heel hook. Ibushi powered out. 

Sabre wrenched on Ibushi’s arm before transitioning to an octopus. Ibushi slid out. Sabre used a single-leg crab before getting another heel hook. Ibushi forced a rope break. 

Sabre ducked a strike and used a crucifix for a near fall. Ibushi hit a Pele kick. Sabre escaped a last ride. Ibushi hit a double stomp to the chest. Sabre hit a penalty kick. 

Ibushi blocked a Zack Driver and hit a knee strike. He then immediately hit the Kamigoye and pinned Sabre. 

New Japan Cup first round match: Taichi (w/ DOUKI) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (21:51)

Tanahashi was amazing in this match. 

Taichi hit a powerbomb as Tanahashi posed on the turnbuckle during his entrance. Tanahashi sold this big. 

Uemura and Tsuji climbed into the ring to check on Tana and Taichi kicked them off. Red Shoes continued to attend to Tanahashi. 

The bell rang. Taichi hit a high kick and Tana rolled to the floor. DOUKI attacked Tana with a pipe. Taichi choked Tana with a cable. He threw Tana back in but Red Shoes refused to count the pin. 

Tana fought off a second DOUKI attack on the floor. Taichi went out after him and beat Tanahashi all around the empty arena. Back inside, Red Shoes again refused to count the pin. 

Tsuji began pounding on the ring to fire Tanahashi up. Taichi hit a kick and a big boot. Tana fired up with strikes and a flying forearm. Tana hit a slam and a somersault senton for a near fall. Tana blocked a kick and hit a dragon screw. 

Tana missed a charge into the corner and Taichi hit a jumping high kick. Tanahashi blocked another kick. Taichi blocked the follow-up dragon screw. They traded forearm strikes. Taichi kicked at Tanahashi’s left leg. 

Tanahashi came back with a flurry. Taichi hit a series of kicks. Tanahashi blocked a kick. They traded strikes. Taichi hit a kick and dumped Tanahashi on his head with a suplex. Tanahashi blocked a last ride. Taichi hit Kawada kicks. 

Tanahashi blocked a kick and hit a black hole slam. Tsuji again pounded on the apron to fire Tanahashi up. Taichi twice blocked slingblade. He hoisted Tana up for another suplex but Tana turned it into a slingblade. 

Taichi blocked another slingblade. He teased Black Mephisto. Tanahashi escaped and hit twist and shout. Tanahashi hit another slingblade. 

Tanahashi hit a High Fly Flow to a standing Taichi. He went to climb the ropes again but DOUKI jumped on the apron. Tana knocked DOUKI off. Tana blocked a low blow from Taichi. Taichi shoved the ref and hit a low blow. Taichi used the Gedo clutch but Tanahashi kicked out. 

Taichi measured a thrust kick. Tana blocked. Taichi hit an axe bomber and a last ride for a near fall. 

Tanahashi fought off Black Mephisto again and hit a series of forearms. Taichi dropped Tanahashi with one counter forearm. Tanahashi climbed to his feet and dropped Taichi with a slap. 

Taichi blocked a whip into the ropes and hit another backdrop suplex. Taichi hit an axe bomber and a jumping high kick before taking his trousers off. 

Taichi hit a superkick and Black Mephisto and got the relatively clean pin. 

**********

Taichi put Tanahashi in the stretch plum after the bell. Young Lions jumped in to break it up but DOUKI and Taichi cleared the ring. Ibushi then ran in for the save. 

Taichi and Ibushi faced off. DOUKI jumped Ibushi from behind. Taichi hit Ibushi with one of the tag belts. DOUKI then pulled Tanahashi to his feet and Taichi dropped him with a belt shot also. 

Taichi closed the show with a promo while standing over Tanahashi and Ibushi. 

New Japan Cup night two results: Kazuchika Okada vs. Gedo

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Recommended matches —

  • Yuya Uemura vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Minoru Suzuki vs. Yuji Nagata

Report —

New Japan Cup first round match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Gabriel Kidd (8:54)

There was not a lot wrong with the work in this match but it would have benefited greatly from having a crowd. 

Kidd grabbed an armbar. Ishimori briefly escaped but Kidd got back to the armbar and got a quick one count. Kidd hit a shoulder tackle. He tried for a crab but Ishimori forced a rope break before the hold could be applied. 

Ishimori tripped Kidd near the ropes and tossed him outside. Ishimori whipped Kidd into the barricade, then rolled him back inside for a near fall. Ishimori hit some knee strikes and raked Kidd’s back. 

Ishimori hit double knees in the corner. He teased an attack off the second rope but Kidd intercepted him with a dropkick. Kidd fought for and finally landed a vertical suplex for a near fall. 

Ishimori cut Kidd off. He teased a sliding German but opted for a springboard attack instead. Kidd was supposed to catch him off the ropes and apply a crab but the timing was messed up. Kidd got the crab but Ishimori forced a rope break. 

The finishing sequence saw Ishimori hit a back elbow and a back handspring kick for a near fall. He then applied the Yes Lock and Kidd tapped. 

New Japan Cup first round match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Yuya Uemura (9:34)

These two had a good match. They had a hot start and a great series of near falls at the end. 

Uemura is gigantic. 

They came up with a creative start as Uemura attacked Kanemaru before the opening bell. Uemura hit a slam and a dropkick. Kanemaru rolled outside. Uemura avoided a whip into the barricade and hit some strikes. 

Back inside, Uemura used a side headlock. Kanemaru broke free and took the fight back to the floor. This time he was able to send Uemura into the barricade. Kanemaru then hit a leg slice over the edge of the barricade. 

In the ring, Kanemaru used a headscissors on the mat. Kanemaru hit some short kicks to taunt Uemura. Uemura fired up and hit a vertical suplex, a dropkick and a springboard crossbody for a near fall. 

Uemura hit his trademark double underhook belly-to-belly but Kanemaru kicked out at two. Uemura charged but Kanemaru pulled the referee in his path. Kanemaru hit a kick and grabbed his whiskey bottle. The ref pulled the bottle away and Uemura rolled Kanemaru up for a near fall. 

Uemura used three quick cradles for near falls. Kanemaru then cut him off with a dropkick and hit an inverted DDT for a near fall. 

Kanemaru then climbed to the second rope and hit Deep Impact for the pin. 

Kanemaru poured whiskey on Uemura after the bell. 

Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, SHO & YOH defeated Shingo Takagi, EVIL, SANADA & BUSHI (12:15)

The CHAOS team went four-on-one against BUSHI at the outset. Goto hip tossed YH on top of BUSHI for a near fall. LIJ then used a four-on-one to cut YH off. They focused on YH’s left arm in working him over. EVIL hit a senton for a two count. 

SANADA used a cobra twist. Shingo tagged in and took a shot at his first round opponent SHO on the apron. Shingo hit a knee drop on YH. YH fired up and tagged SHO who had a nice power exchange with Shingo. SHO powered Shingo up with a suplex for a near fall. 

