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NJPW NEW JAPAN CUP 2025 NIGHT 4
MARCH 12, 2025
UWAJIMA CITY GENERAL GYMNASIUM
EHIME, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Walker Stewart was once again flying solo at the commentary desk.
(1) YOSHI-HASHI & DAIKI NAGAI vs YUYA UEMURA & TAKA MICHINOKU
Uemura beat Yoshi-Hashi on Night 3 and is set to face David Finlay in the next round. Taka and Nagai started things off and I was impressed by the crispness of Nagai’s offence. Taka would seem to be a good person to have across from you for those purposes, with his vast experience. After a brief interlude between Uemura and Yoshi-Hashi, Taka tapped out the Young Lion with Just Facelock.
Stewart mentioned during this match that Yuji Nagata had resigned from his position on the IWGP Committee since he was challenging for the world title. An interesting little tidbit to throw in as a “straighten your tie” moment.
WINNERS: Just Four Guys via submission in 7:00. (*1/2)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: This would have been two stars if Taka had hit the Michinoku Driver instead. Good to see him stretch the old muscles and not look anywhere near his age. Uemura had a great showing in the G1 before his injury, and if he can consolidate that with a big run in the NJ Cup we might well be looking at a future star.)
(2) HIROOKI GOTO & HIROSHI TANAHASHI & KATSUYA MURASHIMA vs. YUJI NAGATA & SATOSHI KOJIMA & TOMOHIRO ISHII
It may be sacrilege to some, but I just cannot force myself to be interested in a Yuji Nagata title shot in 2025. That said, this match did have a fun spot with Murashima briefly holding off all three opponents before they just pummeled him into a fine paste.
As is the norm, Goto and Nagata had a short encounter which ended in a stalemate before Murashima fell victim to Kojima’s machine gun chops. To the kid’s credit he did connect with a running powerslam for a two-count, but a lariat ended any dreams of an upset.
WINNERS: Nagata, Kojima, and Ishii via pinfall in 8:00. (**)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: We basically saw the same match the previous night, and there was not much here that was any different. Murashima putting a brief panic in Kojima was a nice little surprise though.)
(3) TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr & Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson) vs. UNITED EMPIRE (TJP & Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman)
This was an interesting choice of matches, as the three people still alive in the Cup (ZSJ, Cobb, and TJP) are all facing people who are not in this match. TJP had been making some comments about his technical prowess being superior to ZSJ, but they are not in the same section of the bracket until the quarter-finals.
All the pairings in this match worked, and it felt like an exhibition for those involved. Cobb and Jackson in particular have good chemistry, and it was those two who were involved in the decision with Cobb pinning Jackson after a Tour of the Islands.
WINNERS: United Empire via pinfall in 8:00. (**3/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: If we are building to a TJP-ZSJ feud I will be quite pleased. They work well together, and TJP will likely be looking to emulate ZSJ’s path to the top of the card as they have similar styles. TJP is more acrobatic but ZSJ is a better striker. I can’t see TJP winning it, but that’s not necessary for it to work. Cobb and Naito have a long-standing enmity so that match will be heated.)
(4) BOLTIN OLEG & EL PHANTASMO & TORU YANO & JADO vs. LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPON (Bushi & Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito)
Oleg and Takagi are set to collide in the second round, and they are going to beat the daylights out of each other I’m sure. Somewhat uncharacteristically, LIJ jumped their opponents before the bell. Shingo and Oleg brawled outside and stayed there for a while before they both tagged in and beat each other up. Shingo definitely got the better of all their exchanges including taking Oleg out with a big lariat that allowed Tsuji to hit a curb stomp on Jado for the pin.
WINNERS: LIJ via submission in 8:00. (**1/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: I have to question the wisdom of letting Oleg and Shingo do so much with each other here, given that Oleg’s offence is still fairly limited. He hit the Boltin Shake, which I probably would have held back, but at least he did not connect with Kamikaze. Even with that minor misstep, I am still looking forward to their match.)
