NJPW Sakura Genesis Results: Kota Ibushi Vs. Will Ospreay
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage of NJPW Sakura Genesis! The show takes place early Sunday (April 4) at 4 am ET / 1 am PT at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, and streams on NJPW World.
- Hiromu Takahashi runs out to the ring and grabs a mic. He welcomes the fans in attendance and those watching at home. Takahashi says he's not ready to back to action quite yet (torn left pectoral), but instead runs down some of tonight's matches.
DOUKI, Zack Sabre Jr., and Taichi vs. Jado, Tango Loa, and Tama Tonga
All out brawl starts off as Jado swings away with the kendo stick. DOUKI and Jado get things started as Jado gets sent down to the mat, he then sends DOUKI out to the floor where Tonga scoops him up and sends him int othe barricade. More brawling on the outside. DOUKI sent back into the ring, Jado with multiple punches, cover, but the ref doesn't count because Jado shoved him away. Jado with a shoulder tackle and some taunting to his opponents.
Tonga in the match, delayed vertical suplex, cover, two. DOUKI fires back with a swinging DDT. Taichi tags in and chokes away at Tonga, but Tama is able to find a window to tag in Loa. Sabre Jr. gets in there and immediately gets run over. The two battle back and forth, Sabre tries multiple european uppercuts, but Loa kept coming and shoved him into the corner. Sabre looks for a cross armbreaker and is able to get it. Jado tries to bring in the kendo stick. Taichi brings in the iron fingers and cracks a few guys with it until Loa kicks him out of the ring. Loa decides to pick up the iron fingers, and holds it to the sky. Sabre sneaks in from behind with the European clutch pin for the 1-2-3.
Winners: Zack Sabre Jr., DOUKI, and Taichi via Pinfall
- Post-match, a NJPW official gets his hands on the iron fingers and takes it away from Taichi. He walks off with it and Taichi is not happy at all. Commentary noting Sabre Jr. and Taichi are likely next in line for a crack at G.O.D.'s IWGP Tag Team Titles.
YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, and Kazuchika Okada vs. Dick Togo, Taiji Ishimori, Yurijo Takahashi, KENTA, and EVIL
All ten wrestlers pair off and battle around the ring as the bell rings. YOSHI-HASHI tags in as he and Goto kick away at Ishimori. KENTA gets in the ring and immediately gets dropped. More Bullet Club members jump in and they take a double DDT by Okada. Back to YOSHI-HASHIand Ishimori in the ring, Ishimori ends up sending YOSHI-HASHI out to the floor. More brawling at ringside.
One of the turnbuckle pads have come off. Togo tags in and beats up YOSHI-HASHI, drops down on his opponent, cover, two. EVIL makes his way into the match and sling YOSHI-HASHI into the exposed corner, and does it again. KENTA tags in and lands some big shots to the CHAOS member, knee to the midsection, followed by punches to the face. KENTA tries to bring the bo staff into the ring. YOSHI-HASHI snatches it away and tosses it to the floor. KENTA looks for GTS, no, KENTA gets dropped with a lariat.
Takahashi and Ishii both tag in, Ishii with a big shoulder block. EVIL tries to jump in, and Yano hits him from behind. Okada in the ring, nails a flapjack on Togo. Ishii looks for a suplex, but Takahashi counters by biting his finger, multiple counters until Takahashi hits a reverse DDT. EVIL gets in the ring and throws Ishii into the exposed corner, Ishii eventually does the same to EVIL. Yano tags in and removes another turnbuckle pad, ducks a punch, tosses it to EVIL, who then throws it to the referee.
EVIL charges and runs chest-first into that exposed corner. Togo with a shot to Yano and he gets sent into the corner. Yano is in a 5-on-1 situation and gets crushed in the corner, fisherman's buster, cover, and it's broken up. Togo looks to choke Yano, but he hits a lowblow kick. Yano then blindfolds Togo, rolls him up for the win!
Winners: YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, and Kazuchika Okada
Shingo Takagi, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, and Aaron Henare
Toa Henare (now going by Aaron Henare) is revealed to be Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb's mystery partner. SANADA and Henare start off the match, SANADA gets the best of his opponent, lands a dropkick, then tags in Naito. Henare gets in some offense, deadlift suplex, big kick to the back and he brings in Cobb. Naito tries for some kicks, but just gets picked up and driven into the corner.
