Carson Wentz

Muito bom! Nunca fui o maior fã do Finlay mas é impossível não reconhecer o quanto evoluiu no último ano. Carregou o Shota para aquela que foi de longe a melhor exibição dele este ano. Finlay vs. Goto vai ser porreiro também, eles têm boa chemistry e acho que, apesar de tudo, com o Finlay a ganhar é mais provável que o Goto continue o título, já que derrota no ME no Tokyo Dome mais derrota após ganhar a Cup era enterrar de vez o Umino. O Finlay pelo menos tem o BULLET CLUB Civil War que pode dar um out em termos de storytelling sem ser demasiado mau para ele. Falando de Umino, na conferência de imprensa após o show há um "confronto" entre ele e o Tanahashi que dá todo o ar de ser mais um (largo) passo para o heel turn. Excelente também o Despy, Oleg e Goto vs. TMDK e mesmo o Tanahashi pareceu bastante mais certinho do que me lembro de o ver nos últimos seis meses. Para terminar, tirem-me o TJP do posto de liderança do United Empire, por amor de santa, é impossível levá-lo a sério.

Eu vi a semana passada o El Desperado e o Jun Kasai tão cobertos de sangue que parece que tinham tomado banho em polpa de tomate no Crazy Fest (e o Hiromu de cuecas, mas isso são outros quinhentos) e pensei para comigo "ok, a quota de deathmatches para 2025 está mais que atingida" e o crl do Moxley faz-me isto hoje.

Tá mau para fazer a sopa.

E mais grave de tudo é que se corrigir o acento, vai ter que o descorrigir quando adicionar o h. Diz ele, todo confiançudo, acabando de inventar a palavra descorrigir.

