NJPW Announces Bracket For New Japan Cup 2023
Image Credit: NJPW
New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced the bracket for the 2023 New Japan Cup. The 16-day tournament will kick off on March 5 and conclude on March 21. The winner of the tournament will earn a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 8.
The announcement, courtesy of NJPW’s official website is as follows:
The New Japan Cup kicks off on March 5, 2023. The annual spring tournament brings a slice of March madness to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, with the prize being a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis in Ryogoku on April 8. After a 50 man field in 2022, a high barrier to entry in 2023 will see 24 compete in an intense 16 day tour culminating March 21 in Nagaoka. Here are your first round matches and byes:
March 5:
Taichi (6th entry, 6th consecutive) vs SANADA (6th entry, 6th consecutive, 2019 finalist)
Winner faces: KENTA (2nd entry, first in two years. New Japan Cup USA 2020 winner, STRONG Openweight Championship number one contender)
Tetsuya Naito (11th entry, 3rd conseuctive, 2016 winner) vs El Phantasmo (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive)
Winner faces: Chase Owens (4th entry, 3rd consecutive)
March 6
David Finlay (2nd entry, first in two years) vs Tomohiro Ishii (15th entry, 8th consecutive)
Winner faces: Great-O-Khan (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive, British Heavyweight Champion)
Shota Umino (2nd entry, first in four years) vs Yujiro Takahashi (13th entry, 4th consecutive)
Winner faces: Zack Sabre Jr. (6th entry, 6th consecutive, 2018, 2022 winner, NJPW World TV Champion)
March 8
Ren Narita (debut entry, NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Champion) vs EVIL (7th entry, 5th consecutive, 2020 winner)
Winner faces: Jeff Cobb (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive)
Toru Yano (18th entry, 18th consecutive) vs Mark Davis (debut entry)
Winner faces: Will Ospreay (4th entry, 3rd consecutive, 2021 winner)
March 10
Kyle Fletcher (debut entry) vs YOSHI-HASHI (10th entry, 9th consecutive, IWGP Tag Team Champion)
Winner faces: Hirooki Goto (15th entry, 5th consecutive, 2009, 2010, 2012 IWGP Tag Team Champion)
Shingo Takagi (4th entry, 4th consecutive, KOPW 2023 holder) vs Aaron Henare (4th entry, 3rd consecutive)
Winner faces: Tama Tonga (5th entry, 2nd consecutive, NEVER Openweight Champion)
WrestleZone will have coverage of the tournament as it progresses.
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