Will the Madman slay the Rampaging Dragon?

Shingo Takagi vows to win the New Japan Cup for his 20th career anniversary, but he has to make it through Gabe Kidd first! Will Takagi make this War Dog tranquilo?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma VS Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan; Cobb & Khan win.
• Six Man Tag: Chaos VS The United Empire; Chaos wins.
• Shota Umino & Ryusuke Taguchi VS Jack Perry & Yoshinobu Kanemaru; Perry & Kanemaru win.
• 8 Man Tag: Just5Guys VS Bullet Club; Just5Guys win.
• Zack Sabre Jr. & Mikey Nicholls VS Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi; ZSJ & Mikey win.
• 8 Man Tag: El Desperado, El Phantasmo, Tanga Loa & Togi Makabe VS Los Ingobernables de Japon; LIJ wins.
• 2024 New Japan Cup Second Round: Hikuleo VS EVIL; Evil wins and advances.
• 2024 New Japan Cup Second Round: Shingo Takagi VS Gabe Kidd; Takagi wins and advances.

PLAY BY PLAY

2024 New Japan Cup Second Round: Hikuleo w/ Jado VS EVIL w/ Dick Togo!

Tanga Loa lost last night, but El Phantasmo is still in, so the Young Guerrilla has some pressure on him to succeed! Will he trump the King of Darkness? Or will the House of Torture stack the deck too high even for Leo?

Leo high-fives Jado when Evil CHOP BLOCKS Leo! The fans boo and the ref reprimands, but the bell rings and Evil stomps away on Leo’s leg. Evil kicks Leo around, taunts him, then stands on the leg. Evil stomps the leg, pushes Leo around, then runs, but into an ELBOW! Leo runs to ELBOW DROP! The fans fire up with Leo while Evil bails out. Leo goes out after Evil, whips, but Evil reverses! Leo reverses back and Evil hits railing! The fans rally up, Leo storms over and he stomps Evil. Leo stands Evil up to CHOP him and the fans rally. Leo whips Evil into more railing! Evil drops to his knees, Leo storms up, and the ref has Dick stay back.

Leo ROCKS Evil with a right, Evil sputters, and Leo whips Evil into more railing! Leo runs in, Evil dodges, and Evil gets in the ref’s way as Dick SMACKS Leo with a chair! Leo falls, clutching his knee, and now the ref is busy with Jado that he misses the DOUBLE KNEE SMASH by Evil & Dick! Then Dick JAMS the bad leg with a chair! Leo writhes in pain while Evil rests in the ring. The fans rally for Leo but Evil talks trash. The ring count starts while Leo sits up. Leo forces himself to stand at 8 of 20, and he slides in at 10. The fans cheer but Evil is right on the bad leg. Evil drags Leo around to kick and stomp the leg! Evil then drops an elbow on the knee!

Evil laughs as he stands up to drop another elbow! The fans rally and Jado coaches Leo, but Evil drops another elbow on the knee! Evil pulls on the toehold and Leo flails around! Leo reaches out to the ROPEBREAK! The fans cheer but Evil holds on. The ref counts and Evil lets off at 4. Evil goes back for Leo but the ref has him stay back. The ref checks Leo’s leg but he’s okay to continue. The fans rally back up and Evil brings Leo around. Evil TOSSES Leo out, distracts the ref, and Dick SMACKS the bad leg with the chair again! Dick drags Leo up, as big as he is, and fans boo as Dick pushes Leo into the ring. Evil covers, TWO!

The fans cheer but Evil is a bit surprised. Leo clutches his leg but Evil stands on his face. Leo pushes Evil away but Evil eggs him on. Leo CHOPS! The fans fire up while Evil is stinging, but then Evil CLAWS Leo’s eyes! Leo hobbles, swings, but Evil bobs ‘n’ weaves, blocks a kick and CLUBS the knee! Evil runs, but Leo LARIATS! Evil sits up in a daze and the fans fire up! Leo grits his teeth and drags Evil back up. Leo CHOPS and Evil shouts in pain! Leo CHOPS again, then choke grips to CHOP! Evil sputters, Leo whips, but Evil KICKS back! Evil runs, into a BOOT! The fans fire up while Evil is dazed again!

