NJPW Reveals New Japan Cup 2023 Bracket

NJPW has revealed the official bracket for the 2023 New Japan Cup, set to take place from March 5, with the final taking place on March 21. 

Last year's winner, Zack Sabre Jr., is one of eight wrestlers to have been granted a first round bye - the others being KENTA, Chase Owens, Jeff Cobb, Will Ospreay, Hirooki Goto, Tama Tonga, and Great-O-Khan.

The first-round matches are as follows:

• SANADA vs. Taichi
• Tetsuya Naito vs. El Phantasmo
• Ren Narita vs. EVIL
• Toru Yano vs. Mark Davis 
• YOSHI-HASHI vs. Kyle Fletcher
• Shingo Takagi vs. Aaron Henare 
• David Finlay vs. Tomohiro Ishii
• Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi

The winner of the New Japan Cup will receive the traditional title shot at Sakura Genesis, which this year takes place on April 8. The current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is Kazuchika Okada, although he is set to put his title on the line against old rival Hiroshi Tanahashi at this month's Battle of the Valley event in California. Okada won the title from Jay White on night one of this year's Wrestle Kingdom, and recently retained it in a match against Shingo Takagi.