Join 411’s LIVE NJPW New Japan Cup Finals Coverage

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I will be doing the coverage in my regular review style; final ratings and extra thoughts will be in the final version of the review. Have a good time chatting, and thanks for joining 411 for your live coverage needs.

– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– You can read reviews of night one here, night two here, night three here, night four here, night five here, night six here, night seven here, and night eight here. You can also read my round one breakdown at this link.

Shota Umino vs. Tetsuhiro Yagi: They lock up, working to the ropes and Yagi lays in chops. They fire up and trade strikes and chops, lighting each other up. The lions are all fired up here; Umino cuts of Yagi and hits a hip toss for 2. The backdrop follows for another 2. Yagi fights of the crab and makes the ropes. Umino follows with a slam and another, but Yagi keeps kicking out. Umino works him over in the corner with strikes and chops, covering again for 2. Yagi hits the desperation dropkick, and follows with a corner attack and baseball slide dropkick for 2. The back elbow follows and then a slam and into the crab. Umino fights but Yagi pulls him back center. Umino powers up but can’t make the ropes. One more big fight and Umino finally makes the ropes. Yagi fires away with forearms, but Umino hits the dropkick. He’s all fired up and hits a spinebuster for 2. Umino up top and hits the missile dropkick for another good near fall; the crab follows and Yagi fights, but Umino pulls him back center and Yagi taps. Shota Umino defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi @ 7:30 via submission

Taichi vs. Tomoyuki Oka: Taichi stalls to begin. Oka is all fired up and wants to fight. Oka looks to attack, but the ref pulls him away. Oka attacks now, laying in rights and a shoulder tackle, he lays the boots to Taichi, but Taichi cuts him off with kicks. They brawl to the floor, with Oka being slammed to the barricade. Back in and Taichi stomps away at Oka and works a half crab. Oka struggles and makes the ropes. Taichi follows with more kicks, and Oka is down. Taichi chokes him out in the corner, but Oka hits a belly to belly. The corner splash follows and then a gut wrench suplex gets 2. Oka misses a charge, Taichi lays in the kicks and the pants are off. Oka counters the kick with a spinebuster for 2. Taichi follows with a lariat, hits the head kick and that gets 2. The superkick finishes it. Taichi defeated Tomoyuki Oka @ 7:05 via pin

Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi, & Bad Luck Fale vs. Michael Elgin, Toa Henare, & Togi Makabe: Yujiro and Elgin start us off. Yujiro lays in strikes, Elgin answers back and knocks him on his ass. Yujiro counters back with a kick, but Elgin hits a delayed vertical suplex. The corner forearm and dropkick off the second rope follows for 2. Henare in and he and Elgin work double teams. Elgin slams Henare onto Yujiro for 2. Yujiro cuts him off, but Henare fires up and head butts Yujiro. Yujiro bites him to escape and dumps him to the floor. This leads to floor brawling and Yujiro uses his pimp cane to attack Henare. Fale works over Makabe with a chair, and Yujiro rolls Henare back in. Loa tags in and hits a running powerslam for 2. He then grounds the action, but Henare makes the ropes. Fale tags in and he stomps on Henare and then stands on his back. Henare fires up but Fale quickly cuts him off. Fale misses the corner splash and Makabe tags in and runs wild. Mounted corner rights to Fale follows, but Fale cuts off the suplex. Makabe hits the lariat for 2. He cuts off the grenade, but Fale hits the Samoan drop for 2. Henare and Loa tag in and Henare hits shoulder tackles. Loa stops that with a big boot, but Henare hits the spear. It breaks down and the faces triple team Loa, and Henare hits the top rope shoulder tackle but Bullet Club makes the save. They get tossed to the floor, Loa hits a neck breaker and the Samoan driver is stopped by Elgin, Yujiro takes him out, and Makabe levels Yujiro. Loa hits a spinebuster on Henare for 2. The Samoan driver finishes Henare. Tanga Loa, Yujiro Takahashi, & Bad Luck Fale defeated Michael Elgin, Toa Henare, & Togi Makabe @ 9:55 via pin

Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.: Both teams have been picking up a lot of wins as of late, and the winner here is likely next in line for a tag title shot, likely at Strong Style Evolved or Sakura Genesis. Yano and Smith to begin. Yano tries to outsmart Smith, but Smith opts to kick his ass. Smith misses a leg drop and Ishii tags in. They work shoulder tackles, Archer distracts Ishii, allowing Smith to hit an overhead belly to belly. Archer works over Yano on the floor. KES then double-teams Ishii on the floor. Archer wipes his ass with a CHAOS towel and then tags in to work over Ishii. Archer follows with corner attacks, chasing Yano to the floor. Ishii slowly fires up, but Archer drops him with one shot. Smith in for some double teams, but Ishii kicks out. Smith grounds Ishii, attacking the arm. Ishii again starts to fight back, and hits a big German on Smith. Yano tags in and undoes the buckle pad. Smith attacks, but Yano rakes the eyes. He avoids the clothesline, but Smith sends him to he exposed buckles and Smith heads up top. The moonsault misses, and Yano catapults him to the exposed buckles and rolls him up for 2. Smith hits a Saito suplex and locks on a crossface. Yano finally makes the ropes. Yano hits an atomic drop and tags in Ishii, Archer also in and Ishii lays in clotheslines but Archer hits the pounce for 2 as Yano makes the save. KES hits the hart attack on Ishii for 2. They look for the killer bomb, but Yano makes the save. Ishii hits a head butt and lariat for a good near fall. Archer cuts him off, Smith runs into Archer and Ishii hits a Saito suplex. The suplex to Archer follows. Yano back in and Archer hits the full nelson slam. Smith tags in and hits a butterfly suplex for 2. KES double teams Yano, but Ishii makes the save. He lays in strikes, but gets cut off. KES blocks all of Yano’s shenanigans, Ishii makes the save again for Yano and is sent to the floor. Yano eats the killer bomb and that’s that. KES defeated Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii @ 13:00 via pin

– Archer chokeslams Narita and calls out EVIL & SANADA for a tag title match.

Chokeslam!! @LanceHoyt #NJPW #njcup https://t.co/4ULitIni5Z pic.twitter.com/yqg1qZlLml

— LARIATOOOO!! (@MrLARIATO) March 21, 2018

Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. David Finlay & Juice Robinson: Finlay & HASHI to begin. HASHI works the arm to begin, they work into some back and forth, and Finlay hits the dropkick. Juice tags in and HASHI dumps Finlay to the floor. Goto tags in and they double-team Juice. Goto keeps Finlay on the floor, HASHI follows and Goto hits a suplex for 2. Goto follows with elbow strikes, and tags HASHI in. HASHI grounds things, and then follows with chops. He drapes Juice over the ropes and the dropkick follows. Goto tags back in as HASHI knocks Finlay to the floor and Goto locks on the crab onto Juice. Juice fights as HASHI keeps Finlay on the floor. Juice makes the ropes. HASHI tags in, Juice fires back with strikes and jabs. The chops follow, and then the gut buster follows. Juice tags in Finlay and he knocks Goto to the floor and runs wild on HASHI. He lays in a series of uppercuts, covering for 2. HASHI cuts him off, hits the superkick and both men are down. Wholesale changes to Goto & Juice, and Goto levels him with a lariat. The Saito suplex follows for 2. Double teams follow on Juice, but Finlay makes the save, but gets dumped to the floor. Juice fights off HASHI, Finlay back in and they hit the double flapjack on Goto. Goto runs them together, Juice counters the Ushigoroshi and Juice hits pulp friction and pins Goto! David Finlay & Juice Robinson defeated Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI @ 9:50 via pin

