Welcome to Fightful.com's live coverage & discussion for tonight's NJPW New Japan Cup 2019 Final event.
We'll be bringing you full, match by match coverage of every bout on the card and you can watch along with us, sending in your feedback on our Disqus boards below!
Results
* Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata defeated Yuya Uemura & Yota Tsuji
* Toa Henare, Colt Cabana & Michael Elgin defeated Shota Umino, Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
* Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. defeated Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma
* Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI & EVIL defeated Kota Ibushi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Ren Narita & Tomohiro Ishii
* Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Will Ospreay & Hiroshi Tanahashi
* Hikuleo, Bad Luck Fale & Jay White defeated YOSHI-HASHI, Mikey Nicholls & Hirooki Goto
* IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship
Juice Robinson defeated Chase Owens to retain his title
* New Japan Cup Tournament Finals
Kazuchika Okada defeated SANADA
Live Coverage
Yuya Uemura & Yota Tsuji vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata
The young lions went to work early, double-teaming Nakanishi until a single suplex turned the tide. That brought Nagata in, immediately landing kicks and then unsuccessfully attempting the Boston Crab. Nakanishi then re-entered, working over Uemura but soon falling victim to a defiant hot tag from Tsuji. A chop quickly halted that though and Nagata then rallied before simultaneous dropkicks left him floored. Corner attacks came next and then a Spear for 2. A huge suplex followed that but Nagata kicked out once more.
Uemura then briefly applied his own Boston Crab and unleashed some forearms too, eventually being wiped out by a knee to the stomach. Nakanishi then made an interfering Tsuji pay, hooking the Argentine Backbreaker while Nagata closed the show via Crossface.
Winners: Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata
Toa Henare, Colt Cabana & Michael Elgin vs. Shota Umino, Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Umino and Henare got this one started, trading strikes until the former tackled his foe to the mat. Henare fired back though, quickly tagging in Cabana who was greeted by Tenzan. Colt wrestled himself into control but Mongolian Chops soon halted that, flooring Cabana as Kojima entered for some eventually unsuccessful tandem offense. Following a flurry from Henare, Cabana then attempted his own brand of Mongolian Chops but it backfired, with Kojima soon unleashing his famed chops in the corner.
Colt fired back with an elbow though, bringing Henare back in for his own take on the legend's aforementioned chops. Koji Cutter came in response and that brought in Umino who was stopped in his tracks by Elgin. After eating some strikes though, Umino landed a sharp dropkick and then combined with the legends, stringing together some offense for a near-fall. Elgin quickly came back, catching Umino with a sudden powerbomb counter and avoiding a roll-up before finally ending things via Elgin Bomb.
Winners: Toa Henare, Colt Cabana & Michael Elgin
Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma
Things immediately spilled to the floor, with Suzuki-gun taking control as in center ring, Davey Boy went to work on Yano. Archer then joined in as well, landing Old School before bringing in Suzuki who quickly fell victim to a vintage Makabe comeback. That quickly resulted in an exchange of heavy forearms, with Suzuki coming out on top and briefly applying the standing choke too. A lariat quickly turned the tide regardless, allowing Honma to run wild on Archer until a Black Hole Slam stopped him in his tracks.
With Makabe's help though, Honma then fired back, landing a Kokeshi Headbutt for 2. However, his middle rope follow-up missed, allowing Suzuki-gun to seize as KES closed the show via Killer Bomb.
Winners: Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr
Kota Ibushi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Ren Narita & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI & EVIL
After isolating BUSHI early, Taguchi and co combined for some corner offense but LIJ quickly returned the favor, battering their foe as the action spilled to the outside. That left Takagi alone with Taguchi and he quickly went to work, next bringing in Naito who continued their control of things. A DDT combo soon floored BUSHI and Naito at once though, allowing Ibushi to run wild on Naito right away. The Intercontinental Champion fired back before long, landing a sharp German Suplex until a sudden kick left him floored too.
