The annual NJPW New Japan Cup will begin on March 7th with 24 wrestlers vying to earn a shot at Hirooki Goto and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
The tournament will conclude on March 20th. The winner will challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at NJPW Sakura Genesis on April 5.
Here are the first round matches:
March 7: Korakuen Hall
Yota Tsuji (4th entry, 2nd consecutive. 2024 winner, IWGP Global heavyweight Champion) vs EVIL (9th entry, 7th consecutive. 2020 winner)
Winner to face: David Finlay (4th entry, 3rd consecutive. Career best: 2023 Finalist)
Yuya Uemura (3rd entry, 2nd consecutive. Career best: first round) vs SANADA (9th entry, 9th consecutive. 2023 winner)
Winner to face: YOSHI-HASHI (12th entry, 11th consecutive. Career best: quarterfinalist (2019, 2020))
March 8: Korakuen Hall
Ryohei Oiwa (2nd entry, 1st in three years) vs Chase Owens (6th entry, 5th consecutive. Career best: 3rd round (2022))
Winner to face: Zack Sabre Jr. (8th entry, 8th consecutive. 2018, 2022 winner)
Gabe Kidd (4th entry, 2nd consecutive. NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion. Career best: 2nd round (2024)) vs Ren Narita (3rd entry, 3rd consecutive. Career best: 2024 quarterfinalist)
Winner to face: Taichi (8th entry, 8th consecutive. Career best: 2020 quarterfinalist)
March 9: Amagasaki
El Phantasmo (4th entry, 4th consecutive. NJPW World TV Champion. Career best: second round (2024)) vs Great-O-Khan (5th entry, 5th consecutive. Career best: third round (2022))
Winner to face: Shota Umino (4th entry 3rd consecutive. Career best: 2023 quarterfinalist)
Callum Newman (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive) vs Tetsuya Naito (13th entry, 5th consecutive. IWGP Tag Team Champion, 2016 winner)
Winner to face: Jeff Cobb (5th entry, 5th consecutive. Career best: 2022 quarterfinalist)
Tomohiro Ishii (17th entry, 10th consecutive. Career best: 2019 semifinalist) vs Drilla Moloney (debut entry)
Winner to face: TJP (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive)
Boltin Oleg (2nd entry, 2nd consecutive) vs Bad Luck Fale (9th entry, first in three years. Career best: 2014, 2017 finalist)
Winner to face: Shingo Takagi (6th entry, 6th consecutive. Career best: 2021 finalist)
With 16 in first round matchups and eight random byes, here is your New Japan Cup bracket!
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) February 12, 2025
Who will be Strongest of the Spring, and face the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion at Sakura Genesis?https://t.co/qi3fi487Zl#njpw #njcup pic.twitter.com/jn2o7WBMO3
Fightful will have coverage of the NJPW Cup as it unfolds.
