By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to Sakura Genesis”
April 4, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
It appears to be a sellout. Chris Charlton and Walker Stewart were back on commentary.
1. Mao and Yuya Koraku vs. Ninja Mack and Katsuya Murashima. Mao is a star in DDT; I’ve seen the shaggy-haired star on tours in the U.S. with GCW. My first time seeing Koraku; he was dressed in blue with a bow tie, and he opened against Murashima. Mack and Mao entered at 1:30 and traded some dazzling counters. Mack hit a Sasuke Special to the floor. In the ring, Mack unloaded some kicks on Mao. Mao hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee at 4:00. Mao hit a split-legged moonsault on Mack for a nearfall. Mack hit a double handspring-into-a-kick on Mao.
Mack hit a snap suplex on Yuya. Murashima got a hot tag and hit a dropkick on Yuya. Mao hit a shotgun dropkick on Murashima. Mack and Yuya traded forearm strikes. Yuya hit an Air Raid Crash at 8:00. Mao hit a Mafia Kick on Murashima. Murashima hit a flying forearm. Mao hit a spin kick to the head that staggered Murashima. Mao nailed a superkick under the jaw and scored the pin. That was fun; give me more of that instead of mult-man tag matches filled with guys in their 50s, please!
Mao and Yuya Koraku defeated Ninja Mack and Katsuya Murashima at 8:48.
* Mao got on the mic and told the crowd they’ll be seeing more of him in the future… maybe in May! The crowd popped for the hint he will be in this year’s Best of Super Junior’s tournament.
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi. Tanahashi is continuing his farewell tour with a string of singles matches. Charlton said no NJPW wrestler has had more singles matches in Korakuen Hall than Taguchi. Some quick reversals on the mat to open and a standoff. Taguchi got Tanahashi to run the ropes; it’s painful to watch Hiroshi run, and he eventually collapsed, as we have some comedy early on. Taguchi missed a flying buttbutt at 3:00 and crashed, drawing laughter. Taguchi crashed in the ropes and the ref had to help him for some more comedy. Tanahashi hit some hip attacks to the face at 5:00.
Taguchi did the um, ‘thumb in the bum,’ as Charlton said. He switched to an ankle lock. A time check was nearly a minute late! Charlton said Tanahashi is 5-0 lifetime against Taguchi. Tanahashi hit the High Fly Flow (frogsplash) out of nowhere for the pin. Adequate. I genuinely didn’t sense we were about to wrap up.
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Ryusuke Taguchi at 8:14.
3. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. “United Empire” Jeff Cobb, Callum Newman, and Jakob Austin Young. Naito and Newman opened with an intense lockup, and Callum hit his sprinting Mafia Kick. UE took turns working over Naito in their corner. Bushi entered and kicked at Young’s leg at 3:30 and kept Jakob grounded. Cobb tagged in and he flipped Hiromu onto Naito at 5:30. He nailed a Spin Cycle (twisting back suplex) on Hiromu for a nearfall. Hiromu hit a basement dropkick on Jeff’s knee. Bushi tagged back in and low-bridged the top rope to send Cobb flying to the floor. In the ring, Bushi hit a huracanrana on Cobb. Callum hit a kip-up enzuigiri on Hiromu. Bushi hit the Rewind Kick on Cobb. However, Cobb grabbed Bushi and hit the Tour of the Islands (swinging powerslam) for the pin.
Jeff Cobb, Callum Newman, and Jakob Austin Young defeated Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, and Hiromu Takahashi at 8:22.
4. “House of Torture” EVIL and Dick Togo vs. Yota Tsuji and Shingo Takagi. The lights briefly went out and when they came on, EVIL and Yota were brawling at ringside; I started my stopwatch at first contact, and EVIL whipped him into the rows of chairs. EVIL and Togo dragged him into the ring and we got a bell at 1:22 to officially begin. EVIL applied a Sharpshooter, while Togo had a crossface locked on! Yota still had his long red jacket on, as HoT kept him in their corner. Shingo got in, but HoT worked him over, too. In a fun spot, the ref pushed Togo, who fell backward onto Shingo’s crotch at 6:00. Togo took off his shirt and choked Shingo with it. Shingo applied a headlock and rolled up Togo for the flash pin. Okay.
Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji defeated EVIL and Dick Togo at 7:12/official time of 5:50.
5. Hirooki Goto, Master Wato, Yoshi-Hashi, and Yoh vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Gedo, and Drilla Moloney. Finlay and Goto opened with an intense lockup, and Goto dropped him with a shoulder tackle. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Yoshi-Hashi entered at 2:00 and battled Drilla. Drilla hit a spinebuster on Yoh. Kidd entered and hit some LOUD chops on Yoh; I’ve noted this before, but Gabe is mega-over right now in NJPW. Finlay hit a delayed vertical suplex on Yoh for a nearfall at 5:00. Wato finally got a hot tag and hit a leg lariat on Gedo at 7:00.
Wato hit a springboard back elbow on Gedo for a nearfall, and he tied him in the Vendeval submission hold. Goto clotheslined Finlay; Kidd clotheslined Goto. Yoh hit a German Suplex on Kidd! Yoh reapplied Vendeval (Naomi called it “Starstruck” in her TNA run), and Gedo tapped out. Decent action… just a tease of that Finlay-Goto match, but I liked this a lot more than what they did Wednesday.
Hirooki Goto, Master Wato, Yoshi-Hashi, and Yoh defeated David Finlay, Gabe Kidd, Gedo, and Drilla Moloney at 8:49.
6. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita (w/Hartley Jackson) vs. “Bullet Club” Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles. Again, Robbie X is a short, bald veteran of the UK scene; think Alan Angels. (Any reference to “Robbie” in this one means Robbie X!) Kosei hit a double dropkick, and TMDK ‘wishboned’ Robbie X’s legs. Kosei hit a stiff kick to the spine at 1:30. Robbie X hit a corkscrew dive to the floor on TMDK. In the ring, Ishimori snapped Fujita’s left arm, and the heels began targeting the damaged limb. Robbie X hit a slingshot senton at 5:00, and they kept Kosei on the mat. Ishimori hit a shoulder-breaker over his knee.
Kosei hit a spin kick to Ishimori’s chin and they were both down. Eagles got in and hit some kicks, then a Meteora in the corner on Ishimori for a nearfall at 7:00. Eagles hit a dive through the ropes on Robbie X. Ishimori hit a Triangle Moonsault to the floor. Kosei hit a flip dive over the ropes to the floor, and everyone was down at 8:30. In the ring, Ishimori hit a handspring-back-spin kick on Eagles. This crowd was hot. Robbie X entered and traded forearm strikes with Eagles. Robbie X hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:30. Robbie X hit a Sliced Bread. Fujita tagged back in and traded blows with Robbie X, but Kosei sold pain in his shoulder. Kosei hit a springboard dropkick for a nearfall at 12:00. Kosei tied him in the (Jungle Boy-style) Snare Trap leg lock, but Ishimori made the save.
Kosei got an O’Connor Roll for a believable nearfall. All four traded kicks. Robbie X went for a Pele Kick, but Eagles nailed him with a kick to the face, and all four were down at 14:30. This has been insanely good. Eagles got a folding press on Robbie X for a nearfall. Robbie X hit a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. Robbie X nailed a Poison Rana, then a Lethal Injection on Eagles for a believable nearfall at 16:00. BC hit a Magic Killer team slam, and Robbie X hit a Phoenix Splash for a believable nearfall, but Kosei made the save. Robbie X hit a Pele Kick on Fujita. TMDK hit a team slam on Robbie X for a nearfall. Kosei hit a German Suplex. Eagles hit a Shining Wizard to pin Robbie X. WOW that was good.
Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita defeated Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles at 17:39.
