The Best Bout Machine awaits!

With Kenny Omega as the NEW AEW International Champion, an internationally flavored tournament begins to determine his challenger for Dynasty!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• AEW International Championship Eliminator Tournament Opening Round: Orange Cassidy VS Hechicero; wins and advances.
• Willow Nightingale VS Penelope Ford; wins.
• AEW International Championship Eliminator Tournament Opening Round: The Beast Mortos VS ???; wins and advances.

PLAY BY PLAY

[Due to scheduling conflicts, coverage will be on delay]

Will the Roughneck have his revenge?

As the New Japan Cup continues, Great-O-Khan encounters Shota Umino, meeting again after Khan defeated and SHAVED Shota’s head!

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• YOSHI-HASHI & Daiki Nagai VS Yuya Uemura & Taka Michinoku; Uemura & Taka win.
• Six Man Tag: Hirooki Goto, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuya Murashima VS Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima & Tomohiro Ishii; Nagata, Kojima & Ishii win.
• Six Man Tag: TMDK VS The United Empire; The United Empire wins.
• 8 Man Tag: Hontai VS Los Ingobernables de Japon; LIJ wins.
• 10 Man Tag: Bullet Club War Dogs VS House of Torture; House of Torture wins.
• 2025 New Japan Cup Second Round: Taichi VS Gabe Kidd; Taichi wins and advances.
• 2025 New Japan Cup Second Round: Shota Umino VS Great-O-Khan; Shota wins and advances.

PLAY BY PLAY

2025 New Japan Cup Second Round: Taichi w/ Taka Michinoku VS Gabe Kidd!

The Holy Emperor was given a first round bye, and now he must face a Mad Man! Will Taichi be able to tame this War Dog? Or will Gabe show why he’s NJPW Strong?

The moment Gabe is in the ring, he gets right in Taichi’s face. Red Shoes has Gabe stand down, and Gabe stands on the corner to get the fans fired up. The bell rings, the fans rally up, and the two stare down. They tie up, are in a deadlock, but then break. They circle and reset, then they run up to RAM shoulders! And RAM! And RAM! And RAM! Then Gabe fires a forearm! Taichi ridge hand chops, Gabe fires a forearm, repeat! The fans rally as the shots go back and forth! Gabe fires up, shakes his head, and he then fires another forearm! Taichi keeps up the ridge hands, Gabe keeps firing forearms, and now Taichi fires up!

The fans rally as Taichi and Gabe go forehead to forehead. Gabe fires a forearm, and he blocks the sobat to UPPERCUT! Gabe whips, but Taichi BOOTS him down! Gabe is right up to LARIAT Taichi! The fans fire up and Gabe stomps Taichi. Gabe drags Taichi up, CHOPS him again, and Taichi goes to a corner. Gabe storms over, stands Taichi up, and then CHOPS! Taichi sits down, Gabe scuffs him, and Gabe whips Taichi hard into the corner! Cover, TWO! The fans cheer, Gabe kicks Taichi around, then stands him up. Taichi fires more ridge hand chops! Gabe UPPERCUTS, then whips, and he follows in for a LARIAT!

Gabe whips again, runs up, but Taichi BOOTS him! Taichi runs, but into a scoop! Gabe hits the buckles, then OKLAHOMA STAMPEDES! The fans fire up and Gabe turns Taichi over for a BOSTON CRAB! Taichi endures, Gabe wants Red Shoes to ask him, but Taichi still fights forward! ROPEBREAK! Gabe lets go and the fans cheer. Gabe stalks Taichi, eggs him on, and then he brings Taichi up with a waistlock. Taichi fights free to PELE! Gabe staggers, drops to a knee, but he comes back to stomp Taichi! Gabe whips, Taichi reverses and clinches, RUSSIAN LEG SWEEP! Both men are down and the fans cheer.

