New Japan Pro Wrestling continued their annual New Japan Cup tournament. Since the show aired at 5:30am EST on NJPWWorld.com, here’s a spoiler-free summary for the non-nite owl New Japan fans. Each match receives a Need To Watch Rating of 0.0-10.0
FIRST MATCH: Ren Narita & David Finlay vs. Shota Umino & Tomoyuki Oka
Solid opener from the Young Lions, with Finlay acting as the in ring veteran. Oka continues to grow as a rookie powerhouse, and Finlay is starting to find confidence in working with these young wrestlers.
Need To Watch Rating: (1.6)
SECOND MATCH: Toa Henare & Togi Makabe vs. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI)
An exciting return for Togi Makabe. Makabe reunited with his World Tag League partner, Henare, and what a difference a few months have made. Henare and Makabe are a formidable team, and Goto & YOSHI-HASHI are as in-sync as ever. Fun tag match.
Need To Watch Rating: (4.2)
THIRD MATCH: Bullet Club (Chase Owens, Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi & Bad Luck Fale) vs. Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Takashi Iizuka, Davey Boy Smith Jr., & Lance Archer)
Owens continues to be the star of the New Japan Cup undercard. Smith & Archer remain cocky, despite the heavyweight tag division growing by two considerable teams in The Young Bucks and The Golden Lovers. Taichi is…fine.
Need To Watch Rating: (3.0)
FOURTH MATCH: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI) vs. Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Minoru Suzuki)
A wild, kinetic brawl of a tag match. Suzuki and Naito’s chemistry is second to none, and Kanemaru & Desperado continue to haunt the LIJ Jr. Heavyweights. Definitely recommended viewing.
Need To Watch Rating: (7.5)
FIFTH MATCH: Juice Robinson, Michael Elgin & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. CHAOS (Chuckie T, Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada)
What can one say about a match that not only features a rare Okada and Tanahashi matchup, but also sequences of Juice dominating Okada and Chuckie T going hold for hold with Tanahashi. Definitely a match that sets up exciting possibilities for the future. Highly recommended.
Need To Watch Rating: (7.9)
SIXTH MATCH: New Japan Cup Quarter Final Match: SANADA vs. Toru Yano
If you hate Toru Yano, this match has plenty of action for you. If you love Toru Yano, this has all of the Yano you know and love. This also has 2018’s version of SANADA kicking ass and taking names. Great quarter-final match. A fun but substantial contest.
Need To Watch Rating: (8.8)
MAIN EVENT: New Japan Cup Quarter Final Match: Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Easily one of Zack Sabre Jr.’s best matches in New Japan. Ibushi also brings a fire that we have not seen since his rivalry with Tanahashi back in the fall of last year. Both men deliver a breathtaking display of combat sports. An expertly written story, that was told pitch-perfectly. Seek. Out. This. Match.
Need To Watch Rating: (10.0)
