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 3
Event Highlights
- Ishii and Sanada have a long, long staredown following their tag team match. Okada steps between them to defuse any fireworks.
Results
Gabriel Kidd versus Zack Sabre Jr.
Sabre Jr.’s boots or shoes look very strange with those kick pads hanging loosely off of them. There is a lot of shoving between Sabre Jr. and Kidd before the bell. Kidd does a decent job of matching Sabre Jr.’s technical skill. Zack seems to have an answer for every hold Kidd tries though. Zack puts a lot of hurt on Kidd’s arm by wrapping it in the ropes. Kidd breaks out of Zack’s guillotine lock turning it into suplex for a two count. Zack forces Kidd to submit to an octopus hold.
Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.
Will Ospreay versus Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Tenzan bashes Ospreay with some Mongolian Chops. Ospreay is furious but the crowd loves Tenzan’s disregard for the rules. The fight goes to the floor where Tenzan backdrops Ospreay. Ospreay catches Tenzan coming back into the ring braining him with a neckbreaker over the second rope. Ospreay and Tenzan go to the floor again with Ospreay cranking Tenzan’s neck over the ringside barrier. Tenzan’s neck is brutalized some more when Opreay drops a knee on it while he is hanging over the apron. Tenzan responds by climbing to the top rope and driving Ospreay’s head into the mat. Tenzan kicks out of an OsCutter but a StormBringer ends his night.
Winner: Will Ospreay
In Round Two we now have:
- Will Ospreay versus Zack Sabre Jr.
