By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “New Japan Cup”
March 12, 2025 in Ehime, Japan at Uwajima-city General Gymnasium
Streamed live on New Japan World
Like the show on Tuesday, this is a gym but it’s smaller; attendance was maybe 700. Walker Stewart provided solo commentary as the show began.
* This year’s New Japan Cup is a 24-man field. We are at the round of 16, and we have two of the eight second-round matches here.
1. “Just 4 Guys” Yuya Uemura and Taka Michinoku vs. Yoshi-Hashi and Daiki Nagai. Taka and the Young Lion opened; Nagai is every bit as small as Taka is. Yuya got in and hit some armdrags on Yoshi-Hashi at 2:30, and they traded chops. Yuya hit a dropkick and they were both down. Daiki and Taka got back in. Taka hit a running Penalty Kick to the chest, then a pump kick for a nearfall at 6:00, then Taka applied a crossface and cranked back on the head until Daiki tapped out. Solid opener.
Yuya Uemura and Taka Michinoku defeated Yoshi-Hashi and Daiki Nagai at 6:31.
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, and Katsuya Murashima vs. Yuji Nagata, Tomohiro Ishii, and Satoshi Kojima. Champ Goto opened against his next challenger, Nagata, and they traded ultra-basic standing switches. Hiroshi and Satoshi tagged in at 2:00, with Kojima dropping him with a shoulder tackle. Ishii’s trio all attacked Murashima in a bit of a comedy moment. Ishii chopped Tanahashi. Tanahashi hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Yuji. Goto tagged back in at 5:00 to again battle Yuji, and they traded forearm strikes. Yuji nailed an Exploder Suplex and they were both down. Kojima and Murashima tagged in, and Satoshi hit his rapid-fire chops in the corner. Murashima hit a bodyslam for a nearfall. Kojima fired back with a hard clothesline to pin Katsuya. Adequate.
Yuji Nagata, Tomohiro Ishii, and Satoshi Kojima defeated Yuji Nagata, Tomohiro Ishii, and Satoshi Kojima at 7:48.
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson vs. “United Empire” TJP, Callum Newman, and Jeff Cobb. Youngsters Callum and Oiwa opened, with Newman hitting his sprinting Mafia Kick for a nearfall. Cobb entered and hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. TJP entered at 2:00 and tied up Oiwa on the mat and applied a Muta Lock. Oiwa applied a half crab on Callum. Sabre entered for the first time at 3:30 and targeted Callum’s recently-injured knee. Hartley caved in Newman’s chest with a loud chop. TJP tied Sabre in an Octopus Stretch at 5:00; Zack escaped and tied him in an ankle lock. TJP hit a spin kick to the jaw, and they were both down.
Cobb and Hartley both tagged in and hit simultaneous clotheslines with neither going down. Cobb hit a dropkick; Hartley hit a crossbody block for a nearfall, then a massive senton for a nearfall at 7:00. Newman hit a jumping knee to Hartley’s jaw. Cobb hit a delayed German Suplex on Hartley, then an overhead back suplex for a one-count. This has been really good. Cobb then hit the Tour of the Islands twisting powerslam to pin Hartley. A well above-average preview tag match.
TJP, Callum Newman, and Jeff Cobb defeated Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson at 8:24.
4. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Bushi, and Yota Tsuji vs. Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano, El Phantasmo, and Jado. LIJ jumped the opponents to open, and all eight immediately fought to the floor. Oleg was whipped into the guardrail. In the ring, ELP hit a Lionsault Press on Bushi and Naito. Yano tagged in and got the corner pad and did some comedy with Naito. Oleg and Shingo tagged in at 3:00 and they charged at each other and traded shoulder tackles and chops; Walker reminded us they will meet later in the tournament.
Oleg flipped Shingo in his arms and hit the gut-wrench suplex! He went for the Vader Bomb at 5:00 but Shingo got his knees up. Tsuji entered for the first time; Oleg hit a twisting belly-to-belly suplex on him. Jado hit a DDT on Tsuji out of the ropes for a nearfall. ELP hit a Mafia Kick on Yota. Shingo nailed a Pumping Bomber clothesline on Oleg. Tsuji hit a Stomp on Jado for the pin. Good action.
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Bushi, and Yota Tsuji defeated Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano, El Phantasmo, and Jado at 7:44.
* Callum Newman joined Walker Stewart on commentary.
