New Japan Cup USA
New Japan Cup USA | |
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![]() 2020 logo | |
Promotion(s) | New Japan Pro-Wrestling |
First event | 2020 |
Event gimmick | Single-elimination tournament for a championship match |
New Japan Cup USA is an annual professional wrestling tournament produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The tournament is a spin-off of NJPW's annual New Japan Cup introduced in 2020. The tournament was promoted under NJPW's North American branch, New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America.
New Japan Cup USA is an eight-man, single-elimination tournament. Matches are contested through NJPW's weekly television show, Strong.
Tournaments[]
Year | Tournament | Aftermath | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | Times won | Participants | Challenged for | Match | Result | |
2020 | Kenta | 1 | 8 | IWGP United States Championship | vs. Jon Moxley on Strong February 26, 2021 |
Loss |
2021 | Tom Lawlor | 1 | Strong Openweight Championship | vs. Brody King on Strong April 23, 2021 |
Won |
History[]
The New Japan Cup was first held in April 2005.[1] The event then became an annual tradition for NJPW and was held every year around mid-March to mid-April, with the winner receiving a match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. After the 2020 edition of the New Japan Cup was delayed until June due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[2][3][4] it was announced during a press conference on July 31 that the New Japan Cup USA would take place from August 7 to August 21 of that year, with the winner receiving a shot at the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. It was also reported that the matches would be televised on NJPW's new television show, Strong.[5] The next day, the eight-man bracket was announced.[6]
Editions[]
2020[]
New Japan Cup USA 2020 | |||
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Promotion | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | ||
Date | August 7–21, 2020 | ||
City | Port Hueneme, California | ||
Venue | Oceanview Pavillion | ||
Attendance | 0[7][a] | ||
Event chronology | |||
| |||
New Japan Cup USA chronology | |||
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It commenced on August 7, 2020 and concluded on August 21, 2020.
Round 1 August 7[8] | Semi-finals August 14[9] | Final August 21[10] | ||||||||||||
Karl Fredericks | 9:59 | |||||||||||||
Kenta | Pin | |||||||||||||
Kenta | Pin | |||||||||||||
Jeff Cobb | 14:38 | |||||||||||||
Jeff Cobb | Pin | |||||||||||||
Tanga Loa | 8:45 | |||||||||||||
Kenta | Pin | |||||||||||||
David Finlay | 13:35 | |||||||||||||
David Finlay | Pin | |||||||||||||
Chase Owens | 9:46 | |||||||||||||
David Finlay | Pin | |||||||||||||
Tama Tonga | 7:10 | |||||||||||||
Brody King | 7:14 | |||||||||||||
Tama Tonga | Pin |
2021[]
New Japan Cup USA 2021 | |||
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Promotion | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | ||
Date | April 9–23, 2021 | ||
City | Port Hueneme, California | ||
Venue | Oceanview Pavillion | ||
Attendance | 0[11][a] | ||
Event chronology | |||
| |||
New Japan Cup USA chronology | |||
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New Japan Cup USA 2021 commenced on April 9 and concluded on April 23.[12] Eight qualifying matches were held from March 5–March 26 to determine the eight participants. The bracket was revealed after the eight participants were determined.[13] Originally, the winner of the tournament would receive an IWGP United States Championship title match, but this was changed when NJPW revealed the Strong Openweight Championship on April 2 and announced that the winner will become its inaugural champion instead.[14]
Qualifying March 5, 12, 19, 26 | Round 1 April 9 | Semi-finals April 16 | Final April 23 | ||||||||||||
Clark Connors | Pin[15] | ||||||||||||||
TJP | 9:27 | ||||||||||||||
Clark Connors | 9:57 | ||||||||||||||
Lio Rush | Pin[19] | ||||||||||||||
Rocky Romero | 13:57 | ||||||||||||||
Lio Rush | Pin[16] | ||||||||||||||
Lio Rush | 7:38 | ||||||||||||||
Brody King | Pin | ||||||||||||||
Brody King | Pin[17] | ||||||||||||||
Bateman | 13:25 | ||||||||||||||
Brody King | Pin[19] | ||||||||||||||
Chris Dickinson | 10:42 | ||||||||||||||
Blake Christian | 8:53 | ||||||||||||||
Chris Dickinson | Pin[15] | ||||||||||||||
Brody King | 20:05 | ||||||||||||||
Tom Lawlor | Sub | ||||||||||||||
Ren Narita | Pin[17] | ||||||||||||||
Misterioso | 11:12 | ||||||||||||||
Ren Narita | 13:19 | ||||||||||||||
Tom Lawlor | Sub[19] | ||||||||||||||
The DKC | 9:13 | ||||||||||||||
Tom Lawlor | Pin[16] | ||||||||||||||
Tom Lawlor | Pin | ||||||||||||||
Hikuleo | 8:58 | ||||||||||||||
Jordan Clearwater | 7:57 | ||||||||||||||
Hikuleo | Pin[18] | ||||||||||||||
Hikuleo | Pin[19] | ||||||||||||||
Fred Rosser | 6:22 | ||||||||||||||
Fred Rosser | Pin[18] | ||||||||||||||
JR Kratos | 14:16 |
See also[]
Notes[]
- ^ a b The event was held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
References[]
- ^ "New Japan Cup 2005". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
- ^ "【お詫びとお知らせ】3月1日(日)~3月15日(日)までの11大会を開催中止とさせて頂きます" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. February 26, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^ NJPW. "NJPW events cancelled until Saturday March 21 | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
- ^ NJPW. "New Japan Cup 2020 a NJPW World Special this June! | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
- ^ NJPW. "New Japan Cup USA announced for NJPW STRONG debut 【NJoA】 | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ^ NJPW. "New Japan Cup USA Preview 【NJoA】 | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
- ^ "NJPW STRONG #1". Cagematch.net. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ "2020.08.07 NEW JAPAN CUP 2020 in the USA". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Bushiroad. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ "2020.08.14 NEW JAPAN CUP 2020 in the USA". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Bushiroad. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ "2020.08.21 NEW JAPAN CUP 2020 in the USA". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Bushiroad. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ "NJPW STRONG #1". Cagematch.net. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ NJPW. "LEC presents New Japan Cup USA bracket 【NJoA】 | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- ^ Renner, Ethan (March 26, 2021). "NJPW New Japan Cup USA 2021 tournament bracket set". WON/F4W. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- ^ NJPW. "Strong Openweight Championship revealed | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
- ^ a b "Road to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ a b "Road to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 6, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
- ^ a b "Road to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
- ^ a b "Road to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Lambert, Jeremy (April 9, 2021). "NJPW Strong Results (4/9): New Japan Cup USA First Round Action". Retrieved April 9, 2021.
External links[]
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling tournaments
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling shows
- Professional wrestling in California