New Japan Cup night six results: EVIL vs. Hirooki Goto
Recommended matches —
- SANADA vs. SHO
- EVIL vs. Hirooki Goto
Report —
An empty Korakuen Hall was the venue today.
New Japan Cup second round match: YOSHI-HASHI defeated BUSHI (10:22)
This was a solid opener marred by an apparent injury to YH’s right knee.
BUSHI attacked YH as he posed on the turnbuckle during his entrance. BUSHI choked YH with his t-shirt. YH came back with a shoulder block and a series of strikes and chops in the corner. YH no-sold a series of strikes.
YH appeared to tweak his knee as BUSHI blocked a charge into the corner. YH slid on the mat as he planted his feet and his right knee gave out. He continued working with a notable limp and the referee checked in on him for the rest of the match.
BUSHI hit a suicide dive and a draping DDT on the apron. BUSHI hit a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall. BUSHI called for the MX but YH caught him coming off the buckle with a lariat. YH hit a second lariat for a near fall.
YH used the butterfly lock. They did a long submission tease but BUSHI forced a rope break. BUSHI used a backslide with a weird bridge for a two count.
The finish saw YH slide out of a fireman’s carry and hit Karma for the pin.
New Japan Cup second round match: SANADA defeated SHO (14:43)
This was very good.
SHO has put on some mass with all of it residing in his quads and his biceps.
They started with chain wrestling. SHO got a cross armbreaker but SANADA forced a break. SHO wrenched on SANADA’s left arm. He slammed it on the top rope and used a wristlock around the post.
SANADA came back with a dropkick to the back on the apron. SANADA barred the left knee but SHO reached the ropes. SANADA no-sold some strikes and kicked at the left knee as he found his point of attack.
SHO came back with a spear and a dropkick. He went back to the armbar but SANADA forced a break. SANADA tried his leapfrog dropkick but SHO caught him with a German and went back to the armbar. SHO transitioned to a triangle and SANADA broke the hold with a powerbomb.
SHO hit a power breaker. He went for Shock Arrow but SANADA blocked. SANADA landed on his feet off a German attempt. SANADA used a TKO threat to transition to Skull End. SHO reversed and used a cradle for a two count.
SHO used a kimura. SANADA rolled through into Skull End. SHO reversed into a wheelbarrow German with a bridge for a near fall. SHO fired up.
SHO again went for Shock Arrow. SANADA blocked and got Skull End. SHO escaped and tried Shock Arrow again. SANADA blocked and hit a spinning Skull End. SHO escaped.
The finish saw SANADA tease a moonsault press. Instead he landed on his feet on the moonsault and locked in Skull End again. SHO tapped.
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Yota Tsuji (13:04)
Hiromu and Yano continued their comedy series here. Yano pulled a bag of Hiromu’s hair clippings out of his tights as they faced off.
Shingo and Tsuji started the match for real. Tsuji was quickly cut off. Shingo and Naito worked Tsuji over. Tsuji came back with a dropkick to Naito.
Hiromu and Ishii tagged in and business picked up. Ishii was tremendous in selling like he wasn’t taking Hiromu seriously as they first engaged. Hiromu made him a believer after a series of signature spots. Ishii fired up and they traded strikes. Hiromu hit a brainbuster. Ishii hit a backdrop suplex.
With Hiromu down, Tsuji tagged back in. He used a variation on a guillotine which looked nasty on Hiromu’s surgically repaired neck. Everyone jumped in. Yano took Shingo and Naito down with hair pulls.
Tsuji went for a crab but Hiromu blocked. LIJ went three-on-one on Tsuji. Naito and Hiromu hit stereo dropkicks for a near fall.
The finish saw Hiromu go for a crab. Tsuji blocked. Hiromu hit a superkick and went back to the crab and Tsuji tapped.
Ishii and Hiromu faced off after the match. They face each other in a tournament match tomorrow. That match is going to rule.
Hiromu also stared down Naito before finally participating in the LIJ fist bump. Was that foreshadowing the Cup final? That match is also going to rule.
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Way to the Grandmaster video and cleaning intermission time.
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New Japan Cup second round match: Taichi (w/ Zack Sabre, Jr.) defeated Kota Ibushi (w/ Hiroshi Tanahashi) (18:08)
There was some good action here but I’m going to stop short of recommending it given the screwy finish.
