Night two of the New Japan Cup was a night full of default mode tag team bouts and predictable New Japan Cup matches. Lately, NJPW has relied too much on these tag matches to the point of devaluing their singles wrestling so far this year.

The results of the three New Japan Cup matches, two of which had Young Lions in them, had the expected results.

The match between two established names, Bushi and Will Ospreay, was also a foregone conclusion since for some reason Bushi loses, eats pins for the most part in NJPW. He really deserves better than that. It was no shocker at all when Ospreay did beat him with a Hidden Blade strike.

“If you bet on anyone else in this tournament you had better think again! Will Ospreay is back in NJPW!” said Ospreay to the crowd after the match.

New Japan Cup 2022 Night Two

Yuji Nagata versus Kosei Fujita

The Young Lion gets stretched out by the legend Nagata and his Nagata Lock.

Winner: Yuji Nagata

Tiger Mask, Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe versus Bullet Club (Gedo, El Phantasmo and Chase Owens)

Chase hits the Package Piledriver on Honma. Phantasmo finishes him off with Thunder Kiss ’86.

Winners: Bullet Club (Gedo, El Phantasmo and Chase Owens)

Master Wato, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Ryusuke Taguchi versus House of Torture (Yujiro Takahashi, Sho and Evil)

After Yujiro uses his cane on him, Tanahashi pins him with a low-blow and a roll-up. Kevin Kelly wonders if the trio is in line for a NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship match?

Winners: Master Wato, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Ryusuke Taguchi

Chaos (Yoh, Toru Yano, Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) versus Los Ingobernables de Japón (Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, Sanada and Shingo Takagi)

This match is used mostly to push the feud between Ishii and Takagi. Yoh submits to Sanada’s Skull End.

Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japón (Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, Sanada and Shingo Takagi)

Jeff Cobb and The Great-O-Khan versus Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale and Taiji Ishimori)

Fale pulls the pin on a Grenade. Courtesy: NJPW.

Surprisingly, Fale dominates this match. He pins Khan with The Grenade. Perhaps he is finally getting a push?

Winners: Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale and Taiji Ishimori)

Yuto Nakashima versus Aaron Henare – NEW JAPAN CUP 2022 1ST ROUND

Henare makes short work of the Young Lion with a spear.

Winner: Aaron Henare

Ryohei Oiwa versus Zach Sabre Jr. – NEW JAPAN CUP 2022 1ST ROUND

Oiwa taps out to Zach’s toe-hold.

Winner: Zach Sabre Jr.

Bushi versus Will Ospreay – NEW JAPAN CUP 2022 1ST ROUND

Winner: Will Ospreay

  • Zack Sabre Jr. now moves on to face Douki in round two.
  • Aaron Henare will take on Sanada
  • Will Ospreay will face El Phantasmo