New Japan Pro Wrestling 4/5/2025 Sakura Genesis 2025

New Japan Pro Wrestling 4/5/2025 Sakura Genesis 2025

Katsuya Murashima vs. Daiki Nagai

They mat wrestle. KM wristlocks him. Nagai rolls out and reverses it then takes a shoulder throw. Nagai trips him then KM side headlocks him. They each hit forearms and KM shoulders him over. KM leglocks him.

Nagai then ropebreaks. KM bangs Nagai's knee off the mat then kneebreakers him. KM leglocks him. KM stomps on him. They trade chest forearms. Nagai dropkicks him.  KM hits forearms and chops and Nagai crossbodies him. Nagai crabs him and KM ropebreaks.

Nagai hits forearms and chops in the corner. Nagai corner dropkicks him. KM shoulders Nagai over. Nagai slaps him then is dropkicked. KM powerslams him then crabs him. Nagai then taps out.

Thoughts: It was the usual young lions match. There was nothing wrong with the work but it did go a little longer than it needed to.

SANADA vs. Yuya Uemura

Sanada is in all white and has a new hairdo I think. Sanada side headlocks him. Yuya reverses it and side headlock takeovers him. Sanada kips up and cartwheels out. Sanada flips out of a snapmare.

Sanada tries to roll out of a wristlock but Yuya rolls with him. Yuya yanks back on the arm with his leg then dropkicks the arm. Sanada stalls outside. Yuya goes up and over then hits an armdrag and dropkick. 

Yuya backdrops him. Sanada does leapfrogs then dropkicks him. Sanada slingshot plancha's him. Yuya is thrown into the rails. Yuya is banged off Milano Collection AT on commentary then Yuya is thrown into him. Sanada bridging magic screws him on the floor.

Sanda briging magic screws him again. Yuya hits armdrags then a muso. Sanada misses a shining wizard. They trade enzugiri's. Sanada goes for skull end but Yuya flips out. Yuya is pushed into the ref then Sanada low blows him. Sanada hits a shining wizard.

Sanada misses a top rope moonsault then Yuya hurricanrana's him into an armbar. Yuya then submits him.

Thoughts: It was a decent match as expected here. The outside fighting didn't add much to this but I think the match was decent enough to excuse the dirty finish.

NJPW World Television Title Match - El Phantasmo (c) vs. Great-O-Khan

ELP has an injured shoulder going into this. ELP facekicks him to start then topes him. ELP springboard crossbodies him in the front row. Khan is chopped over the rail. Khan slams ELP on the rail.

Khan bridges a chair on 2 chairs. Khan spinebusers ELP on the apron edge. Khan gutbusters him in the ring and hits karelin's lift. Khan hits a mongolian chop. ELP tries to lift him but can't due to his injured shoulder. Khan tries to sit on ELP's neck in the corner. ELP kicks him while he's on the buckles.

ELP springboard hurricanrana's him. ELP goes for a top rope splash but Khan gets his knees him. Khan flatliners him off the sheep killer. ELP 2nd rope diving tornado ddt's him. Khan hits a hard forearm. ELP hits a facekick and drops him with a step up enzugiri.

They trade forearms on their knees. ELP hits slaps on Khan then headbutts him in the gut. ELP and Khan double clothesline each other. ELP hits forearms then dropkicks him. ELP spinning cut throat neckbreakers him for 2.

ELP superkicks him then traps his arms on a gordbuster for 2. Khan grabs a chair outside. Jado fights him for it. Khan begs off from ELP's chair attempt. Khan then punches him and hits a TTD on the chair bridged on 2 chairs. ELP then is counted out in a stupid finish.

Thoughts: This is 2025 NJPW. Just like the last match, even if they have a decent match going on, there has to be some US wrestling staple brought in to ruin it. And that's what the countout finish did here. It sucked and brought down what was an acceptable match otherwise.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Shota Umino

Tana comes dress up as a Fatal Fury character with a female model.

Shota rolls out of a wristlock and puts Tana in a hammerlock. Tana side headlocks him. They shoulder battle. Shota shoulders him over. Tana 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him. Shota dragon screws him.

Shota stomps Tana's leg then drops knees on it. Shota pulls on the foot. Shota dropkicks him in the knee then neckbreakers him. Shota stf's him. Shota boots him in the corner then hits forearms. They trade forearms.

Shota slaps him. Tana dragon screws him. Tana flying forearms him. Tana 2nd rope swantons him for 2. Shota enzugiri's him then half-nelsons him. Shota hits another then dragon suplexes him for 2. Tana hits twists and shouts. Tana straightjacket germans him for 2.
Tana hits a slingblade for 2. Tana hits a top rope crossbody. Tana misses a top rope splash. Shota running knees him from behind. Shota running knees him. Tana cradles him for 2. Shota running lariats him for 2. Shota hits a high angle side slam and wins.

