I’ve decided to do the New Japan Cup(NJC) reviews as rounds up. Last time I reviewed The Together Project Special, along with nights 1 and 2 of the NJC. Here I will be covering nights 3, 4, and 5. Like before I am not going to give a complete breakdown of each match for the night but point out some takeaways and matches I really liked. Then of course I’ll snark(Our star rating) each match at the end of each night.
Night 3 June 22nd was in Korakuen Hall. Still no people in the crowd, but seeing the hall was a nice small step towards feeling normal again. I anticipate the final on July 11th at Osaka-Jo Hall so much more now, even with a minimal crowd capacity.
SHO DEF. SHINGO TAKAGI. This was supposed to have been Will Ospreay v Shingo Takagi. I would have loved to have seen a rematch of their match of year at the Best of the Super Juniors. With Ospreay out and the NJC now an openweight tournie, it allowed for this match to happen. Sho and Shingo have had an intense rivalry ever since Shingo entered NJPW. Since the BOSJ, Shinjo has entered into the Heavyweight division and holds the NEVER openweight title.. Sho is still a Junior heavyweight and holds the IWGP Junior tag belt with his R3K partner Yoh.
I knew with these two paired up in this first round match, that it would deliver. Watch any of their single matches prior to this and you’d be confident as well. This has to be one the best empty arena matches I’ve seen. I wouldn’t blame anyone for going match of the year so far. I just might. What I didn’t expect at all was Sho going over with the upset win. Expectations aside, WHAT A MATCH. Fast paced from jump. Hard hitting. Shingo blocked a spear by just taking it and standing there like an immovable object. It felt like it defied physics. Multiple pumping bombers from both parties. Sho survived a Made in Japan. Then Sho gets the crossarm driver, then the Shock Arrow for the win. The Junior getting the win over the Heavyweight. Over the NEVER Openweight champion! I am sure this is setting up a NEVER title match between these two at some point. Probably at Dominion and I can’t wait for it to happen. Go out of your way to watch this one.
The rest of night 3 is not something you should skip either. It’s enjoyable from start to finish.
NEW JAPAN CUP 2020 ROUND 1 NIGHT 3
SUZUKI-GUN (MINORU SUZUKI, EL DESPERADO, YOSHINOBU KANEMARU, & DOUKI) DEF. YUJI NAGATA, YOTA TSUJI, YUYA UEMURA, & GABRIEL KIDD - ***½
SANADA DEF. RYUSUKE TAGUCHI - ***
SHO DEF. SHINGO TAKAGI - ****¾
KOTA IBUSHI DEF. ZACK SABRE JR - ***½
TAICHI DEF. HIROSHI TANAHASHI ***½
Night 4 June 23rd on paper, is not all that exciting. Especially after the stellar first three nights of the NJC. Although Some matches were interestingly booked. Like Bushi V Yoh. The night before, Bushi’s Los Ingobernables stable mate Shingo lost in an amazing battle with Yoh’s R3K tag partner Sho. This also continues the little fued between R3K and Shingo/Bushi, where they both chased and traded the Junior Tag titles. The match between Bushi and Yoh is not a bad one, nore is it a must see.
My match of the night was not a match I was looking forward to and that’s Yoshi-Hashi v Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Hiroyoshi nowadays can barely move. Yoshi-Hashi is not one of my favorites. He comes across lifeless to me. Shows no emotion in the ring. His moves feel soft. Yoshi-Hashi does often surprise me with some great matches. He is very good when he wants to be. Watch some of his G1 matches. That’s what we got here. Very hard hitting. Exchanging slaps and chops. Tenzan does a really nice looking moonsault. TENZAN!. Yoshi-Hashi wins it with the Butterfly lock. Not a favorite of mine. Doesn’t look like it hurts or would make anyone submit. But I loved how Yoshi-Hashi sold it here with his facial expression. I believed his face, not the move.
This ends round 1 of the NJC. It has been a great start. Definitely some match of the year matches, a lot of really good matches and barely any skippable ones.
NEW JAPAN CUP 2020 ROUND 1 NIGHT 4
BUSHI DEF. YOH - ***½
YOSHI-HASHI DEF. HIROYOSHI TENZAN - ***¾
CHAOS (SHO, TOMOHIRO ISHII, TORU YANO, KAZUCHIKA OKADA) VS LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPON (SANADA, SHINGO TAKAGI, HIROMU TAKAHASHI, TETSUYA NAITO) Double countout – **
HIROOKI GOTO DEF. YUJIRO TAKAHASHI - ***
EVIL DEF. SATOSHI KOJIMA - ***½
Unlike night 4, Night 5 June 24th on paper looked very promising and delivered. Great start for round 2 from top to bottom. Well… except for one.
The first must watch match is Tomohiro Ishii v Togi Makabe. I loved this. Two hosses beating the crap out of each other. Both of them are trying to show the other that they are tougher. Chops and forearm smashes you can feel from the tv. Makabe showing he can still take a bump. He can still sell. Makabe obviously took that time to heal and it’s showing. Between this match and his previous match with Young Lion Yota Tsuji, He’s reminding us how good he can be. In the end, it would be Ishii that would prove to be the toughest. Ishii hits a lariat then the vertical drop brainbuster for the W. Ishii is still my pick to win it all. A must watch
My next must watch is Yugi Nagata v Okada. Nagata, a veteran, has proven time and time again to still be able to perform at a high main event level. After the Suzuki/Nagata beat down fest I was curious what these two greats would give us. It did not disappoint. While with Suzuki it was strike for strike, with Okada it was skill for skill. Okada got the W with the cobra clutch submission, as he did in his previous match. They are putting over this secondary finisher of his. This will pay off down the line. Make us wait for the Rainmaker.
This was a great set of matches. Well except one. Toru Yano v Hiromu Takahashi was just not for me. That’s all I’ll say on it. If you liked and that’s your thing, then like what you like. The rest was a banger and it's just going to get better as the NJC gets tighter.
NEW JAPAN CUP 2020 ROUND 2 NIGHT 5
TAIJI ISHIMORI DEF. YOSHINOBU KANEMARU ***½
TOMOHIRO ISHII DEF. TOGI MAKABE ****¼
HIROSHI TANAHASHI, KOTA IBUSHI & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI DEF. SUZUKIGUN (TAICHI, ZACK SABRE JR. & DOUKI) ***
HIROMU TAKAHASHI DEF. TORU YANO **
KAZUCHIKA OKADA DEF. YUJI NAGATA ****½
Final thoughts. Except for a match or two NJC has been a must watch and maintains that quality. The tourney has already produced matches that can be put in the argument for match of the year come December. With future match-ups coming and the possible match-ups looming, this tourney looks to add more to that argument.
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