New Japan Pro Wrestling 4/4/2026 Sakura Genesis 2026

New Japan Pro Wrestling 4/4/2026 Sakura Genesis 2026

Master Wato & Togi Makabe vs. TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita)

Hart and Togi shoulder battle. Togi knocks him over then Hart knocks him over. Wato and Kosei go at it. Kosei slaps him on the break. Wato shoulders him over. Wato flying headscissors him. Wato hits chest kicks on Kosei then Kosei eye pokes him. Kosei then does Wato's pose. 

Wato is double foot choked in the corner. Hart suplexes Wato. Kosei kicks Wato in the back for 2. Kosei chops Wato then Wato tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. Togi and Hart get in. They lariat battle. Togi hits mounted corner punches then lariats him for 2. 

They trade forearms. Hart corner splashes him then lariats him for 2. Kosei top rope dropkicks Wato. Hart and Togi lariat battle more. Togi lariats him down for 2. Hart death valley drivers him and wins.

Thoughts: It was a short waste of time. Kosei and Wato's section wasn't interesting and Hart/Togi didn't get much time other than to do some lariat and shoulder battles.

United Empire (Francesco Akira, Jake Lee & Jakob Austin Young) vs. Unbound Co. (Robbie X, Shingo Takagi & Taiji Ishimori)

Shingo's team is attacked before it starts. They then get sent into the rail outside. Young chokes X. X boots him out of the corner then is tripped by Akira on the outside. TI and X hit stereo dropkicks. X is flipped onto Young for 2. X  takes a double back elbow and a standing moonsault. Young chokes X on the ropes.

X is abused in the corner by Lee. Akira corner lariats X then suplexes him for 2. X evades the heels and pele kicks Lee. Shingo comes in. He hits chops on Lee. Shingo hits a flatliner + ddt combo then hits a double lariat. Shingo suplexes Lee for 2. 

Shingo is tripped into the ropes. Young 2nd rope dropkicks Shingo. Shingo takes a double enugiri then a sliding knee. Shingo lariats Young down. TI eye rakes Lee then TI handspring corkscrew kicks Lee. X walks up the buckles and springboard corkscrew flips outside. Shingo death valley drivers Young then lariats him. Shingo hits a last of the dragon and pins Young.

Thoughts: It wasn't too much of note. We didn't see much of Jake Lee or Akira in this one. X did some of his flying as usual and was the focal point of this.

Aaron Wolf, Tiger Mask, Toru Yano & YOH vs. House Of Torture (Don Fale, DOUKI, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

Sho rambles on the mic before the match then the heels attack. Sho goes after Yoh's injured shoulder. Yoh hits forearms. Sho eye rakes him then Yoh shoulders him over. Yano takes the turnbuckle pad off. Yano then gets triple stomped by the heels. Douki bangs Tiger's head off the post. 

Fale stomps and stands on Yano's back. Yano is sext into the exposed buckle. Yano grabs Douki by the hair and atomic drops him. Tiger tags in. He htis kicks on Douki then tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him. Tiger sends Sho into Douki on the buckles which makes Douki get crotched. They fight on the buckles and Tiger top rope armdrags him for 2.

Tiger hits punches then takes an enzugiri and a ddt. Tiger survives a double team and double mule kicks Douki. Wolf gets in and goes into the exposed buckles. Wolf takes corner attacks from the heels for 2. Kanemaru comes off the 2nd rope and WOlf catches him with a bearhug. Kanemare ear claps him. Wolf blocks a sunset flip then sitout death valley drivers him. Wolf then reverse triangles him and submits him.

Thoughts: It was a short waste of time. Everyone got their little segment in and not much else. It wasn't good and nobody in this came off like a star.

Fale beats up on Wolf after. Wolf chops and olympic slams him. Yano then counts his own pin on Fale for Wolf. 

We get some announcements for Best of the Super Juniors 2026. 

El Desperado, Taichi & Yuya Uemura vs. United Empire (Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Will Ospreay)

Tai and Will stare down before the match. Yuya and Will lock p. Yuya wristlocks him and Will side headlocks him. Yuya armdrags him. Yuya shoulders him over and Will kips up. Will reverse monkey flips him. Will flying headscissors him and Yuya armdrags him into an armlock. 

Hen shoulders over Despy. Will slingshot plancha's Despy outside. Hen hits shots on Despy in the corner. They trade strikes. Hen chops him down. Hen grabs him by the throat. Despy takes shots from his opponents then takes a triple boot for 2. Despy runs at Khan and Khan trips him. Khan mongolian chops him then pump kicks him. 

