So this is a weird week since New Japan Cup was going strong and Impact had an app event along with normal TV. So since I had 7 shows to cover, along with a normal 9-5 and other obligations, I didn’t watch much beyond Impact and New Japan. Still plenty of quality matches, but it might not be what you enjoyed the most. Let’s find out!

First let’s go over which match won February.

MOTY Pool:

• January: NJPW New Beginning Nagoya: NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
• February: NXT Vengeance Day: North American Championship: Johnny Gargano (c) vs Kushida

Since we see who won the February pool, now we get the first winner of March; New Japan Cup 3.6.2021: Kazuchika Okada vs Shingo Takagi, so Shingo is looking to maybe be the first wrestler with two MOTY pool candidates in 3 months.

So now we can check out the Impact & NJPW Top 5!

Quick Top 5:

1. New Japan Cup 3.13: NJC: Shingo Takagi vs Hirooki Goto
   Rating: **** 1/4
2. Impact Sacrifice: TNA & Impact World Heavyweight Title Unification: Rich Swan (c) vs Moose (c)
   Rating: *** 1/4
3. New Japan Cup 3.14: NJC: Zack Sabre Jr vs Will Ospreay
   Rating: **** 1/4
4. IMPACT!: Ace Austin w/Madman Fulton vs Chris Bey
   Rating: ****
5. New Japan Cup 3.9: NJC: SANADA vs Tomohiro Ishii
   Rating: ****

Honorable Mentions:

• Impact Sacrifice: Impact World Tag Team Titles: FinJuice vs The Good Brothers
  Rating: *** 3/4
• New Japan Cup 3.13: NJC: KENTA vs Minoru Suzuki
  Rating: *** 3/4
• Impact Sacrifice: X Division Championship: TJP (c) vs Ace Austin w/Madman Fulton
  Rating: *** 3/4
• New Japan Cup 3.10: NJC: Jay White vs Toa Henare
  Rating: *** 3/4
• New Japan Cup 3.11: NJC: Jeff Cobb vs EVIL
  Rating: *** 1/2
• Impact Sacrifice: Hold Harmless Match: Eddie Edwards vs Brian Myers
  Rating: *** 1/4
• New Japan Cup 3.9: NJC: Yuji Nagata vs Yota Tsuji
  Rating: *** 1/4
• New Japan Cup 3.10: NJC: YOSHI-HASHI vs Yujiro Takahashi
  Rating: *** 1/4
• New Japan Cup 3.14: NJC: SANADA vs Yuji Nagata
  Rating: *** 1/4
• Impact Sacrifice: Violent By Design (Joe Doering & Deaner) w/Eric Young vs Beer Guns w/Jake Something
  Rating: *** 1/4
• Impact Sacrifice: Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Jordynne Grace & Jazz vs Fire N Flava (c)
  Rating: ***
• New Japan Cup 3.9: LIJ (Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI & Shingo Takagi) vs CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada & SHO)
  Rating: ***
• IMPACT!: Beer Guns vs Rohit Raju & Shera
  Rating: ***
• New Japan Cup 3.11: LIJ (BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & Shingo Takagi) vs CHAOS (SHO, Hirooki Goto & Kazuchika Okada) & Yuji Nagata
  Rating: ***
• Impact Sacrifice: Decay (Crazzy Steve & Black Taurus) w/Rosemary vs Reno Scum
  Rating: ***
• New Japan Cup 3.14: LIJ (BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito& Shingo Takagi) vs CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, SHO & Kazuchika Okada)
  Rating: ***
• Impact Sacrifice: Knockouts Championship: Deonna Purrazzo w/Kimber & Susan (c) vs ODB
  Rating: ***
• New Japan Cup 3.11: NJC: Great O-Khan vs Toru Yano
  Rating: ***

4t. New Japan Cup 3.9: NJC: SANADA vs Tomohiro Ishii

From My Results:

SANADA did what SANADA normally does. He tries to wrestle his opponent’s style of match, until his techniques can garner him an advantage. Early strike exchanges favored Ishii, but Ishii is a stubborn pitbull and wants a good fight. So after treating SANADA’s head like a speed bag, Ishii tries to goad him into giving more, trying harder and showing some heart.

Eventually, SANADA’s spine stiffens and he starts absorbing elbows and returning the favor. This then becomes a great dance of familiarity and who has the best counters. SANADA pulled out the Skull End and Japanese Leg Clutch, but Ishii was able to get out. Ishii threw everything short of the Vertical Drop Brainbuster and Ishii Spike. We see a great exchange where Ishii blocks SANADA coming to the corner, SANADA ducks a lariat, escalera into the backflip Dragon Sleeper, Ishii Snapmares him out, SANADA ducks the Sliding lariat, and then simultaneous strikes lay both out for a moment.  The finish is off another great exchange, where Ishii gets caught charging, SANADA hits the Pop-Up Cutter and immediately goes into the Moonsault for the win.

Winner: SANADA via Moonsault

4t. IMPACT!: Ace Austin w/Madman Fulton vs Chris Bey

From My Results:

When he gets back inside, Ace looks to finish things, but they start fighting on the top rope. Ace starts reeling, he’s seated on the actual rope, Bey gets him into a Fireman’s Carry, but Ace fights out and falls to the outside off the apron, shortly followed by a dazed Bey.