SHO and Shingo exchanged strikes and lariats. Shingo ducked a lariat and hit a German. SHO no-sold it and hit a lariat into a double down. 

YOH and BUSHI tagged back in. YOH hit a nice hip toss, a dropkick and kipped up. YOH hit a head and arm suplex into a bridge for a two count as the other six competitors brawled around ringside. 

BUSHI hit a jaw breaker and a rewind kick. YOH tried a Pele kick but their timing was off and it looked bad. Goto tagged in and fell victim to a four-on-one. BUSHI hit a back stabber for a near fall and a swinging DDT for another two count. 

BUSHI called for the MX. Goto ducked and the move missed. Everyone jumped in for a big move. YH hit EVIL with a lariat and fought off a Magic Killer. SHO suplexed Shingo. 

The finish saw Goto hit BUSHI with an ushigoroshi and a GTR for the pin. 

**********

A Way to The Grandmaster hype video played before intermission. 

**********

New Japan Cup first round match: Yuji Nagata defeated Minoru Suzuki (20:36)

This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but these guys presented a master class on getting a lot out of a little, playing to your strengths, selling and intensity. Happy Birthday to the king, as Suzuki turned 52 today.

Suzuki hit a big boot at the opening bell. Both men then fired off a series of strikes. Suzuki laughed as Nagata gave him his neck and invited some forearm shots. They traded forearm strikes to the side of the neck. Both saw their necks turn red from the force of the strikes. 

After trading forearms, they moved on to trading slaps to the face and neck. Suzuki teased going down after several unanswered slaps but stayed up. The first five minutes of the match consisted entirely of strikes back and forth. 

Nagata hit a big boot. He went for a second boot but Suzuki grabbed a kneebar. Nagata forced a rope break. They rolled outside where Suzuki sent Nagata into the barricade. Suzuki hit Nagata with a bucket and a water bottle. 

Suzuki grabbed a chair. The referee tried to grab the chair. Suzuki shoved the ref to the ground and he took a bump. Suzuki then retrieved a second chair and used it on Nagata’s right arm. Suzuki wrenched Nagata’s left arm in the barricade. 

They teased a countout but Nagata made it back in at 19. They traded strikes again in the corner. Suzuki dropped Nagata with a slap. Suzuki tried for a figure four around the post but the ref broke it up. 

Suzuki hit a series of palm strikes to the chest in the corner. Nagata tried to fire up but couldn’t. Suzuki hit a kick in the corner. He went for a PK but Nagata caught the kick. Nagata then hit a series of kicks to a seated Suzuki. 

Nagata hit a big boot in the corner. He tried for a suplex but Suzuki caught him in a guillotine. Nagata powered out of the hold and wrenched Suzuki’s right arm. Nagata then hit a series of kicks to the right arm. 

Nagata continued working the right arm. Suzuki sold as though his elbow was dislocated. Nagata tried to wrench the arm again but Suzuki blocked and applied a rear naked choke. Nagata teased passing out. Suzuki gave up the hold and made a cover but Nagata kicked out. 

Suzuki used a sleeper. He transitioned for a Gotch-style piledriver attempt. Nagata blocked the piledriver. Suzuki hit a knee strike. He tried for the piledriver again but Nagata powered out. 

They traded forearm strikes. Nagata was bleeding from the mouth. They traded hard slaps to the face. Suzuki hit a headbutt and Nagata dropped to a knee. Suzuki hit two more headbutts and both men went down. The last headbutt was borderline unsafe. They traded more strikes. 

Nagata hit an exploder out of nowhere. Suzuki used misdirection to try to set up a rear naked choke but Nagata blocked and hit a high angle suplex hold and pinned Suzuki for the upset. 

New Japan Cup first round match: Kazuchika Okada defeated Gedo (15:31)

They used every trick in the book to make this a passable manager vs. wrestler battle. 

Gedo entered with his right arm in a sling. He cut a promo. Okada entered. Okada demanded that Gedo remove the sling before the match started. Gedo pulled a spray bottle out of the sling and tried to spray something in Okada’s eyes but Okada blocked. 

The bell rang and Gedo laid down, inviting Okada to pin him. Gedo tried to pull brass knuckles out of his jacket but Okada blocked and took them away. While the referee disposed of the knuckles, Gedo pulled a wrench out of his pants and used it on Okada’s abdomen. 

Gedo again used the wrench on the floor. Gedo grabbed a table and hit Okada with it. Okada beat the count back inside but Gedo sent him back to the floor. Gedo used a chair on Okada at the five-minute mark. 

Back inside, Gedo hit a series of kicks and punches. Okada blocked a kick and hit a big boot. Okada hit a running back elbow in the center and another in the corner. Okada hit a DDT for a two count, still selling his abdomen. 

Okada hit a scoop slam. He teased a top rope elbow but Gedo rolled out of the ring. Gedo used a hammer to attack the abdomen and tossed Okada back inside. 

Okada reversed a whip and missed a dropkick attempt. Gedo covered for a two count. Gedo used a bow and arrow but Okada reached the ropes for a break. Gedo blocked a flapjack but Okada countered with an air raid crash. 

Okada went for a tombstone but Gedo fought it off by holding on to the referee. Gedo threw Okada into the ref and hit a low blow. 

Gedo retrieved another set of brass knuckles that had been taped to the post. Gedo used the brass knuckles and revived the referee. Gedo used the Gedo Clutch but Okada kicked out at two. 

Jado made his way to ringside. Gedo tried a Blade Runner but Okada blocked. Okada again tried for the dropkick but Gedo avoided it. 

Jado took the ref. Gedo tried another brass knuckles shot but Okada ducked and hit a dropkick. Okada hit a second dropkick at 15 minutes, sending Jado crashing to the floor. 

Okada hit a tombstone and used the Deep In Debt for the submission victory. 

New Japan Cup night one results: Tomohiro Ishii vs. El Desperado

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Recommended matches — 

  • Togi Makabe vs. Yota Tsuji
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomoaki Honma
  • Tomohiro Ishii vs. El Desperado 

Report —

New Japan Cup round one match: Togi Makabe defeated Yota Tsuji (8:42)

This was an excellent opener and was probably Makabe’s best match in years. 

Tsuji hit a spear right at the opening bell and scored a quick two count. Tsuji then hit a shoulder tackle for another near fall. 

Makabe rolled outside and Tsuji followed. Tsuji peppered Makabe with strikes before Makabe reversed a whip into the barricade and established control of the match. Makabe hit a slam and used a single-leg crab. 

Tsuji fired up and hit a tackle into a double down. Tsuji was first up and hit a vertical suplex for a near fall. Tsuji used a Boston crab but Makabe powered out. Tsuji answered with a second spear for another near fall. 

