Csonka’s NJPW NJ Cup (Day 10) Review

Csonka’s NJPW NJ Cup (Day 10) Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– NJ Cup Tournament Match: SANADA defeated Colt Cabana @ 15:00 via submission [***]
– NJ Cup Tournament Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr.@ 21:35 via pin [****¼]

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– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– In the first round, I got five picks wrong, you can check that out at this link.

– Night 1 review here.
– Night 2 review here.
– Night 3 review here.
– Night 4 review here.
– Night 5 review here.
– Night 6 review here.
– Night 7 review here.
– Night 8 review here.
– Night 9 review here.

SANADA vs. Colt Cabana: They lock up and work into counters. Cabana looks to ground things, but Cabana counters out. SANADA takes control back; they work to the feet and into counters again until Cabana locks on a head scissors. SANADA looks to escape, but Cabana pulls him back in. SANADA heads stands out, and they lock up. SANADA cuts off the monkey flip, but Cabana counters the paradise lock and gets 2. Cabana then gets another cover for 2. He wants a handshake, they work into counters and SANADA gets the paradise lock. The dropkick to the ass follows and Cabana rolls to the floor. SANADA waits on him, and then holds the ropes for Cabana. Cabana takes another path in and runs into the dropkick. The plancha follows. SANADA rolls him back in and Cabana rolls to the floor again. SANADA rolls him back in again, and covers for 1. SANADA now grounds the action, but Cabana fights to his feet and follows with strikes. SANADA cuts him off with the RANA, but Cabana fires back with the flip-flop and fly. The flying asshole connects and the splash follows for 2. Cabana misses the moonsault press, and SANADA lock on skull end. Cabana escapes and locks on Billy goat’s curse. SANADA fights for the ropes, and makes it. Cabana lays in chops and strikes, takes SANADA up top and hits the RANA but SANADA rolls through and gets 2. Skull end follows, and then transitions into the anarchist suplex. SANADA up top and the moonsault eats knees and Cabana cradles him for 2. SANADA rolls through to counter the superman pin, Cabana misses the second try but then counters skull end for 2. SANADA gets skull end again and drops down. SANADA defeated Colt Cabana @ 15:00 via submission [***] This was a good and fun match. Cabana was a good mix of his usual shenanigan filled self and serious but SANADA was too much for him in the end. SANADA winning was never really in doubt, but Cabana did well.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.: Sabre beat Tanahashi last year in the NJ Cup. Tanahashi tries to keep distance, but Sabre shoots in and grounds things. Tanahashi counters out and they work into a stand off. Sabre looks to ground things again, but Tanahashi plays good defense and he attacks the knee of Sabre. Sabre counters, looking for an arm bar, but they work into a stalemate. Tanahashi now starts to overpower Sabre, but Sabre fights back and starts working the arm. Tanahashi follows with kicks and a suplex. They work into standing counters and Sabre grounds things, attacking the arm and then stomps away on it. Sabre now works a rings of Saturn variation, and then covers Tanahashi for 2. Sabre follows with kicks, and uppercuts follow. Tanahashi fires back, they trade and Sabre lays in repeated uppercuts but Tanahashi now lays in uppercuts. The slam follows and then the senton gets 2. Sabre counters sling blade with kicks, and locks on the cobra twist. Tanahashi counters into one of his own, and follows with the pump handle slam for 2. Sabre cuts him off, attacking the neck and then follows with a PK. Sabre follows with the octopus hold in the ropes, but Tanahashi counters with dragon screws in the ropes. The cloverleaf follows, but Sabre counters out and into a triangle. Sabre adds in a wristlock, Tanahashi fades, but powers up and gets the cloverleaf again until Sabre makes the ropes. Sabre now locks on the guillotine; transitions to the kimura but Tanahashi counters into twist and shout. He hits another and then a third. Sling blade connects and that gets 2. Sabre counters and locks on the octopus hold. Tanahashi fights out but Sabre attacks the arm and follows with kicks a back bridge covering for 2. The PK follows for 2. Sabre looks for Zack driver, but Tanahashi gets the O’Connor roll; Sabre counters into orienting with napalm death! Tanahashi manages to stomp his way out, hits a dragon screw but Sabre counters back into a European clutch for 2. They trade strikes, and Tanahashi hits reverse sling blade and the Japanese leg clutch hold finishes Sabre; SHADES OF FUJINAMI! Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr.@ 21:35 via pin [****¼] Due to the style they worked, I think some will not enjoy this nearly as much as I did, but I thought that this was a great match. Sabre came in over confident, knowing that he’s defeated Tanahashi before, and also thinking that the Ace was too old and shot. This was grappling an submission heavy, playing to Sabre’s strengths, but they told a good story of the Ace overcoming and outlasting last year’s winner, going to the Fujinami playbook again to do so. Commentary has told the story that Tanahashi saw him wrestle in MSG as a kid, and that got him into wrestling, and is why he’s fighting so hard to get onto the MSG card against White.

– The semi finals are…

* Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kazuchika Okada
* SANADA vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 4. On today’s show, 411’s Larry Csonka is joined by long time podcasting partner Steven Cook Jr III. On the show, the guys discuss Kurt Angle & Kofi Kingston’s road to WrestleMania, NXT talents getting to work in EVOLVE & other places, Harlem Heat going into the WWE Hall of Fame, and close out discussing the excitement for WrestleMania weekend. The show is approximately 60 minutes long.

Intro
Kurt Angle – 3:30
Kofi Kingston – 8:22
NXT Talents Working Evolve & Other Places – 16:40
Harlem Heat & The WWE Hall of Fame – 29:45
WrestleMania Weekend Excitement – 38:10

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 on Wrestling Podcast via the
above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher

7.6

The final score: review Good

The 411

Night 10 of the NJ Cup was another good show, with SANADA vs. Cabana being good and fun, and Tanahashi & Sabre delivering a banger.