Earlier tonight, New Japan Pro Wrestling officially announced the first participants in the 2019 Super J-Cup tournament which will be taking place next month. TJ Perkins, SHO, and Dragon Lee are the first three participants to be announced.
This will be the first Super J-Cup for all three wrestlers. This will also be TJ Perkins first appearance in New Japan Pro Wrestling since June 10, 2011.
This year’s Super J-Cup will be the first time the tournament has been held in the United States. The first round of the tournament will take place at Temple Theater in Tacoma, Washington on Thursday, August 22. Then San Francisco State University Student Life Event Center in San Francisco, California will host the second round on Saturday, August 24. The semifinals and finals will be held at Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California on Sunday, August 25.
Along with Dragon Lee and SHO, Will Ospreay, Caristico, El Phantasmo, and YOH all appear on the flyers to promote the event. Jushin Thunder Liger will also be wrestling at the events as part of his farewell tour, but will not be taking part in the tournament.
Tickets for the events are on sale now. The second round at San Francisco State University Student Life Event Center has sold out and only limited balcony standing tickets remain for the Temple Theater in Tacoma.
Since its inception, the Super J-Cup tournament has been as an interpromotional showcase of junior heavyweight wrestlers from all over the world. NJPW was the first promotion to host the tournament on April 16, 1994, at Ryugoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. The 2019 edition of the Super J-Cup tournament will mark the fourth time NJPW has hosted the tournament.
The previous winners of the Super J-Cup tournament are Chris Benoit as Wild Pegasus (1994), Jushin Thunder Liger (1995, 2000) Naomichi Marufuji (2004, 2009) and Kushida (2016). The other promotions that have hosted previous Super-J Cup tournaments are Wrestle Association R, Michinoku Pro, and Osaka Pro Wrestling.
