The New Japan Cup is coming up and the first round brings some interesting match-ups and things to see in the landscape of NJPW.
The New Japan Cup is here and it’s the annual single elimination tournament for NJPW. For 2019, New Japan expanded the field from 16 to 32, which was an interesting decision because that means bringing in some supplementary talents to round out the field. There are a few first round match-ups that should be great and involve rarely used talents that get a chance to shine. Let’s preview the first round of the New Japan Cup.
MARCH 8TH- KORAKUEN HALL
https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1099923151557980166
YUJI NAGATA VS. TOMOHIRO ISHII
This first match-up of the New Japan Cup was supposed to happen at the New Beginning In USA shows, but after the Japanese wrestlers couldn’t get their visas because of a government shutdown, the next logical step was to move it to here. This should be an awesome match as these two have good chemistry. The logic here says Ishii wins because he’s higher in the pecking order than Nagata
PREDICTION: TOMOHIRO ISHII
TOMOAKI HONMA VS TAICHI
This is the first of several interesting match-ups in the New Japan Cup. Honma has been relatively quiet since he returned from what many thought would be a career-ending injury. He wasn’t in Tag League partnering with Makabe and has been relegated to old man status. The crowd will get behind him though and the crowd HATES Taichi. Taichi had a stint with the NEVER Openweight and singles success over the past year since moving to heavyweight. Honma will be up for a fight, but in the end Taichi will win this and move on to the second round.
PREDICTION: TAICHI
MANABU NAKANISHI VS YOSHI-HASHI
Another member of the old guard, the former IWGP champion Manabu Nakanishi has been relegated to 6 and 8 man tags over the past few years. However whenever he’s put in a singles opportunity, he puts full effort into these matches and it’s always a marvel when he goes up the top rope and does FLYING NAKANISHI. On the other-hand, YOSHI-HASHI is the definition of just a guy. He doesn’t rattle anyone’s cages, but puts out full effort when given a match like this. Nakanishi has the chance for the upset, but in the end YOSHI-HASHI wins this decisively.
PREDICTION: YOSHI-HASHI
JUICE ROBINSON VS CHASE OWENS
Juice Robinson is the current IWGP United States Champion, a fact that even the most hardcore fans will forget as that belt has become an after thought. Juice really shines in these sorts of tournaments and has great performances. Chase Owens is now back in Bullet Club and is here for the long haul. Chase is going to be motivated to have a great match here and Juice just kills it. Juice is winning this match but Owens will put up a fight.
PREDICTION: JUICE ROBINSON
MARCH 9TH- AICHI PREFECTURAL GYMNASIUM
https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1099928823884333056
TOA HENARE VS LANCE ARCHER
Toa Henare avoided excursion and has been a main stay in the mid card of New Japan for the past two years. Henare teamed with Togi Makabe at World Tag League replacing Tomoaki Honma. Lance Archer is back in a singles role while putting his name in the ring with Davey Boy Smith Jr. for the tag team titles. This match should be pretty good, and the feeling right now is that Archer is going to win.
PREDICTION: LANCE ARCHER
WILL OSPREAY VS BAD LUCK FALE
This match raised eyebrows when it was announced. Ospreay, the current NEVER Openweight Champion, has been on a roll beating Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom 13 and he’s one of the most versatile wrestlers in the world today. This match plays into Ospreay’s strengths as he’s facing Bad Luck Fale. Fale had his semi main event with Okada at the New Beginning shows and is the monster of New Japan. This match is the first of a few matches that can go either way, but Ospreay as NEVER Openweight Champion doesn’t need the New Japan Cup, and Fale can use the win to set up a title opportunity and a future obstacle for Ospreay to overcome.
PREDICTION: BAD LUCK FALE
MIKEY NICHOLLS VS HIKULEO
Nick…. um Mikey Nicholls is back in Japan for the New Japan Cup. Nicholls was last seen as Nick Miller in WWE NXT as one half of TM61 with Shane Thorne and before that in Japan as one half of TMDK with Shane Haste (same person as Shane Thorne) in Pro Wrestling NOAH. Here he’s facing off with the Bullet Club young boy returning from injury, HIKULEO aka Leo Tonga. He was sidelined with an ACL injury and it’s going to be interesting to see if he gets the rust off at this first round match-up. In the end, Nicholls should win in his NJPW debut.
PREDICTION: MIKEY NICHOLLS
KAZUCHIKA OKADA VS MICHAEL ELGIN
This is another match-up that raised some questions when announced. Elgin, who’s had a bunch of personal and injury issues, returns to NJPW to vanquish an old rival. The former NEVER Openweight Champion had a knee injury that forced him to miss Wrestle Kingdom entirely and the following New Beginning tour. Then you have his old rival, a man who Elgin has great chemistry with, Kazuchika Okada. Okada lost to future IWGP Champion Jay White at Wrestle Kingdom and had his annual victory over Bad Luck Fale in the New Beginning tour. Okada is the odds on favorite to win the tournament. Okada’s winning this match, but it should be a barn burner.