As we get back from commercial, both men are in the ring but sluggish and we get some attempts at haymakers, or finishes. Bey hits the VerteBEYker, but Ace actually kicks out. Bey starts trying to find an answer for Ace, especially involving a gorgeous Code Red, and Ace powders to Madman. Madman shields Ace, then Ace gives him the iggy and Ace uses Fulton as a jumping point to kick Bey in the face.

It looks like Ace is about to win because of Madman, but TJP comes to the top of the ramp with a chair of his own to take a seat. This causes Ace to get distracted, Fulton goes to run him off, and Bey hits a Cutter out of nowhere, followed by Art of Finesse. So Bey beats the number one contender, with a small assist to TJP.

Winner: Chris Bey via Art of Finesse

1t. New Japan Cup 3.14: NJC: Zack Sabre Jr vs Will Ospreay

From Mitchell’s Coverage:

Ospreay fights to keep the armbar away but that end sup in a DISARMER! ZSJ gets the other arm!! A modification on Far Away From Home, but Ospreay is fighting it off! ZSJ drags him around, to lock it in!! Ospreay still fights, ZSJ shifts for Clarky Cat, but Ospreay gets a ROPEBREAK with his foot! ZSJ lets off, and fans are fired up! Fans rally up as Ospreay and ZSJ slowly sit up. ZSJ has a bloody elbow, Ospreay has a bloody nose, ZSJ KICKS Ospreay down! ZSJ dares Ospreay to get up, Ospreay rises, but he blocks the PK! ZSJ SLAPS Ospreay, BOOTS him, but Ospreay fires up, Gory Especial! ZSJ slips out, IRON OCT- NO! Fireman’s carry, and TOSS! Cover, TWO!!

Fans are thunderous and Ospreay wipes the blood from his nose. Ospreay takes off the elbow pad and drags ZSJ up. Ospreay turns ZSJ but no Dream Smasher, he backslides then bridges to a jackknife, TWO!! ZSJ PENALTY KICKS! SUPERKICK from Ospreay! Ospreay goes to the corner, SUPER OS- NO! ZSJ blocks this, drags Ospreay to a sleeper then scoop, but Ospreay flips out to DREAM SMASHER ELBOW!! Ospreay fires up and fans are thunderous! Underhooks, lift, STORMBREAKER!!! Cover, Ospreay wins!!

Winner: Ospreay via Stormbreaker

1t. Impact Sacrifice: TNA & Impact World Heavyweight Title Unification: Rich Swann (c) vs Moose (c)

From My Results:

The two big highlight reel spots are after Moose Pump Kick countered Rich’s Lethal Injection, he ran to the corner to do his Triangle Moonsault, but Rich reacted by hitting the ropes for an Oscutter, so we had a beautifully timed RKO style counter spot. Then after Rich fought Moose off the top rope, Rich was getting ready for something, but Moose leaps up, grabs Rich for an Avalanche Moonsault Slam which looked gorgeous. Just really nice big spots mixed within a tough match where both wanted to win, but Rich seemed to have a strategy where Moose was more and more frustrated as the match went on.

This gets punctuated with Moose forcing the Lights Out three times. Rich plays possum and it ends up in the corner where Moose put a chair early before the Brian Hebner talked sense into him. After eating the chair, Rich went for the Sunset Flip, but Moose resisted, powered Rich up, but Rich wasn’t havin that. Rich counters Moose with a Crucifix, then adjusts the pinfall into a Jacknife and barely holds Moose for the 3 count!

Winner: Swann via Crucifix Jacknife Cradle

1t. New Japan Cup 3.13: NJC: Shingo Takagi vs Hirooki Goto

From Mitchell’s Coverage:

Goto breaks free but Takagi JABS, but lariats into a fireman’s carry! G T W!! But again Goto can’t make the cover! Fans rally up hard as ever as both men slowly stir. Goto drags Takagi up, reels him into the dragon sleeper, but Takagi fights it! Goto spins Takagi to HEADBUTT! Goto facelocks for the REVERSE G T R! Cover, TWO!! Takagi survives but Goto grits his teeth. Goto powers up as Takagi sits up, to BUZZSAW Takagi down! Goto drags Takagi back up, dragon sleepers, but Takagi drops to victory roll! TWO!! Goto narrowly escapes and shocks himself! Goto kicks but Takagi blocks to HEADBUTT and LARIAT! Fans are thunderous again, and Takagi fires up as he rises again.

Takagi drags Goto up, pump handles and fireman’s carries, but Goto slips out to dragon sleeper! Takagi spins around but the two struggle for suplex control! Takagi powers through but Goto fights it off! Goto powers up to get Takagi up but Takagi fights free! Takagi gets Goto on the ropes, turns him around, DRAPING TAKAGI GTR! Takagi drags Goto back up as fans are thunderous again, and Takagi runs to PUMPING BOMBER!! Cover, TWO!?!? Goto survives again and Takagi is beside himself! Fans rally up as Takagi drags Goto into the pump handle and fireman’s carry. LAST OF THE DRAGONS!! Cover, Takagi wins!!

Winner: Takagi via Last of the Dragon

Thoughts:

I did preface all this with the fact that coverage responsibilities and other things stopped a wider breadth of brands, but anyone that usually reads these knows I tend to dabble in most. Some week’s are just busy.

Either way, this is rough and it’s also very easy. Shingo had probably the best match to me personally, but aside from the finish; I really enjoyed Moose vs Rich. My vote will go to Moose vs Rich, just because I don’t want March to turn into the month of Shingo.

Mom said other people get a turn on the Nintendo too, ya know?