The New Japan Cup is a yearly tournament that is a highlight of many New Japan Pro Wrestling fans’ calendar. Although initially postponed due to the recent pandemic, the company announced that it would be holding the tournament when it returned last month. The format remained the same with the usual two-bracket system and shot at the Heavyweight Champion at stake. But, the field this year was much wider with not only heavyweight wrestlers but also juniors and Young Lions.
This meant that fans got to see matches they never expected to see between their favourite wrestlers which led to some Match of the Year candidates.
10. Minoru Suzuki v Yuji Nagata – New Japan Cup Night 2
Despite not resembling your traditional wrestling match, this bout was something to behold and one of the toughest of the tournament. There has always been a long-standing rivalry between Suzuki and members of the Third Generation club and, in particular, Yuji Nagata.
Nobody was surprised when their match started with forearms, slaps and elbows. The first five minutes at of the match consisted of the two stood in the centre of the ring throwing strikes and slaps. When this finally stopped, the brutality moved around the ring with Suzuki utilising a chair and using everything as a weapon. However, Nagata’s heart meant that he never stopped fighting back, even when he was bleeding from the mouth.
What made this match even more effective and brutal was the fact that there was hardly anyone in the arena. This just meant that the sounds from each hit and counter echoed around the arena.
Surprisingly, Nagata managed to hit a backdrop hold after 20 minutes to get the win. However, both men showed that, despite both being over 50, they had the same fire and passion for the industry. It also showed how much New Japan respects its veterans because they were given the freedom to go and just beat the hell out of each other.
9. EVIL v SANADA – New Japan Cup Night 8
Fans have previously seen matches between the two Los Ingobernables de Japon tag team partners in last year’s G1. The match showed the ability of the members to put aside any personal relationships to win a match. There was something very different about this bout which made fans at home feel both excited and uncomfortable.
Initially, the match started quite normally. Both men used their very diverse styles to get the upper hand on an opponent they knew very well which led to several reversals and standoffs. EVIL was using his strength and SANADA used his agility and speed. However, after a semi-civil start, things started to change. Throughout the tournament, fans noticed a harsher and more brutal side to EVIL.
Following a very dangerous move that saw SANADA fall on his head, Evil saw an opening and chose to capitalise on it. Pushing aside Red Shoes, EVIL hit his partner with several low blows. He then hit the chair he’d put around Sanada’s neck with another. This then led to one final Everything is Evil for the win.
What made this match good was not only the contrasts in style but also the lack of empathy and respect EVIL had for his long-time partner. The actions that came later in the tournament explained this mindset and made things a lot clearer for fans but didn’t stop them from enjoying it.
8. Taiji Ishimori v Yoshinobu Kanemaru – New Japan Cup Night 5
The rivalry going into this second-round match not only stemmed years but also promotions. Ishimori has always pointed out in post-match comments that he seemed to have some sort of allergy to Yoshinobu Kanemaru. This seemed to be the reason that the Bone Soldier had never beat the Suzuki Gun Heel Master in a singles match.
At first, it seemed as if the match was going to go the same way as the previous ones with Kanemaru using all of his skills and brains to get that quick and easy finish we’ve seen in the past few matches. On top of that, regardless of sneaky tactics, Kanemaru is a very able wrestler utilising a very unique and dynamic style. However, Ishimori is, in a lot of New Japan fans’ eyes, THE hybrid athlete. Fighting back with a mixture of speed, strength and agility, the Bone Soldier found a way to get the advantage over his arch-nemesis in less than 10 minutes with his finisher Bloody Cross.
What made this match such an important match in the tournament was that it was a fairytale victory with a long history. For Ishimori, he managed to defeat the one person who always seemed to have his number. This match not only was a breakthrough for Ishimori but showcased two Jr Heavyweight veterans in Japan.
7. SANADA v SHO – New Japan Cup Night 6
This singles matchup was one that many New Japan viewers would not have expected to see as they have rarely met outside of tag matches. However, this tournament created many matches that fans never knew that they needed to see between two very distinct and talented wrestlers.
The match itself started with some basic wrestling moves including lock-ups, standing reversals and take-downs. However, in a matter of minutes, the speed and momentum changed dramatically. It started to become a battle of the high fliers with both men launching themselves over the top rope.
