Welcome to Fightful.com's live coverage & discussion for NJPW New Japan Cup ’20 Day 3. We'll be bringing you full, fight by fight coverage of every bout on the card. You can also send in your feedback on our Disqus boards below!
Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Deparado & Douki) def. Yuji Nagata, Gabriel Kidd, Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura
NJPW New Japan Cup ’20 Opening Round Matches
Sho def. Shingo Takagi
Sanada def. Ryusuke Taguchi
Kota Ibushi def. Zack Sabre Jr.
Taichi def. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Deparado & Douki) vs. Yuji Nagata, Gabriel Kidd, Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura
The match begins with Suzuki-Gun jumping their foes before the bell sounds and the brawl between both teams spills all over the arena, Nagata and Suzuki exchange strikes on the arena floor. Kidd drops Douki with a shoulder tackle in the ring, Kidd then hits Douki with a back elbow strike and slam. Uemura tags in and he attacks Douki with some strikes, Douki sends a charging Uemura out of the ring and a second brawl breaks out between both teams. Suzuki grabs a wire and he chokes Nagata with it, Kanemaru nails Uemura with a suplex in the ring for a near fall. Deparado tags in and he nails Uemura with a series of slams, Douki tags in and he stomps away on a downed Uemura. Douki then nails Uemura with a back breaker for a near fall, Suzuki tags in and he levels Uemura with a forearm strike for a near fall. Kanemaru tags in as the entire Suzuki-Gun team chokes Uemura, Kanemaru nails Uemura with an enziguri before tagging Suzuki back in. Suzuki-Gun then quadruple teams Uemura before Kanemaru tags back in, Uemura fights back and he drops Kanemaru with a suplex. Nagata and Suzuki are tagged in by their respective partners, Nagata immediately starts brawling with Suzuki until the rest of Suzuki-Gun attacks.
Nagata fights back and he clears the ring before hitting Deparado with an overhead release suplex, Kidd and Tsuji hit the ring to double team Deparado. Tsuji nails Deparado with a power slam for a near fall, members of both team brawl all over the arena again. Tsuji nails Deparado with a spear before applying a Boston crab to him, Kanemaru hits the ring to break the submission attempt up. Everybody from both teams hit the ring and they all take each other out, Deparado then nails Tsuji with a spear of his own. Tsuji fights back and he drops Deparado with a shoulder block before landing a suplex for a near fall, Deparado recovers and he nails Tsuji with the angel’s wings for a three count.
Winners: Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Deparado & Douki)
NJPW New Japan Cup ’20 Opening Round Match
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Sanada
The match begins with Sanada backing Taguchi into the ropes before letting him go free, Taguchi starts focusing his attack on the arm of Sanada. Taguchi gets Sanada down before applying a chin lock to him, Sanada gets up and Taguchi gets him in a headlock. Taguchi looks to attack Sanada while showing him respect and Sanada avoids it, Taguchi trips up Sanada and he tries getting him in the Paradise Lock. Sanada gets free and he gets Taguchi in the Paradise Lock before landing a drop kick, Taguchi leaves the ring and Sanada gets him back in it before landing a series of atomic drops. Taguchi tries fighting back and he misses the hip attack against Sanada, Sanada keeps Taguchi down while holding him in a chin lock. Taguchi gets free and he fights back against Sanada before nailing him with a basement drop kick, Taguchi follows up by nailing Sanada with multiple hip attacks. Taguchi then hits Sanada with a few suplexes, Taguchi sets up for another hip attack and Sanada nails him with a drop kick to the knee. Taguchi falls out of the ring and he avoids a dive from Sanada, Taguchi then nails Sanada with a dive of his own. Taguchi gets Sanada back in the ring before landing a drop kick to his knee. Taguchi applies the ankle lock to Sanada and Sanada gets free momentarily before Taguchi reapplies the hold, Sanada gets free and he goes for the Cold Skull.
