NJPW New Japan Cup Night Four: Results and Analysis

Chuck Taylor (CHAOS) vs. SANADA (Los Ingobernables de Japon)

If you told me a year ago that Chuck Taylor would be main eventing in a NJPW show, I would have thought you were crazy. But here we are, and I couldn’t be happier. Taylor and SANADA exchange some chain wrestling to start the match with neither being able to get the best of it. SANADA offered a handshake, and Chuck accepted. SANADA decided to take advantage of Chuck’s kindness and kicked him in the stomach.

The action spilled to the outside, and Taylor grabbed a table from under the ring and set it up. Neither man went through it this time though, as SANADA suplexed Taylor on the outside and went back into the ring. SANADA tried to suplex Taylor from the inside of the ring to the outside through the table, but Chuck blocked it. Chuck managed to escape from the apron, and the action was brought back into the ring.

Taylor goes for the Awful Waffle, but SANADA escapes and sends Chuck to the outside before diving on him. SANADA went for what looked like a hurricanrana, but Taylor hit a sit out powerbomb for a 2 count. Taylor hit a tope con hilo on SANADA and sent SANADA flying over the guardrail before doing a running flip dive over the guardrail too. Chuck grabbed two chairs and slammed SANADA on them. Taylor went for a springboard attack off the guardrail, but SANADA caught him and powerbombed him through the table!

SANADA hit a high angle back suplex in the ring, but Chuck kicked out. Taylor dodged Skull End and hit a knee. He tried to pick SANADA up but failed due to his hurt back from going through the table. SANADA eventually hits a TKO, but Chuck kicked out. Taylor managed to hit the Awful Waffle on SANADA, but SANADA kicked out! The crowd started getting behind Chuck here, but SANADA managed to lock in Skull End. Chuck countered and rolled SANADA up. SANADA kicked out. SANADA went for a Destino, but changed it into a Skull End before going for a moonsault and getting the pin!

Result: SANADA (5 out of 8 on my first round predictions)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This was an excellent main event. Chuck Taylor is likely a made man in NJPW after that, and SANADA showed that he belongs in the upper card of NJPW.

Next: ROH 16th Anniversary Show Results

Final Thoughts

Show Rating: 3.5 out of 5

This marks the end of the NJPW New Japan Cup Round One! We have had 8 very good first round matches, for the most part, and round two promises to be just as interesting. The rise of Zack Sabre Jr. and the teases of Ibushi/Okada and Naito/Suzuki remain the most interesting stories coming out of these first four shows. Round two of the NJPW New Japan Cup begins in the early hours of Wednesday, EST. I will be writing a preview of round two that should be up tomorrow! What did you think of Round One? What was your favourite match? Send me a tweet and we’ll talk about it!