NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING

NEWS

JUN.23.2020

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New Japan CUPdate: June 23

Third of four first round nights complete as four more advance in competitive block

Watch all the Cup action on NJPW World!

Full match results and pictures!

June 22 saw arguably the most competitive night of the New Japan Cup so far, as the upper right bracket of eight fought their way to a spot in the second round. SANADA, SHO, Kota Ibushi and Taichi each made it through to the last 16, and will wrestle on Wednesday, July 1 after an intense series of matchups on NJPW World.

First to book his place in the second round on the night was SANADA, who got past Ryusuke Taguchi. Two of the most fundamentally sound wrestlers on the NJPW roster, the Coach and Cold Skull exchanged holds early to a standoff, but when Taguchi tried to bait SANADA into his (incorrect) version of the Paradise Lock, the LIJ member showed how it was really done, and took control of proceedings. 

After gutting out some rearward offense, Taguchi was able to connect with some B Triggers at the ten minute mark, and pressed the advantage with Three Amigos. While a Bummer Ye was halted by SANADA, a plancha connected, and Taguchi followed with Oh My & Garankle. The hold was desperately close to submitting Cold Skull, but SANADA’s power advantage paid off as he transitioned into Skull End. Taguchi was almost able to steal one with a series of roll-ups, but a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch proved inescapable as SANADA moved on with the pinfall. 

Even with no fans in attendance, tension was high as SHO and Shingo Takagi took to the ring. SHO threw everything he had at the NEVER Champion from the jump, eventually bowling over The Dragon and taking control, but a moment’s hesitation on SHO’s part was all the invitation Takagi needed to take SHO and the fight to the floor. 

Relentless offense from Shingo was broken by a superhuman Spear, and SHO went to work on Takagi’s Pumping Bomber arm. A series of German Suplexes would follow, but Takagi was still able to dig deep with a Pumping Bomber and then Noshigami. The hurt arm did prevent a superplex for Shingo though, and The Dragon was dealt a huge Powerbreaker from the top and a Deadlift German for a nearfall. 

The two threw bombs in mid ring, firing up Shingo enough to hit a Pumping Bomber and Made In Japan, both to near two counts. SHO would come up again with Takagi’s arm, and a Shock Arrow followed for arguably the biggest win in SHO’s career to date.

Kota Ibushi and Zack Sabre Junior started their first round matchup with a struggle for control on the mat. ZSJ taunted Ibushi that ‘there’s nobody cheering for you now, is there’, baiting Ibushi into throwing strikes, and creating submission opportunities. When Ibushi had distance to play with, he was able to rock Sabre with stiff strikes, but when Zack was able to close that distance, the tag champion was in trouble.

Close that distance the Briton did, as Ibushi faltered without fans yelling encouragement directly. ZSJ avoided a Golden Triangle simply by walking away as Ibushi couldn’t find a rhythm, and then tortured Ibushi’s knee and ankle at the ten minute mark. Even as Ibushi tried to tap into his darker powers, Ibushi managed to flow from limb to limb and hold to hold, pushing the Golden Star near breaking point.  

Still, Ibushi refused to quit, and continued to bring some big hits from underneath. A huge knee from nowhere is what did ZSJ in; a flash KO like blow that was followed by Kamigoye to see Ibushi through against the run of the match. 

With that, the main event was about whether Ibushi would be joined in the second round by his tag partner Tanahashi, or tag team rival Taichi. The ‘Holy Emperor’ was hell bent on victory by any means necessary, and powerbombed Tanahashi during the Ace’s entrance.  He followed with a Buzzsaw kick as the bell finally rang, with DOUKI putting the hurt on The Ace as Taichi drew the referee. Tanahashi was completely unable to get out of the blocks as chairs and guardrails came into play for Taichi.

Yota Tsuji would lend some support from ringside, firing The Ace up enough to rally with a Dragon Screw, but Taichi was able to quickly shut Tanahashi down with stiff kicks, and a Dangerous Backdrop Suplex. Tanahashi went back to some classic offense though, pulling out a sideslam unused for over a decade, and started to find some momentum with a Twist and Shout and Slingblade for two. 

