This one doesn’t happen every year folks… it’s New Japan’s Super J Cup! This is a 16-man single elimination tournament involving the best junior heavyweights from all across the globe. Like the wrestling olympics, the Super J-Cup only appears once every few years, sometimes with extremely long gaps.
The next one, a three night event beginning August 22nd and concluding August 25th with only a single night off, will bring the Super J to America for the very first time. It’s the seventh installment of the tournament, with the original taking place back in 1996. It was concieved by junior legend Jushin Thunder Liger, who always dreamed of bring it stateside. Months ahead of his impending retirement, he’s finally getting his wish.
We only know three names thus far, revealed late last night. I know not all readers will be too familiar with them, so let’s take a quick peek at the announced competitors so far!
Dragon Lee (1st Super J-Cup Appearance)
At 24 years of age, Dragon Lee has already proven himself to quite the extent. Trained in CMLL’s dojo, he’s been a loyalist to the world’s oldest surviving wrestling promotion since 2013. But thanks to their close working relationship with New Japan and ROH, he’s already made a name for himself internationally as well. He’s most renowned for his exciting rivalry with Hiromu Takahashi, another 20-something with which he has an excellent chemistry.
He began said rivalry while Hiromu was on excursion to CMLL. When Hiromu returned to New Japan and became a sensation in the beloved Los Ingobernables de Japon stable, it was only natural that Dragon Lee follow him. But he’s remained relevant even with Hiromu on the shelf. Whilst short-lived, Dragon Lee held the Junior Championship for a time earlier this year. This makes it clear how much they think of his talents.
And he’s talented, no doubt. Everything you’d expect in a stereotypical luchador and more, he’s a wildly athletic young man, a hellacious high flier who also packs a ton of power in his sleight frame. He’s one to watch in any situation, the Super J-Cup included. But the same could be said for the other two entrants…
SHO (1st Super J-Cup Appearance)
With Junior stalwart Kushida making his leave at the beginning of this year, the need has arisen for New Japan to crown a new ‘junior ace’ of sorts. And to many, SHO very much appears to be the guy to take up that mantle. Thus far he’s been a part of the top babyface team of the Junior tag division, alongside YOH. The two, managed by Rocky Romero, make up Roppongi 3K. But while it’s a nice team, New Japan rarely employs people purely to be tag wrestlers. If you’re a tandem being regularly pushed, it generally means they have plans for one or both of you to be single stars in the future.
SHO is seen as the much further along of the two, standing out as one of the best in the Best Of The Super Juniors round robin earlier this year, as well as the one with the most charisma. Aesthetically speaking, he has the same youthfully innocent look that Kushida rocked as well, which doesn’t hurt.
If he’s to be the guy at his weight class, winning the Super J-Cup would be the way to solidify this. Make sure to keep an eye on him.
TJP (1st Super J-Cup Appearance)
Last, but certainly not least, is TJP. Unlike the other two, he is not officially signed to New Japan as far as I know. While he does have some sporadic history with the promotion, it’s his first appearance for them since 2011. In recent years, TJP is most well known for winning the Cruiserweight Classic, and thus being the first-ever holder of this generation’s Cruiserweight Championship.
TJP is cocky and brazen, but he’s also a technical savant. He’s a mat master with one of the smoothest submission games going today. That will make him a fascinating draw for anyone who happens upon him. Seemingly entering as a free agent, that makes him something of a wild card. It’s hard to know how well he’ll do, but don’t be shocked if he makes it deep.