Callum Newman joined Stewart at the commentary table.
(5) BULLET CLUB WAR DOGS (David Finlay & Sanada & Drilla Moloney & Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens) vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Evil & Sho & Ren Narita & Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi)
Given that these two factions have spent most of their recent matches with each other brawling in the crowd, I did not expect much (if any) in-ring action here. Finlay and Evil will be opponents in round two, as if they needed more reasons to hate each other. There was also the tension with Sanada’s questionable loyalties to take into account.
This might shock you: they started with an all-out brawl through the arena. This time it was relatively short before Moloney and Kanemaru ended up in the ring and the ref called for the bell to start the actual match.To their credit, the shenanigans during the match were kept to a minimum, with Narita pinning Owens following a whisky spit to the face and the Double Cross.
Notably, Sanada was hardly involved in the match.
WINNERS: House of Torture via pinfall in 7:00. (**3/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: All members of War Dogs were giving Sanada the side-eye as they went to the back. Sanada seemed completely disinterested. There’s copious history between Evil and Sanada, as opponents and tag partners, and of course Sanada has left two factions already. Having him join HoT at this point seems almost TOO obvious though, so I have a hard job saying it’s a given. I would expect that we will find out when Finlay and Evil have their match in a couple of days.)
(6) TAICHI vs. GABE KIDD – New Japan Cup Second Round match
The commentators have repeatedly mentioned throughout the Cup that Taichi has not won a match (any match, including tag matches) in 2025. Normally you could consider that foreshadowing, but having him beat Kidd while the latter is on such a meteoric rise would be an update of seismic proportions. This was the first singles match between these two.
With both men being proponents of the King’s Road style, they naturally started out with a stiff elbow exchange. Taichi leveled Kidd with a big boot, but Kidd came right back with a left-arm lariat. He whipped Taichi to a corner and covered for an early two-count. Taichi tried to come back with some backhand chops, but Kidd hit a strike of his own, whipped Taichi to the corner, and followed him in with a corner clothesline. An Oklahoma stampede from Kidd led to a Boston crab. Taichi crawled to the ropes to break the hold.
Kidd strolled slowly around the ring, then went for a German suplex, Taichi hit a weak-looking enzuigiri to counter, then at the five-minute mark hit a Russian leg sweep to leave both men down. Taichi hit a big kick in the corner, then nailed a hook kick for a two-count. He toyed with Kidd, then hit a succession of sharp Kawada kicks to Kidd’s face. Kidd fired back with a pair of strikes, but his charge into the corner met nothing but corner. Taichi hit a kick, ripped off his fancy tearaway pants (he’s been watching my burlesque videos) and tried for a superkick. Kidd ducked and hit a solid chop to the chest. Taichi kicked Kidd in the hamstring, and they traded those blows back and forth. Taichi got the better of the exchange until Kidd decided to just pepper him with headbutts, dropping Taichi to the mat and leaving Kidd staggered.
Kidd demanded that Taichi get up, and he obliged and absolutely leathered him with a trio of round kicks to the chest that eventually left him crumpled on the canvas at the ten-minute mark. Taichi went for the back suplex but Kidd blocked, hit a lariat, then applied a cobra twist. He released the hold and went for a piledriver, but Taichi countered with a backdrop and an enzuigiri. He locked in a Stretch Plum, but for some reason released the hold just as Kidd looked to be going out. Taichi chose that moment to walk around the ring for some reason. He tried for a powerbomb, which Kidd blocked, so instead he starched Kidd with a sharp Kawada kick. He tried for the powerbomb again…GANZO BOMB! On purpose! Taichi could not immediately cover, and then when he did recover he instead chose to measure Kidd for a lariat instead. Mind-boggling decision.
