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3/13/21 Results for New Japan Cup 2021 From Aichi, Japan:
YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Gabriel Kidd, Yota Tsuji and David Finlay. YOSHI-HASHI gets the win by submission with the Butterfly Lock on Kidd.
Jeff Cobb, Great O-Khan and Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi and DOUKI. O-Khan has a new look with his unbraided hair. This was a good match. ZSJ and Ospreay gave us a preview of their Round 2 match, which should be awesome. DOUKI attempted a Daybreaker on O-Khan who caught him and powered him up into an Eliminator. Wow! O-Khan pins DOUKI.
Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr. is also interesting that both are heels. That should add an interesting twist to this match. When O-Khan was doing his usual post-match proclamations after a United Empire victory, ZSJ tried to sneak attack Ospreay. Ospreay tried to hit a plancha to the floor on ZSJ. ZSJ quickly tied up Ospreay in an arm submission. Ospreay was screaming for help. Cobb and O-Khan came running for the save. Suzuki-Gun escaped with ZSJ and Taichi laughing at the damage done. Ospreay was screaming for an ice pack, which was amusing.
BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito, and SANADA vs. SHO, Kazuchika Okada and Yuji Nagata. SANADA gets the submission win over SHO with Skull End.
Bad Luck Fale, EVIL with Dick Togo, and Jay White with Gedo vs. Toa Henare, Juice Robinson and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Jay White hits a sleeper suplex on Henare, which allows EVIL to hit Everything is Evil. EVIL pins Henare. Henare looked upset after the loss as he walked back to the locker room.
New Japan Cup 2021 Round 2 Match: KENTA vs. Minoru Suzuki.
After coming to the ring, KENTA opened a newspaper and lay on the mat reading. While Suzuki’s entrance music played, KENTA layed in the ring reading his newspaper. The King was not amused by KENTA’s act of disrespect. The referee told KENTA to get up. KENTA got up, still reading the paper. Suzuki snatched it out of his hand and was ready to fight. KENTA retreated from the ring to stall for time. The referee gave the newspaper to Yota Tsuji who was working ringside and he put the newspaper nicely next to the timekeeper. KENTA, still stalling, walked around the ring and grabbed the paper to start reading again. Suzuki grabbed the paper, layed the paper flat in the ring and sat down. He baited KENTA to get in the ring. KENTA went to get his paper and Suzuki attacked with a fury.
Suzuki threw KENTA into guardrails. KENTA hit Suzuki with a chair. KENTA started kicking Suzuki’s chest in. KENTA baited Suzuki to elbow him. Suzuki missed and KENTA tied him up with a leg submission. Suzuki reversed out, but KENTA caved in his chest with kicks. Suzuki absorbed blows and got angry and, with an evil look in his eye, threw a wicked elbow, which knocked KENTA senseless.
This is the match I expected from both men. Good stuff!
Suzuki tried to cave in KENTA’s chest and knock him out with elbows. KENTA counted with a DDT, a delayed dropkick in the corner then a double stomp from the top rope. KENTA called for Go To Sleep. Suzuki reversed out and went for a Gotch Piledriver. KENTA rolled out and went for Game Over, but he could not lock it in cleanly on Suzuki. Suzuki crawls to the ropes for a break. KENTA hits a Psycho Knee for a two count. KENTA goes for another GTS but Suzuki locks him in a Single leg Boston Crab.
Both men are winded and they face off in the middle of the ring. Both men slap each other multiple times. Sickening sounds. Suzuki smiles as he is getting hit. KENTA smiles as he gets smacked in the head. Suzuki gets wobbly by two round house back slaps and KENTA goes for GTS again. Suzuki slips down and locks in a sleeper hold. Suzuki hits about ten more slaps in the face of KENTA. Suzuki locks in another sleeper. KENTA, with a burst of energy, powers Suzuki up and hits Go To Sleep. KENTA pins Suzuki.
The Japanese announcers called the match “classic”.
This was a great match. No high spots needed. Just two great strikers showing how tough they are.
Suzuki almost took out a young lion who was trying to help him to the locker room.
KENTA held his head and his ears as he left the ring.
Note: This is the point I made about EVIL during the last event. EVIL had a bye in the first round of the New Japan Cup, but yet could not win without interference, which makes EVIL look weak. KENTA was by himself, took a vicious beating by Suzuki, and still won the match. EVIL is facing Toru Yano in the Semi-Final Round on March 16. KENTA will face the winner of Takagi and Goto also on March 16. Potentially, EVIL could face KENTA in the tournament, but that is not the issue. Last year, EVIL won the New Japan Cup 2020, by himself. This year, he is crushing his way to the top with the help of Bullet Club. KENTA’s path in the tournament has been harder but he is successful by doing it on his own. EVIL does not need outside interference. KENTA got the job done by himself and EVIL could do it as well.
New Japan Cup 2021 Round 2 Match: Shingo Takagi vs. Hirooki Goto
Both wrestlers are strikers and the started the match as such. The match spilled to the floor early on where Takagi took advantage by throwing Goto into guardrails.
Great match. Both men hit their signature moves and kept kicking out. This was a match of endurance.
Takagi hit Last of the Dragon for the pin.
Whenever Goto and Takagi meet, it is always a great match.
I would suggest watching the KENTA/Suzuki match and the Takagi/Goto match.
Stay tuned for the following New Japan Cup matches tomorrow:
Yuji Nagata vs. SANADA
Zack Sabre Jr. vs Will Ospreay
Thanks for reading.
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