[ROH & NJPW] Discussão Geral

[Ed]

Damn, boy. 

[Carson Wentz]

The New Beginning 2025 in Osaka (11 de fevereiro, 6 da manhã)

 

Kickoff Match: El Desperado & Katsuya Murashima vs United Empire (Francesco Akira & Jeff Cobb)

With an explosive challenge made by Francesco Akira to El Desperado seeing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on the line March 6 at Anniversary, a preview will see action kickoff early. Who will gain the early upper hand three weeks before this championship collision? 

Hiroshi Tanahashi Final Road ~Kinship~ Togi Makabe vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

We start off the evening with the continuation of Hiroshi Tanahashi's Final Road. The Ace comes full circle tonight as he faces his first ever opponent from October 10 1999 in Togi Makabe. Tanahashi7s Dojo senior, Makabe picked up that win and many more over the years, with Tanahashi eventually able to overcome the tough wall that Makabe presented, and for the most part staying ahead. Makabe was still able to defeat the Ace on the right night, as happened during the 2016 G1 Climax, but it hasn't been since the 2018 version of wrestling's greatest tournament that these two have faced off. The Unchained Gorilla pointed that out to Tanahashi backstage this January, prompting the boss to get this match made. Will Tanahashi continue an unbeaten singles streak thus far in 2025, or could Makabe upset the Ace?

Drilla Moloney vs Shingo Takagi

Shingo Takagi will face Drilla Moloney. While Drilla and his partner Clark Connors are no longer with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag team Championships, Moloney has been eager to set his sights on new opposition, and a tag team clash with LIJ in Ota saw opportunity knock in the form of Shingo Takagi. Shingo is eager to regain the NEVER Openweight gold he lost in the Dome, and will start with this battle against the apparently newly minted heavyweight Moloney. Regardless of weight class, Moloney is one of the most dangerous players in the game, and after a pinfall victory over Tetsuya Naito was the biggest feather in his 2024 cap, will he slay the Dragon to mark his 2025?

Great-O-Khan vs Shota Umino

Shota Umino will go head to head with Great-O-Khan. Umino suffered defeat at the hands of Zack Sabre Jr. on January 4, but still continued from a demanding epic to defeat Claudio Castagnoli. Umino continues to be driven to get his hands on Jon Moxley, but also to show his young fans, who created hand made belts for Shota to carry, the Roughneck with the real deal.

Yet at New Year Dash, Great-O-Khan got his hands on Umino’s mini replicas and tore them to shreds. O-Khan and Umino might have only wrestled one on one twice before, but in formative periods for both. Their first meeting in the summer in 2018 was in the RevPro debut for the Great-O-Khan, and the first match for Umino in the UK one year before he would begin an excursion there. O-Khan's win that night in Milton Keynes would set off an undefeated streak for them in the UK, and would stick in the craw of Umino until G1 Climax 34.

The summer tournament saw Umino get one of few bright spot wins over the Eliminator, who had to overcome his defeat to make the final three of the block. For both these competitors, a springboard into the Tokyo Dome would not see a stuck landing, Umino losing his January 4 main event, while O-Khan was unable to recapture IWGP Tag gold with Jeff Cobb at Wrestle Dynasty, and was last eliminated from the New Japan Ranbo at Wrestle Kingdom 19. might the winner tonight have a lot of forward momentum going into the imminent New Japan Cup?

SANADA vs. Taichi

2024 was a year that Taichi would rather forget. Out from the first round of the New Japan Cup, he failed to qualify for the G1 Climax, and then set himself in line for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship- only for his closest friend in SANADA to betray him and jump to David Finlay's War Dogs.

SANADA wasn't the first friend to stab Taichi and what is now only Just Four Guys in the back. Yet Yoshinobu Kanemaru's defection to HOUSE OF TORTURE in 2023 was perhaps at least befitting of the Heel Master. Taichi had made SANADA the focal point of his own faction when he inspired the Cold Blooded one to jump from LIJ, and for SANADA to stab and twist with an icy knife was all the more painful.

So, now to the scene of the crime in EDION Osaka. After months of mounting frustration, Taichi will now look to find closure. On the other hand though, SANADA's betrayal came as he sought to take control of his own desperate circumstances through a 2024 fall from grace and title contention. Who can right their ship and move forward into the year tonight?