Thoughts: I liked this and thought it was about the best possible match you are getting out of Tana at this point. They kept it moving and the two matched up well. Tana didn't botch anything or hobble around like he has been doing. I'm not sure if this helps Shota really get over though with all the heat on him.

Shota says he wants to lead the NJPW Main Army after.

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Title Match - House Of Torture (Ren Narita, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi) (c) vs. BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd & Taiji Ishimori)

Gabe's team attacks before it starts and hits a triple superkick. TI and Gabe then do stereo moonsaults off the posts. Drilla razor's edge's Sho onto people outside. They fight in the crowd.

Ren chairs Gabe and bangs his head off a commentary table. Gabe is then sent into the post. Drilla takes corner attacks then Yujiro headbutt drops him in the crotch. Ren is held up then takes a handspring corkscrew kick from TI. Ren then takes a doomsday device with Gabe walking up the buckles to do it.

TI hits a spear then Gabe slaps Ren. Ren flying lariats Gabe. Gabe hits a double lariat then rebound lariats Sho. TI drops Sho onto his knees. Ren low blows Drilla and sends him into the ref. Ren hits Gabe with a push-up bar.

Clark Connors and Sanada come in to help out. Sanada is wearing some goofy boots then he hits Drilla with a guitar. Sho then pins Drilla.

Sanada joins House of Torture after

Thoughts: The work was fine here. They didn't overdo the brawling and did what they needed to in quick fashion. I expected to hate it but it was fine.

They announce the Best of the Super Junior competitors. There's some weird choices as usual and only 2 AEW people. You'd think Robbie X or Jakob Austin Young would be in it but they aren't. 

NEVER Openweight Title Match - Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Ryohei Oiwa

Oiwa has new short white trunks and his hair is less blonde now. I don't really like the new look as it makes him look smaller and chubbier.

They do some mat wrestling. KT wristlocks him. Oiwa reverses it and stomps the arm. KT headscissors him. Oiwa tries a pin attempt for 2. KT is sent into the rails. KT facekicks Oiwa on the rails.

Oiwa back elbows KT. Oiwa armlocks him. KT tries to slam him but Oiwa holds on. KT is on the 2nd rope and is dropkicked. KT superplexes Oiwa. Oiwa germans KT then this another. KT exploders him. KT hits a blue thunder for 2.

They trade forearms. Oiwa yanks on the arm then armbreakers it. Oiwa sleeper holds KT. KT flying knees Oiwa. Oiwa backdrops KT. Oiwa tries a top rope splash but KT gets his knees up. Oiwa flying headscissors him. Oiwa then lariats him.

Oiwa hits a doctor bomb for 2 then sits on his back with an armlock. KT flips out of a german. they collide with lariats then KT lariats him over. KT brainbusters him for 1. Oiwa spinning forearms him then KT spinning forearms him. KT drops him with a forearm then hits a raging fire to win.

Thoughts: It was all action without even a lick of selling. It wasn't boring but nothing really meant anything here until it eventually ended and I wasn't a big fan of it because of that.

IWGP Tag Team Title Match - Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) (c) vs. United Empire (Callum Newman & Jeff Cobb)

HT and CN go at it. CN runs the ropes quick then cartwheels out of a headscissors twice. CN takes a double lariat. Naito cravates CN. CN is held in the air and takes a double team neckbreaker drop. HT chops CN. HT misses a baseball slide and takes a basement dropkick.

Cobb comes in. He stands on HT's back then standing moonsaults the back. HT's crossbody is caught by Cobb. His headscissors is then caught. HT then ddt's him. Naito hits forearms on Cobb then atomic drops him. Naito back elbows and baseball slides him.  

Naito hits a 2nd rope diving diamond dust. Cobb backdrops Naito off a destino attempt. Naito tornado ddt's Cobb. Naito then hits destino on CN for 2. CN blocks an assisted tornado ddt.

CN takes a double lariat. Naito's destino is almost blocked by HT dropkicks CN over to make it happen. Cobb superkicks Naito. Cobb tries to spinning powerslams Naito but HT crossbodies Naito to send them both over.

HT hits superkicks on CN then CN suplexes him. CN is belly to belly overhead suplexed into the buckles. Cobb pop-up powerbombs HT then spinning slams him. Naito hits a reverse ddt on Cobb. CN os cutters Naito. CN hits a cross-legged fisherman suplex on Naito for 2.

Naito spits at CN then back elbows him. Naito koppo kicks him. Naito takes a spinning slam from Cobb. Naito is thrown into a jumping knee from CN. CN single underhook suplexes Naito and wins.

Thoughts: I really liked this tag. Naito and Cobb just have uncanny chemistry and always pull out good stuff together. Everyone fit in here well and they did good with having HT in the underdog role. This was good and a fun tag.

