{"id":3064,"date":"2017-03-10T19:57:41","date_gmt":"2017-03-11T00:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=3064"},"modified":"2017-05-03T22:36:46","modified_gmt":"2017-05-04T02:36:46","slug":"going-for-glory-a-preview-of-new-japan-cup-2017-bracket-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2017\/03\/10\/going-for-glory-a-preview-of-new-japan-cup-2017-bracket-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Preview: NJPW New Japan Cup 2017 – Bracket A (3\/11\/17)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since 2005, NJPW<\/strong>\u00a0has held one of its more captivating and exciting tournaments of the year, the annual New Japan Cup<\/strong>.\u00a0While only in existence for the past twelve years, it has seen many a talented wrestler redeem a heartbreaking loss, remind audiences why he is an elite athlete, or finally open some eyes to the talent he truly possesses.\u00a0For the winner comes even greater reward: A coveted championship opportunity.<\/p>\n

From 2006 through 2013, the man skilled enough to outlast\u00a0 field of sixteen in a single elimination format was granted a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.\u00a0From 2014 to present, the options to also select the IWGP Intercontinental and Never Open Weight Championships have also been on the table.\u00a0Of the twelve that have won the tournament to date, only four were successful in capturing the championship they selected.<\/p>\n

Yuji Nagata<\/strong> (2007) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi<\/strong> for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Kazuchika Okada<\/strong> (2013) did the same, Shinsuke Nakamura<\/strong> (2014) defeated Tanahashi for the IC Championship, and Tetsuya Naito<\/strong> (2016) defeated Okada to claim his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship.<\/p>\n

Preview: NJPW New Japan Cup 2017 – Bracket A (3\/11\/17)<\/h2>\n

Given the stipulation, the reigning champions do not participate in the tournament.\u00a0Starting tomorrow morning, the first half of this year’s tournament will begin their quest to join that elite group.<\/p>\n

In Part I of this preview, we will examine the four matches to be contested in Bracket A.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Field.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"\"
Photo: NJPW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    This will be the sixth appearance for New Japan’s Ace, his only win coming in 2005 while also sitting out several due to holding a championship at the time.\u00a0He was knocked out of last year’s opening round by Bad Luck Fale and has not tasted singles gold since February 11, 2015 when he lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to AJ Styles.\u00a0Most recently he has had two runs with the Never Open Weight Six Man Tag Team Championships teaming with Yoshitatu & Michael Elgin and Ryusuke Taguchi & Manabu Nakanishi.<\/p>\n

    This will be EVIL’s second New Japan Cup.\u00a0 He too was eliminated in last year in the opening round by Tomohiro Ishii.\u00a0Once an assuming young boy, EVIL has seen a surge in success since turning to the dark side and joining Tetsuya Naito’s Los Ingobernables de Japon faction.\u00a0He held the Never Open Weight Championship for ten days in 2016 and is currently reigning with fellow LIJ members BUSHI and SANADA as the Never Open Weight Six Man Tag Team Champions for the second time.<\/p>\n

    This looks to be a really great bout on paper.<\/p>\n

    Tanahashi’s back injuries combined with the years of wear and tear he’s put on his body in general have somewhat slowed him down; however that has not prevented him from giving his usual thousand percent in every match he competes in.\u00a0 He can still find a way to pick up a victory when it matters most.<\/p>\n

    EVIL’s makeover has sent him higher than many anticipated when he returned from his excursion to Ring of Honor.\u00a0 His confidence has soared and he has found an in-ring style that serves him well.\u00a0 It also doesn’t hurt to have loyal LIJ allies always nearby to help out.<\/p>\n

    Whoever walks away with the victory will have truly earned it.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    • \n

      Tanga Loa vs. Yuji Nagata<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      This will be a very interesting bout to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n

      This will be Loa’s first New Japan Cup and really the most important singles match in his career.\u00a0After stints in WWE and Impact Wrestling, \u00a0he joined his brother Tama Tonga in the villainous Bullet Club to form The Guerillas of Destiny.\u00a0While they were slow in gelling as a team within New Japan’s tag team division, they eventually were firing on all cylinders.\u00a0 Two reigns as IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions and a revered World Tag League 2016 Finals bout against Great Bash Heel have put him on a path full of potential.\u00a0Since GOD dropped the titles at Wrestle Kingdom 11,\u00a0 Bullet Club hadn’t had much influence in the company until returning in full force in February.\u00a0This will be the perfect opportunity for Loa to really showcase how far he’s come in the ring.\u00a0 It’s both a gift and a curse that said opportunity comes against timeless legend Yuji Nagata.<\/p>\n

      Nagata is a two time NJ Cup winner with mixed results.\u00a0 In addition to the aforementioned 2007 win and subsequent title victory,\u00a0 he topped the 2011 tournament but came up short against Tanahashi in their championship encounter.\u00a0The leader of Blue Justice primarily competes in multi-man matches with the likes of Jushin Liger, Manabu Nakanishi, Tiger Mask IV, and TenCozy when not tangling with young lions such as Tomoyuki Oka and Henare.\u00a0 That may leave the impression that he is past being able to find success in major fashions but that is far from the case.\u00a0In 2015, his last major title chase to date, he nearly defeated then-IWGP IC Champion Shinsuke Nakamura in a classic bout.<\/p>\n

      That is something Loa will have to keep in the back of his mind. He is young, talented, and arrogant and those three traits wouldn’t be able to save him once Nagata’s eyes roll back into his head and he cranks back on the Nagata Lock.\u00a0Nagata will need to be weary of any Bullet Club involvement as well as Loa’s impressive speed and power strikes he has learned the past two years.<\/p>\n