Makabe hit his best powerslam in years for a near fall. Makabe applied a crab but Tsuji forced a rope break. Tsuji used a cool rolling cradle for a two count. Tsuji hit the ropes but ran right into a lariat. 

Makabe then hit a German suplex into a bridge for the pin. 

New Japan Cup round one match: Toru Yano defeated Jado (w/ Gedo and Yujiro Takahashi) (9:08)

This should get votes for worst worked match of the year. You have to see this to believe how bad it was. 

They both played to the nonexistent crowd for comedy. Yano came to the ring with a spray bottle of hand sanitizer. Yano untied a corner pad. 

Yano ducked a kendo stick shot. They had a battle over who would drop their weapon first. The ref took Jado’s stick and Yano hit Jado with the corner pad. Jado took a delayed flop bump. 

Up to this point it was just a typical comedy match that wasn’t clicking. Then things took a turn. 

Jado took the ref and Yujiro ran Yano into the barricade. Jado followed up with some chops, back rakes and biting. 

Jado sent Yano into the exposed buckle. Jado used a cradle for a near fall. Jado used an abdominal stretch. Gedo took the ref and Yujiro and Gedo hit a double back suplex on Yano for a two count. Yano untied a second turnbuckle pad. Jado hit Yano with it. 

The finish saw Jado take the ref. Gedo jumped in. Gedo tried a low blow but Yano blocked. Yano hit low blows to Gedo and Jado. Yujiro jumped on the apron but didn’t do anything. Yano used a schoolboy for the pin. 

Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Yuji Nagata & Yuya Uemura (13:28)

Suzuki-gun’s attack before the opening bell failed and the faces ran wild at the outset. Taichi and Sabre doubled up on Tanahashi to take control of the match. Sabre hit a PK and an assisted dragon screw as they went after Tana’s left leg. 

They continued working the leg. Suzuki used a kneebar. Taichi and Suzuki used chairs to attack the leg on the outside. 

The match turned when Sabre went for a cobra twist. Tana reversed into a dragon screw and tagged Ibushi. Ibushi lit up Sabre with strikes and hit a standing moonsault for a near fall. 

Suzuki and Nagata tagged in and traded strikes. Suzuki used misdirection and applied a rear naked choke. He went for the Gotch-style piledriver but Nagata slipped out and hit an exploder suplex. 

The babyfaces cleared the ring and went four-on-one against Suzuki. Uemura hit Suzuki with a double underhook suplex and used a crab before Suzuki-gun jumped back in to break it up. 

The match broke down. Suzuki and Uemura were left the legal men. Suzuki took the ref. Kanemaru hit Uemura with a whiskey bottle. Suzuki then hit the Gotch for the pin. 

**********

Suzuki and Nagata had a pull-apart after the match while Ibushi and Sabre talked trash. Taichi and Sabre then double-teamed Ibushi and posed with Ibushi and Tanahashi’s tag titles. 

**********

Another Way to The Grandmaster hype video played. This was the same video as last night. 

We then had an intermission for cleaning and disinfecting the ring. 

**********

New Japan Cup round one match: Hiromu Takahashi defeated Tomoaki Honma (18:47)

If you have any doubt as to whether Hiromu is one of the ten best wrestlers on earth, watch this match. He got a great match out of Tomoaki Honma. Honma was great too. 

They established that Honma had a power edge as a heavyweight as they traded shoulder tackles at the outset. Honma missed a kokeshi and only after that was Hiromu able to drop him with a tackle.

Hiromu hit a dropkick and Honma rolled outside. Hiromu hit a shotgun dropkick off the apron. Hiromu did a lap around the ring and hit a second dropkick on the floor, sending Honma into the barricade. 

Back inside, Hiromu hit some strikes to the neck and shoulder area. He followed up with a headscissors on the mat, working over the neck. Hiromu hit a series of unanswered strikes to the neck before Honma countered with a DDT. 

Honma hit a back elbow and a bulldog. He went for a kokeshi but missed again. Hiromu tried a kokeshi and missed. Honma hit a brainbuster for a two count and hit a series of hard chops. 

They traded strikes. They traded running back elbows. They hit a pair of simultaneous lariats. Honma hit a German suplex. Hiromu tried a German but Honma blocked. Hiromu hit a lariat. 

Then it was time for the terrifying spot of the match. 

Honma rolled to the apron. Hiromu teased a sunset bomb but Honma blocked. Honma knocked Hiromu into the barricade. Honma teased a diving kokeshi off the post but Hiromu blocked and hit a DVD on the apron.

Honma did a tremendous job of selling the DVD as though he were dead. It was delivered about as safely as it could have been, but there’s not a lot of margin for error for two guys who have broken their necks. 

Honma beat the count back in at 19. Hiromu hit some strikes. Honma tried to fire back but collapsed, selling exhaustion. 

They traded strikes at the 15 minute mark. Honma hit a series of chops and tried another kokeshi but missed again. Hiromu went for a Dynamite Plunger. Honma blocked and hit a diving kokeshi, a standard kokeshi, then another diving kokeshi. He rolled Hiromu up for a two count. 

Honma tried a kokeshi from the second rope but missed. Hiromu immediately covered for a two count. Honma hit a diving kokeshi to the back. Hiromu hit a lariat. Honma kicked out at one. 

Honma ducked a superkick and hit a kokeshi. He went for a slam but Hiromu blocked and hit a superkick. 

Hiromu hit a running DVD into the turnbuckle, then hit Time Bomb for the pin. 

Awesome, awesome match. 

New Japan Cup round one match: Tomohiro Ishii defeated El Desperado (20:18)

This was the best empty arena match I’ve seen during the pandemic. 

They locked up. Desperado broke cleanly against the ropes but taunted Ishii over his height. Ishii fired up. Desperado hit a foot stomp. Ishii fired back with a tackle and some stiff kicks to the back. 

Ishii hit a tackle and hit some short kicks to Desperado’s head, taunting him. Desperado came back with a hard chop and a tackle. Desperado then turned his attention to Ishii’s left leg and began working it over. 

Desperado posted the left leg and sent Ishii into the barricade. Desperado hit a double knee drop to the bad leg and Ishii sold it big. While Red Shoes checked on Ishii, Desperado exposed a turnbuckle. 

Desperado sent Ishii into the exposed buckle. He sent Ishii into the buckle a second time but Ishii no-sold it and hit a pounce out of the corner. Ishii then hit his chop and forearm combinations in the opposite corner. 

Desperado went for a spear but Ishii blocked. Ishii tried a powerbomb but Desperado slipped out. Desperado hit a misdirection spear but Ishii answered with a heel hook on landing. Desperado forced a rope break, but now his left leg was compromised. 

Desperado hit a spinebuster and applied Numero Dos. Ishii crawled to the ropes to force a break. They traded kicks. Ishii reversed a whip and sent Desperado into the exposed buckle. 