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag team Championships- Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita) vs Roppongi ReVICE (YOH & Rocky Romero)

New IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Champions the Ichiban Sweet Boys will make their first defence against Roppongi ReVice. YOH and Rocky Romero were absent from Tokyo Dome cards but made their presence felt backstage, and a contract for this title match was quickly sealed with kisses all around.

There’ll be no love lost when the bell sounds though. While Rocky and YOH's relationship spans close to a decade as Rocky mentored YOH and SHO's Roppongi 3K team, they are a relatively fresh duo, having started teaming regularly in last year's Super Jr. tag league. There, their 2-3 record included a win over former champions Catch 2/2, and while there have been kinks to work out, a narrow loss to the World Class Wrecking Crew over the STRONG Tag gold at Battle in the Valley has only served to strengthen these two as a team. Who will leave with the gold in Osaka?

NEVER Openweight Championship- Boltin Oleg vs Konosuke Takeshita

Immediately after retaining NEVER Openweight and AEW International Championship gold in the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Dynasty, Konosuke Takeshita was confronted by Boltin Oleg. The Big  Man From Kazakhstan had not forgotten his win over the Alpha during G1 Climax 34 and had come to collect, with Takeshita promising that he would put the NEVER title on the line when he was back in Japan.

After a defence of the Openweight title against KUSHIDA at Battle in the Valley, Takeshita's return is now set for New Beginning. The Alpha will not only want to continue affirming himself as champion with a second defence of his NEVER title, but to present a show of force in his hometown, with his first Osaka appearance since becoming a contracted NJPW wrestler. Yet having already outpowered the young sensation once during the summer, could Boltin shock the champion, and replace recently lost NEVER 6 Man gold with his first singles title?

IWGP Tag Team Championships- Los Ingobernables De Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) vs the Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson & Nicholas Jackson)

The IWGP Tag Team Championships are on the line when Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi face the Young Bucks, Nicholas and Matthew Jackson. AEW EVPs the Bucks were victorious in a tumultuous three way tag team match at Wrestle Dynasty to become the 106th champions, and to win the title for a second time.

Still ‘working from home’ since their last appearance on AEW television, the Jacksons stated that they would be happy to put their belts on the line back in Japan, and that they always enjoyed wrestling in Osaka. After a win over Funky Sauce in Ota at new Year Dash, Hiromu and Naito, not pinned in the Tokyo Dome, asked to be the Bucks’ opposition, and have picked up several impressive tag team victories ever since.

The World Tag League 2024 winners live (or Hiromu Takahashi does at any rate) by the credo of  "1+1=1", saying that the synchronicity that he has with Naito means that the two LIJ members move with perfect alignment, mentally and physically. Nobody defines synchronicity like the Bucks, but if the challengers value addition by subtraction, the Jacksons believe that more is most definitely more. It's a mentality that is backed up by a thirst for gold that was parched once more in Tokyo Dome, and has continued to cement the brothers as the most decorated tag team in NJPW history. Yet the flashy EVPs are in Japan for a good time, not for a long one; will Naito and Hiromu be able to bring the IWGP titles back home before their justifiably arrogant holders get back on their private jets?

IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship- Yota Tsuji vs Gabe Kidd

Yota Tsuji puts the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship on the line against Gabe Kidd. Two men driven by desire to make NJPW recognised as the world’s absolute best, their combined love and pride for New Japan was on full display at Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty. For Tsuji that passion brought him to a pair of wins and the white and gold he possesses now, while for Kidd, a superstar was born albeit in defeat.

While both represent very different ideologies and factions in the form of Los Ingobernables De Japon and the War Dogs, Tsuji and Kidd have a mutual respect that was built through a punishing shared experience. Any two men who went through the Dojo system at the same time would share those bonds; two who went through the Dojo and Young Lion experience while in the midst of the COVID pandemic as Kidd and Tsuji did will have those bonds fortified. Tsuji vs Kidd was the very first match NJPW staged in front of an empty arena when action returned after events cancelled due to the pandemic, and along with Yuya Uemura the two would wrestle night after night on the opening contests of G1 Climax 30, accounting for the majority of results in their 12-8-1 scoreline.

Fast forward to 2025, and New Year Dash saw both men battle in a heated tag team contest, one that ended with Tsuji holding up the belt for Kidd. As both have different ideals and means in mind for a common goal, whoever holds the gold holds the power- who will that be?

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship- Hirooki Goto vs Zack Sabre Jr.