Yuya comes in and cleans house on the heels. Yuya armdrags and dropkicks him. Yuya backdrops him for 2. Yuya misses a 2nd rope twisting crossbody on Khan. Hen clubs on Khan then Tai clubs on Hen. Hen shoulders Tai over. Hen samoan drops Yuya. 

Hen sentons Yuya for 2. Yuya bulldogs Khan then 2nd rope twisting crossbodies Hen. Will and Tai get in and trade shots. They Kawada kick each other. Tai uraken's him. Will then handspring corkscrew kicks him. Tai takes corner attacks. Will top rope diving forearms Tai for 2. 

Tai gets a 2 count on him. Tai enzugiri's Khan. Will enzugiri's Tai and Tai saito suplexes him for 2. Tai lariats him from behind then gamengiri's him. Tai lariats him down for 2. Hen lariats Tai. Yuya pele kicks Hen. Khan throws Yuya over the top. Despy pulls Khan's arm over the top. Will hook kicks Despy. 

Will os cutters Tai for 2. Tai forearms Will then gets hit with a hidden blade. Will hits a stormbreaker on Tai and wins.

Thoughts: It was a sprint. It had a lot of people coming in and out in the second half of this. The Will/Tai segments were good and turned this into a decent bout. Those two should have a good match together if it comes to fruition.

Khan grabs Despy after and wants Hen and Will to hit him. Khan spin kicks Despy in the face and drops him. Will isn't happy with this happening. 

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Title Match - Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Oleg Boltin (c) vs. House Of Torture (Chase Owens, Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)

The faces are attacked before the bell as usual. The faces get sent into the rails. Yujiro chops Yoshi inside. Yoshi back elbows him then shoulders him over. Yoshi is swung into the rails outside off a blocked baseball slide. Ren back elbows Yoshi inside for 2. Ren then chinlocks him. 

Yoshi takes some shots from Chase then dropkicks him in the knee. Got comes in and shoulders over Chase. Goto spinning heel kicks him and backdrops him for 2. They forearm each other. Goto hits a reverse GTR. Chase pumping knees him then gets lariated. 

Ren and Oleg come in. Oleg blocks a bodyscissors takedown and karelin's lifts him. Oleg vader bombs Ren for 2. Oleg chops him then torture racks him. Dick Togo rings the bell to make Oleg think he has won. Ren rolls Oleg into a leglock. Goto takes a reverse ddt and a PK. Oleg is held upside down and Togo chops him in the crotch. Ren leglocks Oleg. Oleg F-5's him. 

Yoshi superkicks Ren then running lariats him. Chase chairs Yoshi in the gut outside. Yujiro olympic slams Yoshi for 2. Goto is pushed into Yoshi. Yoshi superkicks Chase. Yujiro takes a superkick + ushigoroshi combo. Yujiro fisherman busters Goto.

Yoshi and Yujiro trade. Chase chairs Yoshi from the outside. Yujiro ddt's Yoshi for 2. Oleg shoulders over Yujiro. Goto fireman's carry bodypresses Chase. Oleg rams Yujiro into the corner. Goto  takes a superkick. Yujiro takes a double team elbow slice + drop and is pinned.

Thoughts: It was the usual match from House of Torture and various heel tactics. Things sped up a bit in the end and got a little more exciting but it was just average.

Oleg talks on the mic after and wants a shot at Ren's title. 

NJPW World Television Title Match - Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Shota Umino

They get off to a fast start. They shoulder battle. KT facekicks him and flying lariats him. KT hits forearms on Shota. Shota forearms him back. Shota dropkicks him. Shota STF's KT. KT goes out to stall. They fight outside and Shota's arm is banged off a table. Shota is backdropped on the apron edge. KT knee drops the arm. KT bulldogs him with the arm. KT then top wristlocks him.

KT stomps Shota's arm into the mat. Shota tornado ddt's him. Shota hits chops and forearms. Shota fisherman suplexes him for 2. KT back body drops him. KT is tripped into the ropes and Shota slingshot ddt's him on the apron edge over the 2nd rope.

Shota is sent into the rails then KT facekicks him against the rails. Shota then tornado ddt's him on the floor. Shota step up knees him from behind in the corner. KT yanks Shota's arm down over the top rope. Shota pop-up powerbombs KT for 2.

