The first round of the 2024 New Japan Cup wrapped up this morning with the final three matches taking place.
El Phantasmo defeated Mikey Nicholls to advance and Ren Narita scored the victory over Taichi. Then in the main event, Yota Tsuji continued his hot streak by beating Jeff Cobb and moving on to the second round.
Tsuji and Cobb began their match with a test of strength before an exchange of chops. Cobb then challenged Tsuji to try and knock him down, but it was like Tsuji ran into a brick wall. Tsuji came back at Cobb with a second rope hurricanrana sending him to the outside and he then attempted a suicide dive. However, Cobb caught Tsuji in mid-air and slammed him into the ring apron. Cobb was now drilling forearms into Tsuji’s back before planting him with a release vertical suplex.
Cobb continued his offence with a pump handle suplex, a dropkick and an avalanche gut-wrench suplex from the top rope. Cobb now challenged Tsuji to hit him, but Tsuji’s forearms did not phase Cobb and he dropped Tsuji with a big blow. However, Tsuji then caught Cobb with a double stomp in the corner and followed that with a big right to the mid-section. Tsuji connected tilt-a-whirl head scissors before successfully hitting a suicide dive.
Head scissors from Tsuji. Credit: NJPW
Tsuji hit a flurry of strikes knocking Cobb to the mat with a shoulder block and he then landed a running splash followed by a vertical suplex. Tsuji then hit his signature backbreaker-facebuster combo, but when he went for the curb stomp Cobb was too powerful and would not go down. Cobb pushed his way up and both men were now exchanging strikes, but at the end of it Tsuji went for his combination again and this time was able to land the curb stomp. He followed that with a flat-liner, but Cobb responded with a big boot and a uranage.
Cobb then hit a clubbing forearm and standing moonsault, but both men were now trading big strikes again. They exchanged jabs, knees and superkicks until Tsuji dropped Cobb with a brutal elbow. Tsuji attempted the Gene Blaster, but Cobb rolled through it and reversed into a powerbomb. Cobb then connected with a spin cycle and an F-5000, but Tsuji kicked out at two. Cobb stayed on the attack with a lariat and a Gene Blaster of his own before attempting an Aloha Maker. However, he ran into two bicycle knees and a headbutt from Tsuji.
Gene Blaster. Credit: NJPW
Tsuji curb-stomped Cobbs’s head into the mat and then hit a brutal springboard twisting double foot stomp to the back of Cobb’s head. He followed all that with a fireman’s carry bomb and the Gene Blaster to get the victory.
CONFIRMED SECOND ROUND MATCHES:
- Sanada versus Yoshi-Hashi
- Jack Perry versus Toru Yano
- David Finlay versus Tanga Loa
- Chase Owens versus Hirooki Goto
- EVIL versus Hikuleo
- Gabe Kidd versus Shingo Takagi
- El Phantasmo versus Yota Tsuji
- Ren Narita versus Zack Sabre Jr.
New Japan Cup 2024 Night 4 Results
Tomoaki Honma & Bishamon (YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto) vs. Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens & KENTA)
With mayhem ensuing on the outside, KENTA stole a win over Honma with a schoolboy using the ropes for leverage.
Winners: Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens & KENTA)
Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, Yuya Uemura & SANADA)
It seemed as though Taguchi was gonna steal an upset victory, but SANADA caught him in an O’Connor roll pin to earn the win.
Winners: Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, Yuya Uemura & SANADA)
Guerrillas of Destiny (Jado, Hikuleo & Tanga Loa) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (Gedo, Gabe Kidd & David Finlay)
Loa drilled Gedo with The Sacrifice to get the victory for G.o.D.
Winners: Guerrillas of Destiny (Jado, Hikuleo & Tanga Loa)
Boltin Oleg, YOH, El Desperado & Shota Umino vs. House of Torture (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Jack Perry, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL)
Umino forced Takahashi to submit to the STF.
Winners: Boltin Oleg, YOH, El Desperado & Shota Umino
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) vs. United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, TJP & Great-O-Khan)
Takagi dropped Newman with a Pumping Bomber and followed that with Made in Japan to get the victory.
Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito)
New Japan Cup 2024 1st Round Match: El Phantasmo vs. Mikey Nicholls
Crucifix Pin. Credit: NJPW
ELP delivered a Burning Hammer and a Sudden Death, but his next move was reversed and Nicholls kicked off a pin exchange. Unfortunately for Nicholls, he started the pin exchange and ELP finished it by getting the victory with a crucifix pin.
Winner: El Phantasmo
New Japan Cup 2024 1st Round Match: Taichi vs. Ren Narita
A typical House of Torture sneaky victory. Credit: NJPW
House of Torture can never allow a match to be one-on-one, after Narita knocked the referee down the entire House of Torture was in the ring. The numbers game was too much for Taichi as Kanemaru spit whiskey into his face before cracking him with the bottle. Narita then hit the Double Cross and cheated his way into round two.