By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to Sakura Genesis”
April 2, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan, at Korakuen Hall
Streamed live on New Japan World
Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton provided commentary.
1. Kushida and Masatora Yasuda vs. Tiger Mask and Shota Umino. Kushida reportedly just moved back to Japan, so I presume we are going to start seeing more of him here. Yasuda and Tiger Mask opened. Charlton said Tiger Mask’s retirement is set for July; I knew it was this year. The commentators talked about Umino facing Takeshita, as Shota unloaded some loud chops on Yasuda. Kushida tagged in and hit a tornado DDT on Umino, then a Pele Kick on Tiger Mask. Kushida snapped Umino’s arm behind his back.
Yasuda put Shota in a Boston Crab at 4:00, but Tiger Mask made the save. Shota dropped Yasuda with a loud forearm strike! He followed that with a decapitating clotheslines. He hit a Raging Fire (Takeshita’s Falcon Arrow!) to score the pin. Walker said that was a “direct message” to Takeshita. Good action.
Tiger Mask and Shota Umino defeated Kushida and Masatora Yasuda at 5:35.
* Tiger Mask spoke on the mic and noted his retirement is set for here in Korakuen Hall on July 7th. He vowed to stay in perfect form to give the best match possible. (So glad to have Charlton in the booth for the instant translation.)
2. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto. They tied up on the mat and traded standing switches. Matsumoto backed him against the ropes and hit a few chops that Takeshita shrugged off. He hit a dropkick, but it only staggered Konosuke. They fought to the floor at 2:00, right in front of Umino, who was on Japanese commentary! Takeshita hit a bodyslam onto the thin mat at ringside! Ouch! He hit another one onto the bare floor!
Matsumoto got back into the ring before being counted out. He hit some forearm strikes, but Takeshita hit a headbutt. Matsumoto dropped him with a running European Uppercut, but only got a one-count at 4:30. Matsumoto hit a dropkick in the corner and his modified Air Raid Crash! Takeshita hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for the pin. Good pair of matches to set up the marquee Takeshita-Umino match in two days.
Konosuke Takeshita defeated Tatsuya Matsumoto at 6:37.
* Shota got in the ring and confronted Takeshita, who held his belt up. No punches were thrown.
3. El Desperado, Taichi, and Yuya Uemura vs. Master Wato, Togi Makabe, and Tomoaki Honma. Despe and Wato opened with some basic reversals, and Despe hit a basement dropkick on the knee. Yuya entered at 2:00 and bodyslammed Wato. Taichi entered and tied up Wato’s legs. Wato hit a leg lariat on Yuya. Togi tagged in at 4:00 and hit some shoulder tackles. Yuya hit a crossbody block on Togi, and they were both down.
Yuya and Togi got up and traded forearm strikes, and Makabe dropped him with a left-arm clothesline. Honma entered and battled Taichi, but he missed a Kokeshi falling headbutt. Desperado slammed Wato onto Honma. Togi hit a double clothesline at 7:00. Honma hit the Kokeshi on Taichi for a nearfall. Taichi hit a sliding clothesline for a nearfall, and those two traded chops, then stereo clotheslines. Taichi hit an enzuigiri, but Honma hit a flying headbutt! Taichi rolled him up for the pin. Better-than-expected action.
El Desperado, Taichi, and Yuya Uemura defeated Master Wato, Togi Makabe, and Tomoaki Honma at 9:16.
4. “House of Torture” Ren Narita, Chase Owens, Yujiro Takeshita, Don Fale, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano, Aaron Wolf and “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi. The HoT attacked, and we’re underway! All ten immediately fought to the floor. We got a bell at 00:39 as Chase and Goto got in the ring. Oleg hit a bodyslam. Fale did the comical power-up where all five babyfaces beating on him went flying. The heels began working over Goto in their corner. Goto dropped Ren with a clothesline at 3:30.
Oleg got in and hit some shoulder tackles that sent heels flying, and it made Charlton laugh. Boltin hit a double suplex, then he flipped Narita around in his arms and hit the gutwrench suplex for a nearfall. Oleg put Ren in a Torture Rack! Ren grapevined Oleg’s leg on the mat. Oleg hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Narita. Wolf entered and traded shoulder blocks with Fale, and Aaron hit an elbow drop for a nearfall at 6:00, but he couldn’t get the big man up for a suplex. They traded more forearm strikes.
