New Japan Pro Wrestling 3/18/2022 - New Japan Cup Day 11

New Japan Pro Wrestling 3/18/2022 - New Japan Cup Day 11

I'm just doing the top four matches here.

Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI vs Jeff Cobb and Will Osperay

Bushi is on the apron and turns his back then gets nailed. Cobb beats up Naito and puts his hat on. Naito wrestles with his jacket on then Bushi dropkicks Cobb in the knee for a Naito low dropkick. Naito goes for his leg sweep + swinging dropkick combo in the corner but gets caught by Jeff then slingshot senton'd by Will. Will facewashes Naito in the corner then Naito falls down after a hard whip into the buckles. Jeff stands on Naito's back and does surfing poses.

Will and Bushi get in and Bushi headscissors him then tope's him outside. Will does a really nice spinning backbreaker for 2. Naito hits a flyinhg forearm on Cobb and tries for a destino but Cobb catches him and tosses him in a cool spot. Bushi gets whipped into a Cobb dropkick then Will does a back elbow slick on Bushi to win it. Cobb and Will do Naito's pose after.

I liked this one. They just had the right pieces here. It was fast paced, the guys worked well together and the heels were good heels here. The time was just about right and it left you wanting more, which is not so common in a tag match.

Kazuchika Okada and Toru Yano vs Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.

Okada forearms Taichi hard early. Yano gets in and removes a turnbuckle pad then Zack slips in to twist his neck with his feet. Taichi did like a neck hold on Yano then Zack got in and grabbed Yano by the beard then headscissored him. Zack grabbed Yano by the ears.

Okada got in and traded holds with Zack. Taichi gets in and hits Kawada kicks on Okada then trades shots with Taichi. Yano removes the buckle pads and Taichi goes into the exposed steel, then side kicks him. Yano pulls down Taichi's pants to roll him up then they do a sumo battle over a throw. Taichi then runs at him sumo style and forearms him to win it.

I have no idea what this was or was supposed to be. They wanted to do stuff then realized they only had 9 minutes to work with and just kind of gave up and moved onto the next thing without accomplishing anything. 

New Japan Cup 2022 3rd Round Match - Shingo Takagi vs Chase Owens

Shingo gets jumped as he enters and pounded on with forearms. He then gives some forearms back to Chase. Shingo argues with Fale outside then Chase dropkicks him through the ropes. He then russian leg sweeps him hard into the apron then neckbreakers him on the floor. The apron russian leg sweep made Shingo hold his hand and made a loud sound. Back in and Chase russian leg sweeps Shingo into the buckles. Chase then neckbreakers Shingo again.

Chase catapult's Shingo's throat into the bottom rope then hits a stiff running knee to the face. Shingo hits some punches then a big lariat on his comeback. Shingo then sliding lariats him for 2. Chase comes back with a suplex neckbreaker over his knee. Chase then hits a nice jumping knee.

They go outside and Chase hits some boots on Shingo from the apron but Shingo death valley drivers him on the floor. Shingo superplexes him from up top. They trade forearms and both hit some forearm combos. Shingo pops him with a hook then gets a spinning back elbow. Chase goes for a v-trigger but gets caught with a made in japan for 2.

Fale gets on the apron to argue with Shingo then  both Chase and Shingo end up hitting him. Chase tries for some roll-up's for 2 then hits a nice jumping and pump knee. Chase then piledrivers him for 2. Chase v-triggers him on the ropes then goes for a powerbomb but Shingo hurricanrana's him. Shingo then lariats him and hits last of the dragon for the win.

This really wasn't bad. Chase had control early, Shingo then evened things up and then took the win. I haven't seen a ton of Chase because he's not too good, but this was the best thing I've seen him in. I think they worked this right and made it seem like there was some chance Chase could win.

New Japan Cup 2022 3rd Round Match - EVIL vs Hiromu Takahashi

Hiromu hits him during his entrance and throws him into the rails. Evil then gets thrown into the rails and does a flip over rails. Togo distracts Hiromu and Evil throws a chair at his face. Hiromu is then thrown into the rails.

Evil goes for the eyes inside then Hiromu dropkicks him in the leg. Hiromu basement dropkicks him, then Evil rolls out and Hiromu dropkicks him off the apron. We get a leg holding spot with the ref involved and Hiromu dragon screws Evil off of it. Hiromu john woo's him.

Evil gets on the apron and Hiromu flips over it for a sunset bomb but Togo stops it. Evil throws Hiromu into the rails and knocks over the announcer and his desk. The ref starts the count for the guys to get back in the ring and Togo pulls Evil by the hair which the ref doesn't see.

Evil hits a lariat then a reverse sitout F-U for 2. Hiromu knocks Togo off the apron and hits a lariat that makes Evil flip, then he spins Evil on his shoulder into a schwein. Evil rakes hiromu's eyes then throws his leg into the ref, knocking the ref down. Togo then hits punches on Hiromu. Togo and Evil magic killer Hiromu which the ref somehow doesn't see but it's only for a 2 count. Evil flips Hiromu with a lariat.

Hiromu does a nice roll-up for a pint but the ref is arguing with Togo. Hiromu pushes Evil into Togo to knock him off the apron then STO's Evil to win it.

The interference as usual brought down the match. It's stupid, it's stale, the ref never seeing it sucks and it's just not good. Had they not done that and just stuck with Evil being a bigger heel, I think it would have been better since Hiromu can be a good face.