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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: NJPW New Japan Cup Tournament 2015

April 8, 2015 | Posted by TJ Hawke
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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: NJPW New Japan Cup Tournament 2015  

 

March 5, 2015
Tokyo, Japan

 

New Japan Cup 2015 First Round Match
YOSHI-HASHI vs. Yujiro Takahashi

I am already regretting my decision to look at this whole tournament.

Yujiro got control after they “brawled” on the floor. YOSHI came back in the ring. They started going back and forth. YOSHI kicked out of Miami Shine, but he could not kick out of Tokyo Pimps.

The crowd seemed to get into this more than I expected, but I was bored all the way through. I don’t find these two to be entertaining much at all. Props to them for getting the match fairly over with the crowd though. Let’s hope Yujiro doesn’t kill anyone in the next round.

Match Rating: *

 

New Japan Cup 2015 First Round Match
Togi Makabe vs. Tomoaki Honma

Makabe tried to win via countout early on. Makabe then went after Honma’s left leg. Honma eventually fought back, and he even hit the headbutt. Makabe fought right back though, and they ended up trading forearms. Honma seemed dead after, but he appeared to just be playing possum. He sprang to life with two Superman headbutts, but he then missed the diving headbutt. They traded forearms on the top rope. Honma won but then missed another fucking headbutt when Makabe was in the Tree of Woe. Makabe then finished him with two diving knee drops.

I was pretty sure that I had heard Makabe won this one, but Honma managed to sucker me into believing that he had a chance anyway. Honma was excellent as usual here, and this was my favorite Makabe match in a while. I just do not relate to the booking mindset that leads to Honma losing as often as he does. He’s one of the best wrestlers in the company. He should be closed at least somewhat close to that level.

Match Rating: ***1/4

 

New Japan Cup 2015 First Round Match
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Satoshi Kojima

They went right to the forearms. Neither had control of the match for very long. Kojima seemingly had the opportunity to win via countout, but he brought Shibata back to the ring. They went back and forth some more. Shibata eventually finished him with the sleeper/GTS/PK combo.

A fun match with good action from start to finish. This came across like a less intense G1 match, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Good stuff. The show has picked up nicely for sure.

Match Rating: ***

 

New Japan Cup 2015 First Round Match
Hirooki Goto vs. Yuji Nagata

Goto had control for a bit. Nagata came back and delivered some kicks. Goto came back. Nagata hit an exploder. Trading forearms because NJPW. Nagata won that exchange and later got the armbar. Goto survived that, but Nagata remained in full control. Goto made a comeback with all of his main offense and then finished Nagata with Shouten-Kai.

This was okay. I was neither bored nor entertained all that much watching this. It was distinctly average. Goto winning does absolutely nothing for me. This is one of those matches that the average NJPW fan is going to enjoy a lot more than I did. Don’t take my lack of strong reaction to it too hard if you enjoy the majority of NJPW PPV matches.

Match Rating: **1/2

 

New Japan Cup 2015 First Round Match
Doc Gallows vs. Kota Ibushi

Gallows got firm control on the floor and threw a chair at Kota twice. Tama Tonga was getting involved. Kota finally fought back and hit his moonsault to the floor on Gallows, Tonga, and Cody Hall. They started going back and forth. Kota caught him with a hurricanrana: 1…2…3

I guess I should be grateful for the result, but I just don’t understand why this match needed to be booked the way it was. I get Gallows looking strong given that he has a size advantage, but there was no need for Kota’s win to look so lucky. Right finish. Wrong journey.

Match Rating: **1/4

 

New Japan Cup 2015 First Round Match
Karl Anderson vs. Tetsuya Naito

Anderson attacked Naito before the bell and then worked him over. Naito eventually made his comeback. Anderson hit a spinebuster and then came back. Naito took a nasty bump on his neck at one point. Anderson got a nearfall with a Gun Stun. Naito came back and went for a Frankensteiner, but Anderson reversed it into a diving powerbomb for a great nearfall. They did a forearm exchange. It’s getting to the point where forearm exchanges in NJPW take me out of a match because of how overdone they are. Anderson hit a neckbreaker and called for the Gun Stun. They did a back and forth sequence to finish the match. Naito eventually finished Anderson with the Stardust Press.