Hirooki Goto will challenge Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in our main event in Osaka. Nine years to the day removed from his last challenge, to then IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada in the very same building, Goto will be looking to erase that emotional and painful defeat.

He will also be looking to claim the richest prize in professional wrestling for the very first time in his career. Starting at Destruction in 2007, Goto has challenged for the title eight times, never having gotten gold; an ignominious record. Despite surviving a hard fought New Japan Ranbo at Wrestle Kingdom 19 to earn this position, there is little doubt that he will be the underdog in this matchup.

Still, he isn’t somebody that Zack Sabre Jr. can take lightly. ZSJ has been victorious in his last five encounters with the Fierce Warrior, but Goto has beaten Sabre in the past and has more than a puncher’s chance with the best wrestler in the world today. A Korakuen Hall pinfall win over the champ certainly proved that point, and gave steam to what the Fierce Warrior's post match mic appeal called the 'Goto Revolution'. Yet after so many revolutions have been quelled before they can take root in the past, is this finally the night for the G in IWGP to stand for Goto?

[Ed]

Das maiores injustiças na NJPW é o Goto não ter sido Heavyweight Champion. E bastante curioso para ver o Tsuji vs Kidd.

[Carson Wentz]

Citação de Ed, há 41 minutos:

Das maiores injustiças na NJPW é o Goto não ter sido Heavyweight Champion. E bastante curioso para ver o Tsuji vs Kidd.

Das maiores injustiças na NJPW é o Goto não ter sido Heavyweight Champion yet!

Tsuji vs. Kidd é Tokyo Dome Main Event material.

Super-hyped para isto, mais até do que estava para o WK.

[Kev]

Nem me tinha batido que era já amanhã, muito hype. 

Tsuji vs Kidd tem tudo para ser incrível.

[Kev]

GUYSSS LFGGG

[SAS_Robben]

FINALMENTE!

Estou tão feliz por ele.

Editado 11 Fevereiro 2025 por SAS_Robben

[Carson Wentz]

GOOOOOOOTOOOOOOOOOOO REVOLUUUUUUUUUUTION!

Fucking finally!

btw, quem é mais esquizofrénico? O Musk quando manda abaixo mais uma dose de ketamina ou a NJPW a bookar o Umino?

EDIT: E Yuya a regressar mesmo a tempo da New Japan Cup uh? Interessante...

Editado 11 Fevereiro 2025 por Carson Wentz

[Jamarcus]

Goto❤️ 

[Kev]

The G in IWGP stands for Goto.

[Kev]

[Carson Wentz]

Interessante bracket. Curioso para ver o que fazem com o EVIL. Storyline-wise é possível que ele vá à final arrumando Tsuji (que atacou) ontem e os War Dogs Finlay e Gabe Kidd (ou talvez passe pelo Finlay mas não chegue ao combate contra o Gabe Kidd para a desforra, principalmente se quiserem dar o push ao Yuya).

Do outro lado do quadro GOK vs. Umino potencial rematch e um Boltin Oleg vs. Shingo na segunda ronda que seria um fucking barnburner.

A minha aposta para os Final Four é Yuya Uemura vs. Gabe Kidd e GOK vs. Shingo.

[Kev]

Acho que o Tsuji deve arrumar logo com o EVIL, até para um setup de um futuro combate entre eles pelo Global Title.

Do lado direito da bracket, por acaso estou a sentir que podem dar algo ao Cobb e ser ele no Final Four.

Shingo vs Oleg também acho que vai acontecer e vai ser muito bom.

Aposto em Yuya v Gabe e Cobb v Shingo no Final Four.

[El Colosso]

Give Ishii the title now you cowards.

 

E numa noticia relacionada com a New Japan, o David Francisco lutou pelo British Heavyweight Title no último fim de semana, na Rev Pro

[Carson Wentz]

Citação de El Colosso, há 3 horas:

Give Ishii the title now you cowards.

Já perdeu o barco esse. É cinco anos mais velho que o Goto (que já não é nenhum jovem) e tem vindo a cair muito no último par de anos. O striking dele não está ao nível do Shane O'Mac mas anda mais perto disso do que do que era no prime Ishii.

[Kev]

Btw não se falou tanto aqui porque se deu destaque ao Goto, mas e aquele Gabe vs Tsuji? Que coisa linda. ❤️

[Ed]

O Ishii perdeu o barco para aí em 2016/7. 

