New Japan wrapped up their 2016 New Japan Cup tournament on Saturday in Aomori, with a show that featured both sets of semi-finals and the tournament final, along with the usual variety of entertaining undercard bouts as the company set up their next big show – Invasion Attack – coming the week after WrestleMania.
Sadly, my plans to watch this live early on Saturday morning (UK time) went awry, thanks to New Japan World’s servers. After an hour’s efforts across five different devices led to me seeing all of a massive thirty seconds of action, I tapped out and opted for the on-demand version. Seriously though, NJPW World’s buffering issues seems to be exclusively affecting people in Europe, and given that we’re the most likely people to watch this stuff live, thanks to time zone differences, it’s not a great experience. If this were WWE, there’d be a lot more noise being made.
Still, onto the show, and the Aomori Arena for some reason reminded me of the first ECW One Night Stand set-up, but on a slightly bigger scale. And with 100% less chicken-wire. But with a much nicer building for a typical arena – one that looked like it could pass as a rather ornate train station.
Going into this, we knew the two semi-finals: Toru Yano vs. Tetsuya Naito, and Hirooki Goto vs. Michael Elgin – not bad so far – but what about the undercard?
David Finlay vs. Jay White
Please don’t take this the wrong way… but not these two again. Is there not another two Young Lions that New Japan want to put on these shows? At least we’ll know if Finlay’s found a way to counter the Boston Crab after their last few matches, I guess.
Finlay had the better of the early going, grounding White but again hooking the New Zealander’s nose. White connects with a beautiful dropkick to spark his comeback, and a little later on, a missile dropkick got White a near fall too. Finlay managed a near fall following a rolling Fireman’s carry after hitting a cannonball-like move to White’s midsection in the corner, before Finlay locked in the Boston crab to give White a taste of his own medicine!
Finlay looked shocked that the Boston crab couldn’t beat White… and you can probably guess the finish from here. White sidestepped an attack from Finlay, who bounced off the ropes before being rolled-up for a near fall. From there, White grabbed a leg and tied him up in a single leg crab, before doubling up into a Boston crab, finally sinking a knee into the back Lion-Tamer-style to get the submission win.
A decent match, but nothing we haven’t seen between these two before. Hopefully one of these guys moves up the card, or at least gets a new opponent in future events!
Tiger Mask & Captain New Japan vs. Jushin “Thunder” Liger & Juice Robinson
The first appearance of dubbed themes tonight, so they at least brought their replacement song CD to the arena. Perhaps it’s just banned at Korakuen? At least we know what we’re in for – a lot of double-teaming on Tiger Mask as the eternally (kayfabe) useless Captain New Japan remains on the apron…
Oh, wait. CNJ starts here against Liger, and it doesn’t take long before he whiffs on a diving shoulder block. CNJ does the same again later against Robinson, and ends up eating a senton splash for his efforts. A third attempt finally works, with the Captain taking out both Liger and Robinson, before making a hot tag to Tiger Mask, whose explosive start threatened to come to an end quickly, before turning a Liger powerbomb attempt into a facebuster.
Captain New Japan took a load of “Juice” punches, but managed to stop the finale by… putting his hand up, before taking down Robinson with a uranage. Unluckily, his decision to follow up off the top saw him miss a flying body splash, paving the way for a Robinson cannonball and a diving headbutt off the top that is broken up by Tiger Mask. With Mask and Liger tied up on the outside, Robinson takes the win via submission, courtesy of a mixture between a camel clutch and a Million Dollar Dream. Not a bad match, especially with Captain New Japan’s comedy turned down low for the evening.
EVIL & BUSHI vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii
Another match that my Caps-Lock key will love! EVIL’s fingertip lasers have been replaced by a single laser pointer for the evening, and we start off with a jumpstart as the cameraman goes AWOL at the start, forcing us to watch from a distance.
