NJPW: The 5 New Japan Cup Matches You Need To See

3. Zack Sabre Jr vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, Quarterfinals

It didn’t take long for Sabre to find himself staring down another mountain in the form of Hiroshi Tanahashi. Just 5 days after his inspired performance against Ibushi, ZSJ had to set his sights on the man he defeated in the finals of last year’s Cup.

As he always does, Sabre walked into the match with supreme confidence. After all, he’d already beaten Tana in the tournament format and was fresh off of hard-fought wins over EVIL and Ibushi. Conversely, Tana had defeated Shota Umino and Ryusuke Taguchi to get to the quarterfinals.

It was perhaps those incredibly different paths and Sabre’s own hubris which led to the outcome we got just after 20 minutes in Shizuoka.

While Umino and Taguchi are no slouches, ZSJ’s path through EVIL and Ibushi felt like a much more treacherous and taxing path. Was it exhaustion that finally caught up with Sabre, or was it once again the shifting game plan of Tanahashi catching a younger opponent off guard?

With the history between Sabre and Tanahashi, the outcome of this bout was up in the air. When someone like Sabre makes lofty claims, and then immediately backs those claims up with actions, it’s hard to ignore. He’s become one of the most protected assets in New Japan, owning decisive victories over basically anybody on whom he’s set his laser focus.

More than just being a tournament match, the must-win nature of this match was tenfold. Tanahashi needed to prove that he could still go with the younger generation, and that he was able to bounce back from his loss to Jay White, while Sabre would solidify his status as having the Ace’s number in singles competition.

Tana would eventually reach outside of his bag of tricks just as he did with Shota Umino in the first round to defeat Sabre. With both men struggling to gain the advantage trading holds, Tanahashi put Sabre’s shoulders to the mat with a pinning combination that looked right out of ZSJ’s own handbook.

Immediately after the pin, Sabre realized what had happened. He pleaded with the referee, clutching at him as he argued the three count. This wasn’t your standard heel bravado coming through to try to bully a ref, though – this was Sabre, aghast at having finally been proven wrong, trying to wrap his own brain around losing.

Tanahashi would go on to lose to SANADA in the semifinals of the New Japan Cup, but as much of a wake-up call as this was for Sabre, it was a necessary shot in the arm for the Ace. Winning this bout meant that he did still have what it takes to fix his past mistakes and avenge previous losses.

Time will tell if he can eventually spin that into reclaiming the IWGP Heavyweight Title.