Last year’s New Japan Cup had a field of 48 wrestlers, and while it was nice to see everyone get a shot — even CIMA worked his way to the semifinals — sometimes it felt like the company was creating busy work during a slow season, you know? This year the tournament was scaled back to a field of 24, and before thoughts on all 23 matches (ranked by quality) here are the tournament MVPs based on the quality of their matches but a little on the quantity of them, too.
New Japan Cup 2024 MVPs, Ranked by Statistics
- SANADA (119)
- Tama Tonga (79)
- David Finlay (75)
- Shota Umino (62)
- Hirooki Goto (55)
- Tetsuya Naito (51)
- Mark Davis (49)
- Kyle Fletcher (48)
- Taichi (44)
- Tomohiro Ishii (44)
First! 4 Good Non-Tournament Matches
0. Anniversary Junior Special Tag Match: Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. YOH & Lio Rush (3/6/23)
YOH and Lio are a new team who currently just have kinda being cool guys in common. Lio impressed with blistering rope-running and a fastball tope while Hiromu’s selling and basing was quietly tremendous. He tore it up with both Lio (his Jr. Title defense at the end of the tour) and YOH (his most recent defense), which isn’t to discredit BUSHI who held up his end as all four packed this with quality and occasionally special junior heavyweight wrestling. ***1/2
0. IWGP Tag Team Title: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI [c] vs. Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi (3/6/23)
This was better than any Cup match and there were some pretty good Cup matches. It was a great tag team vs. two great singles wrestlers, everyone fully indoctrinated in the New Japan fundamentals that don’t always give great tags but sometimes do. Usually that happens when they’re playing with hierarchy, an old guy trying to prove he still has it or a young guy trying to prove he finally does. Here everyone’s status was emphasized without overdoing it, all while the wrestling stayed fast-paced and fun. That’s great wrestling!
Goto and YOSHI are the established team and played confident early, with YOSHI’s adorable dumbass having the audacity to talk trash to Okada himself. Soon they overwhelmed Tanahashi with old-fashioned teamwork that seamlessly moved into a straight-up beatdown, one that revealed Tanahashi as the aging vet and weak link. Okada actually leads the faction Goto and YOSHI are in, so they’re friends – but Tanahashi he respects, and in the last few months he’s been kind of sick and tired of everybody’s bullshit. When Tana managed to tag out, Okada worked like a guy that had been thinking about the trash talk the entire time. When Tana got back in, Bishamon pounced again and Okada had to save the day. They fired up and went to the top rope, where Okada hit an elbow drop on Goto and Tanahashi did a High Fly Flow into YOSHI’s knees — damn it, man! That led to the first of a few excellent near falls — including one from old Tana off a cradle — before Bishamon finally put Tana down and people shrieked. Defined roles, cool moves, people shrieking… that’s great wrestling. ****1/2
0. Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shota Umino & Ren Narita (3/11/23)
Okada and Tanahashi had another great tag that embraced everyone’s role, with Tanahashi more dominant against their less experienced competition: a week after Okada saved him from getting completely wrecked by Bishamon, Tana was stretching Narita, staring Umino down, and co-signing the totally mean guy Okada was being all match. The next gen Noojies brought the fire missing in their Round 1 Cup matches, one mostly lit by 2023’s awesome version of Okada who is reacting to New Japan’s youth invasion in the coolest surliest way. Early on Umino cheap shotted him on the apron; for the rest of the match Okada was either ready to beat the young fella’s ass, trying not to show how much he wanted to, and/or beating the young fella’s ass. He managed to keep that up most of the match but Okada’s look of panic when Narita ducked a (third) Rainmaker and got on a sleeper was brilliant, as was the absolute asshole he became after when he let Narita – out of commission from an assault by Tanahashi – hopelessly crawl up him to take the final Rainmaker. ***3/4
0. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Hiromu Takahashi [c] vs. Lio Rush (3/21/23)
They ran the ropes until Lio sprung off them and caught Hiromu with a headscissors, ducked a clothesline, did a handspring followed by an enzuigiri that knocked Hiromu outside to setup a Lio tope between the middle and bottom ropes. There was a lot of amazing stuff like that, though the match would’ve been even better with more than weak strikes and standing around as the connective tissue. Lots of backflips though. And once the finish did come around, some really good drama as the crowd started to sense a new champion was possible. After the match Robbie Eagles introduced himself as a challenger and the new member of TMDK. ***3/4
