Naomichi Marufuji Wins The 1st UNIVERSE CUP At UNIVERSE MAGIC 2026

By: Ian McCord

At Shinjuku FACE on April 6th Naomichi Marufuji made history by defeating Hayabusa and Sanshiro Takagi on the same night to become the winner of the 1st UNIVERSE CUP at UNIVERSE MAGIC 2026.

The inaugural UNIVERSE CUP tournament held its opening round back on March 9th with Naomichi Marufuji, Hayabusa, The Great Sasuke and Sanshiro Takagi picking up wins to earn their spots in the semi-finals of the tournament on April 6th.

Marufuji would begin the night on April 6th in the show’s opener for his semi-final match against ZERO1’s Hayabusa. The Genius of the Ark Marufuji was ready for Hayabusa’s offense, trying his best to avoid the high-flying attacks from his opponent.

After almost 15 minutes, Marufuji was able to pick up the win via submission after applying his Perfect Necklock finisher to Hayabusa to advance to the UNIVERSE CUP finals in the main event.

Marufuji would share his thoughts on Hayabusa during his post-match comments, going as far to say that Hayabusa was incredible and that he hopes the two face off again stating:

“Hayabusa, you were incredible. The original Hayabusa wanted this match, but it never came to be. There’s no doubt—you are Hayabusa. I was genuinely excited. Keep building your own version and get even stronger. You’re strong—really strong. Let’s do this again.”

The next semi-final match saw Sanshiro Takagi and The Great Sasuke battle all over Shinjuku FACE to see who would be advancing to the main event to take on Marufuji.

A Sanshiro Stunner would be the deciding factor in the matchup, with Takagi hitting his signature move on The Great Sasuke for the win at the (14:47) mark.

The 1st UNIVERSE CUP winner would be decided in the main event with Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Naomichi Marufuji taking on DDT’s Sanshiro Takagi.

As to be expected, the fight would spill to the outside with Marufuji and Takagi bringing the fight to the entrance ramp where the legendary DDT Bike would make an appearance. Marufuji would be the one to use the combat ready bicycle, knocking Takagi off the bike, then riding the DDT staple into the chest of Takagi.

Once Takagi made it back into the ring following the bike attack, Marufuji would make quick work of him, using his Perfect Necklock submission to pick up the win at (17:33) making him the winner of the inaugural UNIVERSE CUP.

Marufuji would take to social media following UNIVERSE MAGIC 2026 to thank fans and share his thoughts on the event posting:

“I won the UNIVERSE CUP. Kuroshio TOKYO was amazing in the first round, and Hayabusa was incredible today. I had a great match with Takagi-san, but he ended up getting injured at the end… I’m sorry. A lot happened, but above all, the fans were the best! Please continue to help us make pro wrestling even more exciting together. I’m sure it will be another wonderful tournament if it’s held with young wrestlers and up-and-coming stars next time. Thank you so much!”

(English Translation via DeepL)

Here are the full results from UNIVERSE MAGIC 2026 on April 6th courtesy of purolove.com:

• 1st Universe Cup – Semifinal: Naomichi Marufuji defeats Hayabusa (14:52) with a Perfect Necklock.
• 1st Universe Cup – Semifinal: Sanshiro Takagi defeats The Great Sasuke (14:47) with a Sanshiro Stunner.
• Tokyo Joshi Pro Exhibition Match: Miyu Yamashita defeats Shino Suzuki (7:44) with the Skull Kick.
• Universe Mix Magic: Kaito Kiyomiya, Kuroshio TOKYO Japan, Takeshi Masada, and Yumehito Imanari defeat Masato Tanaka, Isami Kodaka, Taro Nohashi, and Great Mummy (9:15) following a lariat by Imanari against Mummy.
• 10 Woman Magic Rumble: YUNA defeats Senka Akatsuki by throwing her over the top rope (26:41). Order of elimination: Megaton, Manami, Sora Ayame, YuuRI, Great Sakuya, Yuki Mashiro, Seri Yamaoka, Momoka Hanazono & Senka Akatsuki.
• 1st Universe Cup – Final: Naomichi Marufuji defeats Sanshiro Takagi (17:33) with a Perfect Necklock.