New Japan Cup - Final (20 de março, 8 da manhã) @Aore Nagaoka, Niigata After an intense fortnight of action, the New Japan Cup finally comes down to it's last battle. Aore Nagaoka plays host to the Cup finals as we find out just who is the spring survivor for 2025. Kickoff Match: Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii vs YOSHI-HASHI & Katsuya Murashima A bonus kickoff match will see Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano take on YOSHI-HASHI and Katsuya Murashima. As Murashima continues to progress as a Young Lion, his power has been of note, even able to powerslam the likes of Satoshi Kojima and Hartley Jackson. Can he and YOSHI-HASHI prove their worth against former IWGP Tag Champions in Ishii and Yano? ELP NJPW World Open Challenge- El Phantasmo vs ? We'll start the main card in Nagaoka with the return of El Phantasmo's NJPW World Open Challenge. Last time out at Anniversary, Master Wato's sudden appearance to challenge was a real surprise, but this time, there might be more grounds to speculation. Great-O-Khan defeated ELP in the New Japan Cup to stake a claim to the TV gold, while TJP scored his own pin on the TV Champion with a hurricanrana in Nagoya Saturday. Phantasmo would welcome either, both, or someone completely different Thursday night; who will it be? Hiroshi Tanahashi Final Road ~Kinship~ Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Satoshi Kojima Singles Record: 5-4 Tanahashi For the first time in close to 11 years, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Satoshi Kojima go head to head as Tanahashi's Final Road continues. Tanahashi's history with Kojima is deep and complex; in 2001, Kojima left New Japan for All Japan along with Keiji Muto, an opportunity that was offered to Tanahashi as well, but turned down. As the future Ace was on the rise, Kojima hit his prime in the mid 2000s, and drew the ire of Tanahashi in his disrespectful actions after becoming the first to hold AJPW's Triple Crown and the IWGP heavyweight Championship. Years later, Kojima would meet Tanahashi in the finals of the 2010 G1. Kojima was victorious, making history again as the only non contracted NJPW wrestler to win the summer tournament. Tanahashi felt aggrieved that he was unable to protect NJPW's standing, especially as Kojima went on to win the IWGP Heavyweight title once more, but as Kojima officially re-entered the NJPW fold, it was at Wrestle Kingdom V that Tanahashi defeated the Strongest Arm at last and set the pace for a year long and then record V11 IWGP reign. Fast forward past their last encounter in the 2o14 G1 and to 2025, where Tanahashi and Kojima tangle for the 10th and final time. There's opportunity for Kojima tonight to tie up the career score with the Ace, while Tanahashi seeks to show his superiority once and for all. Just Four Guys (Yuya Uemura, Taichi & TAKA Michinoku) vs BULLET CLUB (SANADA, Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale) Bad blood continues to simmer around SANADA's November betrayal of what is now Just Four Guys, and his jealousy that stemmed from Yuya Uemura eliminating him from the first round of the New Japan Cup. After SANADA delivered a post match Deadfall to Uemura Saturday in Nagoya, it's clear these personal issues are not over. Meanwhile, the members of Just Four Guys received an intriguing offer from none other than Hiroshi Tanahashi himself backstage Monday night. The Ace invited Just Four Guys to join forces with Hontai and present a united front against BULLET CUB in all of its forms. Might a decision be made tonight? Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young) Hiromu Takahashi makes his return to action tonight, and not a moment too soon for Tetsuya Naito, who has been put in a tight spot by Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman of late. Despite advancing past Newman in the New Japan Cup, he fell to Cobb in the second round, and ever since, the United Empire duo has been pressuring Naito for an IWGP Tag Team title shot. Naito for his part has said that he cannot act without the 'team captain's permission, and hasn't been able to get hold of Hiromu through the presumed traditional means of tin cans on the tendedero. Will there be an answer for the prospective challengers tonight? War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO) It would be one thing to say War Dogs and HOUSE OF TORTURE's factional war has spiraled out of control, but the truth is control didn't exist from the outset. In a tour marked with disqualifications and countouts on a daily basis, what has escalated is the level of reckless abandon both teams have had as their hatred continues to mount. As Taiji Ishimori re-enters the fray tonight, it seems unlikely this six man bout will put an end to the hostilities, but will there be an in ring result this evening? Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) Ever since EVIL defeated Yota Tsuji in the first round of the New Japan Cup, thanks in no small part to Dick Togo and a handful of powder to the eyes, the King of Darkness has tried to assert his claim to the IWGP Global heavyweight Championship on the Gene Blast's shoulder. The only problem is that in Nagoya Saturday and Fukushima on Monday night, Tsuji has very physically rebuffed those claims, and shown in the process he's not above giving EVIL a much needed boot in his particularly dark regions. This might be the last shot for EVIL to make a statement at the champion's expense, but can he finally take the smile of Tsuji's face? El Desperado, Boltin Oleg & Hirooki Goto vs TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) For the first time since losing the IWGP World Heavyweight title at New Beginning, former champion Zack Sabre Jr. meets current champ Hirooki Goto tonight in Nagaoka. Meanwhile El Desperado returns to action after a deathmatch sojourn last week to mark Barb Sasaki's anniversary, and with a hardcore match against Clark Connors for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight gold approaching fast. Plus, as Ryohei Oiwa continues to try and cement his NEVER intentions, what message can he deliver to champion Konosuke Takeshita tonight? Main event: New Japan Cup Final- Shota Umino vs David Finlay Singles Record: 1-0 Finlay Our main event will determine who the spring survivor will be for 2025 as David Finlay takes on Shota Umino. Neither man's path to the final has been easy, with Finlay advancing past EVIL, Yuya Uemura and Zack Sabre Jr., while Shota Umino has gotten past Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Shingo Takagi to reach this point. For Umino, it's been addition via subtraction that has seen him progress; after a month of soul searching, he returned to action with shaved head, and stripped back ring gear, coupled with an added determination and stubbornness that has proven effective. It's hard to outdo Finlay in the determination stakes, however. After losing the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship to Yota Tsuji at Wrestle Kingdom, Finlay has decided that he will stop at nothing until he has the IWGP World Heavyweight gold, and can think of nothing finer than defeating Hirooki Goto in Ryogoku, repeating his feat from King of Pro-Wrestling last year, to do so. This is Finlay's second cup final, with his first coming in 2023, and after a quarterfinal success in that year's tournament over Umino. Will Shota avenge that defeat and score the biggest win of his career, or does the cup belong to the Savage King?

E teremos então Finlay vs. Shota na New Japan Cup Final. Desde que nenhum deles tire o título ao Goto, para mim está tudo bem.