10 Average Matches
23. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Toru Yano vs. Mark Davis (3/8/23)
Yano didn’t make a case for his tournament spot while Davis didn’t add much to the Yanoverse. They did tease two countouts that went all the way to the 19-count. Twice. Two times. **1/2
22. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Great O-Khan vs. David Finlay (3/15/23)
Bullet Club Team Lead David Finlay talked shit to the Great O-Khan, kept up with him on an elbow exchange, and stayed on offense for most of the match. This sort of presented Finlay to me, the viewer, as a “guy” — except at no point did it feel natural or realistic at all, from an O-Khan being sympathetic guy selling standpoint or a Finlay being a credible asskicker standpoint. If not for the two countout teases, crappiest match of the tournament. **1/2
21. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Ren Narita vs. EVIL (3/8/23)
This was the first Round 1 match that headlined a show outside Korakuen Hall, and the Son of Strong Style didn’t bring enough style or fire or even good leg work to take EVIL and Dick Togo’s run-in above baseline. **3/4
20. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi (3/6/23)
Yujiro gives all the professional wrestling he has in these tournaments he still finds himself in, though the crowd was quiet for his all and it did not help that the boos for SHO’s interference were louder than the cheers for Umino’s comeback. **3/4
19. New Japan Cup – Round 2: KENTA vs. SANADA (3/11/23)
KENTA’s take on doing the Paradise Lock almost made the 20 minutes of KENTA on offense worth it. Overall it did not. Good solid boring match. Nasty chairshot to SANADA’s head too. **3/4
18. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Tetsuya Naito vs. Chase Owens (3/11/23)
Naito had to wrestle ELP to get here while Owens just waltzed into Round 2 with his New Japan finisher tribute mixtape offense, an offense I had trouble getting into until Naito just caught him with a rollup to end it. ***
17. New Japan Cup – Semi Final: Mark Davis vs. SANADA (3/19/23)
SANADA left Tetsuya Naito’s Los Ingobernobles de Japon earlier in the tournament to join Taichi’s Just Five Guys, and with the change SANADA replaced the scruffy blonde hair and beard with a black-hair fade cut that makes him appear just as handsome and dumb but also 10 years younger. He tried a backdrop early and Davis chopped him; tried a backdrop again and Davis landed on him; then Davis tried a backdrop and SANADA landed on his feet to finally hit his own backdrop. This lacked heat or doubt in the result — and for a Semi Final it really should’ve been way better — but props to Davis for getting this far and I liked how they played with the backdrop. ***
16. New Japan Cup – Round 1: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Kyle Fletcher (3/10/23)
They packed this with a bunch of modern wrestling moves that just looked awesome: tope, corner gamengiri, Michinoku Driver, two brainbusters, two Canadian Destroyers, a snap Dragon suplex. Fletcher sold a couple possible knockouts like a good professional wrestler too. Good effort, good match. You don’t need to see it, but if you did I think you might be mildly entertained. ***
15. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Tama Tonga vs. Aaron Henare (3/12/23)
The effort was there but I couldn’t shake how much of an inferior version of so many other similar matches this felt like. Does that make me a bad wrestling fan? Until the last few minutes the only thing notable about it remained the fact that Henare somehow beat Shingo in round 1, though they did close the match up in a sort of exciting way. ***1/4
14. New Japan Cup – Quarter Final: Shota Umino vs. David Finlay (3/18/23)
The disdain on Shota’s face over how weak David Finlay’s kick to his back was tremendous, as was how fired up he got after hitting a somersault plancha. Otherwise, just a back-and-forth match that stayed solid but didn’t really help either guy’s case as Next One Up. ***1/4
Elite-ish 8
13. New Japan Cup – Semi Final: David Finlay vs. Tama Tonga (3/19/23)
The two semi-final matches of the New Japan Cup took place at the eerily quiet G Messe Gunma Convention Center, which wasn’t good for those two matches. Each was already facing an uphill battle with encouragingly fresh but ultimately lacking participants (SANADA/Mark Davis was the other match), and the fellas could only stomp and tighten up their holds so much before people started wondering why Shingo didn’t advance further. Tama has a solid Stinger Splash, solid Superfly Splash, solid Sharpshooter. He and Finlay have both gotten pretty great at counter-wrestling too, which made for a fun finish even if it was another semi-final that didn’t reach the level of the spot. ***1/4
