Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Welcome to the PWInsider.com live coverage of the New Japan Pro Wrestling New Japan Cup 2016 -
Day One, live from the Tokya Ota Ward Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan.Match #1 - NJPW New Japan Cup 2016 Opening Round Match: Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi w/Cody Hall
The match kicks off with Takahashi attacking Yano in the aisle, Takahashi follows Yano around ringside to continue his attack. Takahashi then tosses Yano into the barricade before hitting him with a steel chair, Takahashi chokes Yano with a chair before destroying his coveted DVD. Takahashi is mocking the crowd when Yano catches him with a low blow during the referee’s twenty count, Yano makes it in the ring before Takahashi and the referee reaches twenty.
Winner: Toru Yano, by countout
Match #2 - NJPW New Japan Cup 2016 Opening Round Match: Michael Elgin vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan
The bout begins with the wrestlers locking up and testing the others strength, Elgin and Tenzan then start exchanging forearm strikes. Tenzan catches a charging Elgin with a headbutt and some thrusts to the neck area, Elgin recovers and he knocks Tenzan down with a shoulder tackle. Tenzan recovers and he drops Elgin with a few strikes before missing a headbutt, Elgin slams Tenzan before catching him with a slingshot splash for a two count. Elgin then picks up and nails Tenzan with an extended lift suplex, Elgin gets a near fall before cracking Tenzan with some knee strikes to the back. Elgin then slows things down a little by holding Tenzan in a chin lock, Tenzan fights back and he catches a charging Elgin with another headbutt.
Tenzan backs Elgin into the corner and he nails him with a running clothesline, Tenzan follows that up by catching Elgin with a suplex for a near fall. Elgin recovers quickly and he nails Tenzan with an inzaguri, but Tenzan shows he is still in it by nailing a charging Elgin with a spin kick for a two count. Tenzan goes to the top rope and Elgin slows him down by nailing him with chops, Elgin goes to the middle rope and Tenzan knocks him to the canvas below. Tenzan then misses a diving headbutt from the top rope, Elgin then hits Tenzan with a dead lift German suplex for a near fall. Elgin then smashes Tenzan with a series of lariats and Tenzan returns the favor, Elgin drops Tenzan with a lariat for a two count. Tenzan then blocks a sit out power bomb attempt from Elgin to catch him with a side effect for a near fall, Tenzan sets up for an amaericana and Elgin reaches the ropes.
Tenzan slams Elgin before going back up to the top rope, Elgin grabs Tenzan from the top rope and he power bombs him into the turnbuckles. Elgin nails Tenzan with a sit out power bomb for the three count.
Winner: Michael Elgin
Match #3 - NJPW New Japan Cup 2016 Opening Round Match: Togi Makabe vs. Tama Tonga
This one starts off with Tonga attacking Makabe as he enters the ring with a drop kick, Tonga traps Makabe in the corner before missing a running avalanche. Makabe then hits Tonga with a shoulder tackle and back body drop, Tonga gets up and Makabe drops him with a clothesline. Makabe charges at Tonga and Tonga send him out of the ring, Tonga follows Makabe out of the ring and he tosses him into the barricade a few times. Tonga then picks up Makabe and drops him on the top of the barricade before returning to the ring, Makabe beats the count into the ring and Tonga chokes him for his efforts. Tonga releases the choke and he smashes Makabe with his elbow a couple of times, Makabe starts mocking Tonga as Tonga attacks him with a bunch of strikes.
Makabe starts fighting back by catching Tonga with a plethora of punches, Makabe throws Tonga in the corner to nail him with a running clothesline and a bunch more punches. Makabe then hits Tonga woith a northern lights suplex for a near fall, Tonga tries fighting back and Makabe nails him with another clothesline. Makabe looks for another clothesline and Tonga catches him with a drop kick, Tonga to hits Makabe with a flapjack. Tonga starts hitting a taunting Makabe with a bunch of running clotheslines, Makabe then crushes a charging Tonga with another clothesline. Makabe then hits Tonga with a powerbomb for a near fall, Makabe attempts his flying knee strike next and Tonga gets out of the way. Makabe recovers quickly enough to hit Tonga with a German suplex for a two count, Tonga catches Makabe with an ace crusher after putting the referee in his way. Tonga catches Makabe with a diving DDT for the three count.
