New Japan Pro Wrestling came back in March for their first tournament of the year in the form of their annual New Japan Cup. This time, there was a shot at the new IWGP World Heavyweight Title on the line with the chance to challenge for the new title at Sakura Genesis.
This year, there were 30 men spread over two blocks. The competition was fierce from the very beginning. There were young lions, future stars and veterans fighting for that one main event spot against Kota Ibushi. With such high stakes, all men gave it their all, and there were some phenomenal matches.
Here is a look at the top seven matches from this year’s New Japan Cup!
7. Hirooki Goto vs. TAICHI – March 5, 2021
Credit: NJPW1972
When it comes to TAICHI matches, they can go one of two ways. They can either be full of sneaky style or be wrestling masterpieces that surprise fans. At the start of his first-round match with Hirooki Goto, it seemed to start with his cheating ways. TAICHI was executing his usual tactics that included strangling and making use of the barricades. Luckily, with Goto’s heart, he fought back and showed his opponent that he was not to be taken lightly.
After TAICHI realised this, the match turned in a very different direction. It became a battle of strong style with a series of lariats, uppercuts and stiff kicks for ten minutes straight. At one point, both men just lay on the mat because of the power each man had given. There were also moves from them that fans have not seen in a while. Yet, even with everything each man gave, the other got up without a second hesitation.
The ending sequence was a series of reversals and finisher attempts, with even a Gedo Clutch from TAICHI to get the win. In the end, when both men were seriously injured, Goto had to hit both a GTW and GTR to get the win. Certain wrestlers manage to bring the best out of TAICHI and Hirooki Goto can be added to this list.
6. Minoru Suzuki vs. KENTA – March 13, 2021
Credit: NJPW1972
The match between Minoru Suzuki and KENTA was one of the rare heel vs. heel matches fans saw in the tournament. As expected, before Suzuki even got into the ring, KENTA was playing mind games bringing out a newspaper and reading it. Unfortunately, these tactics just seemed to get Suzuki angry. The match started very quickly and extremely brutally.
Naturally, the match between the two involved a lot of striking between two of the best in the game. With a series of strikes, chops, forearms and elbows, the sound seemed to echo throughout the venue showing just how brutal they were. It also seemed as if, every time KENTA thought he had the advantage and was punishing Suzuki, he was just absorbing the pain and coming back stronger.
As the match went on, the frustration was clear on KENTA’s face. It just seemed to put a smile on Suzuki’s face. Whenever KENTA tried to pin him, the count barely reached one before the King of Pro-Wrestling kicked out. The two men were giving everything, and there was even a moment when they were slapping each other with reckless abandonment.
In the final moments, Suzuki seemed to have the advantage by locking KENTA in a rear-naked choke. However, KENTA managed to dig down deep and reverse an attempted Gotch Piledriver for his GTS to get the win. After a Bullet Club start, KENTA managed to win fairly cleanly and make up for their last match in NOAH! It reminded people that KENTA is a great wrestler. It also proved that Minoru Suzuki can still fight at a top-quality level.
5. Hirooki Goto vs. Shingo Takagi – March 13, 2021
Credit: NJPW1972
In the past, Goto and Shingo have had classic strong style matches over the NEVER Openweight title. As expected, their bout in this tournament was very similar, combining two styles that are more similar than different, and two men who have the same strong will and determination.
The match started very quickly with both men throwing stiff forearms and strikes. As Shingo went for his finisher and Goto attempted a roll-up, it felt like both men wanted to end the match quickly with minimum damage. Fortunately, this did not pay off and fans were treated to s solid main event epitomising Japanese Strong Style.
After the sudden flurry of offence, the pace slowed down significantly. Goto started off trying to wear down Shingo in the centre to capitalise on his neck injury. However, as always, Shingo’s heart managed to power through! It felt like this match was full of so much action. In particular, there were many heavy strikes, counters and signature move attempts from two men who know each other so well.
As the match got to the ending moments, Takagi played some mind games with Goto hitting him with his own version of the GTR. With that, Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber and a Last of the Dragon to keep Goto down for the three count. In the end, it proved how talented both men are and their ability to put on high-quality matches.
4. Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – March 14, 2021
Credit: NJPW1972
Over the years, Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr. have had some wars both in Japan and worldwide. Their match during this year’s tournament was another one of those epic battles! The match itself got off to a quick start. It seemed like Ospreay wanted to get the win as soon as possible. He hit offence that resembled the aerial assassin from CHAOS. However, Zack quickly changed the pace and tried to move the game to the mat.
