New Japan Pro Wrestling 3/17/2024 New Japan Cup 2024 Day 10

New Japan Pro Wrestling 3/17/2024 New Japan Cup 2024 Day 10

I skipped one match here:

Ryusuke Taguchi & Shoma Kato vs. Katsuya Murashima & Oleg Boltin

Taguchi wore sunglasses to the ring. KM and Kato go at it. They trade waistlocks. Kato rolls out of a wristlock and trips him. Kato side headlocks him then KM does it to him. KM shoulers him over then slams him. They trade forearms and Kato flying forearms him. Taguchi chinlocks him then Kato chinlocks KM.

Oleg takes a double dropkick then Taguchi slams KM for 2. KM chops on Taguchi then hits a dropkick. Oleg shoulders Taguchi over then splashes him for 2. Oleg throws him around and karelin's lifts him. Taguchi jumps at him and is caught then Oleg chops him. Taguchi hip attacks him.

Kato dropkicks Oleg then Oleg slams him. Oleg crabs him. KM dropkicks Taguchi out then Oleg finlay rolls Kato to win it.

It was a young lions opener here. It wasn't bad for what it was as they kept it moving and ended it before it got old. 

United Empire (Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan & TJP) vs. Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Tanga Loa)

TJP takes down ELP by the arm. TJP spinning headscissors ELP from the mat then ELP gets out of his bow and arrow. They both end up doing a stand off. Akira calls for Hiku to get in and they face off. They literally look like they are different species with the size differences. Akira gets on TJP's shoulders to lock up with Hiku then Akira hits dropkicks on Hiku. Hiku takes kicks from Akira and TJP then takes a basement dropkick.

TJP is caught on a crossbody and rammed into the buckles. Hiku hits snake eyes on him then TJP takes corner lariats. TJP tkes a side slam then ELP 2nd rope elbow drops him. Loa suplexes TJP. TJP elbow slices Loa. Khan shoulders over Loa then stomps on him.

Khan claws Loa then Lota hits some shots. Khan boots Loa. Akira hits running corner attacks on Loa then top rope crossbodies him. Loa takes corner lariats then Khan belly to belly suplexes him. Akira flying knees Loa.

TJP tornado ddt's ELP then Loa throws TJP out. Akira rolls up Loa for 2 then takes a fire thunder. Loa picks up the win.

It was a fast paced 8-man. Not particularly memorable or anything but the Akira vs Hikuleo segment was something different.

United Empire (Callum Newman & Jeff Cobb) vs. TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Mikey headlocks Cobb and they shoulder battle. Cobb flying shoulders him then shoulders over Zack. Mikey takes a double shoulder, then Cobb pops up CN into a splash on Mikey. Mikey back elbows CN then CN headscissors takeovers Zack from the mat. Zack armbars CN and CN ropebreaks.

Zack stomps CN's arm into the mat then Mikey chinlocks CN. Mikey armlocks CN then Zack works CN's arm. CN trips Mikey then slingshot double stomps him. Cobb lariats and dropkicks Mikey then Cobb splashes him in the corner. Cobb running suplexes Mikey then standing moonsaults him. Mikey ddt's Cobb.

Zack euros Cobb then gets on his back for a sleeper. Zack then plants off the buckles to tornado ddt him. Cobb tour of the islands backdrops Zack then CN hits running corner attacks on Zack. CN PK's Zack for 2. Mikey lariats CN in the back of the head then diving lariats him. Zack twists CN's neck for 2. Zack guillotine chokes CN then CN suplexes him out of it.

CN rolls up Zack off a corksrew kick attempt. CN backslides Zack and Zack rolls into an arm and leg hold. Zack then submits him to win it.

As usual, Newman had a good showing and he worked well with Zack here. It wasn't that great or that interesting though otherwise.

CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI) & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens, Gabe Kidd, Gedo, KENTA & Taiji Ishimori)

The heels beat up the faces before it starts. Taiji hits punches on Yano then Yano pulls off the turnbuckle pad. He hits Taiji in the back of the head then pulls him down by the hair. Kenta hits shots on Goto then Goto shoulders him out of the corner. Kenta stomps on him then Kenta takes a double shouder. Yoshi is hiptossed onto Kenta and Chase is suplexed onto Kenta.

Kenta eye rakes Tenzan then chest kicks him over. Chase hits punches on Tenzan then Tenzan hits mongolian chops. Tenzan falling headbutt drops him for 2. Taiji chokes Tenzan with a shirt then Tenzan is beaten up in the corner. Kidd mongolian chops Tenzan then he bites him. Tenzan lariats him then Ishii shoulders Kid over.

