New Japan officially began the New Japan Cup tour today with Day 2 of the tournament.
Today’s event was held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World FOR FREE! (Mobile/tablet/TV users will need to download the New Japan World app to watch, it is a free download and a paid subscription is not required to use the app or access free content. PC users can watch via a web browser) This was an ABEMA simulcast in Japan.
The announced paid attendance was 1324.
Match 1: Boltin Oleg, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Jado, El Phantasmo & Hikuleo. Goto pinned Jado after Shoto.
Match 2: Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Toru Yano & Togi Makabe. Nicholls pinned Makabe after a sliding lariat.
Match 3: Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & Jeff Cobb beat Taiji Ishimori, Gabriel Kidd & KENTA. Cobb pinned Ishimori after Tour of the Islands.
Match 4: Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Ren Narita, EVIL & Jack Perry beat Yoh, El Desperado, Tomoaki Honma & Shota Umino. Narita pinned Honma after Double Cross. This was to have had Sho as part of the match but he weaseled his way out last-second in favor of Perry.
Match 5: BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito beat TAKA Michinoku, DOUKI, Taichi, Yuya Uemura & SANADA. Tsuji pinned TAKA after Gene Blaster. For those curious about Uemura sans hair, it’s now a short buzz cut painted in a shade of red.
New Japan Cup:
Match 6: Chase Owens beat Tomohiro Ishii.
Match 7: Tanga Loa beat Great-O-Khan.
Main Event: David Finlay beat TJP.
As a result, Owens will face Goto in Round 2 and Loa will face Finlay. The other left side matches will be SANADA vs. YOSHI-HASHI and Perry vs. Yano.
The next event is tomorrow at Aimesse Yamanashi in Yamanashi. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET. This is the last event before the spring time change in the US, meaning events after (and including on the east coast) Sunday will start 1 hour later again.
In other news, the promotion announced this year’s installment of my favorite annual event, Best Of The Super Junior. The 31st installment of the prestigious Junior Heavyweight showcase will be in its usual May spot on the schedule, with the following schedule:
5/11-Yoha S Arena, Chiba
5/13-Korakuen
5/15-Legion Plaza Joetsu, Niigata
5/16-G Messe Gunma, Gunma
5/18-Esforta Arena Hachioji, Tokyo
5/19-Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya
5/21-Atelier Himeji, Hyogo
5/22-Osaka Prefectural Gym B (2?), Osaka
5/26-Yoyogi National Stadium Gym 2, Tokyo
5/28-Kira Messe Numazu, SHizuoka
5/20-Korakuen
5/31-Korakuen
6/2-Korakuen (Semifinals)
6/9-Osaka-jo Hall, Osaka (Finals) (DOMINION)
The Finals this year will be at the annual June Osaka blowout event, DOMINION. Participants TBA at a later date.
