NJPW New Japan Cup 2019 Results: Round 1 Winners, Picks for Round 2 Bracket

New Japan Pro-Wrestling found itself in a period of transition and adjustment as the 2019 New Japan Cup got underway on March 8.

With staples such as Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and Kushida off to continue building their legacies elsewhere, there is a tremendous opportunity for a young star, unknown commodity or fresh face to leap to the top of the promotion with a win in the prestigious tournament.

The first round featured some surprising results and set up a second round full of competitors ready to step up and challenge Bullet Club leader, and IWGP heavyweight champion, "Switchblade" Jay White for the company's most coveted title.

Who advanced in the first round, and which competitors should you expect to make an impact with victories in the next round of action?

Round 1 Results

Tomohiro Ishii pinned Yuji Nagata

Taichi submitted Tomoaki Honma

Yoshi-Hashi submitted Manabu Nakanishi

Chase Owens pinned Juice Robinson

Kazuchika Okada pinned Michael Elgin

Mikey Nicholls pinned Hikuleo

Will Ospreay pinned Bad Luck Fale

Lance Archer pinned Toa Henare

Hiroshi Tanahashi submitted Shota Umino

Ryusuke Taguchi pinned Hiroyoshi Tenzan

Kota Ibushi pinned Tetsuya Naito

Zack Sabre Jr. submitted Evil

Toru Yano pinned Davey Boy Smith Jr.

Colt Cabana pinned Togi Makabe

Minoru Suzuki pinned Satoshi Kojima

Sanada pinned Hirooki Goto

Owens Over Robinson in 1st-Round Stunner

Perhaps the biggest upset of Round 1 was Chase Owens' victory over current IWGP United States champion Juice Robinson.

Owens, a member of Bullet Club, has always had the potential to be one of the faces of New Japan's future but has never had the momentum to make the most of it. He has typically been relegated to tag matches or is beaten by singles competitors further.

His win over Robinson, though, suggests his fortunes in NJPW may be changing.

Bullet Club needs to rebuild its credibility in the wake of Omega and the Young Bucks' departures, and pushing Owens, who has waited his turn and bided his time, is a step in the right direction.

A second-round match against Yoshi-Hashi is winnable and could set Owens up for one of the more unexpected runs of the tournament.

Round 2 Predictions

Taichi defeats Ishii    

Owens defeats Yoshi-Hashi    

Okada defeats Nicholls    

Ospreay defeats Archer      

Tanahashi defeats Taguchi    

Ibushi defeats Sabre Jr.    

Yano defeats Cabana    

Sanada defeats Suzuki 

Kota Ibushi the Favorite to Go All the Way?

Kota Ibushi made headlines recently when the Super J-Cast podcast reported he had re-signed with NJPW, turning down a contract with All Elite Wrestling. It may have been the best career move for the former Golden Lover, who may be the favorite to win the entire New Japan Cup.

After defeating IWGP intercontinental champion Naito in an opening-round upset, Ibushi squares off with 2018 New Japan Cup winner Sabre Jr., who is capable of tapping him out and sending him packing.

If Ibushi gets past Sabre, he faces the unenviable task of battling either Tanahashi or the surging Taichi in Round 3.

The path to the cup and a shot at IWGP heavyweight champion Jay White is not easy, but if he can continue to score victories, not only will a title opportunity be his, he will also step out of the shadow of former tag team partner Kenny Omega and become one of the faces of the new NJPW.