"Keep absolutely still…its vision is based on movement" #NJPW #njcup https://t.co/4ULitIni5Z pic.twitter.com/dHUETgLyrC

— LARIATOOOO!! (@MrLARIATO) March 21, 2018

BUSHI, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi, & Tetsuya Naito vs. Desperado, Iizuka, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Minoru Suzuki: Suzuki and Naito start us off. Naito doesn’t give a shit, so Suzuki tags out to Desperado. BUSHI in as well. Kanemaru sneaks in and the double-team BUSHI. BUSHI fights them off, and SANAD tags in and puts Desperado in the paradise lock. Naito tags in and hits the basement dropkick. Takahashi tags in and lays in chops. The fight goes to the floor as Suzuki beats on Naito with chair shots and then drags him up the ramp and hits a PK. Desperado beats on BUSHI with a chair as Suzuki does the same on Naito. Takahashi beats the count, allowing Iizuka and Desperado to double team him. Suzuki now locks on the hanging arm bar in the ropes. Iizuka back in and bites Takahashi and that’s mostly it. He varies his offense by choking out Takahashi next. Now more biting. Suzuki tags in and lays in kicks on Takahashi. Takahashi tries to battle back, butt Suzuki laughs at him and locks on a knee bar. Takahashi hits a desperation kick and tags in Naito. He runs wild on Suzuki and BUSHI joins him and the work double teams. Naito lays the boots to Suzuki, but he’s getting pissed and attacks with a knee bar/heel hook combo. Naito makes the ropes, but Suzuki keeps punishing him. Naito rakes the eyes, and tags n SANADA. Iizuka bites his foot, it breaks down with Suzuki-gun isolating him. Suzuki to the floor and attacks Naito, and they brawl into the crowd. Iizuka gets the iron fingers, but BUSHI cuts him off. Takahashi in and Desperado gets dumped. SANADA gets skull end on Iizuka and that’s that. LIJ defeated Suzuki-gun @ 12:45 via submission

– Post match, Suzuki kicks Naito’s ass to the back. BUSHI, Takahashi, Desperado & Kanemaru brawl and are then interrupted by Roppongi 3K, who beat them all down and stand tall. I really hope we aren’t getting another triple threat.

Chuckie T & Kazuchika Okada vs. Chase Owens & Kota Ibushi: Okada and Ibushi to start us off. They lockup, working to he ropes and Okada with the clean break. Okada follows with a shoulder tackle, and Ibushi hits arm drags and they work into a stand off. Chuckie & Owens tag in. Owens grounds the action, Chuckie quickly battles back and rolls into a single leg crab. Owens escapes, but Chuckie hits the dropkick. Owens cuts him off and hits a code breaker. Owens knocks Okada to the floor, and double teams on Chuckie follow. Ibushi & Owens work quick tags, and Owens then grounds things. The side back breaker follows for 2. Ibushi back in and Owens knocks Okada to the floor, and more double teams on Chuckie follows, and Ibushi’s running shooting star press gets 2. Ibushi lays in kicks, but Chuckie hits a knee and 2nd rope dropkick. Okada gets the tag, and runs wild on Ibushi. Owens in and Okada works him over and dumps him to the floor. Okada then wipes out both with a plancha to the floor. Back in and the high cross on Ibushi gets 2. Ibushi fights off the neck breaker, lays in kicks and strikes. The PELE follows. Owens tags in and continues to work over Okada, hits the running knee strike for a good near fall. Okada fights back with the neck breaker as Chuckie pulls Ibushi to the floor. Okada hits the big elbow drop onto Owens. Ibushi breaks up the rainmaker with a missile dropkick, gets sent to the floor and Chuckie hits a tope! Owens hits the jewel heist on Okada for a good near fall. Okada escapes the package piledriver, hits the dropkick and cobra clutch. Chuckie fights off Ibushi and Owens taps. Chuckie T & Kazuchika Okada defeated Chase Owens & Kota Ibushi @ 11:58 via submission

