EVIL wins the 2020 New Japan Cup, joins Bullet Club

Fans returned to New Japan today for the New Japan Cup Final (check here for full results), and we got a hell of a twist in the main event.

The match was, as one might expect, an epic main event in the New Japan house style. EVIL, killer instinct in his heart, went for the victory early and often, shifting to target Okada’s arm as it became clear he wasn’t going to snap off a fluke win, while for his part the Rainmaker kept it slow and steady, looking to grind the King of Darkness down with his work ethic before eventually overwhelming him with his trademark finishing sequences.

Interference would prove pivotal in the last act of the match, first as EVIL dealt a low blow to Okada after a ref bump, and then minutes later when Bullet Club made a play, distracting referee Red Shoes Unno while Yujio Takahashi ran in and hit Miami Shine on the Rainmaker. From there it was only a matter of time until EVIL the man hit EVIL the move for the win.

After the match, as is tradition, Tetsuya Naito came to the ring to square up with his challenger, only to get laid out with EVIL himself. Things really got interesting after that, as Bullet Club came to the ring and tossed a Los Ingobernables de Japon hat in. EVIL stomped it, and then joined the Biz Cliz lads in putting boots to the Stardust Genius!

Hiromu Takahashi made the save, but EVIL has well and truly jumped ship, throwing the Too Sweet up for the cameras and all.

It makes a lot of sense, as LIJ have seen a lot of internal friction recently, and EVIL has been at the center of it the entire time. Him jumping to Bullet Club is maybe not the most exciting possibility, but the way the roster has been squeezed thanks to the pandemic limiting travel means this kind of shuffle to bulk the heel faction that’s historically been notable for mostly being composed of foreigners was inevitable for more than just storyline reasons.

There you have it, folks

Excited to see Naito vs. EVIL tomorrow, Cagesiders?