One more New Japan Cup show, one step closer to getting the House of Torture out of this tournament. At least, I hope that’s the case. Welcome to Okayama.

New Japan Cup: Don Fale [House of Torture] vs. Shingo Takagi [Unbound Co.]

This show is once again Japanese commentary-only. For what it’s worth, NJPW World is advertising English commentary on the next few live shows, so, presumably, either Walker Stewart is on his way or they convinced Chris Charlton to travel to the countryside to call the shows.

Takagi is out solo, which is obviously ill-advised, although it makes a bit more sense when you consider that his regular tag partner, Drilla Moloney, is in the main event. The ref got bumped about a minute in, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru ran out for a whiskey spot that failed, but still allowed Fale to take the advantage. Fale got a near-fall on the Hogan/Andre failed slam spot. Takagi turned it around when Fale missed another classic big guy spot – the “sit on the chest after a sunset flip attempt” – and informed us it was Takagi time. It was, however, not quite Takagi time, as Fale reversed a whip and splashed him in the corner and then on the mat for a near-fall. Fale missed the Grenade, and Takagi hit a suplex and the Pumping Bomber for a near-fall. However, the ref got pulled out of the ring and Dick Togo threw powder in Takagi’s eyes. The House triple-teamed Takagi, but before they could finish him off, Gedo (who was ringside doing commentary) ran in and took the ref while Takagi took care of Togo and Kanemaru and then spit whiskey in Fale’s eyes. Gedo lets the ref go and Takagi hit the Pumping Bomber for the win. Takagi sold the whiskey after the match. Takagi is charismatic enough that this mostly worked, although the match itself was not good. Fale is just so immobile at this point that his opponents basically have to work around him.

New Japan Cup: Drilla Moloney [Unbound Co.] vs. Yuya Uemura

If Moloney wins this matchup of undersized heavyweights, he faces Takagi, his tag team partner, in the quarterfinals. They started with a reversal sequence and a test of strength, which Moloney won but Uemura reversed out of and into another reversal sequence. Uemura hit a series of armdrags into an armbar. Uemura continued to work on the arm until Moloney used his power advantage to take control. The match went outside the ring and Moloney hit a dropkick through the ropes to send Uemura into the guard rail. Back in the ring, Moloney hit the Irish Curse backbreaker and continued to work over the back, including in a Texas cloverleaf variation where he placed his knee across Uemura’s back. Moloney missed a top-rope elbow, which allowed Uemura to go back to work on his arm, and they fought over a cross armbreaker and a double wristlock. After a double-down, Uemura briefly got the double wristlock, but Moloney countered with a Death Valley Driver. They fought over a superplex, which Uemura was able to block, but Moloney dodged the High Fly Flow crossbody and hit the Gore for a near-fall. Moloney hit the top-rope elbow and then went for the Drilla Killa, but Uemura fought out and got near-falls on a backslide and a German suplex. Uemura went for the cross armbreaker again and transitioned into a very loose gogoplata, which Moloney turned into another Drilla Killa attempt; Uemura fought out but was caught with a pop-up power bomb. They fought over their finishers and Uemura got a near-fall with a German suplex. Uemura went for the High Fly Flow crossbody, but Moloney countered with a dropkick to the midsection, followed by the Gore and the Drilla Killa, but in hooking Uemura’s legs for the pinfall attempt, he pulled too far back, and Uemura had enough left to roll through and hook him for the pin. This was a bad, bad finish to a very good match. It was clearly meant to protect Moloney, but it unfortunately just made him look like an idiot. To Uemura’s credit, he was still selling the Drilla Killa until long after Moloney exited the arena.

So, it’s Uemura vs. Takagi in the quarterfinals on Sunday in Kofu. Next up for the tour is Thursday in Takamatsu, which features Satoshi Kojima vs. Ren Narita, and HENARE vs. Boltin Oleg. One of those sounds great.