NJPW New Japan Cup 2018 Results: Tanahashi Beats Juice Robinson for Finals Spot

Hiroshi Tanahashi is on his way to the finals of the 2018 New Japan Cup tournament following a hard-fought victory over Juice Robinson in a stellar main event Friday.

Ace absorbed everything Robinson threw at him and still managed to deliver his patented High Fly Flow finisher to advance and potentially win his third New Japan Cup.

That main event was the headliner on a card which saw the Chaos faction dominate in tag team action and Minoru Suzuki and Kazuchika Okada come face-to-face, title-to-title following an intense tag bout of their own.

Relive all of the action from Night 7 of the tournament with this recap, including grades and analysis from each of the seven matches on the card.

Tetsuhiro Yagi and Tomoyuki Oka vs. Tanga Loa and Yujiro Takahashi

The young lions Tetsuhiro Yagi and Tomoyuki Oka were faced with the unenviable task of squaring off with Bullet Club's Tanga Loa and Yujiro Takahashi to kick off Friday's show.

Yagi wasted no time, taking the fight to Takahashi with a dropkick. He hammered away, but Takahashi cut him off with a big boot. Loa tagged in and the heels proceeded to isolate, beat down and even mock the young competitor.

Yagi scored a quick roll-up, ducked a clothesline and delivered a big dropkick before making the tag to Oka, who exploded into the ring with a flurry but ate a German suplex. He responded, delivering a spinebuster to Takahashi.

Surprisingly, Oka kicked out of the fisherman buster. He would not be so lucky to survive the low-angle DDT, which earned Takahashi and Loa the win.

Result

Loa and Takahashi defeated Oka and Yagi

Grade

C-

Analysis

There was nothing particularly good or interesting about the opener of Friday's show.

It was formulaic. The young lions were never once treated like they may pull off the upset, and the result was a one-sided, foregone conclusion of a match that put Bullet Club over strong.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Shota Umino, David Finlay and Michael Elgin vs. Taichi and Killer Elite Squad

The action spilled to the floor early as Michael Elgin, Shota Umino and David Finlay battled Taichi, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer in match No. 2 of Friday's show.

The heels isolated Finlay, wearing the second-generation star down as partners Elgin and Umina watched from their corner.

In a fun spot, Archer teased a dive to the arena floor only to stop and walk over the top rope.

A dropkick to Taichi from Finlay halted the heels' momentum and allowed him to tag Elgin into the match. Big Mike took the fight to Archer using a headscissors. He caught an interfering Smith with a German suplex and flattened Archer with a Falcon Arrow.

Umino received the hot tag, using incredible speed to take Taichi down. The babyfaces triple-teamed Taichi before Umino delivered a massive missile dropkick. He escaped a chokeslam by Archer with another dropkick and scored a quality near-fall on Taichi with a La Magistral Cradle.

Taichi delivered a nasty kick that ended Umino's rally and scored the victory for the newcomer to the heavyweight division.

Result

Archer, Smith and Taichi defeated Umino, Finlay and Elgin

Grade

C+

Analysis

This was Umino's best performance in any of the New Japan Cup shows to date. He shined brightest late here before succumbing to Taichi's impressive kick. Though he was not victorious, he stood out above and beyond his peers, showcasing the speed and energy necessary to succeed in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Taichi picking up the win was the smart move given the promotion's attempt to earn him credibility at this point in his young heavyweight division run.

Toa Henare and Togi Makabe vs. Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii

On the heels of a disappointing tag team loss Thursday, Henare and Togi Makabe reunited Friday to battle Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano.

Henare found himself cut off from his partner, but a late tag had the babyfaces rolling.

Back in the match, Henare put Ishii down in the corner but The Stone Pitbull fought out, answering his rights and lefts with a thunderous combination of strikes. Henare answered with a big shoulder tackle that scored him a quality near-fall.

Ishii ultimately ended Henare's night on a sour note, blasting him with his lariat and finishing him with a brainbuster.

Result

Ishii and Yano defeated Henare and Makabe

Grade

C+

Analysis

It was nice to see Ishii score a win here. He is popular among the New Japan faithful and it is not difficult to see why. He is a tenacious, hard-hitting worker. He and Henare beat the hell out of each other before Ishii was finally able to put him away.

A slightly-above-average tag match but nothing better or worse than the majority of the contests that have made up these New Japan Cup undercard shows.

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Chaos vs. Bullet Club

NEVER openweight champion Hirooki Goto teamed with Chuckie T and Yoshi-Hashi to battle Bullet Club's Chase Owens and Bad Luck Fale and their partner, Kota Ibushi.

Fresh off a disappointing loss via referee's decision Thursday, Ibushi found himself beaten down in the middle of the match. A hot tag to Owens had Bullet Club rolling late.

Unfortunately for Owens, he was pinned by Goto as Chaos scored the win for his team.

Result

Goto, Chuckie T and Yoshi-Hashi defeated Ibusha, Owens and Fale

Grade

C+

Analysis

Ibushi playing the babyface-in-peril here was the right move as it played up the beating he endured Thursday at the hands of Zack Sabre Jr.

Owens continues to look good but does not have the wins to back up the quality of his performances to this point.

A good match, if totally forgettable.

Gedo and Kazuchika Okada vs. Takashi Iizuka and Minoru Suzuki

IWGP heavyweight champion Kazuchika Okada teamed with Gedo to take on IWGP intercontinental champion Minoru Suzuki and Takashi Iizuka.

Champions paired off as the action spilled to the ringside area.

Taichi, sitting in on the Japanese commentary team, interfered in the bout more than once until Gedo grabbed hold of him. Suzuki came to his fellow Suzuki-Gun teammate, blasting Gedo with a water bottle.