HASHI dropkicks EVIL in the rear out of the ring early on, but it’s the heels who take the early advantage, with EVIL whipping HASHI into the barriers, before repeating the “chair over head, toss into post” spot from last week as BUSHI has the referee distracted. Lots of casual cheating from BUSHI, including choking with a t-shirt and downing YOSHI-HASHI with a crossface with hairpulling. A flipping neckbreaker allows HASHI to tag in Ishii, and we’re left with an EVIL vs. Ishii face-off, which Ishii easily comes out on top in.
It’s not long before the heels double team Ishii, with the ROH TV champion being taken down by a BUSHI reverse lungblower into a EVIL German suplex that needed a save by YOSHI-HASHI to avoid his team losing. EVIL ducks a clothesline and intentionally runs into the referee to let BUSHI come in and spray the dreaded green mist over Ishii. BUSHI wipes out YOSHI-HASHI with a dive to the outside, and an STO gets the win for the Los Ingobernables de Japon team.
Post-match, EVIL and BUSHI grab Ishii’s ROH TV title and stomp down on him some more, but this was another perfectly fine match. It does seem like they’re building to a singles feud with EVIL and Ishii – and that’s fine with me! Their exchanges in recent weeks have been entertaining, and I for one can’t wait for them to butt heads one-on-one. And as I write this, it was confirmed that March 20 will see Ishii vs. EVIL for the ROH TV title.
Tetsuya Naito vs. Toru Yano
We start our two semi-finals here with a match that should be all one-way traffic. Naito’s rocking the white John Travolta suit with a furry skull mask, whilst Yano runs down to the ring and attacks Naito from behind with a steel chair as he’s disrobing. Is there a “jump starts per card” limit that New Japan’s spreading across the show now that the Bullet Club has wound down?
Naito had only taken off his jacket when Yano rolls him up for a near fall, before Yano does his Father Jack Hackett “Break!” Impression as an enraged Naito tries to fire back. Yano gets confused when Naito does his laying-down, eye-wide-open pose in the middle of the ring, so he goes to the corner and undoes the turnbuckle padding.
They swap inverted atomic drops, before Yano drop-toe holds Naito into the exposed middle turnbuckle for a near fall, following up with a hair-pull and a near fall. Yano has the referee distracted by shoving Naito into him, allowing for a low blow-roll-up like last time out, but the referee takes a tumble in the ensuing roll-up. Naito responds by kicking Yano low, shoving him down then bouncing off the ropes into a roll-through pin as Naito gets the win.
That barely went over two minutes – I had this paused longer to make my coffee for this match! Not worth rating, but definitely entertaining enough.
Michael Elgin vs. Hirooki Goto
The other semi-final now, and Elgin starts out on top, taking Goto to the outside then connecting with a flip dive off the apron. Back inside, they resist each other’s suplexes, until Elgin manages to hoist up Goto for a stalling suplex that gets a near fall. Goto manages to withstand Elgin’s lariats, but takes some rolling German suplexes, with only the ropes preventing him from taking a third… but that rope grab lets Elgin switch the move into a Tiger suplex for a near fall. Not sure why the referee counted that after the clear rope break, but there you go.
A series of both men avoiding short-run-up clotheslines ended with Goto picking up Elgin for a Death Valley Driver across the near for a near fall. Elgin responds with an impressive deadlift superplex, taking Goto from the apron all the way back into the ring for a two-count. A buckle bomb follows, but Goto avoids any follow up by locking in a sleeperhold, that Elgin easily shakes out of, but in the ensuing moments, Goto hops onto Elgin with a crucifix-come-La-Magistral roll-up for the win.
Not bad for under ten minutes, but given that the finals were on the same night – and against a man who’d had a short match – a short-ish semi final was on the cards here. I guess this means that the finals are going long?
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Katsuyori Shibata & Ryusuke Taguchi
Following up from last weekend, where Kojima and Shibata came to blows, we’ve got this weird tag match featuring Ten-Cozy and the mixed-up team of Shibata and Taguchi. This’ll be to build to the obvious singles match then. I’m not too keen on Taguchi playing the part of the departed Shinsuke Nakamura – either in t-shirt wearing or pre-match posing.
