FIFTH MATCH: SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan
SANADA used his wily cunning to out maneuver O-Khan’s explosive offense. A back and forth contest with neither man the clear “better,” SANADA trapped Great-O-Khan in the Japanese Clutch for the win in (13:21)
WINNER: SANADA
SIXTH MATCH: Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb
Cobb charges Naito to start. Naito fights back, and gets in some substantial hits, but Cobb took Naito to the outside, where he debilitates Naito with a suplex on the floor. Naito beats the countout, but gets completely pummeled by Cobb in the ring.
Cobb tosses Naito around with reckless abandon. Naito finally comes back, after attacking Cobb’s legs. He locks in a Reverse Figure Four but Cobb fights to the ropes. Cobb starts to dodge the leg attacks and returns to tossing Naito like a sack of kittens.
Naito comes back with a diving DDT, but Cobb counters a Destino. Naito dropkicks Cobb in the leg and puts him on the top rope. Cobb counters a hurricanrana with an Avalanche Powerbomb. Cobb covers for two.
Naito goes right back to attacking the leg. Cobb fights out and hits a Deadlift German Suplex. They trade blows. Naito hits an enzuigiri. Cobb hits a huge lariat. Naito counters Tour of the Islands with Valentina. Naito hits Destino for the pinfall in 15:37.
WINNER: Tetsuya Naito
SEVENTH MATCH: IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship No DQ Match: KENTA (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
A brutal, merciless match. Tanahashi attacked KENTA like a man possessed. Both started the match dueling with Kendo Sticks, but Tanahashi took the advantage early. KENTA came back and filled the ring with any and all weapons that he could.
At one point, KENTA delivered a Top Rope Falcon Arrow through a table. Tanahashi hit KENTA with a guitar. A slingblade and High Fly Flow onto a pile of chairs wasn’t enough to keep KENTA down.
Then the Big Ladder came out.
KENTA set up the ladder carefully, and then ascended. Tanahashi knocked into the ladder, sending KENTA crashing face-first into a trash can. With KENTA’s face broken and bloody, Tanahashi placed him on another table, ascended the very tall ladder and hit a High Fly Flow for the pinfall in 22:38
WINNER AND NEW IWGP UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Hiroshi Tanahashi
.@tanahashi1_100 "High Fly Flow!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) January 5, 2022
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