NJPW New Beginning In Osaka 2018

NJPW "New Japan Cup" Review

EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan - February 10, 2018

The New Japan Pro-Wrestling promotion returned to the EDION Arena Osaka in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,481 fans for their latest TV show. A stacked card featuring some of the best wrestlers from around the world did not disappoint.

Opening Matches

Yuji Nagata kicked off the night with a dominant victory over Katsuya Kitamura in the first match of the evening. The veteran Nagata showcased his technical prowess, submitting Kitamura in 10:58 to pick up the win. Next up was Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) who took on Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH). Despite a valiant effort from Roppongi 3K, Suzuki-gun emerged victorious in 10:22.

Tag Team Mayhem

The eight-man tag team match that followed was a chaotic affair. KUSHIDA, Michael Elgin, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Togi Makabe took on Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, and Takashi Iizuka). With so many bodies in the ring at once, it was hard to keep track of who had the upper hand. In the end, the good guys came out on top in 11:52.

Chaos Erupts

The CHAOS stable (Jay White, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano) looked to continue their winning ways against David Finlay, Juice Robinson, and Toa Henare. However, it was the opposing trio that came out on top in a surprisingly quick 7:33.

Singles Action

BUSHI and Gedo clashed in a hard-hitting singles match. BUSHI's high-flying offense was matched by Gedo's technical grappling skills. In the end, it was BUSHI who emerged victorious in 10:07.

Tetsuya Naito faced off against YOSHI-HASHI in a highly anticipated singles bout. Both men traded near-falls and showed off their impressive skill sets before Naito secured the win in 16:46.

Title Matches

The main event of the evening was Will Ospreay's defense of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Hiromu Takahashi. The two junior heavyweights put on a show, trading high-flying moves and near-falls before Ospreay retained his title in 20:05.

Hirooki Goto looked to make a statement as he challenged EVIL for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Despite a valiant effort from EVIL, Goto emerged victorious in 20:19 to become the new champion.

Finally, Kazuchika Okada defended his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against SANADA. The two men put on a show, trading near-falls and showing off their impressive skill sets before Okada retained his title in a thrilling 32:12 match.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, this was an excellent TV show from NJPW. Each match told a story, and the crowd was fully invested throughout the evening. With so many great performances, it's hard to pick out a standout match - but if I had to choose, I'd go with Okada vs. SANADA for its sheer excitement and importance.

Final Score: 9/10

Recommendation: If you're a fan of professional wrestling or NJPW in particular, this show is a must-watch. Even if you're not familiar with the promotion or its wrestlers, there's something here for everyone.

Card Details

Date: 10 Feb 2018
Promotion: New Japan Pro Wrestling
Arena: EDION Arena Osaka
Attendance: 5481
Type: TV-Show
Broadcast Type: Live
Broadcast Date: 10 Feb 2018

Matches

Yuji Nagata defeat Katsuya Kitamura in a Katsuya Kitamura Seven Match Trial Sixth Match
Match Time: 10:58
Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeat Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) in a Tag Team Match
Match Time: 10:22
KUSHIDA, Michael Elgin, Ryusuke Taguchi and Togi Makabe defeat Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku and Takashi Iizuka) in a Eight Man Tag Team Match
Match Time: 11:52
CHAOS (Jay White, Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano) defeat David Finlay, Juice Robinson and Toa Henare in a Six Man Tag Team Match
Match Time: 07:33
BUSHI defeat Gedo in a Singles Match
Match Time: 10:07
Tetsuya Naito defeat YOSHI-HASHI in a Singles Match
Match Time: 16:46
Will Ospreay(C) defeat Hiromu Takahashi in a IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match
Match Time: 20:05
Hirooki Goto(C) defeat EVIL in a NEVER Openweight Title Match
Match Time: 20:19
Kazuchika Okada(C) defeat SANADA in a IWGP Heavyweight Title Match
Match Time: 32:12