# Super J-Cup

The Super J-Cup is a periodically held professional wrestling tournament featuring junior heavyweight wrestlers from all over the world promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). This tournament differs from NJPW's annual Best of the Super Juniors tournament in that it is single elimination, while Best of the Super Juniors has a round robin format.
The Super J-Cup was originally conceived by Japanese wrestler Jushin Thunder Liger as a showcase for promotions from Asia and North America, including Liger's home promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (who hosted the first tournament in 1994), Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, Wrestle Association R, Michinoku Pro Wrestling, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, and the Social Progress Wrestling Federation. In the following years, wrestlers representing various other NJPW partner promotions would also participate.
Since the original Super J-Cup in 1994, the tournament has taken place sporadically (1995, 2000, 2004, 2009, 2016, 2019, and 2020). The original is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestling shows of all time. Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, called the 1994 Super J-Cup "the most incredible single night of wrestling ever".

## Dates, venues and winners

| Event | Host promotion | Winner | Times won | Date(s) | Runner-up | City | Venue | Main Event |
| Super J-Cup: 1st Stage | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | Wild Pegasus | 1 | April 16, 1994 | The Great Sasuke | Tokyo, Japan | Ryōgoku Kokugikan | The Great Sasuke vs. Wild Pegasus in the 1994 Super J-Cup final |
| Super J-Cup: 2nd Stage | Wrestle Association R | Jushin Liger | 1 | December 13, 1995 | Gedo | Tokyo, Japan | Ryōgoku Kokugikan | Jushin Liger vs. Gedo in the 1995 Super J-Cup final |
| Super J-Cup: 3rd Stage | Michinoku Pro Wrestling | Jushin Liger | 2 | April 1, 2000 | Cima | Sendai, Japan | Sendai City Gymnasium | Jushin Liger vs. Tiger Mask in the 2000 Super J-Cup first round |
| Super J-Cup: 3rd Stage | Michinoku Pro Wrestling | Jushin Liger | 2 | April 9, 2000 | Cima | Tokyo, Japan | Ryōgoku Kokugikan | Cima vs. Jushin Liger in the 2000 Super J-Cup final |
| Super J-Cup: 4th Stage | Osaka Pro Wrestling | Naomichi Marufuji | 1 | February 21, 2004 | Takehiro Murahama | Osaka, Japan | Osaka-jō Hall | Naomichi Marufuji vs. Takehiro Murahama in the 2004 Super J-Cup final |
| Super J-Cup: 5th Stage | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | Naomichi Marufuji | 2 | December 22, 2009 | Prince Devitt | Tokyo, Japan | Korakuen Hall | Jushin Liger vs. Naomichi Marufuji in the 2009 Super J-Cup first round |
| Super J-Cup: 5th Stage | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | Naomichi Marufuji | 2 | December 23, 2009 | Prince Devitt | Tokyo, Japan | Korakuen Hall | Naomichi Marufuji vs. Prince Devitt in the 2009 Super J-Cup final |
| Super J-Cup: 6th Stage | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | Kushida | 1 | July 20, 2016 | Yoshinobu Kanemaru | Tokyo, Japan | Korakuen Hall | Kushida vs. Taiji Ishimori in the 2016 Super J-Cup first round |
| Super J-Cup: 6th Stage | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | Kushida | 1 | August 21, 2016 | Yoshinobu Kanemaru | Tokyo, Japan | Ariake Coliseum | Kushida vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru in the 2016 Super J-Cup final |
| Super J-Cup: 7th Stage | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | El Phantasmo | 1 | August 22, 2019 | Dragon Lee | Tacoma, Washington | Masonic Temple Building-Temple Theater | Amazing Red vs. Will Ospreay in the 2019 Super J-Cup first round |
| Super J-Cup: 7th Stage | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | El Phantasmo | 1 | August 24, 2019 | Dragon Lee | San Francisco, California | San Francisco State University Student Life Events Center | Sho vs. Will Ospreay in the 2019 Super J-Cup quarter-final round |
| Super J-Cup: 7th Stage | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | El Phantasmo | 1 | August 25, 2019 | Dragon Lee | Long Beach, California | Walter Pyramid | Dragon Lee vs. El Phantasmo in the 2019 Super J-Cup final |
| Super J-Cup: 8th Stage | New Japan Pro-Wrestling | El Phantasmo | 2 | December 12, 2020 | A. C. H. | Port Hueneme, California | Oceanview Pavilion | A. C. H. vs. El Phantasmo in the 2020 Super J-Cup final |

## Legacy

The popularity and success of Super J-Cup has led various promotions to create J-Cup tournaments showcasing junior heavyweight wrestlers. Some of their examples include Revolution Pro Wrestling's British J-Cup, Jersey Championship Wrestling's Jersey J-Cup and the J-Cup Tournament.