Ishii shoulders Chase over. Ishii and Kidd trade chops. Kidd slaps him then they trade spinning lariats. Ishii germans him then shoulders him over. Yoshi and Gedo go at it. Yoshi hits chops The faces trip the heels up then Goto hits a double lariat. Gedo takes a superkick then a 2 person bomb + elbow slice. Yoshi then pins Gedo.

It was a short one that didn't get enough time. It was nice to see Tenzan back, though he looks extremely frail.

Ishii and Kidd trade chops outside after.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) vs. Just 5 Guys (SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura)

Naito and Sanada go at it. Sanada wristlocks him, Naito rolls out then is put in a full nelson. Naito armdrags him then Sanada backslides him. Sanada takes a double team then a basement dropkick from Hiromu.

Sanada hurricanrana's Hiromu then paradise locks him. Taichi snapmares Hiromu and kicks him in the back. Taichi pulls Hiromu's arms back. Yuya armdrags Hiromu then they trade chops. Yuya backdrops Hiromu. Hiromu dropkicks him in the knee.

Bushi dropkicks Sanada in the knee then topes Yuya. Yuya then takes a triple basement dropkick. Yuya armdrags Bushi and gets the win.

This was just stupid. Bushi went down to a freaking armdrag here in a short match with few highlights. 

New Japan Cup 2024 Quarter Final Match - Ren Narita vs. Yota Tsuji

Yota gets nailed as he poses. Ren then stomps on him and knee chokes him. Ren is thrown into the rails outside. Yota gets face kicked off the apron then sent into the rails. Yota runs at him outside and Ren barely does a throw to send him into the rails. Yota is sent into the walls then into the chairs.

Ren throws the ref to the side and chairs Yota. Yota is choked with the chair then Ren chairs Yota. Ren chokes, stomps, slams and crabs him. Ren camel clutches him then foot slaps him. Yota tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him and splashes him for 2.

Yota armdrags him. Ren grabs his push up bar and is stopped from using it. Ren is then knocked off the apron into the rails. Yota goes for a tope and is chaired. Ren underhook suplexes him for 2 then chinlocks him. Ren pulls his hair and germans him. Yota hits the backbreaker into the curbstomp.

Yota falcon arrows him for 2 then Ren flying knee presses him. Ren goes for the facebuster but Yota handstands out of it and knees him. Yota goes for the spear but Ren pull the ref in the way and the ref is speared. Ren chairs Yota then House of Torture come down. LIJ then come down to help.  Ren low blows him and knocks the ref away then Yota rolls him up and wins it.

Like a lot of matches in this tournament, it got ruined by Houser of Torture nonsense that added nothing. They also killed their own storyline here of Yota never pinning Ren.  It just sucks. You just want to see these guys have a straight match and they won't give us it. It would have been an okay match without the shenanigans.

Yota gets beaten up by HoT after and Shingo makes the save. This then turns into:

New Japan Cup 2024 Quarter Final Match - Shingo Takagi vs. EVIL

Shingo hits forearms in the corner then suplexes him. Evil is sent into the rails outside then Shingo is sent into them, knocking the timekeeper over. They brawl outside then Shingo's shoulder is sent into the buckles. HoT beat up Shingo outside. Evil chokes Shingo with a towel then eye rakes him.

Evil fisherman suplexes him. Shingo gets sent into the exposed buckle then hits his punch and lariat combo. Shingo slams and sentons him. Shingo hits a downward elbow flurry. They go outside and Evil is suplexed on a stack of chairs.

Shingo corner lariats him then superplexes him. Evil fakes an injury then Shingo ends up lariating the ref then Evil puts the ref in the way. HoT and LIJ fight then HoT group stomp Shingo. Shingo takes a chop to the nuts. Evil reverse fireman's carry sitout slams him.

Shingo is sent into the exposed buckle then lariats Evil. They trade shots and Shingo lariats him for 2. Shingo hits a made in Japan and then HoT ring the bell early. Shingo is pushed into the ref then is choked with a weapon. LIJ and HoT fight and Bushi mists Shingo on accident. Shingo then takes whiskey and powder to the eyes. Evil hits everything is evil and wins it.

This is the 4th day straight that HoT garbage ruined otherwise decent New Japan Cup matches. I don't get who finds this entertaining and I can't believe NJPW is doubling down on this nonsense after 3 straight years of it. Evil brought little to the table here and it was just filled with shenanigans.

Overall thoughts: A disappointing night with the 2 New Japan Cup matches being filled with House of Torture shenanigans. The undercard wasn't anything notable either. Skip this.