Results of IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Championship and IWGP World Hvt. Title matches from Sakura Genesis

Will Ospreay beat Kota Ibushi at the 30:13 mark to become the second IWGP World Hvt. Champion at New Japan’s Sakura Genesis PPV today. Kota Ibushi recently unified the IWGP Hvt. Championship and IWGP IC Championship to create the IWGP World Hvt. Championship.

The United Empire was at ringside, but they never interfered in the match, as Ospreay beat Ibushi following a Hidden Blade and then a Storm Breaker. Ospreay won the New Japan Cup on March 21, which gave him the right to challenge Ibushi for the IWGP World Hvt. Championship.

Ospreay taunted Ibushi on the mic as he was helped to the back telling him that man had beaten God. He then called out Kazuchika Okada, as he said he still hadn’t recovered from the embarrassment of losing to Okada at Wrestle Kingdom. Okada went to grab the mic, but Shingo Takagi slid into the ring. Takagi lost to Ospreay in the finals of the New Japan cup.

Takagi said he beat Okada in the first round of the New Japan Cup, so he deserved the first shot. Okada then went to give his response, but he handed the mic to Ospreay without saying a word. Ospreay said he would beat Takagi and then challenge Okada. Okada left the ring and smiled while making an x over his lips with his fingers.

New Japan has several major shows coming up in May including Wrestling Dontaku on May 2 and May 3. They also have two baseball stadium shows. Wrestle Grand Slam Yokohama will take place on May 15. New Japan will then return to The Tokyo Dome on May 29 for Wrestle Grand Slam.

-Sho & Yoh, complete with a new entrance theme and ring gear, beat IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Champions El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru at Sakura Genesis. You pinned Kanemaru with a double underhook brainbuster at the 20:48 mark.

Yoh wrestled much of the match selling an injured knee. Desperado and Kanemaru both focused their attack on Yoh’s surgically repaird knee. Yoh had been out of action since last June after tearing his ACL. At the time, he and Sho were the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Champions, but they had to vacate the belts.

After the match, Desperado had a face-to-face confrontation with Yoh. Yoh got on the mic after and said this is a new ear for Roppongi 3K and the next step for him was challenging for the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Championship.