Kidd ducked the first lariat, but not the second. Taichi hit a backdrop driver for a near fall. Again he measured Kidd for a superkick, Kidd caught it but got flattened by an elbow. Kidd hit a piledriver out of nowhere! As the announcer made the 15-minute calls, Kidd lowered his knee pad for the running knee strike…superkick by Taichi! Both men were down again. They both got to their feet and charged into each other repeatedly with lariats. Taichi hit a boot and a lariat takedown but only got a one-count. Kidd are a head kick but came back with a stiff rebound lariat which also only got a one-count. Straight right hand from Kidd! Brainbuster! 1…2…Taichi kicked out!
Kidd measured Taichi and hit the running knee, sort of. It was a glancing blow. He went for the piledriver, Taichi countered and went for Black Mephisto, but Kidd escaped and hit the piledriver! 1…2…Narita pulled the referee out of the ring! Kidd went to the floor and slapped Narita silly, but got ambushed from behind by Yujiro and Sho. He held his own until Narita smacked him with that metal push-up bar. I knew I spoke too soon on the HoT Shenanigans (TM).
The referee regained his wits, got in the ring and started counting. Taichi was motionless in the middle of the ring (must have been a heck of a piledriver) and Kidd was down on the outside. The referee counted 20 as Taichi began to stir.
WINNER: Taichi via countout in 21:00. (**1/2) . Taichi willface Zack Sabre Jr in the quarter-finals.
(Lansdell’s Analysis: That was awful. I should have expected some sort of shenanigans to allow Taichi to go through and face his old tag champion partner, but the thought never entered my head. The match leading up to it might have been classic King’s Road, but the inexplicable walking slowly around a downed opponent just did not make sense to me. I will admit to not having enough knowledge of King’s Road to know if that’s a normal part of those matches, but just from a kayfabe logical standpoint, having your opponent basically unconscious and choosing to go for a slow stroll around him instead of pinning him or trying another move is just stupid. I also strongly disliked having Taichi have to stay motionless for literally three minutes when he had been popping up from every move up to that point. Just some really weird decisions that greatly damaged what could have been a classic contest. That said, I would not mind seeing Taichi go on a Cinderella run brought about by this fluke, and then being able to beat ZSJ due to knowing him better than anyone. Kidd now likely joins the War Dogs-HoT feud fully, which will make it more high-profile.)
(7) SHOTA UMINO vs. GREAT-O-KHAN – New Japan Cup Second Round match
Putting New and Improved Bald Shota (I would like to start calling him NIBS but I don’t think the editors will let me get away with it…) against the man who triggered his detachment from reality was an excellent idea.
Umino hit a cheap shot while O-Khan was in the ropes, which led to O-Khan taking him down and firing in a series of shots. Umino came back with a dropkick, then a series of stomps to the back. He laid in a set of stiff European uppercuts to drop O-Khan, but his follow-up suplex was blocked. O-Khan tried his own suplex, but Umino blocked it. O-Khan hit a big shoulder tackle to take control, then applied a rear chinlock. He transitioned into a side headlock, dragging Umino to the mat. He then switched into a front guillotine and a butterfly suplex for a two-count. He taunted Umino with his boot to the back of Umino’s head, then planted him with a scoop slam.
Umino hit a pair of Mongolian chops and a throat thrust at the five-minute mark. He followed up with the devastating Sit in the corner. I don’t know why, but I love that move. A Mongolian chop led to another two-count. O-Khan went for a shoulder throw, but Umino blocked it. Umino hit a stun gun and a shoulder tackle at high speed to take control. Given how methodically he wrestled the match to that point, the change of pace really stood out. He hit a series of strikes in the corner and a northern lights suplex for a two-count. O-Khan blocked a powerbomb attempt, so Umino planted a few knees to the ribs. Still O-Khan blocked the attempt and rolled into a jackknife cover for a two-count of his own. Off the kickout O-Khan connected flush with a pump kick to the jaw, leaving both men down.
