We have finally reached the much-anticipated finals of the 2023 New Japan Cup, from starting with 24 men, the field now stands at two. Sanada and ‘The Rebel’ David Finlay are the two finalists and they will go head-to-head in the main event for a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
We now take you to the action!
Sanada and Finlay started by testing each other’s strengths and Sanada hit a dropkick and then went for the plancha. Finlay moved out of the way and hit Sanada with the Finlay roll on the floor, and he then was maintaining control with multiple holds. Sanada gained some momentum with a dropkick to Finlay’s knee and then a back suplex.
He then went for the plancha again and this time he connected perfectly, as they went back to the ring Finlay speared Sanada through the ropes to the outside. Finlay threw Sanada into the barricade multiple times before suplexing him onto the apron, and he then began with the cross faces.
Finlay began gloating so Sanada caught him with a TKO, both men then began trading uppercuts and roll-ups. Sanada was able to lock Finlay into Skull End, and he released the hold in order to go for the moonsault, but Finlay got his knees up. Finlay hit the Irish curse backbreaker and a dominator, but he only got a two-count.
Sanada reversed Trash Panda into a pop-up cutter, he followed that with an arm-trapped suplex and a moonsault from the top rope. Sanada went back to Skull End swinging Finlay by his neck, but Finlay was able to flip him into a stunner. Finlay hit the blue thunder bomb and followed that with a spear, he then wanted Trash Panda but Sanada locked him back into Skull End.
They then started exchanging strikes, but Sanada was no selling everything, he even flipped out of Trash Panda and hit Finlay with a shining wizard. Sanada was then able to hit his new modified DDT and win the 2023 New Japan Cup!
Sanada versus Okada. Credit: NJPW
Sanada now goes on to Sakura Genesis to challenge Kazuchika Okada for his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship!
New Japan Cup 2023 Final Night Results
Yuto Nakashima & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Just 5 Guys (Douki & Taichi)
Taichi hit Nakashima with the Dangerous Backdrop to get the pinfall.
Winners: Just 5 Guys
Ryohei Oiwa & Shota Umino vs. TMDK (Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.)
Umino took out Sabre and Fujita single-handedly and then landed the Death Rider on Fujita for the win.
Winners: Ryohei Oiwa & Shota Umino
Tomoaki Honma, Tomohiro Ishii & Tama Tonga vs. Bullet Club (El Phantasmo, Chase Owens & Kenta)
Bullet Club got the match started before the bell when they attacked their opponents. ELP finished off the match by hitting Honma with Sudden Death and CR2 to secure the victory.
Winners: Bullet Club
Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, Ren Narita & El Desperado vs. House of Torture (Dick Togo, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi & Evil)
This match barely even got started, House of Torture attacked before the match and as soon as the bell went Sho hit Taguchi with his wrench. Takahashi then hit Pimp Juice for the win. After the match, House of Torture continued the attack by beating down Narita and then Sho unmasking El Desperado. Evil finished it off by cutting off Narita’s son of strong style shirt and spray painting H.O.T. across his chest.
Winners: House of Torture
Coming soon? Credit: NJPW
We then saw a vignette for a superstar that is coming soon, it seemed like someone is returning from space?! A video package like this will get the fans talking and we can all speculate who is coming soon to NJPW.
Los Ingobernables de Japón (Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito) vs. United Empire (Aaron Henare & Great-O-Khan)
As Shingo and Henare brawled on the outside it seemed like O-Khan was going to get the big win over Naito. However, Naito reversed the Eliminator into a roll-up and stole the victory for LIJ.
Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japón
CHAOS (Yoshi-Hashi, Hirooki Goto & Kazuchika Okada) vs. United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
Aussie Open hit Hashi with a double lariat and then the Corialis to pin the Tag Team Champions again! They made it very clear they are after Bishamon and the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team titles.
Winners: United Empire
Hiromu Takahashi (C) vs. Lio Rush — IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match
And Still! Credit: NJPW
These men were going eye-to-eye to start this match and they were battling to see who would get the first upper hand. It would be Rush hitting a hurricanrana and then a suicide dive through the bottom rope onto Takahashi.
Takahashi made this match personal when he launched Rush over the top rope, hit him with an apron bomb and then ran him into the steel barricade. Following head scissors, Takahashi connected a snap suplex to Rush on the outside.
Rush used his speed and strikes to get back into the match, he hit another suicide dive and then a springboard corkscrew splash onto Takahashi on the floor. They began trading moves at a ridiculous speed, first a stunner from Rush, a pop-up powerbomb from Takahashi and then a poisonrana followed by Rush Hour from Rush.
Rush was then able to hit Final Hour to the back of Takahashi and he went for another Final Hour to his front, but Takahashi got his knees up and quickly hit Rush with Time Bomb. Both men were trading lariats and Rush reversed a lariat into a Spanish fly and he hit DMV, but it only got him a two-count. He wanted Final Hour again, but Takahashi rolled out of the way and then he suplexed Rush into the turnbuckle.
Rush caught Takahashi with a superkick and Direct Drive, he then went for Final Hour, but Takahashi rolled at the perfect time and Rush ate the canvas. Takahashi finally hit Rush with a Time Bomb 2 and retained his championship.
Winner: Hiromu Takahashi retains the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Robbie Eagles joins TMDK. Credit: NJPW
After the match, Zack Sabre Jr. made his way to the ring to tell Takahashi the next challenger for his title is the newest member of TMDK, Robbie Eagles! He said at Sakura Genesis he is taking the Junior Heavyweight title because he is mighty and the mighty don’t kneel!