So, I ended up watching this match twice. I didn’t care for it much the first time, but seeing other people called it great made me want to take the time to give it a second look. The first paragraph is what I wrote after the first time I saw it. The second paragraph is what I wrote after I watched it a second time.

I find it nearly impossible to get invested in a match that is about the Bullet Club dominating someone and then involves a Naito underdog comeback. Those are two things that I just do not care about in NJPW. There were enough cool moments in this one to redeem it slightly for sure, but I expect others to like it much more than I did.

This match does so many things that I enjoy in pro wrestling. Evil heel jumping the babyface and delivering a beatdown. Babyface eventually fights back. Cool sequences and reversals. Strong nearfalls. Fitting finish. So, why do I not care about this one much? The best answer I can figure out for now is that I just cannot get invested in Naito much these days as a babyface. There’s a major disconnect there for me. I liked Anderson’s work more this time though. While I do not want him to be a heel, he’s much better at it with a smaller babyface that he can dominate. Overall, I liked this match slightly more the second time around. It’s just not a match for me.

Match Rating: ***

 

New Japan Cup 2015 First Round Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Toru Yano

Yano gave up on out-wrestling Tana early and relied on sneaky tactics. One of his pinning combos actually worked, and he technically pinned Tana clean. That got a big pop.

This was solid enough. It seems weird for Tanahashi to lose so much now since it makes Okada’s loss to him seem less significant. Yano was so much here, and I’m genuinely all for him having a second match in this tournament.

Match Rating: **1/2

 

New Japan Cup 2015 First Round Match
Bad Luck Fale vs. Kazuchika Okada

I don’t see Okada being a guy who can get a watchable match out of Fale. Fale cut Okada off early and then worked him over. Okada started to fight back, but Fale gave him a body slam to the floor. Okada fought back again, and they did a bloody forearm exchange. Fale reversed the Rainmaker into a Samoan Drop. He then hit a spear for a nearfall. Okada avoided the Bad Luck Fall and the Samoan Spike. He hit a pair of dropkicks but then ate the Samoan Spike: 1…2…NO! Superfly Splash from Fale: 1…2…NO! BAD LUCK FALL: 1…2…3. Sigh.

The crowd was really ready for Okada to win after he survived the diving splash, and it came across like a huge miscalculation to have Fale win. Unless Okada is leaving the company, this bottoming out/loser storyline for him is a chore for no good reason.

The match itself was better than I thought it would be. Hard to care though when you know it leads to more Bad Luck Fale though.

Match Rating: ***

 

Some annoying booking as usual from NJPW, as the results of the first round lead to some very uninteresting second round matches.

 

 

March 8, 2015
Tokyo, Japan

 

New Japan Cup 2015 Second Round Match
Togi Makabe vs. Yujiro Takahashi

After some weak brawling (does Yujiro know any other kind?), Yujiro got control on the floor. Yujiro somewhat targeted the left leg. Makabe made his comeback. Yujiro surprisingly managed to cut him off again though and then went right back after the left leg. Makabe came back again and got a nearfall with a diving powerbomb. Yujiro came right back and hit Tokyo Pimps: 1…2…NO! JEEZUS FUCKING CHRIST. Yujiro gave Makabe the sloppiest fucking buckle bomb ever. Makabe is lucky to be alive after that one. Makabe fought back again and managed to avoid Yujiro’s low blow attempt. He hit multiple lariats. and a spider German. Diving knee: 1…2…3

What’s there left to say about Yujiro after all these years of being awful? He’s either being really boring or nearly killing wrestlers with reckless execution. He managed to do both in this match. Send him to the sun*. Makabe was his usual okay self here, but he could have stood to sell the knee more.