Desperado pulled Red Shoes into Ishii’s path and hit a low dropkick. Desperado then got Numero Dos applied again but Ishii powered out. 

Desperado went for a pumphandle slam but Ishii slid out and hit a brainbuster. Ishii hit a powerslam into a double down. They traded strikes. Ishii dropped Desperado with a big forearm at the 15 minute mark. 

Ishii went for a powerbomb but he sold as though his knee gave way. Ishii hit the powerbomb on the second attempt and stacked Desperado up for a near fall. Desperado blocked a lariat. 

Ishii blocked a low blow attempt. Ishii hit a backdrop and used a sliding lariat for a near fall. Ishii went for the Vertical Drop Brainbuster but Desperado slid out. Desperado shoved Ishii into Red Shoes, then hit a low blow for a near fall. 

Desperado missed a charge and hit the exposed buckle but quickly recovered and slammed Ishii’s head into the exposed buckle. Desperado then hit Guitarra de Angel for a near fall. 

Ishii blocked two Pinche Loco attempts. Desperado wound up for a lariat but Ishii hit a headbutt to the chest. Ishii hit a lariat but Desperado kicked out at two. 

Desperado blocked a brainbuster and used El Es Culero for a great near fall. 

Ishii then hit the vertical drop brainbuster for the pin. 

New Japan Cup night nine results: Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay

Posted on by Ethan Renner

The quarterfinal round of the 2019 New Japan Cup kicked off today in Shizuoka, with two stellar tournament matches on top. 

The undercard on the show felt like filler. With Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay on top, nothing underneath was likely to steal the show anyway. 

And so, the opening tag matches provided little in the way of excitement. Only one undercard tag bout cracked the 10-minute mark, and the show moved at a brisk pace. 

Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI delivered in the semi-main position, while the main event was a showcase for two of the 10 best wrestlers on the planet. 

Full results and recaps are below:

YUJI NAGATA, MANABU NAKANISHI & YUYA UEMURA DEFEATED HIROYOSHI TENZAN, SATOSHI KOJIMA & YOTA TSUJI 

Business picked up a bit once Nagata tagged in, but this was not a strong opener. Nakanishi and Tenzan moved in slow motion. Nagata tapped out Tsuji with the Nagata Lock II. 

JUICE ROBINSON, MIKEY NICHOLLS & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI DEFEATED CHASE OWENS, BAD LUCK FALE & HIKULEO

Bullet Club took control early on, as Jado used a kendo stick on Taguchi’s glutes. Chase will challenge Juice for his IWGP United States Heavyweight title on Sunday, but he wanted no parts of the champ today. 

Chase repeatedly begged off, but Juice finally got his hands on him in the ring. Juice hit jabs and a cannonball. He teased Pulp Friction, but Jado provided a distraction, allowing Chase to hit a combination of strikes. 

Nicholls and HIKULEO got tags. Nicholls hit HIKULEO with the Mikey Bomb and picked up the win. 

MINORU SUZUKI, LANCE ARCHER, DAVEY BOY SMITH JR & TAICHI DEFEATED TOMOAKI HONMA, TOGI MAKABE, MICHAEL ELGIN & TORU YANO 

Suzuki-gun, the rogues that they are, attacked before the opening bell. They then had a middling brawl. Makabe and Suzuki had an intense striking exchange, but aside from that, not much in the way of action here. 

The match broke down, with Taichi and Honma left the legal men in the ring. Taichi kicked Honma low, then used the Gedo Clutch for the pin. 

TETSUYA NAITO, SHINGO TAKAGI & BUSHI DEFEATED HIROOKI GOTO, KOTA IBUSHI & REN NARITA

They continue to plant seeds for another singles encounter between Naito and Ibushi. Naito taunted Ibushi after the match, while Ibushi remained silent. 

During the match, Ibushi landed right on the top of his head while executing a backflip kick on Naito and Shingo. That was terrifying. 

Shingo gave Narita a good bit of offense, and Narita even kicked out of one Pumping Bomber, before eventually falling victim to a second. 

EVIL & SANADA DEFEATED COLT CABANA & TOA HENARE

SANADA and Cabana gave a preview of their quarterfinal match tomorrow. They did some comedy, which worked well, and their serious wrestling was quite good. Cabana busted out a second rope moonsault. 

EVIL hit Darkness Falls on Henare, but Cabana broke up the pinfall. SANADA took Cabana out with a dropkick, and SANADA and EVIL hit the Magic Killer on Henare, leading to the pin. 

ZACK SABRE JR. & TAKA MICHINOKU DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI & SHOTA UMINO 

TAKA and Sabre dominated Umino early on. Tanahashi tagged in for a couple of signature spots, going head-to-head with Sabre. Sabre blocked one Dragon Screw, but Tanahashi managed to hit a second. 

Umino got a tag and hit an awesome missile dropkick, then kicked out of a PK from Sabre. Sabre sold tweaking his right knee, which is worth noting ahead of Tanahashi vs. Sabre tomorrow. 

Sabre used a Cobra Twist, then Orienteering with Napalm Death for the submission win over Umino. 

NEW JAPAN CUP QUARTERFINAL MATCH: TOMOHIRO ISHII DEFEATED YOSHI-HASHI (20:25)

A very good match. Ishii is amazing. YOSHI-HASHI held up his end of the bargain, and he looked good in defeat. 

The story of the match was that, as members of the same CHAOS faction, these guys know each other well. Each had a counter for the other as they tried to trade holds at the outset. 

With that reaching a stalemate, Ishii looked to use his power advantage. YH had his left shoulder taped, and Ishii dumped him on that shoulder with a powerslam. YH stood up to a series of shoulder tackles and hit a headhunter. 

YH drew blood from Ishii’s chest with a series of chops. They traded elbow strikes for a long time, and YH finally went down. Ishii hit an extended sequence of chops and punches in the corner, and he tore the tape of YH’s shoulder. 

YH spit at Ishii, then slapped him in the face. YH dropped Ishii with a mid kick, then dropped him again with a lariat. YH hit a Liger Bomb for a two count. He slapped on the Butterfly Lock, then transitioned to a sleeper. 

YH hit a backstabber, then went back to the Butterfly Lock, but Ishii powered his way to a rope break. YH missed with a swanton bomb. Ishii hit a backdrop driver, but YH blocked the following lariat. 

They traded chops in the center of the ring. Ishii hit a jackknife powerbomb for a two count. YH ducked a first sliding lariat attempt, but Ishii connected on the second for a near fall. Ishii went for a brainbuster, but YH rolled him up for a two count. 

YH used another roll-up for a near fall, then hit a lariat, as they went into a double down. Ishii hit a lariat, and they exchanged headbutts. YH hit double knees for a near fall, then a fisherman buster for another two count. 

Ishii reversed a Karma attempt into a DDT. Ishii hit a headbutt, no-sold two thrust kicks, then hit a lariat for a near fall. Ishii then hit the vertical drop brainbuster for the victory. 