* Yoh and Master Wato hit the ring! They want the next title shot, and TMDK agreed. They are playing up that Wato is really into this teaming, but Yoh is indifferent. (They were doing the exact same thing with Wato and El Desperado before they both suffered injuries.)
7. El Desperado vs. Clark Connors in a hardcore match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title. They argued and shouted at each other before they finally traded chops at 1:00, and this chop exchange kept going! They finally stopped at 3:00, picked up chairs, and swung them at each other. Despe bodyslammed him onto a folded chair, then swung a chair onto Connor’s head as it was on an open chair. They went to the floor, where Clark hit him with a trash can at 5:30. Connors hit a Pounce at 7:00 that sent Desperado flying into rows of empty chairs. Walker Stewart said Despe is the only person to kick out of Connnor’s “No Chaser” (spike DDT), and it has irked Clark. They brawled up the staircase and around the building.
Despe whipped Connors into rows of chairs at 10:30. They brawled up the longer bleachers and traded kendo stick blows on the landing halfway up the seating area; Clark whipped him with the kendo stick several times at 14:00 and that popped the crowd. They returned to ringside but we’ve now gone more than 10 minutes since they were in the ring. Connors took off his belt and tied Despe’s arms around the ring post at 16:00! He did his best Aaron Judge impression, wound up, and struck Despe across his back. He poured some alcohol on the wounds on the back, and Despe screamed. Clark set up two tables on the floor next to the ring at 18:30. Connors let the ref free Despe from the corner, but Clark immediately hit Desperado in the stomach with the kendo stick.
Despe tried to hit a Spinebuster onto the tables but Clark blocked it, and he pushed Desperado into the ring at 20:30! Connors busted the whiskey bottle against the ring post, with glass flying everywhere. He got in the ring with the broken top half of the bottle and he shoved it into Despe’s forehead at 22:00. Gross. Desperado grabbed the broken bottle and pushed it into Clark’s forehead. He hit some Irish Whips and we can see Clark’s bloody forehead. Clark powerbombed him onto four open chairs at 26:30. Desperado hit a back suplex and a brainbuster for a nearfall. He went under the ring and got a chair wrapped in barbed wire; as he got in the ring at 28:30, Clark hit a Gore but struck the chair, and it injured them both!
They both pulled pieces of barbed wire off the chair, and they wrapped it around their wrists, and they repeatedly punched each other with it. Clark hit a powerslam, dropping Despe on the barbed-wire chair! Clark struck him on the back with the chair! He then hit a Stomp, shoving Despe’s head onto the chair at 31:00. Desperado hit a back suplex onto the barbed-wire chair for a nearfall. Desperado nailed Pinche Loco (Angel’s Wings) for a nearfall at 33:00. Clark hit the Trophy Kill slam and a clothesline for a nearfall. This crowd has been hot throughout this match. In an INSANE spot, they fought on the top rope, and Despe essentially hit a spinebuster through the two tables on the floor at 36:00. In the ring, Desperado hit a Jay Driller, then a second Pinche Loco for the pin. What a brawl.
El Desperado defeated Clark Connors to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title at 37:52.
* Thekla and Drilla Moloney checked on Connors. Clark and El Desperado gave each other the middle finger as a sign of respect, and Despe drank a beer. The heels left. Desperado was about to speak when the lights went out. On the screen, Templario issued a challenge to Despe!
Final Thoughts: I rarely suggest or post a ‘match rating,’ because they are so subjective and it tends to be what people focus on from my review. But I feel I want to point out that the Junior Tag Title match would get a 4.5-star rating by others who do put out those reviews. It is that good… and I wouldn’t argue with a 4.75. The main event was a very good brawl and the violence built up nicely in the match. That bump from the top rope through the tables was an insane spot. I’ll reiterate that even at 38 minutes, that brawl never dragged, either.
The undercard matches were solid and certainly much better than Wednesday’s action. Sakura Genesis takes place Saturday. I’m fully hoping we see a title change to David Finlay; it’s time.
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