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Cero Reviews NJPW New Japan Cup 2020, Day 4

Posted: Jun 23rd, '20, 13:48
by cero2k
NJPW New Japan Cup 2020, Day 4
June 23, 2020
Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan

New Japan Cup First Round Match
BUSHI vs YOH - 6/10
I'm pretty sure I had never heard YOH's own song, last BOSJ he was still coming out to R3K theme if I remember correctly. SHO and YOH now have separate attires and themes, their each coming to their own.

Commentary really tried to make me think this was exciting, but I found it kinda boring. BUSHI won with a couple of Codebreakers followed by MX. They brawled a bit outside, they did Leg Locks, then Superkicks, then the finish. I expected BUSHI to win.

New Japan Cup First Round Match
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs YOSHI-HASHI - 8/10
This was...ugh, I don't want to say it....pretty fucking good. Tenzan is the second least mobile man in the New Japan roster and YOSHI-HASHI is such a geek, that he doesn't even deserve the Captain New Japan mask, but they had a pretty good match. I think it helped that they had enough time and Tenzan didn't gas out.

The match wasn't particularly psychological, or technical, or anything, it was two dudes hitting each other, chasing moves, shoulder tackles and such, but it was good and consistent action. Tenzan had a great near fall towards the end with an Anaconda Buster, but YH kicked out and won with the Butterfly Lock.

This was the match that I dreaded the most of the tournament, but it ended up being better than Okada's, SANADA's, Yano's, Ishimori's, and YOH's first round matches.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, & SANADA) vs Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, SHO, & Tomohiro Ishii) - 6.5/10
Hiromu is still selling his fear of Toru Yano, he was trembling in the floor before the match, crying as he approached the ring, but none of his teammates seemed surprised. I think he's dreading his match as much as I'm now dreading BUSHI vs YOSHI-HASHI. He eventually hyped himself into starting the match vs Yano.

This was productive, it served many goals, it was fun, and the little action in the ring was good. We got previews of SHO vs SANADA and a fantastic preview of Hiromu vs Yano. We got teases of Hiromu vs Okada, Shingo vs Ishii and SHO (I can see either challenging for the NEVER title at either Osaka shows), and we got another Okada vs Naito tease, which is too obvious for me, but surely coming sooner or later.

Finish saw Yano chase Hiromu to the lobby of Korakuen Hall, right next to the smoking area, Yano tied up Hiromu's legs and attempted to shave his head until Okada came down and told them that the count was already at 18. Neither made it back obviously, and we got a double countout. Beautiful.

New Japan Cup First Round Match
Hirooki Goto vs Yujiro Takahashi (w/Jado) - 7/10
One day, my children will ask me what was Yujiro Takahashi's style like, and I won't be able to answer them, and i'll disappoint them, and they'll leave me to die alone in the woods. I seriously don't know what Yujiro is anymore. A lot of guys, out of irrelevancy and age, tend to get into either brawling or become the tricky veteran, Yujiro is neither, and he was always someone that I enjoyed his presence. If YOSHI-HASHI and Taichi are trying to change their styles, I wish Yujiro would too. Maybe since he was the only Japanese in the BC, it be cool if he started doing your trademark US moves like Attitude Adjustments and work that fake WWE style.

Anyway, match was boring, it was mostly Goto dealing with the small amount of offense that Yujiro got and then spam all the GTR and Ushigoroshis he had until his victory. For fucks sake, YOSHI-HASHI vs Tenzan is still the best match of the night.

New Japan Cup First Round Match
EVIL vs Satoshi Kojima - 8.5/10
If you like Lariats, boy, do I have a match for you. This was a Lariat fest, Kojima decapitated EVIL at least 3 times, and that was with a worked arm that EVIL focused on from the start. This was hard hitting from start to end, I never expected Kojima to win, but he made sure to give EVIL everything he had and EVIL surely earned the win. There's not much to say other than EVIL worked the arm, Kojima did Lariats, and at the end, EVIL, almost desperately, won with the EIE.

Post-match - EVIL cut his usual Everything is Evil promo saying he would win the Cup, asking who could stop him.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
Ok show, when the second best match had YOSHI-HASHI and Tenzan, I can't say that it was great or anything, but it was a fun easy to watch show.

Next round has EVIL vs Goto and BUSHI vs YOSHI-HASHI.