NEW JAPAN CUP QUARTERFINAL MATCH: KAZUCHIKA OKADA DEFEATED WILL OSPREAY (20:11)

A great match. I could have used about five more minutes, as they really picked it up around the 15-minute mark. They left me wanting more, and they will meet again, I’m sure. 

They started slowly, exchanging headlocks and wristlocks. Okada broke cleanly on the ropes. Ospreay hit a monkey flip. He teased a dive, but hit his pose instead. Okada drew him to the floor, then sent him towards the barricade, but Ospreay leaped over the barrier. Ospreay came off the fence into an uppercut, and Okada took over. 

Okada hit a slingshot senton, a neckbreaker, then worked a chinlock, focusing his attack on Ospreay’s neck. Okada placed Ospreay on the turnbuckles, then dropkicked him to the floor. Ospreay climbed back to the apron, and Okada hammered him with forearms. 

Ospreay pulled Okada to the floor with a rana, then hit a Sasuke Special. Back inside, Ospreay hit a handspring corkscrew kick. Okada countered with a flapjack, then hit an air raid crash for a two count. 

Okada hit a top rope elbow. He teased his Rainmaker pose, but Ospreay nailed him with an enzuigiri. Ospreay followed with Pip Pip Cheerio. Ospreay hit a series of kicks to the chest. He went for the Storm Breaker, but Okada hit an arm drag, then sent Ospreay into the corner with a kick. 

They traded strikes, and Okada won the exchange. Ospreay used a backslide, grabbed wrist control, then hit a lariat. Ospreay hit a second short arm lariat. He went for a Rainmaker, but Okada hit a dropkick. Okada missed with a second dropkick, and Ospreay hit a kick. 

Ospreay continued to pepper Okada with kicks, then hit an avalanche move off the ropes for a two count. Okada blocked an OsCutter and went for the Rainmaker, but Ospreay turned it into a standing Spanish Fly for a close near fall. 

Ospreay went to the top and hit a shooting star press, then another, and picked up another two count. Ospreay went for the OsCutter, but Okada hit a dropkick. Okada hit a tombstone, then went for the Rainmaker. Ospreay reversed into a Storm Breaker attempt, but Okada countered that with a spinning tombstone. 

Okada followed with the Rainmaker for the pin.

New Japan Cup night four results: Hirooki Goto vs. SANADA

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Night four of the 2019 New Japan Cup was held today in Kagawa, with the final four matches of the first round taking center stage. 

After a wild night three, which featured the standout matchup of the first round between Kota Ibushi and Tetsuya Naito, Monday’s show featured less star power on top, with Hirooki Goto and SANADA headlining. 

The tag team action on the undercard was strong, perhaps planned that way, given that two of the tournament matches later were short bouts with a comedy focus. 

Full results and recaps are below:

TAIJI ISHIMORI, BAD LUCK FALE, HIKULEO & CHASE OWENS DEFEATED JUICE ROBINSON, YOSHI-HASHI, MICHAEL ELGIN & YUYA UEMURA 

Everyone looked good here. YOSHI-HASHI looks much better on this tour than he did on the last. Ishimori got the win for his team, tapping out Uemura with a LeBell Lock.

Bullet Club beat down YOSHI-HASHI after the match. Owens and YH face off on Wednesday in a New Japan Cup match. 

TETSUYA NAITO, EVIL, BUSHI & SHINGO TAKAGI DEFEATED HIROYOSHI TENZAN, YUJI NAGATA, MANABU NAKANISHI & REN NARITA 

Naito was only in a little, but he showed no ill effects from his war with Ibushi last night. Takagi and Nagata had a nice sequence. Narita showed great heart, but eventually tapped to a very sloppy crab from BUSHI.

KOTA IBUSHI & TOMOAKI HONMA DEFEATED ZACK SABRE JR. & TAKA MICHINOKU 

This might have been Honma’s best match since his return. They deviated from the typical patterned Honma tag match. Sabre and TAKA worked over Ibushi’s neck, which took a lot of damage against Naito on Sunday.

The finishing sequence saw Ibushi go for a Kamigoye on TAKA. Sabre cut him off and slapped on an armbar. Honma broke up the armbar with a Kokeshi. Ibushi then nailed TAKA with the Kamigoye and got the pin. 

WILL OSPREAY & TOMOHIRO ISHII DEFEATED LANCE ARCHER & TAICHI 

A preview of two second round matches here. Good action. Archer picked up a couple of close near falls near the finish, but Ospreay used a crucifix to roll him up for the pin.

Archer laid out Ospreay with a Blackout immediately after the flash pin, while Taichi attacked Ishii with the mic stand. 

MIKEY NICHOLLS, TOA HENARE & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI DEFEATED SHOTA UMINO, HIROSHI TANAHASHI & KAZUCHIKA OKADA 

Tana and Taguchi began with some comedy. Henare and Umino tagged in, and Henare’s team quickly gained the advantage. They worked over Umino, until the Young Lion was able to connect with a dropkick, then tag Okada. 

Okada hit some trademark spots on Henare. Henare hit a Samoan drop and tagged Nicholls. Nicholls got a near fall on Okada, his second round opponent. Nicholls avoided a Tombstone, then ducked a Rainmaker, hitting a spinebuster. 

Umino hit a missile dropkick on Nicholls and made a cover, but Taguchi and Henare broke it up. Nicholls hit a sliding lariat, the setup for his Mikey Bomb, and got a two count on Umino. He then connected with the Mikey Bomb to get the pin. 

NEW JAPAN CUP FIRST ROUND MATCH: TORU YANO DEFEATED DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. (5:30)

A total Yano comedy match. Smith is super impressive looking, but it just seems like they’re never going to do anything with him, certainly as a singles wrestler. Even as a tag team with Archer, they’re never pushed past a certain level. 

Smith chased Yano around the building before the bell. He caught up to him in the ring, and the bell sounded, but the action went back outside right away. 

Smith used a chair on Yano. Yano untied a corner pad from the floor and tried to choke Smith with a roll of tape he pulled from his tights, but Smith sent him into the barricade. Smith attacked Yano’s knee, first with a kick over the barricade, then slamming it onto an announcer’s table. 

They traded inside cradles. Yano then used a schoolboy for the pin. 

NEW JAPAN CUP FIRST ROUND MATCH: COLT CABANA DEFEATED TOGI MAKABE (7:26)

This didn’t have a lot of time to build, and they got into the near falls almost right away. Two solid pros had a solid outing here. 

Cabana tried to score a quick victory with some underhanded tactics at the outset, tripping Makabe. They did some comedy, before things got more serious, as Makabe started working over Cabana’s legs. 

Cabana used a delayed splash off the top and picked up a near fall. Cabana blocked a northern lights suplex, but Makabe got a near fall off a powerslam. Cabana blocked the spider German, then missed a moonsault off the top. 

