Finals set for New Japan Cup 2023

  • Ian Carey
  • By 

The 2023 New Japan Cup finals are set. 

The tournament semifinals took place today in Gunma. 

Bullet Club’s David Finlay advanced to the finals after defeating Tama Tonga in the semi-main event on Sunday’s show. He countered a Gun Stun attempt and hit Trash Panda for the win. 

SANADA will also be headed to the finals. He defeated Mark Davis in the second semifinal match after countering a Water Slide attempt into his new modified DDT finisher. 

Finlay vs. SANADA in the tournament finals will take place Tuesday, March 21, from Nagaoka. Hiromu Takahashi defending the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Lio Rush is also scheduled for the show. 

The winner of Tuesday’s finals will advance to challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 8, 2023. 

Both finalists joined new stables during the tournament. David Finlay was revealed as the newest member of Bullet Club shortly before he defeated Tomohiro Ishii in the first round. SANADA then revealed he was leaving Los InGobernables and joining the faction now known as “Just Five Guys” after defeating Tetsuya Naito in the quarterfinals.  

This will be SANADA’s second appearance in the New Japan Cup finals. He was defeated by Kazuchika Okada to close out the tournament in 2019. 

Finlay’s previous best showing in the tournament was in 2021 when he was defeated by Will Ospreay in the semifinals. He was also defeated by KENTA in the finals of the New Japan Cup USA in 2020. 

New Japan Cup results, March 19, 2023:

  • Shota Umino & Oskar Leube defeated Kosei Fujita & Zack Sabre Jr.
  • El Phantasmo, Chase Owens & KENTA defeated Ryohei Oiwa, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
  • SHO, Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Ren Narita, El Desperado & Minoru Suzuki
  • Jeff Cobb & Kyle Fletcher defeated Tomoaki Honma & YOSHI-HASHI
  • Aaron Henare & Great-O-Khan defeated Bushi & Shingo Takagi
  • Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi defeated YOH & Lio Rush
  • New Japan Cup Semifinal: David Finlay defeated Tama Tonga
  • New Japan Cup Semifinal: SANADA defeated Mark Davis