After being cancelled last night, the New Japan Cup tournament began in earnest today with Gabe Kidd, who is more over than Pocky biscuit sticks in Japan, taking on the dastardly Ren Narita in what was more like a street fight in a back alley after the pub has closed rather than a wrestling match.
Kidd waits for Narita and attacks him as soon as he shows his face in the entrance way. He smashes him into a steel post. Man, Kidd is so over. They need to turn him face and have the War Dogs turn on him or something. Kidd moonsaults onto Narita onto the floor. When both men enter the ring the official rings the bell. Kidd follows up a running shotgun drop kick with a Shibata cross-legged pose in the middle of the ring. Narita fights back whipping Kidd into the barricades until Gabe reverses things on him. They fight into the crows. Kidd seats Narita on a chair and chops him. Narita hits Kidd in the face with a drink and rams him into a barricade.
They battle into a hallway where Narita smashes Kidd’s head into a wall. They brawl back into the arena. Kidd retrieves steel chairs from under the ring and around ringside. He piles them up on the floor. Just as Kidd is about to DDT Narita on the chairs Sho…well…shows up. Kidd chases him off. Kidd charges at Narita. Narita slams him onto the chairs not once but twice. Narita works over Kidd’s back in the ring with submission holds. Narita hits Hell’s Guillotine from the top rope for a two count. Narita kicks Kidd in the face sending him over the security railing. Narita bounces Kidd’s face off the announce table and then chokes him with a steel chair to the throat.
Narita shoves Red Shoes in the way of Kidd’s clothesline. He labels him with his push-up bar. Sho and Yujiro Takahashi run down to the ring. They attack Kidd. As they hold Kidd, Narita smashes a steel chair over his head. Kidd is busted open. Narita chokes Kidd over the barricade. Sho and Yujiro hold Kidd again. Narita readies his push-up bar for another strike. Drilla Maloney and Taiji Ishimori arrive to even the odds.
Kidd and Narita fight over the push-up bar. Kidd throws it out of the ring. Kidd hits a running knee to Narita’s face and piledrives him. Kidd isn’t satisfied with that though. He piledrives Narita a second time and then pins him.
Earlier on, Clark Connors appeared in a video after El Phantasmo, El Desperado and Jado defeated The United Empire (The Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Francesco Akira). He is sitting in a bar, having a beer.
“I hear you want a match with Clark Connors. Well, I want your title. So, let’s settle this the only way that you and me can…in a hardcore match. This time, Desperado, I am not just going to take your mask. I am not just going to take your title. I am going to take your f—–g life!” said Connors stunning the crowd.
The New Japan Cup is NJPW’s annual single-elimination tournament. The winner is rewarded with an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match.
New Japan Cup: Night One Results
Katsuya Murashima, Toru Yano, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Hirooki Goto versus Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satsoshi Kojima and Yuji Nagata
Kojima hits the diving kokeshi on Nagata. As he is being picked up, Nagata drills Kojima with a backdrop suplex/cradle pin.
Winners: Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satsoshi Kojima and Yuji Nagata
El Phantasmo, El Desperado and Jado versus The United Empire (The Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Francesco Akira)
Desperado escapes Akira’s submission to put him into a Numero Dos. Phantasmo has words with Khan after the match. They meet in the New Japan tournament tomorrow. Clark Connors delivered his message to Desperado.
Winners: El Phantasmo, El Desperado and Jado versus The United Empire
The United Empire (Callum Newman and Francesco Akira) versus LIJ (Bushi and Tetsuya Naito)
Bushi misses the rewind kick. Akira turns a victory roll into a double stomp to Bushi’s chest. Newman takes Naito out with a kick to the head. Akira reverses Bushi’s roll-up for the 1,2,3. Newman and Naito push, shove. They meet tomorrow.
Winners: The United Empire (Callum Newman and Francesco Akira)
Sanada Versus Yuya Uemura – New Japan Cup
Sanada comes to the ring with a guitar and a t-shirt mocking Uemura.
It says: “Mother F—-r…and still a Young Lion.”
Taichi is with Yuya and Taji Ishimori is with Sanada.
It is a more technical match than you would think. They trade hammer locks back and forth while standing and then on the mat itself. Yuya adds a bridge and a handstand to his hammer locks really putting the pressure on Sanada.
Yuya follows Sanada to the floor. When he reenters the ring Sanada kicks the ropes. The crowd booes. Sanada takes things to the floor. He throws Yuya into the ringside barricade and hits him with something in the face. Back in the ring, Yuya tears off Sanada’s offending t-shirt. Yuya climbs to the top rope. Sanada grabs the official. Ishimori shoves Yuya off the top rope. Yuya clotheslines himself on the ropes. Taichi chases Ishimori off with a steel chair. Yuyua reverses Sanada’s Dead Fall into a Superman Pin.
Winner: Yuya Uemura
Yota Tsuji versus Evil – New Japan Cup
Dick Togo attacks Tsuji from behind as he makes his way to the ring. Evil slams Tsuji into the barricade. In the ring, Evil shoves the official who seems to injure his ankle. Evil and Togo put the boots to Tsuji. Chris Charlton wonders why the official doesn’t DQ Evil, which makes sense. After a long beatdown with the official out of commission, Tsuji fights back. He slams Togo onto Evil and then splashes them both. The official recovers and asks the bell to be rung to start the match?!?!? Bizarre.
Tsuji goes for his spear but Dick Togo pushes the official in the way. He gets nailed. Togo throws powder into Tsuji’s eyes. Evil punches him in the “lower abdomen”. Everything Is Evil. Evil wins.
Winner: Evil
Gabe Kidd versus Ren Narita – New Japan Cup
Winner: Gabe Kidd