Taguchi gets free and he catches Sanada in a few roll ups for a few near falls, Sanada catches Taguchi in a roll up of his own for a three count.
Winner: Sanada
NJPW New Japan Cup ’20 Opening Round Match
Shingo Takagi vs. Sho
The match begins with Sho attacking Takagi with clotheslines right as the bell sounded, Takagi fights back and Sho eventually drops him. Sho goes for an arm bar and Takagi quickly gets to the ropes, Sho then chokes Takagi as he is leaning on the ropes. Sho drops Takagi again before kicking him right in the back, Sho keeps Takagi down while landing more kicks. Takagi gets up and a striking exchange breaks out with Sho, Takagi ends the exchange by nailing Sho with a shoulder tackle. Takagi follows up by knocking Sho out of the ring with a clothesline. Takagi also leaves the ring and he throws Sho into the barricade, Takagi then nails Sho with a DDT on the arena floor. Takagi gets Sho back in the ring and he wrenches away on his head before landing some elbow strikes, Sho tries fighting back and Takagi nails him with more strikes. Sho fights back again and he drops Takagi with a suplex, Sho follows up by nailing Takagi with a shoulder tackle and forearm strikes. Sho then hits Takagi with a spear for a near fall, Sho looks for a German suplex and Takagi defends against it. Sho starts focusing his attack on the arm of Takagi, Takagi recovers and he drops Sho with a clothesline. Sho catches an unsuspecting Takagi in a triangle choke and Takagi power bombs his way to freedom, Sho recovers and he drops Takagi before landing a series of kicks.
Takagi gets up and he exchanges clotheslines with Sho until Sho lands a series of German suplexes, Sho then hits Takagi with a knee strike before eating another clothesline. Takagi then hits Sho with a sliding lariat, Takagi then hits a dazed Sho with a face plant for another near fall. Takagi follows up by getting Sho on the top rope and he follows him up there, Sho fights back and he gets free before landing a lung blower on Takagi. Sho then crushes Takagi with a lariat for a near fall, Sho also nails Takagi with a German suplex for another near fall. Sho sets up for another move and Takagi nails him with a back body drop, Takagi and Sho have a striking exchange in the middle of the ring. Takagi then hits Sho with his finisher for another near fall, Takagi follows up by crushing Sho with a lariat for another near fall. Takagi looks for Last Of The Dragon and Sho counters to apply a straight arm bar, Takagi gets free and Sho nails him with a package pile driver for a three count.
Winner: Sho
NJPW New Japan Cup ’20 Opening Round Match
Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
The match begins with some chain wrestling between Ibushi and Sabre Jr, Sabre Jr gets Ibushi down and he looks for an arm bar. Ibushi defends and he gets Sabre Jr in a crucifix position for a short time, Sabre Jr looks for another submission and Ibushi gets to the ropes. Ibushi gets up and he attacks Sabre Jr with a series of kicks, Ibushi keeps Sabre Jr down while applying a chin lock to him. Sabre Jr fights back and he gets Ibushi in a knee bar, Ibushi gets to the ropes and Sabre Jr wrenches away on both legs a short time later. Ibushi gets to the ropes again and Sabre Jr releases the hold, Ibushi fights back to drop Sabre Jr and land a standing moonsault for a near fall. Ibushi gets up and he attacks a downed Sabre Jr with more strikes, Ibushi then knocks Sabre Jr out of the ring after landing a hurricarana. Ibushi goes for the Golden Triangle and Sabre Jr gets out of the way, Sabre Jr tries getting back in the ring and Ibushi kicks him in the face. Sabre Jr drags Ibushi out of the ring before applying a leg lock to him, Ibushi gets back in the ring and Sabre Jr applies a modified stump puller to him for a short time. Ibushi tries fighting back and Sabre Jr attacks him with a leg sweep, Sabre Jr then hits Ibushi with a few strikes before landing an overhead kick to the arm. Ibushi quickly recovers and he nails Sabre Jr with a lariat, Sabre Jr gets back up and he gets Ibushi in a guillotine choke.
