Kazuchika Okada vs. Sanada Set for NJPW New Japan Cup 2019 Final

The finals of the 2019 New Japan Cup are set after a fantastic semifinal round.

Four of NJPW's finest threw everything they had at each other in an attempt to move on to the next round of competition and, ultimately, a shot at "Switchblade" Jay White's IWGP Heavyweight Championship inside the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden on April 6.

Tomohiro Ishii and Kazuchika Okada squared off first on Saturday, while Hiroshi Tanahashi sought to advance to his second consecutive New Japan Cup finals as he battled the surging Sanada in the main event.

Which two competitors cashed their tickets to Sunday's final, and who should you expect to emerge victoriously?

Semifinal Results

Okada defeated Ishii

Sanada defeated Tanahashi

Finals Prediction

Okada defeats Sanada

Ishii Grounds Okada With An Avalanche Brainbuster

Okada Blasts Ishii With John Woo

Ishii With A Wicked Counter

Rainmaker Into An Armbar!

Okada Passes Toughest Test En Route to Final

There was nothing easy about Saturday's semifinal round match for The Rainmaker.

The former IWGP heavyweight champion faced his toughest test of the entire New Japan Cup tournament in fellow Chaos teammate Ishii.

Their match was incredibly physical and a showcase of intestinal fortitude. Ishii dared Okada to dig deep within himself and endure the brutal, stiff, hard-hitting offense The Stone Pitbull threw at him and unleash the same.

Okada did, unloading on his friend in a match that signaled the return of a gutsy competitor that went to war with Kenny Omega in the highest profile bouts New Japan has produced in the last decade; the same competitor who rose to the forefront of the promotion and became its face.

Saturday, Okada withstood the best Ishii had, including an avalanche brainbuster from the top rope that appeared to seep whatever fight he still had from within him. Later, he saw his Rainmaker finisher countered into an armbar that easily could have spelt the end of his journey back to the title he held for 720 days.

Instead, Okada withstood the unforgiving chops to the chest and punishing lariats to pin Ishii and advance.

The match was the best of the tournament thus far. A physical war of attrition that tested the wills of its competitors, it was everything you would expect from two men desperately seeking championship gold.

On the night, Okada was greatness personified. Ishii, though, elevated his star with a performance many knew he was capable of. The double-tough striker went toe-to-toe with one of the measuring sticks in NJPW and took him to the limit. A veteran competitor and the gatekeeper of sorts for Chaos, he made sure Okada earned everything he got.

Now Okada is one win away from a showdown with Jay White.

Earlier this year, on New Japan's grandest stage at WrestleKingdom 13, White used Okada as a stepping stone to the IWGP Heavyweight Championship by defeating The Rainmaker clean in the center of the ring.

The stunning victory propelled the Kiwi into championship contention and furthermore, gave him the credibility necessary to assume leadership of Bullet Club.

Retribution will fuel Okada, but he must pass one last test in the form of Sanada.

Double Dragon Screw Leg Whip

Texas Cloverleaf From Tanahashi

Sanada Soars With A Moonsault

Tanahashi Grounds Sanada With A Sling Blade

Sanada Builds On Last Year's Performance, Advances To Final

A year ago, Sanada unexpectedly found himself in the semifinals of the New Japan Cup, in which he battled with Zack Sabre Jr. in a losing effort. That defeat halted what was an impressive run through the tournament and the first hint that the primarily tag team wrestler could succeed in a singles setting.

This year, he set out to prove that 2018 was no fluke and has done just that as he now finds himself one win away from an IWGP Heavyweight Championship opportunity following his upset victory over Tanahashi Saturday.

In what was the second legitimate Match of the Year candidate of the semifinals, Cold Skull tapped Ace out and cashed his ticket to Sunday's final round and a date with Okada.

Sanada's journey to this point has been an interesting one in that a win over Okada Sunday would have resulted in him defeating the two most visible stars in all of New Japan. Furthermore, it would take him from the realm of tag team wrestling, where he and partner Evil have captured two IWGP Tag Team Championships, and set him up to face White in the biggest event in New Japan history.

Is NJPW really brazen enough to arrive at a sold-out MSG with a title bout of Sanada vs. White when it has Okada awaiting a rematch with Switchblade? 

The same question could have been asked entering Saturday's match with Tanahashi.

Seeking young stars to eventually supplant the old guard, New Japan answered that question with an emphatic "yes," booking the Los Ingobernables de Japon star cleanly over Ace via submission in a match that was more athletic, with counters and reversals defining it rather than hard-hitting strikes. Tanahashi, the wily veteran, assumed the role of low-key heel, letting Sanada shine in the biggest win of his young career.

Sanada may ultimately lose Sunday night, but he has a groundswell of support behind him as he enters his showdown with Okada. Hopefully, he can build on the momentum he has and make the rest of 2019 a banner year.