AEW star Will Ospreay gave an update on his injury status while making a surprise appearance at NJPW New Year Dash 2026.
The 32-year-old Ospreay has been sidelined since August 2025 due to a neck injury. He’s undergone surgery and is working toward a return. Though it will be a while before that can happen, Ospreay is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and is looking forward to returning to both AEW and NJPW when he can.
“I can’t come back right now. I still need to recover. It’s going to take me a long time, but I’m getting closer and closer. I’m getting better and better — and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said at New Year Dash. “When I’m good to go, I’m going to handle some business in AEW. I’m going to come back to New Japan Pro Wrestling.”
Ospreay was part of an angle with his former United Empire stablemates at the New Year Dash event. He offered to help support Callum Newman and help get United Empire on the right track. Newman didn’t seem to have much interest in Ospreay’s offer. He initially hugged Ospreay but then went to hit him with a chair before the rest of United Empire intervened.
Speaking backstage after the angle, Ospreay called AEW his home base but said he would like to occasionally wrestle for NJPW as well.
“That’s my main stage, where I fight every week,” Ospreay said about AEW. “But I want to come back. Whether it’s two shows a year, three, or five. I’m determined to make it happen.”
Along with this New Year Dash appearance, Ospreay was in Japan for Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement ceremony at Wrestle Kingdom 20.
Double champion Yota Tsuji has introduced a new faction into the NJPW ranks.
At New Year Dash 2026 on Monday, Tsuji announced the formation of a new faction named “Unbound Company.” It will see former Los Ingobernables de Japon members Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi officially align with the Bullet Club War Dogs after the two sides had already been working together.
“There’s something I need to say here today. Until now, Bullet Club War Dogs and the Independents have been working together. But that ends today,” Tsuji announced. “From now on, we will fight as one unit. Our name is Unbound Co. An organization that is not bound by anyone.”
Tsuji defeated Konosuke Takeshita at Wrestle Kingdom 20 to retain the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship and win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. He is now locked into a feud against United Empire, with Tsuji, Takagi, David Finlay & Drilla Moloney losing to Jake Lee, Callum Newman, Great-O-Khan & HENARE in an eight-man tag match at New Year Dash.
Jake Lee was added to United Empire at Wrestle Kingdom 20 and attacked Tsuji, likely putting himself in IWGP World Heavyweight Championship contention. It was revealed at New Year Dash that Gabe Kidd and Andrade El Idolo will soon face off to determine a challenger for Tsuji’s Global Heavyweight title.
At New Year Dash, Tsuji brought back the fan-favorite classic design of the IWGP Championship that had been retired in 2021.
A title change took place on Monday to help kick off a new era for NJPW.
Following the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 20, NJPW was immediately back in action with New Year Dash 2026 being held at Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo. The card saw new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions crowned with the Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita) prevailing in a four-way match.
Eagles & Fujita defeated DOUKI & SHO, Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X, and El Desperado & Kuukai to win the belts. House of Torture tried to interfere to help DOUKI & SHO keep their titles, but Eagles & Fujita were able to dispatch of Yoshibonu Kanemaru and pin Robbie X to become champions.
This marks the second time that Eagles & Fujita have been IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions together. Their first reign lasted for nearly four months from January-April 2025.
Eagles & Fujita are members of the NJPW faction TMDK. Their stablemates Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa had the chance to bring more gold to TMDK at New Year Dash but fell short in their attempt to win the IWGP Tag Team titles. In the main event of NJPW’s first show of the post-Tanahashi era, the Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) defeated Sabre & Oiwa to remain the champions of the heavyweight tag team division.
The Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) are still the IWGP Tag Team Champions — and they have no plans on leaving NJPW.
In the main event of New Year Dash 2026, OSKAR & Yuto-Ice retained their IWGP Tag Team titles over Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa. There had been rumors going into the show that WWE is interested in signing the Knock Out Brothers. Without directly mentioning WWE by name, the champs addressed those rumors after their victory.
“Whatever rumors you might hear, we are never going anywhere,” Yuto-Ice said in his backstage comments.
The Knock Out Brothers — who have held the IWGP Tag Team belts since September — were one of pro wrestling’s standout duos of 2025, winning Best Tag Team in the Tokyo Sports awards. They retained by pinning Oiwa at New Year Dash.
Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura and Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi each made their way out to challenge the Knockout Brothers at the end of New Year Dash. The champions suggested that Umino & Uemura face off with Ishii & Taichi to decide which team gets the next shot at their titles. OSKAR & Yuto-Ice already own victories over both of those teams, including defeating Ishii & Taichi to begin their title reign.
While most of the matches will remain a mystery, NJPW has revealed the list of talent set for action at New Year Dash 2026.
The annual post-Wrestle Kingdom event is being held at Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo on January 5. It’s already been announced that an IWGP Tag Team Championship match will headline the Dash lineup with Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa challenging OSKAR & Yuto-Ice. The rest of the card will be determined by the results of Wrestle Kingdom, but NJPW has confirmed that the following talent are scheduled to compete:
Aaron Wolf
Oleg Boltin
Shota Umino
Yuya Uemura
Hirooki Goto
YOSHI-HASHI
Toru Yano
Tomohiro Ishii
Taichi
Satoshi Kojima
El Desperado
YOH
Master Wato
Zack Sabre Jr.
Ryohei Oiwa
Kosei Fujita
David Finlay
Gabe Kidd
Drilla Moloney
OSKAR
Yuto-Ice
Clark Connors
Taiji Ishimori
Yota Tsuji
Hiromu Takahashi
Shingo Takagi
Callum Newman
Great-O-Khan
Andrade El Idolo
HENARE
EVIL
Ren Narita
SANADA
Yujiro Takahashi
DOUKI
SHO
Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Konosuke Takeshita
This will be the first NJPW show to take place following the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi, who is facing off against Kazuchika Okada in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom.
Either Takeshita or Tsuji will be entering New Year Dash as a double champion. They’re set to clash at Wrestle Kingdom with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship and IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship both on the line.
Wolf, an Olympic gold medalist in judo, could also be a champion by the time New Year Dash begins. He is making his pro wrestling debut at Wrestle Kingdom, challenging EVIL for the NEVER Openweight Championship.
Andrade, now free to wrestle elsewhere following a holdup with his WWE non-compete clause, has been announced for Wrestle Kingdom and New Year Dash. Both shows will air live on NJPW World.
Gold will be on the line at NJPW New Year Dash 2026 when Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa get their shot at the IWGP Tag Team titles.
The main event of the January 5 show will see Sabre & Oiwa challenge OSKAR & Yuto-Ice for the belts. It’s a title shot that Sabre & Oiwa earned through winning NJPW’s World Tag League tournament. Though the winners traditionally get their title shot at Wrestle Kingdom, that won’t be the case this time.
NJPW explained Sabre & Oiwa waiting to get their title shot by highlighting how important of a position the New Year Dash main event is this time around. It’s a chance to help kickstart a new era for NJPW following the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi.
“Of course, I want to be in the Tokyo Dome match too,” Oiwa said in an interview. “But the main event of the next show after Mr. Tanahashi leaves is the one that will most impact New Japan’s future. I feel a sense of mission because I think it’s an absolutely crucial event we cannot fail.”
Tanahashi’s last match will headline the January 4 Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome. He’s facing off against longtime Kazuchika Okada at the event.
Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo will then host New Year Dash. The show — which is traditionally a mystery card with little announced in advance — will air live on NJPW World.
During World Tag League, Sabre & Oiwa lost to OSKAR & Yuto-Ice in block action. But both teams were able to make it to the semifinals out of B Block. Sabre & Oiwa went on to win the tournament, while OSKAR & Yuto-Ice fell to Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd.
Jay White said in a backstage promo that he will leave New Japan Pro Wrestling after the New Year Dash event on January 6.
After losing to Kota Ibushi on the second night of Wrestle Kingdom 15, a dejected White cut a promo backstage, upset about his loss. He said that he was contractually obligated to appear at New Year Dash if New Japan booked him, but then would leave the promotion after. White said that no one had any respect for what he gave out there and for what he’s done. He said he hadn’t seen his parents in 3 1/2 years because he put everything into becoming a star in NJPW. He said that it was his destiny that he was about to be god, but ended up being wrong.
“Maybe my time would be better spent someplace else,” he said. “I don’t want to do this anymore. If this is all it’s for, I’m not going to do it anymore.”
