I saw the New Japan Cup this year by way of catching up in big chunks where I occasionally just skimmed right through the match because I did not feel a need to spend any more time thinking about it. What lies below are quick hit thoughts on what I kind of sort of saw, with special attention paid to the best stuff. Star ratings are a reference point.
1. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Satoshi Kojima vs. Jeff Cobb (3/4/21)
Keep it simple, stupid — if you do, you might have a really great wrestling match. They traded 10 minutes of limb work for a compact match based around strength, strikes, and slams out of nowhere. Kojima sells early on and when he collapses after a clothesline, it is the perfect mix of campy and compelling. He keeps fighting back but The Cobb just has his number, and when the surprises hit they hit: Kojima manages a superplex, Cobb catches a Kojima pescado and gives him a backbreaker, and eventually Cobb catches Kojima off the ropes and hits Tour of the Islands. A wonderful, compact wrestling match. ***3/4
2. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Tetsuya Naito vs. Great O-Khan (3/4/21)
Great O-Khan is an enigma, the right balance of legitimate monster that the New Japan heavyweight scene needs but he will also bump around like a total goofball, creating a presence you can’t take your eyes off of. This might not be the most high-end Naito match but it was the most interesting one in a long time, with Naito prepared to run through the same crazy match and O-Khan just saying NO. O-Khan catches all the usual signature spots and occasionally just manhandles him, all the while working the leg — but here’s the twist: he wins with it! Instead of a finish with a bunch of near falls, O-Khan just traps Naito in a kneelock and after a few minutes of struggle Naito gives up. It was a great finish. ****1/4
3. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Toru Yano vs. Bad Luck Fale (3/5/21)
Yano has been in this role where I both respect and resent him for at least a decade now, while Fale basically wrestles like Giant Baba without actually being Giant Baba. The match was the usual whatever this is, with Yano winning by countout despite being tied to the corner post. *
4. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Hirooki Goto vs. Taichi (3/5/21)
Could’ve been the Finals for all I know, two of New Japan’s best guys at randomly giving you an awesome match by way of just pacing it smartly and treating it seriously. Classic molten Korakuen finish here, Taichi giving his all but not having enough. ****1/4
5. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Minoru Suzuki vs. Tomoaki Honma (3/6/21)
Have seen a lot of matches where Suzuki just grabbed at guys or Honma just winced in pain, but more than anything here they just looked old. It was both sad and still an OK match. **1/2
6. New Japan Cup – Round 1: KENTA vs. Juice Robinson (3/6/21)
Juice Robinson has got an afro now! So KENTA played with his hair. I liked their G1 Climax match last year more, though KENTA and Juice are more character and banter guys than anything. Decent character and banter here. **3/4
7. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi (3/6/21)
Top guy Shingo and slipped-disc Okada managed to put together something cool here and if you weren’t paying attention it might’ve even seemed epic. They had basically the microwaved leftovers version of their awesome G1 Climax match, and thankfully relied more on Shingo beating Okada up in a variety of interesting ways than Okada looking like a feeble old man gearing up for offense. ***1/4
8. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Gabriel Kidd (3/7/21)
Grounded work from ZSJ and an impressive showing by Gabriel Kidd resulted in a series of tricked-out holds and close near falls, well done lads. ***
9. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Will Ospreay (3/7/21)
Imagine rolling up to the show and the main event is Ospreay vs. old man Tenzan. The last couple minutes way over-performed given the main event spot allowing for more near falls than usual, but the rest of this had trouble moving like most Ospreay vs. 90s New Japan heavyweight matches do. **3/4
10. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Yuji Nagata vs. Yota Tsuji (3/9/21)
A good solid veteran vs. rookie match. Yota Tsuji just kept fighting out of holds. Then he tried his own hold, a crab hold. Didn’t work. Nagata, realizing Tsuji just wouldn’t quit, momentarily knocks him out for 3 seconds with the trusty backdrop hold. ***
11. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Tomohiro Ishii vs. SANADA (3/9/21)
Nothing you haven’t seen before, but it is ridiculous how sublimely Ishii can will a match into being great. SANADA shows no emotions, can’t lock on a Dragon Sleeper, and by the end you are losing your mind for the action. ***1/2
12. New Japan Cup – Round 1: David Finlay vs. Chase Owens (3/10/21)
A match I watched in a confused haze, on one hand because I forgot the 3/10 show had three tournament matches and on the other because it took me until halfway in to recognize David Finlay. He is now leaning into… I don’t know, Silas Young? He and Chase are a couple fellas living the dream, but the match was unremarkable. **
13. New Japan Cup – Round 1: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Yujiro Takahashi (3/10/21)
From the most unremarkable gaijin to the most unremarkable natives, this was a match. An absolute match. At some point it becomes frustrating how long they take to put away each other. *3/4
14. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Jay White vs. Toa Henare (3/10/21)
New Japan matches going too long is as common as the criticism that New Japan matches go too long, but my GOD man – who needed nearly half an hour of this? Think of the most frustratingly long New Japan match and then put in two guys who aren’t even all that good at it. I’m at the acceptance phase with Jay White, but still not convinced anybody at New Japan Pro Wrestling understands what to do with Toa Henare. This certainly wasn’t it. *
15. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Toru Yano vs. Great-O-Khan (3/11/21)
The Great O-Khan plays along with Yano and actually ends up defeated like a common second rounder. The match is bad, but the unexpected result kind of ruled. *
16. New Japan Cup – Round 2: EVIL vs. Jeff Cobb (3/11/21)
Two BIG BOYS! Slapping meat! And thighs! How does it go again? This wasn’t it anyways, mostly because it was more EVIL taking his sweet time on offense than anything. He throws an incredible lariat towards the end, but more than that is needed for redemption. **1/4
17. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Minoru Suzuki vs. KENTA (3/13/21)
Here was two of the most entertaining jackasses in professional wrestling going one-on-one, though I wish they closed with KENTA reading the newspaper to mess with Suzuki because everything kind of peaked there. Good basic wrestling that would’ve been way cooler a decade ago. **1/2
18. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Shingo Takagi vs. Hirooki Goto (3/13/21)
Shingo throws Goto into the corner post early here and there’s a big click sound before Goto goes down and stays down, selling it like the possible concussive moment it is. He maintains that seriousness through all his matches, and when the people buy in and are hanging on all of it is some special stuff. This felt like a lesser version of all the times both these guys have hit, but it’s still a fun match from two maestros of the style. ***1/2
19. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Yuji Nagata vs. SANADA (3/14/21)
Nagata and SANADA in 2021 are both putting out a similar theme of quality, the match that is never quite as good as you want. SANADA did a piledriver on the floor here, then applied a rear chinlock. **1/2
20. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Will Ospreay (3/14/21)
The best Will Ospreay matches are the ones that start with him jumping his opponent and attacking them with a barrage of high-flying maneuvers, because honestly: how else would he beat anybody? Zack did some extra inspired arm-work before they headed towards a closing sequence featuring stuff you don’t normally see in the New Japan closing sequence, all made more dramatic by Ospreay leaking blood from his eyeball. Good, physical wrestling. ****1/4
21. New Japan Cup – Round 2: YOSHI-HASHI vs. David Finlay (3/15/21)
Should’ve had more face-hitting, less wrestling. **
22. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White (3/15/21)
The Ace and The Switchblade squaring off in Korakuen Hall had its’ charms, even if I wish there was more purpose behind Jay White’s offense. They work the early part around abdomen flexing though, so I can respect it. ***1/4
23. New Japan Cup – Quarter Final: Toru Yano vs. EVIL (3/16/21)
Two character guys from different sides of the tracks, a pair of fellows who rely almost strictly on hijinks now but when pitted against each other end up just being… kind of boring. Aw. *
24. New Japan Cup – Quarter Final: Shingo Takagi vs. KENTA (3/16/21)
A match that just tried too hard; there are plenty of quality moments here but they are wrapped around a match that is too long and loses its’ momentum too much. **1/2
25. New Japan Cup – Quarter Final: David Finlay vs. Jay White (3/18/21)
Jay White shines when he doesn’t have to work a leg and instead can just vaguely be a prick, wearing down young David here before the kid blasts him with a lariat and he starts bumping all over the place. Then David actually wins the match. WHAT!? Incredible. ***
26. New Japan Cup – Quarter Final: SANADA vs. Will Ospreay (3/18/21)
Two athletically impressive guys that only seem to have an intent behind what they are doing in the last moments of their matches. **3/4
27. New Japan Cup – Semi Final: Will Ospreay vs. David Finlay (3/20/21)
Still waiting for the Dave Finlay match where I go, “THAT’s the guy!” but this semi final match I did not expect eventually got really good. It also took place after an actual EARTHQUAKE, so there is that. They build it up well enough, but once Finlay loses his boot in a figure-four the match gets all dramatic as he shows more energy than he ever has in pursuit of victory. The finish is an impressive show of strength from Ospreay too, though I think they might’ve messed it up a little. ***1/4
28. New Japan Cup – Semi Final: Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL (3/20/21)
As with pretty much any EVIL match these days, too frustratingly boring and dumb to be as good as it probably could actually be. Shingo beating him is cool, but there were a few too many Cup matches where the result was more interesting than the actual match. Fucking incredible Pumping Bomber, though. **1/4
29. New Japan Cup – Final: Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay (3/21/21)
These two going from the Best of the Super Junior Finals to the New Japan Cup Finals in two years is a cool thing, though Ospreay’s obnoxiousness can’t help but seep into everything he does. The man can hit a springboard backflip from the ring to the floor like maybe nobody in history, but I’m still calling foul when he has Shingo Takagi down in a bodyscissors. I’m still saying not sure when Shingo is selling his lariat like life was flashing before his eyes. I’m still just kind of not treating it seriously when he’s acting like a big boy, especially when it sometimes feels like Shingo is holding back a little for him. Ospreay backflipping to dodge a lariat and sprinting right into hitting an OsCutter was genuinely incredible, but I can’t shake the thought that this was a low-grade version of a really great match. ***3/4
Happy Thoughts: The best round of the New Japan Cup this year was the first, as though the tournament got across enough stories it kept losing momentum through rounds until it actually ended with Will Ospreay doing something stupid. Kojima/Cobb, Naito/O-Khan, Goto/Taichi, and the Finals are worth checking out; Shingo/Okada, Shingo/Goto, and Ospreay/Finlay are kind of worth checking out.
