By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Road to Sakura Genesis”
April 2, 2025 in Yamanashi, Japan at Aimesse Yamanashi
Streamed live on New Japan World
This is a large, well-lit gym. The floor is packed with maybe 800-1,000 fans; there are no risers or second level. This show has Japanese-only commentary.
1. Toru Yano, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Boltin Oleg, Katsuya Murashima, and Ninja Mack vs. Tiger Mask, Yoh, Master Wato, Tomoaki Honma, and Togi Makabe. Can we just let Yoh fight Ninja Mack? Togi and Yano opened. Tenzan stumbled and fell; is he okay? No, I’m serious… he does not look well. Tiger Mask battled Tenzan and this looked awful. Oleg got in at 3:30 and he flipped TM around in his arms, then hit a splash to the mat. Wato got in and battled Ninja Mack, and they had a good exchange. Murashima entered at 6:30 and battled Yoh, and he hit a Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall, then he applied a Boston Crab. Yoh applied a headlock submission hold, and Murashima tapped out. Basic. I think anyone who watches this will agree with me that Tenzan does not look like he should be in the ring right now.
Tiger Mask, Yoh, Master Wato, Tomoaki Honma, and Togi Makabe defeated Toru Yano, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Boltin Oleg, Katsuya Murashima, and Ninja Mack at 9:06.
2. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Sanada and Drilla Moloney vs. “Just 4 Guys” Yuya Uemura and Taka Michinoku. Sanada carried a guitar to ringside and he has bizarre sunglasses on. The BCWD attacked and we’re underway; Sanada and Yuya brawled on the floor, and Yuya didn’t even have a chance to remove his jacket. Drilla and Taka were brawling elsewhere on the floor. They got in the ring with the heels keeping Taka in their corner. Yuya got a hot tag at 3:30 and traded deep armdrags with Sanada. Sanada tied him in the Paradise Lock, and he applied Skull End, but Yuya escaped and hit a dropkick at 6:00, and they were both down. Taka got back in and hit a running knee to Drilla’s forehead, and he cranked back on the head. Drilla hit a Gore for a believable nearfall, then the Drilla Killa (swinging piledriver) for the pin. Decent action.
Sanada and Drilla Moloney defeated Yuya Uemura and Taka Michinoku at 7:44.
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Hartley Jackson, Robbie Eagles, and Kosei Fujita vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Taiji Ishimori, Gabe Kidd, and Robbie X. Eagles and Robbie X opened and they traded quick reversals. Kosei tagged in and chopped Robbie X. The heels worked over Fujita, until Eagles got back and cleared the ring. Ishimori hit a handspring-back-spin kick on Eagles. Kidd and Hartley finally tagged in at 7:00 and they traded shoulder blocks, until Kidd finally dropped the massive Jackson. Jackson suplexed Kidd and hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall, but he missed a senton. Kidd hit his own senton for a nearfall, then a suplex for a nearfall at 9:00. They hit simultaneous clotheslines. Kidd hit a discus clothesline and a piledriver for the pin on Hartley. Good action.
Taiji Ishimori, Gabe Kidd, and Robbie X defeated Hartley Jackson, Robbie Eagles, and Kosei Fujita at 11:00 even.
4. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, and Hiromu Takahashi vs. “United Empire” Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, and Jakob Austin Young. Callum and Hiromu opened with an intense lockup, and Callum hit a Mafia Kick to the sternum. Jakob got in and stomped on Hiromu. Akira hit a running head-scissors takedown at 2:30, then top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. LIJ began working over Akira in their corner. Naito hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 5:30. Newman got the hot tag and hit a doublestomp on Naito, and those two traded forearm strikes.
Naito nailed a spinebuster at 8:00. (I don’t speak Japanese, but “spinebuster” is clearly a universal word in pro wrestling!) Jakob hit a dropkick on Hiromu and was fired up. He hit a second-rope dropkick and a twisting suplex, but he couldn’t hit a Jakob’s Ladder (sliced bread). Hiromu hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Bushi dove through the ropes onto Newman. Hiromu locked in a Figure Four, and Young tapped out. Good action.
Tetsuya Naito, Bushi, and Hiromu Takahashi defeated Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, and Jakob Austin Young at 11:13.
