Super J-Cup (2020)

The 2020 logo of Super J-Cup

**Super J-Cup: 8th Stage** was the eighth Super J-Cup professional wrestling single-elimination tournament produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The eighth Super J-Cup tournament was be promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The tournament took place on December 12, 2020 in a single night, at the Thunder Studios in Los Angeles, California. This was the second time the tournament was held in the United States. The tournament featured interpromotional matches between junior heavyweight wrestlers from American promotions.

The event aired live on NJPW World and FITE TV with English language commentary.

## Background

On November 2, NJPW announced that the Super J-Cup would return on December 12. This was the second time that the tournament was held in the United States. It was announced that the tounament would be held in a single night, featuring participants from American promotions, Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), Impact Wrestling (Impact), and Ring of Honor (ROH). The tournament will be held behind closed doors without a live audience due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States. On November 7, NJPW announced the full card including tournament bracket, while the event would air live on NJPW World and FITE TV with English language commentary. On December 12, it was announced that Karl Fredericks would be forced to miss the tournament due to an injury, leading him to be replaced by Kevin Knight.

## Participants

It was announced that the tournament would feature participants from three American promotions; Impact Wrestling (Impact), Ring of Honor (ROH) and Game Changer Wrestling (GCW). The full list of participants was revealed on December 12 with four spots from NJPW (with one spot designated to the Bullet Club stable and another designated to the Young Lions), one from Impact Wrestling, one from ROH, one from Game Changer Wrestling and one freelancer.

## Super J-Cup: 8th Stage

Promotional poster featuring the participants of the 2020 Super J-Cup including KENTA, Hikuleo, Ren Narita and Karl Fredericks

## Information

### City

Los Angeles, California, U.S

The *Super J-Cup: 8th Stage* tournament was held at the Thunder Studios in Los Angeles, California, United States on December 12, 2020. The show kicked off with a tournament match featuring the winner of the Lion's Break Crown winner Clark Connors taking on Impact Wrestling's Chris Bey. In the end, Connors went for the *Boston Crab*, instead Bey reversed into a cradle into a near-fall. Bey hit the *Art of Finesse* for the win to advance in the tournament. In the following match featured another tournament match between TJP taking on ACH. In the end, both men traded near-falls, ACH went for the top rope, TJP tried a *Superplex* attempt only to ACH push him into the mat. ACH hit a double knee gutbuster for another near-fall, only to hit the *Midnight Star* for the win, advancing into the semifinals.

In the third match of the event, it saw GCW's Blake Christian taking on ROH's Rey Horus. The end saw Horus going for a cradle for a two count. Christian hit the *Spanish Fly* off the second rope for a near-fall. Christian hit the *Frog Splash* for the win, to advance into the semifinals. In the next match, it saw the final match of the first round of the tournament, with the returning El Phantasmo taking on the debuting Lio Rush. In the end, Phantasmo hit a spin-out straight-jacket torture rack neckbreaker followed by a *CR2* attempt, Rush cradled Phantasmo for a near-fall, Rush hit a springboard cutter for a near-fall. Rush went for a *Frog Splash*, only to Phantasmo push the referee into Rush. Phantasmo hit a low blow followed by a cradle for the win, advancing in the tournament.

#### Non tournament matches

In the first non tournament match featured a tag team match between Rocky Romero and Fred Rosser (formerly Darren Young in WWE) taking on JR Kratos and Danny Limelight. In the end, Romero went for the *Sliced Bread* on Limelight, only to Kratos broke up and hit Romero with a *Powerslam* followed by a *German Suplex*. Limelight pinned Romero for the win.

In the second non tournament match featured another tag team match between Bullet Club's KENTA and Hikuleo taking on Ren Narita and Kevin Knight. The end saw KENTA hitting a *Kitchen Sink* on Knight, followed by a *Boston Crab*, Narita tried to break it up, only to Hikuleo hit the *T-Bomb* on Narita. KENTA forced Knight to submit for the win.

#### Semifinals

In the first semi-final match, Impact Wrestling's Chris Bey took on ACH. After a back and forth match, ACH won the match after pinning Bey with the *Midnight Star* to advance to the finals.

In the next semi-final, Bullet Club's El Phantasmo competed against Game Changer Wrestling's Blake Christian. As the oppening bell started, Christian attacked Phantasmo. Phantasmo hit a series of strikes on Christian's nose teasing a referee stoppage. In the end, Christian hit a *Blue Thunder Bomb* for a near-fall. Christian went for a *Shooting Star Press* attempt, only to Phantasmo hit a *Superkick* for the victory, advancing to the finals.

#### Final

ACH took on El Phantasmo in the final round of the 2020 Super J-Cup tournament. Before the match during ACH's entrance, Phantasmo attacked ACH, Phantasmo used the trophy to attack ACH, destroying it. In the end, Phantasmo hit ACH with a bycicle knee strike followed and shouted Kenny Omega's catchphrase, Phantasmo went for a *One-Winged Angel* attempt, only to ACH hit a *Brainbuster* for a near-fall. ACH went for the *Midnight Star*, only to Phantasmo catch him for a *Spanish Fly* attempt, only to ACH hit a gutbuster. ACH went for another *Midnight Star* attempt, only to Phantasmo shove the referee into him. Phantasmo hit a low blow and cradled ACH for a near fall. Phantasmo hit a *Superkick* followed by the *CRII* for the win, to win the tournament for his second time. With win Phantasmo became the third wrestler after Jushin Thunder Liger and Naomichi Marufuji to reach two consecutive finals and to win back-to-back finals. After the match, NJoA representative handed him with the broken Super J-Cup trophy, leading Phantasmo to further decimate the trophy and throwing the golden jacket into the floor and spat into it. Afterwards, he called out the Best of the Super Juniors winner Hiromu Takahashi, claming that the Junior Heavyweight division belong to him and challenging him to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 15 in Tokyo Dome.

## Notes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The event was held without a live audience due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States.