See the full card here – https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/40195?showCards=1
Ticket information – https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/40195
All matches will be broadcast live and in English on NJPW World
The main event will be a match between Yuji Nagata and Tomohiro Ishii. These two adherents to the tenets of Strong Style approach the philosophy in very different ways. As the leader of the now defunct faction “Justice Army”, Yuji Nagata is the embodiment of everything New Japan. Throughout his storied career, he has married the brutal striking and raw power of strong style with his strong sense of sportsmanship and fairness. Ishii on the other hand has had a much darker past. His history of ruthless aggression followed him from GBH to Chaos and has lead him to dominate the NEVER Openweight championship and become a fan favourite due to his grit and determination. Recently they have been feuding after the two clashed in their match at NEW YEAR DASH!!
The Eighth match will be between Juice Robinson and Chase Owens. The flamboyant Juice Robinson is hoping to sweep aside his opponent in the first round and make his mark on the tournament. After successfully defending his title in North Carolina, the IWGP US Heavyweight champion looks to add to his recent success with a serious NJC run. Owens on the other hand has eyes on said championship. Backstage, after the anniversary show, he mentioned that a victory here would be great leverage for a challenge at the title. Owens will be going all out to make this chance a reality.
The Seventh match sees Tomoaki Honma vs. Taichi. Since returning to the ring, Honma has been somewhat downbeat about his performance. By entering into the NJC, Honma will be keen to clear up any sense of self-doubt by defeating his opponent and returning to his former glory. As a veteran wrestler, Honma can be relied on to make use of his superior experience to take the fight to his opponent. Taichi meanwhile has been somewhat at a loss since his defeat in his challenge for the IWGP Intercontinental championship. Taichi will be looking to remind New Japan fans that the holy emperor deserves his position as Minoru Suzuki’s trusted lieutenant and will once again lead his passionate throng of fans to chants of “Let’s go Taichi”.
The fifth match will be between Manabu Nakanishi and YOSHI-HASHI. Since his return from injury, YOSHI-HASHI has had revenge on his mind. It was Jay White that was ultimately responsible for his absence and Jay sarcastically called out YOSHI-HASHI as his favoured opponent in MSG. The headhunter relishes the chance to make Jay eat his words and a victory in the New Japan cup will give him a clear shot at glory. Nakanishi on the other hand is looking for one more shot at glory. The former IWGP Heavyweight champion is hoping to recapture his former title and will not hold back against any in his path.
In the 4th match, Tanahashi, Okada, Makabe & Tenzan take on Shota Umino, Elgin, Cabana and Taguchi. The two teams will be facing each other in a series of singles matches over the next week. Avid New Japan fans would be well advised to watch this match closely to get a taste of the excitement to come.
The fourth match will be between Ibushi, Goto and SHO and Naito, SANADA and Takagi. Ibushi/Goto/SHO is not a team you see every day and this unique match-up will be an interesting taste of things to come in the first round of the New Japan Cup. Although SHO and Shingo are not heavyweights, both men have been tipped as potentially moving into a more of an “openweight” categorisation. Following last night’s excitement, the fierce rivalry between SHO and Shingo is expected to burn even brighter here.
