NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

NEWS

MAR.9.2022

#TOPICS

New Japan CUPdate: March 9

Okada, Goto, CIMA advance to round of 16

The second round of the New Japan Cup kicked off in Korakuen Hall on March 9, three tournament matches seeing a pair of mismatches and a gripping classical encounter.

Kazuchika Okada emerged from the main event with a clear spot in the round of 16, after a match that saw the pulse of the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion raised in anger if not pressure by Master Wato.

Knowing he was in the match at a severe disadvantage, Wato’s offensive gameplan was constructed around key counters of signature Okada offense. Okada’s flapjack, and later reverse neckbreaker would both be reversed, and Wato would have routes into his Vendeval submission. The blue haired prodigy would seek to use the hold to slow the Rainmaker enough to take to the air, and indeed a tope con giro and missile dropkick both found their mark.

Wato was incapable of connecting these dots of offence into a clear mark on Okada. The Rainmaker wrenched his chin lock and Money Clip with a frustration as much as necessity, and blasted a shotgun dropkick with authority. After an elbow drop, Wato escaped the first Rainmaker attempt, but a Landslide and second use of the move was more than enough.

Okada will face Taichi on March 14, a match that will share a billing with CIMA and Hirooki Goto. CIMA booked his place in round 3 after a difficult bout against Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Kanemaru would jump CIMA before the bell and instantly opened up on the #STRONGHEARTS leader’s knee.

Kanemaru would be full and firm control with a lot of CIMA’s offense requiring a firm base, and though the adrenaline flowed on occasion, it was rarely enough for CIMA to follow through. An attempt at Meteora in particular would see Kanemaru evade, and CIMA’s knees crunched into the mat as the Heel Master quickly followed up with a Figure Four.

CIMA very nearly tapped, but his will to remain in the cup just saw him stay in the hunt. The veteran kicked out of Touch Out, and just as Kanemaru went for Deep Impact, CIMA had a counter ready. The Perfect Driver scored, and when Kanemaru poured whisky over his opponent before an alcoholic surprise, CIMA fired up, a thrust kick scoring before Schwein, and a Meteora for the victory.

His third round opposition in Hirooki Goto got past Dock Togo despite every trick in the Spoiler’s book being employed. Togo’s offense was a litany of dirty tactics, punctuated by the smooth wrestling that made him a great earlier in his career. Yet as Togo was backed into the corner, the lights in Korakuen went out, and EVIL was soon present.

EVIL looked to finish Goto with the CHAOS member’s own ceremonial staff weapon, but was quickly disarmed. Goto would fire in shots to dispatch of the NEVER Champion, and then sank in the Dragon Rite submission hold that had earned him his very first New Japan Cup win in 2009.

Tournament action continues with Bad Luck Fale vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito vs Gedo, Jeff Cobb vs Satoshi Kojima and YOSHI-HASHI vs Kosei Fujita in Yamanashi Thursday.

 

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