Summary

The first-ever Universe Cup tournament wrapped up on April 6 at Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan, bringing together talent from promotions under the WRESTLE UNIVERSE banner, including Pro Wrestling NOAH and DDT.

Naomichi Marufuji emerged as the tournament winner. The four-time GHC Heavyweight Champion advanced past the New Hayabusa in the semifinal round, then defeated DDT Pro-Wrestling President Sanshiro Takagi in the final.

Winner

Naomichi Marufuji won the first Universe Cup tournament by beating the New Hayabusa in the semifinal before defeating Sanshiro Takagi in the final.

What Marufuji's Win Means For WRESTLE UNIVERSE

Marufuji's victory gives one of WRESTLE UNIVERSE's most established names the distinction of becoming the first winner in tournament history, which immediately gives the concept a recognizable figure at the top of its record book. With Marufuji still holding a prominent executive role within CyberFight, the result also ties the new tournament closely to a key NOAH figure from the outset.

The finish also shows how promotions continue using first-time concepts to stand out on the calendar, similar to how TNA recently promoted a first-ever Knockouts Bunkhouse Match for iMPACT. In this case, WRESTLE UNIVERSE now has a completed tournament it can build on if the company chooses to make the Universe Cup a recurring event.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.