Taichi and Gabe stir while the fans rally up. Both men sit up slowly, and Gabe goes to ropes. Taichi stands, runs corner to corner, and he BOOTS Gabe! Taichi then powers up and runs, but Gabe dodges the Ax Bomber! Gabe tries but Taichi ducks to wrench and HOOK KICK! The fans fire up again and Taichi covers, TWO! Gabe stays in this but Taichi stays calm. The fans rally and duel as Taichi looms over Gabe. Taichi gives Gabe scuffing kicks, then some Kawada Kicks! Gabe just gets mad, and he stands up to CHOP! Taichi SOBATS! Gabe UPPERCUTS! Taichi goes to a corner, Gabe runs up, but Taichi dodges! GAMANGIRI!

Gabe falls but Taichi still needs to catch his breath. Taichi rises, fire sup, and the fans are with him as OFF COME THE PANTS! Taichi aims at Gabe and powers up. TENSHO- NO, Gabe dodges and CHOPS! Taichi just snarls and comes back. They go forehead to forehead, and Taichi KICKS! Gabe walks that off, and he CHOPS back! Taichi walks that off, comes back and KICKS! Gabe snarls and comes back to CHOP! And CHOP! Taichi CHOPS! Gabe wobbles while the fans fire up. Gabe huffs ‘n’ puffs to CHOP! Taichi KICKS, Gabe CHOPS, repeat! The fans fire up, Taichi KICKS again and again, then eggs Gabe on!

Gabe storms up to HEADBUTT, HEADBUTT, HEADBUTT! Then UPPERCUT! Taichi falls and Gabe staggers, and the fans duel even more! Gabe eggs Taichi on! “This is New Japan, b*tch!” Gabe scuffs Taichi, so Taichi stands and KICKS! Gabe stays on his feet and shakes his head! Taichi winds up to KICK again! Gabe says F that, bring it! Taichi KICKS and Gabe falls over! The fans fire up and Taichi paces around now. Taichi drags Gabe up, reels him in, but Gabe fights the saido with elbows! Gabe runs, COMEBACK- NO, Taichi BOOTS Gabe! But Gabe PELES! And then puts on the COBRA TWIST! The fans fire up as Taichi endures!

Taichi reaches out, Gabe pushes him down, and then reels him in! But Taichi BACKDROPS free! Gabe rises, but Taichi BOOTS him! And GAMANGIRIS! Taichi hurries to hook Gabe up, SEITEI JUJIHOU!! Gabe endures being stuck in the Holy Emperor’s Tomb, even as Taichi twists him! Gabe is sputtering, fading, and Red Shoes checks. Taichi lets Gabe go, perhaps out of energy himself. Taichi storms back up on Gabe, but Gabe is deadweight. The fans rally as Gabe stirs, and Taichi reels him in. But Gabe fights the lift now! Taichi fires more Kawada Kicks, then KICKS Gabe down! Taichi reels Gabe back in, but Gabe fights the bomb!

So Taichi just makes it a PILEDRIVER!! The fans are thunderous while both men are down! Taichi rises and roars, and the fans fire up with him! Taichi waits on Gabe, Gabe sputters and staggers up, but he dodges Ax Bomber! COMEBACK- AX BOMBER!! Taichi says “OSU!” and DANGEROUS SAIDO with BRIDGE! TWO!!! Gabe survives and the fans are thunderous again! Taichi goes to a corner, fires back up, and the fans fire up more. Taichi takes aim as Gabe rises again, TENSHO- NO! Gabe blocks the kick, but Taichi DECKS him with a forearm! Taichi Alabama- Gabe makes it a PILEDRIVER!! The fans are thunderous again as Gabe goes to a corner.

We pass 15 minutes and Gabe roars! The kneepad comes down, and Gabe runs up for the O- TENSHO JUJIHOU!!! Taichi hits Gabe first but both men are down again! The fans are thunderous as Red Shoes checks both men. They’re both okay to continue, so the fans rally up. Taichi and Gabe go to opposite corners and rise back up. Gabe eggs Taichi on, Taichi eggs Gabe on! DOUBLE LARIATS collide, neither fall! DOUBLE LARIATS collide again, neither fall! Taichi BOOTS, then NECKBREAKER DROPS! Cover, ONE?!? Gabe is up, Taichi ROUNDHOUSES! Gabe rebounds, COMEBACKER!! Cover, ONE?!?!