KT kicks him in the arm and blue thunders him. Shota forearms him down. KT suplexes him for 2. KT forearms him then is lariated down. They collide knee's. KT lariats him. Shota half-nelson suplexes him and is explodered. They forearm each other. Shota poisonrana's him but ends up being the one landing on his own neck. They collide with lariats. Shota lariats him and the time limit runs out.

Thoughts: It was an action packed match here with the second half being exicted. KT worked the arm some but it didn't lead to all that much and they no sold a bit towards the end. I still liked though and would be up for a rematch. It was good. 

Someone in a white mask and a suit comes down after, staring down KT. Chase Owens then hits KT from behind and pepsi twist lariats him. Chase pumping knees KT. Shota sends them away and gives KT his title. 

IWGP Tag Team Title Match - Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) (c) vs. TMDK (Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.)

Yuto and Oiwa stare down before the match. They trade forearms. Yuto facekicks him down. Yuto forearms Oiwa and Oiwa yanks the arm. Oiwa armdrags and slams him. Oiwa splashes him then armdrags him into an armlock. Oiwa elbow drops Yuto and Oskar gets knocked off the apron twice. Yuto has his arms stomped into the mat.

Zack wristlocks Yuto and Yuto forearms him while in the hold. Zack twists the arm with his feet. Yuto knees him in the gut and running boots him. Os comes in and shoulders over his opponents. Os double lariats TMDK. Zack is thrown hard into the buckles and goes down.

Os elbow drops Zack's back for 2. Zack gets on Os' back with a sleeper. Os throws him down. Os chops him. Zack ankle locks Os and Os ropebreaks. Oiwa lariats down Os' leg. Oiwa drives Os' knee into the mat. Zack drives Os's knees into the mat. Os boots away Oiwa. 

Os takes a double team shot from TMDK. He facekicks Oiwa and backbreakers Zack. Yuto running knees Zack while he's on Os' knee. Zack ankle locks Os on the mat. Zack ties up the arms and legs and Os ropebreaks. 

Os running corner elbows Zack. Os misses a legdrop. Zack PK's him. Zack double stomps him. Oiwa attacks Os' knee. Os back body drops Oiwa. Yuto hits chest kicks and knees on Oiwa. Yuto meteora's Oiwa in the corner for 2. Oiwa blocks a PK. Yuto superkicks him in the gut and the head for 2. Oiwa shoulders and sentons Yuto. 

Oiwa armwhips Yuto down. Yuto slaps Oiwa down then boots him right in the jaw. Yuto stands on the back of Oiwa's neck. Oiwa does something like a dragon screw on Yuto's arm and drives it into the mat. Oiwa stomps the arm and euros it.

Yuto is sent shoulder first into the buckles. Oiwa hammerlock Yuto's arm around the ropes. Yuto tries to fire up by hitting his arm off the buckles. Oiwa euros the arm and Yuto forearms him. Oiwa bangs Yuto's arm off his shoulder and then gets forearmed down. 

Oiwa dragon screws the arm into the mat again. Oiwa spinning lariats Yuto in the corner. Oiwa top rope falling splashes Yuto for 2. Oiwa hits spinning forearms on Yuto. Yuto high kicks him. Yuto PK's Oiwa. 

Yuto slams Zack down. Yuto takes an enzugiri into a chaos theory german for 2. Os slams Zack. Oiwa lariats Os then lariats him over the top at 20 minutes. Oiwa backdrops Yuto for 2. Zack dragon screws Os and Oiwa suplexes Os. Yuto takes corner attacks. Zack michinoku drivers Yuto then Oiwa germans Yuto for 2.

Yuto knees Oiwa in the gut. Oiwa sleeper suplexes Yuto. Yuto forearms him down. Yuto flying knees Oiwa and pins him.

Thoughts: Oiwa worked Yuto's arm here for a bit then stopped even though he really sold it. Oskar got his leg worked for a quite a bit and he really sold it as well, but that also stopped being focused on. The Yuto/Oiwa sections were good with a lot of stiff strikes and both guys showing a ton of fighting spirit. They also just kind of broke the match structure at times and felt like they really were fighting it out. I would still give this a positive rating but it was both a flawed and a good match at times.   

Yuto talks on the mic after. He puts over wrestling and says there's nothing like making money in it. Yuto says they want the toughest opponents there are, the money and the fights. Yuto says they want to get high and says you get high by seeing them. Yuto asks who the fans want to see and ask if there are any teams left. Yuto then suggests Bishamon challenge them next.