[El Colosso]

Citação de Carson Wentz, há 3 horas:

Já perdeu o barco esse. É cinco anos mais velho que o Goto (que já não é nenhum jovem) e tem vindo a cair muito no último par de anos. O striking dele não está ao nível do Shane O'Mac mas anda mais perto disso do que do que era no prime Ishii.

Don't care, do it

[Carson Wentz]

NJPW 53rd Anniversary Show (6 de março, 9 da manhã)

@Tokyo's Ota-City General Gymnasium

 

NJPW TV Championship Open Challenge - El Phantasmo vs ?

We start Anniversary with exciting title action and the NJPW TV Championship on the line. Current champion El Phantasmo, fresh off a successful second defense against Jeff Cobb, has implemented an Open Challenge, and nobody knows who will be walking down the aisle to challenge on March 6. ELP has publicly spoken of his excitement at being TV Champion, and the prospect of '15 minute, firecracker matches against diverse opponents'. Who will be that opposition at Anniversary, and will Phantasmo's reign continue, or end at V3?

TMDK (Hartley Jackson and Ryohei Oiwa) vs BULLET CLUB (BAD LUCK FALE and Chase Owens)

Challenging Konosuke Takeshita for the NEVER Openweight Championship at a date to be determined, Ryohei Oiwa now finds himself with a pair of golden opportunities; one against the Alpha, and another in the form of the New Japan Cup, where this weekend his first round opponent will be Chase Owens. With the promise of a second round face off with TMDK mentor Zack Sabre Jr, Oiwa will be driven to find success in tag team action tonight. 

Owens, one of few member of BULLET CLUB without an allegiance to one of its splinter groups, may feel out in the cold as civil war heats up between the War Dogs and HOUSE OF TORTURE. He finds himself in good company tonight though, with his former IWGP Tag Team Champion partner Bad Luck Fale. For his part, the Rogue General will certainly appreciate an accomplished ally in the front lines; does Chase belong in the Rogue Army?

Just 4 Guys (TAKA Michinoku, Yuya Uemaru and Taichi) vs War Dogs (Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and SANADA)

Frustration has been mounting for Taichi in recent weeks, as former Just 5 Guys member SANADA has consistently outsmarted him, always managing to stay one step ahead. Even when Taichi seemed poised to channel his anger into victory, SANADA resorted to his underhanded tactics once again—this time with the help of Taiji Ishimori, who interfered to ensure Taichi's defeat. After the match, SANADA added insult to injury with a vicious post-match beatdown.

However, just as things seemed bleak for Just 4 Guys, Yuya Uemura made his long-awaited return, rushing to the ring to even the odds for his faction. With two key members previously sidelined by injury, Just 4 Guys had struggled, but Yuya’s return brings a renewed sense of hope. Now, with Yuya back in the fold, and set to battle SANADA March 7 in Korakuen, can Just 4 Guys finally overcome SANADA’s dirty tactics and the relentless assault of the War Dogs, or will SANADA and his allies continue to exploit every advantage to keep Taichi and his team at bay?

War Dogs (Drilla Moloney and Gabe Kidd) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

It was a turbulent New Beginning for the War Dogs. Drilla Moloney made an emphatic statement in the heavyweight division with a singles victory over former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi. Meanwhile, Gabe Kidd cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with in New Japan, engaging in a brutal battle with Yota Tsuji that ended in a shocking double KO. However, what followed was something no one saw coming.

EVIL reemerged, not only attacking Yota Tsuji but also turning on his former pseudo ally Gabe Kidd. In a shocking twist, he declared that the War Dogs were no longer part of BULLET CLUB, albeit under what jurisdiction is anyone's guess.

Either way, the War Dogs are out for revenge. Their sights are set on Ren Narita and Yoshinobu Kanemaru, who played a role in the assault on Gabe Kidd. A furious Kidd would remind Narita of their Young Lion connections that stretch back to Narita's trianing in the LA Dojo on excursion. Now, what does this betrayal mean for the future of the War Dogs, HOUSE OF TORTURE and BULLET CLUB?

Los Ingobernables De Japon (Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito and Yota Tsuji) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Dick Togo, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi and EVIL)

Following the events of New Beginning and their split from the War Dogs, HOUSE OF TORTURE finds itself at war on multiple fronts. The returning EVIL, alongside his trusted enforcer Dick Togo and fellow H.O.T members Yujiro Takahashi and SHO, aims to send a clear message: a new chapter is beginning for the faction. EVIL was specific in his disdain for IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji, and with a first round meeting in the New Japan Cup set for Korakuen Hall on March 7, we see a tournament preview tonight.