*Or to NOAH.

Match Rating: **1/4

 

New Japan Cup 2015 Second Round Match
Kota Ibushi vs. Toru Yano

Yano laughed at Tanahashi on his way to the ring. Toru Yano is a GOD among insects. Don’t let anyone tell you any differently!

Yano was going ALL in on the cheating tactics early on. I genuinely like Yano, but he seems to be really on point with his gaga right now. Ibushi kept teasing big movez. Yano appeared to be a step ahead of him, but Ibushi kept anticipating that. He managed to change course on a moonsault attempt and caught Yano with diving sunset flip: 1…2…3

Yano 100% delivered in both of his matches of this year’s cup. I’m ready for there to be some storyline/gimmick of a “Toru Yano Five Minute Challenge” where he only works matches with five-minute time limits because he’s the best wrestler in five minutes or fewer. The payoff is a match for the NEVER title, and he ends up losing at the 5:01 mark. Gimme the book, NJPW.

Match Rating: ***

 

New Japan Cup 2015 Second Round Match
Bad Luck Fale vs. Tetsuya Naito

Fale went for the countout win early on, but Naito beat the count. Fale remained in control and worked Naito over for a while. Naito made a comeback. He went after the left leg to ground the bigger man. Fale survived that and made his own comeback. Naito avoided the spike and took Fake down by the injured leg. Fale survived that but couldn’t pull off the Bad Luck Fall. He hit a lariat/spike combo though for a nearfall. He then went for the Bad Luck Fall, but Naito reversed it into a hurricanrana: 1…2…3!

On the Brent Albright/Adam Pearce Death Before Dishonor 2008 Miracle Scale, this was a 7. Fale is one of the least-talented wrestlers in the world (at least in major companies), and Naito is the king of not delivering when he needs to. Everything somehow worked out here. Fale being more consistent in his injured limb selling would have put this over the top. GOOD stuff. Don’t sleep on it.

Match Rating: ***1/2

 

New Japan Cup 2015 Second Round Match
Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata

I am so sick of this matchup. Davey Richards/EEEE levels of sick. I know they’re going to do the “hit each other as hard as they can” match, but I’m hoping for something more than that. I am a fool, I know.

Shibata ended up getting control first. They worked a more methodical pace, which I am fine with given the spot they’re in. Shibata went after the right arm. Goto briefly fought back before they started going back and forth. Shibata finally remembered Goto had an injured arm, but Goto then applied an armbar on Shibata. More back and forth. Goto blocked the PK. Goto hit a discus lariat, but Shibata kicked out at one. Goto struggled to pull off the Shouten Kai, but he eventually did to pick up the victory.

Certain NJPW wrestlers bring out the worst in each other in singles matches. These two have definitely reached that point for me. It’s unfortunate because the Goto matches are what originally elevated Shibata to a potential main event level. They just have not seriously evolved their matches from the original ones; something, something, something diminishing returns.

For example, Shibata started to target Goto’s right arm in this match and proceeded to work it over for a bit. Goto occasionally sold the injury in between moves but that injured arm really did not prevent him from executing any of his moves. Nor did it play into the finish. That’s just not a style for me anymore. If you liked this, more power to you.

Match Rating: **3/4

 

 

March 15, 2015
Hiroshima, Japan

 

New Japan Cup 2015 Semi Final Match
Hirooki Goto vs. Togi Makabe

I don’t anticipate liking this one much, but I’ll obviously give it a chance. They both have had matches in the past two or three years that I’ve considered great. They just underwhelm me more often than not in singles bouts.

They ended up on the floor quickly. Goto got control by going after Makabe’s left knee and then worked him over by targeting it. Makabe fought back and made it competitive. They went back and forth. Goto avoided the spider German and turned it into a draping neckbreaker. Goto ate a German and then came back with a unique pinning combo to pick up the victory.

