11 HUGE NJPW/ROH G1 Supercard Predictions You Need To Know

4. Zack Sabre Jr. (c) Vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (RevPro British Heavyweight Title)

Zack Sabre Jr. Hiroshi Tanahashi
NJPW

The first of two big New Japan Cup rematches sees technical wizard Zack Sabre Jr. put his RevPro British Heavyweight Championship on the line against the legendary Hiroshi Tanahashi, who bested the Englishman in this year's tournament.

Theirs was an outstanding quarter-final chess battle, with Sabre unable to overcome the feats of the previous year, when a Cup-winning run saw him best ever "hunk" in NJPW, Tanahashi included. Non-tournament tags saw him target The Ace relentlessly, and they'll likely provide a change of pace from the big theatre spectacle guaranteed by the other bouts towards the upper end of the card.

It isn't inconceivable that RevPro would put their top belt on Tanahashi, given that both Tomohiro Ishii and Minoru Suzuki held the strap in 2018. The British Heavyweight Title has featured more prominently on NJPW shows in 2019 as well, though Tana isn't exactly going to become a regular on RPW's tiny Cockpit shows, and ZSJ is, for all intents and purposes, the promotion's franchise player. He's the favourite, and he'll probably retain.

Betting against The Ace isn't always wise, though.

Winner: Zack Sabre Jr.

Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.