NJPW Sakura Junior Genesis live results: Desperado vs. Connors hardcore match
The final stop on NJPW’s Road to Sakura Genesis tour takes place today with “Sakura Junior Genesis” featuring two title matches.
In the main event, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado defends against Clark Connors in hardcore match, a rarity for NJPW title bouts.
In the semi-main, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita defend their belts against the Bullet Club War Dogs duo of Taiji Ishimori and Robbie X.
Today’s undercard also features a Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi singles match in a rare Hontai vs. Hontai matchup. Taguchi has never defeated Tana in their five career singles meetings, and this will likely be his last shot with Tanahashi on the road to his retirement set for Wrestle Kingdom in January 2026.
Talent from DDT will be featured in the opening contest, with DDT’s Ninja Mack teaming with NJPW Young Lion Katsuya Murashima against DDT’s Yuya Koroku and MAO.
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Main card
MAO & Yuya Koroku defeated Katsuya Murashima & Ninja Mack
Koroku and Murashima began the night’s proceedings, but MAO demanded Mack enter the ring instead. There, MAO withstood the ninja’s offense. On the outside, MAO stumbled into the barricade thanks to Mack’s Sasuke Special. Back in the ring, MAO dropped Mack with a Cutter over the referee. Koroku sought to capitalize on the numbers game against Mack but Murashima threw everything he had to pounce him to the cerulean mat. Despite aid from Mack and Murashima’s spirited comeback, MAO sent him down for the 3-Count with a Tornado Whirlwind.
MAO and Koroku’s heelwork oozed off the screen here. At several points I hoped for Murashima or Mack to get the win—Murashima nearly had me convinced he’d take the win.
Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Ryusuke Taguchi
Circling each other, the two legends met an early stalemate. Tanahashi cleverly wriggled through a test of strength but Taguchi dizzied him by forcing The Ace to run the ropes until collapsing from exhaustion. Tanahashi gained the upper hand with unforgiving hip attacks. Taguchi broke out of Tanahashi’s dominance by clutching an innapropriate body part, following with a Funky Weapon. Though hard-fought, Tanahashi won with a High-Fly Flow, grimacing through the pinfall.
One of my favorite things about Taguchi is how he combines humor with drama, yet can work with one or the other. Tanahashi delivers in these short bouts during this final year; bittersweet, as his longer matches are classics. However, I’m glad we get these flashes of greatness that remind us who he is and how versatile he has been throughout his career.
United Empire (Callum Newman, Jakob Austin Young & Jeff Cobb) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito)
Try as he might, Naito couldn’t keep up wiht Newman’s speed, nor Cobb’s weight and strength on top of it. Takahashi came to Naito’s assitance, dropping him with a Neckbreaker on Young. Cobb tagged himself in for Young, using Takahashi’s body to knock him, Naito, and BUSHI out and nearly won with a Spin Cycle. Targeting Cobb’s knees, Takahashi set BUSHI for a tope, but Young tripped him up. BUSHI played with smart offense on Young and Newman before tumbling Cobb with a Hurricanrana. Cobb won the match with a Tour of the Islands to BUSHI.
With the reports of Naito and Cobb working without a contract, matches like these leave the question of where they’ll go from here and what direction their factions will go without them. What happens to United Empire with Cobb and Ospreay in other promotions and Aussie Open seperate from them? Does LiJ continue to exist without Naito? Regardless, Young and Newman quietly have a case for future stars of the company.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji) defeated House Of Torture (Dick Togo & EVIL)
EVIL and Togo emerged from the pure darkness before the bell, attacking Tsuji and Takagi. House of Torture followed up by combining a Cloverleaf and a Crossface to a miserable Tsuji. Working past a weakened knee, Tsuji escaped EVIL’s ruthless targeting with a poke to his eye. Takagi won the match with a grounded Manjigatame for the pinfall.
Nice and short, as it should be. While I like the formula of Tsuji and Takagi’s matches (Tsuji endures a lot of pain, Takagi comes in for the dominant save), the House of Torture addition feels grating. Yet, they work together seamlessly, so I’ll give them that.
Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI), Master Wato & YOH) defeated BULLET CLUB War Dogs (David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd & Gedo)
Locking up, Goto overpowered Finlay’s attacks with pure strength. Finlay, joined by Moloney, overcame this by stacking their offense on him. YOSHI-HASHI came in to play equalizer, leading to all of his team beating on the back of Gedo. Moloney unleashed a vicious Spinebuster to YOH, which Kidd gleefully added to with his bullish demeanor. Gedo was unfortunate enough to be the final person assaulting YOH when Wato tagged in with the sound and the fury to wipe out the War Dogs. An all-out frenzy transpired, with Wato forcing Gedo to submit with a Vendeva.