12. New Japan Cup – Quarter Final: Hirooki Goto vs. Tama Tonga (3/18/23)
They ran the ropes for leverage and traded shoulder tackles and countered signature moves and finishers, if you’re into that kind of thing. It was pretty good for a while then the last 30 seconds got so great that I wasn’t even mad when Tama blocked the GTR, fired off a headbutt and hit the Stun Gun for 3. ***1/2
11. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Shingo Takagi vs. Aaron Henare (3/10/23)
Very good match even if it didn’t reach the incredibly high standard of main event Shingo matches. Henare continues to step up as a possible New Japan strong boy, displaying a confidence verging on dickishness as he controlled most of the match. Shingo was selling big from the moment it started so it didn’t seem outrageous when after 20 minutes Henare actually won. A month later they had a rematch that was twice as long and so much better. ***1/2
10. New Japan Cup – Round 2: EVIL vs. Jeff Cobb (3/13/23)
Solid piece of work here, only occasionally boring or frustrating. EVIL cheated with Dick Togo and targeted Cobb’s back, then Cobb’s United Empire friends ran out to drag away Dick Togo. It was actually a fun moment for the good guys, at least until Togo re-appeared flanked by the rest of House of Torture and helped EVIL to the rare heel comeback. Nobody liked it. ***1/2
9. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Will Ospreay vs. Mark Davis (3/13/23)
The buddies were wrestling and knew all of each other’s tricks, which really isn’t much different from the majority of modern wrestling matches with new methods of reach and exposure and whatnot. Davis being a bigger guy than Ospreay was a subplot too, including a nutty clothesline bump in the corner and solid Ospreay comeback around 15 minutes in. Good match missing an extra gear, which could be because Ospreay was legitimately injured during it. ***1/2
8. New Japan Cup – Quarter Final: EVIL vs. Mark Davis (3/17/23)
Ospreay advanced but the injury meant Davis — known mostly in New Japan for tag work in Aussie Open — was in the Quarter Finals being called a “fucking loser” and getting his back worked over by EVIL. What I really liked about Davis here is he took the tough replacement situation head-on and made every big hit… hit (a fat boy tope early, a big chop on the comeback), which resulted in an EVIL match that was actually good as all the BS ended up having some kind of impactful point. A referee bump and House of Torture run-in bummed the crowd out before a sling-wearing Ospreay and the rest of United Empire helped Davis advance to the semi-finals, which in the moment — he was a replacement! — just felt like the most triumphant thing that had ever happened. ***1/2
7. New Japan Cup – Quarter Final: Tetsuya Naito vs. SANADA (3/17/23)
This match between the #1 and #2 of Los Ingobernables de Japon was like a few matches in the Cup and many matches in New Japan, pretty good for a while though only really good – great, even – in the last 90 seconds. SANADA peppered in offense but this was mostly about Naito staying in control and being kind of disrespectful at first, then earnest in wanting to actually win – before the mysterious DDT caught him and SANADA advanced to the semis. After the match SANADA’s role as LIJ’s #2 came to an end as he quit for a bigger role in Taichi and TAKA Michinoku’s new group. It was the story of the tournament, along with the ascent of David Finlay. What a tournament! ***1/2
6. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Tetsuya Naito vs. El Phantasmo (3/5/23)
Some of the Cup’s best matches this year came early in Round 1, including this one – the very first one. It was at Korakuen Hall, an ideal place for any match really. The 2023 Naito match can be a drag, but he had enough fun making fun of ELP and moving around for ELP bumping like a freak. Good fun at the start blended into great drama at the end as ELP kept up on a finish that nearly went full-Naito. ***3/4
Final 4(-Star Matches)
5. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shota Umino (3/15/23)
The first match between these two since Umino’s graduation was a clinic of arm work, where they were always — always always always — struggling to maintain the hold they applied or trying to escape the one applied to them. Everyone can do matwork and work limbs in and out of the ring; the trick is making it cool to watch; the genius is making it cool to watch a whole 25+ minutes.
