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NJPW has announced the 24-man field for the New Japan Cup 2025, with the winner earning a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 5.



The tournament kicks off on March 7 and runs through March 20. 16 wrestlers will compete in first-round matchups, while eight competitors—David Finlay, YOSHI-HASHI, Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, Shota Umino, Jeff Cobb, TJP, and Shingo Takagi—have been randomly granted first-round byes.



Here is the full bracket:



Left side:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Yota Tsuji vs. EVIL (winner faces David Finlay in next round)</li>



<li>Yuya Uemura vs. SANADA (winner faces YOSHI-HASHI in next round)</li>



<li>Ryohei Oiwa vs. Chase Owens (winner faces Zack Sabre Jr. in next round)</li>



<li>Gabe Kidd vs. Ren Narita (winner faces Taichi in next round)</li>
</ul>



Right side:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>El Phantasmo vs. Great-O-Khan (winner faces Shota Umino in next round)</li>



<li>Tetsuya Naito vs. Callum Newman (winner faces Jeff Cobb in next round)</li>



<li>Tomohiro Ishii vs. Drilla Moloney (winner faces TJP in next round)</li>



<li>Oleg Boltin vs. Bad Luck Fale (winner faces Shingo Takagi in next round)</li>
</ul>



Current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Hirooki Goto will have one title defense before Sakura Genesis, facing Hiroshi Tanahashi at NJPW’s 53rd Anniversary Show in March. With top stars in the mix, the New Japan Cup is set to shape the future of NJPW’s main event scene.

Full Field Revealed for New Japan Cup 2025, Winner to Challenge for IWGP World Title

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