If you get nauseous watching head drops this was not the match for you.
Sabre tripped Ibushi from the floor early on. Taichi took the ref and Sabre pounded on Ibushi on the outside. Taichi beat Ibushi around the arena and choked him with camera cables. Ibushi made a comeback as the action returned to the ring and used a standing shooting star for a near fall.
They traded hard kicks. Ibushi sold a roundhouse kick big. Ibushi hit a sick Pele kick but sold his neck on landing. Ibushi hit a backdrop suplex for a two count and Ibushi sold his neck again.
Taichi removed his pants. Taichi hit an axe bomber. Ibushi answered with his own lariat. Each tried a last ride but both escaped. Ibushi hit a high kick. Ibushi then connected with a last ride for a two count.
Ibushi teased a Kamigoye. Sabre took the referee. Taichi hit a low blow and used a Gedo clutch for a near fall. Tanahashi tried to fire Ibushi up.
Ibushi missed a charge into the corner. Taichi hit a jumping high kick and a sick backdrop suplex that dropped Ibushi on his head. They traded high kicks into a double down.
Ibushi blocked a buzzsaw kick. He teased sending Taichi into the buckle like a lawn dart but settled for a nasty spike package piledriver instead. Ibushi again went for Kamigoye but Taichi pulled the referee in his path. The ref took a bump and fell out of the ring.
Sabre jumped in and hit Ibushi with strikes. He went for a Zack Driver but Tanahashi saved. Tanahashi hit Sabre with twist and shout and they brawled to the back.
With the ref still down, Taichi hit Ibushi with the iron glove. Taichi then hit Black Mephisto for the pin.
Taichi posed with Ibushi and Tanahashi’s tag titles after the match.
They’re serving two masters by simultaneously pushing Taichi as a serious threat to win the cup and also going so hard in the direction of Sabre and Taichi vs. Tanahashi and Ibushi. That’s not a criticism, it’s just an interesting strategy worth noting.
New Japan Cup second round match: EVIL defeated Hirooki Goto (18:25)
This was a hard-hitting main event. They protected Goto on the finish and established that EVIL will cheat to win if he has to.
EVIL stood blocking the ring steps after his entrance, waiting for Goto to appear. Goto entered and they brawled all over the building before they ever set foot in the ring. That was a creative start.
The brawl continued in the ring. Goto hit a big kick before going to a chinlock. Goto has been going to that chinlock early in all of his recent matches. Goto hit some more strikes. EVIL came back with a lariat that sent Goto over the top to the floor.
EVIL sent Goto into the barricade before Pillman-izing Goto’s arm against the post. Back inside, EVIL used a chinlock. EVIL hit a shoulder tackle. Goto escaped a brainbuster and hit a misdirection lariat.
Goto hit a Saito suplex for a near fall. EVIL answered by taking Goto to the mat with a hair pull. EVIL hit a seated senton in the corner for a two count. They did an awesome series of misdirection spots that ended with Goto hitting an ushigoroshi.
They traded strikes. Each fought for a suplex. Goto hit a rolling elbow and an inverted GTR for a two count. Goto hit a series of mid kicks. EVIL caught a kick and hit a German. Goto no-sold it and they hit simultaneous lariats. Goto hit a lariat for a near fall.
Goto went for a GTR. EVIL blocked and hit a counter elbow to the orbital bone. EVIL hit a fisherman buster for a two count just past the 15-minute mark.
EVIL hit Darkness Falls for a two count. EVIL called for Everything is EVIL but Goto blocked. They did a series of counters ending with Goto hitting a headbutt.
Goto hit a mid kick and a GTW but EVIL kicked out. Goto went for a GTR but EVIL shoved him off into the referee. The ref took a bump. EVIL hit a lariat and a low blow before reviving the ref. EVIL covered for a two count.
EVIL then hit Everything is EVIL for the pin.
EVIL closed the show with a promo.
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So the quarterfinals are now set. Here are the matches:
- Hiromu Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
- Taiji Ishimori vs. Kazuchika Okada
- SANADA vs. Taichi
- EVIL vs. YOSHI-HASHI