The finals of the 2025 New Japan Cup take place today, with a first-time winner guaranteed.
In the tournament finals, Shota Umino faces David Finlay with a shot a the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship hanging in the balance. It’s the first career finals for Umino, while Finlay made the finals in 2023 where he lost to SANADA.
The winner of today’s New Japan Cup finals earns a shot at Hirooki Goto and the IWGP World title at Sakura Genesis on Saturday, April 5.
An NJPW World TV title match kicks off today’s main card, with El Phantasmo defending against a mystery opponent in an open challenge.
Hiroshi Tanahashi’s road to retirement continues with a special singles match on today’s card, with Tana taking on Satoshi Kojima. It will be the tenth career singles meeting between the two, and the first since 2014. Tana holds a 5-4 career edge in singles competition over Kojima.
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Main Card
El Phantasmo defeated TJP for the NJPW World Television Championship
Starting with a headscissor hold, Phantasmo had immediate control. TJP sent him to the mat with a DDT from the second rope. After sneaking a comeback, Phantasmo attempted a moonsault from the ropes but couldn’t put TJP away. Spinning the challenger like a rinse cycle, Phantasmo slammed him to the mat with a UFO drop. TJP spiked the champion to the mat, bringing him in for a Pinoy Stretch. This caused Phantasmo to stretch his shoulder a bit too much, as trying a punch became too much for him to do. The pair traded pins with the last one granting Phantasmo a victory despite his shoulder.
— Post-match: TJP shook hands with Phantasmo. Great-O-Khan, who’d watched the sportsmanship from the outside, greeted TJP before assaulting the champion. He declared himself next to challenge for the title, attacked him again and left. Phantasmo struggled to the back.
Phantasmo had little time to make the shoulder angle effective, but he made the most of it. Fast-paced, this was a satisfactory opener.
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Satoshi Kojima
Kojima’s strength lent him the early advantage, but Tanahashi earned it back as he tied his opponent’s leg to the rope and dropkicked it. Kojima chopped The Ace’s chest until sore, following up with a top rope elbow drop. Kojima laid out Tanahashi with a Koji Cutter but fell back down to a Slingblade. A stiff lariat from Kojima laid out Tanahashi. Enduring the force that is Kojima, Tanahashi won the match with a High-Fly Flow.
A fun short sprint, Tanahashi’s strengths have been neatly emphasized during this final run. As someone who’d love to see one of NJPW’s legendary top stars to ride off into the sunset go peacefully, this run has been a treat.
BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens & SANADA) defeated Just 4 Guys (Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Yuya Uemura)
BULLET CLUB promptly took out their opponents before the bell with SANADA tossing Uemura to the chairs in the crowd. Meanwhile, Owens and Fale bullied Taichi in the ring. Uemura held the match in his hand, flattening Owens and SANADA, the latter of which suffered a back suplex. Teasing a Skull End, SANADA instead fell to Uemura’s dropkicks. Michinoku unleashed a flurry to Owens, but laid down for the 3-count courtesy of a Package Piledriver by Owens.
— Post-match: BULLET CLUB harassed their defeated foes, with SANADA teasing a guitar shot. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, and El Desperado came to Just 4 Guys’ aid. Tanahashi shook hands with Uemura, having long mentioned that the latter being the current image of NJPW. The Ace then shook hands with Taichi and helped Michinoku to his feet.
The least exciting elements of this match were involved in the finisher. The ongoing beef between SANADA and Uemura is interesting, but wasn’t capitalized on. Tanahashi being all super wholesome in the post-match made up for any slogging.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) defeated United Empire (Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young & Jeff Cobb)
Cobb confronted Naito to start the match, only to be attacked by the present members of LIJ. Young worked on Naito’s infamously weak knees, Takahashi exploded onto the scene, meeting Newman’s speed with his own before agonizing from a roundhouse kick. Naito and Takahashi delivered karmic justice to Young by targeting his knees, the latter tapping Young out with a Maximum Beholding.
There was nothing in the way of storyline advancements to watch out for, but this was fun on its own and worth a watch.
BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd & Taiji Ishimori) defeated House Of Torture (Ren Narita, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi)
Ishimori twisted and cranked the arm of SHO. Kidd pummeled Narita in the corner, sending him to the mat with a forceful lariat. He then sent SHO and Takahashi to the same fate. Moloney unleashed a rage of forearms and chops to SHO, but lost his momentum by House of Torture interruption and a Spear from SHO. With the War Dogs intercepting any further interference, Moloney pinned SHO with a Drilla Killa.
