New Japan Cup USA

Professional wrestling pay-per-view event series

New Japan Cup USA

New Japan Cup USA 2020 logo

Promotions| New Japan Pro-Wrestling
First event| 2020
Event gimmick| Single-elimination tournament for a championship match

New Japan Cup USA is an annual professional wrestling tournament produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The tournament is a spin-off of NJPW's annual New Japan Cup introduced in 2020. The tournament was promoted under NJPW's North American branch, New Japan Pro-Wrestling of America.

New Japan Cup USA is an eight-man, single-elimination tournament. Matches are contested through NJPW's weekly television show, Strong.

## Tournaments

[edit]

Year  | Tournament  | Aftermath

|
|

Winner | Times won  | Participants  | Challenged for | Match | Result
2020 | Kenta | 1  | 8  | IWGP United States Championship | vs. Jon Moxley on Strong
February 26, 2021 | Loss
2021 | Tom Lawlor | 1  | Strong Openweight Championship | vs. Brody King on Strong
April 23, 2021 | Won

## History

[edit]

The New Japan Cup was first held in April 2005.[1] The event then became an annual tradition for NJPW and was held every year around mid-March to mid-April, with the winner receiving a match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. After the 2020 edition of the New Japan Cup was delayed until June due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[2][3][4] it was announced during a press conference on July 31 that the New Japan Cup USA would take place from August 7 to August 21 of that year, with the winner receiving a shot at the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. It was also reported that the matches would be televised on NJPW's new television show, Strong.[5] The next day, the eight-man bracket was announced.[6]

## Editions

[edit]

### 2020

[edit]

New Japan Cup USA 2020

Promotion| New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date| August 7–21, 2020
City| Port Hueneme, California
Venue| Oceanview Pavilion
Attendance| 0[7][a]
Event chronology
| ← Previous
Summer Struggle  | Next →
Summer Struggle in Jingu

|

New Japan Cup USA chronology
| ← Previous
First | Next →
2021

|

It commenced on August 7, 2020 and concluded on August 21, 2020.

| Round 1
August 7[8] | | | Semi-finals
August 14[9] | | | Final
August 21[10] |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| Karl Fredericks | 9:59 | | |
| Kenta | Pin |
| | Kenta | Pin |
|  |
| | | Jeff Cobb | 14:38 |
| Jeff Cobb | Pin |

| Tanga Loa | 8:45 |
| | Kenta | Pin |
|  |
| | | David Finlay | 13:35 |
| David Finlay | Pin | |

| Chase Owens | 9:46 |
| | David Finlay | Pin |
|  |
| | | Tama Tonga | 7:10 |
| Brody King | 7:14 |

| Tama Tonga | Pin |

### 2021

[edit]

New Japan Cup USA 2021

Promotion| New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Date| April 9–23, 2021
City| Port Hueneme, California
Venue| Oceanview Pavilion
Attendance| 0[7][a]
Event chronology
| ← Previous
Sakura Genesis | Next →
Road to Wrestling Dontaku

|

New Japan Cup USA chronology
| ← Previous
2020 | Next →

|

New Japan Cup USA 2021 commenced on April 9 and concluded on April 23.[11] Eight qualifying matches were held from March 5–March 26 to determine the eight participants. The bracket was revealed after the eight participants were determined.[12] Originally, the winner of the tournament would receive an IWGP United States Championship title match, but this was changed when NJPW revealed the Strong Openweight Championship on April 2 and announced that the winner will become its inaugural champion instead.[13]

| Qualifying
March 5, 12, 19, 26 | | | Round 1
April 9 | | | Semi-finals
April 16 | | | Final
April 23 |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  | | |  |  | | |  |  | | |  |  |
| Clark Connors | Pin[14] | | | |
| TJP | 9:27 |
| | Clark Connors | 9:57 |
|  |
| | | Lio Rush | Pin[18] |
| Rocky Romero | 13:57 |

| Lio Rush | Pin[15] |
| | Lio Rush | 7:38 |
|  |
| | | Brody King | Pin |
| Brody King | Pin[16] | |

| Bateman | 13:25 |
| | Brody King | Pin[18] |
|  |
| | | Chris Dickinson | 10:42 |
| Blake Christian | 8:53 |

| Chris Dickinson | Pin[14] |
| | Brody King | 20:05 |
|  |
| | | Tom Lawlor | Sub |
| Ren Narita | Pin[16] | | |

| Misterioso | 11:12 |
| | Ren Narita | 13:19 |
|  |
| | | Tom Lawlor | Sub[18] |
| The DKC | 9:13 |

| Tom Lawlor | Pin[15] |
| | Tom Lawlor | Pin |
|  |
| | | Hikuleo | 8:58 |
| Jordan Clearwater | 7:57 | |

| Hikuleo | Pin[17] |
| | Hikuleo | Pin[18] |
|  |
| | | Fred Rosser | 6:22 |
| Fred Rosser | Pin[17] |

| J. R. Kratos | 14:16 |

## See also

[edit]

