After a press conference by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) featuring NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi and Hiroshi Tanahashi announced the return of live NJPW events, the wrestling world knew the schedule and brackets for the reimagined New Japan Cup.
While the left bracket features popular names and potential dark horses, the right bracket contains names that you could see as going on a hot streak and winning the entire tournament. Suzuki-Gun member Zack Sabre Jr went on a similar run during the 2018 New Japan Cup. He opens the tournament against one-half of the current IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Kota Ibushi. Sabre is 2-4 against Ibushi since their first singles match in July 2017. Ibushi, is also a candidate to go on a hot streak if he can escape the first round with a victory.
NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi faces one-half of the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Roppongi 3K, in a rematch from their Best of the Super Junior (BOSJ) match from May of last year. Takagi seemingly has Sho’s number, but this is a prime opportunity for the muscle of Roppongi 3K to gain the biggest singles victory of his career.
Sanada, who made it to the New Japan Cup finals last year, could see himself face fellow Los Ingobernables de Japan (LIJ) member Takagi in the second round of the tournament. Sanada needs several big singles victories to get himself back on track.
Tanahashi faces former NEVER Openweight Champion Taichi in the first round, in what is one of the most intriguing first-round matches in the tournament. A victory by Taichi could set him up to finish 2020 strong, possibly setting him up to make a run during the G1 Climax.
Former 5x NEVER Openweight Champion and 2x IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hirooki Goto and former NEVER Openweight Champion Yujiro Takahashi face off in the first round, in what could be a match that flies under the radar.
The right bracket is up in the air and is likely to contain more surprises than the left. Ibushi, Tanahashi, Sanada, Takagi, Sabre, and even Taichi could make their way to the finals.