Kojima and Shibata start out by trading blows, and we transition into Taguchi and Tenzan, with the veteran avoiding the hip attack, following up with some kicks to the Funky Weapon’s rear end. Taguchi is successful at the second (and third) attempts with the hip attack, then mock’s Tenzan’s chops. Not smart… as Taguchi finds out when he takes Mongolian chops from both halves of Ten-Cozy.
Taguchi eventually gets Tenzan to his knees, then makes the tag to Shibata who… makes a beeline for the corner to boot Kojima off the apron! He then goes after Tenzan with forearms in the corner, then a diving dropkick as Shibata keeps one eye on Kojima, who he boots back to the ground. Tenzan tags in Kojima, and there’s no escape this time as he lights up Shibata with rapid-fire chops, followed by a Koji-Cutter.
Taguchi drills Kojima with a hattrick of running hip-attacks as Kojima sat prone against the middle rope, before taking two rolling suplexes. Shibata comes in to help, but eats a Ten-Koji Cutter (3D) for his troubles. Taguchi Nakamura’s it up some more, but runs straight into a Kojima lariat and that’s all she wrote.
A fun match, and just like EVIL/Ishii earlier, I’m looking forward to the eventual meeting between Shibata and Kojima. At least this one’ll be on New Japan World!
Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada & Kazushi Sakuraba
Well, this is an odd one – with the IWGP Heavyweight champion being a virtual young boy in this tag team match!
It’s largely what you’d expect from these four, a lot of grappling, with Nakanishi trying (and failing) for an armbar on Sakuraba early on. Nagata went to work on Okada with a series of kicks that knocked the champion down, but Okada tagged in Sakuraba to ground Nagata once more. So far, I’m really not feeling this – perhaps it’s because there’s little chance that this is going to build to anything with Okada?
Nagata caught a Sakuraba kick, allowing him to dump Sakuraba on his head with an Exploder suplex, before Nagata took down Okada with another high kick. Time passes (during which, Nakanishi looks to be struggling just running the ropes), and Okada takes down Nakanishi with a DDT, only for Nagata to break up the pin.
Nagata traps Sakuraba in an armbar whilst Nakanishi hoists up Okada in a torture rack into a gutbuster for a near fall, before nailing a German suplex for a two-count. Sakuraba hits a plancha to Nagata on the floor, whilst Okada struggles with a tombstone attempt in the ring. Nakanishi blocks a Rainmaker, but runs into a dropkick before taking a Rainmaker at the second attempt for the win.
This would have been much better suited as second or third on the card; a nothing match that wasn’t offensive nor memorable.
Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tama Tonga, Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi
Sadly, the Bullet Club come out as a trio, so this means none of Takahashi’s awesome entrance theme today. I’m guessing they’re looking for a new Bullet Club theme too (as opposed to the old one that references AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows), as Bad Luck Fale’s music is used for the Bullet Club B team.
No jump start this time for the Bullet Club… wait, I spoke too soon, and we have our usual intro. Honma and Takahashi eventually pair off, but interference from Fale is quickly neutered as Honma slips out, meaning that Takahashi knocks Fale off the apron. Honma misses a Ko-kokeshi headbutt, and now the Bullet Club go to the floor for their atypical brawl. Tama Tonga grabs a ringside photographer’s camera and uses it to take shots… as in literal photographs, not as a weapon, thankfully.
Honma and Tonga go fighting into the crowd, with Tonga trying to force a count-out, but Honma escapes to make it back in at the count of 19. Fale comes in to hold up Honma in a choke, but for some reason the referee refuses to count a pin as Fale had a foot on Honma. Takahashi comes in and works over Honma, as I pray that we don’t end up with the reporter’s nightmare combo in this match.
A deadlift suplex from Honma is almost blocked, but Takahashi eventually goes down, and in comes Makabe. Takahashi kicks out at two following a Northern Lights suplex, but eventually ends in there with Fale, which I guess prompts Makabe to tag in Tanahashi to try and drag things up. Tanahashi fails at a bodyslam attempt, and runs into a chokeslam attempt by Fale… before successfully hitting the bodyslam at the second try. Tanahashi goes up top for the High Fly Flow, but Takahashi knocks him off the top, and into the path of an oncoming Fale.