Makabe hit a DVD, but missed with the King Kong Kneedrop off the top. Cabana used a diving Superman cover, trapping Makabe’s legs, and got the pin. 

NEW JAPAN CUP FIRST ROUND MATCH: MINORU SUZUKI DEFEATED SATOSHI KOJIMA (13:43)

This was a very good, perfectly-paced match between two veterans. 

Kojima went right at Suzuki and scored some early offense. Suzuki took control of the match after applying an armbar over the ropes. Suzuki hit a PK on the apron. They brawled into the crowd, where Suzuki broke a chair over Kojima’s head. Kojima beat the count back inside at 19. 

Kojima caught a PK, then hit a DDT. Kojima hit his machine gun chops in the corner. Suzuki no-sold them, then connected with a series of strikes in the corner. Kojima no-sold those, then went back to the machine gun chops. They repeated that spot, but this time Suzuki sold the chops. 

Kojima went to the top for his elbow drop, but Suzuki cut him off and hit a kick in the corner. Kojima got a slam and went back to the top, this time connecting with the elbow. Suzuki kicked out at two on the ensuing cover. 

They traded strikes. Suzuki blocked a Koji Cutter, then applied a sleeper. Kojima countered an attempt to transition to the Gotch-style piledriver, and hit a Koji Cutter. Kojima hit a brainbuster and made a cover, but Suzuki kicked out. 

Suzuki hit a series of palm strikes. Kojima backdropped out of another Gotch attempt, then hit a lariat. Kojima connected with a second lariat, and Suzuki kicked out at two.

Kojima went for a third lariat, but Suzuki side-stepped. Suzuki slapped on a rear naked choke, then transitioned to the Gotch, hit the piledriver, and got the pin. 

NEW JAPAN CUP FIRST ROUND MATCH: SANADA DEFEATED HIROOKI GOTO (20:47)

I was skeptical that these guys would be able to rise to the occasion, as they are both just a notch below the top guys in the company when it comes to charisma. I was wrong. They proved to be up to the challenge of main eventing. Goto more than held up his end, and SANADA was excellent here, especially with the subtle sell of his right arm. 

Goto started off working the left arm, then hit a mid kick. Goto used a chinlock. SANADA caught a second mid kick and went for the Paradise Lock, but Goto escaped. SANADA low-bridged Goto to the floor, then hit a senton off the apron to the floor. 

Goto got whipped into the barricade. SANADA tossed him back inside and got a near fall. SANADA used a chinlock. Goto avoided a standing moonsault, but SANADA used a dropkick to a seated Goto to pick up a one count. 

They exchanged strikes. After a misdirection spot, Goto hit a short clothesline. He connected with a spinning wheel kick in the corner, then hit a Saito suplex for a two count. Goto teased the Ushigoroshi, but SANADA slipped out, hit his leapfrog dropkick, then a plancha. 

They exchanged forearm shots to the neck area, playing off the idea that both guys use finishers that target the neck. They traded more hard shots to the neck in the corner. SANADA took his corner flip bump and went for a springboard attack. Goto cut him off and went for the Ushigoroshi, but SANADA reversed, and hit the Ushigoroshi himself. 

SANADA applied the Skull End, but gave up the hold. He went to the top for a moonsault, but missed. Goto hit a lariat. They did a series of counters and reversals, ending with SANADA using a cradle for a two count. 

Goto hit Ushigoroshi, then a mid kick. Goto went for the Shouten Kai, but SANADA countered, using a draping neckbreaker. SANADA went for Skull End, but Goto reversed it into an inverted GTR for a near fall. 

SANADA got Skull End applied a second time, and again gave up the hold. He went up top, hit a moonsault, and picked up the pin, advancing to the second round. A really good main event. 

New Japan Cup night three results: Ibushi vs. Naito

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Night 3 of the 2019 New Japan Cup took place today in front of a full house in Hyogo, headlined by Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito. 

The New Japan Cup tournament matches mostly delivered, while the undercard served its purpose, providing previews of upcoming Cup matchups with tag team contests. 

The top three Cup matches are worth going out of your way to check out. Each was different, and excellent in its own way. 

Full results and recaps are below. 

MINORU SUZUKI & TAKA MICHINOKU DEFEATED YOTA TSUJI & SATOSHI KOJIMA

The story of the match was that Tsuji wanted to make a name for himself by going after Suzuki. Suzuki made him pay with chair shots and a series of strikes. Tsuji finally hit a dropkick and tagged Kojima. 

Kojima and Suzuki went toe to toe. They made tags, but continued brawling outside. TAKA tapped Tsuji out with the Just Facelock. Good little opener. Suzuki and Kojima face off in a tournament match tomorrow. 

JUICE ROBINSON, YUJI NAGATA, MANABU NAKANISHI & YOSHI-HASHI DEFEATED BAD LUCK FALE, TAIJI ISHIMORI, HIKULEO & CHASE OWENS 

YOSHI-HASHI ran wild at the outset and looked good. Jado hit him with a kendo stick shot, and Bullet Club took over. The best action took place once Juice tagged in. He hit his trademark spots, and dropped HIKULEO with Pulp Friction for the pin. Juice and Nagata danced after the match, which was the real highlight here. 

SHINGO TAKAGI, BUSHI & SANADA DEFEATED HIROOKI GOTO, TOMOAKI HONMA & REN NARITA 

SANADA and Goto started off with a nice sequence of holds and reversals. LIJ took control of the match once Honma missed a kokeshi, the template for all Honma matches. 

Honma connected on his second kokeshi attempt, and Goto and SANADA had another nice sequence. Shingo and Narita tagged in, and Shingo gave Narita a lot of offense. Shingo eventually got the pin after a Pumping Bomber. 

TAICHI, DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. & LANCE ARCHER DEFEATED TOMOHIRO ISHII, TORU YANO & WILL OSPREAY 

Lots of stalling early on. Yano wanted no parts of Smith. Taichi wanted nothing to do with Ishii. Suzuki-gun used underhanded tactics, and gained the edge. They worked over Ishii. 

The crowd really wasn’t into it until Ishii hit Archer with a brainbuster. Ospreay got a tag and hit Pip Pip Cheerio, but Archer countered with a Pounce. Smith and Archer hit Yano with a Hart Attack. Taichi removed his trousers. Smith and Archer hit Yano with the Killer Bomb, and Smith got the pin. 

Smith grabbed a mic after the match and told Yano that he will pay the ultimate price in their tournament match tomorrow. 

MIKEY NICHOLLS, COLT CABANA & MICHAEL ELGIN DEFEATED KAZUCHIKA OKADA, TOGI MAKABE & TOA HENARE 

They’re trying to establish Nicholls, but there’s going to be a tough adjustment period, as the audience doesn’t know him. They were quiet here any time he tagged in. His work was good, but this is just going to take time. 