Surprisingly, this did not last. There were constant changes in speed. One minute, Ospreay would go high-risk and the next, he would showcase his submission skills almost seemingly ZSJ. Similarly, Zack focused on wearing Ospreay down but would bring out uncharacteristic moves such as the La Mistica.
As the match went on, it was clear that Ospreay’s weight gain since their last encounter played to his advantage. It allowed him to counter moves that he knew so well with this newfound strength. Zack struggled, but it seemed like he was slowly adapting to this new Ospreay. As each man hit their offence, it felt like a battle between two children who know each other very well!
Yet, when it seemed like Zack finally had the upper hand and was ready to hit the Zack Driver, Ospreay managed to reverse the move. With a Hidden Blade and Storm Breaker, Will got the win! It was yet another great chapter to the story between two of the best in the business, but it definitely will not be the last.
3. Tomohiro Ishii vs. SANADA – March 9, 2021
If there was ever a match of contrasts, it was the first bout between Tomohiro Ishii and SANADA. From their wrestling style to their personality, they are as different as can possibly be, yet they managed to create something special in the ring. As it was their first singles bout in almost three years, the initial minutes were a feeling out process.
Yet, it quickly picked up speed as both men were eager to prove how good they are. Between the two men, there was a combination of hard-hitting offence and speed from two athletes trying to bring out the best and worse in each other. There were a few minutes where they were both just throwing chops at each other in the centre of the ring and both men just seemed to ask for more.
As the match progressed, it felt like Ishii was bringing out some rare aggression from the usually calm and collected SANADA. We saw the Los Ingobernables de Japon member dig deep and find anything to get the win, whether it was pushing the referee or throwing forearms in the corner of the ring. There was a mixture of speed and high-risk moves within a single match with men Ishii executing a top rope brainbuster and SANADA hitting a brutal snap suplex.
With both men beaten and exhausted, everything became a struggle. However, they kept finding a will to fight and kicking out of their opponents’ best offence, including SANADA’s patented bridging suplex. For most of the match, it was anyone’s game. Yet, when everyone was on the edge of their seats, SANADA finally hit his moonsault for the win. It was a match of two opposites that seemed to fit together like a perfect whole.
2. Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi – March 6, 2021
Credit: NJPW1972
After New Japan first revealed the bracket for this year’s tournament, the match between Kazuchika Okada and Shingo Takagi was one many circled as a possible MOTY candidate. Both men were firm favourites for the tournament.
From the minute the bell rang, it was all systems go. It was a fast start where both men were trying to show who was the better athlete. Shingo seemed to start the match with an initial focus on upper body strength. He then moved to a more mat-based and methodical style. Before long, Okada realised that his best bet was to dictate the match’s pace and increase the speed.
With this decision, it felt like Shingo just became more motivated to prove that he could beat Okada at his own game. At one point, the Dragon imitated the classic Okada pose and attempted his version of the Rainmaker. It felt like every second of the bout was full of action. Both men kept finding sudden surges of adrenaline.
In the closing moments, fans could see that both men were physically exhausted. At one point, Okada was so desperate for the win that he even tried a roll-up. After 23 minutes, Shingo finally managed to hit the Last of the Dragon to get the win. It was a match with many layers and changes of speed and style throughout.
1. Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay – New Japan Cup Final – March 21, 2021
Credit: NJPW1972
When the final two were confirmed for the New Japan Cup final, fans could not help but be excited. Shingo Takagi and Will Ospreay had put on a MOTY candidate for the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors final. Many hoped that they would see something similar out of two of the best in the company. Luckily, their expectations were all met in one of the best matches in the tournament.
With two men who have changed since their last encounter, the match started with a series of strikes. It felt like they both wanted to prove how much they had grown! After a feeling-out period, the match moved outside the ring, showcasing the wrestler’s more brutal sides. Shingo was targeting Ospreay’s nose whilst Ospreay was pulling at the tape supporting Shingo’s back injury.
Despite the obvious changes in the men’s style, there was an abundance of high-risk offence. One of the more brutal spots was the 450 that Ospreay hit on Shingo, who was lying on a table outside of the ring. There were glimpses of the Aerial Assassin and fans even saw a rare high-risk move in the form of a poison-rana from Shingo. In the closing moments of the match, it was anyone’s game.
Ospreay finally managed to hit a high kick and rolling elbows to set up for the Hidden Blade and Stormbreaker that got him the win! The match went over 30 minutes and was the perfect mixture of wrestling, story-telling and psychology. Despite the controversial promo after the show, it should not tear away from the spectacle the two men put on in the ring!
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