This then quickly changed to a more methodical and ground style of wrestling with both men targeting a specific body part of their opponent to set up for their respective submissions. If you weren’t aware of the two wrestlers, it would have been hard to tell whether they were Jr’s or Heavyweights because they utilised a varied style that was dynamic and mesmerising.
In the end, SANADA submitting SHO with his patented Skull End after a series of smooth reversals. Although it was a victory for SANADA, it could’ve easily gone in SHO’s favour. The in-ring chemistry between the two was something magical and hopefully, this isn’t the last singles bout we see between the two.
6. Hiromu Takahashi v Toru Yano – New Japan Cup Night 5
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Toru Yano was a match nine years in the making. When Hiromu was a Young Lion, he had a match with the mischievous Yano with a loss leading to having his hair shaved. Neither man forgot this and, even in the warm-up match, you could see that Hiromu was terrified. Yano came out with clippers and you could see the Ticking Time Bomb having flashbacks.
If this was the lead-up, you can imagine just how chaotic the real match was. Coming out in a hard hat helmet, you could see that Hiromu wasn’t taking any chances with his opponent and he was right to do so. This time armed with two clippers and then finding scissors: nowhere was safe from Toru Yano. From there, it was chaos mixing humour, wrestling and performance perfectly.
The climax of the match had to be when Yano got out his trusty tape and wrapped it around Hiromu and Young Lion Tsuji so they could barely move and then cut off of his hair. Taping his opponent’s legs with a Young Lion has always been trusty trick Yano depended on seen by previous uses with Kenny Omega and Ren Narita as well as Jon Moxley and Shota Umino. Even with everything that Yano threw into this match, in the end, Hiromu got the win with Tsuji via a count-out victory. It was karma for Yano who was taped up and then thrown into a lift.
This match felt more like something out of DDT than New Japan, but it was done perfectly and in a way that made fans watching smile.
5. Tomohiro Ishii v El Desperado – New Japan Cup Night 1
Nobody knew what to expect when New Japan announced this first-round matchup between El Desperado and Tomohiro Ishii. Apart from the odd tag team match, neither man has had much contact with each other. However, it was a match many fans would happily watch again.
The match started with some teasing from the Suzuki Gun member as El Desperado pointed out the obvious size difference between himself and the Stone Pitbull. Unfortunately, all that did was make Ishii angry. Surprisingly though, many didn’t expect the fight that Desperado put up.
For fans who may not be too familiar with his fighting style, it’s more similar to Ishii’s than you would first expect. Compared to the rest of the Jr division, he uses a more heavy-hitting and Japanese Strong Style offence. Both men put in their all with chops, clotheslines and a combination of offence unique to their style. El Desperado focused on targeting Ishii’s leg to set up for Numero Dos and Ishii made sure to use his strength to try and counter this.
Although very few expected El Desperado to beat the force that is Tomohiro Ishii, it was still an amazing match. It not only cemented how amazing Ishii is but also showed fans that El Desperado is a hard-hitting, wrestler who is not your average Jr Heavyweight.
4. Kazuchika Okada v Hiromu Takahashi – New Japan Cup Night 8
In another reality, this could have been the match fans saw at the New Japan Anniversary Show if Okada had won the Double Gold Dash. So, fans were lucky to be treated to it during the New Japan Cup. The two competitors are completely different and this was evident throughout the match but made it more interesting to watch.
There was a clear size difference with Okada being Hiromu’s largest opponent to date. Hiromu knew this and made sure that he utilised his speed and unpredictability that fans know and love from the Ticking Time Bomb. Unfortunately, Kazuchika Okada is just as athletic combining traits from both Jr’s and Heavyweights alike. This meant that, throughout the match, it was either man’s game to lose.
Although unevenly matched in many ways to give Okada the advantage, it was Hiromu’s heart that put them back on a level playing field. There were hurricanranas, dropkicks and the first Rainmaker which surprisingly came from Hiromu. Despite this, in the end, the real difference-maker in this match had to be the change in Kazuchika Okada. Fans saw a new side to the Rainmaker’s offence with a more ground-based offence and his increased reliance on the effective Cobra Clutch to pick up each win.