Iizuka and Suzuki took turns beating down Gedo, the former biting him from his legs to the top of his head as he took a sickening pleasure in torturing him. Gedo caught Suzuki with a dropkick to the knee and made the tag to Okada.

The heavyweight champion took the fight to Suzuki but found himself suddenly and seemingly inescapably trapped in a kneebar. Suzuki insultingly slapped Okada before continuing his assault on the face of New Japan.

Okada survived the Gotch-style piledriver and made the tag to Gedo, who was much more energetic than he was earlier in the bout. Iizuka countered Gedo with more biting and grabbed a rope, presumably to use as a weapon.

Gedo, a consummate cheater, used it instead and snapped his opponent's neck on the rope. Suzuki tagged back in and knocked Okada off the apron. Moments later, Suzuki delivered the Gotch-style piledriver for the win.

After the match, Okada and Suzuki came face-to-face, teasing unfinished business between the champions.

Result

Suzuki and Iizuka defeated Okada and Gedo

Grade

B

Analysis

The match was the best of the show so far. It was also the second time in a few days that Okada and Suzuki had interacted as intensely as they did here, suggesting there may be a date between the two in the near future.

Their dynamic is an interesting one as Okada is the golden boy, the face of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, while Suzuki is the grizzled and relentless veteran.

Suzuki brings a nastiness out of Okada that this writer wouldn't mind seeing on a grander stage in a much more meaningful match.

Eight-Man Tag Team Match

Fresh off an upset victory over Kota Ibushi 24 hours earlier, Zack Sabre Jr. teamed with his hype man Taka Michinoku and junior weight tag team champions Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado to face IWGP tag team champion Sanada, Bushi, Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi.

Sabre and Sanada previewed their New Japan Cup semifinal, pairing off early. Sabre, as he did with Ibushi, measured his opponent up and looked for an opening to exploit. He never found one, instead tagging El Desperado into the bout.

Commentators Kevin Kelly and David Finlay openly speculated as to which team would cheat more as both Suzuki-Gun and Los Ingobernables have a reputation for doing just that.

Takahashi and Desperado worked the heart of the match before a big clothesline by the former allowed him to tag Sanada in. Sabre tagged in for the opposition, and fans were again treated to a preview of Saturday's tournament matchup.

Sanada and Sabre took turns countering each other before Bushi tagged in and found himself on the receiving end of a three-on-one beating at the hands of Michinoku, Kanemaru and Desperado. The opposition returned the favor, with the three of them working over Michinoku.

Ultimately, Bushi scored the win for his team, pinning Michinoku with a little help from partner Takahashi.

After the match, Roppongi 3K came from nowhere to break up a brawl between Desperado, Kanemaru, Takahashi and Bushi, making it clear they were challenging for another title match.

Result

Bushi, Naito, Sanada and Takahashi defeated Michinoku, Sabre, Kanemaru and Desperado

Grade

B

Analysis

A fast-paced tag team match that did just enough to set the table and create interest in Sanada vs. Sabre on Saturday.

Their interactions here were really strong, particularly because Sanada was presented as someone who can counter some of the incredible submission holds of Sabre, if and when the time comes.

Roppongi 3K making their return and laying down the gauntlet to the other two teams in title contention was the right call. The three-way bout in which Kanemaru and Desperado won the titles involved them as well as Bushi and Takahashi, so creating buzz for a rematch of that chaotic battle will only help it when it comes time to deliver.

New Japan Cup Semifinal-Round Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Juice Robinson

Respect was shown by Juice Robinson to Hiroshi Tanahashi at the onset of Friday's main event, followed by some chain and technical wrestling.

On commentary, David Finlay noted Robinson tying his hair up is the sign of a match he is taking seriously. It was a strong bit of continuity others may have forgotten.

Robinson tried to hold the ropes open for his mentor, but Tanahashi refused his sign of respect. From there, he worked on the legs of his opponent, pretty obviously setting him up for a cloverleaf submission.

After having so much of his offense cut off for the majority of the match to that point, Juice finally landed a spinebuster that allowed him to create some separation.

Robinson sent Tanahashi into the guardrail on the arena floor as the tide began to turn. He followed up with a cannonball, throwing caution to the wind.

Tanahashi went for the High Fly Flow, but Robinson shoved the referee into the ropes, crotching Ace on the top rope.

Robinson tried for the double-knee gutbuster, but Tanahashi delivered a dragon screw leg whip. He tried for the cloverleaf, but Robinson made it to the ropes to break up any submission attempt. When Ace finally applied the hold, Juice again made it to the sanctity of the ropes.

Robinson landed a western lariat, and Tanahashi answered with Sling Blade.

The crowd came alive as Tanahashi headed up top for the High Fly Flow, but Robinson hit him with a hard right hand, leaving the veteran competitor vulnerable up top. 

Robinson countered a high cross body block with a roll through and nearly scored the pinfall victory. He tried for a vertical suplex, but Tanahashi countered with two straight Twist and Shouts. Robinson countered the third attempt with a suplex into a gutbuster for a near-fall.

Robinson delivered Tanahashi's own High Fly Flow to him for a strong near-fall. Tanahashi followed up with a dragon suplex, then delivered two straight High Fly Flows to cash his ticket to the finals of the New Japan Cup.

Result

Tanahashi defeated Robinson

Grade

A

Analysis

The battle between teacher and student was superb as Robinson came within inches of defeating Tanahashi in Friday's main event, only to fall to an all-time great whose time at the top of New Japan is not yet over.

The respect Tanahashi showed Robinson after the match will go a long way in helping establish the American as one of the next waves of stars to carry the promotion into the future.

Robinson won the crowd over and Tanahashi reminded fans why he has long been the franchise of the company. A stellar match that set the bar mighty high for Zack Sabre Jr. and Sanada to try to surpass Saturday.