Strong Style Spirit ~ Your New Japan resource for six years

Before the Young Lion Cup, New Japan held an event called the Karl Gotch Cup, which young lions fought in. The first was won by a man who would go on to become a legend, Tatsumi Fujinami, who defeated the future Killer Khan, Masashi Ozawa. Although the tournament only lasted a few years and was a prelude to the longer standing Young Lion Cup, it featured various future superstars.

1974 (10/25/74 to 12/8/74)

1. Masashi Ozawa [7]
2. Tatsumi Fujinami [7]
3. Kengo Kimura [6]
4. Yoshiaki Fujiwara [5]
5. Don Arakawa [3.5]
6. Masanobu Kurisu [3.5]
7. Little Hamada [3]
8. Donald Takeshi [1]
9. Daigoro Oshiro [0]

Final: Tatsumi Fujinami beat Masashi Ozawa (10:37) with a backslide.

1975 (10/27/75 to 12/7/75)

1. Yoshiaki Fujiwara [4.5]
2. Kengo Kimura [4.5]
3. Masashi Ozawa [3.5]
4. Daigoro Oshiro [3.5]
5. Don Arakawa [3]
6. Kuniaki Kobayashi [1]
7. Masanobu Kurisu [1]

Final: Yoshiaki Fujiwara beat Kengo Kimura (14:05) by pinfall.