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After a pandemic-induced hiatus, New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced a return date. In an online press conference on June 9, NJPW unveiled a unique first show back, the schedule for an altered New Japan Cup, and when they’ll begin to have fans at shows again.
NJPW hasn’t put on a wrestling show since late February, with the combination of COVID-19, a state of emergency in Japan, and, in Harold Meij’s words, “corporate social responsibility,” prompting them to cancel events through early June – slashing the company’s schedule from the Anniversary Show through Dominion. These were huge changes to a calendar already impacted by the Tokyo Olympics, because of which NJPW had moved the annual G1 Climax tournament from July through August to September through October.
At the press conference, Chairman Sugabayashi revealed that when NJPW returns, it will be with more changes, some visible and some behind the scenes. He said that the company has “created guidelines for safely resuming events, with the support of the Japanese Sports Authority” and that “last week we began conducting antibody testing on wrestlers, crew, trainers, and other live show staff.” (Bushiroad announced on its website last week that these antibody tests will be given to everyone working on live events under its umbrella, including those held by NJPW and Stardom.)
Sugabayashi went on to announce a series of shows between June 15 and July 3, which will all stream live of NJPW World with no fans in attendance. The June 15 event will be a Together Project Special with a mystery card that will be announced at the start of the show. “From June 16 through July 3,” said Sugabayashi, “we will present the previously postponed New Japan Cup,” now called the NJPW World Special New Japan Cup 2020.
The name isn’t the only alteration to the tournament, which was originally supposed to take place in March. The initial lineup included a significant amount of talent from outside of Japan, but since the coronavirus pandemic began, Japan has applied travel restrictions to over 100 countries, including the homes of NJPW’s current international regulars. Because of these restrictions, some of which might be lifted earlier than others, the new New Japan Cup only includes the non-Japanese members of the roster who were living in Japan when pandemic began and have not left the country since then: Zack Sabre Jr. and Gabriel Kidd. (Of the Japanese members of the roster, the travel ban impacts Kenta, who lives in Florida.)
Here is your official #njcup bracket!
Left bracket preview: https://t.co/klB5pzUcZF
Right bracket preview: https://t.co/uE0sWPUcty
Get your picks ready: the action starts next week on @njpwworld!#njpw pic.twitter.com/hXPDWtuk5T
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) June 9, 2020
With the heavyweight roster reduced by closed borders, the 2020 New Japan Cup now includes several junior heavyweights, who don’t typically participate in the tournament. Here’s the new Cup schedule, minus the yet-to-be-announced “special match” on each show:
June 16
- Togi Makabe vs. Yota Tsuji
- Tomohiro Ishii vs. El Desperado
- Toru Yano vs. Jado
- Tomoaki Honma vs. Hiromu Takahashi
June 17
- Kazuchika Okada vs. Gedo
- Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki
- Yuya Uemura vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
- Gabriel Kidd vs. Taiji Ishimori
June 22
- Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Taichi
- Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Sanada
- Sho vs. Shingo Takagi
June 23
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yoshi-Hashi
- Yoh vs. Bushi
- Satoshi Kojima vs. Evil
- Hirooki Goto vs. Yujiro Takahashi
The second round of the tournament will take place on June 24 and July 1, the quarter-finals on July 2, and the semi-finals on July 3. The New Japan Cup final will be held on July 11 at Osaka-Jo Hall and will be NJPW’s first event since February with fans in attendance. The venue will be occupied “only at about one-third the normal capacity,” with health and safety guidelines for the staff and the audience. On July 12 at Osaka-Jo Hall, also with a one-third capacity crowd at most, the New Japan Cup winner will have his title match, challenging Tetsuya Naito for both the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s return comes as Japanese society is reopening, with some changes, after flattening the coronavirus curve. Though the country is still recording new cases, June 7 was its first day in three months with no new COVID-19 deaths. As of the first weekend of June 2020, Japan had 914 confirmed coronavirus deaths out of 17,103 cases, which is as if, adjusting for population size, about 2,371 people had died of the coronavirus in the U.S.
