Nagaoka sees Tsuji vs Goto
After 29 matches across 11 events over a 12 day span it comes down to the New Japan Cup final in Nagaoka on March 20. A first time ever finals pairing will see one man look for his fourth Cup trophy, and one fighting to secure his first in Ao-re Nagaoka.
Watch live in English on NJPW World!
Main event: New Japan Cup Final- Hirooki Goto vs Yota Tsuji
Hirooki Goto takes on Yota Tsuji in this year’s New Japan Cup final, in a battle very few heading into this tournament could have predicted. Defeating SANADA in the semifinals to advance to Nagaoka, Hirooki Goto might have had fate shine on him with a pair of byes along the road, but his path to the final has been no less hard fought. Looking for his record fourth Cup trophy, and his first after 12 years in the wilderness, Goto is driven by the memory of his recently deceased father, and Goto family pride will see him fight all the harder against young opposition.
Yota Tsuji is wrestling his first New Japan Cup outside of the Young Lion environment, and amongst a massive wave of hype and expectation for the next generation of NJPW main eventers, has acquitted himself with aplomb. Receiving a much more physically demanding path to the final, he overcame the powerhouse Jeff Cobb, the athletic El Phantasmo, and then the stacked deck that comes with HOUSE OF TORTURE’s Ren Narita and EVIL to go from the first round all the way to the last. Before the Cup he made the clear declaration to Tetsuya Naito that before long he would be coming for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Will that moment be as soon as Sakura Genesis? Or will Goto challenge for the summit one more time, and this time plant the flag?
8th Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Dick Togo & EVIL)
The semi main event of the evening pits Shingo Takagi and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito opposite Dick Togo and NEVER Openweight Champion EVIL. Fans’ hopes were high this weekend for a potential all LIJ semifinal clash between Shingo and Tsuji, but a full parade of H.O.T tactics, and mist, whiskey and powder to the eyes would put EVIL through to the semifinals.
The next night, the Dragon was hungry for revenge and helped take care of the invading H.O.T to ensure Tsuji was able to pick up his semifinal win. Now, tensions are sure to be high as LIJ and H.O.T meet in the semi main event.
7th Match: Boltin Oleg, Jado, Toru Yano, El Phantasmo & Hikuleo vs Just Five Guys (TAKA Michinoku, DOUKI, Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA)
For the first time this tour, the full compliment of Just Five Guys are in effect as they face a Hontai/CHAOS crew. SANADA was unable to appear in the final of the New Japan Cup in front of his home Nagaoka crowd, but he will be looking to represent strong and successfully tonight. Speaking of STRONG, how will STRONG Tag Team Champions Hikuleo and El Phantasmo approach tonight as they look for new challengers?
6th Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs YOH
Yoshinobu Kanemaru and YOH will collide in a special singles match in Nagaoka. The IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion SHO has been missing from cards for the duration of the tour, having suffered ‘severe physical and mental trauma’ at the hands of Tetsuya Naito at Anniversary. Yet his championship belt has been at the center of this feud between YOH and Kanemaru, having been swiped by YOH at night two of New Beginning in Sapporo and being used to bait HOUSE OF TORTURE ever since. Kanemaru briefly succeeded in taking the title belt back, but not for long; now this singles match sees the physical title as a likely certificate of number one contendership. After all, Kanemaru wants to take the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship so he can give it back to SHO…right?
5th Match: El Desperado, Yuji Nagata & Shota Umino vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yujiro Takahashi, Jack Perry & Ren Narita)
Shota Umino’s long standing issues with the HOUSE OF TORTURE have their roots in the autumn of 2023, when a Best of Seven Series of six man tags eventually led Umino and Ren Narita to become tag partners. That partnership, Narita confessed, would all be a ruse, but tonight sees a flashback of sorts, as Umino teams with one of his partners from that best of seven series in Nagata and one of Narita’s partners that tour in El Desperado to face H.O.T.
As the Roughneck is bound and determined to get a singles rematch with Jack Perry, is this the night where he solidifies his claim?
4th Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe & YOSHI-HASHI vs BULLET CLUB (Gabe Kidd, Chase Owens & KENTA)
One of the first stories to emerge from this year’s New Japan Cup was that of YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto both beating back IWGP Tag Team Champions KENTA and Chase Owens. As Goto has made an incredible run to the final though, the Headhunter has been left the recipient of retributive beatings from Owens and KENTA, including Monday night in Fukuoka. With veterans Makabe and Tenzan at his side, can YOSHI-HASHI turn the tide?
3rd Match: TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr.) vs United Empire (Callum Newman & Jeff Cobb)
As the factions jockey for position within NJPW, TMDK may have only been represented by Zack Sabre Jr and Mikey Nicholls on this tour, but they have performed highly effectively as a tag team. Tonight they take on the United Empire combination of Jeff Cobb, and Callum Newman, who has shown his own determination to end this tour with a big result, preferably over his countryman Sabre.
2nd Match: Ryusuke Taguchi, Tanga Loa & Tomohiro Ishii vs United Empire (Francesco Akira, TJP & Great-O-Khan)
After a win over Great-O-Khan in the first round of the New Japan Cup, and plenty of back and forth in backstage comments, Tanga Loa issued an official challenge to Great-O-Khan in Fukuoka. Now he’ll seek a response from O-Khan, who teams with two men who have repeatedly issues their own challenge to IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag gold in Catch 2/2.
1st Match: Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi)
Tag team action begins the night as Young Lions Shoma Kato and Katsuya Murashima tag together for the first time. With harsh masters in BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi opposite them, it’ll be a very physical lesson in tag team wrestling that gets things started in Nagaoka!
