NJPW have released a statement on njpw1972.com announcing that The Super J-Cup will be returning after a three-year absence. It will feature talents from New Japan, CMLL, Ring Of Honor and other promotions that will be announced in the coming weeks and months.
Jyushin Thunder Liger, the creator of Super J-Cup, will be producing the tournament’s return run, taking the tournament out of Japan and bringing it to the United States. The tournament will take place in the Temple Theatre on August 22, the SFSU Student Life Event Center in San Francisco on August 24 and the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach on August 25.
Liger announced the tournament at a press conference and was quoted as saying: “I am honoured to be the producer of “Super J-Cup 2019.” The excitement from the Best of the Super Juniors hasn’t faded, and NJPW is planning another big tournament for the Junior Heavyweights. It’s been three years since the last tournament, a true all-star event filled with dream matches. We’ve had several events in the United States over the last few years, including Madison Square Garden. Now, the juniors are taking over in America, as the Super J-Cup hits the West Coast.”
The Super J-Cup will be a 16-man single elimination tournament held over the three nights. Whilst participants have yet to be announced, previous J-Cups have featured talent from around the world. The Super J-Cup was last in effect in 2016 and the finals consisted of KUSHIDA defeating Yoshinobu Kanemaru. The winner of the 2019 tournament will join Chris Benoit, Jushin Thunder Liger, Naomichi Marufuji and KUSHIDA as a winner of the Super J-Cup tournament. Not a lot is known about the tournament so far but tickets will be released for the tournament on June 24th.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLRt0FouRrs&w=727&h=409]
Alongside the news about the Super J-Cup, NJPW have also announced the matches that will take place on both nights of the Australian Southern Showdown tour. These shows take place on June 29th and 30th from Melbourne and Sydney.
Here are the cards of the events:
Night One – June 29 – Melbourne
- Ren Narita, Shota Umino & Toa Henare vs Michael Richards, Mark Tui & Andrew Villalobos
- Aaron Solow vs Slex
- SHO, YOH & Toru Yano vs Gino Gambino, Gedo & Taiji Ishimori
- YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii vs Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi
- Rocky Romero vs El Phantasmo
- Mikey Nicholls & Juice Robinson vs Tanga Loa & Tama Tonga
- Will Ospreay vs Robbie Eagles
- Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada vs Bad Luck Fale & Jay White
Night Two – June 30 – Sydney
- Michael Richards & Andrew Villalobos vs Steve & Tobe Filips
- Rocky Romero vs Tony Kozina
- Jack Bonza vs Mick Moretti
- Aaron Solow vs Chase Owens
- Toru Yano, Mikey Nicholls & Juice Robinson vs Gino Gambino, Tanga Loa & Tama Tonga
- Tomohiro Ishii vs Toa Henare
- Will Ospreay, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada vs Robbie Eagles, Bad Luck Fale & Jay White
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zptRF6tH_Wk]
(All images and videos courtesy of njpw1972.com)