O-Khan applied the head-and-arm choke, but Umino was able to strike his way free. O-Khan hit a fireman’s carry takedown and a monkey flip, followed by a shoulder throw for a two-count. He locked in the choke again on the mat this time at the ten-minute mark, changing his body angle for leverage. Umino tried to drag himself to the ropes, O-Khan slowed his progress but could not stop him from getting the rope break. Umino rolled to the floor, and O-Khan followed. He rammed Umino into the barricade, then slammed him on the apron. Umino reversed a second whip to the barricade and followed him in with a dropkick that sent O-Khan over the barricade. He went for a draping DDT on the outside, but O-Khan escaped and hit a modified tombstone on the floor! Ouch. The referee counted as both men were down. O-Khan got back in the ring at eleven, Umino tried to get in at 16, stumbled, then managed to slide in at 19.
O-Khan met him with several grounded strikes to the back of the head. An inverted STO was only enough for two. O-Khan clamped on the claw hold, but Umino fought it off. At the 15-minute mark, Umino connected with some ineffective strikes. O-Khan absorbed them, ducked a wild right, and tried for the claw slam. After a series of counters and escapes, both men hit simultaneous lariats. They did it again, and on the third one O-Khan went down while Umino stayed vertical. They traded lariats, then O-Khan caught Umino with a massive lariat that only got a one-count. O-Khan ducked the return shot and hit a claw sleeper suplex for a near fall. He went right back to the grounded head-and-arm choke, then transitioned to a regular sleeper, then a claw sleeper. O-Khan stretched Umino over his back while maintaining the claw hold, then spun him out into a side slam for another near fall.
O-Khan went for the Eliminator…countered with a DDT! Both men crawled to the middle of the ring and traded shots on their knees, then on their feet. The exchange picked up in pace and intensity, as we went by the 20-minute announcement. O-Khan’s shots were having more of an effect, dropping Umino to the mat while Umino could only stagger O-Khan. Umino countered a Sheep Killer attempt with an enzuigiri, but O-Khan starched him with a straight right. Eliminator…countered into a half-nelson suplex by Umino! O-Khan popped right up! Lariat by Umino! A second lariat! 1…2…no! Umino measured O-Khan and sent him halfway across the ring with a busaiku knee. Emerald Flowsion from Umino! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Shota Umino via pinfall in 23:00. (***3/4) Umino will face either Naito or Cobb in the quarter-finals.
(Lansdell’s Analysis: I am starting to worry that this NIBS version of Umino might still be guilty of trying too hard. The high-intensity “methodical with bursts of speed” stuff is good but they are pushing it at us SO hard that it still feels inauthentic. Apparently they are even calling his new finisher “Second Chapter” which might as well be a neon sign that says “I AM DIFFERENT NOW”. The lack of facial expressions could also be a negative in connecting with audiences. It is still way too early to say for sure, but there are some caution flags already. Traditionally, the winner of the main event addresses the crowd. Umino picked up the mic, shushed the crowd, and left. O-Khan did not get squashed at least, but it seems he was not on the verge of a push as I had hoped. Something about him just doesn’t seem to be ready for a ride up the card, and I can’t put my finger on it. The match itself was good, but short of great because there was a real lack of flow. Umino being able to control his emotion against the guy who was going to shave his head was a story in itself, but not one that seemed to be part of the narrative they were trying to sell. Still a fun match and worth a rewatch. )
Final thoughts: With only two Cup matches on the card, this felt a bit like a maintenance show. A couple of the preview tags were fun at least, and the two singles matches…well, one was enjoyable until the end and the other was good. The puzzle pieces are falling into place for this year’s Cup, and right now three of my four potential winners (Finlay, Umino, and Cobb) are still alive. The build to Goto-Nagata is getting very old (too easy…) but at least we only have three days until that match. Friday’s card will be the most interesting as it completes the quarter-final bracket and helps narrow down where the booking might be going.
Keep your eyes and ears open for the 7-Star Podcast and Radican Worldwide on PWTorch VIP to hear more of my thoughts on this historic event. Thanks for joining us!
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