Taichi rises, Gabe RIGHT HANDS, and BRAINBUSTERS!! Cover, TWO!?!?! Taichi survives and the fans are electric! Taka coaches Taichi but Gabe shakes his head. Gabe huffs ‘n’ puffs and ROARS as he rises up! Taichi sits up, into the O-KNEE!! And then Gabe reels Taichi in, but Taichi fights the driver! Alabama Lift and- NO, Gabe slips free to KNEE, and PILEDRIVER!!! Gabe crawls to the cover, but REN NARITA drags Red Shoes out!? The Souled Out Son of Strong Style won’t let Gabe beat him and get away with it! Gabe goes out, dodges a haymaker to UPPERCUT Ren! And UPPERCUT again! But the rest of the House rushes out!

Sho & Yujiro go after Gabe, too! It seems cheating David Finlay and the boys wasn’t good enough, they gotta make sure ALL the War Dogs lose tonight! The fans boo but Gabe fires off UPPERCUT after UPPERCUT! But Ren has the pushup bar! Ren CLOBBERS Gabe!! The fans boo but The House sneaks away, very pleased with themselves. Gabe is down on the outside, Taichi is down on the inside, and Red Shoes has no idea what happened. The fans rally up but a ring count starts. Gabe stirs at 5 of 20, but he’s still down at 10! Gabe grabs at the railing but he’s moving so slow! He’s still down at 15! The fans rally as hard as they can, but Gabe just can’t! TAICHI WINS!

Winner: Taichi, by ring count (advances to the next round)

The House of Torture succeeds in screwing over all of the War Dogs in one night! Will they regret escalating this civil war? As for Taichi, he is now set to face Zack Sabre Jr. in the next round. Who will win in a battle of Dangerous Tekkers?

2025 New Japan Cup Second Round: Shota Umino VS Great-O-Khan!

It was the New Beginning in Osaka just a month ago that The Roughneck lost to The Dominator, and then gave up his hair! But now he’s back in action, ready for redemption, will Shota have his revenge? Or will he simply be eliminated?

The bell rings and the fans rally up as Khan and Shota stare down. Shota and Khan approach, then tie up. Khan powers Shota back, but then Shota powers Khan back. Khan tries to power back up but Shota puts him on the ropes! Shota lets off slowly and pats Khan on the shoulder. Then Shota ROCKS Khan with a forearm! Shota backs off, Khan storms up, and they tie up again. Khan puts Shota right on the ropes, then he lets off, but Shota ROCKS him again! Khan snarls, fakes high and trips Shota to rain down forearms! Khan lets off just to stomp Shota around! Khan stands Shota up, and Mongolian Chops!

Khan runs, but Shota DROPKICKS him down! The fans cheer, and Khan grows frustrated already. Shota stomps away on Khan, then paces. Shota stands Khan up, UPPERCUTS, then paces while Khan drops to his knees. Shota brings Khan up again, UPPERCUTS again, then UPPERCUTS again! And UPPERCUTS again! Khan falls, Shota brings him back around, but Khan fights the suplex! Khan suplexes, Shota fights that and wrenches out to then ROCK Khan! Shota runs, but Khan slips around and gets a leg! Khan trips Shota, rolls him back, then runs to RUN Shota over! Khan crosses his arms behind his back, and the fans cheer.

Khan clamps onto Shota with a chinlock, and fans rally as Shota endures. Khan digs his knee into Shota, then traps the arms for a motorcycle stretch. Khan stands on Shota, then stands Shota up for chicken wings! Shota endures, powers up, but Khan shifts to a headlock. Khan grinds Shota down, but Shota fights up, so Khan shifts to a facelock! Khan pulls on the hold, then hits a BUTTERFLY SUPLEX! Cover, TWO! The fans rally as Shota stays in this, but Khan stays cool. The fans rally behind “O-KHAN! O-KHAN!” as he kicks at Shota. Shota eggs Khan on, Khan gives him more kicks, then fires a forearm

Shota stands right up, Khan fires more forearms, but Shota gets right in Khan’s face each time! Khan shoves Shota, so Shota fires a forearm! And another! And then another! Khan wobbles, Shota scoops, but Khan blocks! Khan scoops and SLAMS! The fans fire up while Khan stands over Shota. Khan drags Shota up for Mongolian Chops! And Mongolian Chops! Then he fakes the chop to UPPERCUT! Shota goes to a corner, and Khan hops up on this his throne! The fans cheer, Red Shoes reprimands, but Khan pulls on Shota’s arms! Red Shoes counts, Khan hops down at 4, and he brings Shota around, Mongolian Chop!

