New Japan Cup 2019: Highlights and Quarterfinal Preview

The New Japan Cup has blasted through the first two rounds with some must-see matches, and the quarterfinals of the annual NJPW tournament won’t be any different. With a chance to challenge Jay White at MSG on April 6 and 8 men left in the field, who could be the one to square off with the Switchblade in New York City?

This year’s New Japan Cup is the first of its kind to feature 32 wrestlers, the largest field yet, and while some of the matches thus far have had clear favorites, there have been a few surprises along the way.

With the quarterfinals of NJPW‘s tournament set to kick off on March 20, it’s time to look back at some of the best matches from the first two rounds before looking ahead as the New Japan Cup winds down.

Round 1: Yuji Nagata vs Tomohiro Ishii

These two were meant to face off during the New Beginning In USA shows, but the US government shutdown put a stop to New Japan wrestlers obtaining visas for the trip. While it’s never a good thing for paying fans to miss out on seeing a match between two of the best in New Japan, it always felt like this match should have happened in Japan.

I may be a bit biased as Nagata is one of my absolute favorites (I’m always on the lookout for his excellent Anti-Aging Hero t-shirt) and the way he can still go in the ring at his age is nothing short of remarkable. Ishii has become one of my top New Japan guys in the past year or two as well and his effort against then-IWGP Champion Kenny Omega after the G1 left me hungry for an Ishii title run.

It was likely a foregone conclusion for most viewers that Ishii would advance in the tournament, but the intensity and emotion of this match were enough to make a Nagata believer out everybody watching. These two completely battered one another drawing on the frustrations of their interactions in the shows leading up to the New Beginning In USA tour.

In the end, Ishii came out on top in one of my favorite matches of the year. If you’re only going to go back and watch one match from the first two rounds of the tournament (why would you do such a thing?), this is the one to watch.

Round 1: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shota Umino

Few things in life have compared to being able to yell “GO ACE!” in the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 13 as the undisputed Ace of the Universe regained the IWGP Heavyweight Title.

Unfortunately for Tanahashi and his perfect hair, Jay White was waiting just around the corner and snatched the prize up at February’s New Beginning In Osaka.

I went from shouting “GO ACE!” in an arena full of people as my heart burst with joy to whimpering it to myself in my living room as everything I thought I knew in the world came unraveled. Okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but it’s not far off.

All of this to say, Tanahashi’s quest to get back to the IWGP Heavyweight Title began with Young Lion Shota Umino who is arguably the most impressive of this batch of Young Lions so far. Like the Nagata/Ishii match, most assumed a Tana win was a foregone conclusion… but what if?

With Tanahashi already falling to White in February and Shota making history by becoming the first Young Lion to compete in the New Japan Cup, could Shota actually pull off an upset against a New Japan Cup 2019 favorite? Not only that, he’d be doing so against the first-ever winner of the very same tournament in 2005.

Every near fall in this match was 100% believable. Hook, line, and sinker. It truly felt like the stars were aligning and Shota would come away with the biggest win of his career by knocking out one of the tournament favorites in the very first round.

Despite a valiant effort, Tanahashi came away with a victory with the cloverleaf. Even in defeat, though, Shota proved that he is ready to stand toe-to-toe with the top wrestlers in New Japan.

I’m not looking forward to Shota’s eventual excursion as it will mean less Shota in NJPW, but I’m already anticipating his return when he’ll be free of the Young Lion shackles and able to run free.