New Japan Cup

He hasn't had that many matches like that.

Look at Dave Finn in any fucking the New Japan Cup or G1.

Come on, bro.

That's his fucking bread and butter.

Actually, they often do.

Especially in their single elimination tournament, which they do every March, the New Japan Cup.

They've done that, having had people turn during that.

Evil and Sonata both did that.

He was the one that told me.

I had Goto kick out of it one time in the New Japan Cup of 09 because I didn't know where I was going.

I just was a guy on a show.

And Gato pulled me aside and said, never again.

He's just like, what do you mean we don't do that anymore? Worked very well for me.

I won a New Japan Cup, and I became the youngest IWGP heavyweight champion.

What do you mean we don't do that? You're saying we don't do that for this guy? He don't even work here no more.

Like, what are you

So the money's telling to me, it feels like right now, That's a bit of an issue for New Japan is that the relationship with AEW is almost like it's necessary because it feels like if they weren't in that relationship, AEW just raid them.

Yeah, that's part of the issue is like, you know, I would suggest one of the reasons why Callum Newman won the New Japan Cup and then the IWGP Heavyweight Championship was because Dave Finlay wasn't there anymore.

And because David Finlay was the hottest heel in Japan for the past two years.

And if he'd re-signed with them, you put the belt on him because he's just perfect for the role in this particular environment and that's a bit of an issue and that's probably the reason why you know there's a couple of reasons why you give calum the belt at the time he got it partly it's because you've got the osprey angle and you have to mature him quickly and the other reason why is because look if you stay we believe in you we've got you you will be a top line guy you will earn the money and i think that's the bigger issue and i think it's part of the reason why Of course, this year they've had the sale of the company from Bushy Road to Cyber Agent and to TV Ashi, which is kind of like where the money is going to come from.

They seem like wrestlers that will compliment each other and bash each other very hard.

They have wrestled each other once before, and it was in the New Japan Cup last year in a three-and-a-half-star match.

It's a Wrestling Observer newsletter.

It's 6.7. zero on cage match.

Sonata, which didn't really fill me with much excitement.

But I feel we do need something for our favourite golden retriever.

So this is a guy who was runner-up in the New Japan Cup and runner-up in the G1 Climax, and it seemed strange to just have him with nothing, with no future direction.

The year is still young, and I do accept the analogy that I've been told previously about New Japan booking being like a wheel.

I don't know if he would win it.

I would envision him winning it either New Beginning or maybe he wins the New Japan Cup and wins it at Sakura Genesis and then holds it to Dominion.

It'd be so weird if that

movie's happening.

That'd be cool.

That'd be cool, something like that.

Imagine MJF in the New Japan Cup.

I kind of want to see that now.

Yeah, I'm a bit worried about him.

How can we capitalise on the year that he's had where he's been a New Japan Cup finalist and a G1 finalist and has lost both of those? How can we pivot that into something meaningful? And a singles feud with Sanada is not it.

No.

So I, and you know, Doki was talking about Yuya a lot and it made me worry.

They respect the talents now, 'cause they're starting to actually see how great, uh, of a wrestler he is.

But man, oh, man, when this guy won a New Japan Cup, the chud words were flying around.

They were like, "This chud.

This chud is gonna win our title.

This chud is winning our New Japan Cup.

This chud." [laughs] They absolutely hated this guy, and Twitter was irate when that man won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

And it wasn't just Twitter too, 'cause it was Instagram, it was TikTok, it was Facebook, it was everywhere, man.