New Japan Cup night three results: Okada vs. Shingo

By Ethan Renner
Published: 6 Mar 2021, 05:57

The New Japan Cup tournament continued today in the Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo.

Here are the results and a report on the Cup matches.

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Recommended matches —

New Japan Cup first round match: Minoru Suzuki vs. Tomoaki Honma
New Japan Cup first round match: Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi

Report —

Jay White, Chase Owens & Taiji Ishimori (w/Gedo) defeated Toa Henare, David Finlay & Yuya Uemura (9:38)

Ishimori pinned Uemura after hitting a Bloody Cross.

Henare vs. White and Finlay vs. Owens are Cup matches on Wednesday, March 10.

Great-O-Khan, Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb (w/Bea Priestley) defeated Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI (10:55)

Cobb pinned BUSHI after a Tour of the Islands.

There was very little in the way of tournament implications in this match. Cobb and O-Khan are through to the second round and could potentially meet in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, March 16 if Cobb beats EVIL and O-Khan beats Toru Yano. SANADA and Ospreay are on the other side of the brackets and could potentially face off in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 18.

New Japan Cup first round match: Minoru Suzuki defeated Tomoaki Honma (14:54)

This was awesome. This was the best Honma match in a long, long time. Suzuki is the perfect opponent for him and is a master of the art of pro wrestling. Honma more than held up his end of things.

They began by firing off palm strikes to the chest. Honma got a knockdown and missed with two kokeshis. Suzuki took Honma outside and used the barricade as a weapon. Honma made it back in after a countout tease.

Suzuki hit a hard series of kicks. Honma came back with a DDT and a running bulldog. Suzuki hit a headbutt. Honma hit a standing kokeshi.

They fought on the turnbuckles and no one died, miraculously. Honma knocked Suzuki off the buckle and hit a diving kokeshi off the second rope. Honma tried for some sort of STF-like submission, then transitioned to a lateral press for a near fall.

Honma slid out of a rear naked choke and hit a lariat. They both fired up. Suzuki hit two slaps to the face. They traded forearm shots. Suzuki was laughing with glee.

Suzuki hit an unanswered series of forearm strikes to the neck. Suzuki used a rear naked choke to set up a Gotch-style piledriver. Honma valiantly fought off the attempt and cradled Suzuki for a near fall.

Suzuki hit another forearm, then a massive Gotch-style piledriver for the pin.

Suzuki advances and will face the winner of Juice/KENTA on Saturday, March 13.

New Japan Cup first round match: KENTA defeated Juice Robinson (w/David Finlay) (17:16)

This was good. I wouldn’t call it must-see, but they clearly put a lot of thought into the match layout.

KENTA going after Juice’s eye after his recent return from a broken orbital bone was a story in the match. It didn’t really play into the finish, but Juice sold it throughout.

KENTA used a side headlock and a hair pull. Juice hit a back suplex to escape the headlock and picked up an early near fall. KENTA rolled out to the floor as Juice was setting up to hit a cannonball.

KENTA hit Juice with the ring bell from the outside. KENTA began working Juice over with punches in the ring, then threw him outside and into the barricade. KENTA choked Juice with a camera cable and used the swinging gate on the barricade as a weapon. KENTA used a headlock.

Juice came back with a spinebuster and a series of clotheslines. Juice hit a series of jabs. They raked each other’s faces. Juice hit a headbutt. KENTA hit a DDT over the ropes and a diving clothesline off the top for a two count.

They exchanged big boots. KENTA sent Juice off the apron with a running kick. They fought on the outside. KENTA hit a backdrop over the barricade and Juice took a nasty bump over a table to the floor.

KENTA climbed to the top rope. Juice cut him off. Juice hit a DVD on the floor. Back in, Juice used a powerbomb for a near fall. KENTA reversed a Pulp Friction attempt into a cradle for a near fall. KENTA hit a draping DDT.