Following the main event of night two, SANADA, who beat EVIL earlier in the show, came out and challenged Ibushi for both the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles. Ibushi accepted the challenge.
Prior to the start of the second night of Wrestle Kingdom, two dark matches featuring Stardom talent took place. In the first bout, Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani, and AZM defeated Natsupoi, Himeka, and Maika when Kamitani pinned Natsupoi with a phoenix splash. In the second bout, Giulia and Syuri defeated Tam Nakano and Mayu Iwatani when Giulia pinned Nakano with the Glorious driver. According to Dave Meltzer, these matches aren’t expected to air anywhere and were for the live crowd.
New Japan Pro Wrestling announced a crowd of 12,689 for night one of Wrestle Kingdom, and 7,801 for night two.
NJPW has revealed the location for New Year Dash 2021.
It was announced overnight that New Year Dash 2021 will be held at Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan on Wednesday, January 6. The annual event features the fallout from Wrestle Kingdom and the start of the build to NJPW’s post-Wrestle Kingdom programs. The card for New Year Dash isn’t announced in advance.
Wrestle Kingdom 15 is taking place at the Tokyo Dome on Monday, January 4 and Tuesday, January 5, 2021. This is the second straight year that Wrestle Kingdom has been a two-night event.
New Year Dash had traditionally been held at Korakuen Hall before being moved to Ota City General Gymnasium for the 2020 edition of the show.
NJPW’s full announcement regarding New Year Dash 2021 is available below:
It’s one of the most exciting, unpredictable nights of the year, and in 2021, New Year Dash!! will help kick off the new year in Tokyo Dome City Hall!
NJPW hits Tokyo Dome City Hall for the first time in nine years on January 6, as we witness the fallout from Wrestle Kingdom 15. In 2020, New Year Dash saw Jyushin Thunder Liger’s emotional retirement, and Jay White and KENTA brutally attack Tetsuya Naito and SANADA after a memorable main event. With the card for the evening not announced until the action gets underway, what will unfold January 6 2021?
Though Wrestle Kingdom 14 will be a two-night event, New Year Dash will still be taking place in January.
NJPW has announced that New Year Dash 2020 will take place at Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo on Monday, January 6. The Tokyo Dome will host Wrestle Kingdom 14 night one on January 4 and night two on January 5.
New Year Dash is NJPW’s annual post-Wrestle Kingdom event and features the start of new angles coming out of the company’s biggest show of the year.
New Year Dash had taken place at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall up until now.
General ticket sales for New Year Dash will begin on October 26. NJPW also noted that “We’re very excited to announce that our global fanbase will be able to witness New Year Dash up close and in person, with inbound ticket sales planned. Details will be announced at a later date, but it’s safe to say that this is the ultimate conclusion to the biggest of wrestling weekends!”
Kota Ibushi is set to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 night one on January 4. Before that, he’ll defend his title shot against EVIL at King of Pro Wrestling on October 14. Current IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada will also defend his title against SANADA at King of Pro Wrestling.
Jushin Thunder Liger will retire at the Tokyo Dome in January.
A number of new programs were started earlier this morning at New Japan Dash.
The theme of the main event centered around the return of YOSHI-HASHI to the promotion, who had been gone since September with a bad concussion following a bad fall. Despite the big return, he was pinned by Jay White in a six man tag team match main event.
White made it clear after the match that he was targeting Hiroshi Tanahashi’s newly won IWGP Heavyweight title. Bad Luck Fale laid out Kazuchika Okada with the grenade after he tried to make the save for Tanahashi, who was attacked by Fale, Gedo and White.
Meanwhile, Suzuki-gun’s targets for 2019 are Los Ingobernables de Japon, who currently hold the bulk of New Japan’s titles. Taichi made Naito’s next program crystal clear, hitting him with a steel chair to kick off a ten man tag team match featuring the two groups. Taichi stunned everyone by pinning Naito with the black mephisto (air raid clash), setting up a future title match.
The Rev Pro tag team champions Zack Sabre Jr. and Minoru Suzuki attacked new IWGP tag team champions SANADA and EVIL after the match, while former El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru attacked new Jr. tag champions Shingo Takagi and BUSHI, setting up title programs in both divisions.
In addition, Yuji Nagata and Tomohiro Ishii had to be pulled apart after their tag match, while Hirooki Goto and Jeff Cobb also exchanged words.
