New Japan Pro Wrestling continued their annual New Japan Cup tournament. Since the show aired at 2am EST on NJPWWorld.com, here’s a spoiler-free summary for the non-nite owl New Japan fans. Each match receives a Need To Watch Rating of 0.0-10.0
FIRST MATCH: Tomoyuki Oka & Yuji Nagata vs. Ren Narita & Tetsuhiro Yagi
Really fun opening tag match. Young Lions seems to work even better against each other than against guys like Nagata. Recommended viewing.
Need To Watch Rating: (4.0)
SECOND MATCH: Shota Umino vs. El Desperado
Quick fun showcase match. Umino is an amazing underdog. His shrieks during this match were unnerving.
Need To Watch Rating: (3.5)
THIRD MATCH: Toa Henare, David Finlay, Juice Robinson & Michael Elgin vs. Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens & Tanga Loa)
Definitely a wild 8-man tag. Minimal Elgin involvement. Owens continues to be a hidden jewel of Bullet Club. The Yujiro/juice rivalry is alive and well.
Need To Watch Rating: (4.8)
FOURTH MATCH: CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.)
A classic Suzuki-gun brawl. Killer Elite Squad continue to be operating at a higher level. Goto, Yano & Ishii continue to make a case for NEVER Six-man Tag contention.
Need To Watch Rating: (4.9)
FIFTH MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Takashi Iizuka)
A fun romp of a tag match. Iizuka and Taguchi always create comedy gold, while Taichi continues to grow as a heavyweight. Definitely refreshing to see Tanahashi back.
Need To Watch Rating: (4.6)
SIXTH MATCH: CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Chuckie T) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & SANADA)
A quick, fun tag match. BUSHI and SANADA are a great team. Chuckie T continues to hold his own alongside Okada. Could’ve used more time, but definitely worth the watch.
Need To Watch Rating: (5.0)
SEVENTH MATCH: New Japan Cup First Round: Yoshi-Hashi vs. Kota Ibushi
This match was a dramatic battle of two men that had to prove themselves. Yoshi-Hashi is finally escaping Okada’s shadow, while Ibushi has regained the confidence that he seemed to lose during his Tiger Mask W run. This is a must watch match for new and old fans. Both men were competitive until the final bell.
Need To Watch Rating: (10.0)
MAIN EVENT: New Japan Cup First Round: Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
An amazing main event, with serious ramifications. Naito’s 2018 has not been the riotous success that 2017 was, and he went into this match a broken man. Sabre entered the match hungry to prove himself, and expose the cracks in Naito’s foundation. Every bit the must-watch that Ibushi/Yoshi-Hashi was. Seek out both New Japan Cup matches from Night 3. Well worth it.
Need To Watch Rating: (10.0)