Okada’s chest was severely bruised and welted up, showing the damage from his first round match with Elgin. Okada and Nicholls began, with Nicholls holding his own. Elgin and Henare were in next, with Elgin taking control of the bout with his power moves. 

Henare reversed a brainbuster from Cabana. Makabe tagged in, but was cut off. He finally made a tag to Okada, who went to work on Nicholls. Okada hit a DDT. Nicholls came back with a spinebuster. Nicholls ducked a Rainmaker, but Okada nailed him with a dropkick. 

Henare got a tag from Okada, and hit a Samoan Drop on Nicholls. The match broke down, with everyone jumping in. Cabana and Makabe, Okada and Elgin brawled to the floor. Nicholls hit a DVD, a sliding lariat, and used a Mikey Bomb (Blue Thunder Bomb) for the pin. 

They played an El Phantasmo hype video. 

NEW JAPAN CUP 1ST ROUND MATCH: RYUSUKE TAGUCHI DEFEATED HIROYOSHI TENZAN (12:08)

Tenzan in a singles match is tough sledding. Taguchi’s offense looks good when he has his working boots on, but he had to give Tenzan the bulk of the match since he was doing the honors here. 

Taguchi asked for a fist bump, but Tenzan declined at first. He finally relented, only for Taguchi to snap his wrists. They traded headlocks. Tenzan did a hip swivel and a crotch chop, then hit a hip attack. 

Taguchi went for a hip attack, but Tenzan stepped out of the way, then hit a series of headbutts to Taguchi’s glutes. Taguchi made a comeback, hitting four hip attacks. Taguchi used a springboard dropkick for a nearfall. 

Taguchi used an ankle lock, but Tenzan reached the ropes. Taguchi hit two of the three amigos, but Tenzan reversed the third into a vertical suplex. They exchanged strikes. Tenzan raked the eyes and used a Mountain Bomb for a nearfall. 

Tenzan used an Anaconda Vice, but Taguchi reached the ropes. Tenzan hit a uranage, then went back to the Vice. Taguchi turned it into a rollup for a nearfall. Taguchi hit an enziguri, then hit a Bomaye for a nearfall. 

Taguchi went back to the ankle lock, but Tenzan kicked his way out of it. Tenzan hit a wheel kick for a two count, then hit a top rope headbutt for another nearfall. Taguchi used a quick cradle for the pinfall. 

NEW JAPAN CUP 1ST ROUND MATCH: HIROSHI TANAHASHI DEFEATED SHOTA UMINO (14:49)

This was everything you wanted it to be, and more. Just a tremendous rookie vs. legend match. Both guys were excellent in their roles. The crowd loved Umino. Watch this match. 

Umino refused to break cleanly on the first two lockups of the match. Umino used a headlock, Tana reversed it, and Umino used a headscissors to escape. Tana used a chinlock, but Umino again used a headscissors escape. 

Tana used a standing side headlock. Tana hit a backdrop, a scoop slam, and a leaping elbow, earning a nearfall. Tana used a kneebar, then a modified figure four. Umino forced a break by reaching the bottom rope. 

Back on their feet, they traded strikes. Tana repeatedly dropped Umino, but Umino fought back to his feet each time. Umino hit a dropkick, then connected with a series of forearms. Umino scored a knockdown with a forearm strike. 

Umino fought for a bodyslam, and finally got it. Umino fought for a full crab, finally got it, but Tana powered out immediately. Tana hit a dragon screw, then used a crab of his own. Umino made the ropes. 

Tana hit a slam, followed by a somersault senton off the second rope for a two count. They exchanged strikes. Umino cut off the Slingblade, attacking Tana against the ropes. Umino dropped Tana with a slap, then hit a vertical suplex. 

Umino went up top, and hit a missile dropkick for a two count. Umino used a full crab, but Tana quickly reached the ropes. Umino used Tana’s own hold, the cloverleaf, against him. Tana reached the ropes, forcing a break. 

Umino hit Tana with dozens of strikes in the center of the ring, dropping him. Umino went for the fisherman suplex, but Tana reversed it into Twist and Shout. He went for the cloverleaf, but Umino turned it into a cradle for a great nearfall. 

Tana hit an inverted dragon screw, then applied the cloverleaf, and Umino tapped out. 

NEW JAPAN CUP 1ST ROUND MATCH: ZACK SABRE JR. DEFEATED EVIL (15:33)

They had a tough time getting the crowd, but they finally got them into it. These guys work really well together. They played off a lot of their previous matches, using a number of clever counters, reversals, and misdirection spots. A very good match. 

Sabre wanted to lock up, but EVIL kicked him in the gut, and immediately went to a side headlock. Sabre arm dragged out of it, but EVIL used a headscissors. Sabre escaped, bounced to his feet, but ran into a shoulder block. 

They locked knuckles. EVIL used his power to maintain the advantage. EVIL slipped out and went for a senton, but Sabre rolled out of the way, then locked on an armbar. EVIL kept his hands together, then reached the ropes. 

Sabre used a surfbaord, then wrenched on EVIL’s fingers, slipped to a hammerlock, then to a lateral press, picking up a two count. For the second time, EVIL avoided a PK, then hit a mid kick. EVIL hit a sidewalk slam, and a vertical suplex. He picked up a nearfall. 

EVIL went for Darkness Falls, but Sabre slipped to a full nelson. EVIL escaped and hit a big knee strike. They did a cool corner strike, opposite corner strike, misdirection, lariat spot. EVIL hit the lariat, then used Darkness Falls for a two count. 

They traded rollups. EVIL used a backslide for a nearfall, but Sabre popped out of it and finally connected with a PK. Sabre stomped on EVIL’s left arm. EVIL hit a chop with the right arm. They did another misdirection spot, but Sabre came out on top this time, and tied EVIL up with a wacky submission. It was a body scissors, but he also trapped the left arm. 

Sabre went after the right arm, torquing it with his legs, then hit another PK. EVIL used the referee as a human shield, then lifted Sabre onto the ref’s shoulders. EVIL hit a ref-assisted Magic Killer. That was innovative. 

EVIL connected on a superplex, and picked up a two count. They did a crazy series of counters, ending with EVIL connecting with a spinning lariat. Sabre escaped Everything is EVIL a number of times, and was able to apply Napalm Death. EVIL tapped. 

NEW JAPAN CUP 1ST ROUND MATCH: KOTA IBUSHI DEFEATED TETSUYA NAITO (20:39)

Great match. The last third especially was insane. 

They locked up, then went into a crazy series of holds, counters, and flips, ending with both men posing. Naito rolled to the floor, stalling. Ibushi chased him, but Naito caught him coming back inside. Ibushi went to the apron. Naito hit a sweep, then connected with the combinacion de cabron on the apron. 

Naito sent Ibushi into the barricade three times. Ibushi sold his neck. Naito took Ibushi into the press area, and sent him into a table. Ibushi beat the count back inside. Naito hit a back elbow, then a dropkick to the neck. Naito used a neckbreaker. 