Leo aims from a corner as Evil crawls away. Leo runs corner to corner to SPLASH! Then Leo reels Evil in for a BIG suplex! Cover, TWO! Evil survives but Leo calls his next shot. Jado rallies the fans and Leo drags Evil up. Evil pushes Leo away to escape, but Jado puts Evil right in! The fans cheer, Evil wants mercy, but then he shoves the ref away! But Leo blocks the low blow! Leo stands Evil up to UPPERCUT, and Evil falls over! Leo drags Evil up, but Evil blocks the kick! Evil then sends the foot into the ref! Down goes the ref, and Evil CHOP BLOCKS again! Dick gets in to BLAST Jado, and the House shows up!

Fans boo as Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Ren Narita get in the ring to help Dick stomp Leo, and Jack Perry joins in to stand Leo up. They put Leo in a corner, stomp away, then Kanemaru sends Dick in. Dick FOREARMs, Kanemaru ELBOWS, Yujiro BOOTS, Narita sends Perry in to SPLASH, and then Narita runs in to ELBOW! The House snapmares Leo, then gets him up in position! It takes all four to set Leo up for the DICK CHOP! The fans boo and tell the House to go home, but Evil grins as he slithers over. The ref is back, Evil drags Leo to a cover, TWO!! Leo still lives and the fans fire up!

Evil argues with the ref but this is to let Kanemaru sneak in! Kanemaru runs up, to dropkick the legs out! Evil then gets Leo’s legs, steps through, and turns Leo for the SCORPION DEATHLOCK!! Leo endures, the fans rally, and Leo powers his way around! ROPEBREAK! The ref counts, Evil lets go at 4, and the fans boo as he tells them off. Evil slashes his throat, drags Leo up, and reels him in for EVERY- NO! Leo throws elbows, then dragon sleepers! TONGAN TWIST! Shoutout to Tama and the fans fire up! But Evil distracts the ref so Dick can drag Leo out! But Leo SHOVES Dick into railing, then fires off on the House!

The fans fire up as Leo wrecks everyone and gets in the ring! Evil runs up, ducks ‘n’ dodges, but still runs into a scoop and GUN STUN!! Cover, but Dick rings the bell!! Dick uses that old trick and fans boo! Yujiro beats up on Jado and puts him in the ring as a distraction, then Narita shoves Leo into the ref! The ref is down again, Narita KNEE DROPS Leo down! The House gets in again, and they beat up on Leo! Dick even uses the SPOILER CHOKER! But wait, here comes Loa and ELP! The Guerrillas brawl with The House, but they’re still greatly outnumbered! Narita & Yujiro mug Loa, Perry & Kanemaru mug ELP! But then Loa DOUBLE LARIATS free!

The fans fire up as the Silverback gets the Tokyo Pimp and Souled Out out of the ring, and then ELP gives Perry PURPLE NURPLES! Kanemaru runs up, ELP gives him the DICK PUNCH! SUDDEN DEATH takes out Perry! The fans fire up as ELP helps Leo stand! Leo gives ELP the boost, and ELP top rope ASAI MOONSAULTs the entire House down!! The fans are thunderous as the Guerrillas clear the House goons outta here! Leo has Evil all alone now, and he takes aim! Evil stands into the choke grip! But Evil reels Leo in! Leo slips free, shoves, but Evil avoids the powerslam! But not the UPPERCUT! FULL NELSON SLAM!

The fans fire up as Leo choke grips and drags Evil right up! GOD- NO, Evil slips free and CHOP BLOCKS! Evil LARIATS Leo down! Fans boo but Evil drags Leo back up. Evil reels Leo in for EVERYTHING IS EVIL!!! Cover, EVIL WINS!

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

Just when it seemed like Leo had a ray of hope, Evil slams the door shut! Will nothing stop the House until Everything is Evil?

