The 2020 New Japan Cup’s field is getting smaller by the day, with upset victories and predictable outcomes in equal order. Night Six would continue this, as four more tournament matches would determine who reaches the semi finals. YOSHI-HASHI, BUSHI, SANADA, SHO, EVIL, Hirooki Goto, Taichi, and Kota Kota Ibushi would all be in action, making for a great night of action.
YOSHI-HASHI vs. BUSHI
When not given a strong opponent to help them shine, both BUSHI & YOSHI-HASHI are just completely unremarkable. They would be matched up in the second round of the New Japan Cup tournament, and have the match everyone anticipated. Both men would hit their signature spots crisply, the pace was fine, and the action was back and forth. It was a perfectly average match, which is all it had to be. After 10 minutes and 22 seconds of action, YOSHI-HASHI would win using KARMA to advance to the semi-finals.
2.5/5 (** 1/2)
SHO vs. SANADA
After his incredible performance against Shingo Takagi in the first round, SHO would look to keep moving forward as he faces another L.I.J member in SANADA. Speed and hunger would clash with size and experience, as they went back and forth. The pace got faster by the minute, starting slow and hitting a smooth stride around the 10 minute mark as they traded heavy blows. SHO looked to be the equal of SANADA throughout, but didn’t have enough to get the win. After of 14 minutes and 43 seconds of action SANADA would win with Skull End to advance to the semi finals.
3.75/5 (*** 3/4)
Taichi vs. Kota Ibushi
Following this match with Hiroshi Tanahashi in the first round of the New Japan Cup, Taichi would also lay out Kota Ibushi, making this a heated contest from the very start. Two of the heavier strikes in NJPW, this was always going to be a stiff affair, but add in the animosity extending past the intital shutdown of shows? They would be ready to tear each other apart.
Now put Zack Sabre Jr. and Hiroshi Tanahashi at ringside? You get chaos, which suits Taichi. It’d take some time for this to resemble a wrestling match, with Taichi cheating as much as possible to make up for the gap in wrestling ability. A distraction from ZSJ allowed him to grab the Iron Fisted Glove, defeating Ibushi before finalizing the victory. After 18 minutes and 8 seconds of action, Taichi would win with
Black Mephisto and advance to the semi-finals.
4/5 (****)
EVIL vs. Hirooki Goto
While many won’t think of his as such, EVIL is one of the more deadly singles wrestlers in NJPW. He’s not getting massive title reigns, but it’s not wise to look past him in a tournament. Goto knew this going in, and would bring his all to the brusier of L.I.J in this hard hitting match. It wasn’t anything too crazy, but if you like strong style NJPW matches? This will be the match for you. Much like BUSHI vs. YOSHI-HASHI, there wasn’t much standing out here, but there was much more chemistry, leading to a much better match.
EVIL would win with EVIL after 18 minutes and 25 seconds of action.
3.75/5 (*** 3/4)
The Average Rating For Night Six Of The New Japan Cup Is 3.5
Another solid night, with some great storytelling in some matches, great action in other, and Ibushi vs. Taichi had both. These wins set up SANADA vs. Taichi & EVIL vs. YOSHI-HASHI for the semi-finals, with these matches both seeming great on paper in their own ways.
What was your favorite match of Night Six? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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