Winner: Toma Tonga
Match #4 - NJPW New Japan Cup 2016 Opening Round Match: Tomoaki Homna vs. Satoshi Kojima
This match will begin with Homna winning a quick test of strength against Kojima, Kojima starts working on the arm of Homna before Homna gets to the ropes. Kojima holds Homna in a headlock before the two exchange some shoulder tackles, Homna backs Kojima into the corner before nailing him with forearm strikes and a running back elbow. Homna sits Kojima in the middle of the ring before catching him with a running neck breaker, Homna then misses his first headbutt attempt. Kojima takes control by dropping Homna with a neck breaker, Kojima then hits Homna with a few stomps and a Russian leg sweep for a near fall.
Kojima continues to slow things down by locking Homna in the chin lock, Homna tries fighting back with a series of chops and then he misses a follow up headbutt on Kojima. Kojima backs a dazed Homna into the corner before assaulting him with a barrage of chops, Kojima then hits Homna with a running forearm strike before nailing a top rope elbow drop for a near fall. Homna and Kojima then start a chopping duel in the center of the ring, the duel ends when Homna nails Kojima with a slow motion suplex. Homna then hits Kojima with a running forearm strike and a bulldog, Homna then hits Kojima with a headbutt. Homna goes to the top rope and he nails a standing Kojima with a diving neck breaker, Kojima rolls to the ringside edge and Homna follows him over there.
Kojima then hits Homna with a DDT onto the edge of the ring, Kojima then hits Homna with a suicide dive then leaves both down on the outside of the ring. The two wrestlers engage in a brutal battle of forearm strikes before returning to the ring, Kojima then hits a charging Homna with an ace crusher. Kojima looks for his patented lariat and Homna hits him in the shoulder with a diving headbutt, Homna goes to the middle rope and he catches Kojima with a diving headbutt. Homna then misses his headbutt attempt from the top rope, Kojima looks to suplex Homna and he eats a headbutt instead. Homna then nails Kojima with a brain buster suplex for a near fall, Homna sets up for a pile driver and Kojima catches him with a lariat instead for a near fall. Kojima then crushes Homan with a second lariat to get the three count.
Winner: Satoshi Kojima
Match #5 - Tag Team Match: Chaos (Kazuchika Okada & Kazushi Sakuraba) vs. Kushida & Katsuyori Shibata
This bout kicks off with Okada backing Shibata into the ropes, Shibata responds by hitting him with a few strikes. Shibata eats a big boot to the face from Okada, Okada misses a drop kick and Shibata nearly takes Okada’s head off with a soccer kick that barely misses. Sakuraba tags in and Kushida gets the tag as well, Kushida gets Sakuraba to the ground and some chain wrestling occurs between the two competitors. The two competitors decide to chain wrestle again and Sakuraba catches Kushida in a triangle choke, Kushida escapes and Sakuraba locks him in a guillotine choke. Sakuraba holds Kushida in the choke for a long time and Kushida reverses to lock him in a kimura, Sakuraba escapes that and he goes for the arm bar on Kushida.
Kushida quickly rolls himself to the ropes to escape the Sakuraba arm bar, Okada tags in and he catches Kushida with a slingshot swanton bomb. Sakuraba tags back in and he assaults Kushida with a series of kicks before locking in the arm bar again, Kushida escapes the arm bar and he drops Sakuraba with a series of chops. Shibata gets the tag and he immediately assaults Sakuraba with strikes and a running drop kick in the corner. Shibata then hits Sakuraba with a suplex to get a two count, Sakuraba tries a rear naked choke before getting into a suplex battle with Shibata. Okada tags in and he gets into a forearm strike exchange with Shibata, Okada eventually catches Shibata with a modified neck breaker. Okada goes to the top rope and he catches Shibata with a diving elbow drop, Okada misses the Rain Maker and Shibata locks him in an abdominal stretch.