2024 New Japan Cup Second Round: Shingo Takagi VS Gabe Kidd!

The Rampaging Dragon wants to celebrate his 20th career anniversary in the biggest way possible, and that starts with the Cup! Will 2024 truly be the Year of the Dragon? Or will the Madman throw a monkey wrench into all those plans?

The moment Takagi’s on the apron, Kidd BOOTS him down! Bullet Club continues to be the aggressors as Kidd goes out after Takagi and whips him into railing! And then whips him into more railing! Takagi finally gets his new jacket off but Kidd grabs a chair! Red Shoes reprimands but Kidd shoves him aside! Kidd CHUCKS the chair right into Takagi’s face! Kidd then goes up to the apron, “OI, I’m a madman, y’know!” Kidd tells everyone off, then he AX HANDLES Takagi down! Kidd thinks about using the chair again, but he just ROCKS Takagi with a haymaker! Kidd brings Takagi through the gate, and ROCKS him again!

Takagi leans on the railing in front of the fans, but those are just plastic so those fall over easy. Kidd then takes off his own shirt, and CHOKES Takagi with it! Red Shoes reprimands but Kidd lets off. Kidd shoves Red Shoes aside so he can bring Takagi around to the timekeeper’s area! Kidd SMACKS Takagi off the table, and SMACKS him off it again! Kidd gets the mic to say, “Oi, Shingo, c’mon! C’mon, boy! What you got?!” Then Kidd calls Takagi a salty old man! Takagi fires off on Kidd with furious fists, and even SMACKS him off the table! The fans fire up with Takagi and he hauls Kidd up to SMACK him off the table again!

Takagi drags Kidd up and around, throws some knees, brings him back to ringside, then whips him. But Kidd reverses and Takagi hits railing! But Takagi comes back to BOOT, and then he whips Kidd into railing! Kidd comes back and RAMS Takagi, but Takagi stays up! Kidd fires a forearm, Takagi fires back, and the fans fire up as the shots go back and forth! Takagi fires a flurry, but Kidd BITES Takagi’s forehead! The fans boo and Red Shoes reprimands but Kidd lets off. Takagi drags himself up while Kidd talks trash on everyone. Kidd then puts Takagi in the ring, and this is finally on record as Takagi runs Kidd over!

The fans fire up and Takagi steadies himself. The fans rally behind Takagi as he goes back for Kidd. Takagi JABS Kidd at the ropes, whips him, then KNEES him! Takagi keeps moving but Kidd bails out! Takagi is annoyed but he pursues Kidd, brings him around, and whips him into the POST! Kidd falls over and the fans rally up as Takagi looms over him. Takagi says he’ll show Kidd who’s salty! Takagi SMACKS Kidd off the apron but says that’s not all. He SMACKS Kidd off the apron again, and then fireman’s carries for SNAKE EYES! Takagi reels Kidd in, but Kidd RAMS him into railing! Kidd BOOTS Takagi up and over into No Man’s Land!

Kidd leans on railing while Takagi ends up in the front row. Kidd pulls a piece of railing free and THROWS it into Takagi! Kidd then has fans move aside and he shoves Takagi down. Kidd SLAMS railing down on Takagi again and again, and then adds chairs to the pile! Kidd then makes a pile of chairs, and he shoves Red Shoes away while he keeps adding! Kidd then drags Takagi up and brings him over, PILEDRIVER onto the chairs! A bit double-edged for Kidd since he has to land on those, too. The fans rally while both men are down and Kidd tells Red Shoes to count. Kidd slides into the ring but Red Shoes is checking Takagi.

Kidd shouts at Red Shoes, the fans rally for Takagi, and Takagi stirs. Kidd argues with Red Shoes, and the count finally begins. Takagi stirs and fumbles out of the mess of chairs. He stands at 14 but flops right over! Takagi flounders at 17, stands at 18, and slides in safe at 19.5! But into a SAIDO! Cover, TWO!! Takagi survives and Kidd is furious! Takagi stands but he’s still wobbly so he flops out of the ring! Kidd dusts himself off and sits cross-legged, mocking Shibata while egging Takagi on. The count starts again and Kidd paces. Takagi pounds the floor in frustration, but then Kidd goes out after him!

