Kazuchika Okada vs. Katsuyori Shibata headlines NJPW Sakura Genesis
Though many of the key matches were known coming out of the New Japan Cup finals, NJPW revealed the full card for Sakura Genesis on Tuesday morning.
The show will be headlined by Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Katsuyori Shibata. That match was decided after Shibata won the 2017 New Japan Cup by defeating Bad Luck Fale in the finals and then challenged Okada.
In the other title matches, Hiromu Takahashi will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against KUSHIDA, Zack Sabre Jr. will challenge Hirooki Goto for the NEVER title, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima will put their tag titles on the line against War Machine, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi will defend theirs against Gedo & Jado.
Sakura Genesis will take place on April 9th and is replacing Invasion Attack on the NJPW calendar this year. English commentary for the show will be available on NJPW World. The full card is:
- IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against Katsuyori Shibata
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi defending against KUSHIDA
- NEVER Openweight Champion Hirooki Goto defending against Zack Sabre Jr.
- IWGP Tag Team Champions Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima defending against War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Ryusuke Taguchi & Ricochet vs. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI
- Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Taichi defending against Gedo & Jado
- YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero & Beretta vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Taka Michinoku
- Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata, Tiger Mask W & Tiger Mask IV vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Roa, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
- Manabu Nakanishi, Jushin Thunder Liger & David Finlay vs. Hirai Kawato, Tomoyuki Oka & Katsuya Kitamura (pre-show)