New Japan Cup 2016
- TCMitchell
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New Japan Cup 2016
The bracket for this year's New Japan Cup has been released! Any early predictions? Anticipated matches?
First night of the New Japan Cup is March 3rd.
Round 1 Match ups:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Michael Elgin
Togi Makabe vs. Tama Tonga
Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
Tomoaki Honma vs. Satoshi Kojima
Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL
YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito
First night of the New Japan Cup is March 3rd.
Round 1 Match ups:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Michael Elgin
Togi Makabe vs. Tama Tonga
Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
Tomoaki Honma vs. Satoshi Kojima
Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL
YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito
Last edited by TCMitchell on Mon Feb 22, 2016 3:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Rich Kraetsch
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- Rich Kraetsch
- Site Admin
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Re: New Japan Cup 2016
If you guys ask nicely we can do a pick'em game again 

- Frank Olson
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Re: New Japan Cup 2016
Round 1 Match ups:
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Michael Elgin
Togi Makabe vs. Tama Tonga
Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
Tomoaki Honma vs. Satoshi Kojima
Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL
YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito
Round 2:
Bad Luck Fale vs. Michael Elgin
Tama Tonga vs. Hirooki Goto
Tomoaki Honma vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tetsuya Naito
Round 3:
Michael Elgin vs. Tama Tonga
Tomoaki Honma vs. Tetsuya Naito
Finals:
Michael Elgin vs. Tetsuya Naito
I could see the result of the final going either way, but my logic for picking Elgin as the winner is that I figure it's more important to give Omega a title defense at Invasion Attack than Okada (since Okada is already a well-established top guy and they need to keep Omega's momentum going) and I doubt that both top titles get defended on that show. I guess there's an outside chance that Ishii could make it to the finals and win to set up another NEVER title match with Shibata, but it seems like he's got his own thing going with the ROH TV Title now.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Michael Elgin
Togi Makabe vs. Tama Tonga
Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
Tomoaki Honma vs. Satoshi Kojima
Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL
YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito
Round 2:
Bad Luck Fale vs. Michael Elgin
Tama Tonga vs. Hirooki Goto
Tomoaki Honma vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tetsuya Naito
Round 3:
Michael Elgin vs. Tama Tonga
Tomoaki Honma vs. Tetsuya Naito
Finals:
Michael Elgin vs. Tetsuya Naito
I could see the result of the final going either way, but my logic for picking Elgin as the winner is that I figure it's more important to give Omega a title defense at Invasion Attack than Okada (since Okada is already a well-established top guy and they need to keep Omega's momentum going) and I doubt that both top titles get defended on that show. I guess there's an outside chance that Ishii could make it to the finals and win to set up another NEVER title match with Shibata, but it seems like he's got his own thing going with the ROH TV Title now.
Re: New Japan Cup 2016
Omega vs Elgin would draw like 3,000 people to Sumo Hall. It would a disaster.
Actually I have been pretty bummed out since the exodus and today more so with Ibushi, but looking at how dire that bracket is and their utter lack of options it has really sunk in how much trouble this promotion really is in.
Actually I have been pretty bummed out since the exodus and today more so with Ibushi, but looking at how dire that bracket is and their utter lack of options it has really sunk in how much trouble this promotion really is in.
Last edited by Goat on Mon Feb 22, 2016 5:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: New Japan Cup 2016
That looks absolutely dire. They need new native heavyweights so badly.
Re: New Japan Cup 2016
Poor Tenzan. Poor, POOR Tenzan. 
Tanashi/Fale and Y-H/Naito look like best matches of the Round 1.

Tanashi/Fale and Y-H/Naito look like best matches of the Round 1.
- Drew Wardlaw
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Re: New Japan Cup 2016
Kojima vs Nagata in the finals, NAGATA WINS
- Rob McCarron
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Re: New Japan Cup 2016
It's pretty similar to last year's show, actually.aivaz wrote:That looks absolutely dire. They need new native heavyweights so badly.
11 participants return.
Not in this year...
Gallows & Anderson (WWE) / Sub in Tenzan & Elgin - Pretty even swap, if not an improvement with Elgin
Kazuchika Okada (Champion) / Sub in Tomohiro Ishii - Obviously a drop in star power, but match wise not a huge loss
Katsuyori Shibata (NEVER) / Sub in Tama Tonga - A bit of a drop, but hungry Tonga in prime role has been interesting
Kota Ibushi (Injury) / Sub in EVIL - Obviously a huge drop, but 1 name in 16 does not a tournament make
Is it a drop from last year? A tiny bit. Nothing dire, by any means.