Sakuraba breaks up the stretch and Okada nails Shibata with a flap jack, Kushida tags in and he catches Okada with a spingboard drop kick. Okada nearly hits Kushida with the Rain Maker, but Kushida counters into a kimura on Okada until Sakuraba breaks it up. Sakuraba attacks Kushida with a kimura until Shibata nails him with a boot to the face, Okada then takes Shibata out with a drop kick. Okada then charges at Kushida and Kushida nails him with some boots to the face, Kushida goes for something and Okada counters with atombstone pile driver. Okada then hits Kushida with the Rain Maker to get the three count.
Winners: Chaos (Kazuchika Okada & Kazushi Sakuraba)
After the match, Kazuchika Okada introduces the neweest member of Chaos and that person is Will Osprey (Spelling?) and he states that he is coming to take the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from Kushida.
Match #6 - NJPW New Japan Cup 2016 Opening Round Match: Hirooki Goto vs. Yuji Nagata
The bout begins with Nagata and Goto going through a series of reversals, the two wrestlers go to the ground and Nagata attempts a few arm bars on Goto. Goto then backs Nagata into the ropes before attacking him with a bunch of strikes, Nagata tries fighting back and Goto drops him with a shoulder tackle. Goto kicks away at Nagata before bringing him to the corner, Goto then assaults Nagata with a plethora of strikes in the corner. Nagata fights back by nailing Goto with some forearm strikes, Nagata then tosses Goto into the corner before landing a boot on his face. Nagata then drops Goto on the canvas before kicking him in the back a few times, Nagata starts focusing him attack on the arm of Goto before applying a kimura.
Nagata releases the kimura as Goto gets to the ropes so he can attack him with a bunch of kicks again, Nagata wrenches on the arm of Goto before locking him in a crippler cross face. Nagata allows Goto to stand up before briefly holding him in a bear hug, Nagata releases the bear hug to hit Goto with another series of kicks. Goto recovers and he drops Nagata with a running clothesline before attacking him with kicks of his own, Nagata tries fighting back and Goto drops him with a clothesline. Nagata is in the corner and that allows Goto to hit him with a spin kick followed by a side suplex for a near fall. Goto sets up for something and Nagata surprises him with an arm bar, Goto eventually breaks the hold by getting to the ropes after a long struggle.
Nagata then attacks a kneeling Goto with a kick to the chest area, the two wrestlers then have a forearm strike exchange in the center of the ring. Nagata then rocks Goto badly with a spin kick and some follow up kicks as well, Nagata backs Goto into the corner before catching him with a running knee strike to the face. Nagata waits for Goto to stand up before just kicking him right in the head, Nagata picks up Goto and Goto counters his suplex into a pin attempt. Nagata gets up first and he nails Goto with some strikes to the face, Goto recovers and catches Nagata with another roll up for a near fall. Nagata goes for another kick and Goto rolls him up again and this time he gets the three count.
Winner: Hirooki Goto
Match #7 - NJPW New Japan Cup 2016 Opening Round Match: Tetsuya Naito w/Bushi vs. Yoshi-Hashi
This battle begins with Naito spitting at Yoshi-Hashi after losing a test of strength, Naito then attacks Yoshi-Hashi with a bunch of kicks and stomps. Yoshi-Hashi recovers to catch Naito with a hip toss followed by a slam, Bushi interferes by tripping up Yoshi-Hashi and Naito follows up by drop kicking him out of the ring. Naito then decides to toss Yoshi-Hashi into the barricade, Naito rolls into the ring as Bushi attacks Yoshi-Hashi before tossing him back into the ring. Naito then hits Yoshi-Hashi with a modified back breaker that is followed by a drop kick for a near fall, Naito slows things down by wrenching on the head of Yoshi-Hashi. Yoshi-Hashi break sthe hold by getting to the rope and that prompts Naito to give some business to the referee, Yoshi-Hashi recovers and he catches Naito with a hurricarana.
