Sakura Genesis 2021 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), which took place on April 4, 2021, in Tokyo at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. The event was main evented by 2021 New Japan Cup winner Will Ospreay challenging Kota Ibushi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. This marks the third show under the Sakura Genesis name, and the first since the 2018 event. Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the tour had some restrictions in the attendance, after the Japanese Government lifted the State of Emergency.
Production[]
Background[]
Sakura Genesis 2021 was officially announced on March 1, 2021. The previous events had been held under the name Invasion Attack. The event aired worldwide through New Japan Pro Wrestling World with English commentary provided by Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic[]
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, other wrestling promotions began to cancel or postpone their shows in an attempt to prevent further spreading of the COVID-19 virus. At the end of February, following recommendations by the Japanese Ministry of Health regarding the coronavirus outbreak, NJPW canceled the events between March 1 and March 15 including the promotion's Anniversary Event and the first and the second round of New Japan Cup. On March 23, NJPW also canceled the 2020 Sakura Genesis event, which was originally scheduled to take place on March 31. On April 8, NJPW canceled more events from April 11 through May 4, leading to the cancelation of both nights of 2020 Wrestling Dontaku and would also cancel the whole Best of the Super Juniors tournament as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on May 6. Various wrestlers such as David Finlay, El Phantasmo, KENTA, the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa), Jay White, Juice Robinson, Will Ospreay, Rocky Romero, and Robbie Eagles were unable to work on NJPW events due to travel restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, NJPW wrestlers and staff created the NJPW Together project in order to do bring content to NJPW World with interviews and old archived matches. On May 6, NJPW announced that their Wrestle Dynasty event would be postponed to 2021, due to the effects of the 2019-20 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On June 8, during an online press conference, NJPW Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi announced that the promotion would start to held shows on June 15, starting with the Together Project Special and the return of the 2020 New Japan Cup between June 16 and July 11, with all shows being held behind closed doors. It was also that the finals of the New Japan Cup and the Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall would be the first shows to allow fans into the arena, but only a third of the venue's normal capacity, after the Japanese Government lifted some restrictions on many regions in Japan.
Storylines[]
Sakura Genesis 2021 featured professional wrestling matches that involve different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.
2021 New Japan Cup winner Will Ospreay, who challenged for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event
Sakura Genesis 2021 was the first major NJPW show following the 2018 New Japan Cup. The New Japan Cup is an annual single-elimination tournament, where the winner gets to choose whether to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Traditionally, the title match has taken place at the April Ryōgoku Kokugikan show, previously known as Invasion Attack and now as Sakura Genesis. In March, Will Ospreay made it to the finals of the 2021 New Japan Cup, which he eventually won, defeating Shingo Takagi in the finals on March 21, and afterwards challenged Kota Ibushi to a title match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, stating that he would do anything to win it, for the goal of becoming the top wrestler of the promotion. To prove his point, Ospreay turned on his girlfriend Bea Priestley, kicking her out of the United Empire. The following day, NJPW announced the title match. Ospreay and Ibushi had previously faced each other in a dream match, on January 4, 2019 at Wrestle Kingdom 13 in Tokyo Dome for the NEVER Openweight Championship, which Ospreay won, causing Ibushi to suffered a concussion, during the match.
Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado) who faced Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) at the event
Prior to the match, on March 30, during the Road to Sakura Genesis tour, Ibushi was presented with a new IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt, retiring the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championship belts in the process.
On August 27, 2020, Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) were forced to vacate the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, after Yoh was sidelined with a knee injury. On March 21, 2021, Yoh made his return from injury, challeging Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) to a title match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on behalf of Roppongi 3K. The following day, NJPW announced the title match. Over the previous three years, Roppongi 3K and Suzuki-gun had been involved in a rivalry exchanging the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship multiple times.
Results[]
| # | Matches | Stipulations | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suzuki-gun (DOUKI, Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated Bullet Club (Jado, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa | Six-man tag team match | 10:10 |
| 2 | CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, and Yoshi-Hashi) defeated Bullet Club (Dick Togo, EVIL, KENTA, Taiji Ishimori and Yujiro Takahashi) | Eight-man tag team match | 11:37 |
| 3 | United Empire (Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japón (SANADA, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito) | Six-man tag team match | 9:51 |
| 4 | Hiroshi Tanahashi and Satoshi Kojima defeated Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale and Jay White) (with Gedo) | Tag team match | 10:05 |
| 5 | Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) defeated Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado) (c) | Tag team match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship | 20:48 |
| 6 | Will Ospreay (with (Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare) defeated Kota Ibushi | Singles match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship | 30:13 |
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