Tag: new beginning usa 2026

AEW wrestlers issue challenges for NJPW New Beginning USA

Posted on by Bryan Rose

AEW stars are heading to New Japan.

After the Knockout Brothers successfully retained the IWGP Tag Team titles against Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura on Wednesday, Ricochet and GOA appeared on the video screen. Ricochet said that they would be taking over New Beginning USA and called out Taiji Ishimori for an AEW National Championship match. Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona,  meanwhile, said they smelled blood in the water and would be going after YUTO-ICE and Oskar.

Ricochet became the first-ever National Champion back at Full Gear, winning a Casino Gauntlet match. Since then he has defended the title in other promotions, defeating CMLL’s Titan back on January 16 and in ROH at Final Battle, defeating Dalton Castle. On the February 4 edition of Dynamite, he successfully defended the title against Jack Perry.

Here is the updated lineup for New Beginning USA:

NJPW New Beginning USA (February 27)

  • IWGP Global title: Yota Tsuji defends against Andrade El Idolo
  • AEW National title: Ricochet defends against Taiji Ishimori
  • IWGP Tag Team titles: Knockout Brothers defend against GOA
  • NJPW Strong Openweight title: Tomohiro Ishii defends against Boltin Oleg
  • IWGP Women’s title: Syuri defends against Athena
  • NJPW World TV title: El Phantasmo defends against Konosuke Takeshita

NJPW adds four names to New Beginning USA

Posted on by Joseph Currier

NJPW has announced a few more names who will be making the trip over for New Beginning USA 2026.

On February 27, NJPW comes to CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey for the New Beginning event. It was announced today that Syuri, Tomohiro Ishii, Oleg Boltin, and El Desperado will be among the talent competing. Their matches have not been announced yet.

Syuri enters the show as a double champion following her victory over Saya Kamitani at Wrestle Kingdom 20. She retained the IWGP Women’s Championship in the match and now also holds the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship.

Ishii is the men’s NJPW Strong Openweight Champion, having won the title from Gabe Kidd in April 2025. His only defense so far has been a victory over Drilla Moloney.

This appearance will be Boltin’s first time wrestling in the United States. An amateur wrestler from Kazakhstan, he made his in-ring debut for NJPW in 2023.

So far, the New Beginning card has one confirmed match: El Phantasmo vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the NJPW World Television Championship. It’s also been announced that Yota Tsuji — the IWGP Heavyweight Champion and Global Heavyweight Champion — will be in action.