First two championship contests set for Ryogoku

On April 6, Sakura Genesis 2024 will see NJPW make its spring pilgrimage to the home of sumo in Ryogoku. On a night sure to be full of high stakes action, and just six days before a massive event in the Wintrust Arena in Chicago at Windy City Riot, two big title matches are already confirmed. 

Tetsuya Naito will seek his second defence of the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship when he takes on the winner of the New Japan Cup. The last time he was defending against a Cup winner was back in 2020, where he fell in controversial form to EVIL. The King of Darkness is one of 28 participants in the tournament this year; will history repeat, or will there be another De Ja Pon!’ roll call end the night?

Also confirmed for Sakura Genesis, the IWGP Global Championship will be on the line when Nic Nemeth defends for the first time against Hiroshi Tanahashi. In the wake of his debut victory over David Finlay to snatch the white and gold on his first night in NJPW, Nemeth appealed to the Ace to form a tag team the next night. Thanks to an ankle sprain, that was not to be, but President Tanahashi is set to be back in full form in Ryogoku. In this battle of two perfectly matched classical pro-wrestlers, who leaves with the Global title?