Wolf finally hit a suplex, and they were both down. Yano tagged in and immediately removed a corner pad. Fale charged and struck the bare corner. Yano couldn’t hit a bodyslam, but Fale easily bodyslammed Yano. All of the HoT jumped in and took turns slamming onto Yano in the corner. Kanemaru hit Yano in the head with his whiskey bottle! Fale hit a massive elbow drop and pinned Yano. I don’t think Yoshi-Hashi was ever legally in the match!
“House of Torture” Ren Narita, Chase Owens, Yujiro Takeshita, Don Fale, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano, Aaron Wolf, and “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi at 8:46/official time of 8:07.
5. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson vs. Gedo and “The Knockout Brothers” Oskar and Yuto Ice. Oiwa and Yuto-Ice immediately traded forearm strikes. Yuto hit his running knees to the jaw in the corner for a nearfall. They traded some stiff kicks. “That will put hair on your chest,” Charlton said. Oiwa hit a back suplex, and they were both down. Oskar and Sabre tagged in at 2:30; Oskar scooped him up and threw him back-first into the corner. Zack fired back with some European Uppercuts.
Oskar hit a vicious Irish Whip. Sabre jumped on Oskar’s back and locked in a sleeper, then he got a rollup for a nearfall. Sabre applied an ankle lock, but Oskar escaped at 5:00. Sabre hit a running Penalty Kick; Oskar hit a bodyslam, and they were both down. Hartley and Gedo got in — what a size difference! Gedo tried some blows that the massive Hartley no-sold, so Gedo, of course, poked him in the eyes. Hartley dropped him with a clothesline, but he missed a senton. Gedo tried a Gedo Clutch, but Hartley stood up. He hit the Jagged Edge (DVD) on Gedo for the pin. Some good humor as Gedo couldn’t do anything on Hartley.
“The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson defeated Gedo and “The Knockout Brothers” Oskar and Yuto Ice at 6:53.
6. “United Empire” Jake Lee, Zane Jay, and Callum Newman vs. “The Unbound Co.” Shingo Takagi, Daiki Nagai, and Yota Tsuji. The UE attacked from behind, and we’re underway! Callum stomped on Yota as the others fought on the floor. The Unbound Co. cleared the ring. Zane jumped in and dropped Yota with a dropkick. Shingo hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Lee. Yota stomped on Callum’s head at 2:30.
Callum hit some knee strikes on Yota and kept Tsuji grounded. Yota hit a Flatliner and a German Suplex, but Callum popped up and hit a clothesline. Yota hit a powerbomb move, and they were both down. Nagai hit a Spinebuster on Newman, and he applied a Boston Crab at 4:30, but Zane made the save. Nagai hit some dropkicks on Lee. Newman hit a double stomp on Nagai’s back for the pin. Good action. Shingo and Lee continued to brawl after the bell. Shockingly short.
“United Empire” Jake Lee, Zane Jay, and Callum Newman vs. “The Unbound Co.” Shingo Takagi, Daiki Nagai, and Yota Tsuji at 5:23.
* Newman got on the mic. He had the title belt over his shoulder. He said, “I’m carrying the whole damn company.” He said he’s carrying all of British wrestling, too.
7. “The Unbound Co.” Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X vs. “United Empire” Jakob Austin Young and Francesco Akira for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Titles. Ishimori and Akira opened and traded some fast-paced reversals. Ishimori hit a huracanrana and a dropkick. Young entered and hit some chops. Robbie hit an assisted moonsault at 2:30, and he flipped Ishimori onto Young for a nearfall. Young shoved the ropes, causing Robbie to fall and be crotched. Akira hit a standing moonsault on Ishimori, and Young got a nearfall.
Akira made a cocky, one-footed cover for a nearfall at 5:00, as the UE continued to work over Ishimori. Robbie X finally got a hot tag, and he unloaded a series of kicks on Young, then a leg lariat to the jaw at 7:00. Robbie hit a double plancha to the floor, and that got a pop. He hit a springboard dropkick in the ring on Young for a nearfall. Young hit a “Brain Rot” twisting suplex for a nearfall at 9:00. Ishimori and Akira tagged back in and immediately traded forearm strikes, and Ishimori hit his handspring-back-enzuigiri, then a rolling DVD for a nearfall.
