Super J Cup
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Contents |
[edit] 1994
Super J Cup 1994 was a professional wrestling tournament hosted by New Japan Pro Wrestling on April 16, 1994 in Tokyo, Japan for the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship. The tournament utilized wrestlers from various promotions to compete in it, in an invitational style. This was critical for promoting young, new wrestlers (Chris Benoit, Great Sasuke, and Eddie Guerrero), as well as getting less-prominent promotions recognized by the public more.
Since New Japan was a product of World Wrestling Federation, it was inclined to have promotions represented by affiliates of WWF. The promotions involved were: New Japan, Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling, Wrestle Association R, Michinoku Pro, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, and Social Progress Wrestling Federation.
This was a single-elimination tournament with four rounds. Wild Pegasus and Great Sasuke had byes to the quarterfinals.
[edit] Results
| Round 1 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||||||
| Gedo | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Dean Malenko | 8:04 | |||||||||||||||||
| Gedo | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Super Delfin | 8:20 | |||||||||||||||||
| Shinjiro Ohtani | Sub | |||||||||||||||||
| Super Delfin | 8:09 | |||||||||||||||||
| Gedo | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Wild Pegasus | 6:35 | |||||||||||||||||
| Black Tiger | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| TAKA Michinoku | 6:48 | |||||||||||||||||
| Black Tiger | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Wild Pegasus | 9:36 | |||||||||||||||||
| Wild Pegasus | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| The Great Sasuke | 20:10 | |||||||||||||||||
| Masayoshi Motegi | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| El Samurai | 7:12 | |||||||||||||||||
| El Samurai | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| The Great Sasuke | 11:42 | |||||||||||||||||
| The Great Sasuke | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | 18:30 | |||||||||||||||||
| Ricky Fuji | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Negro Casas | 5:49 | |||||||||||||||||
| Ricky Fuji | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | 7:50 | |||||||||||||||||
| Hayabusa | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | 10:40 | |||||||||||||||||
[edit] Trivia
- Dave Meltzer named this the best major wrestling event in 1994, due to its meaning to the industry, the rise of young stars, and its match quality. Meltzer rated the finals a five-star match. He also gave Liger vs. Sasuke a four-and-three-quarter-star rating.
- Pegasus, Liger, Samurai, Malenko, Otani, and Black Tiger were New Japan representatives. Delfin, Michinoku, and Sasuke represented Michinoku Pro. Fuji and Hayabusa were for FMW. Gedo and Motegi solely represented WAR and SPWF respectively.
- This was the last major wrestling event for the tournament's gaijin, as Casas would be pushed far in Mexico. Pegasus, Malenko, and Black Tiger received recognition, and were immediately hired be Extreme Championship Wrestling (with Pegasus and Black Tiger starting to use their real names, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero), later World Championship Wrestling.
- Super Delfin and Masayoshi Motegi were their respective promotions' junior heavyweight champions.
[edit] 1995
Super J Cup 1995 was the following year's tournament to determine the top junior heavyweight of the world for that year. It was held on December 13, 1995 in Tokyo, Japan and was hosted by Wrestle Association R. Like the first year, it brought in wrestlers from all over the world from promotions New Japan Pro Wrestling, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, Social Progressive Wrestling Federation, Wrestle Association R, and Extreme Championship Wrestling. This did not do as much for many wrestlers as the prior years tournament, but it established Jushin "Thunder" Liger's dominance in Japan, as he and Wild Pegasus received byes to the quarter finals.
Rey Mysterio vs. Psicosis was also featured on the card as a special attraction match, occurring prior to the finals of the tournament. Mysterio picked up the victory following a huracanrana.
[edit] Results
| Round 1 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Gran Naniwa | ||||||||||||||||||
| Damien 666 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gran Naniwa | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Ultimo Dragon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Shinjiro Ohtani | Sub | |||||||||||||||||
| Masaaki Mochizuki | ||||||||||||||||||
| Shinjiro Ohtani | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ultimo Dragon | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Shoichi Funaki | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ultimo Dragon | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Gedo | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gedo | Sub | |||||||||||||||||
| Masayoshi Motegi | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gedo | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Dos Caras | ||||||||||||||||||
| Dos Caras | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| El Samurai | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gedo | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Wild Pegasus | ||||||||||||||||||
| Lionheart | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Hanzo Nakajima | ||||||||||||||||||
| Lionheart | ||||||||||||||||||
| Wild Pegasus | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
[edit] 2000
Super J Cup 2000 was a two-night professional wrestling tournament hosted by North Eastern Wrestling on April 1 and April 9, 2000 in Japan. The tournament utilized wrestlers primarily from Michinoku Pro, and featured '95 winner Jushin Liger.
A bonus 10-man tag team match occurred between Tiger Mask IV/Minoru Tanaka/Masaaki Mochizuki/Shinya Makabe/Ricky Marvin and Kendo Kashin/El Samurai/Judo SUWA/Super Boy and Chabinger prior to the final of the tournament.
This was a single-elimination tournament with four rounds; the first round occurred on April 1, with the remaining rounds and the 10-man tag team match occurring on April 9.
[edit] Results
| Round 1 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||||||||
| CIMA | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Ricky Marvin | ||||||||||||||||||
| CIMA | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Onryo | ||||||||||||||||||
| Sasuke the Great | DQ | |||||||||||||||||
| Ricky Fuji | ||||||||||||||||||
| Naoki Sano | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| CIMA | ||||||||||||||||||
| Naoki Sano | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Judo SUWA | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ricky Fuji | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Gran Hamada | ||||||||||||||||||
| Katsumi Usuda | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Men's TEIOH | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| CIMA | ||||||||||||||||||
| Curry Man | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Onryo | ||||||||||||||||||
| Great Sasuke | Knock-Out | |||||||||||||||||
| Naoki Sano | ||||||||||||||||||
| Gran Hamada | submission | |||||||||||||||||
| Shinya Makabe | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Gran Hamada | ||||||||||||||||||
| The Great Sasuke | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Kaz Hayashi | ||||||||||||||||||
| Men's TEIOH | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | ||||||||||||||||||
| Jushin Liger | Pin | |||||||||||||||||
| Tiger Mask IV | ||||||||||||||||||
[edit] Trivia
- This tournament featured the first and only time that a winner progressed through the tournament via disqualification.
- This tournament also featured the first and only time that a winner progressed through the tournament via knock-out.
- Three men (Jushin Liger, Great Sasuke & Ricky Fuji) who participated in the inaugural tournament in 1994 participated in the 2000 tournament.
- Jushin Liger is the only competitor to win two J Cup tournaments, as he was the victor in the 1995 J Cup.
- Jushin Liger holds the record for the most J Cups that a wrestler has participated in, as he has competed in 3.
