New Japan Cup 2021, Night 7 and 8 Tournament Matches Predictions




So round 1 of the New Japan Cup has come and gone.  We had some big surprises and we also had some foregone conclusions that came true which is expected usually.  There's been some big matches in round one that probably could have been saved for the finals.  So it's going to be very interesting from here on out.  So let's get right into the matches for night 7 and 8.  As always there will be an updated bracket to where everything stands at the moment so let's get right into it.




Night 7, Round 2

Great O-Khan vs. Toru Yano




One of the big surprises right out the gate on night one.  Great O-Khan defeated Tetsuya Naito which not a single person could predict.  If you filled out a bracket to whose gonna win this thing and you picked O-Khan over Naito, I don't believe you.  Regardless of that this is not going to be a very entertaining match at all.  Unless you find Yano's antics entertaining which I do not.  I think his act is tired and I wish he'd go back to his old persona but every wrestling federation needs a comedy act.  This will be the first time these two have faced off, and this is one is probably gonna be like any other Yano match but unlike round one I don't think Yano will be winning.  If you have O-Khan who isn't over at all and nobody seems to care about this character at all, if you have him beat Naito one of the biggest stars in the entire company and then have him lose to Yano of all people that would just be stupid and New Japan isn't known for stupid booking like that so O-Khan is winning for sure.

Winner: Great O-Khan



EVIL vs. Jeff Cobb




Jeff Cobb had a sure fire victory in round one as he had lost to Kojima in in a tag match so it was clear he'd get his win back where it mattered and he did.  EVIL on the other hand had a first round bye because he won this entire tournament last year and that victory got him to the level he's at now having been a former world champion for it when a lot of people, me included thought Sanada would be the guy first (and probably should have been honestly).  EVIL is entering his fifth New Japan Cup and his third consecutive and as mentioned after winning it last year for the first time.  These two have only faced each other once, and Cobb got the victory there as it was in an ROH versus New Japan match on an ROH show in 2018.  Unlike O-Khan who came off a big victory in round one and moving on to an opponent that is on the other spectrum.  Cobb is doing the opposite here and  don't think he will have the same success as his Empire teammate here.  EVIL is going to move on and face O-Khan which will be interesting.

Winner: EVIL



Night 8, Round 2

Minoru Suzuki vs. KENTA




Minoru Suzuki had a wash victory in round one.  It was a surprisingly good match but, the fact that Honma hadn't won a singles match in almost five years, there was no way he was winning that one.  KENTA winning was kind of surprising to me, coming off his US Championship loss I kind of expected him to continue lose and Juice Robinson to be here.  Regardless of that, this one is going to be a hard hitting match for sure.  These two have not faced each other in New Japan, the last time they met was way back in 2005 in Pro Wrestling Noah, so it's clear to me that won't be a talking point in the result here.  The fact of the matter is Minoru Suzuki is on his way down the card, he's getting up there in age, he's not even the most important person in Suzuki-Gun anymore.  So I think KENTA will be winning here.  It just makes sense here.  This could be a second round surprise of course but I don't think it will be KENTA moves on.

Winner: KENTA



Hirooki Goto vs. Shingo Takagi




This is going to be a hell of a match.  Hirooki Goto comes into this match having beaten Taichi, which could have gone either way in my opinion.  Shingo on the other hand had the biggest shock of the entire tournament by beating Kazuchika Okada in round one.  Nobody saw this coming at all.  There's no bigger first round shock, and I love it.  Shingo is such a good talent with huge upside.  These two have faced three times with Shingo having the advantage 2-1, the most recent being a NEVER Openweight Championship match last February where Shingo won the belt for the first time.  With that said you don't come off a huge win like beating Okada and don't move on from there.  I think Shingo will absolutely win here and even possibly go to the finals, Goto is a great talent but he doesn't have this kind of momentum right now but either way these two are always good together and I can't wait to watch it.

Winner: Shingo Takagi



So that's gonna do it for me I hope everyone has enjoyed the tournament matches so far and I look forward to the matches to come.  I'll be back on the 13th to discuss the other round 2 matches.  Thanks for reading, and thanks for supporting me.  

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