KENTA hit a running knee in the corner and a Shibata dropkick. Juice avoided a diving stomp and hit a leg lariat. KENTA went for Game Over. Juice blocked and hit a Juice Box for a two count at the 15 minute call.

Juice blocked a G2S and rolled KENTA up for a near fall. KENTA blocked a Pulp Friction attempt and ducked a Left Hand of God. Juice connected with a right hand.

KENTA reversed another Pulp Friction attempt and got Game Over applied. Juice tapped.

KENTA advances and will face Suzuki on Saturday, March 13.

New Japan Cup first round match: Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada (23:58)

This was a tremendous match. Okada’s performance was incredible given that he has two slipped discs in his back.

Okada tried for his trademark clean break after the opening lock up, but Shingo fired off a strike. Okada answered with a side headlock. They traded shoulder tackle attempts. Okada used a drop toehold and hit an elbow drop.

Okada used a sliding dropkick to send Shingo outside. They traded whips into the barricade. Shingo hit a DDT on the floor, then tossed Okada back inside. Shingo hit a vertical suplex for a two count, then used a chinlock to continue working the neck after the DDT on the floor.

Okada tried to fire off some strikes, but got dropped with a double chop. Okada hit three strikes. Shingo hit one and Okada went down. Shingo went for noshigami, but Okada reversed into a Money Clip. Shingo quickly broke the hold and teased a pumping bomber. Okada blocked with a big boot.

Okada ducked under a lariat and hit a back elbow, a running back elbow in the corner and a DDT for a near fall. Okada teased a dropkick in the corner, but Shingo escaped and dropped him with a combination of strikes.

Shingo hit two short lariats, a slam and a diving back elbow drop. Shingo mocked Okada’s Rainmaker pose. Shingo tried for a Rainmaker, but Okada blocked. Okada hit a flapjack into a double down.

They had an intense striking battle in the center of the ring. Okada missed a dropkick. Shingo missed a clothesline. Okada blocked another pumping bomber and tried for the Money Clip. Shingo slid out and hit noshigami into another double down.

Shingo still could not get the pumping bomber, as Okada blocked his next attempt with a dropkick. Okada hit a tombstone and slapped on the Money Clip. Shingo slid to the bottom strand to force a break.

Okada hit a slam and called for a top rope elbow at the 15 minute call. Shingo cut him off on the top rope and hit a superplex. Okada sold his lower back on impact. Shingo hit a sliding lariat for a two count.

Okada blocked another pumping bomber attempt. Shingo ducked a Rainmaker and hit Made in Japan for a great near fall. Okada blocked as Shingo went for Last of the Dragon. Shingo hit a lariat, then a series of forearm strikes.

Okada reversed a whip and hit a dropkick. Okada grabbed Shingo’s wrist on landing, then went back to the Money Clip. Okada hit a spinning tombstone, then again applied the Money Clip. Okada hit a backbreaker as Shingo reached for the ropes, then went back to the hold. They teased a ref stoppage, but Shingo made the bottom rope. Everyone was great in their role here, Okada, Shingo and Red Shoes.

Shingo fired off some strikes from his knees at the 20 minute call. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick, but Shingo popped right up and finally hit the pumping bomber.

Okada hit a Rainmaker. Shingo ducked a second Rainmaker. Shingo blocked a spinning Rainmaker and hit a pumping bomber. Okada kicked out at two. The crowd really got into the match here.

Shingo hit another pumping bomber. Okada escaped Last of the Dragon and trapped Shingo’s legs in a cradle for a two count.

Shingo hit a uranage backbreaker over his knee. Shingo hit a massive pumping bomber for another great near fall.

Shingo went for Last of the Dragon. Okada reversed into a Rainmaker attempt. Shingo ducked the Rainmaker and hit Last of the Dragon for the pin.

Shingo moves on and will face Hirooki Goto in a second round match on Saturday, March 13.