David Finlay is your New Japan Cup 2025 winner. Finlay beat Evil, Yuya Uemura, Zack Sabre Jr. and Shota Umino to win the tournament. Finlay faced Umino in the finals tonight.
Umino grounds Finlay with a headlock then takes him down with two shoulder blocks and a drop kick to the knee. Finlay is up favouring his leg and knee now. Umino kicks, kicks at the leg. Umino eyes a submission. Finlay rushes to the ropes.
Umino rushes at Finlay. Big mistake. Finlay drops him over the top rope by the throat and gives him a Russian Leg Sweep for a one count. Finlay ground and pounds Umino. Red Shoes admonishes Finlay. Finlay insists he was hitting Umino with the flat of his palm. Finlay whips Umino into a turnbuckle. Finlay puts one finger on Umino demanding Red Shoes count but Umino already has his foot on the ropes.
“A rope break? Of course,” says Finlay.
Umino fights back with a knee breaker. Umino charges at Finlay. Finlay lifts him up for a Snake Eyes in a corner. A backbreaker for a Finlay two count. Umino and Finlay trade chops until Finlay bites Umino’s big, bald head.
Umino has Finlay in an STF for minutes and minutes. Umino pauses the hold so he can slam Finlay’s knee to the mat and then locks on the STF again. Finlay finally makes it to the ropes. Finlay Cactus Jack clotheslines Umino over the top rope but he lands on his knee causing more damage to himself. in the process. Finlay limps to his feet. He shoves Umino into the ringside barricade. Finlay sends Umino through a table with a Uranage. Finlay picks up Umino and slams his back into a steel post. Umino barely gets back into the ring.
Umino superplexes Finlay hurting his own back. He gets a two count. Finlay goes to powerbomb Umino. Umino rolls up Finlay for a two count. Finlay deadlifts Umino for two powerbombs. Umino still kicks out. Finlay eventually puts Umino away with Overkill to become the New Japan Cup winner.
Finlay gives Umino some advice.
“You want to be like me? You have to follow my lead,” he says clapping him on the shoulder.
Finlay then turned his attention to Goto.
“Goto, get your old ass in this ring right motherf—–g now,” he yelled out.
Goto came out with the belt.
“I keep hearing some bulls–t about some Goto revolution but quite frankly, you cannot have a revolution without a rebel,” said Finlay claiming the revolution is all his.
“You cannot stop the Goto revolution! This is my time!” replied Goto.
David Finlay will face Goto for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
New Japan Cup Finals Report
YOSHI-HASHI & Katsuya Murashima vs Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
Katsuya submits to Ishii’s Boston Crab.
Winners: Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
El Phantasmo vs TJP – NJPW World Television Champion Open Challenge
On his way to the ring, ELP allows a child in the audience to pose with his title for a selfie. TJP is the one who accepts ELP’s challenge. ELP wins with a crucifix but his shoulder ain’t feeling too good after the match.
The Great-O-Khan attacks Jado and TJP from behind. Khan stomped ELP’s shoulder and gave him a piledriver. TJP entered the ring and handed the NJPW World Television Championship to Khan.
“Do you need a stretcher?” Khan asked a fallen TJP as he laid down a challenge for the belt.
TJP tried to get to his feet. Khan gave him another piledriver.
Winner: El Phantasmo
Satoshi Kojima vs Hiroshi Tanahashi – Hiroshi Tanahashi Final Road Match
Kojima gets a healthy reception. Kojima clobbers The Ace with his Lariat but doesn’t have the energy to pin him. The Ace counters Kojima’s attempt at another Lariat with one of his own. He pins Kojima with two High Fly Flows. Kojima pays tribute to Tanahashi after the match.
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
Just Four Guys (Yuya Uemura, Taichi & TAKA Michinoku) vs BULLET CLUB (SANADA, Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale)
Owens pins Taka with the Package Piledriver. Sanada and Owens put the boots to Taka. Yuya fights them off but gets a pop-up kick to the groin for his efforts. Bullet Club takes out Taichi. As Fale and Owens hold Yuya, Sanada readies to smash him with a guitar. Yosh-Hashi, Ishii, Tanahashi and El Desperado charge the ring before that can happen. The Ace helps Yuya back to his feet and shakes his hand. He also shakes Taichi’s hand and they hug.
Chris Charlton says: I feel like a lot of water just went under a very big bridge right now.
Winners: BULLET CLUB (SANADA, Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale)
Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Callum Newman & Jakob Austin Young)
Hiromu makes JAY submit to his leg lock.
Winners: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI)
Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori) versus Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi and Sho)
The match doesn’t even start before we have a massive brawl on the floor again. Kidd stops Yujiro from using is cane and just pops him in the mouth. Taiji hits him with a stomp from the top rope. Kidd clotheslines Sho. Taiji hits his finisher on him and then Drilla gives Sho the Driller Killer for the win.
Winners: War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori)
Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Togo chokes Tsuji in a corner with his garotte as Kanemaru dumps the official on his head. Kanemaru takes a big swig of whiskey. Tsuji fights off Togo, spears Kanemaru sending the whiskey into the air. Kanemaru is pinned. Evil takes Tsuji’s IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship and takes a swing at him with it. Tsuji punches him in the gut. Tsuji raises his belt high. Togo attacks from behind. Evil nails Tsuji in the head with the belt.
Winners: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji)
El Desperado, Boltin Oleg & Hirooki Goto vs TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.)
Goto wins the match for his team with a Goto Revolution on Jackson.
Winners: El Desperado, Boltin Oleg & Hirooki Goto
Shota Umino vs David Finlay – New Japan Cup Final
Winner: David Finlay
