Csonka’s NJPW NJ Cup (Day 7) Review

Csonka’s NJPW NJ Cup (Day 7) Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– NJ Cup Tournament Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Ryusuke Taguchi @ 17:10 via pin [***¾]
– NJ Cup Tournament Match: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Kota Ibushi @ 16:10 via submission [****]

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– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– In the first round, I got five picks wrong, you can check that out at this link.

– Night 1 review here.
– Night 2 review here.
– Night 3 review here.
– Night 4 review here.
– Night 5 review here.
– Night 6 review here.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi: It’s Ace vs. Ass. – Chris Charlton on commentary. They lock up, both looking to work the arm and Tanahashi grounding the action. Taguchi escapes and almost gets the ankle lock. Taguchi wants a fist bump and then tries to attack, but gets cut off. He counters back and follows with a basement dropkick. He starts attacking the leg, but Tanahashi grounds him and works an ankle lock from the apron, and then slams Taguchi’s leg off the post. Back in and Tanahashi continues to target the leg, grounding the action. It’s all Tanahashi right now, Taguchi fires back with chops but Tanahashi hits ass attacks. Taguchi fires up and hits one, and then a second. Taguchi now rubs his ass in Tanahashi’s face, and follows with running ass attacks. Taguchi springboards in with a missile dropkick. He then dropkicks Tanahashi to the floor and follows with a plancha. Back in and Taguchi locks on the ankle lock, but Tanahashi hits the dragon screw and another as Taguchi was trapped in the ropes. Taguchi fights off the cloverleaf, but Tanahashi hits the slam and the senton is stopped with an ankle lock. He escapes; they work into counters and Tanahashi hits twist and shout. Taguchi hits a suplex, hit another and both men are down. Taguchi pops up and he’s fired up. Bum a ye connects for 2. The tiger suplex follows but Tanahashi kicks out. Tanahashi counters dodon, but Taguchi cradles him for 2 and locks on the ankle lock. Taguchi hangs on, Tanahashi fights, but Taguchi drops down and keeps the hold. Tanahashi rolls him up for 2. Taguchi cuts off sling blade with an enziguri and then runs into sling blade. Another follows and that gets 2. Dragon suplex by Tanahashi finally finishes it. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Ryusuke Taguchi @ 17:10 via pin [***¾] This was a very good and tremendously fun match, with an invested crowd and Taguchi working hard and delivering against the ace. He felt like a threat and there were some great counters throughout.

Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: Sabre beat Ibushi in last year’s NJ Cup, but Ibushi won in the G1. They jockey for position, and Sabre grounds things but Ibushi escapes. Sabre looks to ground things again. They pick up the pace and work into a stand off. Ibushi lays in leg kicks, backing Sabre off. They trade kicks, and Sabre pulls a heel hook, but Ibushi makes the ropes. Sabre now works the ankle, lays in leg kicks, and ties up the legs and transitions to a head scissors as well. He then attacks the neck, keeping Ibushi grounded. Sabre works a neck crank, but Ibushi makes the ropes. Ibushi fires back, and follows with a RANA. Ibushi lays in a flurry of strikes, but Sabre counters the standing moonsault and locks on a knee bar; Ibushi makes the ropes. Sabre continues to punish the leg of Ibushi, but Ibushi connects with a desperation PELE. Sabre now counters into an Indian death lock variation along with a cravat. They trade grounded strikes, Ibushi lays in kicks as he escapes. Sabre then dropkicks the knee, misses a PK and Ibushi hits a powerslam and moonsault for 2. Sabre lays in kicks, but Ibushi cuts him off with a standing double stomp. They work into counters, and Sabre gets the heel hook again but Ibushi counters into a bridging half and half suplex for 2. Sabre counters the head kick, locks on a guillotine and pulls Ibushi to the mat. Ibushi counters the Zack driver and follows with a stiff lariat. Sabre counters the jig ‘n tonic into the European clutch for 2. A big palm strike from Ibushi follows, Sabre counter kamigoye into an arm bar and transitions to the triangle. Ibushi powers up and hits the sitout powerbomb for 2. Sabre counters kamigoye again, but Ibushi hits the straight jacket German for 2. Sabre counters kamigoye again, gets a leg lock and into orienting with napalm death. Ibushi fights and then taps. Well there goes my pick. Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Kota Ibushi @ 16:10 via submission [****] This was a great match, filled with a ton of smooth, creative, and beautiful counter wrestling. I was surprised that Ibushi lost, but not in a bad way.

– The rest of round two will be…
* Toru Yano vs. Colt Cabana (Sunday)
* Minoru Suzuki vs. SANADA (Sunday)

– Set for round three…

* YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tomohiro Ishii
* Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 3. On today’s show, 411’s Larry Csonka discuses Jeff Jarrett’s role in WWE, Jim Cornette in MLW, and takes a look at the stacked NXT Takeover: New York card. The show is approximately 20 minutes long.

Intro
Jeff Jarrett – 2:15
Jim Cornette – 4:05
NXT Takeover: New York – 6:50

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 on Wrestling Podcast via the
above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

* iTunes
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* Stitcher

7.8

The final score: review Good

The 411

Night 7 of the NJ Cup was a quality night of action with both matches delivering.