Kazuchika Okada & Tetsuya Naito are barely one month removed from their match over the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship – but this time the stakes are different. The winner tonight will get their spot in the finals of the New Japan Cup. Naito has been on fire all tournament, able to snatch victories using flash pinfalls – having wins over Jeff Cobb & Hiroshi Tanahashi. Okada has been similarly dominant, winning every match with The Rainmaker. If anyone can take Okada out of the field, it’s Naito.
Kazuchika Okada Hopes To Claim A Second Win Over Naito In 2022
Okada would get taken down to mat by Naito, before having to fight out of the side headlock. Headscissor would be applied, but Naito was able to fight his way free. A quick armdrag and the hurricanrana would land, and applied the cravat on the mat. Okada would slip free, placing Naito on the top rope before sending him tumbling down with a dropkick.
Naito would be driven into the barricade, before being kicked in the face with a big boot. Okada would set up and nail a DDT on the floor, putting the neck of Naito to the test. Into the ring, Okada would hit some cocky kicks to the back of Naito, before nailing a neckbreaker and applying the chinlock.
Naito would get free, and would be able to catch Okada with a dropkick to the knee. To the outside again, this time Okada would be the one meeting the steel. Naito would tie the knee of Okada up into the steel, and punish with a fast dropkick. Okada would break the referees count at 16, before taking a knee breaker in the middle of the ring.
Naito would miss the dropkick to the knee, and go right to the neck instead with a Full Nelson. The long legs of Okada would get the rope break, before he’d hit the running back elbow and DDT in the middle of the ring for a near fall.
Tetsuya Naito Digs Deep Into His Bag Of Tricks
Naito looked for the combo kick in the corner, only to be caught into a neckbreaker. Money Clip would be applied, before Naito quickly got the bottom rope. Swing DDT would fail, before Naito would run into the dropkick for a near fall.
Money Clip was applied once again, but Naito was able to get the bottom rope to prevent the submission victory. Okada came off the top rope with an elbow drop, before striking the rainmaker pose. Naito knew it was time to fire up as well, and was able to hit the Swing DDT before the Frankensteiner off the top rope. Okada would take some downward elbow strikes before Esperanza would land.
Running Destino was set, and it landed in the middle of the ring for a near fall. Okada blocked the second attempt, before being dropped with Gloria – and Naito quickly went for the Stardust Press – but missed Okada. Short Arm Lariat would land, before a second dropped Naito.
Rainmaker was set, but Naito was able to hit some elbow strikes. Okada would hit a German Suplex, and spin Naito. Naito slipped out and hit the ropes, but took the dropkick instead. Okada looked for the Tombstone, before Spinning Rainmaker was blocked.
Destino was attempted, but almost turned into the landslide. Naito would avoid a dropkick before looking for the flash pinfall for a two count. Okada went for a flash pin of his own, before being taken into the Polvo de Estrella for the wim!
Can Tetsuya Naito beat Zack Sabre Jr. to claim the New Japan Cup? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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