Zack Sabre Jr. Beats Hiroshi Tanahashi to Win NJPW New Japan Cup 2018

The long journey toward history for Hiroshi Tanahashi and Zack Sabre Jr. culminated Wednesday in the finals of the 2018 New Japan Cup as one man entered his name in the history books while the other tasted the bitterness of defeat.

The wrestlers had a long an arduous journey to Wednesday's show, defeating several opponents who also competed on the card.

Tanahashi beat Juice Robinson in the semifinals. Robinson, teaming with David Finlay, battled Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto, pinned the NEVER openweight champion and potentially earned himself a shot at the title.

Sabre defeated Tetsuya Naito in Round 1. Wednesday, Naito captained Los Ingobernables de Japon to victory over Suzuki-gun and came one step closer to a showdown with Minoru Suzuki for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

What else went down Wednesday on New Japan World as the internationally acclaimed promotion presented the finals of a tournament with championship implications?

Take a look for yourself.

Shota Umino vs. Tetsuhiro Yagi

The young lions kicked off the show Wednesday as Shota Umino battled Tetsuhiro Yagi in singles competition.

Wasting little time, the wrestlers exchanged a sickening series of chops that left chests blistered and red in an attempt to prove their toughness.

Umino seized control early, attempting to catch his opponent with the Boston Crab. When that did not work, he tried several pin attempts that kept Yagi off guard but did not finish him off.

Yagi delivered a big dropkick in response to the onslaught. More aggressive than his opponent, Yagi applied the Boston Crab that Umino could not, sitting down on the lower back of his rival.

Umino fought through the pain and, after several attempts, lunged forward and grabbed the hold to break the submission.

Umino mounted a comeback that included a missile dropkick to the chest for a near-fall.

In a match that made great use of the Boston Crab, it was Umino who scored the victory with the basic submission hold.

Result

Umino defeated Yagi

Grade

C

Analysis

Commentators Kevin Kelly and Don Callis did a solid job of putting over the limited move sets of the young lions in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, which lent drama to something as seemingly simple as a Boston Crab.

That move was at the center of the match and logically finished it as Umino, the son of legendary referee Hiroyuki "Red Shoes Unno" Umino, picked up the win.

A solid, inoffensive start to the show.

Tomoyuki Oka vs. Taichi

"His hair is like a cross between Donald Trump and A Flock of Seagulls," Callis said of Taichi at the outset of the match in a line that will be nearly impossible to top.

Taichi, the veteran competitor, recently moved up in weight class and found himself opposed by hungry young lion Tomoyuki Oka.

Taichi punished his opponent, unloading a sickening kick to the back that was but a taste of the ruthless aggression he brought to the match. He applied a single-leg Boston Crab, a la Lance Storm, as he toyed with his younger opponent.

He added a high-angle torque to it, but Oka made it to the ropes, just barely, to force the break.

"I used to hate his wrestling but I'll tell you, he has stepped it up about five levels," Callis said, giving props to Taichi.

Oka's guts quickly became key late as he withstood a pinfall attempt that probably should have ended it but did not. Taichi responded, finishing him off and picking up the easy win.

Result

Taichi defeated Oka

Grade

C

Analysis

This was a showcase for Taichi: nothing more, nothing less.

He was ruthless and unforgiving in his viciousness, and he was determined to demonstrate the skills he hopes makes him a viable heavyweight in the promotion.

Oka was resilient but ultimately fell in what was a foregone conclusion from the get-go. 

Toa Henare, Togi Makabe and Michael Elgin vs. Bullet Club

Bullet Club representatives Tanga Loa, Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi battled the formidable trio of Togi Makabe, Toa Henare and Michael Elgin.

Elgin utilized a missile dropkick to put Takahashi down early before tagging in Henare, whose improvements throughout the tournament's nine-day run have been obvious but whose aggression has hurt him, according to commentator Callis.

The heels capitalized on that weakness, cutting the ring off from Elgin and Makabe by isolating Henare and grounding him.

Makabe made the tag for the babyfaces but saw his onslaught countered by a Samoan Drop from Fale. The action broke down as Henare returned to the ring. Joined by his partners, he caught Loa with a shoulder block that earned him a two-count before Fale and Takahashi broke up the pin.

Each competitor took turns delivering signature offenses, leaving Loa and Henare to square off inside the squared circle. Loa scored the win for Bullet Club.

Result

Bullet Club defeated Elgin, Makabe and Henare

Grade

C+

Analysis

An energetic Six-Man Tag Team match that never slowed down enough to overstay its welcome.

Bullet Club going over as Henare again struggled to earn his place among the more established stars of New Japan Pro-Wrestling was the right choice. The New Zealander has struggled, falling to the finishing maneuvers of his opponents throughout the New Japan Cup tournament undercards.

