New Japan Cup Participants Named, 48 Wrestlers Total Including Kota Ibushi and Satoshi Kojima

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced a total of forty-eight competitors for this year’s New Japan Cup, which begins on March 2. There will be sixteen first-round matches involving 32 wrestlers, with the remaining sixteen getting first-round byes. The finals happen on March 27. The first round features:

* Kazuchika Okada vs. El Desperado
* Toru Yano vs. Taichi
* Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
* CIMA vs. TAKA Michinoku
* Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. YOH
* Tetsuya Naito vs. Yujiro Takahashi
* Togi Makabe vs. Jeff Cobb
* Tomoaki Honma vs. YOSHI-HASHI
* Kota Ibushi vs Great-O-Khan
* Ryohei Oiwa vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
* Yuto Nakashima vs. Aaron Henare
* BUSHI vs. Will Ospreay
* Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shingo Takagi
* Chase Owens vs. Jado
* Ryusuke Taguchi vs. EVIL
* Hiromu Takahashi vs. SHO

Minoru Suzuki, Tama Tonga, Tiger Mask, Tanga Loa, El Phantasmo, SANADA, DOUKI, Taiji Ishimori, Kosei Fujita, Satoshi Kojima, Gedo, Bad Luck Fale, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Dick Togo, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Master Wato all have first round byes.

Okada vs CIMA?

Cobb vs Tanahashi?

Ibushi vs Ishimori?

Zack vs Phantasmo?

Shingo vs Hiromu?

What potential combinations does the New Japan Cup bracket conjure up for you?

It all starts next week, LIVE in English the whole way!https://t.co/DwaafauKyg#njcup pic.twitter.com/QFPBUMFabm

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) February 21, 2022