Dream Team winners but Okada carried out as SANADA stands tall in last televised Sakura Genesis preview
April 3’s Road to Sakura Genesis saw the last broadcast preview for SANADA and Kazuchika Okada ahead of their meeting on April 8 in Ryogoku for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in a loaded tag, SANADA tagging with Taichi for the first time, while Okada was with his Dream team partner Hiroshi Tanahashi.
SANADA and Okada would start and jockeyed for position in the early moments, Okada offering up his chin to his Saturday challenger when they made the ropes, but SANADA granting a clean break and instead clamping on a headlock before being met by a dropkick from the champion. Okada would quickly go to the Money Clip, and then quickly tagged with Tanahashi to push the advantage, SANADA in a pinch before hitting the Magic Screw and tagging in Taichi.
The Holy Emperor was no nonsense in his offense to Tanahashi, drilling the Ace with a Dangerous Backdrop; as Okada broke up the pin and got a cheap shot off on SANADA, Cold Skull snapped and hurled the Rainmaker to the floor, taking away the matting and striking a piledriver on the hardwood. Following up with Skull End, SANADA didn’t notice Tanahashi getting a flash rollup on Taichi to win the match, but SANADA was standing tall.
Taking the mic, he would ask ‘How much longer are you planning on lying there Okada? We’ll see plenty of that at Ryogoku, so would you mind leaving?’. Okada would do so, but only with the aid of Young Lions as his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match looms Saturday night.
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