NJPW New Japan Cup 2023 Night 1 Review – March 5, 2023
Location: Tokyo Japan
Venue: Korakuen Hall
Tag Team Match
TMDK (Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr & Kosei Fujita) vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Tama Tonga & Ryohei Oiwa
Kosei Fujita & Ryohei Oiwa started this match off before Tama Tonga & Zack Sabre Jr finally faced off but less than 2 minutes later Fujita & Oiwa were back in. Fujita locks in an armbar hold and Oiwa had no choice but to tap out.
Winners By Submission: TMDK (7:55)
Rate: 6
8 Man Tag Team Match
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Ren Narita,Six Or Nine (Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi) & Shota Umino vs. House Of Torture (Evil,Dick Togo,Sho & Yujiro Takahashi)
House Of Torture attacks at the bell before Ren Narita opened by hitting a Mafia Kick on Evil. House Of Torture works over Ryusuke Taguchi before Shota Umino finally enters as he hits a flying forearm on Sho, then a fisherman’s suplex on Yujiro Takahashi. Master Wato & Dick Togo tags in and Togo choked Wato with his wire. Wato hit a tilt a whirl backbreaker over his knee. Wato locks in Vendaval and Togo taps out.
Winners By Submission: NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Ren Narita,Six Or Nine & Shota Umino (10:04)
Rate: 4
After the match Evil & Narita brawl as Umino jaws at Takahashi.
6 Man Tag Team Match
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champions Strong Style (Minoru Suzuki & El Desperado) & Yuto Nakashima vs. Bullet Club (Strong Openweight Champion Kenta,Gedo & Chase Owens)
El Desperado & Gedo start this match off before Minoru Suzuki & Kenta traded some kicks to the back while the other was seated on the mat then they traded forearm shots.
Bullet Club began working over Yuto Nakashima then Nakashima applied an anklelock on Chase Owens but Chase reached the ropes then Owens hits a C Trigger then Package Piledriver to get the win for Bullet Club.
Winners: Bullet Club (8:22)
Rate: 5
6 Man Tag Team Match
Los Ingobnrables De Japon (Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi,KOPW 2023 Champion Shingo Takagi & Bushi) vs. Chaos (Lio Rush,Yoh & Toru Yano)
Match starts off with Hiromu Takahashi & Lio Rush traded quick reversals with Rush diving through the ropes onto Takahashi. Bushi enters & hits a standing neckbreaker on Yoh for a near fall. Yoh hit a dropkick on Shingo Takagi.
Toru Yano tags in and immediately removed a corner pad, and he whips Takagi into the exposed turnbuckle. Takagi hits a senton and a sliding clothesline for a near fall. Takahashi hits a superkick on Rush as Bushi dove on Yoh. Takagi got a backslide on Yano for the victory.
Winners: Los Ingobnrables De Japon (6:12)
Rate: 6
6 Man Tag Team Match
Chaos (IWGP Tag Team Champions Yoshi Hashi & Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Dream Team (IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi) & Tomoaki Honma
Hiroshi Tanahashi hits a 2nd rope summersault senton on Hirooki Goto for a near fall. Kazuchika Okada enters and also worked over Goto. Goto nailed a clothesline on Okada then Yoshi Hashi made the hot tag and he clears the ring. Okada hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Yoshi Hashi then locks in Money Clip before Goto hit his neckbreaker over his knee.
Okada hit his dropkick on Yoshi Hashi. Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma enters and they traded shoulder tackles. Honma missed Kokeshi then they traded hard chops, and Ishii hit a side suplex for a near fall. Honma hit a suplex. Tanahashi hit a dragon screw on Goto then one on Yoshi Hashi.
Dream Team hits a team suplex on Ishii & Honma immediately hit a Kokeshi on Ishii. Honma hit a diving headbutt on Ishii for a near fall. Ishii hits a clothesline on Honma for a near fall. However, Ishii hit a brainbuster on Honma for the win.
Winners: Chaos (13:01)
Rate: 7
1st Round Match Of The 2023 New Japan Cup
Tetsuya Naito vs. El Phantasmo
Tetsuya Naito & El Phantasmo traded reversals and each did the tranquilo pose on the mat. Naito mocks ELP’s hand gesture pose, drawing a laugh. They brawled to the floor and ELP hit a DDT on the floor mat. Phantasmo leapt from the bleachers onto Naito on the floor. ELP then hit a top rope moonsault to the floor on Naito.
In the ring Phantasmo was in charge. Naito hit a standing neckbreaker and they were both down. Naito hit a dropkick to the back for a near fall then he applied a headscissors. They got up and traded forearm shots. ELP set up for a Superkick in the corner. However, Naito avoided it and hit an enzuigiri and a tornado DDT and they were both down.
Naito set up for a Destino, but ELP caught him and hit a Lungblower. Phantasmo applied a crossface. ELP hit a step up enzuigiri in the corner, then a perfect Frankensteiner, then Thunder Kiss 86 for a near fall.
Naito blocks CRII and hits a DDT. Naito then nailed a Destino for a believable near fall Naito went for a 2nd Destino but ELP escaped and hit a superkick. Naito gets a roll up for the victory.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito (17:32) (He will face Chase Owens in the 2nd Round)
Rate: 7
1st Round Match Of The 2023 New Japan Cup
Sanada vs. Taichi
Match starts off with Sanada & Taichi doing some reversals then Sanada hits a dropkick to the knee, but he missed a plancha to the floor. Taichi whipped him into the guardrail. Taichi removed the thin mat at ringside, and he hits a DDT onto the floor. In the ring Taichi was in charge by hitting a hard kick to the back for a near fall.
Sanada went for a dropkick but Taichi brushed it off. Taichi dominated the offense for the next several minutes, hitting some Yes Kicks to the chest. Sanada hit a series of chops. Taichi hit some Kawada Kicks and he berated Sanada. They brawled back to the floor at with Sanada whipping Taichi into the guardrail then hitting a piledriver on the floor.
They got back in the ring and traded more chops and kicks. Taichi hit an enzuigiri but Sanada didn’t go down as Sanada hits a roaring elbow. Taichi hit a Saito Suplex and they were both down.
Sanada hit some European uppercuts before Taichi hit some boots to the face. Sanada hit a dropkick then a TKO stunner. Sanada went for a moonsault, but Taichi got his knees up. They traded rollups. Taichi hit a back suplex for a near fall. Sanada hits a Tiger Driver.
Taichi hit a clothesline but Sanada pops up, and Sanada locks in Skull End. Taka Michinoku screamed at Taichi to try and revive him, and Sanada eventually let go of the hold. Sanada hit a top rope moonsault, then a 2nd one for a near fall.
Taichi hits a superkick for a near fall. They began trading clubbing forearm shots. Taichi hit an enziguri before he went for Black Mephisto but Sanada escaped. Sanada then hit his own version of Black Mephisto. Sanada re applied Skull End, then Sanada hits a Modified DDT for the win.
Winner: Sanada (24:27) (He will face Kenta in the 2nd Round)
Rate: 7
After the match they shake hands.
