NJPW “GAROU DENSETSU: CITY OF THE WOLVES PRESENTS SAKURA GENESIS 2025”, 05/04/2025
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
6,640 Fans
5. NEVER Openweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) defeated Ryohei Oiwa with the Raging Fire (12:54).
*V5 for KONOSUKE TAKESHITA.
Two DDT related stories came from today’s New Japan show at Sumo Hall. First, Konosuke Takeshita set the record for the most successful NEVER Openweight Title defences in a single reign after he beat Ryohei Oiwa. The TMDK wrestler went after Takeshita’s left arm and made him fight to get it back. The damage done stayed with him when he did big moves like an Avalanche Brainbuster. Oiwa got a nearfall with a Doctor Bomb while Takeshita relied on throwing Lariats and Elbow Strikes with his right arm to wear him down. Takeshita was able to win in the end by using the Raging Fire and he held the NEVER Title above Oiwa after the match.
For the backstage comments Oiwa said he is not happy that the current NEVER Champion is somebody who does not wrestle on New Japan’s regional tours and only shows up for the big events like today. He is going to reflect on today’s match and figure out how to climb back up from the bottom. Takeshita said he likes Oiwa’s wrestling style but he decided he will become the best in the world by using his own. Now Takeshita’s focus is on Hiroshi Tanahashi for their match in America next week. He will put their long story to an end and questions if Tanahashi still has any shine left. If he does then Takeshita will erase it!
The other DDT related story is the announcement of MAO entering this year’s Best Of The Super Jr. tournament! The 32nd edition of the famous junior heavyweight tournament revealed its field of 20 competitors today and MAO was among them. He had already teased this after wrestling on yesterday’s New Japan show when he told fans they will see him again in May. The tournament schedule starts on 10th May and lasts until 1st June.
Dramatic DDT 