Khan gets in the match and continues to wear down Naito. He tries to get Naito to kiss his feet, but Naito fights him off. Khan with some big mongolian chops to his opponent. Naito hits a single-leg dropkick as Khan charges in. Takagi gets into the match and lands a big lariat on Khan. Khan with a judo throw and gets Cobb back in the match. Takagi and Cobb with back and forth shots in the middle of the ring. SANADA in the match, looks for a hurricanrana, Cobb holds on, pop-up powerslam. Henare tags in, penalty kick to SANADA. Blue thunder bomb, cover, two.
The United Empire work together to put SANADA down, cover, Takagi stops the count. SANADA looks for skull end, but Khan stops that. Naito jumps in and tries for a swinging DDT, no luck. Takagi in the ring, gets dropped with a spin cycle by Cobb. SANADA leaps in, tour of the islands by Cobb. Henare with a death valley driver on SANADA, cover, 1-2-3.
Winners: Great-O-Khan, Aaron Henare, and Jeff Cobb via Pinfall
- Post-match, The United Empire continue to attack their opponents. They stretch out Naito's legs and Khan cracks his knee over and over with a chair.
Satoshi Kojima and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Bad Luck Fale and Jay White
White and Tanahashi get things started with "Ace" getting in a side headlock on White. Both end up pulling on each other's hair, until White gets Tanahashi in the corner and kicks him a bunch of times. Kojima able to tag in and machine gun chops White in the corner. Kojima climbs to the top, but Gedo holds his foot until Kojima is taken down. Both Tanahashi and Kojima are sent into the barricades.
Back in the ring, White with his own machine gun chops to Kojima, hanging neckbreaker, cover, two. Fale gets into the match and throws a big shot to Kojima's midsection. White gets back in there, but falls prey to the Koji-cutter. Back and forth action from both side. White looks to submit Tanahashi, but gets kicked away. He ends up hitting a dragon screw leg whip on White. Fale gets in there, splash in the corner, elbow drop, cover, two-count.
Fale tries for a chokeslam, nope, but he does catch Tanahashi with a clothesline. Kojima makes the save for Tanahashi, slingblade by Tanahashi on White to get him out of the ring. Twist and shout on Fale to counter a chokeslam. Kojima with a lariat on Fale. Tanahashi heads up to the top rope, high fly flow, cover, and that will do it.
Winners: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Satoshi Kojima via Pinfall
- Post-match, Tanahashi catches White coming at him and puts him into the texas cloverleaf. White taps the mat a bunch of times until Tanahashi finally relinquishes. Tanahashi gets on the mic and tells Jay White, he tapped out to his Texas Cloverleaf, and he accepts White's challenge for his NEVER Openweight Championship.
El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c) vs. SHO and YOH (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship)
YOH and Desperado with some chain wrestling to get things started. YOH finds his away out of a submission via a kip, and pats his knee, showing he looks to be in good shape after tearing his ACL last July. SHO tags in, couple double team moves to clear out the champions. YOH takes a kick to the knee by El Desperado, followed up by a dragon screw leg whip. He locks in a stretch muffler on YOH!
SHO is knocked off the apron by Kanemaru as the submission stays locked in. SHO finally gets in the ring and breaks up the hold, then tags in. He goes to work on Desperado, snapping his arm over his shoulder. Kanemaru yanks SHO out of the ring and throws him into the barricade. Brawling on the outside. Referee starts up his 20-count, SHO back in at 17. YOH looks to be taken out at the moment. SHO has to fight off the champs, but eventually hits a double spear on them.
YOH tags in and throws some elbows, he throws the partners into each other, double dropkick. YOH suplex, lands awkwardly and really selling that surgically repaired knee. Kneebreaker on YOH, Kanemaru then lands a dropkick to it, and locks in the figure-four. YOH fights through the pain and gets to the rope. Kanemaru with a moonsault, cover, two-count. Kanemaru focuses on the knee, ends up taking a spinning kick to the face. Desperado hits a spear on YOH. SHO with a release german suplex on Desperado, but then runs into a spinebuster.
