Major titles changed hands at NJPW’s Sakura Genesis event in Tokyo on Saturday.
SANADA finally won his first world championship with victory over Kazuchika Okada in the main event, putting an exclamation point on a stellar start to 2023 for the 35-year-old.
Mercedes Moné retained the Women’s IWGP Championship in a three-way battle with AZM and Hazuki. Mone dropped AZM on top of Hazuki with the Money Maker to retain.
Aussie Open’s Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis became the new IWGP Tag Team Champions, defeating Bishamon’s Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI. Goto took the pin after being hit with the Coriolis.
In the other championship matches on the card, Zack Sabre Jr defeated Shota Umino to retain the NJPW Television Championship.
Hiromu Takahashi also retained, defeating Robbie Eagles to hold onto his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Full results:
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: SANADA def. Kazuchika Okada (c)
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi (c) def. Robbie Eagles
- IWGP Tag Team Championships: Aussie Open def. Bishamon (c)
- NJPW World Television Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) def. Shota Umino
- IWGP Women’s Championship: Mercedes Mone (c) def. AZM and Hazuki
- David Finlay, El Phantasmo & KENTA def. Master Wato, Tama Tonga & Hikuleo
- Taichi, DOUKI & Yoshinobu Kanemaru def. BUSHI, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito
- Aaron Henare, Francesco Akira & Jeff Cobb def. EVIL, SHO & Yujiro Takahashi
- Shinnichi Champion Grand Prix Celebration: Toru Yano, Great-O-Khan & Minoru Suzuki def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, YOH & El Desperado
Bruce Lord and Karen Peterson will co-host a Sakura Genesis review show for members of the POST Wrestling Café later on Saturday.