Umino was the first to turn to “moves,” a signature bag currently filled with odd variations on New Japan classics like the DDT, neckbreaker and suplex. ZSJ stayed on the arm, which is usually the right idea except here he lost. The commentary team was especially great for the last minute in absolutely losing their minds as Umino made a few choice decisions en route to a big win. ****
4. New Japan Cup – Round 2: Hirooki Goto vs. Kyle Fletcher (3/12/23)
Hirooki Goto took Kyle Fletcher for a 20-minute ride and everyone watching had a great time. They mixed in some fun back-and-forth early that kept escalating: Kyle tried to whip Goto into the guardrail, Goto said no, and Kyle persisted. Goto hit the ropes, Kyle ducked, and Goto spun around and clotheslined him. Goto did a plancha, Kyle an Orihara moonsault, and Goto a sunset flip powerbomb. I gasped when Kyle nailed the back of Goto’s head with a diving enzuigiri as he tried to climb to his feet with the ropes and I believed in Kyle’s fight all the way to the end because he did too. ****
3. New Japan Cup – Round 1: SANADA vs. Taichi (3/5/23)
This was incredible, a match so good they might’ve just decided to team up right after it. After clean breaks and general handsomeness Taichi started up the offense, nailing a gamengiri in the corner so nasty that Korakuen bursted out in SANADA chants. That was maybe 5 minutes in but they kept going, kept hitting, chopping, countering, escalating. The pace was urgent and the strikes were disgusting; they did All Japan in New Japan at Korakuen Hall and Taichi still tore his pants off on the comeback too. ****1/4
2. New Japan Cup – Round 1: Tomohiro Ishii vs. David Finlay (3/6/23)
A few weeks ago Jay White left New Japan and David Finlay declared himself the Bullet Club’s new leader, re-enforced tonight with black hair dye and Gedo at his side. Does the Club make the man or does the man make the Club? That’s been hard to tell for a while, with each subsequent Bullet Club leader feeling less “made” than the next — and yet here on day two of the tour Finlay was wrestling Ishii, who can make anyone look “made” and did that here. Would’ve made a better semis or finals acutually.
The audience bought in as David refused to give up on strike exchanges with the master of strike exchanges; they stayed bought in as he got closer and closer to a win over a New Japan legend where he looked like he belonged and didn’t even cheat — he dominated, even. His moveset still feels too far removed from the offspring of Fit Finlay, but his journey of next guy up and guy competing with Ishii created a greatness that I’m not sure the tournament captured again. ****1/4
The Finals
1. New Japan Cup – Final: SANADA vs. David Finlay (3/21/23)
Black hair dye and a desire for something new propelled both SANADA and David Finlay to this year’s New Japan Cup finals, and they had a good match brought down by two things: a) their lack of charisma, b) inability to make a match really pop if not wrestling someone who can. SANADA’s double leapfrog and dropkick followed by the plancha and point got the crowd rowdy early, then Finlay hit a spear to the floor that probably should’ve stayed as an idea. The new finishers they established throughout the tournament (SANADA’s Deadfall DDT and Finlay’s Trash Panda stunner) were put to good use towards the end, near falls on top of near falls that had the crowd getting into these cardboard cutout wrestlers.
Finlay kicked out of the Japanese leg roll clutch, withstood the Cold Skull, and put his knees up to block a moonsault before hitting an Irish Curse backbreaker for 2. Finlay tried Trash Panda next but SANADA countered by kind of TKOing him, then hit a Tiger suplex for 2 followed by a successful moonsault for another 2. Finlay blocked another leg roll clutch and hit a Deep Six then spear for 2; SANADA went for Deadfall but Finlay fought out with a German suplex hold; SANADA roared up but Finlay hit a lariat… and SANADA roared up again! Finlay hit a rolling elbow and threw headbutts like Ishii woke something up in him, but SANADA fought back with a pair of rolling elbows before blocking the Trash Panda and hitting the Shining Wizard (Keiji Muto retired last month)! Deadfall followed and SANADA won his first New Japan Cup. ****
Happy Thoughts: The New Japan roster always goes hard in tournaments, but this one kind of peaked the first couple nights. The Ospreay injury probably messed up plans and they still admirably featured some new names, though those names — SANADA, David Finlay, Mark Davis, Tama Tonga and maybe Shota Umino — didn’t bring enough goods to make up for all the better wrestlers getting eliminated early or not being in the tournament at all. 3.5 / 5.0
