The New Japan Cup is a single elimination tournament where you either win or you are eliminated. The New Japan Cup started in 2005, with its first winner being “The Ace” Hiroshi Tanahashi. Starting with the 2006 installment of the tournament, the winner of the Cup would go on to get a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. In the following years, wrestlers were granted the opportunity at the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and NEVER Openweight Championship.

The New Japan Cup has featured many different competitors and a list of future Hall of Famers as winners of the tournament. Last year, the finals of the New Japan Cup- former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs Los Ingobernables de Japon’s SANADA- received critical acclaim and was awarded a five-star rating from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. In 2018, technical wizard Zack Sabre Jr. became the first UK born wrestler to win the New Japan Cup, defeating Tanahashi in the finals.

With a tournament as historic as the New Japan Cup, it is not surprising that former competitors of the tournament can be found in all the other major wrestling promotions. In 2016, former IMPACT Wrestling star Michael Elgin made his debut in the tournament. In 2017, one half of the current AEW World Tag Team Champions, Kenny Omega, had what many called the match of the tournament in the first round against Tomohiro Ishii.

Omega’s AEW co-worker, Lance Archer has appeared in the tournament five times himself. Archer’s former Killer Elite Squad tag team partner and MLW’s own Davey Boy Smith Jr. has also been a mainstay in the New Japan Cup during his time with the company.

In this article, we will be looking at 5 WWE employees who have competed in the New Japan Cup. This list will not include former WWE Superstars, The Good Brothers (Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows), who were also mainstays in the tourney during their time in NJPW.

Some of the former competitors listed may be known to you, while others will surprise you, especially our #1 who is the only WWE employee to win the New Japan Cup.

#5 Finn Balor (Prince Devitt)

Finn Balor, formerly known as Prince Devitt during his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling, was one of the biggest stars in the company following his heel turn and formation of the Bullet Club in 2013.

Devitt was considered one of the best junior heavyweights in New Japan, winning the Best of Super Juniors tournament twice in 2010 and 2013. After his heel turn on former Apollo 55 tag team partner, Ryusuke Taguchi, Prince Devitt formed the Bullet Club with Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson, and Tama Tonga.

In 2014, following his first appearance in the G1, Prince Devitt would further enter the heavyweight division with a spot in the New Japan Cup. In his first (and only) time in the New Japan Cup, Devitt would face a much larger opponent in Lance Archer in round 1. If you have never seen Lance in the ring, you should see the moonsault he bust out in this match, showing off his underrated agility. In the end though, Devitt, with the help of a steel chair and the Bullet Club, was able to pull off the upset.

The next round would be very different as he would meet a favorite to win the entire New Japan Cup, meeting former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. This was a battle of the leaders of two of the biggest stables in New Japan Pro Wrestling, with Nakamura heading up CHAOS.

Shinsuke came out alone, while Prince Devitt had Bad Luck Fale in his corner. Devitt used the numbers game to his advantage until the strong style strikes of Nakamura were too much for him. The King of Strong Style won with the Bomaye knee strike for the victory in just under 11 minutes.

#4 Shinsuke Nakamura

Remember when Shinsuke Nakamura had one of the greatest entrances in the game? Watch the above with one of his great New Japan Pro Wrestling entrances at Kizuna Road 2012.

Besides an epic entrance, Shinsuke Nakamura is considered one of hard-hitting and intense competitors to ever step foot in New Japan. The stiffness of his strikes and movements in the ring was inherited over time in a style that developed before the fans’ eyes. Nakamura is also among the most prolific competitors in New Japan Cup history, with 7 appearances to his name.