Descartes, instantes antes de carregar no botão "Citação" - colorized, 2025

Foi fantástico hoje, de longe o dia que mais aconselho até agora. Até o Shota vs. Cobb que foi o mais fraquinho nas singles matches foi bem razoável. De notar com agrado também a não existência de interferências nos combates para a New Japan Cup, o que é demais também é abuso. Shingo contra Drilla é fantástico como sempre e via estes dois lutarem um contra o outro todos os dias da semana. Muito bom também o main event, mesmo com os dads da NJPW o Goto tem estado a alto nível e props também para o Nagata que esteve bem melhor do que estava à espera e ao booking que fez com que o combate tivesse excelente intensidade e storytelling sem os wrestlers terem que se andar a matar fisicamente.

New Japan Cup - Night 6 (15 de março, 8 da manhã) @Aichi Perfectural Gymnasium, Aichi Ainda não há preview no site, como habitualmente, mas fica aqui o line-up para amanhã. (É provável que ainda acrescentem umas tag matches a abrir). New Japan Cup Third Round - Shota Umino vs Jeff Cobb New Japan Cup Third Round - Shingo Takagi vs Drilla Moloney New Japan Cup Third Round - Yuya Uemura vs David Finlay New Japan Cup Third Round - Zack Sabre Jr. vs Taichi IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match - Yuji Nagata vs Hirooki Goto (c) Singles Record: 7-4 Goto

Hoje foi consideravelmente melhor que ontem. Dos combates da New Japan Cup o Drilla vs. TJP até acabou por ser o mais fraquinho, algo ali não funcionou muito bem entre os dois, o que até estranho porque a feud entre os Catch 2/2 e os War Dogs pelos Jr. Tag titles até teve combates bem entretidos. O Shingo vs. Boltin foi stiff como se esperava e o Cobb até conseguiu estrair um combate bem aceitável do Naito (e os rumores deram-lhe uma cockiness neste combate que foi bem-vinda). Amanhã tem tudo para ser fantástico, com os quatro combates da terceira ronda mais o combate pelo IWGP Heavyweight (curioso ver o que o Nagata faz em singles, num combate que acredito tenha pelo menos uma dúzia de minutos, após estes anos todos). A minha previsão para as meias é ZSJ vs. Yuya e Shota vs. Shingo, com a final a ser eventualmente o Yuya a ganhar contra o Shota.