The Ace looked set to finish in classic form with a High Fly Attack and High Fly Flow, but DOUKI prevented Tanahashi from reaching the top rope. Taichi would go low, and then went for a Taichi Style Gedo Clutch. Tanahashi kicked out at two, and still refused to stay down to an Ax Bomber and Last Ride. Hanging on for dear life, Tanahashi avoided a Black Mephisto but was rocked by a huge elbow, only to pull back from the brink of unconsciousness with a skull rattling open hand strike. 

Taichi pulled Tanahashi in hard with another Dangerous Backdrop, with an Ax Bomber and Gamengiri following. This time, Tanahashi couldn’t resist Black Mephisto and Taichi picked up a monumentous victory, further amplifying the damage to Tanahashi post match before he and DOUKI laid out Ibushi to boot. 

All that leads us to our final first round matchups tonight, June 23:

Hiroyoshi Tenzan (10th entry, 2nd consecutive) vs YOSHI-HASHI (7th entry, 6th consecutive)

First singles meeting

Last year’s New japan Cup saw YOSHI-HASHI turn a corner of sorts, and plenty of heads in a battle with Tomohiro Ishii. His 2020 campaign starts with a tough first round matchup against a Tenzan with fire in his belly and much to prove. Before NJPW went on pause,  Tenzan helped to end Manabu Nakanishi’s career with plenty of tag team victories with the Yajin; that retirement behind him, and with the time to rest up any nagging injuries, can he string together success as a singles wrestler once more?

YOH (New Japan Cup debut) vs BUSHI (New Japan Cup debut) 

Singles record: 1-1

YOH and BUSHI often wrestle as two sides of the same coin. Both men are praised as the thinkers of their respective regular tag teams, with YOH being the strategist of Roppongi 3K, and BUSHI providing the analytical arm of his teams with Hiromu Takahashi and Shingo Takagi. 

In singles, they also seem equally matched; discounting a string of defeats to BUSHI while still a Young Lion, YOH is 1-1 with BUSHI in a pair of Best of the Super Junior outings. Coolness under pressure may well be the key to this match, and they key to a second round; without a crowd in play, perhaps tactical smarts and clear thought will prove to be even stronger than normal; who will be the master of human chess on the night?

 

Satoshi Kojima (7th entry, 2nd consecutive) vs EVIL (4th entry, 2nd consecutive)

Singles record: 1-0 EVIL (Watch on NJPW World!)

 

The first singles meeting since 2017 makes a chance for two men to make their story in 2020. In recent months, EVIL had been somewhat lost in the Los Ingobernables De Japon shuffle, as his comrades moved on to greater success. A loss in Sapporo to Tomohiro Ishii was a bitter blow, but since twice defending the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Championships won in the Tokyo Dome, some of the old EVIL confidence had been surging back before all momentum stopped in New Japan. For Kojima, 2020 had been about taking on the biggest singles challenges, as bouts with the likes of Ultimo Guerrero and Jeff Cobb let the world know he can still go in the ring despite the retirements of contemporary figures like Jyushin Thunder Liger and Manabu Nakanishi. The result in on the last night of opening round action will be a hard hitting affair, no doubt.

Hirooki Goto (12th entry, 2nd consecutive, 2009, 2010, 2012 winner) vs Yujiro Takahashi (10th entry)

Singles record: 14-1 Goto

The last match in the first round sees Hirooki Goto take on Yujiro Takahashi. The record books strongly favour Goto here; although this is the first time in five years the two meet one on one, Yujiro is looking for only his second win in his 16th match with Goto, the last victory for him coming on Christmas Eve 2011. Goto’s status of Mr. March, with three past Cup wins isn’t to be sniffed at either, but upsets often take place in the first round of the New Japan Cup, and Yujiro will be betting big on the last night of the cup. After an eye injury put his 2019 cup on ice, could it be ice in a champagne bucket of success for Yujiro after tonight?

 

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