Tag: NJPW results

The New Japan Cup finals take place today in Aore Nagaoka.

Callum Newman vs. Yuya Uemura will headline the show, with the winner earning a shot at Yota Tsuji and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis.

Also scheduled is Konosuke Takeshita defending the NJPW World TV title against a mystery opponent, along with several multi-person tag bouts.

Also scheduled for the show:

• Yota Tsuji, OSKAR, Yuto-Ice & Daiki Nagai vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita & Hartley Jackson
• Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano & Aaron Wolf vs. Ren Narita, Don Fale & Dick Togo
• Shingo Takagi, Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori vs. Jake Lee, Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young
• Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. HENARE & Great-O-Khan
• YOH, Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. DOUKI, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
• Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Taichi, Satoshi Kojima & El Desperado
• Masatora Yasuda vs. Taisei Nakahara

Our live coverage begins at 3 p.m. Japan Standard Time.

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Konosuke Takeshita (c) defeated Yujiro Takahashi for the NJPW World Television Championship

Chase Owens accompanied his House of Torture faction mate Takahashi to the ring. They settled who would challenge Takeshita by way of Rock, Paper, Scissors, which Takahashi won.

Takeshita, firmly focused on Takahashi, was struck from behind by Owens’s Neckbreaker. Takahashi maintained control mostly by hurling the champ into the steel barricades outside. Takeshita’s Driving Knee laid siege to Takahashi’s momentum, much to the challenger’s panic. The champion dodged Takahashi’s Pimp Cane and sent Owens tumbling with a Blue Thunderbomb. A Raging Fire via Takeshita saw his successful title retention over Takahashi.

Post-match: Takeshita wanted to settle a rivalry from 2025, involving Shota Umino.

It seems that with his New Japan Cup performances in addition to this title bout, NJPW has some solid plans for the House of Torture member. Decent opener, and didn’t overstay its welcome.

Taichi, El Desperado, & Masatora Yasuda defeated Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Tatsuya Matsumoto

Matsumoto worked on the left arm of Yasuda after the first bell. Bishamon convened with Matsumoto to rain fists on Yasuda’s back. Taichi momentarily gained control with a spinning backfist to Goto. Matsumoto unleashed an uppercut to Taichi and followed with a duck-under suplex to Desperado. A Spinebuster courtesy of Desperado, combined with a Pinche Loco, earned the masked wrestler’s team the victory.

The veterans took great care of the Young Lions, who themselves put on spirited performances. I wouldn’t mind Yasuda joining Taichi and Satoshi Kojima, maybe even El Desperado, in a brief faction.

House of Torture (SHO, DOUKI, & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated YOH, Master Wato, & Ryusuke Taguchi

Taguchi rescued YOH from the obligated House of Torture ambush, planting DOUKI to the mat. House of Torture resorted to hurling their opponents into the steel guardrails outside. Kanemaru engaged Wato in a Boston Crab, which DOUKI followed with a brainbuster. YOH outsmarted SHO with a DDT before slinging DOUKI into the guardrail. Taguchi broke up DOUKI’s Daybreak DDT to engage a firm Ankle Lock. DOUKI pulled the referee down so Kanemaru could low-blow Taguchi with a wrench. Unfortunately for Taguchi, DOUKI seized the opportunity to flip him over for the pinfall.

Not necessarily the worst House of Torture win, but one that still felt flat.

United Empire (Great-O-Khan & HENARE) defeated Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma

Umino and HENARE’s standoff in the beginning moments culminated in a shoulder tackle from the former. Khan and HENARE swarmed Umino, who fought back valiantly with a dropkick to HENARE and chops to Khan. Umino dazed HENARE so Honma could finally land a Kokeshi. HENARE secured a full-nelson and a Southern Cross before dismantling him with another, more vigorous, full-nelson.

HENARE and Umino had a great back-and-forth. The use of Honma has been quite entertaining on this New Japan Cup tour.

