Tag: new beginning in osaka 2026

NJPW reveals full card for New Beginning in Osaka

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW has revealed the full card for New Beginning in Osaka, the company’s biggest event since Wrestle Kingdom.

An IWGP Heavyweight Championship match headlines the February 11 show with Yota Tsuji defending against Jake Lee. It’s the first defense for Tsuji after claiming the title from Konosuke Takeshita at Wrestle Kingdom. Lee was set up as his first challenger that night — and Tsuji finally accepted his challenge after Lee and United Empire beat down Tsuji’s Unbound Company faction.

Tsuji is a double champion now, holding both the IWGP Championship and IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. He is not defending the latter title at New Beginning in Osaka, but there will be a number one contender’s match between Gabe Kidd and Andrade El Idolo to determine his next challenger.

Among the new additions to the card is a grudge match between David Finlay and Callum Newman, who has bragged about being the only foreigner in NJPW signed to a multi-year contract.

A rematch for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles is also set after Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin won the belts from Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson earlier this week.

Edion Arena is hosting the New Beginning event, which will air live on NJPW World. Here is the full lineup:

NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2026 (Wednesday, February 11) —

  • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji defends against Jake Lee
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions The Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) defend against Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Aaron Wolf defends against Ren Narita
  • David Finlay vs. Callum Newman
  • IWGP Global title number one contender’s match: Gabe Kidd vs. Andrade El Idolo
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin defend against Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson
  • Shingo Takagi & Drilla Moloney vs. Great-O-Khan & HENARE
  • Hiromu Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori vs. Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young

Yota Tsuji’s first IWGP title challenger confirmed

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Jake Lee is officially first in line to challenge Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Championship.

In an angle that took place today, Tsuji finally agreed to defend his IWGP Championship against Lee at New Beginning in Osaka on February 11. The match will be formally announced by NJPW when the full card is revealed in the coming days.

A match between Tsuji and Lee has been building since Wrestle Kingdom 20, when Tsuji was attacked by Lee following his victory over Konosuke Takeshita. Lee returned to NJPW that night when he was unveiled as the newest member of United Empire. Tsuji did not immediately accept Lee’s challenge, instead saying that Lee needed to show why he was worthy of a title shot.

United Empire (Lee, Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan, Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young) defeated Unbound Company (Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo) in a 10-man tag match at today’s Road to New Beginning event. To get the victory, Lee pinned Takagi while the rest of United Empire held Tsuji back and forced him to watch.

After the match, United Empire beat down Unbound Company as they continued to force Tsuji to look on. The champion then agreed to face Lee at New Beginning in Osaka, saying he could not watch United Empire do this to his friends.

Tsuji holds both the IWGP Championship and IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship at the moment. He’s set a clear distinction between the titles, saying the IWGP Championship will be defended in Japan against the best competition NJPW has to offer. The Global title will be defended overseas and in Japan against “invaders” from outside the company.

Edion Arena is hosting the New Beginning in Osaka, with the following matches either official or having been set up:

NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2026 (Wednesday, February 11) —

  • IWGP Champion Yota Tsuji defends against Jake Lee
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions The Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) defend against Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Aaron Wolf defends against Ren Narita
  • Global title number one contender’s match: Gabe Kidd vs. Andrade El Idolo (not yet official)

Two title matches official for NJPW New Beginning in Osaka

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Coming out of Wrestle Kingdom 20, the first two matches are now official for NJPW’s next major event.

The New Beginning in Osaka is set to be held at Edion Arena on February 11. We now have our first two match announcements for the show, with NJPW confirming that the IWGP Tag Team titles and NEVER Openweight Championship will be on the line.

NJPW New Beginning in Osaka 2026 (Wednesday, February 11) —

  • IWGP Tag Team Champions The Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) defend against either Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura or Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi
  • NEVER Openweight Champion Aaron Wolf defends against Ren Narita

The challengers for OSKAR & Yuto-Ice will be finalized when Umino & Uemura face off against Ishii & Taichi in a number one contender’s match at a Road to New Beginning event on January 19. Both of those teams confronted OSKAR & Yuto-Ice at New Year Dash looking to get a shot at the titles.

WWE is rumored to have been interested in signing OSKAR & Yuto-Ice when their NJPW contracts are up — but the two declared that they aren’t going anywhere after retaining against Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa at New Year Dash.

Wolf, an Olympic gold medalist in judo, won the NEVER Openweight Championship in his pro wrestling debut by defeating EVIL at Wrestle Kingdom 20. Narita is now looking to bring the title back to House of Torture,

Before the Osaka event, there will be a few title bouts happening on the Road to New Beginning tour as well:

Monday, January 19:

  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson defend against Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin

Tuesday, January 20:

  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI defends against El Desperado
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita defend against SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru