New Japan Cup 2015: Day 1 Results

[Big Red Machine]

Source: http://www.wrestlezone.com/news/558317- ... up-results

8-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH
Sho Tanaka, Mascara Dorada, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask vs. Jay White, Yohei Komatsu, KUSHIDA, Jushin Thunder Liger

Liger starts things off with a surfboard stretch on Tanaka. Team Liger takes turns working him over, including some impressive offense from KUSHIDA. Taguchi makes the hot tag and does the butt bump to all four of them. Dorada does a springboard crossbody and KUSHIDA turns his headscissors into a snap DDT. He sells clotheslines from everyone until Taguchi saves the match. Dorada hits a triangle dropkick and his corkscrew senton bomb to pin Jay White.

Winners: Dorada, Tanaka, Taguchi, Tiger Mask


TOURNAMENT MATCH
Yujiro Takahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI

Yoshi takes him down with a headscissors so Takahashi bails. He follows up, but is thrown into the guardrail and the bullying begins. Takahashi heels it up, attacking in the ropes and mocking his pain. Yoshi hits a running neckbreaker out of nowhere and a big dropkick to the face. They fight to the top rope, and Takahashi wins the trade with a belly-to-belly. Yoshi blocks a superkick and hits a Codebreaker, followed by a big boot. He sets up for a powerbomb but Takahashi grabs the referee and hits a low blow. He hits the Miami Shine but Yoshi kicks out. He hits a sitout inverted powerslam and that’ll do it.

Winner: Yujiro Takahashi

TOURNAMENT MATCH
Togi Makabe vs. Tomoaki Honma

Honma misses the running headbutt early and Makabe takes over. They slow things down with Honma teasing a knee injury, which gets worked over. He builds back up, but again misses the heatbutt. They trade suplex attemps and Honma ends up dead-lifting him into a brainbuster. He misses a third attempt, but ends up connecting with the fourth. They get into a forearm throwing contest which Makabe wins; Honma tries to come back but collapses. The referee tries to check on him, but he was playing possum. Honma with two running headbutts, but he misses one from the top rope. He no-sells a lariat but gets turned inside-out by another. Makabe tries to German suplex him off the top, but settles for knocking him down and hitting a knee to the back of the head. He goes up again and connects with a diving knee for the 1-2-3.

Winner: Togi Makabe

Katsuyori Shibata vs. Satoshi Kojima

They start trading punches as soon as the bell rings; Kojima wins the exchange and pops his pecks. They throw elbow shots on the floor as the referee counts, which rises the crowd, rolling back in at 19. The stiff exchanges continue for several minutes, until Shibata hits a missile dropkick for two. They kill each other for several minutes until Kojima hits a lariat on the apron. The referee gets to 19 and Kojima stops him from counting, rolling outside and throwing his opponent back in – lots of respect from the crowd there. Shibata comes back with lariats and both guys go down. Kojima tries for a lariat, Shibata blocks it so he turns around and hits him with the other arm. Shibata puts him in a sleeper hold, but lets him go before the referee calls for the bell. He hits a GTS and a running kick for the win.

Winner: Katsuyori Shibata



TOURNAMENT MATCH
Hirooki Goto vs. Yuji Nagata

Goto in control early with a standing armbar. Nagata with some big kicks; he tries for the cross armbar but they roll into the ropes. Nagata’s turn to take over, working the arm with rest holds and kicks. Eventually Goto comes back with chops and a spinning wheel kick, followed up by a side suplex for two. He runs into a t-bone suplex and the kitchen sink knee lift. They trade elbows until Nagata slaps the **** out of him. Goto responds with a big headbutt. Yuji locks in an armbar out of nowhere and goes into his “zone” where his eyes roll back. Goto slowly fights out of the hold but takes a German suplex and a brainbuster for two. Nagata tries everything to put him away, but Goto keeps kicking out. Goto with a lariat and a brainbuster for the win.

Winner: Hirooki Goto



6-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH
Kazushi Sakuraba, Tomohiro Ishii, Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Captain New Japan, Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan

Ishii and Tenzan almost come to blows before the match even starts. Tenzan takes down Nakamura and mocks his foot shake in the corner. Shinsuke fights back with a big knee and the heels clear the apron. Ishii tags in and the big men have a chop battle. That’s too sissy, apparently, so they have a headbutt battle instead. Tenzan sells for about five minutes until he hits a spinning heel kick on Ishii and makes the hot tag to Nakanishi, who beats down everyone. He picks up Nakamura and no-sells kicks from Sakuraba, then throws them into each other. Captain tags in but misses a splash from the top rope. The heels triple team him until the babyfaces come back and save the match. Nakanishi and Tenzan beat down Ishii and Captain hits a diving headbutt for two. He tries for a chokeslam, but settles for the Rock Bottom for another nearfall. Captain takes a running knee from all three opponents, and Ishii pins him with a brainbuster.

