Second round continues in Shiga
After a wild ride through the first week of the New Japan Cup, the second round heads to Shiga on Sunday March 12 with two more second round matchups, United Empire looking to continue a road to dominance, as well as wins over champions in the two tournament bouts.
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Main event: New Japan Cup Second Round: Hirooki Goto vs Kyle Fletcher
Having scored an impressive victory over YOSHI-HASHI Friday in Yamanashi, Kyle Fletcher instantly turned a lot of heads as a singles competitor in his first one on one match in Japan. While the New Japan Cup is his immediate goal though, the fact the Aussie Arrow scored a win over one half of the IWGP Tag Team Champions is surely not lost on Fletcher, and now he has the opportunity to beat the other half of the Bishamon combo.
As far as Goto is concerned, all Fletcher and Mark Davis have to do for an IWGP Tag Team Championship opportunity is ask, but Fletcher will be looking to take from Goto tonight, and the Fierce Warrior will not let that happen. Three times a New Japan Cup winner, Goto has been away from the label of King of Spring for over a decade. Tag suepriority will have to wait, as Goto looks to show Fletcher just what it takes to win a New Japan Cup.
6th Match: New Japan Cup Second Round: Tama Tonga vs Aaron Henare
NEVER Openweight Champion Tama Tonga faces Aaron Henare in the second round of the cup. Tama likely thought, as much of the world did, that he would be facing Shingo Takagi in his first tournament matchup, but Henare had other plans in Yamanashi. A stunning victory saw the Ultimate Weapon truly arrive and win his first singles main event of his seven years in NJPW.
So instead of a former NEVER Openweight Champ meeting the current title holder, a new challenger could be born tonight in Shiga. Tama Tonga has vowed to elevate the NEVER Openweight Championship to heights the title has never seen. Henare certainly brings the ‘BMF’ spirit that the title embodied for many years, but can he earn a title shot, and a spot in the quarterfinals, by keeping his hot run alive?
5th Match: CHAOS (Lio Rush, YOH, YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito)
Shingo Takagi’s stunning first round exit in the New Japan Cup is something he’ll still be reeling from tonight, but he’ll be united with LIJ members for a five on five clash with CHAOS in Shiga instead. YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii are also feeling the sting of first round exits from the cup, but they’ll be in support of Lio Rush tonight. As the jockeying for position continues ahead of March 21’s IWGP Junior title match, who gets the upper hand tonight?
4th Match: United Empire (Mark Davis, Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & Will Ospreay) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, SHO, Dick Togo & Yujiro Takahashi)
Before Mark Davis and Will Ospreay collide Monday in Ehime, they team up along with Great-O-Khan to join Jeff Cobb in hopefully sending a powerful message to EVIL ahead of that impending second round matchup. Will EVIL’s second round prove his victory over Ren Narita to be a flash in a particularly filthy pan, or does he have more tricks up his sleeve?
3rd Match: Just 4 Guys (Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, DOUKI & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs BULLET CLUB (David Finlay, El Phantasmo, KENTA & Chase Owens)
As tensions continue to brew between El Phantasmo and BULLET CLUB brass, they look to get back on track tonight opposite Just 4 Guys. with Finlay’s next tournament matchup coming up Wednesday opposite Great-O-Khan, what statement will the Rebel make?
2nd Match: Yuto Nakashima & Shota Umino vs TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.)
Tag team action will see second round cup opponents Shota Umino and Zack Sabre Jr. take Yuto Nakashima and Kosei Fujita under their wing on the way to the ring. Umino has been keen on showing his submission ability of late, racking up wins with STFs, but can he apply the hold on the Submission Master tonight?
1st Match: Oskar Leube & Tomoaki Honma vs Ryohei Oiwa & Ren Narita
Tag team action will kick off in Shiga. As Ren Narita looks to build back from first round cup defeat, can he take success with Ryohei Oiwa over Oskar Leube and the veteran Honma?