Ishimori hit a shoulder-breaker over his knee for a nearfall. Akira hit an enzuigiri, then a second-rope moonsault and a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. Akira hit a gutbuster over his knees, but he missed a Fireball double knees. Ishimori applied the Bone Lock (crossface) at 13:00. He rolled Akira to the center of the ring, but Francesco eventually reached the ropes. Akira bit Robbie’s wrist! Robbie hit a Pele Kick. The UE hit a team powerbomb o Robbie for a nearfall at 15:00, but Ishimori made the save.
Akira hit a German Suplex. Robbie went for a Lethal Injection, but it was blocked. Young hit the Jakob’s Ladder (Sliced Bread out of the corner) for a nearfall at 16:30. Robbie hit the Lethal Injection! They hit the Magic Killer team slam. Robbie missed his X Express corkscrew splash, but he hit a springboard twisting dive to the floor on the opponents. In the ring, Ishimori hit a 450 Splash on Young, and Robbie immediately hit the X Express on Young for the pin. Dazzling juniors action!
“The Unbound Co.” Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X defeated “United Empire” Jakob Austin Young and Francesco Akira to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Titles at 18:09.
* The UE left, and the champs celebrated in the ring. Kosei Fujita got in the ring and challenged them! He and Eagles previously lost to Eagles and Ishimori, but it was a fantastic bout.
8. Douki vs. Yoh for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title. Douki came out solo; Charlton wondered if the House of Torture was hiding under the ring. Yoh grabbed Douki, pulled him into the ring, and we’re underway! Stewart said these two are 1-1 in singles matches. They went to the floor, and Yoh whipped Douki into rows of chairs. Douki applied a half-crab on the floor. They brawled up the staircase to the landing halfway up the seating area. Douki slammed Yoh’s knees on the cement floor at 4:00. They returned to ringside, and Douki wrapped Yoh’s legs around the ring post.
Douki kept him grounded on the mat, and he tied him in a modified Figure Four at 7:00. Yoh hit a DDT, and they were both down, with Yoh clutching at his sore left knee. They fought to the floor and crashed on a table where Hiroshi Tanahashi was seated! “The man’s retired, Chris!” Yoh dragged Douki into the ring and hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 10:00. Douki avoided a superkick, and he hit a basement dropkick on the leg and went back to a Figure Four.
Yoh hit a neckbreaker over his knee at 13:00, but he sold the pain that move caused him as well. Yoh hit a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall. Douki’s legs accidentally struck the ref! Douki got the metal sheet, but Yoh grabbed it and cracked it over Douki’s head. Yoh hit a “Darkness Falls”-style DVD on Douki. (The commentators have noted that Yoh is stealing everyone’s moves of late.) He applied a Sharpshooter, and the bell rang at 17:00, but of course, it was Sho ringing it. The HoT got in the ring and stomped on Yoh.
Kanemaru took a drink of his whiskey, but Yoh kicked it out. Yoh took a swig and forcibly kissed Sho, presumably emptying the fluid into Sho’s mouth! Yoh hit a uranage on Sho, then a decapitating clothesline on Douki. Douki pushed Yoh into the ref. Yoh hit a superkick at 19:00. We got another ref! Yoh went for Directo Drive (double-arm DDT), but Douki again pushed Yoh into the ref. Douki and Kanemaru hit a Magic Killer on Yoh. Togo put a chair over Yoh’s head and hit it with another chair. Douki hit the Everything is Evil uranage for a believable nearfall. He nailed the Dragon Suplex with a high bridge for the pin. Entertaining, even with all the HoT interference.
Douki defeated Yoh to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title at 21:14.
* Hiroshi Tanahashi (wearing a suit) got in the ring, as did Tiger Mask! Tiger Mask asked Douki if he thinks the fans are satisfied with what they just saw. Tiger Mask said he’s next!
Final Thoughts: An entertaining show. I still don’t think Douki and Yoh are headliners, and I still would rank Desperado and Ishimori as the face of the division ahead of Douki, but it was a good match. I’ll go with the juniors tag match for best of the night, as Robbie X and Ishimori continue to create magic in their matches. The undercard continued the build for the show on Saturday.
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