New Japan Pro Wednesday (8/28) Part 1: Summer (G1 Climax, Super J-Cup)

Alright, I swear we’re gonna talk about the G1 Climax, but first some news. I know, I know, but I gotta talk about El Phantasmo. Bear with me.

Also, if you’re avoiding Super J-Cup results…maybe skip the first page.

El Phantasmo Wins Super J-Cup, Calls Jr. Heavyweight Champ “The Autistic Assassin”

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion El Phantasmo won the 7th Super J-Cup last weekend. Phantasmo defeated CMLL’s Dragon Lee in the finals on August 25th in Long Beach, CA to win the Golden Jacket.

After the final, Phantasmo stirred a bit of controversy for referring to IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay, also known as “The Aerial Assassin,” as “The Autistic Assassin.” At best, it is an insensitive jab at the champion’s lack of humor. At its worst, it is a deeply offensive barb at an entire community, of which many are wrestling fans.

Personally, I find it somewhere in the middle, an unnecessary joke that highlights El Phantasmo’s ableist streak in NJPW. Let it not be forgotten, that this same wrestler once threw a disabled fan’s hat across the venue during the Best of Super Juniors tournament. It’s the very real struggle of wrestling fans in 2019. Is El Phantasmo a heel, or is he just an asshole?

There’s an old adage that “heat is heat,” and that is true, but heat is not heat if it is met with indifference. Phantasmo’s behavior in NJPW has gone beyond the gamer-esque priggishness of teabagging his opponents after a bout, and into something darker. It’s reprehensible, and if gone unchecked could take him to a place from which it cannot recover.

Anyway, here’s the Super J-Cup results:

8/22

NJPW Super J-Cup 2019, Night 1

Available on NJPWWorld in September

Karl Fredericks & Jushin Thunder Liger def. Shota Umino & Ren Narita. (7:30)

Fredericks submitted Narita via Boston Crab
Super J-Cup First Round Match: Soberano Jr. pinned Rocky Romero via Tornillo. (11:04)
Super J-Cup First Round Match: TJP submitted Clark Conners via Pinoy Stretch. (11:56)
Super J-Cup First Round Match: Caristico pinned BUSHI via Top Rope Spanish Fly. (10:08)
Super J-Cup First Round Match: Ryusuke Taguchi pinned Jonathan Gresham via Inside Cradle. (12:59)
Super J-Cup First Round Match: El Phantasmo pinned Robbie Eagles via School Boy. (12:17)
Super J-Cup First Round Match: Dragon Lee pinned SHO via Desnucadora. (18:51)
Super J-Cup First Round Match: SHO pinned Taiji Ishimori via Shock Arrow. (17:06)
Super J-Cup First Round Match: Will Ospreay pinned Amazing Red via Stormbreaker. (28:19)

8/24

NJPW Super J-Cup 2019, Night 2

Available on NJPWWorld in September

Jonathan Gresham pinned Alex Coughlin via Small Package. (8:14)
Robbie Eagles submitted Clark Conners via Ron Hutchinson Special. (9:12)
BUSHI pinned Shota Umino via MX. (7:06)
Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori & Gedo) def. Karl Fredericks & Ren Narita. (8:39)

Ishimori submitted Narita via YES Lock.
Amazing Red & Jushin Thunder Liger def. Roppongi 3K (YOH & Rocky Romero) (12:51)

Red pinned Romero via Code Red.
Super J-Cup Quarter Final Match: Caristico pinned Soberano Jr. via Top Rope Spanish Fly. (8:19)
Super J-Cup Quarter Final Match: El Phantasmo pinned TJP via School Boy. (8:30)
Super J-Cup Quarter Final Match: Dragon Lee pinned Ryusuke Taguchi via Rodilla Dragon. (11:37)
Super J-Cup Quarter Final Match: Will Ospreay pinned SHO via Stormbreaker. (30:32)

8/25

NJPW Super J-Cup 2019 Finals

Available on NJPWWorld in September

Super J-Cup Semi Final Match: Dragon Lee pinned Caristico via Desnucadora. (11:10)
Super J-Cup Semi Final Match: El Phantasmo pinned Will Ospreay via CR II. (11:25)
Alex Coughlin submitted Shota Umino via Boston Crab. (7:34)
Jonathan Gresham submitted Clark Connors via Modified Octopus Hold. (10:25)
Soberano Jr. pinned Ren Narita via Tornillo. (6:55)
Juice Robinson submitted Karl Fredericks via Elevated Boston Crab. (9:55)
TJP, Amazing Red, Ryusuke Taguchi & Jushin Thunder Liger def. CHAOS (SHO, YOH, Robbie Eagles & Rocky Romero) (14:17)

TJP pinned Romero via Detonation Kick.
Bullet Club (Jay White & Taiji Ishimori) def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI)

White pinned BUSHI via Bladerunner.
Super J-Cup Final Match: El Phantasmo pinned Dragon Lee via CR II. (25:33)