* New Japan Cup

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b The event was held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "New Japan Cup 2005". Strong Style Spirit. Retrieved 2010-03-17.
2. ^ "【お詫びとお知らせ】3月1日（日）～3月15日（日）までの11大会を開催中止とさせて頂きます" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. February 26, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
3. ^ NJPW. "NJPW events cancelled until Saturday March 21 | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
4. ^ NJPW. "New Japan Cup 2020 a NJPW World Special this June! | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
5. ^ NJPW. "New Japan Cup USA announced for NJPW STRONG debut 【NJoA】 | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
6. ^ NJPW. "New Japan Cup USA Preview 【NJoA】 | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2020-08-01.
7. ^ a b "NJPW STRONG #1". Cagematch.net. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
8. ^ "2020.08.07 NEW JAPAN CUP 2020 in the USA". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Bushiroad. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
9. ^ "2020.08.14 NEW JAPAN CUP 2020 in the USA". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Bushiroad. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
10. ^ "2020.08.21 NEW JAPAN CUP 2020 in the USA". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Bushiroad. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
11. ^ NJPW. "LEC presents New Japan Cup USA bracket 【NJoA】 | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
12. ^ Renner, Ethan (March 26, 2021). "NJPW New Japan Cup USA 2021 tournament bracket set". WON/F4W. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
13. ^ NJPW. "Strong Openweight Championship revealed | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
14. ^ a b "Road to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 26, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
15. ^ a b "Road to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 6, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
16. ^ a b "Road to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
17. ^ a b "Road to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED". New Japan Pro-Wrestling. March 13, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
18. ^ a b c d Lambert, Jeremy (April 9, 2021). "NJPW Strong Results (4/9): New Japan Cup USA First Round Action". Retrieved April 9, 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Official New Japan Pro-Wrestling website

* v
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New Japan Pro-Wrestling events

Current|

* January 4 Tokyo Dome Show (Wrestle Kingdom)
* Wrestle Dynasty
* New Year Dash!!
* Fantastica Mania
* The New Beginning
* NJPW Anniversary Show (49th, 50th)
* New Japan Cup
* Sakura Genesis
* Windy City Riot (2022, 2024)
* Wrestling Dontaku
* Resurgence (2021, 2023, 2024)
* Best of the Super Juniors
* Dominion
* Forbidden Door
* G1 Climax
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* Royal Quest (I, II, III)
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* Super Junior Tag League
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* Historic X-Over
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* Battle in the Valley
* Capital Collision
* Lonestar Shootout (2022, 2023)

Former|

* All Star Junior Festival 2023 (2023)
* All Star Junior Festival USA 2023 (2023)
* Back to the Yokohama Arena (2014)
* Battle Autumn '22 (2022)
* Battle Formation (1996-1997)
* Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome (1989)
* Burning Spirit (2022)
* Castle Attack (2021)
* CEOxNJPW: When Worlds Collide (2018)
* Declaration of Power (2022)
* Do Judge!! (2000)
* Final Dome (1999)
* G1 Climax in Dallas (2019)
* G1 Special in San Francisco (2018)
* G1 Special in USA (2017)
* G1 Supercard (2019)
* Global Wars (2014–2019)
* Global Wars UK (2015–2018)
* Honor Rising: Japan (2016–2019)
* Hyper Battle (2022)
* Independence Day (2023)
* Invasion Tour 2011 (2011)
* Jingu Climax (1999)
* Lion's Gate Project (2016–2018)
* Multiverse (2022-2023)
* NEVER (2010–2012)
* New Japan Cup USA (2020–2021)
* Pyongyang International Sports and Culture Festival for Peace (1995)
* Rumble on 44th Street (2022)
* Sengoku Lord (2019–2020)
* Showdown (2019–2022)
* Strong (2020–2023)
* Strong Style Evolution (1997)
* Strong Style Evolved (2018–2022)
* Summer Struggle in Jingu (2020)
* Summer Struggle in Sapporo (2021)
* Summer Supercard (2019)
* Super J-Cup (1994, 2009, 2016, 2019, 2020)
* The Skydiving-J (1996)
* Ultimate Crush (2003)
* Uprising (2015)
* War of the Worlds (2014–2019)
* WCW/New Japan Supershow (1991–1993)
* World Wrestling Peace Festival (1996)
* Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome (2021)
* Wrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome (2021)
* Wrestling Hinokuni (2015–2019)
* Wrestling Summit (1990)
* Young Lion Cup (1985–2019)

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