Yoshi-Hashi starts nailing Naito with a bunch of chops that is followed by a running neck breaker, Yoshi-Hashi then cracks Naito with a running chop. Yoshi-Hashi then places Naito on the top rope before catching him with a drop kick, Yoshi-Hashi sets up for a power bomb and Naito counters with an atomic drop. Naito traps Yoshi-Hashi in the corner before nailing him with a few kinds of drop kicks, Naito places Yoshi-Hashi on the top rope and he follows him up there. Yoshi-Hashi drops down and he eats a plethora of strikes from Naito, Yoshi-Hashi recovers to knocks Niato off the top rope and to the arena floor. Yoshi-Hashi brings Naito back into the ring to catch him with a neck breaker for a near fall, Yoshi-Hashi then locks Naito in a submission hold and Naito reaches the ropes to break it.
Yoshi-Hashi sets up for the power bomb and Naito escapes, the two wrestlers go through a series of reversals that ends with Yoshi-Hashi hitting Naito with an inzaguri. Naito quickly recovers and he knocks Yoshi-Hashi into the corner with a drop kick, Naito places Yoshi-Hashi on the top rope again and he follows him up to hit him with a top rope hurricarana for a near fall. Naito then crushes Yoshi-Hashi with a pump handle side slam for another two count, Yoshi-Hashi escpes a set up from Naito and he gets slapped for his efforts, Yoshi-Hashi then hits a charging Naito with a clothesline. Yoshi-Hashi then cracks Naito with a shoulder breaker, Yoshi-Hashi follows up with a power bomb into a jack knife for a near fall.
Yoshi-Hashi goes to the top rope and he misses the swanton bomb, the two wrestlers meet in the center of the ring for a striking exchange. Yoshi-Hashi wins the striking exchange until Naito hits him with a pair of palm strikes,. Yoshi-Hashi catches Naito in a modified guillotine choke from out of nowhere and Naito barely gets to the ropes to break it. Naito recovers and he catches Yoshi-Hashi with an inzaguri, Yoshi-Hashi catches Naito with a super kick and Naito responds with a spine buster. Naito then crushes Yoshi-Hashi with his reverse DDT for the three count.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito w/Bushi
After the match, Los Ingobernables (minus Evil) attacks Yoshi-Hashi before just knocking him out of the ring.
Match #8 - NJPW New Japan Cup 2016 Opening Round Match: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Evil
This one begins with Evil jumping Ishii just as he entered the ring, Evil quickly drops Ishii with a lariat for a two count. Evil brings Ishii out of the ring before tossing him into the barricade, Evil then throws Ishii right into the ring post. Evil finds some chairs and he attacks Ishii with them, he actually nails Ishii with a chair so hard that it lands in the crowd. Evil eventually brings Ishii back into the ring before attacking him with a few stomps, Evil decides to just start to choke Ishii with his bare hands. Evil then rips the shirt off of Ishii before attacking him with some chops, Ishii tries fighting back and Evil drops him with a hard chop. Evil then slams Ishii before missing the follow up senton bomb, Ishii gains the upper hand and he attacks Evil with a plethora of chops.
Ishii then catches a charging Evil with a boot to the face, Ishii charges at Evil and Evil lays him out with a side slam for a two count. Evil wins a forearm strike battle against Ishii before nailing him with a curb stomp and senton bomb for a near fall, Ishii tries fighting back again and he gets his eyes raked for his efforts. Ishii then catches a charging Evil with a power slam and a follow up shoulder tackle, Ishii then kicks away at the head of a downed Evil. Evil gets up and he tries attacking Ishii with forearm strikes, Ishii gets mad and plows over Evil with a running clothesline in the corner. Ishii then places Evil on the top turnbuckle and he follows him up there, Ishii then hits Evil with a delayed suplex from the middle rope for a near fall.
