Hello friends, it’s been awhile but I’m back with some New Japan Genesis action for you. Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday over the weekend. I do have a bit of news, I won’t be going to the G1 special in Long Beach, but I compromised so I’ll be at the ROH War of the Worlds show in Michigan. If you’re in the Detroit area come by, and if you see someone in a PWP shirt, come say hi because it’s probably me.
We’re at the famous Sumo Hall, in Tokyo for the Sakura Genesis show.
Hirai Kawato, Katsuya Kitamura, and Tomoyuki Oka vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, David Finlay, and Manabu Nakanishi
Winners: Jushin Thunder Liger, David Finlay, and Manabu Nakanishi at 7:00. Finlay hits a cutter to Kitamura. After the match Kawato started shoving Liger.
Yujiro Takahashi with Pieter, Chase Owens, Tama Tonga, and Tonga Roa vs. Tiger Mask, Tiger Mask W, Togi Makabe, and Yuji Nagata
Winners: Bullet Club at 8:40. Tama Tonga hits the Gun Stun to Tiger Mask.
El Desperado, Taka Michinoku, and Minoru Suzuki vs. Beretta, Rocky Romero, and Yoshi-Hashi
Winners: Chaos at 6:50. Hashi hits the Karma on Taka.
I don’t mind Yoshi-Hashi getting the push, they clearly like him, but at what point does Suzuki win a match?
IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship Match
Gedo and Jado vs. Taichi with Miho Abe and Yohinobu Kanemaru with El Desperado (C)
Match starts with Gedo and Jado each locking in a crossface on the champs. The match spills out onto the floor. Kanemaru sends Gedo to the guardrail and as Gedo is halfway over Kanemaru jumps off the top of the rail and hits a leg drop.
Back in the ring Kanemaru hits a DDT for a 2 count. Taichi is in who has the bell hammer in his pants. El Desperado distracts the ref as Taichi hits Jado from the apron and Gedo. Taichi then drags the handle over Gedo’s forehead.
Jado eventually gets the hot tag. All four men then hit the ring and the Suzuki-gun team takes advantage. Taichi hits Jado with a powerbomb and Kanemura jumps off the top but Jado catches him with a big boot.
Jado gets a crossface on Kanemura but El Desperado pulls the ref out the ring and starts to attack Jado and Gedo. RPG Vice come in and make the save. Jado gets another crossface in on Kanemaru but Miho rolls into the ring and the ref goes to get her out as Kanemaru taps, but the ref doesn’t see.
Taichi runs in, attacks Jado and Gedo with his microphone. Taichi then hits Jado with a superkick and Kanemaru hit a top rope DDT for the 3.
Winners: Suzuki-gun at 10:26.
Kenny Omega and Bad Luck Fale vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano
Winners: Bullet Club at 10:15. Omega hits the One Wing Angel on Ishii.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Bushi, Evil, Sanada, and Tetsuya Naito
Winners: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Ricochet and Ryusuke Taguchi at 11:30. Juice Robinson hits the Pulp Friction on Naito.
Big win for Juice Robinson. After the match, Juice gets on the mic and challenges Naito to a match for the Intercontinental Championship.
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match
War Machine vs. Satoshi Kojima v. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (C)
Tenzan and Rowe start it off and mix it up a bit but then both men tag out. Hanson gets the advantage with a cartwheel clothesline. War Machine then isolate Kojima.
Rowe hits a scoop slam to Hanson on Kojima but only gets a 2. Kojima reverses a slam and hits a DDT to Hanson, both men tag out. Tenzan comes in with hits Mongolian chops then hits a big suplex for 2.
Tenzan then hits a back body drop for a 2 then follows up with a key lock. Hanson runs in to break it up but Tenzan takes him out with a spinning wheel kick. Kojima is tagged in and sends Hanson to the outside.
Kojima hits a top rope elbow drop for 2. Tenzan and Kojima hit a 3D on Rowe and Hanson breaks up the cover with a top rope dive but hits his own partner.
Hanson is in and gets Kojima and Tenzan in opposite corners and hits a series of clotheslines. Hanson then heads up top and misses a moonsault. Kojima follows up and hits the Koji Cutter for 2.
Rowe is tagged in and War Machine hit a pop up power slam for 2. Rowe hits a big knee to the face but Kojima fires back with a big lariat. Rowe comes back with a big German suplex, a knee to the face then the Fallout for 3.
Winners and new IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: War Machine at 14:06.
After the match Tenzan asks for a rematch and they shake hands.
NEVER Openweight Championship
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hirooki Goto (C)
Match starts out with some ground wrestling but neither man gets the advantage. They go at it again exchanging submission holds but still neither man getting the advantage so they return to their feet. They try a test of strength which turns into Goto taking advantage and laying in some corner chops.
Goto gets in a head scissors but Sabre makes it to the ropes. Sabre picks the leg and get a submission of his own on but Goto makes it to the ropes. Sabre then begins to work the left arm of Goto and applies a modifies Tequila Sunrise.
Sabre goes back to the arm pushing his own head into the opposite direction of where Goto’s arm should bend. Goto makes it to the ropes. Sabre then drops a knee to the shoulder of Goto as Goto’s arm is wrapped around Sabre’s foot.
Goto come back at Sabre with a leg lariat in the corner for 2. Goto gets Sabre up on his shoulders but Sabre turns it into an octopus stretch. But Goto powers through and hits a suplex.
Goto goes up top and goes for an elbow drop but Sabre catches him with an arm bar. Sabre then transitions into a double arm lock using his feet to trap Goto’s other arm, Goto’s feet make it to the bottom rope.