Sports in Japan were heavily impacted, as they were elsewhere, with soccer and baseball seasons postponed and this spring’s major sumo tournament held with no spectators. The country’s pro wrestling scene also took a significant financial blow, with everybody losing money and smaller companies hit harder (Big Japan crowdfunded to pay wrestler salaries; Bushiroad executives reportedly took pay cuts, but no NJPW or Stardom personnel were laid off.) Rather than go on a full hiatus like NJPW, most promotions reduced the number of shows they held and filmed them with no fans in attendance.
Comparison to the sports world also shows how fraught New Japan’s comeback, and the futures of other promotions in the pandemic era, could be. Japanese baseball is set to start its season (minus fans) on June 19, and shortly after practice games began, one had to be canceled because two players from Tokyo’s Yomiuri Giants tested positive for COVID-19. Sports in Japan also felt the human toll of the virus when it claimed the life of a 28-year-old sumo wrestler last month. NJPW’s safety guidelines for shows with spectators will be released later this week, but so far the company has yet to reveal a plan for if a wrestler or other staff member tests positive for coronavirus, or if that’s something they plan to publicly share.
Here are your quick and dirty, editorial-free WWE Raw results for June 8, 2020. This week’s episode featured Christian hosting Edge on an episode of The Peep Show, a “decathlon,” a number one contender match for the United States Championship, and more. Make sure you’re here tomorrow for the complete Best and Worst of Raw column.
WWE Raw Results:
– Asuka opened the show in the ring for her advertised match against Charlotte Flair, and was quickly interrupted by Bayley and Sasha Banks. Bayley and Banks bragged about their Women’s Tag Team Championship win on Friday until Flair interrupted. The IIconics interrupted everybody to announce a triple threat tag title match for Backlash. The heels attacked Flair and Asuka, who fought them off.
1. Charlotte Flair and Asuka defeated The IIconics and Women’s Tag Team Champions Bayley and Sasha Banks. Flair went up top to hit a moonsault on Billie Kay, but Asuka tagged herself in and tapped out Kay to the Asuka Lock. After the match, Flair beat down Asuka.
– Seth Rollins came to ringside to talk to Rey Mysterio, who was appearing from his home. Rollins invited Mysterio and his son, Dominick, to attend next week’s Raw. Mysterio said he’s not medically cleared, but when he is, Rollins will know. Aleister Black randomly attacked Rollins.
2. Humberto Carrillo and Aleister Black defeated Austin Theory and Murphy. Black pinned Murphy, as per usual. After the match, the Rollins’ group beat up the faces and hit finishers on them.
– Christian interviewed Edge on The Peep Show, giving him tough love about his end of the upcoming Greatest Match Ever
against Randy Orton at Backlash. Orton appeared on the video screen, and the two exchanged words.
– MVP ran into R-Truth backstage, calling him a clown. Bobby Lashley attacked Truth and put him in the full nelson. He didn’t bother trying to win the championship, or anything.
– The Street Profits and The Viking Raiders participated in a “decathlon” that included turkey leg eating contests, a dance off, and the pole vault. The teams ended up tied 5-5.
AIR @Ivar_WWE STRIKES AGAIN. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/A676HX7WH2
— WWE (@WWE) June 9, 2020
3. United States Championship Number One Contender Triple Threat Match: Andrade defeated Angel Garza and Andrade. Owens hit a Stunner on Garza, but Andrade stole the pin to win the match, and will move on to face Apollo Crews for the United States Championship at Backlash.
– Charlotte Flair was interviewed backstage. Asuka interrupted and slapped her in the face.
– MVP was supposed to interview Bobby Lashley on The VIP Lounge, but Drew McIntyre showed up instead. McIntyre threatened MVP with a Claymore Kick, but Lashley appeared and stopped him. McIntyre decided to just headbutt MVP instead. The Viking Raiders and Street Profits came to the ring, leading to the next match.
– Lana says that by worrying about Her Bobby she’s been neglecting her own career, and that 2020 will be her year.
4. MVP and Bobby Lashley defeated The Viking Raiders. Lashley tapped out Erik in the full nelson. McIntyre made the post-match save for the Vikings.
5. Charlotte Flair defeated Raw Women’s Champion Asuka Bayley and Sasha Banks sat in on commentary, but were attacked by the IIconics. Nia Jax interfered, distracting Asuka so Charlotte could hit a Big Boot and win the match. Afterward, Jax hit a Samoan Drop on Asuka.
