New Japan Pro Wrestling 3/20/2024 New Japan Cup 2024 Day 12

New Japan Pro Wrestling 3/20/2024 New Japan Cup 2024 Day 12

This is a one match card as has been the case with the NJPW B-shows lately. Aside from the main, this could be a house show line-up and no one would think twice. Here's what I saw:

Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe & YOSHI-HASHI vs. BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens, Gabe Kidd & KENTA)

The fighting starts before the match does as usual. The wrestlers then fight outside. Gabe is sent into the rails then Yoshi is as well. Togi hit corner punches on Gabe then lariats him. Chase hits Togi from the apron then Gabe chops and eye rakes Togi. Chase stomps on Togi. then Kenta hits elbows on Togi's neck.

Kenta eye rakes Togi then Togi shoulders him over. Yoshi chops and kicks Kenta then neckbreakers him. Kenta ddt's Yoshi. Tenzan gets in and cleans house. He hits mongolian chops on Chase then corner lariats him. Tenzan suplexes him.

Chase takes corner attacks then a Tenzan lariat. Tenzan puts Chase in the anaconda vice and it is broken up. Gabe stomps on Tenzan then Togi double lariats his opponents. Chases pushes over the ref then Kenta hits Tenzan with a title belt. Chase pins Tenzan.

It was an average match but just had to have that ref bump in at the end. I'm a big Tenzan fan but he really doesn't have much left in the tank.

Yoshi fights off a 2v1 after then lariats Chase.

El Desperado, Shota Umino & Yuji Nagata vs. House Of Torture (Jack Perry, Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)

Yujiro hits Despy and Despy side headlocks him. Despy hits a back elbow then Yujiro bites his hand. Despy takes a stun gun then he is thrown into the rails. Despy is then sent into the post. Despy's neck is catapulted into the bottom rope by Ren. Ren chinlocks Despy then Jack kicks Despy in the back. Despy spinebusters Jack then tags out.

Shota hits forearms on Jack then running forearms him. Shota armdrags and dropkicks Yujiro then Ren eye rakes. Shota. Shota hits a basement dropkick on Ren. Shota fisherman suplexes Jack.

Jack superkicks Shota then Shota enzugiri's him. Jack dropkicks Shota. Shota fighs off HoT and exploders Yujiro. Shota tornado ddt's Ren. Yuji hits chest kicks on Ren then running face kicks him. Yuji knees him in the gut then belly to belly suplexes Ren. Yuji puts Ren in the Nagata lock and Jack breaks it up.

Shota dropkicks Jack then Yuji exploders Ren for 2. Ren eye rakes Yuji then ow blows him. Ren grounded cobra twists Yuji and taps him out.

The finish was lame and unnecessary here which sucked as the match was otherwise fine. They kept it moving and everyone got a little shine before the end.

Shota says he has something planned for HoT after.

Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. YOH

Yoh gets jumped by YK and YOH before he even enters. The ref doesn't care of course then the match starts.  YK Grabs the ref to keep himself from falling over then Sho trips Yoh. Yoh is sent into the rails and slammed on the floor.

Sho pounds on Yoh outside then YK suplexes Yoh. YK pulls both of Yoh's arms back then Sho sends Yoh into the rails. YK sends Sho into the rail door and stomps him. YK camel clutches Yoh. Yoh dragon screws YK then makes his comeback with a flying forearm. Yoh hits a neckbreaker and underhook suplex for 2.

Yoh misses a vader bomb elbow. YK slams him then top rope moonsaults his back. YK crabs him. YK grabs the ref to stop a german but is german suplexed anyway. YK throws the ref into Yoh and dropkicks him. Yoh is sent into the exposed buckle then YK crabs him. Yoh ropebreaks.

Yoh suplexes YK on the knee. Sho gets on the apron, battles with Yoh then YK whiskey mists Sho on accident. Yoh back rolls YK and wins it.

It was garbage from the very start with interference, ref bumps, beatings before the bell even took place and other nonsense. 

Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Jado), Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano vs. Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, SANADA, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura)

Oleg and Douki start us off. Oleg pushes him over. Douki gets his boots up in the corner and runs into the brick wall of Oleg. Douki hits chest chops that don't work. Douki shotei's him. Oleg turns his hurricanrana attempt into karelins' lift. Douki takes a double gorilla press drop.

