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 9
Event Happenings
- Kenta and Suzuki once again butt heads. It seems they are setting up their feud which could be amazing.
- Young Lions have to separate Taichi and The Great-O-Khan from going to war.
Results
David Finlay versus Yoshi-Hashi
David Finlay looks to be in the best shape of his career. Here is hoping that he is given a push like Juice Robinson was a little bit ago. He is all over Hashi at the start of the match. A suplex from Finlay takes the starch out of Hashi. Finlay is stuck out on the apron. Hashi slides underneath him, lands on the floor, pulls Finlay’s feet out from under him so he smashes his head on the apron. Hashi and Finlay get into a battle of chops and forearm smashes. At the end of the match both men can barely stand. Hashi blocks Finlay’s springboard stunner clotheslining him out of his boots. A Kuma Goroshi doesn’t put Finlay away. Finlay pins Hashi with the springboard stunner. Hashi and Finlay hugged each other after the match for a job well done.
Winner: David Finlay
Hiroshi Tanahashi versus Jay White
Jay White holds open the ropes for Tanahashi who is hesitant to enter the ring at first. White convinces The Ace to lay down for the pin. The Ace turns it into a roll-up though for a two count. A frustrated White beats the heck out of Young Lion Yota Tsuji. The Ace gets thrown into the ringside barrier when he comes to the rescue. White jumps Young Lion Gabriel Kidd throwing him into the barricade as well. White puts The Ace in a chokehold smashing him into the barricade three or four times. “Why didn’t you lie down?” yells White. In the end, as The Ace tries to lock on the cloverleaf submission White viciously tears at his eyes. White flips a Dragon Screw Legwhip into Bladerunner.
Winner: Jay White
In Round Three we now have:
Will Ospreay versus Sanada
Shingo Takagi versus Kenta
Evil versus Toru Yano
Jay White versus David Finlay