Ishii and Tenzan brawl after the match, and it takes 10 men to separate them.

Winners: Ishii, Sakuraba, Nakamura


TOURNAMENT MATCH
Doc Gallows vs. Kota Ibushi

Gallows throws him around the ring to start things off. Ibushi gets mad, but runs into a big right hook. They fight out to the floor and past the barricade, and Gallows throws a chair at him. The referee has apparently decided not to count them out. Tama Tonga takes a few cheap shots from the outside. After about 7 minutes of being dominated, Ibushi builds back into the match, only to run into a big boot. He dodges a splash and hits a standing dropkick to create his first opening. The Club pulls Doc out of the ring, but Ibushi does a springboard moonsault to take them all down. He tries to suplex the big man and fails, but ducks under a kick and then actually manages to hit the German suplex. Gallows comes back with a choke bomb for two. Out of nowhere Ibushi rolls him up with a hurricanrana for the 1-2-3.

Winner: Kota Ibushi



TOURNAMENT MATCH
Karl Anderson vs. Tetsuya Naito

Anderson blindsides Naito before the bell, taking him to the floor and powerbombing him into the apron. The beatdown continues for several minutes; Naito crawls his way back to the apron but is met with a dropkick, and barely answers the 20-count. Anderson misses a running senton, which creates the first opening (exact same spot as the last match). Naito takes control briefly with kicks, but runs into a spinebuster. Anderson with a step-up kick to the head and a running axe kick that turns him inside-out. Naito fights back but Machine Gun blocks a kick and hits the Swivel Gun Stun for a nearfall. He sets up for a piledriver but Naito breaks free and gets an enzuigiri for two. He attempts a Frankensteiner from the top rope, but Anderson catches him with a massive sit-down super powerbomb for another nearfall. Several more big spots and nearfalls later, and Naito starts trying for different pinning combinations to no avail. He counters a Gun Stun and hits the Stardust Press for the win.

Winner: Tetsuya Naito



TOURNAMENT MATCH
Toru Yano vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Yano tries to take the turnbuckle padding off, but gets attacked from behind. He distracts the referee and hits a low blow, then almost rolls up Tanahashi for a ridiculously close two-and-a-half count. Both trade roll-ups for nearfalls, until Yano actually picks up the biggest upset of his entire career, and pins Tanahashi.

Winner: Toru Yano

TOURNAMENT MATCH
Kazuchika Okada vs. Bad Luck Fale

Okada spends the first few minutes trying to chop down the big man. Fale misses a leg drop, but throws his opponent over the ropes into the barricade. Tama Tonga joins in the attack to double team Okada on the floor. The beatdown continues for several minutes; so far they’re booking this exactly like the other two “David vs. Goliath” Bullet Club matches. Fale misses a splash to give another opening, and Okada takes advantage with a DDT. He clotheslines the big man over the top rope and takes a breather. He sends him over the barricade and tries for a suicide dive, but Fale catches him and hits a powerslam onto the floor. He barely answers the 20-count. Fale sets up for a powerbomb but Okada manages to throw him over. He starts throwing elbows that have little effect, but neither do Fale’s. Okada with a running dropkick to take him off his feet, followed by a diving elbow. He calls for the finish, but Fale counters the Rainmaker with a Samoan Drop for two. He connects with a massive spear, but Okada kicks out. Another powerbomb attempt gets countered into a neckbreaker. Okada attempts to get him up for a Tombstone, but settles for a dropkick. He hits yet another dropkick, counters a chokeslam with ANOTHER dropkick, but runs into a lariat. Fale connects with a Samoa Spike for two. Fale connects with a top rope splash for two. He hits the Bad Luck Fall and finally picks up three.

Winner: Bad Luck Fale

[Big Red Machine]

TOURNAMENT MATCH
Toru Yano vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

Yano tries to take the turnbuckle padding off, but gets attacked from behind. He distracts the referee and hits a low blow, then almost rolls up Tanahashi for a ridiculously close two-and-a-half count. Both trade roll-ups for nearfalls, until Yano actually picks up the biggest upset of his entire career, and pins Tanahashi.

Winner: Toru Yano

WHAT THE F*CKING F*CK?!

So Yano the comedy dork beats one of the big three (and not even right after the low blow, either!)... but they'll never let these guys lose to a top star in other promotions? That makes this not just stupid, but also really f*cking annoying.

[Big Red Machine]

Meltzer defended Tanahashi losing to Yano in three minutes by saying that it's good to show that an underdog can win in three minutes. How many times have we seen that in WWE and Dave buries them for it?

