Tetsuya Naito reveals who he thinks will go all the way to the final four of the New Japan Cup.
During an interview with NJPW that took place before the New Japan Cup, Naito was asked about who he believes will end up in the semifinals of the New Japan Cup. Naito's picks were Hiromu Takahashi, Kazuchika Okada, EVIL and SANADA.
Although Naito is not participating in the tournament, there is a lot riding on his future given that the winner of the tournament will get a shot at Naito's IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships at the upcoming Dominion show.
The one wrestler that has perhaps talked the most about needing to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship is Takahashi, the current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. Takahashi has talked about his desire to win the Heavyweight title while being champion of the lower weight division and Naito addressed that in the interview. Naito said the pressure is on Takahashi to do everything in his power to elevate the division and put it on par with the heavyweights.
"But look, he’s the one talking about wanting to win the Heavyweight Championship while still a junior. That whole idea loses a lot of steam if he gets knocked out early. He really could go all the way, I think; he just needs results. He needs to win," Naito said.
As for his pick to win the whole tournament, Naito picked EVIL to win it all, beating Takahashi in the finals. The full interview can be seen at this link.