Khan stands on Shota for a cocky cover, Red Shoes says no good. Khan covers Shota properly, TWO! The fans cheer as Shota stays in this, but Khan paces around. Khan drags Shota up, wrenches and then SAYA- NO, Shota blocks the throw! Khan KNEES low, then wags his finger. Khan whips, Shota reverses and scoops to HOTSHOT Khan! Shota runs to CLOBBER Khan! The fans fire up while both men are down! Shota rises, and he stalks Khan to a corner. Shota ROCKS Khan with a forearm, then ROCKS him with another. Shota fires another forearm, then whips corner to corner. Shota runs in, and UPPERCUTS!

Shota reels Khan in for a FISHERMAN SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO! The fans fire up but Shota brings Khan around. Shota reels Khan in, but Khan fights the lift! Shota fires KNEE after KNEE into Khan, but Khan still fights the lift! The two struggle, Khan trips Shota for a jackknife bridge! TWO and Khan BOOTS Shota down! Khan hurries to clamp on with a KATAGATAME! Shota endures the head ‘n’ arm triangle, fights to his feet and fires elbows! Shota is free, he runs up, but into a fireman’s carry takeover! Khan then gets Shota up to MONKEY FLIP! And then a SAYANAGI! Cover, TWO! But back to the KATAGATAME!

Shota endures again and the fans rally. Khan leans his weight on the hold but Shota moves around. Khan pulls on the hold, but Shota keeps fighting towards the ropes! Khan puts on all the pressure he can, Shota is turning purple, but Shota finds the ROPEBREAK! Khan holds until Red Shoes counts 4, and then Khan kicks Shota out of the ring. Khan goes out after Shota, then RAMS him into railing! Shota slumps down, Khan steps on Shota’s neck, and then Khan hauls Shota up to hit an APRON SPINEBUSTER! Shota slumps back down to the floor and Khan mockingly asks what’s wrong. Khan then drags Shota up, wrenches, and whips, but Shota reverses! Khan hits railing!

Shota runs up to SHOTGUN Khan up and over the railing! The fans fire up while Khan flounders. Shota drags Khan up onto the railing, but Khan gets free to scoop! T T D to the floor!! Shota is dazed and Khan clutches an arm, but both men are still in this so Red Shoes starts a ring count. Both men are down at 5 of 20, but Khan stands at 10. Khan rolls into the ring, but Shota only now sits up at 14! Shota stands at 15, but then flops back over! Shota hears 18, rises and jumps in at 19.5! But Khan is on him with a rain of forearms! Khan drags Shota up, and then REVERSE S T O! Cover, TWO! Shota is still in this but Khan snarls.

The fans rally as hard as they can, and Khan clamps on the IRON CLAW! Khan stands Shota up, but Shota breaks free! Shota ROCKS Khan, but Shota’s the one who staggers away. Khan eggs Shota on, Shota fires another forearm, but Shota falls to his knees. Shota rises again to fire forearm after forearm after forearm! Khan eggs Shota on, then he SLAPS Shota! Shota gets mad, and he winds up, only for Khan to get around! IRON CLAW SLEEPER, and a THROW, but Shota lands out! Shota blocks the Mongolian Chop, ROCKS Khan, then ROLLING ELBOWS! But Khan IRON RIGHTS! Khan whips, Shota reverses, but Khan says no to the tornado!