His eventual victory will go a long way in earning him credibility. For now, though, he has been the weak link of the teams he appears on and Wednesday was no different.

Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Killer Elite Squad

Chaos' Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii battled Suzuki-gun's Killer Elite Squad of Davey Boy Smith and Lance Archer in tag team action Wednesday as commentator Kevin Kelly questioned whether the next challengers to IWGP tag team champions Sanada and Evil may come from this bout.

Smith targeted Yano from the opening bell, hoping to avenge his count-out loss earlier in the New Japan Cup tournament. He dominated the comedic worker before pairing off with Ishii. The competitors exchanged some hard-hitting forearms before a belly-to-belly overhead suplex put Ishii down.

The ruthless and villainous Killer Elite Squad isolated Ishii and took turns pummeling the smaller star with their physical style.

At one point, Archer dared Ishii to chop him and The Stone Pitbull did, only to be swatted down like a fly.

Yano, dubbed the "Japanese Doink the Clown" by Callis, entered the ring in relief of his partner. He loosened the turnbuckle pad but fell prey to his own underhanded tactics as he crashed into the exposed buckle. 

Smith applied the crossface to Yano, wearing the living cartoon character down and sending pain coursing through his head and neck.

An inverted atomic drop allowed Yano to create separation and tag in Ishii. Archer and the smaller, tenacious star paired off until the big man delivered a version of Monty Brown's old Pounce finisher. Killer Elite Squad executed the Hart Attack, but Yano tripped up Smith before the villains could follow up.

As the action broke down, Archer and Smith delivered the Killer Bomb to Yano to secure the victory.

Result

Killer Elite Squad defeated Ishii and Yano

Grade

B

Analysis

The teases of Yano scoring another upset over Smith were fun. The powerful exchanges between KES and Ishii added a little aggression and intensity to the bout.

Archer is a fantastic heel, a big man whose power is overwhelming and whose attitude is an enormous part of his tag team being as over as it is.

The win here continued Killer Elite Squad's march toward the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships and a showdown with Sanada and Evil. In that case, the match was successful and the creative spots involving Yano helped separate it from other bouts involving Archer and Smith of late.

David Finlay and Juice Robinson vs. Yoshi-Hashi and Hirooki Goto

Juice Robinson looked to continue building momentum for himself after a stellar showing in the New Japan Cup, teaming with David Finlay to take on NEVER openweight champion Hirooki Goto and partner Yoshi-Hashi.

Hashi and Goto seized control early in the match, working over Robinson. Finlay tagged in and exchanged offense with Hashi before eating a superkick.

Goto and Robinson tagged in, with the latter eating a nasty clothesline from the NEVER openweight champion. It may have momentarily stunned Robinson, but the popular American answered with a vicious left hand and Pulp Friction to score the upset victory.

Result

Robinson and Finlay defeated Goto and Hashi

Grade

B

Analysis

The match itself was far from anything to write home about, but Robinson scoring the win over Goto put him in position to challenge the NEVER Openweight Championship, something the commentary team was quick to put over hard.

Robinson has been nothing short of stellar since the start of the New Japan Cup, and whether he was competing in singles or tag team bouts, he made sure every single person who watched him work remembered him.

A match designed to put him over and it worked.

Eight-Man Tag Team Match

Los Ingobernables' Tetsuya Naito, Sanada, Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi battled IWGP intercontinental champion Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka and IWGP junior heavyweight tag team champions El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru.

The match served as the background for the blossoming rivalry between Naito and Suzuki over the IC title and the two wasted little time engaging, kicking the bout off for their respective teams. Suzuki, not enamored with Naito's stalling tactics, tagged out.

Los Ingobernables frustrated Suzuki-gun, working over Desperado to the delight of the fans. That was until Kanemaru pulled Takahashi to the arena floor. 

The action broke down, spilling to the outside. Back inside, Takahashi found himself in the unenviable position of being isolated from his partners and at the mercy of Suzuki-gun.

Eventually, Los Ingobernables de Japon fought back into the match, and Sanada tapped Iizuka out with his modified dragon sleeper.

Suzuki and Naito fought backstage while Takahashi and Bushi squared off with Kanemaru and Desperado in the ring, a preview of what is sure to be a junior heavyweight tag team title match sooner or later.

Roppongi 3K hit the ring and laid waste to both teams, standing tall and sending a message to both sides.

Result

Los Ingobernables de Japon defeated Suzuki-gun

Grade

B+

Analysis

Not only was the match one of the better ones on the show, it set up two championship bouts for some point down the road.

Naito and Suzuki saw their feud intensify as the former targets the latter's intercontinental title. The tag title rivalry picked up steam as Bushi and Takahashi honed in on Kanemaru and Desperado, only for Roppongi 3K to make their presence felt.

