NJPW reveals brackets for NJPW Cup 2023

NJPW has revealed the bracket for the New Japan Cup 2023 tournament.

The NJPW Cup will begin on March 5. This tournament will have 24 competitors and eight will get a first round bye. The winner of the NJPW Cup 2023 will advance to Sakura Genesis to wrestle for the the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 8.

The eight wrestlers receiving byes are:

• Kenta
• Chase Owens
• Jeff Cobb
• Hirooki Goto
• Will Ospreay
• NEVER Openweight Champion Tama Tonga
• Great-O-Khan
• NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr.

NJPW Cup 2023 First Round matches:

March 5 (NJPW 51st anniversary show)

• Sanada vs. Taichi
• Tetsuya Naito vs. El Phantasmo

March 6

• Evil vs. Ren Narita
• Toru Yano vs. Mark Davis
• David Finlay vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi

March 10 

• Yoshi-Hashi vs. Kyle Fletcher
• Shingo Takagi vs. Aaron Henare

NJPW Cup 2023 Second Round matches:

March 11 

• Sanada vs. Taichi winner vs. Kenta
• Tetsuya Naito vs. El Phantasmo winner vs. Chase Owens

March 12 

• Yoshi-Hashi vs. Kyle Fletcher winner vs. Hirooki Goto
• Shingo Takagi vs. Aaron Henare winner vs. Tama Tonga

March 13 

• Toru Yanoa vs. Mark Davis winner vs. Will Ospreay
• Ren Narita vs. Evil winner vs. Jeff Cobb

March 15 

• David Finlay vs. Tomohiro Ishii winner vs. Great-O-Khan
• Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi winner vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

The quarterfinals will be held on March 17 and March 18. The semi-final round will take place on March 19. The finals are set to take place on March 21.