NJPW’s Lion Break Collision’s final episode aired last week, with Karl Fredericks losing to Jeff Cobb in the final match. It was a fun but short series, but not the end for this type of format. Under a new name, we will see largely the same show start on August 7th as NJPW Strong.
On that day, we will see the start of the New Japan Cup USA 2020. It will be an eight man single elimination tournament, with the winner getting a future title match against the IWGP US Heavyweight Champion, which is currently Jon Moxley.
The Field Of Eight For New Japan Cup USA 2020
The tournament will be held over three nights, starting on August 7th with the final match taking place on August 21st. Karl Fredericks faces KENTA in the first round, Jeff Cobb faces Tanga Loa, David Finlay faces Chase Owens, and finally Brody King faces Tama Tonga.
This is a much more veteran stock of talent than we saw on Lions Break Collision, which focused on the Young Lions and other NJPW hopefuls. We will likely still see Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors, Rocky Romero and TJP on this show going forward, but none made it into the tournament.
Considering the limits in place, NJPW put together an incredible tournament here. Fredericks vs. KENTA was planned for the New Japan Cup earlier in the year, and with Fredericks emulating Shibata, it should be an incredible match. It will be awesome seeing men like David Finaly & Tama Tonga back as well.
Will Jon Moxley Appear On A Future Episode Of NJPW Strong?
With the prize of this tournament being a future shot at the IWGP United States Championship, it brings a question to mind. Will Jon Moxley be able to show up on NJPW Strong? Moxley is currently the AEW Champion, and has never appeared for NJPW outside of Japan, likely due to his contract with AEW. This leaves NJPW in an odd situation, where their United States Champion is likely unable to defend his title in the country he represents.
They have some time to figure out what to do in this situation, but there’s a non-zero chance that the winner of this tournament gets to walk away with the IWGP United States Championship.
Do you think we will see Jon Moxley defend his championship? Who is your pick to win the New Japan Cup USA 2020 tournament? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
SUBSCRIBE NOW: Get TheOvertimer’s Hottest Stories, Breaking News and Special Features in your email, CLICK HERE!
Remember to stay up to date with the latest news on TheOvertimer. Don’t forget to visit YouTube
and Gamestingr for great videos, news, and gameplay!