Kidd CHOPS Takagi, then whips him into railing! Takagi slumps down, Kidd leaves him behind, and Kidd wants the count again. The match has only reached five minutes but this brawl has been going on a long time. Takagi slowly rises, we pass 10 of 20, and the fans rally up. Takagi hobbles at 14, steadies himself, and he rolls in at 16! Kidd mockingly applauds as Takagi crawls. Kidd eggs Takagi on, pie faces him, but Takagi fires a forearm! Kidd laughs that off, but Takagi fires more shots! Kidd says more, so Takagi fires another! Kidd ROCKS Takagi with a palm strike! Takagi flops back into a corner!

Kidd storms up on Takagi as the fans rally. Kidd digs his boot in, Red Shoes reprimands, but Kidd dares him to stop this! Kidd digs his boot in, Red Shoes counts, but Kidd shoves him away to keep on Takagi! Kidd talks trash while he bends Takagi back! Red Shoes reprimands, Kidd lets off for a moment and then dares Red Shoes to count! Red Shoes does count, and then Kidd gets in Red Shoes’ face! The fans boo as Kidd shoves Red Shoes down! Kidd storms back on Takagi, stomps him, but Takagi just snarls. Kidd fires a forearm but Takagi growls! Kidd throws more shots but Takagi headbutts the buckles to fire up!

Kidd ROCKS Takagi, then runs up, but Takagi blocks the boot! Takagi shoves Kidd down, Kidd gets up but runs into the ELBOW! JAB! YUKON LARIAT! The fans fire up and Takagi checks his jaw. Kidd goes to a corner, Takagi runs up but blocks another boot! Takagi clotheslines through, then fires up! The fans fire up as Takagi JABS and CHOPS on repeat! And then JAB, JAB, JAB, JAB! Takagi lets off to then bring Kidd up and whip corner to corner. Takagi runs up to clothesline, then he reels Kidd in to suplex! Cover, TWO! Takagi pounds the mat and looks around. He tells the camera, “TOKI GA KITA! <THE TIME HAS COME!>”

Takagi goes back to Kidd to KNEE him against ropes, and KNEE him again, and again! Takagi snapmares, runs, and SLIDING LARIATS! But Kidd pops right up! And clinches to an EXPLODER! Both men are down and the fans rally up again! Kidd rises, scuffs Takagi and winds up. Kidd runs, but Takagi blocks the rebound lariat, then SWATS the haymaker! Takagi then HEADBUTTS Kidd! Kidd HEADBUTTS back! Takagi HEADBUTTS again, and Kidd staggers around. Kidd comes back to HEADBUTT! Takagi HEADBUTTS! Kidd HEADBUTTS! Both men wobble, but then they get face to face! Takagi CHOPS!

Kidd sputters but he shakes his head. Kidd CHOPS, but Takagi steadies himself. Takagi CHOPS, Kidd CHOPS, and then Kidd talks trash. Takagi CHOPS, Kidd CHOPS, repeat! The fans rally with each CHOP, and then Takagi JABS! JABS! JABS! And then CHOPS! Kidd spins to CHOP! Kidd roars but Takagi DOUBLE CHOPS! ELBOW! JAB! Kidd LARIATS first! Cover, ONE!! LARIAT! Cover, ONE!! Takagi is up, he blocks a lariat to a hook and spin, but Kidd hits the suplex! Kidd gets Takagi up but Takagi suplexes back! The fans are thunderous as both men rise! They both run in, DOUBLE LARIATS collide, but neither falls!

DOUBLE LARIATS collide on the other side, and both men fall! The fans rally up and both men stir. Takagi and Kidd go forehead to forehead, give junkyard dog headbutts, and then Kidd fires off haymakers from all sides! Kidd eggs Takagi on so Takagi fires boxing elbows! Kidd ROCKS Takagi again! Kidd snarls, he brings Takagi up and reels him in, but Takagi fights the lift! Kidd CHOPS Takagi on the back, kicks him around, and he even slaps Takagi. Kidd SPITS at Takagi, fires forearms, but Takagi backs Kidd down! Takagi fires off forearms and LARIATS at the ropes! Takagi runs, but Kidd ducks and rebounds, into a SAIDO!!

