Two more have advanced to the quarter-finals of the New Japan Cup.
Thursday’s card in Shizuoka saw Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr. move to the next round, setting up a match between the two.
Will Ospreay defeated SANADA in the main event of the card, using downward elbows that forced referee Red Shoes to call for the stoppage.
After the match, Ospreay mocked SANADA on the mat.
Zack Sabre Jr. advanced after submitting Great O-Khan with his submission, You Can’t Play Conkers in England.
Ospreay and ZSJ have a long history going back to their first match in 2015.
Zack defeated Ospreay in the G1 Climax in 2019 and again at the New Beginning card in February 2020. Last year, Ospreay eliminated Zack in the New Japan Cup as Ospreay went on and won the tournament.
The final matches from the second round of the tournament take place on Friday with Shingo Takagi vs. Chase Owens and EVIL vs. Hiromu Takahashi.
The quarter-finals begin on Sunday with Kazuchika Okada vs. CIMA and Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb previously set.