6 Winners And 4 Losers From The New Japan Cup

While Hiromu added a ton of credibility to the junior division, Ishii was just as vital in that process. He could have crushed El Desperado as a way of making Hiromu's win look better, but he instead gave him a competitive match because Ishii will give everyone a competitive match. El Desperado walks away looking strong for punching above his weight, while Ishii still did what was expected of him and won the match.

When the time came for Ishii to lie on his back and due the job, he did so gracefully, giving Takahashi a match he otherwise may never have had, while also having no shame in defeat since he is losing to an IWGP champion.

Despite getting bounced from the tournament, Ishii has hardly missed a step since the hiatus and still holds up to his reputation of being Japan's best bout machine.

Possibilities abound for what he could get up to next. He could team with Goto or Yano to add some depth to the heavyweight tag division, challenge for the NEVER title, or simply prepare to for another stellar run through the G1 climax.

Many things may have changed about the world in the past few months, but Ishii continues to be Ishii.