SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NJPW Cup 2026
MARCH 4, 2024
TOKYO, JAPAN
KORAKUEN HALL
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Announcer: Chris Charlton
Charlton said Walker Stewart couldn’t be at the show due to a family emergency.
(a) TAISE NAKAHARA vs. TATSUYA MATSUMOTO
Nakahara looked very much like someone make his debut as a Young Lion from a storyline standpoint. Matsumoto dominated him on the mat and physically outmatched him as well with his size and strength.
Nakahara had some good fiery spurts of offense, but ultimately submitted to the Boston Crab.
WINNER: Tatsuya Matsumoto at 7:40.
UNDERCARD TAGS
(1) HOT (Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi) beat MASATURA YASUDA & SHOTA UMINO) at 8:37
Takahashi pinned Yasuda after hitting Pimp Juice.
(2) OLEG BOLTIN & TORU YANO beat EL PHANTASMO & JADO at 9:09.
Yano beat Jado after hitting a low blow and then he got a rollup for the win.
(3) UNBOUND CO. (Daiki Nagai & Drilla Moloney & Oskar & Shingo Takagi) beat UNITED EMPIRE (Callum Newman & Henare & Jake Lee & Zane Jay) at 11:55.
Moloney pinned Jay with the Drilla Killa. Newman had riled Oskar up prior to the opening bell and he put him down with a sleeper after the match that several officials could not break up.
(4) MASTER WATO & TAICHI & TOMOAKI HONMA beat HOUSE OF TORTURE (Dick Togo & Douki & Ren Narita) at 11:19.
Taichi pinned Togo to win the match.
(5) TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles & Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) beat UNBOUND CO. (Gedo & Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori & Yota Tsuji & Yuto-Ice) at 9:03.
Jackson pinned Gedo after a Death Valley Bomb.
NJPW CUP 2026 MATCHES
(6) DON FALE vs. AARON WOLF – NJPW Cup 2026 First Round match
HOT jumped Wolf as he made his entrance. They tossed him into the ring to Fale to pick the bones and the ref rang the bell. Fale worked Wolf over inside the ring and then tossed him to the floor where House of Torture put the boots to him. Wolf finally mounted a comeback and on a second try he landed a suplex and dropped an elbow on Fale for a 2 count. He went for an Angle Slam, but Fale shoved him into the ref.
HOT entered the ring and went after Wolf and the fans booed. He mounted one-man comeback on HOT and the fans got excited, but Fale decked him with clothesline. Yano tried to help, but he got cut off. Wolf fended off a double team attack and hit the Angle Slam, but the ref got pulled to the floor. Narita ran in and hit Wolf with the belt. Fale hit the Grenade and it was good for the win.
WINNER: Don Fale at to advance to the Second Round of the NJPW Cup 2026 (-1/2*)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was just an awful way to start the tournament.)
(7) YUYA UEMURA vs. THE GREAT O-KHAN – NJPW Cup 2026 First Round match
O-Khan dominated early until Uemura finally cut them off with a drop kick. Uemura went after the arm of O-Khan. Uemura charged the corner, but O-Khan ducked it and he went flying to the floor. O-Khan went to use a chair on the floor, but the ref took it away. The ref walked away with the chair, so O-Khan just grabbed another one and hit Uemura with it. That was just dumb.
Uemura went up top and O-Khan rolled to the floor and walked around ringside. They weren’t paying attention and Uemura caught him with a big dive. Uemura went for the Deadbolt, but O-Khan escaped and got the Iron Claw. Uemura went down to the mat. Uemura escaped O-Khan clutch late and got a Kimura. O-Khan escaped and eventually hit the Eliminator, but Uemura kicked out at the last second.
O-Khan crotched Uemura up top and laughed manically. Uemura couldn’t get the Deadbolt with a bridge, so he had to let it go. He went up top and hit a high cross for the win.
WINNER: Yuya Yemura at 22:06 to advance to the Second Round of the NJPW Cup 2026. (**1/2)
(Radicans Analysis: They wrestled at a slow and deliberate pace for a long period of time before finally turning things up during the last five minutes. This match just wasn’t very exciting to watch do the most part and there was no need for it to clock in at over 22 mins.)
After the match, Uemura said he had gotten his fist win. He said they had the space, the time, and the TV. He asked what was missing. He said that it was him standing in the middle. The fans gave him a big ovation.
Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow him on Bluesky: @SeanRadican and X: @SR_Torch
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