Ibushi hit a couple of forearms to the chest, but Naito followed up, hitting three elbows to the neck. Ibushi sent Naito into the ropes, then hit a dropkick, his most notable offense to this point. Ibushi hit a series of mid kicks, then used a standing moonsault for a two count. 

Ibushi connected with a snap rana, sending Naito to the outside. Ibushi went for the Golden Triangle, but Naito cut him off, then hit a neckbreaker on the apron, sending Ibushi to the floor. Naito hit a one-legged dropkick, then a hangman’s neckbreaker for a nearfall. 

Ibushi landed on his feet out of a suplex attempt. Naito hit an enziguri, but Ibushi countered with a suplex. They traded strikes from their knees. Back on their feet, they continued trading. Naito hit a spinebuster. 

Naito teased a reverse rana off the top. Ibushi fought him off. Naito rolled to the apron. Ibushi teased a german, but Naito pulled Ibushi to the outside, and hit a tombstone on the apron. Back inside, Naito hit Gloria for a nearfall. 

Naito went for Destino, but Ibushi turned it into a package piledriver. Ibushi got a two count. Ibushi hit a spinning roundhouse. He went for a last ride, but Naito turned it into a swinging DDT. Naito went for Destino, but Ibushi hit a lariat. Ibushi hit a last ride, but Naito kicked out at two. 

Ibushi missed with a Kamigoye. Naito hit Destino, but Ibushi kicked out. Naito went for another Destino, but Ibushi slipped out and hit a high kick. Ibushi hit a Bomaye for a great nearfall. 

Ibushi hit a Jay Driller, spiking Naito right on his head, then hit the Kamigoye for the pin. 

New Japan Cup finals live results: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bad Luck Fale

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The likely main event of Sakura Genesis will soon be decided as the New Japan Cup finals take place tonight in Niigata.

Katsuyori Shibata and Bad Luck Fale have both made it to the finals, defeating three men to earn their place. It makes the most sense for Shibata to win and headline against Kazuchika Okada at Sakura Genesis, as that seems like the key money match. However, Fale has done well in tournaments like this before, in fact reaching the finals in 2014. Given that he’s usually pushed as a threat, tonight may just be the night they go all the way with him.

The rest of the card will feature a number of multi-man tag matches that will build momentum towards Sakura Genesis. Two programs in particular that have been built are Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru against Gedo & Jado over the IWGP Junior Tag Team titles and Hiromu Takahashi against KUSHIDA over the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title.

Our live coverage starts at 2 a.m. ET/11 p.m. PT.

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Tomoyuki Oka vs. Hirai Kawato went to a time limit draw

Oka dominated but Kawato held his own and fought back. Kawato did a good job selling his hurt shoulder. Both Oka and Kawato escaped Boston crab attempts. Kawato was going for a series of near falls when the bell rang, going to a time limit draw. Really good while it lasted, as both played their roles well in a heavyweight vs. junior heavyweight battle.

Kawato went at it with Oka after the match, showing the young lion fighting spirit.

David Finlay, Tiger Mask and Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Takashi Iizuka, El Desperado and Taka Michinoku

They brawled around the ring where Iizuka smashed Finlay with a chair. Heels worked on Liger for a while, with the referee being easily distracted while Iizuka choked Liger with the ring rope. Finlay made the comeback but got whacked again with another steel chair shot by Iizuka. Finlay rallied back quickly then pinned him with a stunner in a pretty decent match.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima defeated Yuji Nagata and Katsuya Kitamura

A lot of this match was both members of Tencozy, sometimes together, working over Kitamura. Nagata finally was tagged in and cleared house, dropping Kojima and sinking in the armbar until Tenzan broke it up. Kitamura was tagged in as they both worked over Kojima. Kitamura had it close with a Boston crab, but Kojima broke free and hit the lariat for the pinfall. Good enough match that made Kitamura look like someone with potential. 

Jado, Gedo & Hirooki Goto defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi and Minoru Suzuki

Suzuki, Kanemaru and Taichi all worked and Jado and Gedo a lot during the match. Suzuki was going for the Gotch piledriver on Jado but was broken up by Goto. Taichi came in with his microphone stand and evened the odds. Jado kicked out of a pin attempt and rallied back, sinking in the crossface. Taichi tried to escape but Jado rolled him back in the ring and had no choice but to tap. Nothing special, but did continue the build for the IWGP Jr. tag team titles.

EVIL, SANADA, BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson, Hiroshi Tanahashi, KUSHIDA and Michael Elgin

They teased a confrontation early between Tanahashi & Naito, but Naito didn’t engage and instead EVIL started things off. Turned into a pretty good back and forth contest with everyone getting their time to do their thing. Naito and Juice had a really nice exchange that people got into. Juice was going for Pulp Friction but Naito escaped, low blowed Robinson then pinned him with the Destino.

LIJ put the boots to Robinson after the match, with Naito putting in the final touches. 

Toru Yano, Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI and Tomohiro Ishii Kenny Omega, Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tonga and Tonga Roa

This was okay, nothing special compared to the other tags tonight but still pretty solid. There was some comedy involving Yano and Tama Tonga, as Yano doesn’t like Tama Tonga’s crawl as it creeps him out. Yujiro controlled a lot of the match and looked like…Yujiro. Okada and Roa were going at it and let’s just say the talent discrepancies were obvious. Okada eventually hit the elbow and pinned Roa with the rainmaker. 

Katsuyori Shibata defeated Bad Luck Fale to win the New Japan Cup

Fale controlled early, throwing Shibata into the barricade and laying waste to him. Fale worked on Shibata’s bum arm, wrapping it against the ring post. Shibata was goaded into landing some shots, but Fale continued to grind him down. 

Fale lifted him up on his shoulders, but Shibata escapes by putting his foot on the top rope. Fale immediately came back, taking Shibata out of the ring. Fale tries to whip Shibata into the barricades, but Shibata counters and starts choking him with Fale’s own shirt.

Shibata takes down Fale and begins working on his arm. Fale escapes and counters with a lariat and a big splash. He goes for the grenade but Shibata kicks out. Fale goes for the Bad Luck Fall but in midair Shibata transitions into a sleeper. He transitions for a rear naked choke but Fale counters with a sidewalk slam. 

Shibata immediately gets up and starts no selling, responding with some vicious strikes and puts him in the sleeper once again. He lands the PK and scores the victory, winning the 2017 New Japan Cup. I liked the story this match, but there were way better matches in this tournament — this wasn’t even close to reaching the upper echelon.

Shibata took a microphone after the match. He wasn’t sure who to choose, but eventually yelled out one person’s name — Kazuchika Okada, the IWGP Heavyweight champion. The camera cuts to the entranceway…but Okada never shows up. Shibata reiterates his promise to challenge Okada anyway as streamers fly and the show closes.