NJPW New Japan Cup Finals: Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi: This is the third match between the two, they are 1-1. They work some back and forth, but Tanahashi has to get the ropes to get a break. Zack grounds the action, starting to attack the arms of Tanahashi. Tanahashi counters out, but Zack counters back and takes control, working a neck crank. They separate. Tanahashi looks to go after the knee, they go back to the ground, and Tanahashi is willing to grapple with Zack early on. Zack quickly counters, and looks for a calf cutter, but Tanahashi makes the ropes and to the floor. Tanahashi back in and works a side headlock. Zack quickly counters out, working a head scissors. Tanahashi escapes, but Zack simply reapplies the hold. Tanahashi slips back out, and back into the side headlock. Zack escapes, Tanahashi hits a shoulder tackle and back to the side headlock. Zack works to his feet, but Tanahashi hits a Russian leg sweep. Zack counters an elbow drop into an arm bar, but Tanahashi makes the ropes. Zack targets the previously injured right arm of Tanahashi, and then follows with uppercuts. Tanahashi fires back, but Zack grounds the action, but Tanahashi makes the ropes. He continues to attack the arm, keeping Tanahashi grounded. Tanahashi starts to power up, and escapes. The ref checks on Tanahashi, and Zack lays in uppercuts and locks on the double arm bar, but Tanahashi just makes the ropes. Zack right back to the arm, manipulating the wrist, but Tanahashi fires back with strikes. Zack kicks the arm, but Tanahashi hits a running forearm. He follows with forearms, and a slam. The summersault senton connects for 2. The crowd tries to rally Tanahashi, but Zack locks on the octopus hold. He cranks back on the bad right arm of Tanahashi. Tanahashi escapes with a dragon screw leg whip, they trade abdominal stretches, and Tanahashi looks to break Zack down and hits a pump handle slam. Zack locks on a sleeper, and transitions into a triangle. Tanahashi looks to power up, but Zack cranks on the bad arm. Tanahashi again looks to power put and transitions into the cloverleaf. Zack fights but Tanahashi pulls him back center ring. Zack escapes, targeting the arm and starts manipulating the fingers but Tanahashi counters into a dragon screw, Zack rolls to the floor. Tanahashi heads up top and hits the high fly high cross to the floor! They make it back into the ring and Zack cuts off sling blade, Tanahashi skins the cat back in but Zack locks on a knee bar, but Tanahashi makes the ropes. Zack stomps away at the knee, and then the arm. Zack is just picking him apart right now, lays in kicks and talks shit, and then locks on a hanging guillotine. Tanahashi counters out with a trio of twist and shouts, but Zack cradles him for 2. Tanahashi up top and Zack catches his leg on the way back in and locks on a heel hook. Tanahashi makes the ropes. Zack lays in more uppercuts, Tanahashi tries to fire back, but there isn’t much behind the strikes. Zack sweeps the leg, Tanahashi counters the PK, but Zack gets a European clutch for a GREAT near fall! Zack lays in forearms, Tanahashi fires back and Zack is down, but Tanahashi cannot follow up. They trade more uppercuts, Zack looks for a backslide, Tanahashi fights it off, but Zack gets the European clutch for 2. The PK gets another GREAT near fall. Zack rolls for a knee bar, Tanahashi counters but Zack escapes and runs into a sling blade for 2. Dragon suplex by Tanahashi gets another 2! Tanahashi up top and the high fly flow connects! He heads back up for another, but Zack moves! Tanahashi grabs at his knee, as both men are down. Tanahashi gets an O’Connor roll but Zack transitions into multiple submissions, drags Tanahashi center ring and locks in orienting with napalm death and Tanahashi taps! Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi @ 34:10 via submission

– Post match, Zack calls out Okada for his title match. Okada arrives and heads to the ring. Gedo and Taka do some back and forth on the mic. Okada & Zack will face on April 1st at Sakura Genesis.