Lungblower into a one-legged dropkick on Kanemaru. SHO and Desperado battle until Desperado rakes the eyes. YOH leaps off SHO's back into Kanemaru. Kanemaru sends SHO into YOH on the top rope, then tosses SHO out to the floor. Kanemaru climbs up to the second rope for a superplex. Kanemaru up to the second rope, but takes a thrust kick. SHO with a big lariat on Kanemaru. YOH up to the top, strong-x hits, cover, but Desperado breaks it up. YOH picks up Kanemaru, twisting brainbuster, cover, 1-2-3.
Winners: SHO and YOH via pinfall to win the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
- Post-match, SHO is emotional about winning the titles on his first match back from injury. Desperado trades some words with YOH before heading out. SHO gets on the mic and thanks everyone. He says the team and himself are reborn tonight, and the tag belts are right where they belong. YOH now also wants the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship that Desperado currently has.
Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay (IWGP World Heavyweight Championship)
Some mat wrestling as the main event gets underway. Cobb, Khan, and Henare are now at ringside to watch the match. Things begin to pick up as the two make their way out to the floor. Ospreay slams Ibushi on the barricade, jumps back in the ring and demands the ref start his count. Ibushi easily makes it back in. Ospreay sends him back out to the floor and continues throwing punches. Ospreay puts Ibushi face down on the apron and hits a knee drop on the back of Ibushi's neck.
Ibushi with a wild roll-up into a high elevation german suplex with the bridge for a two count! Ibushi gets beat up, put in the tree of woe, kick to the neck and then a running dropkick to Ibushi, cover, two. Ospreay lifts Ibushi and eats a knee right to the face. Last ride on Ospreay, cover, two. Ibushi looks for kamigoye and Ospreay just thrusts his head into Ibushi's midsection to avoid it. Back and forth shots from their knees, eventually standing until Ospreay throws some big running kicks to the champ.
Ibushi tried for his flurry of strikes and takes a rolling elbow from Ospreay, cover, two. Ospreay slowly climbs to the top turnbuckle, but Ibushi tries for a big move and gets shoved over the top rope. Ospreay with a shooting star press down on Ibushi! He goes back up and hits another shooting star press, cover, very close three! Ospreay is stopped and moved to the second rope (facing the ring post). Ibushi tries for a poisonrana, but Ospreay lands on his feet and then stares dead at Ibushi!
Ospreay puts Ibushi on his shoulders, but Ibushi is able to hit a poisonrana that time, sending the challenger out to the floor. Referee starts up his 20-count, but he's able to get back in the ring the hard way via a deadlift german suplex, cover, two. Standing spanish fly by Ibushi. Oscutter hits, pin, two-count. Ospreay can't believe her kicked out. Big elbow to the back of Ibushi's neck.
Looks for stormbreaker, nope, couple kamigoyes from Ibushi, cover, two. Ospreay with a superkick and a huge running knee. Hidden blade cracks Ibushi, stormbreaker, cover, 1-2-3! New champion!
Winner: Will Ospreay via pinfall to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion
- Post-match, Jeff Cobb gives a fallen Ibushi tour of the islands. Ospreay puts the title around his shoulder as the rest of The United Empire surrounds him. He then raises the championship up and gives it a kiss. "God is dead!" Ospreay yells as he soaks in the moment. Ibushi is helped out of the ring. Ospreay on the mic, telling the other people to hurry up and get Ibushi out, so he can celebrate. Ospreay taunts Ibushi as he's helped out.
Ospreay then says he's always heard the laughs and people saying "the British boy can't wrestle in Japan" or win any tournaments (that he's won multiple times). "Who is laughing now?!" Ospreay says it's been five years since he debuted in NJPW. He admits he's not a good guy, but apologizes to no one. The United Empire has the power now and they do what they want. Ospreay says the story isn't complete and he's back for revenge for what happened at Wrestle Kingdom. "Okada!" Ospreay yells towards the entrance.
Out comes Okada and he heads into the ring. He goes to talk, but Shingo Takagi takes the mic away from him. Takagi tells Ospreay he's getting ahead of himself. He reminds everyone Okada lost to Takagi in the first round of the New Japan Cup, so does Okada get to challenge for the title? Takagi feels like he should get a title shot before Okada. Takagi challenges Ospreay for the title. Takagi says he'll beat Ospreay and Okada can get the first chance at Takagi. Ospreay finally decides, "First, Shingo, then I'm coming for you" to Okada.