Tag: njpw

New Japan ran Day 8 of the New Japan Cup today, finishing up Round 2 and completing the setup for the Quarterfinals.

Today’s event was held at Kanaoka Park Gym in Osaka and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 1077.

Match 1: Shoma Kato vs. Katsuya Murashima went to a 10 minute time limit draw. This was a hometown match for Young Lion Kato.

Match 2: Mikey Nicholls beat Callum Newman.

Match 3: DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA beat Boltin Oleg, El Desperado, Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe. Uemura pinned Honma with a Tannuki suplex hold.

Match 4: Taiji Ishimori, Gabriel Kidd, Chase Owens, KENTA & David Finlay beat Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto. Owens pinned Taguchi after a package driver.

Match 5: Jado, Yoh, Hikuleo, Tama Tonga & Shota Umino beat Dick Togo, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, Jack Perry & EVIL. Yoh pinned Togo with 5 Star Clutch.

Match 6: Francesco Akira, TJP, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb beat BUSHI, Hiromu Talahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito. Cobb pinned BUSHI after Tour of the Islands.

New Japan Cup Round 2:
Match 7: Yota Tsuji beat El Phantasmo.
Main Event: Ren Narita beat Zack Sabre Jr. No repeat.
As a result, the last Quarterfinals match will be Tsuji vs. Narita.

Day 9 is tomorrow at Aichi Prefectural Gym in Nagoya with the first half of the Quarterfinals. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1 AM PT/4 AM ET. This will be a Samurai! TV simulcast.

New Japan ran Day 7 of the New Japan Cup today, beginning the second half of Round 2.

Today’s event was held at Zip Arena Okayama in Okayama and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 1207.

Match 1: Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb beat Tomoaki Honma & Toru Yano. Khan beat Honma with Subaru Sheep Koller.

Match 2: Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & TJP. YOSHI-HASHI pinned Newman after Shoto.

Match 3: Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Jack Perry beat Ryusuke Taguchi & Shota Umino. Perry pinned Taguchi after a running knee strike.

Match 4: DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA beat Gedo, Chase Owens, KENTA & David Finlay. DOUKI beat Gedo with Italian Stretch 32.

Match 5: Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Yujiro Takahashi & Ren Narita. Sabre pinned Takahashi after a running low kick.

Match 6: BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Tetsuya Naito beat El Desperado, Togi Makabe, El Phantasmo & Tanga Loa. Tsuji pinned Makabe after Gene Blaster.

New Japan Cup Round 2:
Match 7: EVIL beat Hikuleo.
Main Event: Shingo Takagi beat Gabriel Kidd.
As a result, the third Quarterfinals match will be EVIL vs. Takagi.

Day 8 is Friday at Kanaoka Park Gym in Osaka. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2:30 AM PT/5:30 AM ET.

New Japan ran Day 6 of the New Japan Cup today in Ehime.

Today’s event was held at Uwajima City Gym in Ehime and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 838.

Match 1: Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii beat Katsuya Murashima, Boltin Oleg & Tomoaki Honma. Ishii pinned Murashima.

Match 2: Francesco Akira & TJP beat Ryusuke Taguchi & El Desperado. TJP pinned Taguchi after 2/2.

Match 3: Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA beat Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb. Uemura pinned Newman with a Tannuki suplex hold.

Match 4: Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr. beat BUSHI & Yota Tsuji. Sabre beat BUSHI with STF.

Match 5: Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, Jack Perry & EVIL beat Yoh, Togi Makabe, Shota Umino, El Phantasmo & Hikuleo. EVIL pinned Makabe after EVIL. The usual “Sho Switcheroo” here was not well-received in Sho’s hometown as the fans booed him mercilessly.

Match 6: Taiji Ishimori, Gabriel Kidd & KENTA beat Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito. Ishimoti pinned Takahashi.

New Japan Cup Round 2:
Match 7: David Finlay beat Tanga Loa.
Main Event: Hirooki Goto beat Chase Owens.
As a result, the second Quarterfinals match will be Finlay vs. Goto.

Day 7 is tomorrow at Zip Arena Okayama in Okayama. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2:30 AM PT/5:30 AM ET.

New Japan ran Day 4 of the New Japan Cup today, finishing up Round 1.