[cero2k]

Meltzer defended Tanahashi losing to Yano in three minutes by saying that it's good to show that an underdog can win in three minutes. How many times have we seen that in WWE and Dave buries them for it?

i think the difference here is this was a 100% upset, from the time spent in the ring, wrestlers involved, and pin used, so i like how it works, we already saw it in night 2, that Yano's approach will be try and get out of matches quickly. WWE are hit and misses, sometimes they're ok, some times they're not credible. I'm not defending Dave, but i can see where he is coming from

[Big Red Machine]

Meltzer defended Tanahashi losing to Yano in three minutes by saying that it's good to show that an underdog can win in three minutes. How many times have we seen that in WWE and Dave buries them for it?

i think the difference here is this was a 100% upset, from the time spent in the ring, wrestlers involved, and pin used, so i like how it works, we already saw it in night 2, that Yano's approach will be try and get out of matches quickly. WWE are hit and misses, sometimes they're ok, some times they're not credible. I'm not defending Dave, but i can see where he is coming from

Except we saw that from Yano the entire G1, so this didn't tell us anything new about him. Tanahashi lost basically cleanly to a comedy jobber who almost never wins without cheating.
Dave's double-standard gets quite frustrating. I might restrict myself to only news segments with Dave for a while.

[cero2k]

Tanahashi lost basically cleanly to a comedy jobber who almost never wins without cheating.

there's nothing wrong with that, those little surprises are good sometimes. Believe in Jado and Gedo

[Big Red Machine]

Tanahashi lost basically cleanly to a comedy jobber who almost never wins without cheating.

there's nothing wrong with that, those little surprises are good sometimes. Believe in Jado and Gedo

It's not so much that (although I wouldn't have done it without cheating, and not in a three minute match) as it is the fact that they'll let this bozo beat Tanahashi, but demand such ridiculous protection of him when he goes overseas.

[cero2k]

there's nothing wrong with that, those little surprises are good sometimes. Believe in Jado and Gedo

It's not so much that (although I wouldn't have done it without cheating, and not in a three minute match) as it is the fact that they'll let this bozo beat Tanahashi, but demand such ridiculous protection of him when he goes overseas.

well yes, Yano, regardless of being a total joke, is still a NJPW guy, they'll obviously are ok with giving him wins like this, and it's an ok way to defeat Tanahashi and get him out of the tournament as quickly as possible. I just hope that later on Tanahashi is pissed enough at Yano and kicks his ass, which i could see happening after night two's

Hidden text.

Yano mocking tanahashi during the Yano/Ibushi match

[Big Red Machine]

there's nothing wrong with that, those little surprises are good sometimes. Believe in Jado and Gedo

It's not so much that (although I wouldn't have done it without cheating, and not in a three minute match) as it is the fact that they'll let this bozo beat Tanahashi, but demand such ridiculous protection of him when he goes overseas.

well yes, Yano, regardless of being a total joke, is still a NJPW guy, they'll obviously are ok with giving him wins like this, and it's an ok way to defeat Tanahashi and get him out of the tournament as quickly as possible. I just hope that later on Tanahashi is pissed enough at Yano and kicks his ass, which i could see happening after night two's

Hidden text.

Yano mocking tanahashi during the Yano/Ibushi match

Hidden text.

Except that Ibushi not only beat Yano, but spoiled all of his dirty tricks, too. He's got nothing left now.

The best way to get Tanahashi out fo the tournament earlier would have been to book him against someone else.

[cero2k]

Hidden text.

Except that Ibushi not only beat Yano, but spoiled all of his dirty tricks, too. He's got nothing left now.

The best way to get Tanahashi out fo the tournament earlier would have been to book him against someone else.

in all honesty, the problem here is that NJPW still puts Yano in as a credible contender, and sure i know he's filling in because Suzuki-Gun is still not back, but why not put Tama Tonga or Ishii or even Nakanishi in there. At this point i question myself who ends up looking weaker, Okada losing out of a battle or Tana losing in an upset.

[Big Red Machine]

Hidden text.

Except that Ibushi not only beat Yano, but spoiled all of his dirty tricks, too. He's got nothing left now.

The best way to get Tanahashi out fo the tournament earlier would have been to book him against someone else.

in all honesty, the problem here is that NJPW still puts Yano in as a credible contender, and sure i know he's filling in because Suzuki-Gun is still not back, but why not put Tama Tonga or Ishii or even Nakanishi in there. At this point i question myself who ends up looking weaker, Okada losing out of a battle or Tana losing in an upset.

Definitely Tanahashi. Okada lost to a big scary monster. A former IWGP Intercontinental Champion. Tanahashi got beaten in three minutes by a comedy jobber.