Next live English action from Korakuen
The Road to Sakura Genesis will see NJPW action return to Korakuen Hall on April 3. Just three days away from Sakura Genesis in Ryogoku, and less than a fortnight from an international weekend in Chicago and Taiwan, major players are looking to make major statements in Korakuen.
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Main event: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI & Yota Tsuji)
It’s an unprecedented LIJ vs LIJ main event, as Yota Tsuji and Tetsuya Naito prepare for Sakura Genesis’ IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match in tag team action. BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi teamed effectively in the New Japan Cup undercards, recording a tour closing win over Young Lions Shoma Kato and Katsuya Murashima, but will now be in opposite corners as well. Los Ingobernables De Japon has historically welcomed intra-factional battles, believing that iron sharpens iron, but will tensions flare a little too brightly with stakes high just three days later in Sumo Hall?
6th Match: YOH & Shota Umino vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (SHO & Ren Narita)
A double preview of heated feuds in Ryogoku will see YOH and Shota Umino taking on Ren Narita and SHO. Umino finally has his one on one date set with Jack Perry for April 12 in Chicago at Windy City Riot. Before that, Umino has promised to bring someone to teach H.O.T a valuable lesson, with that someone being none other than Jon Moxley. Meanwhile, after stealing away with SHO’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship belt for weeks, YOH now finally gets his official challenge against the Murder Machine in just three days. Which side will make a statement in Korakuen?
5th Match: Shingo Takagi vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Singles record: 2-0 Takagi
Days before he challenges EVIL for the NEVER Openweight Championship, Shingo Takagi goes head to head with Yoshinobu Kanemaru in Korakuen Hall. Having promised a complete overhaul for the NEVER Openweight Championship in success Saturday, Takagi is in high spirits, but wily veteran Kanemaru could be putting the Dragon through the wringer shortly before a high stakes scenario in Ryogoku.
4th Match: Three Way Gauntlet- Kevin Knight, KUSHIDA & Tomohiro Ishii vs United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira & TJP) vs BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Gedo, Gabe Kidd & Drilla Moloney)
Kevin Knight, KUSHIDA & Tomohiro Ishii face United Empire. Winners take on War Dogs
A unique three team trios gauntlet sees a championship rpeview of Sakura Genesis. For the whole New Japan Cup tour, Catch 2/2, and Francesco Akira in particular, has been persistently calling out the War Dogs’ Clark Connors and Drilla Moloney, eager to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships they lost on the Road to New Beginning. Yet they received a shock at the New Japan Cup final on March 20 as former champions Intergalactic Jet Setters, Kevin Knight and KUSHIDA issued a challenge themselves. Now it will be a three way match for the titles in Sumo Hall, but before then, the two challenging teams will be battling to earn a preview against the champs in Korakuen.
3rd Match: El Desperado & YOSHI-HASHI vs BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori & Chase Owens)
Before the IWGP tag Team Championships are at stake at Sakura Genesis, a preview of Chase Owens & KENTA vs Bishamon sees Owens teaming with Taiji Ishimori opposite YOSHI-HASHI and El Desperado. Despe and Ishimori might be on the outside looking in to Ryogoku, but Best of the Super Jr is mere weeks away, and the junior heavyweights are all jockeying for position ahead of the tournament kickoff.
2nd Match: Boltin Oleg, Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Ryusuke Taguchi & Toru Yano vs Just Five Guys (TAKA Michinoku, DOUKI, Taichi, SANADA & Yuya Uemura)
Ten man action will see Just Five Guys face a hard hitting Hontai and CHAOS combination. While last year’s Ryogoku events saw Just Five Guys in the spotlight in both April and October, they’re out of the loop at Sakura Genesis. But with big events happening around the world in the weeks to come, opportunity could come knocking for anyone.
1st Match: Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL)
Action kicks off with Young Lions Shoma Kato and Katsuya Murashima tagging against HOUSE OF TORTURE. Kato and Murashima only started working together March 20 at the New Japan Cup final, and tonight they’ll have their work cut out for them as they take on the most underhanded of opposition.