The only angle of the show involved Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens. After leaving Hangman Page and Marty Scurll to dry during Wrestle Kingdom 13’s pre-show, they made it clear where their allegiance lies after helping the Guerrillas of Destiny and Taiji Ishimori retain the NEVER six-man tag team titles, pushing Togi Makabe off the top rope with Chase Owens leaving Togi Makabe lying following the package piledriver. Both Owens and Yujiro celebrated with the Bullet Club after the match, rejoining the stable.
The start of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s direction for 2019 begins this morning at Korakuen Hall.
New Year Dash will feature a number of matches, usually multi-man tag team bouts featuring stars who completed the previous night at the Tokyo Dome. There usually isn’t anything noteworthy about the matches themselves. But in recent years, big angles have taken place on the show that pave the way for the rest of the year.
Some big angles that have gone down in the last couple of years include Jay White rejecting Kenny Omega’s offer to join the Bullet Club (later siding with CHAOS, then restructuring the Bullet Club under his command) and the return of Suzuki-gun after an extended leave of absence.
Most matches won’t be announced until the show begins. However, a NEVER Six Man tag team title match has been confirmed for the show. Former tag team champions The Guerrillas of Destiny and new Jr. heavyweight champion Taiji Ishimori will defend their titles against the makeshift team that won yesterday’s pre-show gauntlet: Togi Makabe, Toru Yano and Ryusuke Taguchi.
The action begins at 4:30 a.m. ET. There will be English commentary.
**********
The main event will feature the return of YOSHI-HASHI, who was been out most of the fall following a concussion after a bad fall. He will team with Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi against Jay White, Bad Luck Fale and Gedo.
None of the Elite stable are on tonight’s card.
Roppongi 3K and Rocky Romero defeated KES and Takashi Iizuka
Stunningly, Suzuki-gun quickly take it to the outside, resulting in a brawl. Archer chokeslammed Romero onto the apron. Iizuka came in and bit everyone. Heels controlled a lot of this one, with DBS even scoring a nearfall after a powerslam off the middle rope.
Rocky turned the tides with a suicide dive to the outside, taking out Archer. Iizuka went in and started to bite everyone, but he went to the well once too often as YOH grabbed him and rolled him up for the surprise win.
DBS was not happy after the match, destroying a young lion with a powerslam on the floor. Archer took out some as well.
Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi defeated Tomoaki Honma and Toa Henare
Before the match, Chase Owens indicated and he and Yujiro were done with Hangman Page and I guess the rest of the Elite. They’re still wearing Bullet Club gear despite being away from that group for months so who knows about these two.
Owens and Yujiro were in control for a bulk of the match. Even Pieter got involved. Honma got back and made the hot tag. He’s been protected in a lot of these tag matches but you can tell his best days are over just by seeing the way he moves in the ring.
Honma hit a kokeshi as Henare and Chase were tagged in. Owens put Henare in an ankle lock but Honma broke it up. Yujiro helped take Honma out as Henare went for a backslide. Owens countered with a superkick then pinned Henare with the package piledriver. Pretty decent.
Juice Robinson and David Finlay defeated Best Friends by DQ
Baretta gave a shout out to his mom, who was in the crowd, before the match. At one point during the match, he exited the ring and gave his mom a hug, which Chuckie T didn’t like.
Baretta gave Finlay a double foot stomp as he was draped on a guardrail. They continued to work on him, including a cool looking northern lights suplex when Finlay was on the top rope. The champion and future challenger went at it, exchanging chops.
Robinson countered the dudebuster then blocked a high knee with a punch. Finlay tagged in and was getting the better of Beretta when Chucky T ran in again with a chair for the DQ.
Chucky grabbed more chair and he was laying waste to Finlay. Robinson took away a chair, and as he and Beretta were arguing Chucky threw a chair at Robinson, taking him out. Beretta tried to get Chucky to the back, but then he fled back and gave Finlay a piledriver on a chair.
Will Ospreay, Tomohiro Ishii and Hirooki Goto defeated Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb and KUSHIDA
KUSHIDA and Will Ospreay started things off. Ospreay tagged in Ishii, who didn’t sell KUSHIDA’s offense. KUSHIDA was worked over until he springboarded onto Ishii and Ospreay and tagged in Nagata.
