NJPW New Japan Cup
Image Credit: NJPW

NJPW Announces Bracket For New Japan Cup 2023

New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced the bracket for the 2023 New Japan Cup. The 16-day tournament will kick off on March 5 and conclude on March 21. The winner of the tournament will earn a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 8.

The announcement, courtesy of NJPW’s official website is as follows:

The New Japan Cup kicks off on March 5, 2023. The annual spring tournament brings a slice of March madness to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, with the prize being a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis in Ryogoku on April 8. After a 50 man field in 2022, a high barrier to entry in 2023 will see 24 compete in an intense 16 day tour culminating March 21 in Nagaoka. Here are your first round matches and byes:

March 5: 

  • Taichi (6th entry, 6th consecutive) vs SANADA (6th entry, 6th consecutive, 2019 finalist)
    • Winner faces: KENTA (2nd entry, first in two years. New Japan Cup USA 2020 winner, STRONG Openweight Championship number one contender)
  • Tetsuya Naito (11th entry, 3rd conseuctive, 2016 winner) vs El Phantasmo (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive)
    • Winner faces: Chase Owens (4th entry, 3rd consecutive)

March 6

  • David Finlay (2nd entry, first in two years) vs Tomohiro Ishii (15th entry, 8th consecutive)
    • Winner faces: Great-O-Khan (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive, British Heavyweight Champion)
  • Shota Umino (2nd entry, first in four years) vs Yujiro Takahashi (13th entry, 4th consecutive)
    • Winner faces: Zack Sabre Jr. (6th entry, 6th consecutive, 2018, 2022 winner, NJPW World TV Champion)

March 8

  • Ren Narita (debut entry, NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Champion) vs EVIL (7th entry, 5th consecutive, 2020 winner)
    • Winner faces: Jeff Cobb (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive)
  • Toru Yano (18th entry, 18th consecutive) vs Mark Davis (debut entry)
    • Winner faces: Will Ospreay (4th entry, 3rd consecutive, 2021 winner)

March 10

  • Kyle Fletcher (debut entry) vs YOSHI-HASHI (10th entry, 9th consecutive, IWGP Tag Team Champion)
    • Winner faces: Hirooki Goto (15th entry, 5th consecutive, 2009, 2010, 2012 IWGP Tag Team Champion)
  • Shingo Takagi (4th entry, 4th consecutive, KOPW 2023 holder) vs Aaron Henare (4th entry, 3rd consecutive)
    • Winner faces: Tama Tonga (5th entry, 2nd consecutive, NEVER Openweight Champion)

WrestleZone will have coverage of the tournament as it progresses.

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