By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Sakura Genesis”
April 5, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan at Ryogoku Sumo Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
This is an arena and the crowd was perhaps 5,000. Lighting was good. Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton provided commentary.
1. Katsuya Murashima vs. Daiki Nagai. Basic action between the Young Lions. Katsuya grapevined the leg, with Nagai reaching the ropes at 4:00. Murashima is bigger and kept Daiki grounded Nagai hit a dropkick. Nagai hit a hesitation dropkick in the corner at 6:30. Murashima hit a dropkick and was fired up. He hit a powerslam and applied a Boston Crab, and Daiki tapped out. Solid opener.
Katsuya Murashima defeated Daiki Nagai at 8:12.
2. Sanada vs. Yuya Uemura (w/Taichi, Taka Michinoku). Yuya beat Sanada in the first round of the New Japan Cup, so this is a rematch. Standing switches early on. Yuya hit a basement dropkick at 3:00, and Sanada rolled to the floor to regroup. In the ring, Uemura hit another dropkick and a back suplex for a nearfall. Sanada hit a dropkick, then a plancha to the floor. He whipped Yuya into the guardrails at 5:00, and they brawled into the crowd. Sanada used the ring apron to hit a Magic Screw twisting neckbreaker at 7:00.
Back in the ring, he hit a second Magic Screw, using the top rope. Yuya hit a twisting uranage and they were both down. They traded enzuigiris. Sanada went for Skull End, but Yuya avoided it. Sanada set up for Deadfall, but Yuya escaped that, too. The ref got bumped, and Sanada immediately hit a low blow mule kick at 10:00, then a Shining Wizard. Sanada missed a moonsault, and Yuya immediately locked on a cross-armbreaker, and Sanada tapped out!
Yuya Uemura defeated Sanada at 10:27.
3. El Phantasmo (w/Jado) vs. Great-O-Khan for the NJPW TV Title. O-Khan also beat El Phantasmo in the first round of the New Japan Cup, so this is another rematch. ELP has tape on his right shoulder, but he almost immediately hit a dive through the ropes onto O-Khan, and they fought at ringside. Phantasmo hit a springboard dive, going over the guardrails, and crashing onto O-Khan in the crowd — we’re still in the first minute! O-Khan dropped ELP back-first on the guardrail! Ouch! In the ring, O-Khan hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 3:00, then a gut-wrench suplex for a nearfall.
El Phantasmo tried to put O-Khan on his shoulders but his back gave out. O-Khan hit his Mongolian Chops, and he grabbed at ELP’s groin! ELP hit a Frankensteiner at 5:30; he went for a frogsplash, but O-Khan got his knees up. O-Khan hit a Flatliner. ELP hit a tornado DDT but he clutched at his sore shoulder. ELP hit an enzuigiri and they were both down. O-Khan hit a series of forearm strikes. ELP ripped off the tape on his own shoulder and unloaded some slaps. They hit stereo clotheslines at 8:30. Jado helped push ELP’s shoulder back into place.
ELP did an airplane spin-into-a-neckbreaker for a nearfall, then a superkick. He hit the CR2 (modified Styles Clash) for a believable nearfall at 10:00. They went to the floor and Jado somehow got in the middle of them, and the ref was counting! O-Khan hit a Tombstone Piledriver onto two open chairs! He dove back into the ring at the 18-count. ELP did not get to his feet and back into the ring. This title changes hands on a countout, so we have a new champion!
Great-O-Khan defeated El Phantasmo via count-out to win the NJPW TV Title at 11:05.
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shota Umino. I like that Hiroshi is doing so many singles matches ahead of his retirement. Standing switches and a feeling-out process early on, and Shota knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Walker said they have one prior match that Hiroshi won, while Shota was still a Young Lion. Shota hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 2:00 and stomped on the damaged knee. Walker just noted that Hiroshi has already wrestled more singles matches in 2025 than he did in all of 2024.