United Empire (Jake Lee, Francesco Akira, & Jakob Austin Young) defeated Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori, & Drilla Moloney)

Moloney stood unflinching to Young’s attempts to collide and topple him. Takagi joined in the fun as he and Moloney charged Young. Akira pinned Moloney to the barricade, whereas Lee chased Takagi into the crowd. An irate Young stomped a mudhole through Moloney in the corner. Takagi got his revenge on Lee with a Dangerous Driver. Unfortunately for him, he fell victim to Lee’s gloved invasion of his mouth. Ishimori applied a crossface to Akira, to which the Italian frantically clutched a rope break. Lee halted a stampeding Takagi with a Giant Killing. Despite this momentum for Unbound Co., Ishimori was forced to submit to Akira’s Ground Tarantula.

The best match of the undercard thus far. Akira has needed performances like this since his return.

Oleg Boltin, Toru Yano, & Aaron Wolf defeated House of Torture (Ren Narita, Don Fale, & Dick Togo)

Narita stood in horror after Boltin halted his patented Boltin Shake to Togo, as he threw the House of Torture member at him. Togo whirled the legal Yano into the steel guardrails and into the ring to deliver a series of elbow and knee shots. Yano slapped the back of Fale’s head and blamed it on the referee; he took advantage of the Tongan’s distraction by removing a turnbuckle pad. Wolf rampaged into the ring, dispatching Togo and dropping a senton to Fale. House of Torture went mobile as they ran a train on Wolf, capitalizing via their infamous Dick-to-Dick Contact. Togo shrank in terror at the looming shadows of Boltin and Wolf, with ample reason: Wolf submitted him with a triangle hold.

A fine match, honestly. I selfishly want Wolf and Boltin to go on a tear as a tag team. Maybe I should start a campaign for NJPW to pair them up in the 2026 New Japan Tag League.

TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa, & Hartley Jackson) defeated Unbound Co. (Yota Tsuji, Yuto-Ice, OSKAR, & Daiki Nagai)

Ice went on a warpath, downing Oiwa, Sabre, and Fujita, barely staggering Jackson on the ropes. His Bomboclat increased further punishment for the fiery-maned Oiwa. OSKAR’s luck wasn’t so grand, with Oiwa and later Sabre crippling the giant’s knee. The orange-clad Brit cut off the towering Jerman’s leg, torquing it in a standing Ankle Lock. Sabre countered OSKAR’s leg drop for a punt kick. Tsuji temporarily perched Jackson over his shoulder, but the sheer dead weight of the massive Aussie proved too much. Fujita exploited the air between Tsuji’s respite with a soaring dropkick from the top turnbuckle.

Nagai cracked Fujita’s chest with an unearthly chop. Fujita retorted with a God Special. Momentary fire and spirit permeated through Nagai until Fujita tapped him out with a hammerlock.

Post-match: Ice and Oiwa set a rematch: Knockout Brothers versus Oiwa and Sabre for the IWGP Tag Team Championship at Sakura Genesis.

The big-name heavy hitters executed their spots well for a big multi-man fight, and particular consideration must be given to the exceptional performances by Nagai and Fujita.

New Japan Cup Final

Callum Newman defeated Yuya Uemura

Newman groaned on the mat in the unrelenting arms of Uemura’s headlock. He leveraged the hold, momentarily, in a headscissors. Uemura resumed control over Newman’s bandaged left arm. The mat thundered as Newman picked up speed, subverted by Uemura’s well-placed arm drag. Newman snatched the dominance of the match, stomping Uemura’s arm into the steel guardrail before a nearby Hiroshi Tanahashi. Uemura mounted a comeback by way of a flying crossbody.

Newman fired off a roundhouse kick, to which Uemura replied with a dropkick. He interrupted a vicious forearm exchange to seemingly plead with Uemura before spitting in his face. Newman obliterated Uemura with a Firebolt. The Niigata crowd boomed with applause when Newman’s lariat decimated Uemura. A poisonrana and Excalibur kept Uemura prone on the mat. Zane Jay charged Referee Red Shoes to distract from a steel chair he slid into the ring. Uemura swiftly dropkicked him out of the equation.