LIJ has been riding high on recent success. Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito, despite being a mixed team of Heavyweight and Jr. Heavyweight, overcame the odds to capture the IWGP Tag Team Championship. Meanwhile, IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji retained his title in a hard-fought double KO, adding more gold to the faction's growing collection. Although Shingo Takagi suffered a loss to Drilla Moloney, he still showcased his strength and resilience in defeat.

The big question is whether HOT can remain focused amidst their numerous conflicts and prove that their new direction is one of strength and dominance. LIJ, with their momentum and championship gold, presents a significant challenge. Can HOUSE OF TORTURE, under the leadership of the returned EVIL, rise to the occasion and take down a team with such firepower, or will LIJ continue their resurgence in 2025?

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship - El Desperado vs Francesco Akira

Singles record: 1-0 El Desperado

Since El Desperado captured the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom in the Tokyo Dome, challengers haven’t been in short supply. After successfully defending his title against Taiji Ishimori and the up-and-coming Kosei Fujita, another young star has emerged: the Italian Fireball, Francesco Akira. Akira staked his claim for a title shot during the Road to New Beginning event at Korakuen Hall, where El Desperado seemed to take it with ease and confidence, baiting Akira into a brawl as he questioned the whereabouts of the Italian Fireball's 'boss' TJP.

However, El Desperado's nonchalant attitude may cost him. At New Beginning in Osaka, during a kickoff tag team match, Akira managed to shock the veteran champion by securing a pinfall victory over him with a well-executed roll-up, signaling that he’s not to be taken lightly.

This will be only the second time these two competitors have faced each other in singles competition, with El Desperado having previously claimed victory in their encounter at the Best of the Super Juniors 30 tournament in 2023. The agonising defeat Akira felt that night in Korakuen, hanging on in Numero Dos until his body could stand no more, has haunted the challenger ever since, and started a drive for revenge and closure. Now, Akira has momentum on his side with his recent victory, and the added motivation of being in Ota, the site of his World Junior Heavyweight Championship victory in All Japan before he steppedinto an NJPW ring. Will Francesco Akira, riding high on his newfound confidence, dethrone the experienced champion and usher in a new era for the division? Or will El Desperado once again show why he is the reigning IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion?

Main Event: IWGP World Heavyweight Championship - Hirooki Goto vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

Singles record: 13-3 Tanahashi

After a 23-year journey, Hirooki Goto finally achieved his dream at New Beginning by capturing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Having come up short in his quest for the top prize eight times, Goto overcame those past failures by defeating Zack Sabre Jr. in Osaka, realizing his lifelong ambition. Exhausted yet elated from his victory, Goto vowed during a backstage interview to grant Hiroshi Tanahashi one final shot at the belt—and what better stage than the Anniversary Show on March 6th?

Tanahashi, currently on his "Final Road" before his retirement at the next Tokyo Dome show, has had a successful farewell tour thus far. Not only has he passed on his wisdom to the next generation of Young Lions, but he has also rekindled rivalries with old foes like Togi Makabe. Now, with this potentially being his last opportunity to claim IWGP World Heavyweight gold, the question looms. Can Tanahashi defeat the newly crowned champion and end his legendary career with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship around his waist? Or will CHAOS and Bishamon's Goto be the first obstacle on Tanahashi’s final journey? All eyes will be on the Anniversary Show to see if the Ace can defy time and capture glory one last time.

Editado 7 Março 2025 por Carson Wentz

[Jamarcus]

Tanahashi dá heel turn e rouba o título ao Goto.

[Carson Wentz]

Muito bom o Akira vs. Despy. O resto foi fraquinho, fraquinho e o main event valeu mais pelo que aconteceu depois do combate acabar do que pelo combate propriamente dito. Sacrificaram um bocadito o show para dar mais gás às rivalidades para a New Japan Cup, o que acabo por compreender mas fez com que metade do show fosse francamente mau in-ring.

Still, thank god que vamos ter o Nagata a desafiar pelo título durante o tour e não se vão pôr a inventar (ainda) mais.