The appearances are not the only thing that makes Nakamura’s legacy in the Cup special. After a grueling, bloody victory in the New Japan Cup 2014 Finals over Bad Luck Fale, Shinsuke became the first winner of the Cup to decide to challenge for a title that wasn’t the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

Nakamura wanted vengeance, instead of the top prize in NJPW, challenging the man who defeated him in the Tokyo Dome at WrestleKingdom 8- IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Nakamura got his revenge and also became only the third winner of the New Japan Cup to become a new champion, defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi to regain his IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

#3 Shelton (X) Benjamin

How great is that theme song? Too bad he did not use this in New Japan. However, Shelton Benjamin made an impact in NJPW during his run with the company from 2012-2015. Benjamin was brought into the company and would even get an opportunity at the NEVER Openweight Championship at WrestleKingdom 7. However, his run did not find its footing until he joined the most villainous faction in all of New Japan Pro Wrestling- the Suzuki-gun.

Shelton Benjamin, then known as Shelton X Benjamin, would enter his first New Japan Cup in 2014. His first round matchup would be against Yujiro Takahashi. The man who would go on to become the Tokyo Pimp did not have enough for the former Gold Standard as Benjamin got the victory in just over 6 minutes.

The next round match would be quite a step up in competition as Shelton met Katsuyori Shibata. “The Wrestler” is one of New Japan’s stiffest fighters and known for his hard-hitting contests, which seemed to overwhelm Benjamin in this match. However, just when it looked like Shibata was measuring him for a running strike, Shelton caught him with “Paydirt” to eliminate Shibata from the New Japan Cup.

Shelton’s surprise run ended in the semifinals as he met the monster of this tournament, Bad Luck Fale. In a match which ended in under 5 minutes, Fale dominated Benjamin after a flurry to move on to the finals of the New Japan Cup 2014.

#2 MVP

Any list of WWE employees who have been in New Japan Pro Wrestling has to include the first ever IWGP Intercontinental Champion, MVP. One half of the ‘CEOs of the Hurt Business’ on Monday Night RAW made a successful run in NJPW from 2011 to 2013. MVP has said in the past that he signed with New Japan because of his passion for puroresu.

After a nice start to his time with New Japan Pro Wrestling, MVP would enter the 2011 New Japan Cup. MVP would win his first round matchup over former WWE Superstar, Karl Anderson in a good match. However, Togi Makabe would give MVP his first taste of defeat in the following round.

The following year, MVP entered his second New Japan Cup. Unfortunately, he would meet a similar fate to Prince Devitt before him. Yes, MVP faced Shinsuke Nakamura in the first round. In what was one of the best NJPW matches for the first-ever IWGP IC Champion, MVP lost against Nakamura, falling victim to the Bomaye.

#1 Matt Bloom (Giant Bernard)

Finally, we have the reason for the title of this article. My list was originally going to be “5 current WWE Superstars who competed in the New Japan Cup”. Unfortunately, the only man in the company who has won the entire tournament is no longer a WWE Superstar. However, the current head trainer of WWE’s Performance Center was quite the force to be reckoned with in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

After an up and down run in the WWF/WWE, Matt Bloom would make his way over to Japan to hone his craft and become a better performer than he was during his time in the US. Following a brief stint in All Japan Pro Wrestling, the newly christened Giant Bernard would leave AJPW for its rival promotion- the NJPW- in January 2006.

This transformation is similar to the one we have seen over the past year with Jon Moxley shedding his past as Dean Ambrose. Similar to Moxley entering the G1 Climax years later, Giant Bernard would make an immediate impact as he entered the 2006 New Japan Cup.

Bernard would meet Toru Yano in the first round, gaining victory after a tough contest. Next, Giant Bernard would face one of the legendary performers in New Japan history, Riki Choshu. Bernard dominated Choshu to move on to the semifinals against a man who could match his size, Manabu Nakanishi. After a bruising fight, it was Bernard who gained the victory, which was considered as an upset by many.

In the finals of the 2006 New Japan Cup, it would be NJPW legend Yuji Nagata awaiting Giant Bernard, After a near 20 minute hard-hitting war, Bernard laid Nagata out for good with a Sitout Tombstone to win the tournament. This would be a form of redemption for a man who went to Japan to learn, but instead excelled.

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