PREDICTION: KAZUCHIKA OKADA
MARCH 10TH: HYOGO BAYCOM GYMNASIUM
https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1099934225749426176
HIROYOSHI TENZAN VS DAVID FINLAY
This is another interesting match-up that will tell very little about the pecking order, but will tell a lot about who David Finlay is as a wrestler. Finlay has been twiddling his thumbs in the mid card of New Japan over the past couple of years and he’s just waiting for his moment. His moment has finally come in the New Japan Cup with Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Tenzan has had a relatively quiet past couple of years. His G1 days are over and he has been in 6 and 8 man tags for the better part of five years. This is David Finlay’s moment to get a win in the first round of this tournament against an experienced opponent.
PREDICTION: DAVID FINLAY
HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS SHOTA UMINO
This is freaking awesome. Shota Umino, a young lion and son of Red Shoes, has been killing it as a young lion. They let him grow out his hair and he now has kneepads which are big steps for young lions. This is his moment versus the former IWGP Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi in a first round match of the New Japan Cup. Tanahashi, who beat Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom and then lost to Jay White at New Beginning in Osaka is ultimately going to win this match, but this should be awesome and a great moment for the future of the company to see if Umino really has it.
PREDICTION: HIROSHI TANAHASHI
EVIL VS ZACK SABRE JR.
Last year’s winner Zack Sabre Jr is facing off with EVIL in a really awe inspiring match-up for the first round of the New Japan Cup. Sabre has been looking to get back into the IWGP Championship picture since winning last year, and has had some great performances in G1 and other areas of New Japan competition. On the other hand, you have EVIL who has been sort of in a limbo state since challenging Okada at King of Pro Wrestling 2017. He’s been in the tag team scene as well as having wrestled Chris Jericho at King of Pro Wrestling 2018. This match could go either way, but in the end Zack Sabre Jr wins and tries to defend his New Japan Cup.
PREDICTION: ZACK SABRE JR.
KOTA IBUSHI VS TETSUYA NAITO
Wow, this is a first round match-up in the New Japan Cup. Two of the odds on favorites to win the New Japan Cup competing in the first round. These two have great chemistry and a five star match is incoming. Ibushi recently signed a multi year deal with New Japan, assuring him to finally get his push in NJPW after many start-stop pushesi. Naito is currently the Intercontinental Champion and doesn’t really have a challenger set for MSG. These two are going to kill each other, but in the end Kota Ibushi wins this match and loses a future match to set up this title program for MSG.
PREDICTION: KOTA IBUSHI
MARCH 11TH: KAGAWA TAKAMATSU CITY GENERAL GYMNASIUM #1
https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1099944188651671552
TOGI MAKABE VS COLT CABANA
Another New Japan Cup debut here in Colt Cabana, the independent wrestling mainstay who’s been recently commentating on Ring Of Honor the last couple of years. It’s a nice change of pace to include him in here, and he’s got to be motivated to be in this tournament. Makabe, the sweets loving unchained gorilla, has been in the mid card of New Japan. This match is a toss up and can go either way, but in the end Togi Makabe will win as he’s the veteran.
PREDICTION: TOGI MAKABE
HIROOKI GOTO VS SANADA
A great match-up of two upper mid-carders who have a ton of upside. Goto, who had a reign with the NEVER Openweight Championship at the end of 2018, has won this tournament 3 times in 2009, 2010, and 2012. He’s also been a finalist in another two tournaments and he’s Mr. New Japan Cup. SANADA has the most upside of the LIJ heavyweights and has been on the bench for a while waiting for his moment. SANADA is going to beat Mr. New Japan Cup and move on to the next round.
PREDICTION: SANADA
TORU YANO VS DAVEY BOY SMITH JR.
Now to the least interesting match-up of the New Japan Cup as Toru Yano faces Davey Boy Smith Jr. Yano, who has been a middling comedy guy, recently reunited with his Most Violent Players partner Togi Makabe and has taken a bit of a serious edge. Meanwhile Smith Jr, has been an uninteresting tag team wrestler who has been middling in the New Japan mid card muck. Yano is winning this match as he’s getting a bit of a push.
PREDICTION: TORU YANO
SATOSHI KOJIMA VS MINORU SUZUKI
Now onto the final first round match-up and it’s two familiar foes going at it. Kojima, who had a knee injury that kept him out the majority of 2018, is now once again in a big spot to impress and hopefully earn himself into his last G1 run. On the other hand, you have Minoru Suzuki at 50 years old, being as menacing as he’s ever been. He’s gotten a good push last year and he’s always slotted well in the New Japan hierarchy. Minoru Suzuki is winning this match, but it will be competitive as two old rivals go at it.
PREDICTION MINORU SUZUKI
This year’s 32 man New Japan Cup has raised a lot of eyebrows in what New Japan can do. They have a lot of interesting match-ups and a lot of interesting wrestlers in these slots.
BONUS PREDICTION
The winner of the New Japan Cup could go in 2 or 3 directions. Either Okada, Tanahashi or Ibushi are the odds on favorites to win this tournament. Okada’s redemption story could come to fruition and he defeat White to set off another IWGP title reign. Then you have Ibushi, who is here long term now, who can finally get the push many people think he rightfully deserves by having him knock off White to win his first IWGP title. Then you have the ‘Ace of the Universe’ lurking, looking to be back at the top of the New Japan food chain, and they could do a Tanahashi redemption story at G1 Supercard at Madison Square Garden. In the end, Okada pulls it off and accelerates his redemption and defeats Jay White at G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden.
NEW JAPAN CUP WINNER: KAZUCHIKA OKADA