      Either a salty veteran will teach a lesson in respect or victory will indeed be too sweet.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        Tama Tonga vs. Toru Yano<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        In a battle of Bullet Club against CHAOS, two rivals collide in a pivotal bout.<\/p>\n

        This will be Tonga’s third New Japan Cup.\u00a0 In 2013, he was eliminated in the opening round by Hirooki Goto.\u00a0 Last year he defeated Togi Makabe before being eliminated by Goto a second time.\u00a0As a founding member of the Bullet Club in 2013,\u00a0 the other son of\u00a0 WWE\u00a0 Legend Haku has only seen fleeting opportunities to display everything he has in his bag of tricks.\u00a0Primarily he has seen his best success in the tag team ranks with two runs with the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships and an a one time reign with fellow BC members Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi as the Never Six Man Tag Team Champions.\u00a0He has improved vastly year to year and could very well be primed to advance up the ranks of the singles division, thus putting himself into title contention for the first time in his career.<\/p>\n

        He finds himself up against the very aloof but no less brilliant mind of Toru Yano.<\/p>\n

        CHAOS’ devious one never looks much like a threat toting around DVDs and spewing water but he has consistently found ways to score massive upset victories in both the NJ Cup and G1 Climax.\u00a0In his ninth NJ Cup, the master of low blows will have to once more utilized his cunningness and put away his past fears of Tonga and his lizard like movements.\u00a0Yano and Tomohiro Ishii stole the tag team titles from GOD then properly won them at Wrestle Kindom 11 so the stakes will be a bit more personal for both men.<\/p>\n

        In the end it may very well boil down to who can effectively cheat better to pick up a key victory.<\/p>\n

        Yano will no doubt look for a low blow\/cradle combination as well as removing a ring corner’s padding.\u00a0Tonga will have the advantage if he can avoid being trapped into Yano’s games and maintaining even temperament.\u00a0 Yano is a genius at flustering opponents enough that strategies and game plans go by the wayside.<\/p>\n

        Can Tonga go a long way in improving his fortunes or will Yano add another highlight to future DVDs?<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

          \n
        • \n

          Michael Elgin vs. Bad Luck Fale<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          This promises to be the most bruising, head on collision scheduled for the entire tournament.\u00a0An unbreakable spirit will try and slay Bullet Club’s Underboss for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n

          In last year’s tournament, Michael Elgin defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan while Bad Luck Fale upset Tanahashi in the opening round leading them to one another in the second.\u00a0It was a bruising affair but Elgin managed to put Fale away before being eliminated himself by Hirooki Goto in the following round.<\/p>\n

          That loss has simmered in the mind of Fale who is more determined than ever to reinvigorate his singles career.\u00a0While the BC has undergone leadership changes from Prince Devitt to AJ Styles to current leader Kenny Omega, Fale has been a constant fixture and imposing force.\u00a0 However recent history has not been too kind.<\/p>\n

          After a brief run as IWGP IC Champion in 2014, he has primarily partnered with a variety of fellow Bullet Club members notably Yujiro Takahashi, Bone Soldier, Chase Owens, among others.\u00a0However his fortunes could change in a tournament he has cemented himself as being a dangerous, viable participant in.<\/p>\n

          In 2014 he made it to the finals before losing in a classic bloody war with Shinsuke\u00a0 Nakamura.\u00a0 In 2015 he pinned Kazuchika Okada in the opening round before being eliminated by Tetsuya Naito.\u00a0While his ring style doesn’t leave anyone confusing him for Will Ospreay, Fale has become comfortable in big match situations and has found\u00a0a style that works for him.\u00a0 He will no doubt attempt to impose his size and brute strength against a man who will welcome facing such a challenge.<\/p>\n

          Michael Elgin has fans harkening back to the days when pure bad asses like “Dr Death” Steve Williams and Stan Hansen plowed through everybody and everything in their sight line.\u00a0The former ROH World Champion is committed to honoring those legends while also adding in his own brand of punishment and delivering of pain.\u00a0A broken eye socket at the hands of Tetsuya Naito sidelined the former IWGP IC Champion for several months but he returned full force in January; he won Wrestle Kingdom’s annual New Japan Rumble and went right for Naito.\u00a0At The New Beginning in Osaka PPV, he put Naito through the wringer but ultimately fell short in his bid to regain the title.<\/p>\n

          To get back on track he will have to take down Fale.\u00a0 Neither man will budge an inch and fans can expect a slugfest to ensue.\u00a0Whoever can set the pace and keep his opponent from getting in a rhythm is most likely to emerge victorious.\u00a0Fale’s signature moves The Bad Luck Fall and the Grenade will require significant damage to Elgin in order for them to be used effectively.\u00a0Likewise Elgin will need to tear into Fale to set up his devastating Elgin Bomb or Burning Hammer.<\/p>\n

          Only one mountain of a man can move forward, who will blink first?<\/p>\n

          \"\"
          Photo: NJPW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Since 2005, NJPW\u00a0has held one of its more captivating and exciting tournaments of the year, the annual New Japan Cup.\u00a0While only in existence for the past twelve years, it has seen many a talented wrestler redeem a heartbreaking loss, remind audiences why he is an elite athlete, or finally open some eyes to the talent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1834,"featured_media":3072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,13,12,14],"tags":[617,188],"class_list":["post-3064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-international","category-news","category-njpw","tag-new-japan-cup","tag-njpw"],"modified_by":"Ben Kerr","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1834"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}