14 Ups & 4 Downs From NJPW's New Japan Cup 2019

Ups...

14. Chasing Glory (Night 12)

Chase Owens is a very good professional wrestler.

A cut above the average North American indie worker, his spot on the New Japan roster is earned. The problem is that he doesn't always get to showcase his considerable skills in NJPW, so his New Japan Cup focus has been welcome, with Bullet Club's 'Crown Jewel' continuing his 2019 ascension through weeks of heeling out versus Juice Robinson.

Their IWGP United States Title clash was a very American wrestling match. 'Master Heater' Jado got involved on the outside. Red Shoes Unno took several bumps. Bad Luck Fale ran down to interfere. Owens tapped out while Unno was down. Then, not long after, the Canadian threw a handful of powder in Robinson's face. None of it was enough, though: Juice fought through it all, left with his belt, and was saved from a two-on-one post-match beatdown when 'Mad' Mikey Nicholls hit the ring.

While many New Japan fans would prefer not to see such tropes invading this workrate-centric product, Juice vs. Chase worked for the live crowd. They reacted to everything. As a result, Robinson's victory felt earned, with Owens serving his role as an effective heel challenger. These objective successes make it impossible to mark their scrap down as anything but an Up.