Takagi powers up, pump handle and MADE IN JAPAN!! Cover, TWO!! Kidd survives and the fans are thunderous! We pass 15 minutes of match but closer to 20 minutes of fighting as Takagi rises with “OI! OI! OI!” The fans join in and Takagi drags Kidd up. Pump handle, but Kidd fights the lift! Takagi HEADBUTTS again and again and again until Kidd drops to his knees! Takagi brings Kidd up again, pump handle and rack, but Kidd CLAWS Takagi’s face! Kidd shoves Takagi, follows, REBOUNDER LARIAT! And then gut wrench for the TOMBSTONE!! Cover, TWO!!! Takagi survives and shocks Kidd!

The fans fire up again as Kidd argues with Red Shoes. Red Shoes says the count was the count, so Kidd refocuses. The fans rally as Kidd storms over to Takagi. Kidd hauls Takagi up, reels him in, but Takagi fights the lift! Kidd CLUBS away on Takagi, hooks a leg, but Takagi still fights! Takagi wrenches free, to JAB! Kidd ROCKS Takagi, runs up, but into a HEADBUTT! Kidd ROCKS Takagi again! REBOUND- NO, Takagi catches Kidd to a backslide! TWO, SLIDING FOREARM! The fans fire up with Takagi and he sits Kidd up for HAMMER ‘N’ ANVIL ELBOWS! Takagi lets off, Kidd says F off, so Takagi SLIDING FOREARMS again!!

Takagi hauls Kidd up, runs, PUMPING- NO, Kidd dodges, but then Takagi dodges! PUMPING BOMBER hits!! Takagi hauls Kidd up, pump handle and rack, LAST OF THE DRAGON!!! Cover, TAKAGI WINS!

Winner: Shingo Takagi, by pinfall (advances to the next round)

Kidd certainly fought like a madman, but he could not slay The Rampaging Dragon! Will Kidd have to try better next year?

As for Takagi, he gets the mic to say, “Well, that’s that. And now we know… IT’S MY TIME!” The fans cheer that! Takagi then thanks Okayama for coming out to the show, despite their busy schedules on a weekday. With this win, he’s through the second round. And if he were a betting man, he’s sure Yota Tsuji will make it through, too. The fans like the sound of that. Takagi says that then, one of them will face Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. After all, it was just before the Cup, to a certain sports outlet, that Naito predicted the winner. Do you know that the favorite to win this is Shingo Takagi?

In other words, the only thing Shingo can take is to fulfill his selfish desire to have an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match with Tetsuya Naito! Though, just because Naito and Takagi say they want to have that match, that doesn’t mean the fans want the match. But then the fans cheer! Takagi says that’s a good reaction, but he might not be hearing it right, maybe his eardrums got ruptured or something. Could they be a little louder please? The fans cheer again and louder, but he wants to confirm. Do they want Naito VS Takagi for the world title? The fans cheer again! What about Yota Tsuji? There are cheers, but not quite like for Takagi.

Then does that mean they wanna see that world title wrapped around Takagi’s waist? The fans definitely cheer that! Well, Takagi is the kind of pro-wrestler that responds to the wants of the fans, so whether he can or he can’t, he’s got no choice but to go for it! So watch him use this momentum to soar like a dragon right to the New Japan Cup! And like before, Naito and Tsuji join Takagi out here. They LIJ fist bump and the fans cheer, but will Takagi fulfill his dream with his own two hands?

My Thoughts:

Another great night for NJPW, with both New Japan Cup matches being great stuff. Though, of course the House of Torture cheated Leo out of that match. ELP is facing Tsuji tomorrow, so it’s not like the House gets to cheat him out of anything, but there’s still a chance the House will want the NJPW Strong Openweight Tag titles to add to their collection. Takagi VS Kidd was great stuff, especially with how extensive that brawl before the bell was. Takagi wins another main event, has another solid promo to establish the LIJ story, and he’s definitely still a frontrunner in this tournament.

My Score: 8.8/10