[Carson Wentz]

New Japan Cup - Night 1 (8 de março, 9:30 da manhã)

@Korakuen Hall, Tokyo

The first night of the New Japan Cup saw a unique situation where a broken ringpost ended the action before it began, and all manner of chaos erupted in its place. Now pro-wrestling is back and the spring's greatest tournament finally officially gets underway.

Kickoff Match: Katsuya Murashima vs Daiki Nagai

Singles record: 1-0 Murashima

With a special kickoff bonus match in place as well, it's a night to remember following a night that will be remembered in Korakuen!

Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto vs Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata

Hirooki Goto finds himself across the ring from his next challenger, Yuji Nagata, in an 8-man tag team match. This time, Goto teams with Hontai veterans and the Young Lion Daiki Nagai. With the highly anticipated IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match fast approaching, both Goto and Nagata will be eager to build momentum, while Hiroshi Tanahashi moves closer to the continuation of his Final Road against Satoshi Kojima on March 20's New Japan Cup Final day.

Hontai (Jado, El Desperado & El Phantasmo) vs United Empire (Jakob Austin Young, Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan)

The NJPW World TV Champion El Phantasmo and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion El Desperado team up after a romantic encounter in our special talk show Friday to face United Empire, this time with Jakob Austin Young joining Cobb and Great-O-Khan. A prelude to Sunday's first round matchup for Phantasmo and Great-O-Khan, which side will have the upper hand?

Los Ingobernables De Japon  (BUSHI & Tetsuya Naito) vs United Empire (Francesco Akira & Callum Newman)

After his loss against the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, young Francesco Akira is determined to climb back to the top. What better way than by a former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion  like BUSHI and a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in Tetsuya Naito? Akira's partner Callum Newman will be even hungrier for that result, eager to prove his full recovery and eyeing Sunday's first round New Japan Cup match with great anticipation.

New Japan Cup First Round- Yuya Uemura vs SANADA

Also in first round action, former Just Five Guys teammates in Yuya Uemura and SANADA collide. When Uemura first came back to NJPW from excursion in October 2023, it was as the fifth member that brought Just Five Guys back up to full strength at the time, but it was clear from the jump that he wasn't in the group to play nice. Backstage, after helping SANADA retain the IWGP World Heavyweight title against EVIL, Uemura made it very clear that his goal was to best every other member of the group in singles competition, and SANADA was right at the top of his list. 

That match has now come to pass amid circumstances likely neither man could have predicted at the time. While Ueumura was laid up with a triceps injury, SANADA turned his back on Taichi and his team, joining the War Dogs. Then, New Beginning in Osaka saw SANADA foul his way to a win over Taichi and look to inflict further damage until the returning Heat Storm intervened. Now, it isn't clear whether personal triumph over SANADA, or Cup advancement is what drives Yuya most, but one would lead to the other either way. In the meantime, SANADA, having ridden a then fresh Just Five Guys alliance to the New Japan Cup two years ago, will be looking to consummate his War Dogs membership in similar form, breaking brackets in the process and moving on to YOSHI-HASHI in the second round.

New Japan Cup First Round- Yota Tsuji vs EVIL

Singles record: 1-0 Tsuji

The scheduled main event on March 7 becomes match five of 'night two', and a first round rematch of last year's semifinal. The 2024 New Japan Cup saw Jack Perry, Ren Narita and EVIL all advanced in the tournament thanks to HOUSE OF TORTURE tactics and a wave of interference and cheating. Tsuji finally cut the head off the snake by eliminating EVIL from the semifinals, and went on to win the whole tournament, and has only gone from strength to strength since. Now the IWGP Global heavyweight Champion, Tsuji is less than a month removed from an electric draw with Gabe Kidd in Osaka, but one marred by the return of the King of Darkness. 

EVIL laid out both Kidd and Tsuji before yelling that the present and the future of NJPW is his, not that of the Global Champion. Now EVIL will seek to prove that point with a first round victory, and the potential in the second round to face a man he 'kicked out' of BULLET CLUB in David Finlay. Tsuji though will be looking to grant a tournament rematch to the man he beat for Global gold in the Tokyo Dome, and to declare that HOUSE OF TORTURE has no place in his vision of New Japan's future. With long term goals of holding both the World and Global Championships together, will Korakuen see a bold first step in enacting that plan?