- Rob McCarron
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Re: New Japan Cup 2016
First Round
Tanahashi vs Fale
Tenzan vs Elgin
Makabe vs Tonga
Nagata vs Goto
Honma vs Kojima
Yano vs Takahashi
Ishii vs EVIL
YOSHI-HASHI vs Naito
2nd Round
Tanahashi vs Elgin
Makabe vs Nagata
Kojima vs Yano
Ishii vs Naito
Semi Finals
Tanahashi vs Makabe
Kojima vs Naito
Final- Satoshi Kojima def. Togi Makabe
Tanahashi vs Fale
Tenzan vs Elgin
Makabe vs Tonga
Nagata vs Goto
Honma vs Kojima
Yano vs Takahashi
Ishii vs EVIL
YOSHI-HASHI vs Naito
2nd Round
Tanahashi vs Elgin
Makabe vs Nagata
Kojima vs Yano
Ishii vs Naito
Semi Finals
Tanahashi vs Makabe
Kojima vs Naito
Final- Satoshi Kojima def. Togi Makabe
Re: New Japan Cup 2016
Goto vs. Naito in the Final, Naito wins, Naito vs. Okada in Sumo Hall.
Re: New Japan Cup 2016
Then what do you do in Osaka?
Re: New Japan Cup 2016
Something else? Maybe Shibata can get a heavyweight title shot now that Nakamura left.
Shibata vs. Okada (c)
Tanahashi vs. Omega (c)
Naito vs. ???
Damn, New Japan's midcard has suddenly become rather thin, there's very little room for fresh storylines and starpower is thin. What can you do with Goto after all this crap?
EDIT: It's time to move Nagata and Kojima up the card now.
Shibata vs. Okada (c)
Tanahashi vs. Omega (c)
Naito vs. ???
Damn, New Japan's midcard has suddenly become rather thin, there's very little room for fresh storylines and starpower is thin. What can you do with Goto after all this crap?
EDIT: It's time to move Nagata and Kojima up the card now.
Re: New Japan Cup 2016
What does Sumo Hall have to do with anything?Goat wrote:Omega vs Elgin would draw like 3,000 people to Sumo Hall. It would a disaster.
Dear god the narrative. Okada/Shibata/Ibushi/Anderson/Gallows for Ishii/Tonga/EVIL/Tenzan/Elgin is a HUGE dropoff in star power and a substantial drop in match quality.Rob McCarron wrote:It's pretty similar to last year's show, actually.aivaz wrote:That looks absolutely dire. They need new native heavyweights so badly.
11 participants return.
Not in this year...
Gallows & Anderson (WWE) / Sub in Tenzan & Elgin - Pretty even swap, if not an improvement with Elgin
Kazuchika Okada (Champion) / Sub in Tomohiro Ishii - Obviously a drop in star power, but match wise not a huge loss
Katsuyori Shibata (NEVER) / Sub in Tama Tonga - A bit of a drop, but hungry Tonga in prime role has been interesting
Kota Ibushi (Injury) / Sub in EVIL - Obviously a huge drop, but 1 name in 16 does not a tournament make
Is it a drop from last year? A tiny bit. Nothing dire, by any means.
Re: New Japan Cup 2016
New Japan do not do HW title matches outside of Tokyo and Osaka anymore. The HW title was defended 5 times last year.
Wrestle Kingdom
New Beginning in Osaka
Invasion Attack
Dominion at Osaka Jo
King of Pro Wrestling
So Sumo Hall has a lot to do with it. They can certainly have Tanahashi win and challenge Omega but Okada is going to need someone to have a title match against because if you take that match away the belt will be defended 4 times. You could say this isn't an issue but without Nakamura, Styles and Ibushi (he hasn't resigned from the company but he is no longer a "New Japan" wrestler) they can't afford to not have the HW belt defended.
Wrestle Kingdom
New Beginning in Osaka
Invasion Attack
Dominion at Osaka Jo
King of Pro Wrestling
So Sumo Hall has a lot to do with it. They can certainly have Tanahashi win and challenge Omega but Okada is going to need someone to have a title match against because if you take that match away the belt will be defended 4 times. You could say this isn't an issue but without Nakamura, Styles and Ibushi (he hasn't resigned from the company but he is no longer a "New Japan" wrestler) they can't afford to not have the HW belt defended.
pro twitter trolling: @peskyyy