DOUBLE LARIATS collide, but neither man falls! Both men do fall back to ropes, and then they both growl! They both run up, DOUBLE LARIATS collide again! Khan roars and takes a swing, Shota dodges a lariat, and DOUBLE LARIATS collide again! Khan falls and the fans fire up! Shota runs, but Khan follows to LARIAT at the ropes! Khan runs, but Shota LARIATS at the ropes! Shota runs, but Khan LARIATS Shota down! Cover, ONE?!?! The fans fire up and Shota runs in, but Khan gets around! F G O PLEX!! Cover, TWO!! Shota survives but it’s into the KATAGATAME for him! Khan squeezes tight and Shota endures while fans rally again.

Shota is turning purple again but Khan then shifts to a standard SLEEPER! Red Shoes checks, but then Khan makes it an IRON SLEEPER! Khan stands Shota up, Bow ‘n’ Arrow Rack! And then the swing out for the IRON CLAW SLAM! Cover, TWO!! Shota survives again and the fans fire up! Khan’s Monster Rage boils up and he clamps on with the IRON CLAW! Khan drags Shota up, for the ELIMI- NO, Shota SATELLITE DDTS out of it! The fans fire up while both men are down! Shota and Khan stir as the fans rally up again. Shota and Khan go forehead to forehead, then Shota fires a forearm! Khan fires back, so Shota fires another!

The fans rally as the forearms keep going. Both men stand, and Shota ROCKS Khan! Khan ROCKS Shota! Shota and Khan start firing forearms back and forth, faster and faster! The fans rally up, the forearms slow down a bit, and Shota wobbles. Shota snarls and comes back to ROCK Khan again and again! Khan wobbles, but he fires a flurry in return! Khan DECKS Shota, but Shota’s right up! Shota ROCKS Khan, Khan DECKS Shota, repeat! Shota staggers and falls over on the third time! Khan eggs Shota on, drags him to his feet, then clamps on the HITSUJIGOROSHI! And then the FLAT- NO, Shota spins free to ENZIGIRI!

Khan hits the IRON RIGHT!! Shota flops against Khan, but Khan stands him up! ELIMINA- NO, Shota slips out to SNAP HALF ‘N’ HALF! Khan is up, but Shota LARIATS him back down! The fans fire up as Shota flounders to ropes. Shota rises, fires up, and he gets running to LARIAT Khan down!! Cover, TWO!! Khan survives that impact but Shota takes aim from the corner. Shota runs up, for the BUSAIKU KNEE!?! Shota then scoops for a NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB!! Cover, Shota wins!!

Winner: Shota Umino, by pinfall (advances to the next round)

Khan tried, but he is the one eliminated! Oh, Shota gets the mic before Khan even has a chance to exit the ring. Shota hushes the crowd, but then he just bows and takes his leave? The new haircut not only gave Shota a new edge, it’s like he’s a different person. No Ignition, no Blaze Blade, no Paradigm Shift, did Khan create a more dangerous Roughneck than the Death Riders ever did?

My Thoughts:

A very good night for New Japan Cup, but maybe having just two tournament matches kinda hurt some of it. I probably could’ve fit in that 10 Man Tag, but it felt pretty obvious that The House of Torture would win to redeem themselves from Evil and Ren losing. Which then did happen as the House made sure Gabe lost by count out. Also, it was an interesting detail in the 10 Man Tag that Sanada could have gotten in there and broke up the pin, but he didn’t. The seeds planted yesterday with Sanada showing up late to Finlay VS Evil are now being watered as Sanada doesn’t seem to care enough to help the War Dogs.

Gabe VS Taichi was otherwise a very good match, but Taichi winning to set him up against Zack Sabre Jr. is some good stuff. Taichi VS ZSJ will be a great match, and I could see Just4Guys moving on from Sanada to have a friendly rivalry feud with TMDK. Shota VS Khan was a good match but the fans weren’t quite as into it as I thought they would be. But with Shota going through this change could be good for him. Who Shota was as a Face was only working with part of the crowd, so maybe they can pivot to something else. It’d be a bit cliche, but he should move away from bright colors to some darker ones. BUT, let’s not have him turn, let’s not have him join some other faction, just make him edgier to change who he appeals to.

My Score: 8.7/10