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3/15 NEW JAPAN RESULTS FROM TOKYO

From Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan:

1 - Taiji Ishimori, KENTA and Jado vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado and DOUKI

Suzuki-Gun attacks immediately.  Fights occur all around ringside.  KENTA and Suzuki continue their fight from their Round 2 match up.   

El Desperado traps Jado in Numero Dos.  Jado taps out and Suzuki-Gun earns a win here.

Suzuki and KENTA continue to talk trash and want to continue the fight.   I hope they continue to feud.   

El Desperado and Taiji Ishimori also have words, potentially teasing a IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title match between them.

2 - Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Jeff Cobb, Great O-Khan and Will Ospreay, with Bea Priestley

Another wild Suzuki-Gun match. 

Cobb pins Kanemaru with Tour of the Islands.   

As a tag team, United Empire continues to earn wins.  ZSJ tells Ospreay "after the New Japan Cup, we are not finished yet darling".  

3 - Ryusuke Taguchi, Yuji Nagata and Hirooki Goto vs. BUSHI, SANADA and Shingo Takagi

SANADA pins Taguchi with a roll up and a bridge.

4 - New Japan Cup 2021 Round 2 Match:  YOSHI-HASHI vs. David Finlay

Juice Robinson accompanied his partner to ringside.  Leading up to this match, both men were respectful towards each other.   Once the match began, both were very snug with their shots.  They both hit their big moves and kept kicking out.  Really good match.   YOSHI-HASHI went for Kharma.  Finlay reversed out and hit a stunner.   Finlay then hit an Acid Drop.  Finlay pinned YOSHI-HASHI.

David Finlay moves on to the next Round.

YOSHI-HASHI looked really good, despite the loss.  Finlay was at the top of his game.

Both men showed respect to each other after the match. 

5 - New Japan Cup 2021 Round 2 Match:   Jay White, with Gedo vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

White kept talking to Tanahashi about his plan to split the Titles if he wins the New Japan Cup.   Tanahashi layed in the middle of the ring and rolled up White for the two count.  Tanahashi posed in the ring, showing off his muscles.   White retreated to the outside.   Yota Tsuji, who was working ringside, was imitating his idol Tanahashi, but White beat down Tsuji.   Tanahashi made the save but White threw Tanahashi into the ring barrier, attacking his lower back.  White, back in the ring, hit a back breaker and a half Boston Crab to further hurt Tanahashi's back.    White with a DDT and a Bladebuster for a two count.  White with a Uranage for a two count.  White is getting frustrated.  White went for a Kiwi Krusher, but Tanahashi reversed it into Twist and Shout.  White rolled to the ring apron, and Dragon Screw leg whip on Tanahashi between the ropes.  Tanahashi hit a leg whip of his own on White.  Tanahashi locked in the Texas Cloverleaf.   White was screaming and clawed his way to the ropes.   White went for a Bladerunner but Tanahashi reversed it into a Slingblade.   Gedo tried to interfere but Tanahashi leg whipped him.   Tanahashi with another Slingblade on White for a two count.  Tanahashi attempted a High Fly Flow but White knocked him off the ropes.  White was slow to follow up and Tanahashi hit a Straight Jacket suplex for a two count.  Tanahashi tried for a Dragon Suplex but White powered out of it.  White with small package for a two.  Tanahashi with a small package for a two.   Another leg whip by Tanahashi.  Tanahashi tried for another leg whip but White turned it into a Bladerunner. 

White pins Tanahashi.   

Jay White moves on to face David Finlay.

White lay in the ring, took the mic and told the young lions "did you learn something tonight?".   He said they should not have a hero like Tanahashi.  He called out David Finlay saying it has been 3 years since they met.  He called out Tanahashi and reiterated his plan to split the belts back into separate titles and stop the crazy man, Ibushi, from destroying their legacies.

Ironically, the young lions (Uemura and Kidd) had to help White from the ring and carry him to the locker room, as he may have tweaked his knee from all the leg whips.

In the interview area, Uemura and Kidd held up White as he again addressed Tanahashi saying he will be holding two belts at the end of Sakura Genesis.   

Please check out the New Japan Cup Matches on New Japan World.   Great wrestling.

Preview of the Elite 8:

The following matches in the New Japan Cup 2021 will be:

3/16/21  EVIL vs. Toru Yano

3/16/21  Shingo Takagi vs. KENTA

3/18/21  Will Ospreay vs. SANADA

3/18/21  David Finlay vs. Jay White

In looking at the final 8 competitors, the only question that matters is who will provide the best match for Kota Ibushi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at Sakura Genesis on April 4, 2021.  On April 10-11, WWE will hold Wrestlemania.  I am not saying New Japan wants to compete against WWE.  However, they do need to secure a good main event to keep eyes on their brand.

Predictions:

EVIL vs. Toru Yano:   EVIL wins here.   EVIL won the New Japan Cup last year.   A Yano win would hurt EVIL.  Yano as a challenger for Kota Ibushi does not make sense.

Shingo Takagi vs. KENTA:  This should be a great match.  Shingo Takagi should win here.   A loss to KENTA would diminish the win Takagi had over Kazuchika Okada in the First Round.

Will Ospreay vs. SANADA:  Will Ospreay has been on a roll in this tournament, so I see him picking up a win here.   Cobb and O-Khan has suffered embarrassing singles losses in the Tournament so the Commonwealth Kingpin will have to represent his faction and live up to the expectations which he put forth.

David Finlay vs. Jay White:  I expect Jay White to get the win here.   Switchblade made the issue of the unification and re-splitting of the titles a storyline.  This is not an accident and New Japan is good at laying breadcrumbs for fans to follow.  It may lead somewhere or nowhere, but it does get the fans talking and builds interest.   

Any of these four wrestlers would be a great match for Kota Ibushi at Sakura Genesis.   

Thanks for reading.

 

 

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