Honma comes in to clean house, but his progress is halted with another missed Ko-kokeshi. Takahashi and Tonga combine to set up Honma for a big splash from Fale, but Makabe breaks up the count at two. Tanahashi finally hits the High Fly Flow on Fale and Takahashi outside to the floor, as a Honma finally hits the Ko-kokeshi back in the ring on Tonga. Honma goes to follow up with a Kokeshi (headbutt off the top rope), but Tonga catches him with a Stun Gun, followed by a Headshrinker (jumping double-arm DDT) as the Bullet Club gets the win.
Not a bad match, but again, this was setting up a future match with Tonga and a mystery partner against the tag champions of Makabe and Honma. Speaking of, following a post-match beatdown where Fale crushed Tanahashi with a Grenade, Tonga grabbed the IWGP tag team belts, and announces that his brother will be joining the Bullet Club – and be his partner for their shot at the tag titles on April 10. Hopefully this run in New Japan will be more memorable than Camacho and Micah were in WWE/TNA respectively…
Tetsuya Naito vs. Hirooki Goto
The main event in Aomori, of course, is the finals of the 2016 New Japan Cup, with the winner getting to choose which title he wants a shot at on April 10. The IWGP Heavyweight, Junior Heavyweight and NEVER Openweight titles are fair game for the winner of this…
Naito’s in his more usual hoodie/t-shirt/baseball cap outfit after his John Travolta attire from earlier almost cost him against Toru Yano. Ah, who am I kidding? BUSHI joins Naito at ringside, and of course, the buffering returns for this match. On the on-demand version… (apparently it was even worse on the live stream, for those lucky enough to see it).
The Aomori crowd mirrored the Korakuen crowd from last week and were fairly behind Naito from the start, but Goto starts by clubbing at Naito’s back, and our first involvement of BUSHI sees him trip Goto as a set-up for him to be taken to the floor, where Goto ends up being thrown into the barriers a few times by BUSHI. Naito remains on top, locking in a rear chinlock on Goto, only to fight free and take down Naito with a lariat. Another lariat tuns Naito inside out, but Goto can’t capitalise to even get a pinfall attempt, but he does follow-up with a spinning wheel kick into the corner.
Naito gets back on top with a German suplex for a near fall, but he gets cocky with a ten-count punch in the corner, as Goto slips out and returns fire, finally connecting with a superplex. An elbow drop off the top rope gets Goto a two-count, before he drops him back over his knee when Naito missed a flying forearm. Another Fireman’s carry neckbreaker follows, but Naito turns the tide with a tornado DDT with the assist from the ropes. An enziguiri follows from Naito, who then gets a near-fall following a top rope huracanrana.
Naito goes into the home straight, getting a near fall from a Gloria (at the second attempt), but Goto catches a Destino attempt, and drops him neck first over his knee. Goto follows up with a super fireman’s carry neckbreaker, before ramming his head into Naito’s. A shoutenkai (suplex into a side slam) gets Goto another near fall, but more interference follows as EVIL runs in from the crowd, only to be taken out by a fireman’s carry neckbreaker. After dispatching EVIL and BUSHI, Goto tries for another shoutenkai, but Naito turns it into a Destino, but can’t capitalise.
The pair exchange forearm shots from their knees, before Goto peppers Naito with standing forearms, but Naito slaps back, and takes down Goto with a Dragon suplex. Goto no-sells, so Naito drills him with a Destino, and we have our winner – Tetsuya Naito gets a title shot of his choosing… and he’s coming for Okada!
With this year’s New Japan Cup in the books, April 10’s Invasion Attack at the Ryogoku Kokugikan is lined up to have New Japan Cup winner Naito challenging Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight title, the debuting Will Ospreay taking on KUSHIDA for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, Katsuyori Shibata defending the NEVER Openweight title against Satoshi Kojima, and the IWGP tag team title match between Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe against Tama Tonga and whatever-name-they-give-to-Camacho.
With any luck, New Japan World will get their live streams sorted out, and this’ll be something that’ll be challenging the April 1st NXT TakeOver show as the best event in April.