At the age of 23, Callum Newman has become the youngest IWGP Heavyweight Champion of all-time.
Newman, the winner of the New Japan Cup finally got his title match against IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Yota Tsuji, tonight at Sakura Genesis.
Newman came out in a fancy new robe and a returning Will Ospreay was at ringside supporting his protege.
Newman tried for Excalibur right away but was denied by Tsuji. Tsuji tried his stomp but he too was denied. Newman dodged super kick and slid back into a corner. Newman ducked out to the floor. Tsuji hit him with a splash knocking him into the steel barricade.
Tsuji lined up Newman in the corner delivering elbow smash after elbow smash to his head and then suplexing him for a two count. Newman hits a Tiger Suplex but completely loses his grip so he has to push on Tsuji’s posterior to display any kind of pin attempt. As they run off the ropes, Tsuji hits Newman with a knee strike and Newman clotheslines Tsuji.
Tsuji hangs Newman out to dry on the apron and stomps him once on the apron itself and once off the apron onto the floor. Back in the ring, Tsuji goes for his stomp but Newman pulls Red Shoes in the way instead. As Tsuji checks on a KO’ed Red Shoes, Newman hits him with a knee strike to the back of the head.
In the ring, Newman waves to Zayne Jay motioning for him to bring a chair into the ring. Ospreay stops Jay. Newman and Ospreay have a tug of war over the chair.
“You are better than this. You can do this on your own,” says Ospreay. Newman lets go of the chair.
Tsuji attacks. Elbow to the head, Gene Blaster but no official. When one arrives the count is just a two. Newman counters Tsuji’s spear with a Hidden Blade. Kiss The Crown and Fire Bolt suplex for only a two count. Newman kicks out of Gene Blaster. Newman counters a spear with Excalibur and Kiss The Crown. Another Kiss The Crown and Prince’s Curse for yet another two count.
As Tsuji runs in for a spear, Newman pulls the official in the way, kicks Tsuji in the “lower abdomen” and pins him with Make Way.
Callum Newman is your new IWGP Heavyweight Champion and is the youngest of all time.
Ospreay hugged Newman after the win and put the belt on him. As he did so, a masked man jumped the barricade and piledrove Tsuji on the floor. It was Gabe Kidd wearing an AEW shirt. He then fought Shingo Takagi as the crowd booed him. He then hit Shingo Takagi in the head with the Global Championship. As Kidd cragged Tsuji to the back Shingo Takagi confronted Newman in the ring.
“I saw what you did to win the match. Is that how United Empire does things now? That is how you are going to take the IWGP Heavyweight Title? I am not going to forgive that,” said Takagi challenging Newman.
Earlier, in the evening, Will Ospreay, who hasn’t wrestled there since that big steel cage match between the Bullet Club War Dogs and United Empire at New Beginning in Okaka in 2024, joined The Great-O-Khan and Henare of The United Empire to take on Yuya Uemura, Taichi and El Desperado.
The fans showered Ospreay with chants of:
Ospreay! Ospreay!
Ospreay was sporting lots of a tape on his neck and top of his back. With everyone else battling on the floor it came down to Taichi and Ospreay. Ospreay missed the Hidden Blade. Ospreay wiggled out of Black Mephisto. Khan saved Ospreay from being pinned by a Taichi roll-up. Taichi blocked Khan’s Eliminator kicking him square in the side of the head. Ospreay stepped up Taichi’s body hitting him with a kick but Taichi suplexed him on his neck for two count.
Time for Taichi to shred his pants for his shorts. A clothesline to the back of the head sends Ospreay into the ropes where Taichi clobbers him with yet another kick. Ospreay kicked out of an Axe Bomber Lariat. Ospreay once again flipped out of a Black Mephisto attempt. Henare clotheslined Taichi. Oscutter for a two on Taichi. Hidden Blade and a Storm Breaker pins Taichi.
After the bell, The Great-O-Khan had El Desperado in a claw hold. Khan held Desperado open for Henare and Ospreay to strike. Ospreay looked conflicted. Henare super kicked Desperado in the face. Ospreay seemed confused.
“We won. What was the point in that?” Ospreay asked Henare and Khan.
“This is how we do things now,” answered Khan.
Khan then booted Uemura out of the ring.
Khan, Ospreay and Henare raised each other’s hands in victory.
Sakura Genesis Results
KUSHIDA and Masatora Yasuda vs Tatsuya Matsumoto and Taisei Nakahara
Yasuda makes Nakahara submit to his Boston Crab.
Winners: KUSHIDA and Masatora Yasuda
Master Wato and Togi Makabe vs TMDK (Kosei Fujita and Hartley Jackson)
Jackson and Makabe engage in a clothesline battle. One from Makabe takes Jackson down for a two count. Makabe bounces off the rope for another but Jackson catches him and pins him with a Jagged Edge Death Valley Driver.
Winners: TMDK (Kosei Fujita and Hartley Jackson)
Aaron Wolf, YOH, Toru Yano and Tiger Mask vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (DOUKI, Don Fale, SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
On the microphone, Sho rips on Tiger Mask daring to challenge Douki for his title. The House attacks the faces. Kanemaru leaps off the top rope but Wolf catches him in a bear hug. Kanemaru escapes with the double clap to the ears. Wolf lifts Kanemaru off the canvass onto his back for a big Landslide slam. Wolf puts on his triangle choke submission for the win.
Fale attacks Wolf from behind as he celebrates. Fale misses a splash in a corner. Wolf gives Fale an Angle Slam. Yano makes the three count.
Winners: Aaron Wolf, YOH, Toru Yano and Tiger Mask
Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X) vs United Empire (Jake Lee, Francesco Akira and Jakob Austin Young)
Lee comes to the ring wearing a clown mask like he is ready to play Payday in real life or something. Lee takes off the mask and his has painted his face like a mime, black and white. With everyone taken out on the floor, Takagi nails Yong with a Pumping Bomber and Last of the Dragon.
Winners: Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X)
Yuya Uemura, Taichi & El Desperado vs United Empire (Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan & HENARE)
Winners: United Empire (Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan & HENARE)
Boltin Oleg, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI HASHI (c) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita, Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi) – NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships
Goto blocked Yujiro’s Pimp Juice. Oleg shoulder tackled Yujiro. Narita cuts off Oleg’s big splash as Hashi and Goto held Yuiro ready. Oleg scoops up Narita in a backbreaker. Yoshi pins Yujiro with Shoto.
Winners: Boltin Oleg, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI HASHI
Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs Shota Umino – NJPW World TV Championship
Umino showed a lot of endurance in this one taking some of Takeshita’s biggest shots. Umino blocked Takeshita’s running knee smash. He absorbed a haymaker clocking Takeshita with a clothesline. Both men charged at each other with running knees and struck each other’s knees. Umino blocked Takeshita’s haymaker. Both men labeled each other with haymakers as one minute as left in the match. Umino took Takeshita over with a Frankensteiner. They battered each other with clotheslines but the clock ran out.
Winner: …A Draw…and still NJPW World TV Champion, Konosuke Takeshita.
Knockout Brothers (OSKAR and Yuto-Ice) vs TMDK (Ryohei Oiwa and Zack Sabre Jr.) – IWGP Tag Team Championship Match
Good God. Another ZSJ match. As he holds Oskar in a front face lock on the ringside barricade, Ice beans Oiwa with a haymaker and his running knee smash.
Winners: …and still IWGP Tag Team Champions, Knockout Brothers (OSKAR and Yuto-Ice).
Yota Tsuji vs Callum Newman – IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Winner: …and new IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Callum Newman.