Nagata and Ishii went at it, pummeling each other with punches and kicks. Cobb and Goto followed, KUSHIDA and Ospreay had a great sprint, with Cobb coming in and giving a great assist with a wheelbarrow into a moonsault by KUSHIDA for a near fall.
KUSHIDA tried for the back to the future but Ospreay cut him off and with Ishii hit a standing corkscrew moonsault, then soon followed with the stormbreaker for the win. Judging by taking the fall here I guess you can bring up questions about KUSHIDA’s future, as rumors have been swirling. This was a really good match, by the way, better than it had any right to be.
Ishii and Nagata had to be seperated after the match. Cobb and Goto also exchanged words, so those are future programs.
Guerrillas of Destiny and Taiji Ishimori defeated Togi Makabe, Toru Yano and Ryusuke Taguchi to retain the NEVER six-man tag team titles
One of the stories of the match was that Tama Tonga has turned over a new leaf, and is now going by The Good Guy Tama Tonga, so he was apprehensive in doing anything heelish. Taguchi and Ishimori went it, with Jado doing his spot with the kendo stick on Taguchi.
Makabe went for a pinfall after hitting Loa with a lariat, but Ishimori pulled the referee out of the ring. Jado came in, but was taken out by Yano. Makabe was going for the King Kong knee drop, but Owens and Yujiro came in to interfere, with Owens laying out Makabe with the package piledriver. Loa then hit his finish on Makabe for the win.
Owens, Yujiro and the rest of the Bullet Club reunited after the match, so there’s your answer on them.
Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taichi defeated Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, Shingo Takagi and BUSHI
Taichi started by match by hitting Naito square in the head with a chair. Cool. Suzuki and SANADA brawled into the hallway as Taichi choked Naito with a chair on the floor. Sabre and Suzuki worked as a team, doing a double leg scissors on BUSHI.
After spending a lot of the match brawling around the ring, SANADA and Suzuki wrestled in the ring. Sabre and EVIL followed, then Taichi and Naito again. Taichi distracted the referee as Taka introduced the IC title into the ring. Taichi grabbed it, hit Naito with it and hit the black mephisto (air raid clash) for the win.
So yes, Tachi is probably next in line for an IC title shot. First reaction to that is repulsion. Second reaction is morbid curiosity.
Desperado and Kanemaru laid out Shingo and BUSHI, while EVIL and SANADA were taken out by Sabre and Suzuki. So those two are your future programs.
Taichi grabs a microphone and mentions how easily it was to beat Naito tonight. He said to hand the belt to him and he’ll control it. Suzuki then said Suzuki-gun is ichiban.
Jay White, Bad Luck Fale and Gedo defeated Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and YOSHI-HASHI
YOSHI-HASHI was tagged in soon after the bell and went after White, but it soon went to the outside with everyone trading blows. Gedo ended up hitting YH with chairs on the insider then posted him before sending him back in the ring.
Heels worked over YH until he made a hot tag to Okada, who immediately took care of Gedo. Tanahashi and Jay White went at it soon after. White issued a challenge to Tanahashi after last night’s main event, so that is likely the big match next month.
It went back to YOSHI-HASHI and Jay White. YH built offense, but White cut him off and went for the blade runner when Okada ran in. Tanahashi laid out White as YH hit a lariat and hit a new move, a brainbuster into a death valley driver for a nearfall.
YH went for karma but White grabbed the ref. YH responded with a superkick but couldn’t hit karma, with White drilling him with a suplex then pinning him with the blade runner for the win.
White says he’s better than Tanahashi and this his his era and the belt he has is his. He called him an old man as he walked back to the ring. Like a dope, Tanahashi walked into the ring with Fale right there and ended up getting jumped by Gedo. Okada ran in for the save, but Fale took him out with the grenade, so we’re seeing that again soon in what feels like an annual tradition.
White held up the IWGP title and emphasized this was his new era as the show closed.
A good, fast paced show. Unless you want to paint Owens and Yujiro rejoining the Bullet Club as a big angle, there wasn’t one this year. The big story of this show is Jay White and the Bullet Club — they’re going all the way with White as the top guy, which…I’m not too sure of. But that’s their goal for this year.
Really interesting there were no members of the Elite present; the biggest story here is probably about who wasn’t here more than anything else.
