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NJPW Sakura Genesis 2025 Preview (4/5/25): Start Time, Match Card, How To Watch & Live Stream

The latest major show from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Sakura Genesis will determine the top champions in the promotion. David Finlay vies for the top prize in NJPW against Hirooki Goto after winning the N ew Japan Cup, while five other titles are up for grabs.

Sid Pullar III

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New Japan Pro Wrestling is back for the latest major show with Sakura Genesis 2025 on Saturday, April 5 from Ryogoku Sumo Hall.

The nine-match card will see six championships being put on the line, including the most prestigious prize in the promotion.

After winning the New Japan Cup in March, Bullet Club War Dogs leader David Finlay will challenge Hirooki Goto for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. The two men have split their first two meetings against one another last year, making this third meeting the rubber match with everything on the line.

Goto's miraculous run with the title has garnered universal praise from the New Japan fanbase, but Finlay feels like the biggest threat to his title and could become the first member of his legendary wrestling family to capture a world title in their career.

Yota Tsuji will make his third defense of the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship when he faces House of Torture leader EVIL. In another rubber match on the card, these two men have also split their first two matches against one another over the past year.

With the numbers' game of The House and EVIL's recent win against the champion in the New Japan Cup, Tsuji will have to overcome the always dangerous tactics of his challenger to hold onto his title in this one.

Tsuji's Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemates Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi will defend the IWGP Tag Team Championships against United Empire's Jeff Cobb and Callum Newman.

With recent reports circulating about Naito and Cobb's future in NJPW, this is another title bout that feels like a toss up.

AEW's Konosuke Takeshita will return to defend the NEVER Openweight Championship and Hiroshi Tanahashi has his latest match of his final road, while House of Torture and El Phantasmo all defend their titles on the major show as well.

Here is everything you need to know about this Saturday's NJPW Sakura Genesis 2025 event.

NJPW Sakura Genesis 2025 Start Time:

Time: 4 a.m. EST (1 a.m. PST)

NJPW Sakura Genesis 2025 Location:

Location: Ryogoku Sumo Hall, Ryogoku, Tokyo, Japan

How to Watch NJPW Sakura Genesis 2025:

Streaming: NJPW World

Match Card (Announced):

Hirooki Goto vs. David Finlay for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship

Yota Tsuji vs. EVIL for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi) vs. United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman) for the IWGP Tag Team Championships

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ryohei Oiwa for the NEVER Openweight Championship

House of Torture (SHO, Yujiro Takahashi & Ren Narita) vs. Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori) for the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships

Hiroshi Tanahashi Final Road Connection: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shota Umino

El Phantasmo vs. Great-O-Khan for the NJPW World TV Championship

Yuya Uemura vs. SANADA

Kickoff Match: Katsuya Murashima vs. Daiki Nagai

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Sid Pullar III
SID PULLAR III

Sid Pullar III, born and raised in New York, is a lifelong pro wrestling fan who fell in love with the business when stars like Randy Savage, Ric Flair and Sting captured his imagination. In 2017, he started the Tru Heel Heat Wrestling podcast. Then in 2020, he began his writing for Sportskeeda Wrestling before moving to WrestleTalk in 2021. He is looking to capture his three decades worth of pro wrestling knowledge through his pieces and interviewing various stars.

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