Sabre starts kicking the left arm of Goto but Goto fires back with forearms with his right arm. Sabre then goes back to the octopus stretch as he pulls back on Goto’s fingers. Goto turns that into an Ushigoroshi but can’t follow up to cover. El Desperado then runs out and hops on the apron. Suzuki then runs in, shoves Goto to the ref and goes for the Gotch piledriver but Goto fights out and sends Suzuki to the outside then pops Desperado off the apron.
Sabre then rolls up Goto but only gets a 2. Sabre comes back with an arm bar but Goto powers out of that with a one armed powerbomb. Goto then hits the GTR for the 3.
Winner: Hirooki Goto at 16:16.
After the match Goto and Suzuki attack each other but are separated but the young boys.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match
Kushida vs. Hiromu Takahashi (C)
Takahashi’s entrance now has giant balloon balls both red and black than come down into the crowd.
Before Takahashi gets to the ring, Kushida dives to the outside with a flip dive also kicking one of the balls in the process. Kushida then sends Takahashi to the ring post. Kushida puts Takahashi in a chair then sends him flying with a running dropkick.
Kushida sends Takahashi to the ring and immediately locks in the Hoverboard Lock. Takahashi gets out of it, Kushida goes to the apron but Takahashi charges and hits a sunset flip bomb.
Takahashi rolls Kushida back to the ring, hits the Time Bomb then a charging fireman’s carry to the corner, followed by a second Time Bomb for 3.
Winner: Hiromu Takahashi at 1:56.
After the match, Ricochet comes out and challenges Takahashi to a match for the title.
IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kazuchika Okada with Gedo (C)
Match starts out with some ground work from Shibata. Shibata eventually lets up after patting Okada on the chest. Shibata then lays down offering Okada a shot. Okada ends up taking it but Shibata quickly tries to turn it into a rear naked choke. Shibata then goes for an arm bar but Okada escapes it and rolls out of the ring.
The two more exchange submissions. Each time Okada gets a hold on Shibata, Shibata finds a unique way to counter out of it. Okada gets Shibata into the corner and rather than a clean break Okada nails him with a forearm.
Shibata fires back with a big boot and the two exchange forearms. Shibata hits a scoop slam to Okada then gets the figure four locked in. Okada manages to get to the ropes.
Shibata goes to the corner but Okada lifts him to the top and knocks him off the top with a dropkick. On the outside Okada sends Shibata to the guardrail then hits a big boot sending him over the top. Okada then hits a draping DDT to Shibata who makes it back into the ring before the 20. Okada goes for a cover but only a 2.
Okada hits a sliding dropkick to Shibata, Okada hits some forearms to Shibata but Shibata just asks for more. Shibata then fires one of his own knocking the champ to his knees.
Shibata then nails 2 corner boots and follows up with the delayed dropkick. On the outside Shibata sends Okada to the guardrail then hits another dropkick to Okada. Back in the ring Shibata covers Okada for 2.
Shibata hits off the ropes but Okada is hit by a big boot. Okada hits a charging elbow in the corner then a running forearm for 2. Okada then hits a flapjack to Shibata and follows up by heading to the top rope and nails an elbow drop.
Okada goes for the Rain Maker but Shibata counters it with an STO. Both men are on their knees exchanging forearm shots. Back to their feet, Okada hits the Heavy Rain to Shibata. Okada goes up top again and hits a missile dropkick to a seated Okada for 2.
Shibata grabs the arm and turns it into an arm lock. Okada makes it to the ropes, Shibata breaks the hold but goes right to kicking the arm of Okada. Shibata then slaps the back of the head of Okada and Okada takes a seat in the ring. Shibata sits down in front of him and the two exchange slaps.
Okada springs to his feet, sends Shibata to the corner, pummels him down with forearms then hits a delayed dropkick to Shibata. Okada hits the ropes and Shibata hits a big dropkick to Okada.
Shibata gets Okada down and puts the boots to him. Shibata hits off the ropes and goes for a Penalty Kick but Okada springs to his feet and nails a dropkick to the face of Shibata.
Okada then hits a dropkick to a seated Shibata; Shibata springs back up as Okada hits another. Shibata gets to his feet, hits a big boot, a German suplex, then another big boot. Shibata charges Okada but Okada hits a German suplex of his own. Okada hangs on and goes for a Rain Maker but Shibata fights it off with kicks.
Okada then hits a halfhearted Rain Maker but Shibata isn’t affected. Shibata then head-butts Okada and cuts his own head open. Shibata then locks in an abdominal stretch. The hold eventually ends up on the mat and Okada struggles to finally get a rope break.
Shibata then lights up Okada with a big kick to the chest then locks in the rear naked choke. Okada nearly gets to the ropes and Shibata hits a dragon suplex. Shibata then hits a modified Rain Maker but with a slap to the chest instead of a clothesline.
Shibata drills Okada with kicks to the chest. Shibata tries to hit off the rope, but Okada drabs the wrist and pulls Shibata in and hits a clothesline. Okada nails Shibata with some kicks to the chest, then nails Shibata with the Rain Maker for 3.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada at 38:09.
After the match, Okada calls for the microphone but instead Bad Luck Fale hits the ring and attacks Okada. Fale hits Okada with the Grenade then a Bad Luck Fall.
Overall a strong show. Did have the big tag title switch, and one hell of a main event match. Do go out of your way to see it. Also set up some future feuds with Okada/Fale, Takahashi/Ricochet, Suzuki/Goto, RPG Vice going after the Junior Heavyweight tag belts, and Juice taking on Naito. Check me out on twitter at PIWShow and or Eddyc85. I’ve got a podcast with some friends called the, “Politically Incorrect Wrestling Show” which is on iTunes, Stitcher, and Podbean. Until next time, hope you enjoyed the results as much as I enjoyed writing them.