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NEW JAPAN CUP TOURNAMENT 2023 FIRST ROUND MATCHES ANNOUNCED

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the following dates and first round matches for the 2023 New Japan Cup, with the winner receiving a shot at IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada on 4/8:

Sunday 3/5 at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall:

*New Japan Cup: Taichi vs. SANADA

*New Japan Cup: Tetsuya Naito vs. El Phantasmo

*IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomoaki Honma vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii

*Toru Yano & YOH & Lio Rush vs. Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI.

*Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado & Yuto Nakashima vs. KENTA & Chase Owens & Gedo.

*Shota Umino& Ren Narita & Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi & SHO & Dick Togo.

*Tama Tonga & Ryohei Oiwa vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita.

3/6 New Japan 51st Anniversary event at Ota Ward General Gymnasium:

*New Japan Cup:  David Finlay vs. Tomohiro Ishii.

*New Japan Cup: Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi.

*IWGP Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi.

*Tama Tonga & Toru Yano & Satoshi Kojima vs. Will Ospreay & Aussie Open.

*IWGP World TV Champion Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita vs. KENTA & El Phantasmo.

*Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Lio Rush & YOH.

*Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi & SANADA vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare.

*Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado & Ren Narita vs. EVIL & SHO & Dick Togo.

Wednesday 3/8 in Fukushima at  Big Palette Fukushima:

*New Japan Cup:  Toru Yano vs. Mark Davis

*New Japan Cup: Ren Narita vs. EVIL

*Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI & YOH vs. Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobbs & Kyle Fletcher.

*Tama Tonga & David Finlay & Lio Rush vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi.

*Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare.

*Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku vs. KENTA & Chase Owens & El Phantasmo & Gedo.

*Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita vs. Shota Umino & Yuto Nakashima.

Friday 3/10 in Yamanashi at Aimesse Yamanashi:

*New Japan Cup:  Shingo Takagi vs. Aaron Henare.

*New Japan Cup: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Kyle Fletcher.

*Minoru Suzuki & Ren Narita & El Desperado & David Finlay vs. KENTA & Chase Owens & El Phantasmo & Gedo.

*Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita vs. Yujiro Takahashi & SHO.

*Tama Tonga & YOH & Shota Umino & Lio Rush vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI.

*Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma vs. Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan & Mark Davis.

*Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. EVIL & Dick Togo.

The second round kicks off 3/11 with Semi-Finals the weekend of 3/17 and the final taking place on 3/21.

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