The NJPW Cup is underway with the winner getting a chance to challenge champion Kota Ibushi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. The finals of the tournament are on March 21st. Both Evil and Hiroshi Tanahashi received byes into the second round. Evil is the defending NJPW Cup winner and Tanahashi is the current NEVER Openweight Champion. Here is today’s update, minus the extraneous tag team matches that are on every card.
NJPW Cup Night 10
Event Happenings
Sanada ignores Ospreay’s demands to leave his nose out of the match. Courtesy: NJPW.
- During their tag team match David Finlay and Jay White promise to take each other out of the NJPW Cup.
- After receiving a bloody nose yesterday, Ospreay is back in action but there is bruising around his eyes and nose. Ospreay tells his and Jeff Cobb’s opponents this evening, Bushi and Sanada, not to hit him in the face because his nose is broken. Sanada grabs Ospreay’s nose anyway during the match. Ospreay reads him the riot act when the match is over. Sanada just flips Ospreay off.
Results
Toru Yano versus Evil
Toru Yano uses Dick Togo’s garotte on Evil. Courtesy: NJPW.
Yano demands that Dick Togo be shown the door. He doesn’t trust him lurking around ringside and who would? Yano refuses to enter the ring. The official begins his count. It seems Yano had every right to be concerned because as soon as the official’s back is turned, Togo attacks. Yano is slammed into the ringside barrier which bowls over the time keeper as well. Yano throws a turnbuckle at Togo and then knocks him off the apron. Yano almost pins Evil after slinging him into the exposed turnbuckle. Yano throws Togo into the ringside barrier so hard he drops his garotte. Yano chokes out Evil with it while the official attends to Togo. Just to be sure Evil gets counted out, Yano shoves him under the ring. The arena lights go out. When they turn back on, Evil is standing behind Yano. Evil pins Yano with Everything is Evil.
Winner: Evil
Shingo Takagi versus Kenta
The match begins as a slugfest with both men cleaning each other’s clocks. Kenta snatches the time keeper’s bell hitting Shingo in the head with it. Kenta slings Shingo into the ringside barrier and a steel post. Kenta takes Shingo away from the ring so he can DDT him on the concrete floor. In the end, Kenta kicks out of a Pumping Bomber but not Last of the Dragon. As Shingo addresses the crowd, Evil and Dick Togo attack putting the boots to him. One wonders where Bushi and Sanada are to make the save as they were on the card tonight.
Winner: Shingo Takagi
In the Semifinals we now have:
Evil versus Shingo Takagi