New Japan Cup First Round- Ryohei Oiwa vs Chase Owens

With the prospect of Zack Sabre Jr. in the second round, Ryohei Oiwa enters his second career New Japan Cup feeling amped up to potentially face a teammate and mentor, but knowing that a difficult obstacle is in his way. Six years ago to the day, Chase Owens defeated Juice Robinson in the first round of the New Japan Cup here in Korakuen, and Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii have both felt how dangerous the Crown Jewel can be in a tournament setting, and inside the Hall. Oiwa is feeling the pressure of needing to produce results to back up limitless potential, but could he crack under the pressure that created a rough jewel in Owens?

Main Event: New Japan Cup First Round- Gabe Kidd vs Ren Narita

Singles record: 1-0 Kidd

A spot opposite Taichi in the second round at stake, Gabe Kidd faces Ren Narita in the main event tonight. Ren Narita and EVIL's appearance, together with the rest of HOUSE OF TORTURE in Osaka February 11 could not have stood in starker contrast to the gripping match that preceded it between Kidd and Yota Tsuji. Yet after both men gave all they had in the squared circle, EVIL and Narita in particular served to make a mockery of their efforts. A metal pushup bar, a Double Cross, and the declaration from Narita to Kidd that someone seeking the favour of the fans deserves no place in BULLET CLUB served top make Kidd's blood boil.

Kidd asked whether Narita had forgotten the time he had spent in the LA Dojo on excursion, much of which in the friendship and guidance of Kidd himself. Both men would break bad in their own individual ways in the years hence, but as Narita has come to represent the worst of professional wrestling as Kidd fights to show its brightest, the end result tonight is sure to be wild and violent.

Editado 10 Março 2025 por Carson Wentz

[Carson Wentz]

Bem entretido o SANADA vs. Yuya. O booking do SANADA desde o WK do ano passado tem sido o que é, mas ainda assim, gosto de quando o deixam ter um combate que não é 95% Bullet Club shenanigans. E ele e o Yuya têm boa chemistry no ringue. A ver vamos se ainda não se cruzam outra vez, numa eventual terceira ronda entre Uemura e o David Finlay.

EVIL vs. Tsuji foi o que foi. Era esperado que desse nisto, principalmente porque há a storyline do Bullet Club e a próxima ronda é contra o Finlay.

Fucking Chase Owens. Ninguém quer saber dele. TMDK match up vai ser engraçado. Tinha medo que não quisessem colocar membros da mesma faction logo na segunda ronda, mas ainda bem que o fizeram.

GABE FUCKING KIDD! Está tão over, pqp. Não fosse ser o Strong Champion era o meu favorito para ganhar isto tudo, mas não sei se querem um gajo já com um título a ganhar isto (a menos que acabassem com os Strong titles, que era a melhor coisinha que faziam).

[Carson Wentz]

New Japan Cup - Night 2 (9 de março, 9:30 da manhã)

@Baycom Gymnasium, Hyogo

The first night of the New Japan Cup saw a unique situation where a broken ringpost ended the action before it began, and all manner of chaos erupted in its place. Now pro-wrestling is back and the spring's greatest tournament finally officially gets underway.

Kickoff Match: Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI vs Daiki Nagai & Katsuya Murashima

A special kickoff at 3:30PM local time will see Toru Yano and YOSHI-HASHI face Young Lions Murashima and Nagai. With Yano and YOSHI-HASHI now formally part of Hontai in the effective dissolution of CHAOS, this is a generational Hontai clash, and one where Nagai and Murashima must put aside personal differences to be effective.

Just 4 Guys (Yuya Uemura & TAKA Michinoku) vs War Dogs (SANADA & Chase Owens)

Two days after Yuya Uemura and SANADA's New Japan Cup collision, tag team action sees Chase Owens and TAKA Michinoku also in the mix. Tensions are sure to be high after Uemura and SANADA's Korakuen Hall battle, and this is going to be no relaxing Sunday afternoon drive for the men involved.

TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr, Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson) vs United Empire (TJP, Jeff Cobb & Jakob Austin Young)

As TJP, Jeff Cobb and Ryohei Oiwa await second round competition next week, the return to in ring competition for Zack Sabre Jr. for the first time since his IWGP World title defeat is the focal point of this six man clash. With everybody involved having points to prove, who will come out on top?

War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, David Finlay & Gedo) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

Following Sunday's main event between Gabe Kidd and Ren Narita, the war between the War Dogs and HOUSE OF TORTURE will only escalate Sunday, as David Finlay returns to action. The true leader of BULLET CLUB is sure to have some strong thoughts when it comes to EVIl's 'expulsion' of War Dogs from the club, and where BULLET CLUB's future lies.