This was solid enough. I was hoping the leg work would go somewhere, but it did not end up meaning anything. Goto looked like the better wrestler here, and I’m glad he moved on.

Match Rating: **3/4

 

New Japan Cup 2015 Semi Final Match
Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito

Naito went after Ibushi’s left arm. He worked Kota over for a bit, but he stopped targeting the arm. Kota came back after he hit a springboard dropkick. Naito came right back though. Naito has looked fairly sharp so far, and I’m definitely digging controlling the match as opposed to him working from behind. Kota came back again after catching Naito with a nasty dragon suplex. Naito hit a reverse Frankensteiner. They did a forearm sequence. Gawd, really? So unnecessary. Every match does not require opponents to trade forearms. They started trading movez. Naito went for a wheelbarrow roll-up, but Kota just drove him down on the back of his neck. Excellent. Kota then kicked him in the head before finishing him with a Liger Bomb.

This was a good match that I enjoyed almost all the way through. Naito being a heel could be a great thing for him and NJPW, and I think that should be his path based on his performance in this match. Kota didn’t stand out here as much as he has in other big matches this year, but I’m very glad that he won.

Match Rating: ***1/2

 

New Japan Cup 2015 Final Match
Hirooki Goto vs. Kota Ibushi

Goto avoided the moonsault to the floor and then worked Kota over. Kota fought back after a few minutes and hit the moonsault. Goto fought back, and they soon started going back and forth. THEY TRADED FOREARMS! FUCK ME. I cannot stand forearm exchanges anymore. Goto won that battle. Kota fought back and hit a big lariat. Kota threw some more big stuff at Goto. Goto kicked out of the Liger Bomb, but he could not kick out of the Phoenix Splash.

Much like the Naito/Anderson match, I went back and re-watched this one when I saw how much people seemed to love this one. I didn’t even write anything the first time I saw this one because I knew I was going to have to check it again. Much like Naito, Goto is a character/wrestler that I found it nearly impossible to care about his matches. I don’t like his look, his selling (or lack thereof as the case may be), or his offense. That’s not to say that I’ve never liked *any* of his matches (the Tenzan match from the G1 last year was the biggest pleasant surprise of the whole tournament!). Kota, meanwhile, is a wrestler that I’ve always loved and who has gotten better and better over the years. This match didn’t really play to his strengths though as far as I am concerned. This felt like Kota conforming to Goto’s style, as opposed to Kota’s style serving to freshen up Goto. Anyway, this was fine. I didn’t dislike it or even find it boring. The level of enjoyment it gave me was just nowhere close to the levels it seemed to give others.

Match Rating: ***

 

Like reading about New Japan? This site *may* interest you.

 

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Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jun Akiyama (G1 Climax)

Katsuyori Shibata vs. Yuji Nagata (G1 Climax)

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Prince Devitt (G1 Climax)

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Kota Ibushi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [Fantastic Match]

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7.0
The final score: review Good
The 411
I enjoyed being able to conveniently watch every match of this year's New Japan Cup, and I'm glad I checked it all out. While I would say that I enjoyed this experience overall, it certainly did not perfectly align with my tastes. Hirooki Goto is not the last person on the NJPW roster that I want to see work four times in a tournament, but he's definitely close to being that person. I do not get his appeal at all, and I'd much prefer him stick to the tag division. Kota did not have a ton of great opportunities unfortunately, and that kind of took some of the steam out his win for me, as well.  Those issues definitely hindered the tournament for sure, but there were some good matches and interesting performances throughout the rest of the tourney. Naito's performance against Anderson did not do much for me, but he rebounded big time with strong matches against Fale and Kota. The Kota match made me long for a Naito heel turn, and I'm hopeful it's coming. Fale, himself, stepped up and delivered two good matches in his only two matches. Yano's shtick was very over and worked perfectly for what it was designed to do. Overall, the tournament was just easy and fun to watch even if it was far from spectacular. Check it out on New Japan World if you're a subscriber.
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New Japan Pro Wrestling, TJ Hawke