New Japan Cup - Night 5 (14 de março, 9:30 da manhã) @Kanaoka Park Gymnasium, Osaka The initial field of 24 in the 2025 New Japan Cup will shrink down to just eight this Friday March 14. With less than one week to go until we find out who will be the spring survivor and get a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in Ryogoku, three critical second round matchups sees the second round come to a close. Hirooki Goto, Hiroshi Tanahashi, YOSHI-HASHI & Katsuya Murashima vs Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano It's the final preview for Yuji Nagata and Hirooki Goto in our opening bout ahead of their IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match Saturday in Nagoya. Who will make the last statement before the title is on the line? Shota Umino, El Phantasmo & Jado vs United Empire (Great-O-Khan, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young) Shota Umino certainly showed a new side to himself on his return to the ring Tuesday in Okayama, with a completely shaved head, and pure white ring gear indicating a complete start from scractch. At time of writing, we still await news of whether that new approach has taken him to the quarter finals of the New Japan Cup, but he and Great-O-Khan won't be entirely done yet either way. Six man action sees Hontai and United Empire battle Friday in Osaka. War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, SANADA, Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) Fans in Uwajima Wednesday were subject to an incredible war with Gabe Kidd and Taichi that started hot and kept getting hotter. Kidd and Taichi put both their personal pride and fighting spirit on the line in an intense matchup that seemed to be reaching a rollercoaster conclusion when Ren Narita made a sudden appearance. Narita, still sore after being eliminated from the Cup by Gabe Kidd, was joined by the rest of HOUSE OF TORTURE to put the boots to Kidd and ensure he suffered a countout loss. An incensed Kidd demanded he get his hands on Narita and that's what will happen tonight in Osaka, as H.O.T seem to have hell to pay. War Dogs (David Finlay & Gedo) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Dick Togo) The growing feud between David Finlay's War Dogs and EVIL's HOUSE OF TORTURE continues to brew, as tempestuous skies hang over the fate of BULLET CLUB. After the events of this week, a lot of questions still buzz around this faction civil war. Even as David Finlay can take credit for removing the blight opf HOUSE OF TORTURE from the Cup, what steps will EVIL take in repsonse? Just 4 Guys (Taichi, Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku) vs TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr, Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson) It was a spot not entirely earned, and after a set of circumstances Taichi by no means approved of, but the Holy Emperor has advanced to the quarterfinals of the New Japan Cup on Saturday in Nagoya. there he will face his former three time IWGP Tag team Championship winning partner in Zack Sabre Jr. for their first singles match in nine years, and the first time in New Japan. While unforseen and unwelcome circumstances in the form of Ren Narita's interference has brought this match about, Taichi will be resetting and refocusing on a match he and his opponent Saturday have wanted for years. New Japan Cup Second Round- TJP vs Drilla Moloney After Catch 2/2 feuded with Drilla Moloney and Clark Connors for the best part of two years in the junior heavyweight tag team division, this is far from an unfamiliar contest in the second round, but intriguingly enough, actually the first time ever TJP and Moloney have been in singles action. After a win over Shingo Takagi in Osaka at New Beginning and a rousing victory over Tomohiro Ishii in the first round of the Cup, Moloney wrestles TJP tonight with a heavyweight power and overflowing confidence that the United Empire Capitan may not be familiar with; can he put a stop to the Drilla's impressive hot streak? New Japan Cup Second Round- Boltin Oleg vs Shingo Takagi A first time ever singles match sees Boltin Oleg and Shingo Takagi battling to get through to the second round. Shingo Takagi, a runner up in the New Japan Cup in 2021, knows what it takes to get through the field to reach the final, but has an immense task in front of him in the form of the Big Man From Kazakhstan. Boltin defeated Bad Luck Fale to advance to the round of 16, hoisting the immense BULLET CLUB OG to land a sensational Kamikaze. Will a spot in the quarters prove to be Made In Japan, or Made in Kazakhstan? Main event: New Japan Cup Second Round- Tetsuya Naito vs Jeff Cobb Singles Record: 4-1 Naito After Tetsuya Naito advanced past one United Empire member in Callum Newman to advance through the first round, he now takes on the group's Imperial Unit in Jeff Cobb. From Kobe to the Tokyo Dome, Naito has made optimal use of Cobb's momentum against him in four separate victories over the powerhouse, but G1 Climax in 2023 saw Cobb prove to himself that he can defeat El Ingobernable. Tonight, the main event spot, a berth in the quarterfinals, vengeance for teammate Callum, and the prospect of a victory over an IWGP Tag Team Champion all sound like very attractive inspiration for Cobb. For Naito the prospect of a step closer to the trophy coming home for the first time in nine years. Who will advance to the elite eight?

Hoje foi o show mais fraquinho da New Japan Cup até agora. O Gabe Kidd vs. Taichi estava a ser bom até à inevitável intervenção da HoT, que matou de vez um público que já não estava brilhante. Era expectável que o Kidd não fosse muito mais longe que isto, não só porque não valia a pena dar "de borla" um Gabe Kidd vs. ZSJ mas também devido ao Kidd ser campeão e à storyline do BULLET CLUB, mas ainda assim é pena, ele e o Yuya têm sido os pontos altos deste tour. Pela positiva, temos reunião dos Dangerous Tekkers na próxima ronda! O GOK vs. Shota foi... esquisito. Combate estruturado de forma muito estranha, com o O-Khan por cima 95% do tempo e o Shota a ganhar meio do nada. Ele continua sem me convencer e sinceramente não percebi muito bem porque decidiram acabar o interregno dele após o meltdown no New Beggining em tag matches que não interessam basicamente para nada em vez de ele regressar só aqui. Era uma diferença de uns dias apenas e acho que tinha benificiado este combate que bem precisava. O show final da segunda ronda tem tudo para ser melhor. O Cobb é sempre entretido em ringue, mesmo contra a figura de corpo presente que é o Naito nesta fase da carreira, curioso para ver o Drilla demolir o TJP (não aceito outro resultado que não este) e Oleg vs. Shingo tem tudo para ser do crl (devia ser main event, mas desconfio que vai ser o Naito).

"Eu só te devolvo o dinheiro que te roubei se me prometeres que não me levas a tribunal!" "Então mas e a porta que arrombaste a entrar e a janela que partiste ao sair?" "Vê senhor agente, afinal o dinheiro que lhe roubei não é o que importa, ele quer é saber da janela e da porta! É tudo para me tentar humilhar em tribunal!"

Ver a segunda parte do Benfica.