Los Ingobernables De Japon (Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, SHO & Dick Togo)

Fallout from our first night's main event sees Yota Tsuji and EVIL back opposite one another in tag team action. One or the other will be out of the New Japan Cup, and looking for revenge against the one who sent them home in what is sure to be a heated affair. 

New Japan Cup First Round- Boltin Oleg vs Bad Luck Fale

Meat is on the menu in Amagasaki as super heavyweights Boltin Oleg and Bad Luck Fale will do battle. On a hot streak with momentum boosted even in defeat to Konosuke Takeshita in Osaka last month, the Big Man From Kazakhstan Boltin wants to recover with a deep run in this year's tournament. Yet to do so, he'll need to beat a two time finalist in Fale. Boltin is used to manhandling every opponent under the sun, but that isn't going to happen when it comes to the Rogue General. Will Fale be too much for Boltin to handle, let alone Boltin Shake?

New Japan Cup First Round- El Phantasmo vs Great-O-Khan

Singles Record: 1-0 O-Khan

First round action sees NJPW World TV Champion El Phantasmo facing Great-O-Khan in a match with a lot of intrigue, especially as it relates to the round of 16. ELP and O-Khan have only faced off one other time, in the 2023 G1 Climax, and with both having made great strides since, will have a lot of personal pride on the line. Meanwhile, the world hasn't seen Shota Umino since he voluntarily shaved his own head, after a defeat to O-Khan in Osaka this February. Shota has a bye in the second round, where O-Khan will be happy to add further salt into Umino's mental wounds, and Phantasmo will be looking to aid his Hontai ally through one on one competition. 

New Japan Cup First Round- Tomohiro Ishii vs Drilla Maloney

What could be the hardest hitting of all the first round matchups in this year's New Japan Cup sees Drilla Moloney take on Tomohiro Ishii. New Beginning in Osaka saw Moloney officially join the heavyweight ranks with a sensational victory against Shingo Takagi, instantly cementing himself as a major contender in this year's tournament. Yet Tomohiro Ishii himself is always in that mix, and will fight hard to face TJP in the second round. Ishii is set to face NJPW STRONG Champion and Moloney's fellow War Dog Gabe Kidd in Chicago April 11, and if the Stone Pitbull can send a message while advancing closer to gold of his own, so much the better in Ishii's eyes. 

New Japan Cup First Round- Tetsuya Naito vs Callum Newman

Singles Record: 2-0 Naito

The last match of the NJC first round will see Tetsuya Naito in his third singles match with Callum Newman. Naito's first singles encounter with the Prince of Pace back at Dominion 2024 saw El Ingobernable victorious, but the fight Newman put in would eventually see him qualify for G1 competition. That meant a rematch later in the summer, but one that Callum would rather forget as Naito went to victory well under then ten minute mark. Now Newman, freshly returned from knee injury, is up against an immense test. Could the third time be the charm for the Briton, or will it be Naito advancing to Callum's United Empire teammate Jeff Cobb int he sweet 16? 

Main event: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto vs Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima

It's a speical tag team match in our main event tonight, as our New Japan Cup final action will be followed by a double preview of future singles action. On March 15, Yuji Nagata and Hirooki Goto will collide with Goto's IWGP World Heavyweight title up for grabs. Less than one week before his first top title challenge in 14 years, Nagata is looking to show that he is worthy of becoming the oldest IWGP champion in history. 

Meanwhile, Satoshi Kojima and Hiroshi Tanahashi are set to square off on the day of the New Japan Cup final on March 20. As the veterans of Hontai do battle, will Kojima provide a hefty bump in the Final Road of the Ace tonight?

Editado 10 Março 2025 por Carson Wentz

[Carson Wentz]

E vamos continuar o monólogo!

O show de hoje não teve a qualidade do de ontem (já era de esperar, ontem foram basicamente dois shows num) mas mesmo assim foi entretido.

Destaque absoluto para o Drilla, cuja transição para HW tem sido um enorme sucesso e com vitórias de relevo, com pins limpos contra Shingo e agora Ishii. Não me espantava nada que seja ele a tirar o título ao Takeshita, eventualmente. Falando na New Japan Cup, ele ou o Oleg parecem-me quase garantidos ter um lugar na Final e é merecido (assumindo que o GOK vai mais pela história do TV Title/a situação da liderança do United Empire).