Ibushi gets free and Sabre Jr gets him in a knee bar a short time later, Ibushi gets free again and Sabre Jr drops him before landing a knee drop of his shoulder. Sabre Jr then gets Ibushi on the octopus stretch, Sabre Jr trips up Ibushi before applying a single leg crab next. Ibushi eventually gets to the ropes to break the submission attempt, Ibushi tries getting up as Sabre Jr attacks him with more kicks. Sabre Jr goes for a triangle choke on Ibushi and Ibushi gets free, Ibushi then nails Sabre Jr with an overhead kick to the head. Sabre Jr fights back and he drills Ibushi with a penalty kick, Ibushi fights back and he crushes Sabre Jr with a head kick from out of nowhere for a three count.
Winner: Kota Ibushi
NJPW New Japan Cup ’20 Opening Round Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Taichi
The match begins with Taichi attacking Tanahashi with a power bomb before the bell sounded, some of the Young Lions hit the ring to check on Tanahashi and Taichi attacks them. Taichi then cracks Tanahashi with a head kick after Tanahashi said he was able to continue, Tanahashi falls out of the ring and Douki comes from out of nowhere to attack him. Douki then throws the injured Tanahashi into the barricade, the ref confronts Douki and he sends him backstage. Taichi grabs a cable wire and he chokes Tanahashi with it, Taichi gets Tanahashi back in the ring and the ref refuses to count the pin due to Douki’s interference. Douki remains at ringside and Taichi chokes a downed Tanahashi in the ring, Taichi tosses Tanahashi out of the ring and he follows him out there. Tanahashi fights back and he throws Taichi into the barricade, Douki interferes and Tanahashi goes after him until Taichi attacks. Taichi grabs the hurt Tanahashi and he throws him into the barricade, Taichi drags Tanahashi into the crowd area and he attacks him with a steel chair. Taichi gets Tanahashi back in the ring and the ref refuses to make a count again due to Douki’s interference, Taichi then drops Tanahashi before kicking him in the back. Tanahashi tries getting up and Taichi kicks him right in the face, Tanahashi fights back and he nails Taichi with a flying forearm strike.
Tanahashi gets Taichi up to his feet and he attacks him with some strikes, Tanahashi then hits Taichi with a slam and middle rope swanton bomb for a near fall. Taichi tries fighting back and Tanahashi nails him with a dragon screw leg whip, Tanahashi misses the avalanche attempt and Taichi nails him with a head kick. Tanahashi blocks a second head kick attempt and Taichi rakes his eyes, Tanahashi and Taichi then get into a striking exchange. Taichi ends the exchange by hitting Tanahashi with a release German suplex, Taichi looks for a power bomb and Tanahashi avoids it to nail him with a uranage. Tanahashi and Taichi battle back and forth until Tanahashi lands a sling blade, Tanahashi follows up by nailing Taichi with a spinning neck breaker and another sling blade for a near fall. Tanahashi goes to the top rope and he nails Taichi with a High Fly Flow, Douki interferes again and Tanahashi attacks him. Taichi then hits Tanahashi with a low blow and roll up for a near fall, Taichi lands a lariat on Tanahashi after missing a head kick attempt. Taichi then nails Tanahashi with a power bomb for a near fall, Taichi looks for a kryptonite krunch and Tanahashi avoids it before getting into another striking exchange.
Tanahashi and Taichi drop each other during the striking exchange, Taichi gets up and he nails Tanahashi with a back drop driver. Taichi then hits Tanahashi with a clothesline and enziguri, Taichi follows up by nailing Tanahashi with a super kick and Black Mephisto for a three count.
Winner: Taichi
After the match, Taichi and Douki attack Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi comes out for the save and he gets attacked as well.