IWGP Global Heavyweight Title Match - Yota Tsuji (c) vs. EVIL

Yota gets attacked by Evil and Togo in front of the ref before the bell starts. Evil and Togo stomp on Yota but it's the fake Yota Tsuji again, who is Yota's brother.

Yota then comes in and hits the heels. Yota blocks Evil's eye pokes and does his own. Yota is sent into the rails. Evil then talks smack on the mic and stomps his leg. Evil leglocks Yota in the ring. Togo dropkicks Yota in the knee on the apron. Evil does a nagata lock on Yota. Yota hits forearms and Evil irish whips him but Yota falls down due to pain. Yota's knee is banged off the mat.

Yota boots Evil out of the corner. Yota drives Evil's face into the mat. Evil hits forearms then Yota flying headscissors him. Yota topes Evil into the rails. Yota shoulders Evil over then splashes him for 2. Yota misses the marlow crash and is clipped for it. Evil bangs Yota's knee off the mat. Evil fisherman suplexes him for 2. Evil lariats him. Yota forearms and superkicks him. Evil hits forearms and a lariat for 2. Evil scorpion deathlocks him. 

Evil tries an off angle lariat but takes a curbstomp combo. Yoshinobu Kanemaru comes out and grabs Yota's twin. Togo hits the ref from behind and then he stomps on Yota's knee. Yota is triple teamed and chopped in the crotch. Shingo Takagi comes out to help Yota and lariats Kanemaru. Yota low blows Evil. Yota stunners Evil then hits an orange crush on him for 2.

Evil puts Yota on the ref and makes him help do a magic killer to Yota. Evil running lariats Yota for 2 then hits darkness falls for 2. Yota spears him for 2. Togo tries to cheat but throws salt in Evil's eyes on accident. Kanemaru helps out then spits whiskey in Evil's eyes on accident. Shingo lariats Kanemaru out.

Yota pumping knees Evil in the corner and hits a marlow crash. Yota hits a big spear on Evil and wins.

Thoughts: As always, the match shouldn't have happened due to the pre-match interference but since it wasn't Yota anyway, I guess you could say it was a moot point. Still, the idea of it should have counted against Evil. The logic wasn't that bad here but it had tons of ref bumps and interference as usual from HoT and that brought down whatever good was accomplished here. This was all about Yota getting leg worked on.

Yota talks on the mic after and Yuya Uemura comes out. Yuya challenges him to a match. Yota seems to agree.

IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match - Hirooki Goto (c) vs. David Finlay

Goto side headlocks him and is headscissored. DF forearms and side headlocks him. Goto side headlocks him. Goto shoulders him over then hiptosses him. Goto throws DF over the top.

Goto hits a back body drop in the ring. DF russian legsweeps him. Goto is sent hard in to the buckles. They trade shots. DF boots him out of the corner then Goto lariats him. DF lariats Goto over the top and goes with him. Goto is sent into the rails.

DF is sent into the rails. Goto is then thrown into the post head first. Goto hurricanrana's DF into the post. Goto spinning heel kicks DF in the corner and backdrops him for 2. DF gets a 2 count on him and low euros him. DF hits corner lariats. They trade forearms then double clothesline each other. DF flips him with a lariat. DF suplex throws him. DF hits crossface shots. DF backbreakers him then hits a dominator for 2. 

DF stomps him on the apron. Goto death valley drivers him off the apron through a table. Goto hits a GTW for 2. Goto chest kicks him. DF hits overkill on him for 2. DF hits a buckle bomb then a powerbomb for 2.

Goto gets stuck up top. DF hits forearms. Goto hits a top rope sunset bomb for 2. DF hits oblivion for 2. Goto cradles him off an overkill attempt for 2. Goto blocks overkill. DF hits a cutter then is hit with a shouten kai for 2. Goto hits a GTR then does it again and does it a third time to win.

Thoughts: It was a solid main. There was nothing wrong with it. They didn't overdo it or anything, they sold and gave everything the time it needed. I don't think it was particularly memorable but it worked.

Goto talks on the mic after. He thanks his kids for being there with him. He says if you don't give up you haven't been beaten. He calls out Shota Umino for the American shows. Shota comes out and is booed. He teases leaving. Goto says let's show NJPW to the fans in Chicago. Shota says he will give him all he has and will take the title.

Overall thoughts: It was a good show. I liked Tana/Umino, I liked most of Sanada/Yuya. The six-man tag title match was brief but avoided some of the usual issues. KT/Oiwa was mostly action and not much selling. The tag title match was good. Yota/Evil would have been decent if it weren't for the cheating and interference. The main was fine. I'd give it a 6 out of 10 overall. I really recommend checking out the tag title match as it was what it needed to be.