The New Japan Cup changed format this years. Instead of getting the semi-finals and finals on the same night, the semi-finals were last night. The show last night did not have english commentary but for the finals both Kevin Kelly and Don “Cyrus” Callis were back.
The final result of the #njcup 2017! pic.twitter.com/xs3MvNCN1t
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) March 20, 2017
New Japan Cup Final 2017
March 20th 2017
Niigata, Japan
1. Tomoyuki Oka vs. Hirai Kawato
This match went to a time limit draw. After the match frustrations boiled over and the two NJPW dojo trainees kept fighting until they were separated.
Winner: Draw (time-limit)
2. Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, David Finlay vs. Takashi Iizuka, Taka Michinoku, El Desperado (Suzuki-Gun)
Finish of the match came when Iizuka hit David Finlay with a chair to the back. This allowed Taka to go on offence but Finlay overcame and pinned Taka with a stunner anyway. The story of this match seemed to centre around Finlay, so perhaps we will see him start to win more matches in the future.
After the match Iizuka went crazy throughout the crowd.
Winners: Liger, Tiger Mask and David Finlay
3. Yuji Nagata and Katsuya Kitamura vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima (Non-Title)
Kitamura certainly looks impressive, but i believe this was literally something like his seventh pro match. He’s 31 so they might speed his process up faster than the other young lions.
Finish of the match was Kojima catching Kitamura with a lariat and getting the pin.
Winners: Tenzan and Kojima (Kojima pinned Kitamaru)
4. Minoru Suzuki, Kanemaru, Taichi (Suzuki-Gun) vs. Hirooki Goto, Jado and Gedo (CHAOS)
Desperado distracted the ref which allowed Taichi to use the mic stand against CHAOS. With the ref down Gedo used the mic stand on Taichi however, and Jado ended up making him tap to a crossface.
Suzuki slapped a young lion on his way out for some reason. Gedo and Jado held up the jr heavyweight tag team titles before giving them back to Suzuki Gun, playing up a probable future title match between the two teams.
Winners: CHAOS (Taichi submitted to Jado)
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin, Juice Robinson, Kushida and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tetsuya Naito, Evi, Bushi, Sanada, Hiromu Takahashi (Los Ingobernables)
Juice Robinson and Tetusya Naito have been teasing a potential rivalry in recent shows, and the trend continued here. The finish of the match came when Robinson hooked Naito for the “Pulp Friction” but Naito countered it with a low blow and into Destino for the pin.
After the match Kushida and Takahashi brawled to the back (as Kushida will be Takahashi’s next challenger for the junior heavyweight title), and the rest of Ingobernables beat down Juice Robinson some more.
Winners: Los Ingobernables (Naito pinned Juice Robinson)
6. Kenny Omega, Yujiro Takahashi, Tanga Roa, and Tama Tonga (Bullet Club) vs. Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, Yoshi-Hashi (CHAOS)
Finish of this match came when Okada gave Tanga Roa the rainmaker clothesline for the pin. Okada and Omega jawed back and forth a little after the match. Omega threw the turnbuckle padding at CHAOS afterwards as well. Okada will most likely have to face the winner of the New Japan Cup (unless the winner chooses to go after another belt) before another match against Omega however.
Winners: CHAOS (Okada pinned Tango Roa)
7. New Japan Cup 2017 Final
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club)
Neither of these two had ever won a New Japan Cup before. Last year’s winner Naito, went on to win the IWGP heavyweight championship with the title shot he earned.
Finish of this match came when Shibata kicked out of Bad Luck Fale’s “Grenade” (similar to Umaga’s death spike) and Shibata countered his Bad Luck Fall into a rear-naked choke, which led into the PK for the pin.
After the match Shibata announced that he will challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP heavyweight championship on April 9th in Sumo Hall.
Winner: Katsuyori Shibata (2017 New Japan Cup Winner)