Yano takes a turnbuckle pad off then Douki dropkicks him in the knee. Taichi side kicks Yano. Yano then takes a chop into a russian legsweep. Douki takes a 5 person boot.

Taichi takes his pants off. Yuya and Hiku fight. Hiku hits snake eyes then boots him in the face. Hiku goes for a chokeslam and is knee'd in the face. Yuya armdrags him then hits a big slam. Sanada dropkicks Hiku. Sanada flips out of a chokeslam and pulls Hiku over the top. Sanada plancha's Hiku. Hiku lariats Sanada then ELP springboard swantons Sanada.

ELP puts Sanada in the paradise lock then baseball slides him out. Sanada bridging twisting neckbreakers ELP. Taka shin kicks ELP then knees him in the face. Taka puts ELP in just facelock and it's broken up. Everyone gets a move in. Hiku chokeslams Taka then rocket launches ELP onto Taka. ELP wins it.

It was your average tag with these guys. Nothing wrong with it but certainly not the best possible match. Everyone got their little section in as usual then they went to the finish.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) vs. House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL)

Shingo gets jumped when he gets in. Togo stomps Naito outside and Shingo shoulders Evil over with his robe on. Shingo is sent into the rails outside then has his face raked. Evil bangs Shingo's head off the seats then chairs him. Shingo goes to get in in order to beat the count and Togo stops him. This goes to a double countout.

They restart the match just as they did prior on this tour. Shingo hits shots on Evil. He back elbows him then ddt's him. Naito basement dropkicks Evil then Shingo suplexes Evil. Shingo is sent into the exposed buckle, then sent into the rail knocking the timekeeper over.

Togo stomps Shingo in the corner then kneedrops his arm. Togo works Shingo's arm then Evil eye rakes Shingo. Shingo dragon screws him. Naito gets in and armdrags Evil. He baseball slides his back then hits combinacion cabron. Naito neckbreakers Evil for 2.

Togo trips Naito from the outside. Naito is thrown into the ref, who also knocks Shingo over. Naito gets low blowed and choked with a weapon. Naito chokes Togo with the weapon. Naito then pop-up low blows Togo and wins it.

It was your usual HoT garbage with ref bumps, matches being restarted, weapons usage and so forth. Nothing to see here and pretty much the same thing we always get.

Evil tries to beat up Naito after and is beaten up.

Shingo challenges Evil for the openweight title after.

New Japan Cup 2024 Final Match - Hirooki Goto vs. Yota Tsuji

Goto rolls out of a wristlock then headlock takeovers him. Yota chops him on the ropes. They shoulder battle. Goto hiptosses him and shoulders him over. Yota armdrags Goto then face kicks him. Yota topes him into the rails then slams him for 2. Yota bodyscissors him then takes chest chops. Goto lariats him off the ropes.

Goto spinning heel kicks him in the corner then backdrops him for 2. Yota hits his backbreaker + curbstomp variation. Yota shoulders him over and splashes him for 2. Yota superkicks him and forearms him then Goto ushigoroshi's him.

They trade forearms on their knees then stand up and trade. Goto does a fireman's carry elbow slice then Yota falcon arrows him. Yota curb stomps him then double jump curbstomps him. Goto sleepers him then hits a PK. They trade hadbutts with Goto hitting several in a row. Goto hits a rare shoten kai for 2.

Goto hits a kick then a pumping knee. Yota is flipped with a lariat. Goto seemingly goes for a rainmaker then is speared. Yota spears him and gets the win.

It was a good main here. It needed a little more time but I'm satisfied with what we got. Goto never really disappoints when given a chance and this was one of Yota's better matches so far. Goto kept Yota in check here and stopped him from overdoing it. It was a nice high impact match with some hard bumps.

Yota does a speech after saying he has opened the gates to the new era. He said the rain has stopped, an emperor has left us but I am here. He says he's the face of the new era. He said let's see what this era brings us all.

Yota calls in Naito after and says he will face him for the title. He says he will take the title from him. Naito asks if he's ready and they stare down.

 Yota said the best wrestling happens here and said he will take NJPW to new heights. 

Overall thoughts: I liked the main and the rest of what I saw was just another night in New Japan. It was a really lackluster, house show card outside of the main and I wouldn't recommend it. The main was good though and one of Yota's best matches so far in NJPW.