Hiroshi hit his own Dragonscrew Legwhip at 7:00. Shota hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Hiroshi hit a pair of Twist-and-Shout neckbreakers. Tanahashi hit a Sling Blade clothesline and hit a top-rope crossbody block, but he missed the High Fly Flow (frogsplash) at 11:00. Shota hit a flying knee to the back of the head, the one to the forehead. He hit a clothesline and his Second Chapter (Snow Plow driver) for the clean pin. Good match. Hiroshi is wisely putting over all the rising stars.
Shota Umino defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi at 12:46.
* Shota got on the mic and said it is his goal to lead Hontai (the babyface faction).
5. “House of Torture” Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, and Sho vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, and Taiji Ishimori for the NEVER Openweight six-man titles. BCWD attacked before the bell and they hit moonsaults to the floor; we got a bell at 0:25 to begin. Drilla tossed Sho over the top rope to the floor on his teammates. They all brawled into the crowd. They got back into the ring, and Gabe hit a hard slap to Ren’s face at 3:30, then a Doomsday Device clothesline for a nearfall. Quick action as everyone was brawling in the ring.
Ren hit a flying clothesline on Kidd at 5:00. Kidd hit a double clothesline and he had the crowd fired up. He hit a Rebound Lariat on Sho. Sho pushed Drilla into the ref, then Sho hit a low blow uppercut. Ren hit Kidd in the head with his push-up bar on the floor. Clark Connors ran in and cleared the ring. Sanada also came out, holding a guitar, but he intentionally hit Drilla over the head with it. Sho jumped on the prone Drilla for the pin. (Sanada turning on BCWD is the least surprising heel turn possibly of all time.) He unbuttoned his jacket and he was wearing a House of Torture shirt.
Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, and Sho defeated Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, and Taiji Ishimori to retain the NEVER Openweight six-man titles at 7:54.
* We have our announcement of the participants in the Best of the Super Juniors! In the order they were announced are: El Desperado, Ryusuke Taguchi, Yoh, Master Wato, Kushida, Kevin Knight, Ninja Mack, Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hiromu Takahashi, Bushi, Francesco Akira, Taiji Ishimori, Clark Connors, Sho, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Dragon Dia, Mao, and Nick Wayne. (Wayne is a pleasant surprise, and I didn’t expect Kevin Knight, with him just signing to AEW.) I think Wayne and Mao are the only guys making their BoSJ debut.
6. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ryohei Oiwa (w/Kosei Fujita, Hartley Jackson) for the NEVER Openweight Title. They immediately tied up on the mat, and Oiwa stomped on the left elbow. They rolled to the floor at 2:00, and Oiwa whipped him into the guardrail. Takeshita hit a Mafia Kick as Oiwa was against the guardrail. Walker said this is the first time these two have touched in a match. In the ring, Oiwa tied up Takeshita on the mat. Takeshita hit a bodyslam at 5:00 but Oiwa kept an armbar locked on. Takeshita hit a top-rope superplex at 6:30.
Oiwa hit a snap German Suplex, then a second one, but Takeshita hit an Exploder Suplex and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes, and Oiwa snapped Takeshita’s arm over his shoulder. Takeshita hit a jumping knee; Oiwa hit a back suplex at 9:00. Oiwa hit a head-scissors takedown for a nearfall, then a clothesline. Takeshita hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Oiwa nailed a Doctor Bomb (gut-wrench powerbomb) and he applied a hammerlock behind Konosuke’s head, but Takeshita reached the ropes at 11:30.
They hit stereo clotheslines; Takeshita dropped him on a second clothesline, then he hit a swinging brainbuster for a nearfall. This crowd was HOT. Oiwa hit a discus forearm. Takeshita hit some forearm strikes and his Raging Fire (twisting Falcon Arrow) for the clean pin. That was a hot, hot match. Charlton said that Takeshita is now the winningest NEVER champion of all time.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Ryohei Oiwa to retain the NEVER Openweight Title at 12:52.
7. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi vs. “United Empire” Callum Newman and Jeff Cobb for the IWGP Tag Team Titles. Walker and Charlton talked about how Callum hasn’t been able to beat Naito yet. Hiromu and Callum opened and they traded quick reversals with neither man really landing a blow. Naito and Hiromu hit double clotheslines (Charlton gets way too excited about the rather basic move.) Cobb entered at 3:00 and slammed Hiromu, and he hit a standing moonsault. Naito entered and battled Cobb, hitting a basement dropkick.
Cobb hit a Spin Cycle swinging slam on Naito and they were both down at 5:30. Naito hit a tornado DDT on Cobb. Naito hit a Destino on Newman for a nearfall. Naito hit a second Destino with an assist from Newman for a nearfall, but Cobb made the save at 7:30. Cobb had a bloody nose; he went for a Tour of the Islands, but Hiromu made the save. Hiromu hit a superkick on Callum; Callum hit a German Suplex on Hiromu.
Cobb nailed the Tour of the Islands on Hiromu. Naito hit a Destino on Cobb. Newman hit an OsCutter on Naito, then a Firebomb (fisherman’s brainbuster move) on Naito for a believable nearfall at 9:30. Naito hit a rolling Koppo Kick on Newman, but he couldn’t hit a Destino. Cobb hit a Tour of the Islands on Naito. He threw Naito in the air, and Newman nailed Tetsuya with a jumping knee! Neman hit a second Firebomb and scored the pin! New champions! That was really good, and I like this title change.
Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman defeated Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi to win the IWGP Tag Team Titles at 10:46.
Cobb stopped at the commentary table and finally addressed the rumor that he was WWE-bound, saying, “I thought I was leaving? What happened, internet?”
8. Yota Tsuji vs. EVIL (w/Dick Togo) for the NJPW Global Title. EVIL came out first and attacked someone… however, it was Yota’s twin brother! (His face is identical but he doesn’t have the muscle mass!) Yota jumped in the ring and attacked. I did start my stopwatch at the bell, and they brawled to the floor. EVIL got on the mic and was irate that Yota “tried to pull the wool over my eyes.” He applied a Figure Four on the mat, but Yota reached the ropes at 4:00. EVIL kicked at Yota’s knee and targeted it.
Yota hit a headscissors takedown at 6:30, then a dive through the ropes. In the ring, Yota missed his top-rope flying Stomp and they were both down at 8:30, and EVIL went back to kicking at the damaged left leg. EVIL hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 11:00, and he locked in a Sharpshooter, but Yota reached the ropes. Yota hit a Stomp but sold the pain in his knee. The ref got knocked down. Suddenly, Kanemaru appeared and he was dragging Yota’s twin brother to the ring! Togo jumped in the ring and hit his knife-edge chop to Yota’s groin at 15:30.
The Tsuji brothers were getting beat up in the ring, but Shingo Takagi ran to the ring and made the save. He hit a short-arm clothesline on Kanemaru. EVIL hit a low blow on Shingo; Yota hit a low blow on EVIL. The ref rolled back into the ring, but both EVIL and Yota were down. Yota nailed a Stundog Millionaire, then a sit-out powerbomb move for a nearfall at 17:30. EVIL hit the Magic Killer team slam with the unwilling aid of the ref. EVIL hit a clothesline for a nearfall, then the Darkness Falls powerbomb for a believable nearfall at 19:00. This crowd was really into this now.
Yota avoided an Everything is Evil and hit a Gene Blaster (spear) for a believable nearfall. Charlton couldn’t remember when someone kicked out of that recently. Togo threw powder but it went into EVIL’s eyes! Kanemaru got some whiskey, but he sprayed it into EVIL’s eyes! Shingo hopped back in and hit a Pumping Bomber clothesline on Kanemaru. Yota hit the Marlow Crash (top-rope curbstomp), then the Gene Blaster for the pin. A fun match; the HoT antics worked. Sure, it was a bit overbooked but it always creates the possibility that EVIL somehow wins.
