The first round of the New Japan Cup has ended as Jay White was the final one to qualify for the round of sixteen.
Wednesday’s card in Kyoto saw the former IWGP heavyweight champion pin Toa Henare in the biggest match of Henare’s career.
While I wouldn’t qualify it as a star-making performance for Henare, it was his most high-profile spot headlining a card and going nearly twenty-five minutes with an established star.
More than Henare, it was White that led the match and shined through his heel antics and bouncing around for Henare.
Henare hit a great-looking shoulder block off the top along with a spinning elbow and spear for a near-fall.
After knocking Gedo off the apron, a pair of brass knuckles remained on the apron but didn’t come into play.
After Henare stopped a sleeper suplex, White succeeded on the second attempt and followed with the Blade Runner.
White proclaimed he will win the New Japan Cup and beat Kota Ibushi before he separates the title. He asked Hiroshi Tanahashi to lay down for him, so White can separate the titles. It was not explained how White has the power to separate or the titles, or why Tanahashi wouldn’t if he won.
YOSHI-HASHI defeated Yujiro in a decent match that could have been shorter. The first 9-10 minutes were pretty dull and picked up after YOSHI-HASHI kicked out of the Miami Shine, rallied to hit a Swanton, and applied the Butterfly Lock. From the hold, he transitioned and hit Karma to advance.
The third tournament match on the show featured David Finlay fighting back to beat Chase Owens. This was a simple story of Owens attacking Finlay’s constantly with creative back breaker spots including a slingshot off the ropes into one. Owens attempted the package piledriver and was reversed with a ‘rana while Finlay hooked the legs.
The second round begins Thursday with EVIL vs. Jeff Cobb and The Great O-Khan vs. Toru Yano.
Below is the full list of matches for the next round:
Thursday, March 11th in Ehime
*EVIL vs. Jeff Cobb
*The Great O-Khan vs. Toru Yano
Saturday, March 13th in Aichi
*Shingo Takagi vs. Hirooki Goto
*Minoru Suzuki vs. KENTA
Sunday, March 14th Hyogo
*Will Ospreay vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
*Yuji Nagata vs. SANADA
Monday, March 15th at Korakuen Hall
*Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White
*David Finlay vs. YOSHI-HASHI
