Yamanashi sees third night of tournament action
After kicking off in Tokyo, the New Japan Cup tour heads to Yamanashi for night three, where a bracket full of intrigue will see three more advance to the sweet sixteen.
Watch LIVE in English on NJPW World!
Main event- New Japan Cup 1st Round- Shingo Takagi vs Yuya Uemura
Singles record: 1-0 Takagi
Winner faces Callum Newman or Gabe Kidd March 13 in Okayama
Yuya Uemura’s first singles match since losing his Hair versus Hair battle with Yota Tsuji in Sapporo sees him battle one of his last opponents pre-excursion in Shingo Takagi, and his first singles bout against someone other than Tsuji since returning from the US last autumn. It will be with a fresh set of circumstances and a fresh look then that he faces Takagi, who on home turf in Yamanashi will be looking to better his performance this time last year, where he was beaten in front of his home crowd by HENARE. Shingo and Uemura both are in need of big results, but only one can advance in what’s sure to be a heated main event tonight.
7th Match: New Japan Cup 1st Round- Callum Newman vs Gabe Kidd
Singles record: 1-0 Kidd
Winner faces Shingo Takagi or Yuya Uemura March 13 in Okayama
A battle of Britain pits bright young prospects for United Empire and the War Dogs opposite one another, Callum Newman facing off against Gabe Kidd. Newman’s blistering pace and hard fighting attitude has won him the hearts of fans of late, and he hopes to bring recently gained momentum and attention with him to Ymaanashi where he faces the War Ready Kidd. Gabe is wrestling his first bout since the infamous Osaka Dog Pound Steel Cage match that left multiple members on the shelf, and with his typical fast temper, may lack the focus needed in a singles elimination tournament. Could Kidd be prime for an upset in the biggest opportunity of Newman’s career?
6th Match: New Japan Cup 1st Round- Hikuleo vs Boltin Oleg
Winner faces EVIL March 13 in Okayama
A clash of titans will see Hikuleo face Boltin Oleg in the first round of the Cup. Hikuleo had a bittersweet New Beginning series, losing the IWGP Tag Championships to KENTA and Chase Owens, but getting recognition from his bigger brother Tama Tonga in Tama’s last match in Sapporo. He hopes to carry that forward momentum through to a strong run in the tournament, but starts with tough competition. Boltin has made great strides of late, and a big win could be all it takes for the Kazakh amateur standout to be rocketed to the front. Will tonight be the night?
5th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Tetsuya Naito) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, TJP & Francesco Akira)
Yota Tsuji’s New Japan Cup starts Sunday where he’ll be in a hard fought battle against United Empire’s Jeff Cobb. Tsuji has pledged a New Japan Cup win and a Ryogoku main event opposite Tetsuya Naito; tonight the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is alongside someone who could be his opponent April 6, if he isn’t put out by the Imperial Unit beforehand.
4th Match: Just Five Guys (DOUKI, Taichi & SANADA) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)
Taichi is heading into the New Japan Cup with hopes high that he can face former Dangerous Tekkers tag team partner Zack Sabre Jr. in the second round. To do that though, he will have to get past Ren Narita Sunday in Hyogo, who will likely be pulling extensively from the HOUSE OF TORTURE playbook. This preview tag will see Taichi putting together some much needed countermeasures no doubt.
3rd Match: YOH, El Desperado & Shota Umino vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO, Dick Togo & EVIL)
With a lot of bitterness remaining from Sapporo title defeats, Shota Umino and El Desperado have sizable bones to pick with EVIL and SHO tonight. Will they be able to get some measure of satisfaction in Yamanashi?
2nd Match: Tomoaki Honma & El Phantasmo vs TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr.)
El Phantasmo and Mikey Nicholls will lock horns ahead of Sunday’s first round Cup clash in the second match of the night. There’s every chance Zack Sabre Jr. will be facing one or the other in the elite eight, and will be keeping a keen and active watching brief tonight.
1st Match: Ryusuke Taguchi, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto vs BULLET CLUB (Gedo, Chase Owens, KENTA & David Finlay)
After KENTA and Chase Owens captured the IWGP Tag Team Championships in Osaka, YOSHI-HASHI faced KENTA in the first round in Ota Wednesday, and Owens battled Ishii Thursday in Korakuen with Goto next for the winner, Bishamon and BULLET CLUB connections make this eight man second round preview one to watch as action kicks off in Yamanashi.