That resulted in Ishii and EVIL meeting in center ring, trading forearms and then violent chops too. EVIL briefly created space, tagging in Takagi who soon ran directtly into a powerslam. An entering Narita continued the onslaught too, landing some textbook suplexes but being stunned by a lariat for 2. Things broke down from there, with everyone landing their signature offense including Ibushi with a Last Ride on Naito. After surviving two quick pin attempts though, Takagi finished things in an instant via Pumping Bomber while on the outside, Ibushi stood over Naito before seemingly challenging him as well.
Winners: Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI & EVIL
Post-match, EVIL and Ishii also continued to brawl, eventually being pulled apart in the midst of a heated strike exchange.
Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Will Ospreay & Hiroshi Tanahashi
With an attack before the first bell, Suzuki-gun immediately gained control, isolating Tanahashi until Ospreay broke things up with a crossbody. Some tandem offense followed but the tide quickly turned again, with Taichi's microphone stand cutting Ospreay off on the outside. In the meantime, Sabre Jr worked over Tanahashi on the floor before the pair cornered Ospreay in center ring. This unsurprisingly included some underhanded tactics but the defiant flyer eventually fired back, battling free of Zack's grip and landing a sharp kick too.
That brought in Tanahashi, with the legend flooring both of his foes until Sabre Jr swiftly caught him in an abdominal stretch. Taichi then did the same to Ospreay but counters resulted in a role reversal on both ends. Zack and Tanahashi were left alone as a result and before long, both found themselves floored too. Ospreay and Taichi then came in, with the former initially flurrying as in the meantime, Tanahashi landed Twist and Shout. A hurricanrana and hook kick continued Ospreay's momentum too but Taichi then stole the win, landing a low-blow and using the Gedo Clutch.
Post-match, both members of Suzuki-gun added insult to injury, applying submissions on their respective foes.
Winners: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr
YOSHI-HASHI, Mikey Nicholls & Hirooki Goto vs. Hikuleo, Bad Luck Fale & Jay White
Fale and YOSHI-HASHI got this one started, with the latter using evasive tactics before landing a quick blockbuster as well. Nicholls and Goto immediately joined in from there but a Gedo interference halted them, with the fight then spilling to the floor. That put BULLET CLUB in control but YOSHI-HASHI beat the count only to be worked over nonetheless. Hikuleo then hit a big powerslam for 2 before bringing in Jay White who grounded things right away. A kick reset things though and that brought in Nicholls who quickly flurried on Hikuleo, eventually landing a Death Valley Driver for 2.
A suplex turned the tide regardless, with White and Goto then meeting in center ring. The latter got the better of things early, landing some of his signature offense but failing to close the show. A back suplex swiftly cut him off though, with BULLET CLUB then isolating Goto until only he and White remained. A lariat floored the champion and Goto's teammates then added to his momentum as he even hit Ushigiroshi as well. However, he was unable to follow-up, instead falling victim to a sudden Blade Runner.
Winners: Hikuleo, Bad Luck Fale & Jay White
Before our next match, the "coming soon" vignette for El Phantasmo aired once again.
IWGP US Heavyweight Title
Chase Owens vs. Juice Robinson (C)
Seemingly more serious than ever, Robinson sprinted to the ring and immediately flurried with jabs. Owens smartly bailed in response and a Jado interference then allowed him to seize, landing a sudden superkick and launching Juice into the barricade. With the champion's ribcage as his target, Owens went to work from there, unleashing a salvo of strikes and taking total control. Things then headed up top too, with Owens sweeping his foe's legs to send him stomach first on the top rope. Following that, Chase grounded things, continuing his focus on Robinson's ribs in the process.
Juice was defiant though, demanding more punishment and eventually firing back with some heavy forearms. A big boot and leg lariat came next but Jado's kendo stick reset things, allowing Owens to send Robinson flying from the apron to the barricade. The champion quickly fired back this time though, violently suplexing Chase into the railing himself. Now with a target of his own, Juice began to batter Owens' back, using the ring-post as a weapon before returning things to inside the ropes. A backbreaker followed and then a focused senton too.