A perfect meshing of storytelling and in-ring action, this was the most effective thing on the entire card and a suitable use of every wrestler involved.

Except for Iizuka, who is disposable: His loss to Sanada did nothing to hurt him, but it didn't help the IWGP heavyweight tag team champion all that much, either.

Chuckie T and Kazuchika Okada vs. Chase Owens and Kota Ibushi

IWGP heavyweight champion Kazuchika Okada teamed with Chaos stablemate Chuckie T to battle Chase Owens and Kota Ibushi in the night's penultimate match.

Okada, barely breaking a sweat as the commentary team put him over with comparisons to the great Nick Bockwinkel, flew through the air and wiped out both Ibushi and Owens at ringside. He paired off with Ibushi before finding himself on the receiving end of an attack by Owens, who vowed to deliver a package piledriver to the top stars in New Japan.

Back inside the squared circle, Okada tried for the Rainmaker, but Owens ducked and Ibushi delivered a huge dropkick to the champion. Chuckie T answered by wiping Ibushi out at ringside.

Owens attempted the package piledriver but Okada escaped. The champion fought back and delivered a picture-perfect dropkick and finished with the cobra clutch for the tapout victory.

Result

Okada and Chuckie T defeated Owens and Ibushi

Grade

B

Analysis

This was similar to other tag team matches on the show in that it was short, action-packed and never stuck around longer than it had to.

Unlike the match that preceded it, it did nothing to further any storylnes and was more of a showcase for Okada than anything. Why a champion who has not lost in what feels like an eternity needed another showcase is a mystery best left for those in power.

New Japan Cup Final: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tetsuya Naito, Kota Ibushi and Sanada to advance to the finals of this year's tournament. Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Taichi, Bad Luck Fale and Juice Robinson to cash his ticket to Wednesday's match.

Robinson joined Kelly and Callis on commentary to discuss the tenacious and sadistic nature of Sabre, who had punished and dismantled every competitor unlucky enough to encounter him in the 2018 New Japan Cup.

Sabre and Tanahashi chain wrestled to start, the former targeting the injured knee and arm of his opponent like a shark smelling blood in the water.

A cold and calculating Sabre goaded Tanahashi into a false sense of security and unleashed, attempting another submission to the injured right arm of his opponent. Sabre continued his savage attack on the arm of The Ace, leading Kelly to question whether the all-time great may be forced to submit.

Sabre engaged in joint manipulation, fended off a comeback attempt and applied the octopus submission hold. Tanahashi, the alert veteran, dragon screw leg whipped his way out of the hold and applied his own abdominal stretch to Sabre. The Brit reversed, but Tanahashi reversed and delivered a pumphandle slam out of the maneuver.

Sabre continued to cut Tanahashi off, this time trapping him in a triangle choke.

Taking a page out of his opponent's book, Tanahashi snared Sabre in a submission. Using his cloverleaf, Tanahashi had his opponent reeling momentarily, but the snake-like Sabre slithered his way out and tried for an armbreaker.

The fan-favorite fought his way into the match, delivering a dragon screw leg whip and a High Fly Flow from the top rope to the arena floor. Tanahashi made the mistake of using too much energy to skin the cat back over the top rope, feeding right into Sabre's kneebar as the cerebral competitor focused his attack on the knee.

With 20 minutes gone, Tanahashi escaped a guillotine and delivered Twist and Shout.

In a stellar near-fall, Sabre countered a dragon screw leg whip into a rollup for a very close two-count. Some more extraordinary counter-wrestling by Sabre followed, but Tanahashi delivered Sling Blade for two. He headed up top and delivered the High Fly Flow. A second missed, his knee injury hobbling him and slowing him down just long enough for Sabre to roll out of the way.

Moments later, Sabre trapped Tanahashi in the Orienteering with Napalm Death and earned the victory via submission.

After the match, Sabre announced his intention to challenge Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on April 1.

Result

Sabre Jr. defeated Tanahashi

Grade

A

Analysis

Sabre Jr. had one of the most impressive runs imaginable, knocking off champions, former champions and internationally recognized stars before tapping Tanahashi in a phenomenal main event.

The Briton was established as the most dangerous grappler in all of New Japan Pro-Wrestling in the process in what can best be described a star-making run through the tournament.

Sabre was already recognized across the globe, even having competed in the WWE Cruiserweight Classic in 2016. Still, his showing here made him an elite star in the eyes of the Japanese audience and set him up for a major championship opportunity against Okada, who is one successful title defense away from tying the record for victories while champion.

Robinson put Sabre over strong just before the show headed off the air, running down the list of stars the 2018 New Japan Cup winner had defeated and noting that if he can beat those guys, he can beat Okada on April 1.

A stellar conclusion to a quality tournament.