New Japan Pro Wrestling 4/8/2023 Sakura Genesis 2023
I saw the top 5 matches here:
IWGP Women's Title Three Way Match - Mercedes Mone (c) vs. Hazuki vs. AZM
Let it be known that I don't support women's wrestling on NJPW shows. It's okay to have promotions where it's only men or women.
They start off with armdrags and multiple pin attempts. AZM and MM work together and try to hiptoss Hazuki into the top rope but both are armdragged. Hazuki facewashes MM then half nelson slams and sentons her for 2. MM rolls up Hazuki then takes a top rope double stomp from AZM. AZM throws Hazuki and shes turns it into a tope on MM. AZM then walks up the buckles and dives on all of them.
AZM top rope double stomps Hazuki. Hazuki has AZM in a sleeper then MM gets in and MM ends up taking a double crossface. MM hits a double bulldog. MM hits meteoras in the corners then takes a codebreaker while going for a gori special drop. Hazuki crossfaces AZM then AZM la mistica's MM and ends up putting both opponents in a bow and arrow at the same time. Hazuk 2nd rope suplexes AZM and is sunset bombed in the process.
Hazuki and MM trade forearms on their knees and then standing up. MM backcrackers both opponents then 2nd rope meteoras AZM for 2. MM backcrackers AZM but AZM rolls through it and oduble stomps her. Hazuki springboard double dropkicks both then running facekicks MM for 2. Hazuki pounds on MM with an elbow flurry. MM is stuck on the 2nd rope and takes a Hazuki codebreaker then Hazuki top rope codebreakers her.
We get some pin attempts then Hazuki slams her. AZM rolls up Hazuki then takes an unusual gori special throw onto Hazuki by MM and Mercedes Mone ends up winning it.
Multi-person matches are always a wild mess with everyone rushing to get stuff in and get in and out. This was no different. Some nice spots here, but these matches are just tough to get a lot out of.
NJPW World Television Title - Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs Shota Umino
I'm not a fan of these matches. Zack is not a 15 minute type of wrestler and rushing him through these matches is a waste of his type. Zack worked the arm and it went nowhere and Zack no sold a key cradle ddt later before winning randomly.
IWGP Tag Titles - Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) (c) vs. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
Yoshi hits some kicks on Mark early then Mark shoulders him over. Kyle takes a double shoulder then a russian legsweep + blockbuster combo. Mark does a big tope onto Yoshi into the rails then Kyle does a top rope moonsault onto Goto outside and hits head on the rail hard. Kyle gets a big cut on the side of the his head then Goto takes a running PK.
Goto hits a weak spinning lariat on Mark then Yoshi running blockbusters him. Kyle hangs over the top rope and is dropkicked by Yoshi. Mark then takes a neckbreaker from Yoshi for 2. Mark hits a very high backdrop on Yoshi then Kyle gets in and running kicks Yoshi in the corner. Kyle does a nice surprise half and half snap suplex on Yoshi then Yoshi is thrown up into a kick. Yoshi is then thrown up into a cutter for 2. Yoshi throws Kyle's leg into Mark then codebreakers him.
Goto gets in and takes a hard forearm from Kyle then Goto hits a stiff lariat on Mark. Goto and Kyle trade forearms then Goto lariats him. Goto spinning heel kicks and backdrops Kyle for 2. Everyone gets a move in then Kyle takes a sperkick + a neckbreaker over the knee. Goto elbow slices Kyle while he is bridged on the 2nd rope. Goto hits a GYW. Mark hits both opponents with forearms and chops then is lariated over the top. Kyle takes a dragon suplex then Goto takes a weird double team sitout alabama slam.
Yoshi takes a superkick + facekick combo then Goto and Yoshi are lariated at the same time. Goto takes a sandwich lariat then a double team driver for the Aussie Open win.