His 2nd senton was blocked though, resetting things until a crisp knee put Chase firmly in control. He then landed another one too, picking Robinson up and hitting Jewel Heist for 2. Robinson then avoided the Package Piledriver, hitting a targeted cannonball in response as the action then once again headed up top. From there, Juice landed a textbook superplex and immediately followed up as well, scoring Jackhammer for 2. Boston Crab followed but Owens only tapped while Jado had the referee distracted. Chase then launched Robinson into the referee, eating a flurry of punches for his troubles.
Jado then again got involved, landing an ineffective kendo stick shot and pleading for mercy as Robinson instead landed with the kendo himself. As Robinson returned his focus to Owens though, the challenger threw powder in Juice's face and hit gutbuster for 2. However, his bad back prevented the Package Piledriver and a sharp left hand floored him in an instant. Powerbomb came next but Jado again intervened, yanking the referee out and allowing a Bad Luck Fale interference. Owens then inadvertently hit Fale though, allowing Juice to rally and hit Pulp Friction for the win.
Winner and STILL Champion: Juice Robinson
Post-match, Fale jumped Robinson and looked for Bad Luck Fall until Mikey Nicholls made the save.
Before our main event, former New Japan Cup winner Katsuyori Shibata joins the Japanese commentary team.
New Japan Cup 2019 Final
SANADA vs. Kazuchika Okada
A feeling out process got our main event underway, with the pair trading holds early while struggling for an upper hand. Before long, things unsurprisingly escalated though, with Okada seemingly gaining an advantage but then being caught in the Paradise Lock for his troubles. The fight then spilled to the floor, with Okada hitting a dive before controlling things in center ring. That included a neckbreaker for just 1 as Okada then slowed things down with a hold until SANADA took his leg out via sharp basement dropkick. He continued to flurry from there too, stringing together strikes and hitting a rolling senton off the apron.
Okada then fired back though, flooring his foe with a wild back elbow and landing a DDT for 2. His trademark neckbreaker came next as well as the elbow drop from the top but SANADA avoided Rainmaker and hit a missile dropkick instead. With both men now fading, an exchange of forearms commenced, with Okada seemingly getting the better of things until a sudden European uppercut turned the tide. Okada responded nonetheless, landing his signature dropkick and sending SANADA to the floor. He followed him out there too, scoring his fearsome DDT on the floor and walking away with a smile.
SANADA managed to beat the count nonetheless, walking into a dropkick off the top but then after an immense struggle, landing Tombstone Piledriver and a back suplex for 2. Skull End followed but SANADA instead settled, landing Tiger Suplex but having his moonsault blocked by Okada's timely knees. Rainmaker came next but SANADA avoided the follow-up, eating a dropkick instead as chaos then ensued with both looking to steal the other's finisher. In the end, SANADA transitioned to Skull End regardless, applying it in center ring.
With his foe seemingly unconscious, SANADA attempted a pin but Okada kicked out and avoided the moonsault too. Both men found themselves floored as a result but a strike exchange quickly commenced, with SANADA prevailing and hitting TKO for 2. Okada refused to allow SANADA's moonsault too, countering once more and hitting a jumping spike tombstone in an instant. With defiant kicks, SANADA fought off the Rainmaker but eventually fell victim to it not once but twice.
Kazuchika Okada is your 2019 New Japan Cup winner!
Winner: Kazuchika Okada
Post-match, Okada celebrated his win and said that though some have left for America, NJPW remains pro wrestling's pinnacle. He then promised SANADA that he'll wrestle him again before making his intentions opposite White clear. That brought the champion and Gedo out, with the latter congratulating Okada but claiming that at Jay White's hands, MSG will see him go to hell. White then spoke for himself, reassuring Okada that his reign is reality, next congratulating Okada for earning the privilege of facing him again. Jay reminded Okada that 'The Rainmaker' has never beaten him and that simply put, he knows White is better than him too. As he left though, Okada mocked the champion, saying that he doesn't understand what White said but either way, he's on a whole other level. We sign off with Okada promising to become champion in New York!
