Tag: Katsuya Murashima

NJPW wrestler set for European excursion

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW wrestler Katsuya Murashima is heading to Europe as he gains more experience in his wrestling career.

Earlier this month, Murashima was crowned the winner of NJPW’s Young Lion Cup 2026 tournament. It was announced that he would be heading out on excursion, but the location was not revealed. Indie promotion wXw in Germany has now announced that Murashima will be joining their roster and will debut at an event in Essen on March 5.

Murashima will be moving to Germany in the next few weeks for this excursion. While there, he will receive additional training at the wXw Wrestling Academy. This follows OSKAR and Yuto-Ice — the current IWGP Tag Team Champions — having successfully completed their own excursions to wXw in the past.

“We would like to thank New Japan Pro Wrestling for the trust they have placed in us and hope that Katsuya Murashima will have a similarly successful journey in Germany as [OSKAR and Yuto-Ice] before he too returns to Japan as a star,” wXw wrote.

Murashima is a former amateur wrestler who debuted for NJPW in 2023. Shoma Kato, the opponent he defeated in the Young Lion Cup finals, is going on excursion as well, though Kato is moving to Mexico where NJPW has a relationship with CMLL.

At the New Beginning in Osaka this week, Murashima competed in his final match before excursion. He and Kato tagged together in a loss to Togi Makabe & Toru Yano.

NJPW announces excursions for two Young Lions

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Two of NJPW’s Young Lions are going on excursion.

NJPW made it official on Monday that Katsuya Murashima and Shoma Kato are both heading out on an excursion, the final step in a Young Lion’s journey before officially getting a push in NJPW. Murashima, who just won the Young Lion’s Cup on February 1, will get his sendoff match at New Beginning in Osaka on February 11. He will team with Kato to take on Togi Makabe and Toru Yano.

While it wasn’t announced where Murashima will be going on excursion, Kato’s path is more clear. NJPW announced that the runner up of the Young Lion tournament will be heading to Mexico and will be part of the upcoming NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania tour. Three special Kato sendoff matches will take place on February 24 in Osaka and on the 26, and 27th at Korakuen Hall.

NJPW’s system has their young talent wrestle a similar standard style when they graduate from the dojo for a period of time until they are ready to travel for an international tour, where they will gain experience until finally returning to the company with a push. Both Murashima and Kato made their in-ring debut in November of 2023.

Tag match announced for NJPW Wrestling Dontaku

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW has announced a new addition to the card for Wrestling Dontaku 2024.

Night two of the event will feature a Frontier Zone match with Togi Makabe & Katsuya Murashima teaming up against Jet Wei & Naoki Sakurajima. In Frontier Zone matches, NJPW wrestlers face off against competition from smaller promotions. The concept debuted in October 2023.

Wei and Sakurajima both wrestle for Kyushu Pro Wrestling. Wei, who is from Taiwan, is also representing his home promotion PUZZLE.

Katsuya Murashima and Togi Makabe will represent NJPW in the face of new faces from Kyushu Pro-Wrestling. Kyushu Pro have already been represented in the Frontier Zone before the World Tag League finals last December, but this time, new faces include Jet Wei, currently in his second excursion to Kyushu from his home in PUZZLE. With PUZZLE itself having been represented at Wrestling World 2024 this past weekend, how will Wei represent his host and home promotions, as well as his home country?

Wei’s partner will be Naoki Sakurajima. A 16 year veteran of the independent scene, Sakurajima brings a no nonsense hard hitting style to the ring, which has seen him compete in Osaka Pro, IGF, Wrestle-1 and others. Will he make a powerful mark on May 4? Don’t miss the Frontier Zone at Dontaku!

Wrestling Dontaku is being held in Fukuoka on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4. Makabe & Murashima vs. Wei & Sakurajima will be the pre-show match on night two.

Makabe & Murashima are also teaming together in the night one pre-show match, taking on Boltin Oleg & Shoma Kato. Murashima and Kato are both Young Lions who debuted in November of last year.

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2024 —

Night one (May 3):

  • IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Nic Nemeth defends against Hiroshi Tanahashi
  • Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay
  • NJPW World Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr. defends against Jeff Cobb
  • Jon Moxley, Shota Umino & El Desperado vs. Ren Narita, EVIL & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney & Gedo
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. KENTA, Chase Owens & Taiji Ishimori
  • Hikuleo, El Phantasmo & Jado vs. Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Kosei Fujita
  • SANADA, Taichi & Yuya Uemura vs. Great-O-Khan, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman
  • DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku vs. Yujiro Takahashi & SHO
  • Togi Makabe & Katsuya Murashima vs. Boltin Oleg & Shoma Kato

Night two (May 4):

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley defends against Ren Narita
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Shingo Takagi defends against Gabe Kidd
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defend against KENTA & Chase Owens
  • Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. David Finlay, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney & Gedo
  • Nic Nemeth & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. SANADA & Taichi
  • Hikuleo, El Phantasmo, Shota Umino & El Desperado vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita vs. Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman
  • Yuya Uemura & DOUKI vs. Great-O-Khan & Francesco Akira
  • Boltin Oleg & Shoma Kato vs. Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls
  • Togi Makabe & Katsuya Murashima vs. Jet Wei & Naoki Sakurajima

New NJPW Young Lions to debut this month

Posted on by Joseph Currier

New Young Lions from NJPW’s dojo are set to make their in-ring debuts later this month.

NJPW has announced that the 20-year-old Shoma Kato and 23-year-old Katsuya Murashima will debut on the promotion’s World Tag League tour. Kato is making his debut against Oskar Leube on Monday, November 20. Murashima is debuting against Yuto Nakashima on Tuesday, November 21.

Those events are the first two nights of the World Tag League tour. Both shows are being held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. Kato and Murashima are competing in the kickoff matches each night.

Kato was featured on “The Spirit,” a show produced by Kazuchika Okada about NJPW dojo hopefuls. Kato has a background in baseball, MMA, and grappling.

Murashima has a background in amateur wrestling. He competed in the sport in college and was a regional champion.

NJPW wrote about the two new Young Lions:

On November 20, Oskar Leube will go up against Shoma Kato. 173cm, 82 kg Kato played baseball through high school in his native Osaka. Transitioning into MMA and grappling practice in his senior year with a view to getting into professional wrestling, the 20 year old won the hearts and minds of viewers of The Spirit, a reality TV show produced by Kazuchika Okada that followed Dojo hopefuls. Now, discerning eyes will be on him looking to make an impact on NJPW fans moving forward.

The next night, Yuto Nakashima will face Katsuya Murashima. 23 year old Murashima has a nine year background in amateur wrestling, where after his upbringing in Ibaraki, a college career saw him a regional champion in eastern Japan at 86 and 92 kg, and where he came second at the national level. Could he gain worldwide success in NJPW? His journey starts Tuesday November 21. 

Kato’s second match will be against Nakashima on November 23. Murashima is facing Leube on November 24.