Once upon a time, 32 men entered this tournament. Now after seven nights of action, only four remain. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion and favorite to win it all, Kazuchika Okada. Reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi, who is gunning to face his mentor. SANADA, who is still trying to find where he truly belongs in the company. And finally, EVIL who showed his vicious side against YOSHI-HASHI to get into this spot.
All of these men could go on to win it all, they’re the top of the top from the bracket. But only two will remain by the time this show is done.
SANADA vs. EVIL
When stablemates in NJPW fight, it goes one of two ways. They’re relunctant to go all out and the match suffers for it, or they bring out the absolute best in each other. EVIL & SANADA are the key tag team in L.I.J, and know each other better than most know themselves. They’ve clashed in the past, and it’s always a great time. Now they’re going to do everything they can to reach the finals of the New Japan Cup at Dominion. This was going to be an absolute war.
They fought like old rivals, not men who proudly held the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships together. Every single big move in their arsenal would be used, every trick in their books. The heart of SANADA would do it’s best to outlast his dangerous partner until the very end, knowing his tricks but unable to defend when they would come. Eventually both men were exhausted, this match going longer than expected.
EVIL used all his dirty tricks, he went low, he used chairs, and knocked the referee out of the ring to inflict more punishment before ending it in powerful fashion. After 20 minutes of action, EVIL would win with EVIL to advance to the finals of the New Japan Cup.
4/5 (****)
Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiromu Takahashi
When most looked at the left half of the bracket, one match stood out for the finals. Okada vs. Takahashi. It would be daunting for a Junior Heavyweight like Takahashi to make his way through the cup, but here he is. Okada could have slipped up, but he plowed through everyone placed before him and made it here as well. The dream match was realized, and just one night removed from wars with Ishii & Ishimori respectively, it was time to go to war again. Before this, Ishii vs. Takahashi was the best match of the tournament, and that would change.
This was a proper NJPW epic, much like Takahashis last round match, but no one does this style better than Okada himself. It will draw comparrisons to his excellent matches with Will Ospreay, and showed that Takahashi can hang in the heavyweight division, having taken arguably the best in the company to his limits. However wrestling a good match against Okada is one thing, beating him is another entirely. Okada would even bring back the rainmaker, and hit Takahashi with several before finishing him with a submission.
After 27 minutes of action, Okada would force Takahashi to pass out with the Cobra Clutch, forcing a referee stoppage.
4.75/5 (**** 3/4)
The Average Rating For Night Eight Of The New Japan Cup Was 4.375
The finals are set. Kazuchika Okada will face EVIL, and people sighed in relief over this. SANADA & Okada had too many matches in 2019, and while they were great, with one even winning Tokyo Sports match of the year, we needed a break from this. EVIL is getting the spotlight instead, and he’s been having a fantastic tournament. Both matches on this night delievered in a huge way, with Okada vs. Takahashi surely being in the conversation for match of the year.
We will see this final match on the first night of Dominion, with the winner going on to challenge Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Heavyweight & Intercontential Championships, who is your pick?
What was your favorite match from Night Eight of the New Japan Cup? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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