Sakura Genesis had everything and anything. It had twins, a host of title changes which might brush a fresh coat of paint NJPW and Sanada, once again, betraying his allies. No surprise there, really.
The main event had Hirooki Goto defending his IWGP World Heavyweight Champion against David Finlay. Finlay won the 2025 New Japan Cup tournament and therefore was rewarded with the championship match. With his children at ringside, Goto powerbombed Finlay off the top rope but only got a two count. Finlay countered with his neckbreaker but that too only got a two count. Goto countered Overkill with Shouten Kai (Vertical suplex sitout side slam). Finlay suffers three Goto Revolutions in a row before being pinned.
Goto calls out Shota Umino. Umino arrives. He is greeted with a smattering of boos. Goto agrees to put up the championship against him when they travel to Chicago for Windy City Riot on April 11th.
During the House of Torture (Ren Narita, Sho and Yujiro Takahashi) versus Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney and Taiji Ishimori) NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship Match, Sanada picked a side, well, his latest side.
As one would expect, much of the match ends up in the crowd and on the floor. The turning point is when Sho punched Drilla in the “lower abdomen” and pushed into the official. Narita hits Kidd in the head with his push-up bar. Sho prepares to nail Drilla with his wrench. Clark Connors evades the ring nailing all the House members in his sights. Sanada brings his guitar to the ring. He is wearing big red sunglasses and massive red boots. Instead of hitting Sho though he turns around nailing Drilla with his guitar. He rolls the official back into the ring. Sho pins Drilla. He takes off his shirt to reveal a House of Torture tee underneath. Drilla sits up. He is bleeding from the guitar shot.
Tsuji pulled a fast one on The House of Torture during his IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match against Evil.
Before the bell can ring or he can get his entrance gear off, Evil and Dick Togo double-team Tsuji. They work over Tsuji’s knee but then…the real Tsuji enters the ring! It was a decoy all along. It was Tsuji’s real-life twin brother dressed as him.
Evil begs off. Tsuji blocks Evil’s eye poke Three Stooges style. He pokes him in the eye instead. Tsuji bounces off the ropes. Togo trips him up. Togo starts beating up Tsuji’s twin brother on the floor as Evil rams Tsuji’s back into the ringside barricade knocking over the announce table. Evil mocks Tsuji for trying to pull the wool over his eyes.
When the official isn’t looking Togo drop kicks, damages Tsuji’s knee. Evil works over the knee with submission holds. Tsuji dives to the floor sending Evil into the barricade.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru comes out with Tsuji’s brother as Tsuji himself is perched on the top rope. Togo shoves the official into Tsuji. The triple teaming begins. Togo puts Tsuji and his brother together for a double choke with his garotte. Shingo Takagi arrives. He punches Togo. He clotheslines Kanemaru. Evil low-blows Takagi. Tsuji low-blows Evil. Togo throws salt. Tsuji ducks. It hits Evil instead. Tsuji punches Togo. Kanemaru drop kicks Tsuji’s knee out from under him.
Kanamaru takes a sip from his whiskey bottle. Tsuji ducks the spray. It hits Evil in the eyes. Takagi takes out Kanemaru with a Pumping Bomber. Tsuji pins Evil with his spear.
Yuya Uemura comes out but before he can say anything Tsuji names him as the next challenger.
SAKURA GENESIS 2025 Results
Katsuya Murashima vs. Daiki Nagai
Katsuya makes Daiki submit to a Boston Crab.
Winner: Katsuya Murashima
Sanada versus Yuya Uemura
Sanada does his leap-frog, drop kick deal which sends Yuya out to the floor. Yuya is whipped into the ringside barricade. Sanada drags Yuya through the first few rows to the Japanese announce desk where he rams Yuya into Milano Collection A.T. The crowd boos loudly. Yuya chops Sanada which causes him to fall, stumble into Milano. Milano falls to the floor holding his head. Sanada whips Yuya into Milano. Sanada gives Yuya a draping spinning neckbreaker off the ring apron to the floor. He gives him another inside the ring.
Sanada pushes Yuya into the official. Sanada gives Yuya a pop-up kick to the groin. Sanada attempts his moonsault. Yuya rolls out of the way. Yuya flips Sanada over and makes him submit to an arm lock.
Winner: Yuya Uemura
El Phantasmo (c) vs. Great-O-Khan – NJPW World Television Championship Match
ELP kicks Khan right in the face. Khan bails from the ring. ELP dives through the ropes sending Khan crashing into the barricade. ELP heaves him over the barricade punching him for good measure.
In an awesome move, ELP leaps off the top rope, over the barricade and right into Khan. Some abandoned chairs “cushion” his fall. ELP reclines back with a smile on his face and high-fives a fan who left their seat for the spot. ELP tries to suplex Khan on the floor. Khan reverses that slamming ELP back-first on the barricade. Khan sets up two chairs with another set across them. ELP’s suplex doesn’t happen as his injured taped neck, shoulder flare up. Khan slams ELP back first into the ring apron. Khan works over ELP’s back, neck in the ring.
On the floor, Gedo wrestles a chair out of Khan’s hands. ELP throws the chair away. At the count of 15, Khan spikes ELP on the steel chairs on the floor. ELP is counted out…but still loses the title? Whaaat? I missed have missed that.
Winner: …and new NJPW World Television Champion, The Great-O-Khan.
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shota Umino
The Ace comes out dressed as a character from the Fatal Fury video game. One of the voice actors accompanies him to the ring dressed as the character he voices, Momo Momoto. The crowd is firmly behind The Ace, as you would expect. Umino works over The Ace’s knees and legs. The Ace is put in a crossface for a long time but escapes via the ropes. They engage in a forearm smash duel. Slingblade for a two count. Umino stands up only to be knocked back down by an Aces High. The Ace misses a High Fly Flow when Umino rolls out of the way. Running knee to the back of the head and a Second Chapter pins The Ace. The crowd ain’t happy with this result.
Umino bows to a fallen Ace before he leaves the ring. He says he wants to lead Hontai.
Winner: Shota Umino
House of Torture (Ren Narita, Sho and Yujiro Takahashi) (c) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney and Taiji Ishimori) vs. NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship Match
Winners: House of Torture (Ren Narita, Sho and Yujiro Takahashi)
Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Ryohei Oiwa – NEVER Openweight Championship Match
Konosuke drives Oiwa down with a brainbuster but only for a one count. They nail each other with rolling elbows. Konosuke pins him with a haymaker and Raging Fire.
Winner: …and still NEVER Openweight Champion, Konosuke Takeshita.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi) (c) vs. United Empire (Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman) – IWGP Tag Team Championship Match
Newman rushes at Hiromu. Hiromu throws him over his shoulder and into a corner turnbuckle. Newman shoves off Hiromu’s Timebomb. Cobb catches Hiromu powerbombing him and giving him a Tour of the Islands. Naito drops Cobb with a reverse Destino. Newman hits Naito with a stunner off the ropes. Newman gets a two with a Firebolt slam. Naito gets up spitting in Newman’s face. Newman halts Naito’s Destino and whips him into Cobb. Cobb hits Tour of the Islands before heaving Naito into Newman who labels Naito with a flying knee smash and Firebolt for the three count.
Winners: ….and new IWGP Tag Team Champions, United Empire (Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman).
Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Evil – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match
Winner: …and still IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, Yota Tsuji.
Hirooki Goto (c) vs. David Finlay – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Winner: …and still IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Hirooki Goto.
