NJPW is Back! New Japan Cup and Osaka Jo-Hall Shows Announced

[cero2k]

New Japan is Back!

They restart on June 15 with a special show called Together Project, then the New Japan Cup that will feature both heavyweights and jr. heavyweights, then Osaka Jo-Hall show (with 1/3 capacity of fans), were Naito defends both titles vs the winner of the cup.

[cero2k]

PROPER ARTICLE
src: https://www.f4wonline.com/new-japan-new ... ule-312881

While original plans for the tournament were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the New Japan Cup is still taking place this year.

At their press conference announcing the resumption of events, NJPW revealed that the New Japan Cup will begin on June 16 and end on July 11. It will be a 32-man openweight tournament.

The winner of the New Japan Cup will challenge Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Intercontinental Championship in the main event of Dominion on July 12. The New Japan Cup finals and Dominion are both taking place at Osaka-jo Hall. Fans will be allowed to attend those shows, but the arena will be limited to one-third capacity.

The other New Japan Cup events won't have fans in attendance.

The first round matches on the left side of the bracket will take place on June 16 and June 17, with the first round matches on the right side then being held on June 22 and June 23.

For the first seven New Japan Cup shows, there will be an additional non-tournament match on each card. There will then be two non-tournament matches on July 3. Those non-tournament matches haven't been revealed.

The card for the New Japan Cup finals will feature 7-9 matches in total.

Here's the full schedule for the tournament:
June 16 --

Togi Makabe vs. Yota Tsuji
Tomohiro Ishii vs. El Desperado
Toru Yano vs. Jado
Tomoaki Honma vs. Hiromu Takahashi

June 17 --

Kazuchika Okada vs. Gedo
Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki
Yuya Uemura vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Gabriel Kidd vs. Taiji Ishimori

June 22 --

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Taichi
Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. SANADA
SHO vs. Shingo Takagi

June 23 --

Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. YOSHI-HASHI
YOH vs. BUSHI
Satoshi Kojima vs. EVIL
Hirooki Goto vs. Yujiro Takahashi

June 24 --

Left side of the bracket second round

July 1 --

Right side of the bracket second round

July 2 --

Quarterfinals

July 3 --

Semifinals

July 11 --

Finals

[Big Red Machine]

I really hate when they do "Openweight" stuff but don't make it feel like any of the Jr. Heavyweights have an actual shot (and Ospreay and Shingo don't count because they've both decided to compete as heavyweights in the past).


I'd be really interested in seeing some sort of story where someone who has been "aged out" of the G1 wins the NJPW Cup, wins the title, and thus forces their way back in to prove they can still go, but this obviously is the wrong time to do it, as Naito should not be losing the belt this soon.

[cero2k]

I really hate when they do "Openweight" stuff but don't make it feel like any of the Jr. Heavyweights have an actual shot (and Ospreay and Shingo don't count because they've both decided to compete as heavyweights in the past).


I'd be really interested in seeing some sort of story where someone who has been "aged out" of the G1 wins the NJPW Cup, wins the title, and thus forces their way back in to prove they can still go, but this obviously is the wrong time to do it, as Naito should not be losing the belt this soon.

don't be surprised if by a series of interesting eliminations, we get Hiromu winning and giving us the Naito vs Hiromu match that was cancelled for the anniversary show.

that could had been a really good story to retire Liger with, but too late now.

[Big Red Machine]

I really hate when they do "Openweight" stuff but don't make it feel like any of the Jr. Heavyweights have an actual shot (and Ospreay and Shingo don't count because they've both decided to compete as heavyweights in the past).


I'd be really interested in seeing some sort of story where someone who has been "aged out" of the G1 wins the NJPW Cup, wins the title, and thus forces their way back in to prove they can still go, but this obviously is the wrong time to do it, as Naito should not be losing the belt this soon.

don't be surprised if by a series of interesting eliminations, we get Hiromu winning and giving us the Naito vs Hiromu match that was cancelled for the anniversary show.

And not having the Jr. Heavyweight Title on the line at the big show? I don't see it happening.

[cero2k]

And not having the Jr. Heavyweight Title on the line at the big show? I don't see it happening.

true, forgot he's the jr champ