Ishii sets up for a suplex and Evil counters before the two both go for their respective suplexes, Evil then hits Ishii with a super kick to the midsection. Ishii goes to the corner and Evil crushes him with a tornado clothesline, Evil then hits Ishii with a fisherman buster suplex. Evil goes for the lariat and he winds up getting in a knee strike exchange with Ishii, Evil ends the exchange by dropping Ishii with a clothesline. Evil catches Ishii in a modified tiger driver for a near fall, Evil sets up for a suplex and he winds up cracking Ishii with forearm strikes instead. Evil eventually catches Ishii with the head and arm German suplex before going to the top rope, Evil destroys Ishii with a top rope clothesline for a two count.
Evil looks to finish Ishii and Ishii cracks him with a headbutt to the face instead, both men then attacks each other with clotheslines and nobody is going down. Ishii starts rocking Evil badly with a few headbutts and then a power bomb for a near fall, Ishii misses a clothesline before catching Evil with an STO. Ishii clobbers Evil with a lariat for another near fall, Ishii follows that up by attempting a brain buster and Evil escapes to hit him with a knee strike. Evil then drops Ishii with a lariat of his own for the near fall, Evil goes for the STO and Ishii counters with a German suplex and a lariat. Ishii then hits a seated Evil with a lariat for a near fall, Ishii crushes Evil with a brain buster to finally get the three count.
Winner: Tomohiro Ishii
Main Event - NJPW New Japan Cup 2016 Opening Round Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale w/Toma Tonga
The main event begins with Tanahashi avoiding some big blows from Fale, Tanahashi avoids a kick from fale before nailing him with a bunch of forearm strikes. Fale backs Tanahashi into the corner and Tanahashi nails him with more strikes to escape, Tanahashi tries to slam Fale and Fale falls on top of him to get a near fall. Tanahashi rolls out of the ring and Fale follows him out there, Tanahashi recovers and he throws Fale into the barricade. Tanahashi dives at fale and Fale catches him, Fale then rams Tanahashi back first into the ring post before returning to the ring. Tanahashi makes it back into the ring and Fale starts to work over him, Tanahashi tries a sunset flip and Fale simply sits on top of him to gain the two count. Fale then starts to just stomp on a downed Tanahashi, Fale brings Tanahashi to the corner before attacking his back with forearm strikes.
Tanahashi tries fighting back and he gets clobbered by a Fale series of strikes for his efforts, Fale then misses the avalanche and Tanahashi slams the much bigger man. Tanahashi waits for Fale to get up before attacking him with a plethora of strikes, Tanahashi then catches a charging Fale with a boot to the face. Tanahashi then uses some momentum and he propels Fale out of the ring and to the arena floor, Tanahashi then goes to the top rope and dives out of the ring onto Fale. Tanahashi goes back into the ring and he catches Fale with a dragon screw leg whip as he returned to the ring, Tanahashi tries locking fale in the Texas cloverleaf and Fale easily powers out. Tanahashi continues attacking the injured leg of Fale, Tanahashi looks for a German suplex and Fale backs him into the corner.
Fale then hits Tanahashi with a running avalanche and a follow up splash for a two count, Tanahashi escapes the spike attempt from Fale and he nails him with a German suplex. Tanahashi nails Fale with a few strikes before Fale catches him with a Samoan drop from out of nowhere, Fale sets up for a power bomb and Tanahashi escapes before eating a spear for a near fall. Fale looks for the power bomb again and Tanahashi hits him with a sling blade for the near fall, Tanahashi goes to the top rope and Fale hits him with the spike instead. Fale then hits Tanahashi with a floow up spike and then the power bomb for the three count.
Winner: Bad Luck Fale w/Toma Tonga
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
