14 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW's New Japan Cup 2019
10. Style Battle (Night 5)
No NJPW wrestler is more divisive than Taichi, whose diversionary, avoidant Sports Entertainment-style antics are loathed by the “workrate and workrate only” crowd, but generally enjoyed by those who don’t need their wrestling to be all serious, all the time. Night five’s clash of styles with the bullheaded Tomohiro Ishii showed how valuable he can be when presented with the right opponent.
Ishii is a simple, no-nonsense fighter; Taichi… is not. The ‘Holy Emperor’s’ shenanigans were on show early, as he attempted to frustrate the ‘Stone Pitbull’ by taking powders and generally behaving like a bell-end. This changed when Ishii entered bully mode. Taichi, hacked off, decided to engage Large Tommy on his own terms, attacking with Naomichi Marufuji-esque hook kicks and head-drops. The f*ckery returned in the form of a low-blow and minor ref bump, but Taichi, that fool, tried to fight Ishii like Ishii, and ended up pinned for it. An excellent bout nonetheless.
This clash was preceded by YOSHI-HASHI vs. Chase Owens, which delivered to the expected level. It was a good, solid bout between two good, solid pros, with Owens’ increased swagger brought to the forefront following his victory over IWGP United States Champion Juice Robinson. Big things are coming for Bullet Club’s old pin-eater in 2019.