Second round ends with four more spectacular matchups
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The New Japan Cup continued on July 1, with the final four round two matchups seeing the quarter final lineup now official.
Joining Hiromu Takahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, Kazuchika Okada and Taiji Ishimori will be YOSHI-HASHI, SANADA, Taichi and EVIL.
YOSHI-HASHI was first to book his place in the quarter finals on the night as he got past BUSHI. The masked man got off to a hot start in this battle of two Animal Hamaguchi students, jumping YOSHI-HASHI on his entrance, and choking him with his T-shirt before the Headhunter created some distance.
Both men have a reputation for hard chops, and chests were reddened as they both exchanged in stand-up. YOSHI-HASHI gained the upper hand, and slowed the pace somewhat, but BUSHI was able to cut him off with a Frankensteiner, before a trademark missile dropkick and tope suicida. Even as YOSHI-HASHI tried to mount a comeback, it was clear his knee was slowing him after a difficult landing from BUSHI’s Frankensteiner, allowing for an apron DDT as BUSHI remained in control.
An instinctive lariat from YOSHI-HASHI prevented a BUSHI MX however. The CHAOS member managed to muscle BUSHI into a Butterfly lock, only barely broken in the ropes before Karma struck minutes later to give the win to YOSHI-HASHI.
SHO and SANADA looked incredibly exciting on paper, and quickly delivered. Two master grapplers exchanged holds in the opening, before SHO created himself a huge opening, snapping SANADA’s arm across the rope and maintaining the offense with a stiff kick from the apron.
That advantage didn’t stick for long however, SANADA taking out SHO’s left leg from the floor and setting to work in the ring. That limb work took away some of the sting of SHO’s kicks but could not stop his upper body strength, the junior tag champion launching in with a spear and a series of elbows. Even as SANADA tried to slow SHO with a dropkick to the knees and a plancha, SHO’s strength came through, a vicious pair of rolling German Suplexes being turned into an arm triangle SANADA barely powered out of.
SHO surged closer to victory with a Last Ride Powerbreaker, but SANADA avoided Shock Arrow and negotiated Skull End. SHO was able to put his jiujitsu experience to good use as he fought out. The coup de grace still didn’t come though, and SANADA would again counter Shock Arrow, eventually getting the hooks in on Skull End to scoop victory.
Kota Ibushi and Taichi were both accompanied by their tag team partners for their second round matchup, but while it was clear Tanahashi was only present for moral support, Zack Sabre Junior was present to get more involved. When he distracted Ibushi on the apron, Taichi was able to take physical control, and Tanahashi taking care of ZSJ only served to distract the referee while Taichi choked the tag champion at ringside.
Ibushi was finally able to fight his way into the match with kicks and a standing shooting star, but this was where Taichi showed his own offensive toughness with brutal shots of his own, surprising the Golden Star with a foot under the jaw at the ten minute mark, before Kawada kicks and a jumping high knocked Ibushi down. Dangerous T continued to show his influences with a backdrop suplex to Ibushi, shedding his trousers, but only for Ibushi to come back, fighting past a Last Ride attempt and landing a brutal high kick and his own Sit Out Last Ride.
Just as Ibushi looked for Kamigoye, Sabre again hopped on the apron, leading to a low blow and a Taichi Style Gedo Clutch for two. Ibushi continued to show his will to win, countering a finishing attempt from Taichi into the Hitodenashi, but Taichi again prevented Kamigoye, this time by sending Ibushi into the referee.
That brought ZSJ into the ring to assault Ibushi, but before he could connect with a Zack Driver, Tanahashi made the save. Ibushi looked to close in on victory alone with Taichi, but the Holy Emperor had one more soul in his corner. Takashi Iizuka’s Iron Finger From Hell struck, and a follow up Black Mephisto gave Taichi the win.
EVIL was not standing on ceremony for the main event, choosing to meet Hirooki Goto at the entrance. A brief staredown, and the two began tearing into one another with a series of strikes before contining to brawl all around the ring.
Goto would be the one to get in the ring first, and push the advantage when EVIL joined him in it, but when matters again spilled outside, EVIL took thorough control with a chair around the neck and a body thrown into guardrails. The momentum firmly in his corner, EVIL continued to go to work with a neckbreaker and tackle before Goto was able to follow his charging opponent into the ropes and catch him with a lariat.
As the match wore on, it became all the clearer how evenly matched the two men are, with the ‘follow, follow’ approach of misdirection from Goto leading to a tense and high paced criss-cross that eventually led to an Ushigoroshi from Goto. A reverse GTR would grant a two count to Goto, who measured EVIL for some heavy, heavy kicks, but EVIL would fire up with a German suplex, leading to a series of collisions that Goto was left standing from.
A GTR nearly sealed the deal at the 15 minute mark, but EVIL countered with a headbutt to rock his opponent. Darkness Falls came next, and both jockeyed for position as they attempted their finishing holds. A GTW found the mark for Goto, but EVIL was able to send his man crashing into Red Shoes Unno, preventing GTR. Showing his desire to win out ‘whatever happens’ and by any means necessary, EVIL struck Goto low before EVIL connected for the three count.
