Semi-finals set for landmark broadcast event 

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Night seven of the New Japan Cup is in the books, with the final four of the tournament now set. The two semi-final matchups will be part of a landmark broadcast event tonight in Japan, as NJPW returns to live Friday prime time for the first time in 34 years tonight, July 3. 

After a dramatic quartet of matches on NJPW World, it will be Hiromu Takahashi, Kazuchika Okada, SANADA and EVIL vying for a place in the July 11 with a big TV audience tonight.

Tomohiro Ishii and Hiromu Takahashi was perhaps the most anticipated bout of the evening, and fans didn’t have long to wait as their quarterfinal bout kicked off the proceedings. Hiromu wasted little time at the bell, charging into Ishii before being put down with a solid shoulder tackle. Takahashi continued to play Ishii’s game, throwing chops to Ishii’s chest as the Stone Pitbull responded with his own hand to the throat area putting the junior champion to the mat. 

Ishii kept up the hard hitting punishment, until Hiromu was able to slow him somewhat with a dropkick; the proud champion went back to an Ishii style offense however, and paid for it dearly when his suplex attempt was countered easily. Ishii’s rock hard will continue to be apparent however as he rebounded from Takahashi’s dropkicks, and kept up through a chain of reversals to hit a hard backdrop suplex. 

Hiromu had the wherewithal to counter a powerbomb into his ‘D’ submission, but Ishii was able to power the champion into the corner headfirst before returning to methodical, powerful brutality, a headbutt and stalling superplex doing major damage. Even as Hiromu tried to mount a comeback, one blow sent him straight to the mat as Ishii closed in on victory. 

The tenacious champion seemed to be awakened by a vicious lariat from Ishii however, striking a huge blow with the Dynamite Plunger for two. Suplexes, lariats and headbutts tested the physical and mental fortitude of both men, with Hiromu lasting to hit Time Bomb, but Ishii was able to kick out. Digging deep, Hiromu unleashed a unique brainbuster/DDT variant before landing Time Bomb II for the victory. 

EVIL showed his new ‘by any means necessary’ attitude early in the second match of the night, immediately targeting YOSHI-HASHI’s already hurt knee with a chair shot before the bell. EVIL pressed the advantage, punishing the Headhunter with a Scorpion Deathlock, causing YOSHI-HASHI to pass out from the pain, a quick referee stoppage victory in just two minutes not only putting the King of Darkness into the last four, but ensuring he will be the freshest of all the competitors tomorrow night. 

Taiji Ishimori was slow to start in arguably the biggest match of his career against Kazuchika Okada, and the Rainmaker took advantage sending Ishimori to the outside, before BULLET CLUB antics became a part of the match. Gedo appeared at ringside distracting Okada, and Ishimori sent last year’s Cup winner to the outsider where Gedo’s wrench did its damage. 

For his part however, Ishimori went on to dominate the pace, decisively controlling his prestigious opponent before a flapjack put Ishimori in the lights. A signature DDT would follow for Okada, but Ishimori, though stunned, was not slowed. A gorgeous handspring kick and high speed knees into the corner found their mark. When Gedo again popped up on the apron to prevent Okada from ascending the turnbuckles for a likely elbow, Ishimori’s acceleration again caught the former champion, and a triangle quebrada had Okada in trouble. 

While a Bloody Cross didn’t find the mark, Ishimori’s Mistica into a Yes Lock did, and Okada had to strain hard to find the bottom rope. A reinvigorated Okada managed to land a dropkick, but found his Tombstone countered with a huge Cipher Utaki from Ishimori. A corkecrew Tombstone did find its mark however, and Okada followed with the Cobra.

When Gedo took advantage of a stunned ref to try and score with brass knux, a dropkick took him out of the game, and a second, stiff Cobra Clutch resulted in the tap out win. 

That left SANADA and Taichi battling for the final spot. Understandably given the interference involved in his first two matches, SANADA was slow to engage with Taichi, but even apparently on his own, Taichi proved effective, sneaking the tag rope from the corner to choke SANADA and continuing the assault on the floor. 

SANADA finally got out of the box, striking hard and fast with a standing moonsault and dropkick to Taichi’s knees before flying with a plancha to the floor. A rope Paradise Lock also did its damage, but Taichi’s power came through with a brutal gamengiri in the corner. As we’ve grown accustomed to, Taichi again proved dominant in the stand-up strike exchanges with hard, heavy blows putting SANADA on his back, Taichi celebrating by removing his trousers. 

The momentary celebration was enough for SANADA to recover and attempt Skull End, getting spiked with a Dangerous Backdrop for his troubles. SANADA was able to surprise Taichi with the hold moments later however, and had hooks in that would have garnered a submission victory had Yoshinobu Kanemaru not intervened from the commentary table. Taichi would lock in his own Stretch Plum influenced version of the Skull End, SANADA barely making the ropes, but it appeared as if the damage had been done. 

Even as SANADA resisted a Last Ride, Taichi landed a brutal heavy combo with an Ax Bomber and Enzuigiri. The arrogant Holy Emperor channeled Jumbo Tsuruta for a Backdrop hold, but as he taunted SANADA with a follow up, Cold Skull recovered with a TKO. As SANADA pushed ahead with Skull End and then a Moonsault attempt, Kanemaru again got involved, but SANADA was able to withstand the misdirection, sending Taichi into Kanemaru and locking in a leg roll clutch for three.

Now our final four are set for a landmark broadcast event: watch it all FREE on NJPW World Friday night!