Quarterfinal field completed in 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.
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Main event: New Japan Cup Second Round- Jeff Cobb vs Tetsuya Naito
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?
7th Match: 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?
6th Match: 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?
5th Match: 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?
4th Match: Just Four Guys (Yuya Uemura, Taichi & Gabe Kidd) vs War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Chase Owens & SANADA)
Gabe Kidd and Taichi do battle once again, three days after their matchup in Okayama. Yet eyes will be on the future tonight. Will Yuya Uemura be part of that future in the final four coming up Sunday? Time will have to tell, but first, a six man battle has each side's more immediate future in their hands. After SANADA's aid to David Finlay Tuesday in Okayama could be described as lackadaisical at best, will he be working to make things right tonight?
3rd Match: TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi)
Six man action sees TMDK take on HOUSE OF TORTURE. A stunning second round matchup Tuesday in Okayama saw Zack Sabre Jr. get past teammate and protege Ryohei Oiwa, but just barely. Now the group are back on a unified front, and while Gabe Kidd or Taichi are more pressing on the mind of ZSJ, there'll be no complaints when it comes to taking a fight to old nemeses HOUSE OF TORTURE.
2nd Match: 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.
1st Match: 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?