Henare and Great O'Khan come out instead. Henare has a hat and earrings and looks very unusual. Hen says they will be the next challengers. Bishamon then come out. Goto challenges Henare and Khan and says Bishamon are the best. Yuto laughs. He says they won't hide and will take on whoever wins that bout. YUto then syas, "let's get high".

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match - Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Callum Newman

CN's United Empire buddies are in the front row in suits. Will Ospreay is at ringside with him. CN boots him and elbows him. Yota knees him in the face and CN stalls outside after ducking a superkick. CN slides out and Yota topes him. Yota chops him in the corner. Yota shoulders him over. CN hits forearms and Yota tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him for 2. 

Yota hits forearms. CN sweeps him and kicks him in the ribs. CN stomps Yota's gut then chinlocks him. Yota kicks him in the back after a snapmare and CN does the same. They forearm each other inside. CN knees him in the face then is hiptossed. 

Yota gorilla press throws him then hits elbows to the head. Yota suplexes him for 2. Yota chops CN in the corner. Yota hurricanrana's him down off the buckles for 2. They trade forearms. CN tiger suplexes him for 2. They trade strikes and Yota pumping knees him. CN flying lariats him down.

CN is caught on the 2nd rope outside and Yota curbstomps him into the apron. CN is on the apron and Yota curbstomps him face first on the floor. CN takes a pumping knee in the corner then Yota falcon arrows him. Yota running lariats him. Yota goes for a curbstomp but CN pulls the ref in and the ref gets curbstomped.

CN flying knees Yota from behind. Zane Jay grabs a chair for CN. Will tries to block CN from getting it and using it. CN grabs it and Will tells him he's better than this. Will begs him not to use it. 

Yota running back elbows CN. Yota hits a big spear on CN but the ref is still down. Another ref comes in and Yota gets a 2 count on CN. Yota then runs into a hidden blade from CN. Yota and CN trade forearms.

CN drops him with a lariat then fisherman suplexes him for 2. Yota germans him then canadian destroyers him. Yota hits a spear for 2. Yota goes for a spear and CN double stomps his back. CN lariats Yota. CN goes for like an F-5 and is hit with a ddt. 

Yota does a marlow crash for 2. Yota does a wristclutch side slam. CN rolls him into a lariat for 2. CN hits a single underhook suplex for 2. Yota headbutts him then CN short arm lariats him. Yota alley oop's him. CN pushes the ref in Yota's way. CN low blows Yota then fireman's carry swinging side slams him. Newman pins Yota!

Thoughts: This was a big upset. Newman was mostly full-on heel here and wins the title at age 23, making him the youngest champ ever. I liked the match minus the canadian destroyer not meaning much. They didn't do too much, it didn't go super long and there was some story here with Newman heeling it up to win. Booking wise, this is why New Japan is in the hole it is in. Their core should be built around Yota, Shota, Yuya, Oiwa and Yuta. Instead of building those guys up, they prefer foreigners, who almost always leave NJPW for greener pastures. I like Newman, but there is absolutely nothing about him that suggests that he should be on top of NJPW. He doesn't have a great look. He's not tall, big and he doesn't have a great body. He's not a native Japanese speaker, so he can't do a lot of the PR work. He's okay enough in the ring but not spectacular or some super worker. He's not going to be drawing in the locals and it's just overall a very puzzling decision. If a foreigner has to be picked, I'd rather them go with El Phantasmo, who is better looking, more spectacular and just isn't in demand by anyone else for reasons that are unclear.

Tanahashi gives Newman the belt after. Will puts the belt around Newman's waist and hugs him. Gabe Kidd then comes out and piledrivers Yota on the floor for some reason. Shingo goes out after Gabe and gets nailed.Gabe then drags Yota to the back.

Shingo and Newman have an altercation. Shingo challenges him. Newman says he beat him once and will beat him again.

Newman says he's the youngest NJ Cup winner and the youngest IWGP champ. He says he's the kingslayer and prince and says you will kiss the crown. Newman then pose with his crew and gets streamers.

Overall thoughts: I liked the top 3 matches and the Taichi vs Ospreay tag match. The rest was the usual filler and nothing too special. The matches that mattered here delivered and that's most important. Having Newman win the IWGP Title was quite the call and it's not one I support. I didn't expect a ton out of this show but they pulled through and I would say it was good overall. I would give this a 6 out of 10 overall.