This was a fun tag match. The crowd and announcers were really into it which helped a lot. There wasn't a great story to it and it mainly was a match built around kickouts, but it was a good effort by all and better than I had expected.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title - Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs Robbie Eagles
They start off fast then Eagles walks up the ropes and double armdrags him. Hiromu blocks his hurricanrana then puts him in a reverse figure four that Eagles ropebreaks for. Hiromu tries a sunset bomb over the top on Eagles but his leg gives out. Eagles dives onto the leg from the apron then ties it around the rails. He then reverse figure fours the leg around the rails. Eagles is thrown into the rails then bangs Hiromu's leg off the apron. Hiromu goes for a hurricanrana but Eagles blocks it and works the leg. Eagles rips off the bandages on the knee and drops his knees on it.
Eagles lariats him in the back of the head as he is on his knees then legbars him. Eagles hits a hard kick to the chest then Hiroum hurricanrana's him. Eagles tope con hilos him through the ropes. Eagles springboard dropkicks Hiromu in the knee then reverse figure fours him. Eagles hits a sliced bread #2 and tries to 450 him, but Hiromu gets his legs up. They reverse moves then Hiromu lifts him up for a suplex but drops him like a ddt.
They trade forearms then suplexes. Eagles has his neck drive into the buckles then takes a time bomb for 2. Hiromu superkicks him and hits two lariats. Eagles hits a 2nd rope poisonrana then 450's him. Hiromu rolls him up then is put in the rverse figure four again. Hiromu rolls him up then has his leg swept. Hiromu hits a dynamite plunger for 2 then hits a running lariat and a time bomb 2 to win it.
I had no issues with the first half of this as they worked Hiromu's leg. But it just went on and on and the leg became less important in favor of trading big moves.
IWGP Title - Kazuchika Okada (c) vs SANADA
Sanada has new shiny gear. They lock up and Sanada grabs a side headlock. Okada does not give him a clean break then running forearms him. Sanada is thrown into the rails outside then facekicked over them. Sanada bridges him on the rails and twisting neckbreakers him on the floor. Sanada drops elbows on his neck and cravates him, then backdrops him. Sanada slaps on the side headlock again and Okada hits the ropes.
They trade forearms, Okada flips out of a backdrop then flapjacks him. Okada knocks him down with forearms then facekicks him. Okada ddt's him then dropkicks Sanada to the floor when he gets on the 2nd turnbuckle. Okada pulls up the mats outside then ddt's him on the floor. Okada puts him in the money clip then Sanada gets out and springboard dropkicks him. Sanada dropkicks him then plancha's him outside.
Sanada hits another bridged twisting neckbreaker then Sanada hits the TKO. Sanada grounded dragon sleepers him but Okada breaks it up then is put back in it. Okada gets his knees up on a top rope Sanada moonsault. Okada hits a high german then a short arm clothesline. Okada money clips him then top rope elbow drops him. Okada hits a dropkick then does a fire thunder driver. Okada misses a rainmaker then Sanada hits one. They trade forearms and Sanada no sells his shotgun dropkick.
Okada dropkicks him then Sanada pops him up into a cutter. Sanada top rope moonsaults Okada's back then his chest for 2. Okada enzugiri's him then is rolled up for 2. Sanada shining wizards him then takes a spinning emerald flowsion. Okada goes for a rainmaker and Sanada reverses it into a ddt to win the IWGP title. Big upset here.
This was a good match. Both guys worked the neck some and with their history, there was a little more to it than the usual match. The crowd was into it and they just matched up well together. The match made sense and didn't have a lot of major issues either. I do find it funny how Sanada was more over at times yet was just not deemed worthy enough by NJPW, but then Jay White leaves and suddenly he's the huge star that needs to be champ. I won't be surprised if he ends up like Shingo where he became champ out of nowhere then he goes back to never being the guy once the reign ends.
Hiromu Takahashi challenges Sanada after for the title. Sanada tells him he needs to deal with Kanemaru first then Kanemaru challenges Hiromu for his junior title.
Overall thoughts: I saw the top 5 matches. The main was good and the tag title match was also good. I didn't care for the junior heavyweight title match and the women did the best they could with the three way, but the match type is just flawed.
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