5. “House of Torture” EVIL, Sho, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, and Ren Narita (w/Dick Togo) vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Sanada, Bad Luck Fale, and Chase Owens (w/Gedo). The HoT came out first and got in the ring; they rolled to the floor and attacked BCWD as they walked to the ring and I started my stopwatch at first contact as all 10 brawled deep into the crowd. We got a bell at 1:23 to officially begin as Drilla and Kanemaru got in the ring. EVIL choked Drilla and laughed. The HoT took turns working over Drilla. Finlay got a hot tag at 5:30 and fought Sho. EVIL snuck in and hit a low blow uppercut on David.
Chase entered and battled Ren. The HoT took turns hitting Helluva Kicks on Chase, and Dick Togo hit a knife-edge chop to Owens’ groin at 7:30. Kanemaru sprayed alcohol in Chase’s eyes, and Ren immediately hit the Double Cross (X-Factor faceplant) for the pin. Sanada never got in; Chase and Callum talked a lot in the match about how Sanada didn’t do much to assist David Finlay on Tuesday and they wondered about his commitment to the Bullet Club. (Jeez, the guy JUST left Just 5 Guys to join this faction, and he’s already on the outside?) Subpar match.
EVIL, Sho, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Yujiro Takahashi, and Ren Narita defeated David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Sanada, Bad Luck Fale, and Chase Owens at 8:08.
6. Taichi vs. Gabe Kidd in a New Japan Cup second-round tournament match. Basic action early on as Walker reiterated that Taichi hasn’t won a match (singles or multi-man!) in all of 2025 and that surprised Callum. Kidd hit some chops. Kidd hit a Bulldog Powerslam at 3:30 and he swore at Taichi as he put him in a Boston Crab. Taichi hit a spin kick to the face for a nearfall, and they were both down at 7:00. This is a first-time-ever matchup, Walker said. They got up with Kidd hitting chops and Taichi hitting spin kicks to the thighs, and the 10:00 call was spot-on; Newman couldn’t believe it was only 10 minutes.
Taichi hit an enzuigiri and he locked in a Stretch Plum submission hold, and Kidd started to fade. Taichi hit a Gonzo Bomb powerbomb on his head and they were both down at 13:00. Taichi hit a clothesline and a high back suplex, dumping Kidd on his shoulders and neck. Kidd hit a jumping piledriver at 15:00. Taichi caught him with a superkick and they were both down. Gabe nailed a Rebound Lariat, then a brainbuster for a believable nearfall at 17:00. He hit a second piledriver for a visual pin, but Ren Narita appeared and yanked the ref from the ring! Yujiro and Sho also ran to ringside and attacked Kidd on the floor. They all left. The ref got up and began counting out Kidd! Kidd started to get up to his knees but he collapsed and didn’t get back in before the 20-count. Lame finish, but it made sense with the storylines.
Taichi defeated Gabe Kidd via countout at 20:35 to advance to the quarterfinals.
7. Shota Umino vs. Great-O-Khan in a New Japan Cup second-round tournament match. A quick reminder that these two just feuded, which led to Shota shaving his own head bald. Basic action early on, with Shota hitting a European Uppercut at 2:00. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops at 5:30; the 5-minute call was almost a minute late. O-Khan got a jackknife cover for a nearfall at 9:00, then a Fireman Carry toss, and he applied an Anaconda Vice-type hold on the mat. They went to the floor, where Umino hit a shotgun dropkick against the guardrail at 12:00.
O-Khan hit a piledriver on the thin mat at ringside and Umino struggled to get back in the ring, but dove in at the 18-count at 14:00. (“Back to back?” Newman asked of possible countout wins.) They traded clotheslines. O-Khan hit a head-capture suplex for a nearfall at 17:00 and went back to the Anaconda Vice on the mat. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Umino hit a back suplex and they hit stereo clotheslines at 21:30. Umino hit a scoop powerslam move for the pin. Solid match but it didn’t quite get to that final level where the crowd was going nuts for it, either.
Shota Umino defeated Great-O-Khan at 22:53 to advance to the quarterfinals.
* Shota picked up the mic, but opted not to speak; he dropped it and left. Intrigue.
Final Thoughts: Just an okay night of action. I really wanted to like the main event, and I’m glad Shota won, but it just lacked a sense of urgency and felt like the build never peaked. Kidd-Taichi was the better of the two tournament matches. The six-man with Sabre’s TMDK vs. TJP’s United Empire was really good and deserves praise.
The tournament takes a day off and resumes Friday with our final second-round matches of TJP vs. Drilla Moloney, Boltin Oleg vs. Shingo Takagi and Jeff Cobb vs. Tetsuya Naito.
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