5. Yota Tsuji vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru for the IWGP Global Title. I always say we need more singles matches in NJPW. (I believe this is a title match but without English commentary, I’m not 100 percent sure.) Yota got on the mic and spoke to him and they shook hands. (My guess, based on the commentators’ reaction, is Yota just offered to make it a title match.) Standing reversals early on. Kanemaru tied him in a leg lock, but Tsuji reached the ropes at 5:00. Tsuji hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee at 7:30 but he sold the pain in his leg. Kanemaru applied a Figure Four and kept Tsuji grounded.
Tsuji was just starting to take charge, when suddenly EVIL jumped in the ring and attacked, hitting a low blow uppercut, and the ref called for the bell. Dick Togo also jumped in the ring and helped beat up Tsuji. They buried him under a pile of folded chairs, then hit those chairs with other chairs. EVIL got on the mic and yelled at the prone Tsuji. (Where is the rest of LIJ? Why aren’t they down here, making the save?)
Yota Tsuji defeated Yoshinobu Kanemaru via DQ to retain the the IWGP Global Title at 11:42.
6. Yoshi-Hashi, Hirooki Goto, and Desperado vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” David Finlay, Gedo, and Clark Connors. Finlay carried the ornate New Japan Cup trophy with him. Despe and Clark opened and immediately traded chops for the first 90 seconds. Clark removed a necklace, handed it to someone, and they resumed this chop-fest! Y-H and Gedo entered at 2:30. Goto suplexed Connors onto Gedo. The BCWD worked over Yoshi-Hashi. Goto got a hot tag at 6:30 and battled Finlay, hitting a spinning leg lariat in the corner, then a back suplex. Desperado tied up Gedo on the mat and applied a Stretch Muffler, but Finlay made the save. Gedo raked at the eyes and got a rollup for a nearfall. Desperado hit a spinebuster and reapplied the Stretch Muffler, and Gedo tapped out. Just a so-so match.
Yoshi-Hashi, Hirooki Goto, and Desperado defeated David Finlay, Gedo, and Clark Connors at 10:03.
* Connors nailed Desperado in the head with Despe’s title belt! Clark took off his belt and choked Despe. “Y’all want to see a dead body? Korakuen Hall, in a hardcore match, at Sakura Genesis,” Connors said. “I’ll be walking out with this; you’ll be lucky to walk out alive.”
7. Shingo Takagi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi. The crowd was hot and split as they locked up and traded standing switches and an extended feeling-out process. Shingo hit a back suplex at 3:00. Shingo hit a knee drop on the forehead. Tanahashi hit a basement dropkick on the knee, then a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 5:30, and he began targeting the left leg. Shingo hit a senton for a nearfall at 8:30 but he sold the pain in his leg. Shingo hit a sliding clothesline at 10:30, then a DDT. He hit a twisting neckbreaker. Hiroshi hit a Twist and Shout neckbreaker. Shingo hit a Sling Blade! Hiroshi hit his own Sling Blade and got a nearfall at 13:00.
Tanahashi went to the top rope, but Shingo cut him off, and Takagi hit a top-rope superplex, and they were both down. Takagi hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Tanahashi hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Tanahashi hit a Dragon Suplex, then another Sling Blade. Shingo hit a clothesline and they were both down. Tanahashi hit another Twist and Shout and another Sling Blade for a nearfall at 18:00. He hit a top-rope crossbody block, but he missed the High Fly Flow (frogsplash). They got up and traded slaps. Shingo nailed the Burning Dragon (modified DVD), then the Pumping Bomber clothesline for a nearfall at 20:00; the time-check was spot-on. Shingo nailed a second Burning Dragon for the pin. A very good match; I wouldn’t be surprised if that winds up being the best singles match Tanahashi has in 2025.
Shingo Takagi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi at 20:26.
* Shingo spoke on the mic.
Final Thoughts: A good main event that carried the show. TMDK vs. Bullet Club takes second, and LIJ vs. UE takes third. On the negative side, the Goto match was flat; it’s meant to set up the upcoming Finlay-Goto singles match, but this just wasn’t a strong match and they didn’t interact enough.
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