The 32-man New Japan Cup tournament has ended with Kazuchika Okada defeating Sanada in Sunday’s final and challenging Jay White for the IWGP heavyweight title.
The two had a classic main event that lasted 33:08, ending with Okada landing a spinning Rainmaker and proper version. The atmosphere in Nagaoka was electric from the moment the match began with a pro-Sanada audience, who is from Niigata and in his home prefecture for the final two nights of the tournament.
Sanada had numerous submission teases with the Skull End fully applied with added credibility after Hiroshi Tanahashi submitted to the move on Saturday. After executing a backflip off the turnbuckle into the Skull End Okada kicked off the turnbuckle and reversed into a tombstone. Sanada tried to break free of the wrist control with a Shiranui but was blocked and hit with the spinning Rainmaker before Okada hit the final one to win the match.
For atmosphere, this was the best match of the tournament and I’d put this and Okada’s match with Ishii together as the best matches of the tournament.
This was Okada’s second New Japan Cup win after taking the tournament in 2013 and it was noted he is 5-0 in singles matches with Sanada.
We will have a New Japan Cup POST Show later today on the POST Wrestling Café with a complete rundown of the card, all the angles shot for future matches and the latest news and notes.
