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3/17 NEW JAPAN CUP RESULTS FROM SHIZUOKA, JAPAN

1 - Ryusuke Taguchi and Shoma Kato vs. Boltin Oleg and Katsuya Murashima 

Oleg pins Kato with a running fireman’s carry slam.  

2 - Tanga Loa, Hikuleo and El Phantasmo vs. Great O-Khan, TJP and Francesco Akira

Akira goes for a La Mistica on Tanga, but he counters into Apeshit.

Tanga pins Akira.

3 - Zack Sabre Jr. and Mikey Nicholls vs. Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman

Newman and ZSJ had a good exchange in the final moments.  

ZSJ traps Newman in a cross arm breaker and an ankle lock at the same time.   Newman taps out.

4 - Shota Umino, El Desperado and YOH vs. Jack Perry, Yujiro Takahashi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru 

Umino hits an Ignition and Death Rider on Yujiro.  Umino pins Yujiro.

5 - Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano and Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori, Gabe Kidd, Chase Owens and KENTA

Bishomon hits a Shoto on Gedo.  YOSHI-HASHI pins Gedo

6 - Hiromu Takahashi, BUSHI and Tetsuya Naito vs. SANADA, Taichi and Yuya Uemura

Uemura hits an arm drag on BUSHI and traps him in a Crucifix pin.

New Japan Cup 2024 - Quarter Finals:

7 - Yota Tsuji vs. Ren Narita

Narita attacks Tsuji before the bell.  They go to the floor and Narita is thrown into the guardrails.  Narita kicks Tsuji in the face and he goes into the guardrails.  Narita with an Exploder suplex into the metal rail.   They fight into the crowd.  Narita scatters the fans and throws Tsuji into the chairs.  He hits Tsuji in the back with chairs.  

Tsuji beats the count back to the ring.   Narita chokes Tsuji then applies a Boston Crab.  Narita applies a Camel Clutch.  Rope break.  Narita stomps and kicks Tsuji in the head.  Tsuji hits a tilt-a-whirl back breaker.

Tsuji with a splash.  Two count.  They exchange near falls.  Narita hits a Narita Special. Two count.   Narita applies a rear chin lock/choke.   Narita with a German suplex.  Two count.  

Narita misses a knee from the top rope.  Tsuji hits a neckbreaker and a stomp.   Tsuji with a Modified Falcon Arrow.   Tsuji goes for a Gene Blaster but Narita hits a Guillotine Knee.  Tsuji reverses out of a Double Cross and hits a knee strike.  Tsuji goes for Gene Blaster and Narita pulls the referee into the finisher.  

Dick Togo and Jack Perry interfere.  BUSHI and Hiromu make the save.  Narita misses a shot with the push up bar.   Narita goes for another Double Cross but Tsuji reverses into a Victory Roll.

Tsuji pins Narita

Yota Tsuji moves on to the semifinals.

EVIL and House of Torture try to hurt Tsuji with a chair.  Shingo Takagi makes the save.   Takagi tells the referee to ring the bell

8 - Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL

They fight immediately and they fight around ringside.   Takagi is thrown into the timekeeper table.   This has become a lumberjack match with House of Torture at ringside.  Hiromu and BUSHI are also at ringside.   Cameras are having a hard time catching everything.    

EVIL chokes Takagi with a shirt.  They exchange strikes.  House of Torture sets up chairs on the floor.  Takagi suplexes EVIL on the chairs.   Takagi hits a superplex and a sliding lariat.  Two count.  

Takagi goes for Made in Japan.   EVIL reverses out but tweaks his knee.   He was selling and favoring his right knee.  EVIL gets to his feet and Takagi goes for a Pumping Bomber.  EVIL pulls in the referee and the referee bumps.   

Big brawl in the ring with House of Torture and LIJ.   Takagi blocks EVIL’s finisher and hits a Pumping Bomber.   They exchange strikes.  Takagi hits Made in Japan.   Dick Togo rings the bell which distracts the referee.  Referee takes another bump.

Everyone attacks in the ring again.  BUSHI misses EVIL with the black mist and hits Takagi.  Kanemaru sprays the Suntory Surprise at Takagi.  Dick Togo throws white powder in Takagi’s face.   EVIL hits Everything is Evil.

EVIL pins Takagi.

EVIL moves into the semifinals to face Yota Tsuji.

Too much shenanigans in this match.  This tells me that Yota Tsuji should win to defeat the House of Torture.

The Semifinals will happen tomorrow with the following:

SANADA vs.  Hirooki Goto

EVIL vs. Yota Tsuji

In looking at the final four contenders:

SANADA - He has faced Naito twice this year and lost.  This would be number 3.   They are selling the idea that SANADA could figure out Naito this time and regain his title.

Hirooki Goto - Goto took some time off after losing the Tag Team Titles after the passing of his father.  He has dedicated this tournament to his father.   He may be the sympathetic favorite of the four.

EVIL - EVIL makes the most sense to win from a heel vs. face perspective.   EVIL is the most hated wrestler and his is a good foil for the popular Naito.   However, he still holds the NEVER Openweight Title and Shota Umino has a story to finish.

Yota Tsuji - They have teased an LIJ match between either Takagi or Tsuji against Naito.   Tsuji is the least experienced and will have to overcome House of Torture again, which Takagi could not do.   One note, Tsuji is the only one of the final four who wrestled in Round One.  All the others had byes.   Tsuji winning the New Japan Cup would cement his status as a main event player in the company.

Thank you for reading.

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