Yota Tsuji defeated EVIL to retain the IWGP Global Title at 21:22.
* Yota got on the mic but as he spoke, Yuya Uemura came to the ring. “You are the next challenger,” Yota said. Yuya got the mic and said he wants to wrestle him one-on-one.
9. Hirooki Goto vs. David Finlay for the IWGP World Title. The crowd was HOT and split at the bell as they opened in a lockup. Goto hit a shoulder tackle that dropped Finlay. Goto’s children are seated at ringside again, Walker noted. Finlay kept him grounded. Goto hit a clothesline at 6:00, and they were both down. Finlay dropped him snake-eyes, and they fell over the top rope to the floor. Finlay pushed him back-first into the guardrail. Finlay set up tables on the floor; he went for a powerbomb but Goto avoided it, and Hirooki pushed David into the guardrail at 8:00.
Goto hit a huracanrana, sending Finlay face-first into the ring post. In the ring, Goto hit a flying leg lariat and a back suplex for a nearfall at 10:30. Finlay hit a series of clotheslines in the corner. They traded forearm strikes. Finlay dropped him with a clothesline for a nearfall at 13:00. He stood behind Goto and hit some crossface blows. The cameras panned over to Goto’s children, a boy (perhaps age 8) and a girl (maybe age 6). Finlay nailed the Irish Curse backbreaker over his knee, then a Dominator swinging faceplant for a nearfall at 15:00.
Goto nailed a Death Valley Driver off the ring apron and sent Finlay through a table on the floor at 16:30! He threw a prone Finlay back into the ring, but Goto sold some lower back pain. He hit the GTW swinging slam for a nearfall, then a roundhouse kick to the chest. Finlay hit an Overkill (pop-up knee to the sternum.) Finlay hit a Buckle Bomb and a standing powerbomb for a nearfall at 20:00. They fought on the ropes. Goto nailed a Sunset Flip Bomb out of the corner for a believable nearfall at 21:30. Finlay nailed an Oblivion neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall.
Finlay went for a second Overkill, but this one was blocked. He hit a Stunner and was fired up. However, Goto hit a swinging sideslam for a believable nearfall at 23:30! Goto hit the Goto Revolution neckbreaker over his knee, then a second one, then a third one, for the pin! I actually really thought Finlay was winning here. Good match.
Hirooki Goto defeated David Finlay to retain the IWGP World Title at 24:20.
* Goto got on the mic and said “this is no fairytale; this is real.” He looked at his children and thanked them. He said he knows who he wants to face in Chicago next week! He called out Shota Umino! Shoto got in the ring and he congratulated Goto on his win, and he vowed he would give it all he can and will win the title.
Final Thoughts: A very good show. I did like Takeshita-Oiwa for the best match, although I never expected a title change there. The Cobb/Newman tag match takes second place, and that was a fun (and unexpected) title change. The main event was good but I’ll rank that third; I can’t mask my disappointment that NJPW didn’t do a title change here, and it makes me wonder what is next for Finlay. A long show, at nearly four hours, but it was filled with some good action. I really hate seeing a title change on a count-out loss. Sure, it was the heel getting the cheap, tainted win, but I still hate it. So, NJPW heads to Chicago on Friday, and barring bad weather or unforeseen circumstances, I’ll be there.
If you’ve read my NJPW reviews, you know I have been highly critical of how Sanada has been booked. He left LIJ to become the leader of the Just 5 Guys faction. However, Jake Lee and Yuya Uemura both went down with injuries at roughly the same time… and somehow Gedo decided to have Sanada go from leading J5G to being a lackey in the Bullet Club. The move never made sense, not from the day it happened, and it only got worse. Sanada was always a bad fit in Bullet Club, and a change was warranted.
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