— Post-match: Moloney fake laughed at House of Torture “kicking” the War Dogs out of BULLET CLUB. He then on behalf of Ishimori and Kidd challenged for the NEVER Six Man Tag Team Championship.
For anyone looking for a cathartic comeuppance for House of Torture, this is the fix you’re looking for. Each play made by the War Dogs was satisfying. SHO made the best of his moments, even in defeat.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) defeated House Of Torture (EVIL & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Tsuji endured Kanemaru and EVIL’s attempts to weaken his knee, with the latter’s Cloverleaf dramatically ended with a rope break. Takagi burst into action, bumping EVIL to the mat and proceeding to manhandle him. Kanemaru and EVIL returned once more to destroy Tsuji’s knees. They, combined with Dick Togo, unleashed a Dick-to-Dick Contact, with the referee distracted by Takagi’s endeavor to make the save. As Kanemaru saved his Whiskey Mist, it poured like a fountain after Tsuji found enough strength to power a Gene Blaster for the win.
— Post-match: House of Torture attacked Tsuji as EVIL held aloft the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship while he stood on the champ’s chest. Takagi again tried to help but Togo choked him out.
There wasn’t much to say about this bout, other than Tsuji’s selling was top notch. In a blink-and-miss-it moment, he maintained his kayfabe knee injury. That’s a level of professionalism I can appreciate.
El Desperado, Hirooki Goto & Oleg Boltin defeated TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.)
Boltin overwhelmed Oiwa, and a chaotic brawl ensued. He and Goto pounded the back of Sabre Jr., before failing to do so on Oiwa. A helpless Desperado fell prey to the combined offense of TMDK, until he traded holds with Sabre Jr. Boltin’s might cancelled out Sabre Jr.’s technical prowess with his Flying Body Sausage maneuver. Jackson nearly had the match won over Goto with a Flying Crossbody and a team-up with Oiwa, to no avail. Jackson withstood the united front his opponents initiated, but ultimately lost to a GTR.
Featuring young acts like Boltin and Oiwa alongside the veterans adds enough fuel to position these future megastars for greatness. Now more than ever, this feels like a strong emphasis to trust tomorrow’s performers It certainly doesn’t hurt that they worked alongside the current and former IWGP World Heavyweight Champions.
New Japan Cup Final
David Finlay defeated Shota Umino
Finlay had the initial advantage in the early goings, but Umino got the better of him, working on his leg. This damage wore on, grounding Finlay’s later offense. A Fisherman’s Suplex gave Umino space to carve out control over the War Dogs leader. He continued to work the leg as Finlay screamed in dear agony. Umino combined this with a STF in the middle of the ring; Finlay desperately reached for a successful rope break. Umino flew through the air courtesy of Finlay’s uranage, sending him through a table on the outside.
Finlay broke the 20-count to seemingly help Umino to his feet. As it turned out, he used this time to slam his opponent into the ring post to earn even more time. Umino broke the count at 19. Finlay sought to damage Umino’s back more with a slam, but Umino countered into a DDT. Umino received a near count after a cacophonous vertical suplex from the top rope. He did so again after a bridging suplex. Finlay, almost running on fumes, survived lariats and a painful knee onto Umino, finally landing Oblivion. Kicking out of a reversal pin, Finlay slammed Umino with two resounding powerbombs. Umino tried an inside cradle, failing to do so. Finlay used this brief respite to crush him with an Overkill for the win. David Finlay is 2025’s New Japan Cup winner.
— Post-match: Finlay yanked the New Japan Cup away form the officials as he and Gedo celebrated. He helped Umino to his feet, harshly telling his old friend he has to work Finlay’s way to get these kinds of victories. He beckoned forth Hirooki Goto from commentary to the ring to claim his future shot. Goto responded that Finlay “can’t stop the Goto Revolution.”
The War Dogs joined their leader in jubilation. Finlay proudly carried his cup while his teammates drank in the ring.
Umino’s always been good in the ring, but his act hasn’t really stuck. However, his effort tonight gives this new baptised-in-white approach plausibility. Tremendous performance alongside Finlay still riding off of his 2024 rejuvenation. Finlay took a while to successfully reinvent himself as the War Dogs leader, and its paying off. This gives me hope for Umino.
As a whole, the show had some high points. Most of them didn’t add much in storyline but were still fun. Kojima/Tanahashi, LIJ/United Empire, and maybe even House of Torture/War Dogs are all worth watching, but the final is what will surely satisfy. Finlay denying Goto the win for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship in Autumn 2024 is sure to add a much-needed threat to the current World Heavyweight Champion’s reign.