In the end, the match was ended with referee stoppage after Hiromu passed out. This was very significant as it not only showed the power of Okada who had shown a more brutal side during the tournament but also the will and strength of Hiromu in not wanting to give up.
3. EVIL v Kazuchika Okada – New Japan Cup Night 9
Going into the final of the tournament, nobody knew which way the match could go. EVIL had been on a roll during the tournament beating his opponents swiftly and without any remorse for the rules. However, his opponent Okada was not only a previous New Japan Cup winner but has always been in the main event of Dominion as long as it has been held in Osaka-Jo Hall.
This determination from both to win was on show from the minute the bell rang. The two seemed to stick to their strategy through the tournament. EVIL continued using everything and anything to get the advantage and Okada stuck to a more mat-based offence to set up for his Cobra Clutch submission. For a while, it seemed to be working with EVIL slowly getting weaker as the hold was kept on for longer.
Yet, just when it seemed like Okada was on the path to winning two New Japan Cup’s in a row, something happened which changed the complexion of the match. Gedo and Yujiro came running to the ring and made the perfect distraction for Red Shoes to allow EVIL to catch his breath. It seemed odd but many passed it off as the Revenge of Gedo. After this, EVIL hit Okada with at least 3 low blows and won the match with Everything is Evil much to the disgust of the crowd who started the night wanting.
However, the reason for its place on the list was more to do with the aftermath. When EVIL called out Naito and the LIJ leader raised his fist for the handshake, Evil threw up a Too Sweet and revealed that he has now joined Bullet Club. It was a shocking moment for fans and one that viewers will not forget.
2. SHO v Shingo Takagi – New Japan Cup Night 3
After the announcement of first-round matches, this bout was one that caught a lot of peoples attention. Ever since Shingo came to New Japan nearly two years ago, he had been a thorn in the side of Roppongi 3K’s (SHO and YOH) side. In all the tag and singles matches they’ve had; the Gold Standard Sho was never been able to get a win over the Dragon.
This was his chance for redemption.
As expected, it was full-on from the start to end. Both wrestlers made sure to utilise what they knew best to get the advantage over their opponent. Shingo used his strength and huge build to block SHO’s advances but also counter them quickly and effectively. SHO used a style based more on his submission and martial arts skills which took Shingo by surprise. However, despite this heavy-hitting style, the entire match was dynamic, fast-paced and a combination of speed, strength and agility.
For many, the essence of this match was heart. No matter how much either men got beat up, they got straight back up whether it was from a suplex, forearm or one of the many clotheslines. After a match that lasted just over 17 minutes, SHO managed to hit one last Shock Arrow to get that much-needed win and advance to the second round.
Not only was the win was so well deserved but it also showed just how talented SHO is in the ring with his hybrid Jr Heavyweight style. The only downside was that there was no crowd there because the arena would’ve have gone crazy. It was a fairytale ending.
1. Tomohiro Ishii v Hiromu Takahashi – New Japan Cup Night 7
If there was ever a contrast of offence style and personalities going into a match, then this was the epitome of this. Hiromu is fearless and slightly erratic in his style. Ishii is serious and hard. The Ticking Time Bomb is bright and colourful. The Stone Pitbull is darker and more sombre. However, this didn’t matter when the two entered the ring and put on a potential match of the year contender.
It started with both in the centre of the ring trading strikes and forearms around the ring. Like with Suzuki v Nagata, the emptiness of the arena just made these exchanges even more dynamic as the sounds of these strikes echoed throughout the large space.
From there, the match was filled with action. Even with both men known to have problems with their necks, neither held back with their offence. Hiromu flew around the ring with reckless abandon hitting Reverse-Ranas and Ishii threw suplexes with ease. However, neither man would stay down even whether it was Hiromu hitting Ishii with his finishers the D and Time Bomb multiple times or those vicious power moves the Stone Pitbull is known for. Throughout, the match could go either way with pinfalls left, right and centre.
After one of the toughest and most brutal matches of the tournament lasting just under 20 minutes, Hiromu managed to hit one last Time Bomb II to get the win over Ishii. Despite so many people wanting Hiromu to get to the final, many didn’t see the smaller Hiromu winning. It was an amazing match between two superb wrestlers who shone very brightly.
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