Today’s event was held at Baycom Gym in Hyogo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 2476.

Match 1: Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens & KENTA beat Tomoaki Honma, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto. KENTA pinned Honma.

Match 2: DOUKI, Yuya Uemura & SANADA beat Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii. SANADA pinned Taguchi with O’Connor Bridge.

Match 3: Jado, Hikuleo & Tanga Loa beat Gedo, Gabriel Kidd & David Finlay. Loa pinned Gedo after The Sacridice.

Match 4: Boltin Oleg, Yoh, El Desperado & Shota Umino beat Yoshinobu kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, Jack Perry & EVIL. Umino beat Takahashi with STF. House Of Torture again pulled the last-second “Sho switcheroo” as they continue replacing him with Perry.

Match 5: BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito beat Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, TJP & Great-O-Khan. Takagi pinned Newman after MADE IN JAPAN.

New Japan Cup:
Match 6: El Phantasmo beat Mikey Nicholls.
Match 7: Ren Narita beat Taichi.
Main Event: Yota Tsuji beat Jeff Cobb.
As a result, Phantasmo will face Tsuji in Round 2 and Narita will face Zack Sabre Jr.

Day 5 is tomorrow at Item Ehime in Ehime with the start of Round 2. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 3 AM PT/6 AM ET.

New Japan ran Day 3 of the New Japan Cup today, beginning the second half of Round q.

Today’s event was held at Ainesse Yamanashi in Yamanashi and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 696.

Match 1: Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Gedo, Chase Owens, KENTA & David Finlay. Goto pinned Gedo after Shoto.

Match 2: Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Tomoaki Honma & El Phantasmo. Nicholls pinned Honma after Mikey Bomb.

Match 3: Yoh, El Desperado & Shota Umino beat Dick Togo, Jack Perry & EVIL. Yoh pinned Togo after Direct Drive. H.O.T. pulled what I am now calling the “Sho Switcheroo” last-second here, again replacing Sho in the match with Perry.

Match 4: DOUKI, Taichi & SANADA beat Yosjinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi & Ren Narita. SANADA beat Takahashi with Skull End.

Match 5: Francesco Akira, TJP, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb beat BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Tetsuya Naito. Cobb pinned BUSHI after Tour of the Islands.

New Japan Cup:
Match 6: Hikuleo beat Boltin Oleg.
Match 7: Gabriel Kidd beat Callum Newman.
Main Event: Shingo Takagi beat Yuya Uenura.
As a result, Hikuleo will face EVIL in Round 2 and Kidd will face Takagi.

Day 4 is tomorrow at Baycom Gym in Hyogo. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin TONIGHT at 11 PM PT/2 AM ET.

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.

March 6 is “Flag Raising Day” for New Japan, the date on which the promotion held their very first event in 1972. As they normally do today, they held their annual Anniversary Event to celebrate, today returning to where it all began-the site of that inaugural event. The event also kicked off the 2024 New Japan Cup Tournament.

Today’s event was held at Ota City General Gym in Tokyo and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.

The announced paid attendance was 3008.

Match 1: Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb beat Tomoaki Honma & Yanga Loa. Cobb pinned Honma after Tour of the Islands.

Match 2: Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr. beat El Phantasmo & Hikuleo. Nicholls pinned Phantasmo.

Match 3: Boltin Oleg, El Desperado, Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto beat BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi. Desperado pinned BUSHI after El Es Claro.

Match 4: Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & TJP beat Gedo, Gabriel Kidd & David Finlay. Akira pinned Gedo after 2/2.

Match 5: DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA beat Dock Togo, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Ren Narita & EVIL. Uemura pinned Togo with a Kannuki suplex hold.

Match 6: New Japan Cup: Toru Yano beat Yujiro Takahashi by countout.

Match 7: New Japan Cup: YOSHI-HASHI beat KENTA.

Match 8: New Japan Cup: Jack Perry beat Shota Umino. Afterwards, Perry joined House Of Torture.

Main Event: Tetsuya Naito beat Sho. This was the traditional NON-TITLE match between the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion.

The next event is tomorrow at Korakuen Hall. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET and you can watch live & on demand FOR FREE! This will be an ABEMA simulcast in Japan.