You know, the byes in this tournament make the second round feel roughly the same as the first, and let me tell you, it feels like it’s taking forever to get the geeks out and get to the matches that matter. Like, as I type this, we’re seven nights into this tour and Yujiro Takahashi is still in this tournament. That’s crazy. Anyway, let’s get to today’s tournament matches from Osaka.

New Japan Cup: Callum Newman [United Empire] vs. Hartley Jackson [TMDK]

If you’re a weirdo like me, you may be asking yourself – does Hartley Jackson have his own entrance music? The answer is no – he enters to “Young Punks.” This is only his fourth singles match since his return to NJPW in 2024, so the ROI on producing music for him likely doesn’t make sense. Newman tries to get a jump on Jackson, but Jackson turns the tables with power moves, for which Newman bumps extremely enthusiastically. Newman knocks himself loopy trying to headbutt Jackson, which allows Jackson to take over and get a near-fall with a senton. Newman hits a kick that sends Jackson to the outside, and then hits a crazy tope where he ends up going into the guard rail. They brawl into the crowd, and Jackson sends Newman into not one, but two seating sections. NJPW really loves that spot lately. Jackson misses a splash to a seated Newman, after which Newman hits a dropkick to a seated Jackson. Jackson makes it back to the ring, avoiding a countout, and then wins a striking battle, as one would expect, but he sets Newman up on the top rope for… something, but Newman gets out of it and hits a sit-out power bomb for two. Newman gets a few more near-falls with his offense, but he can’t put him away. Jackson hits his Jagged Edge finish (a Death Valley Driver) out of nowhere and gets two. Newman fights out of what may have been an attempt at a Burning Hammer, but Jackson hits a lariat for a double-down. Jackson hits a piledriver for two, but Zane Jay slides a chair into the ring, and while the ref is taking care of the chair, Newman fouls Jackson and hits Excalibur for the win. Now listen – I understand why this match went the way that it did, and I’m not upset about it – Newman wanted to put over Jackson as much as possible because he was winning the match. However, he gave Jackson – who, as best I can gather, has never won a singles match in NJPW – an awful lot, and then he cheated to win, so he didn’t look particularly strong in victory. If you’re going to push Newman as a top guy, he’s got to look better than this. All that said, the match was good and worth a watch.

New Japan Cup: Jake Lee [United Empire] vs. Hirooki Goto

It should be noted that Matsumoto is working on what is sure to be a tremendously stanky mullet. Lee has added some greasepaint over one eye to accentuate the weird jester thing he’s doing; it’s probably about six months before he’s out there looking like a young Peter Gabriel. I’m not sure if this gimmick has legs, but I will say that it doesn’t seem to be the complete loser it looked like it was at first. Lee dominates much of the early-going and incorporates some of his goofy new spots, but Goto turns the tables with a lariat and a backdrop driver. However, Lee cuts Goto off with the Giant-Killing Knee and attempts the Face-Break Shot, but Goto moves out of the corner. Goto misses a charge and Lee hits a chokeslam for a near-fall. Lee misses the Face-Break Shot again and Goto hits a rope-assisted Shoto. They engage in a striking battle, which Goto punctuates with a headbutt; Goto hits more headbutts, which causes Lee to go crazy and fight back, and an offensive exchange ends up with Lee getting Goto in the front chancery he used to choke out YOSHI-HASHI (who is in Goto’s corner, along with Matsumoto). Lee hits the knee again, but Goto counters with an Ushigoroshi. Goto gets a near-fall with a GTW, then hits a PK and a GTR for the win. This was very good, and I have to say, I like Lee. He seems to understand the assignment, and he’s really picked up the pace since he started in NJPW with that desultory showing in the G1 in 2024. Hopefully he can put it all together and have a nice run in NJPW.

Anyway, this means it’s Goto and Newman in the quarterfinals in Koriyama on March 17. Next up for the tour is tomorrow night in Nagoya, which closes out the second round with Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi (yikes) and Ryohei Oiwa – in his home prefecture – vs. Zack Sabre Jr. in a battle of tag team partners that should be a lot of fun.