Hyping up Goto vs Finlay for tomorrow’s Sakura Genesis show proved fruitful. Korakuen Hall seemed split between them, which is wild to think of, considering Finlay’s earlier unpopularity as Bullet Club leader. His time late 2024 to now has done him wonders. Also, keep Wato and YOH paired together and give them all the important tag team wins.
Ichiban Sweet Boys (Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles) (c) defeated BULLET CLUB War Dogs (Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
X and Ishimori sent Eagles soaring but couldn’t sustain dominance over Fujita for long. Ishimori aided X in maintaining momentum across the ropes for a Shooting Star Press to stun their opponents. The earlier focus on Fujita paid off in dividends for the War Dogs as the damage wore on. A vengeful Eagles came in with the agility, working on X’s leg in particular. Eagles followed this with a Tope Con Hilo to further crush the War Dogs, punctuated with a T-Bomb. X ensnared Eagles with a flashy sequence of moves, stamped with a thunderous powerbomb.
A flying dropkick and a borrowed Penalty Kick from leader Zack Sabre Jr gave way for Fujita to nearly tap; however, Ishimori broke it up by kicking Eagles into them. Each team traded finishers on the others in an impressive display, ended beautifully by Eagles kicking X out of midair mid-Standing Moonsault. X nearly won the match with a gnarly Poisonrana + Execution Cutter combination, but couldn’t get the job done. Eagles desperately pulled out a Hyperion to successfully retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.
— Post-match: Wato dragged YOH into the ring, straight-up tossing him in as they challenged the Ichiban Sweet Boys to a championship match
Best match of this card. I know Robbie X is more focused on the British independents, but he and Taiji Ishimori would have a cracker run in the tag division if he stuck around.
Main Event
El Desperado (c) defeated Clark Connors for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title (Hardcore Match)
Connors and Desperado traded chops before switching to chairs. Though unfamiliar with this level of terrain, Connors instinctually lasted with the more seasoned champion, going so far as to clang him with a trash can and pouncing him directly into the bleachers. Connors introduced two tables on the outside. In the stands, the pair tried choking the other out, with the challenger nearly dropping Desperado onto the wooden floor at the bottom. Desperado swung Connors with an Irish Whip into the bleachers on the other side of Korakuen Hall, met by Connors sending him back into the ring post. Connors attempted a chair swing at Desperado at that same ring post, only for him to duck, stinging Connors’s arms.
The pair met in the stands once more, swinging kendo sticks—Connors gained control with relentless whacks to the champ’s back. Tying Desperado’s wrists to the ring post, the War Dog resumed punishment by lashing his opponent with the stick. With all the wealth of scars and recently opened wounds painted across his back, Desperado writhed in agony as Connors poured a bottle of whiskey onto his flesh. Referee Red Shoes Umino freed Desperado, who clambered right into another swing by Connors. The champion finally gained momentum when he grabbed a broken glass bottle from Connors and ran it across his forehead (dragging his head across the rope for an extra burn).
A powerbomb from the top rope sent Desperado to the mat, nearly offering Connors the chance to send him through the outside tables. Barb-wire steel chair in hand, Desperado bled as Connors gored the pair of them into it. The foes wrapped that same barb-wire across their fists, leading to Desperado being scoo–slammed onto exposed wire from a nearby chair. Connors proceeded to slam the chair onto Desperado, and Desperado onto the chair. A Pinche Loco gave Desperado a nearfall, as did Connors with a lariat. Atop the uppermost turnbuckle, Desperado drove himself and Connors through the tables. This didn’t give him the pinfall victory, but a final Pinche Loco did, thus retaining his championship.
— Post-match: Stardom’s Thekla checked on Connors who traded middle fingers with Desperado. Alone in the ring, Desperado was greeted by CMLL’s Templario, who challenged him for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at a later date.
Halfway through the match, this hardcore bout truly followed up on the excellent tag match that preceded it. Seeing Desperado guide Connors through the match before eventually bleeding him out. That’s professoinalism. Connors absolutely pulled his weight, however. Moreover, this match felt structured like a song, hitting all its beats and knowing when to hit them. Moments where the match could have ended earlier didn’t, because a greater finish would be ahead. Great stuff.
Jr Genesis was fine, but the matches to watch out for are the title matches. They maximized their places on the card perfectly.