Uemura struck Newman with a Deadbolt, which was met by the Brit wrestler’s Prince’s Curse. Pure desperation perspired in an Excalibur and another Prince’s Curse, devastating Newman when neither bore fruit. A German Suplex, Snapdragon Suplex, and Deadbolt Suplex grounded Newman. The United Empire’s leader rejected a Flying Cross for a Prince’s Curse to break the hearts of Uemura fans everywhere.

Post-match: Newman boasted of his victory. Yota Tsuji greeted him, informing him he’d be ready at Sakura Genesis. The United Empire surrounded Tsuji, leading to his departure from Newman. The New Japan Cup winner moved on, stating his goals now that he’s made this milestone, that he’d be the new Ace of NJPW.

Both men were visibly worn ragged, and that story carried to a main event that needed these stakes. What Newman has done to change his image is nothing short of impressive. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time, even when others doubted him, calling him a lite Will Ospreay. The heel rebrand he has stewarded in United Empire, while embracing a vicious mean streak, has added a fine wrinkle in the new and changing landscape of NJPW. Uemura, I can condense it into simpler and shorter terms: he’s easily one of the roster’s best. When I watch him, I’m reminded of Hiroshi Tanahashi through and through, though he has long to reach his status. I believe he will.

Final Thoughts

Unbound Co. versus United Empire and Unbound Co. versus TMDK were highlights, as was the NJPW World Television Championship match. I mainly attribute this to the fact that those interactions set up matches for Sakura Genesis. As for the New Japan Cup Finals, I had a feeling of who would be in the semifinals, and then felt confident in who would end up in the finals.

I had a sneaking suspicion that Newman would possibly come out of the New Japan Cup the winner as the night came close. With the ongoing narrative between Yota Tsuji’s Unbound Co. and United Empire, it makes so much sense. Furthermore, Newman needed this. Uemura will climb his way back to a future title opportunity. He’s one of the best young talents in the company, if not THE best. Both men left the main event feeling huge. That said, given the foreign talent who’ve become stars in NJPW lately have been going to AEW and WWE frequently, due to the yen situation. I am concerned this could be a point later, years even, for Newman, and that the company should push more local talent. Still, Newman’s victory makes Sakura Genesis’s title match against Yota Tsuji a must-see.

The New Japan Cup 2026 semifinals take place in Nagaoka on Friday.

The two tournament semifinal matches scheduled for the show are Callum Newman vs. Shota Umino and Oleg Boltin vs. Yuya Uemura. The winners will then meet in the finals on Saturday.

Also set for the show are six multi-person tag team matches:

• Yota Tsuji, Yuto-Ice, OSKAR, and Gedo vs. TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson, and Kosei Fujita)
• Aaron Wolf, Toru Yano, and Tomoaki Honma vs. House of Torture (Ren Narita, Done Fale, and Dick Togo)
• Shingo Takagi, Drilla Moloney, Taiji Ishimori, and Daiki Nagai vs. United Empire (Jake Lee, HENARE, Francesco Akira, and Jakob Austin Young)
• YOH, El Desperado, and Master Wato vs. House of Torture (DOUKI, SHO, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
• Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Taichi, Satoshi Kojima, and Masatora Yasuda
• Taisei Nakahara and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. House of Torture (Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi)

Live coverage begins at 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time.

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House Of Torture (Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi & Taisei Nakahara

Owens isolated Nakahara, allowing Takahashi and himself to bully the Young Lion, the latter delivering a Backbreaker. Taguchi gained control of the match, unleashing Funky Weapon on both Owens and Takahashi. Nakahara avenged his earlier assault with a dropkick, almost ending Takahashi with a Boston Crab. Surviving many onslaughts from Nakahara and Taguchi, Takahashi rebounded with a Boston Crab that tapped young Nakahara out.

Good spirit in Nakahara’s performance.

Goto Revolutionary Army (Hirooki Goto, Tatsuya Matsumoto & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated Team 100 (Satoshi Kojima & Taichi) & Masatora Yasuda 

Matsumoto locked Yasuda in a headlock, who struck back with a scoop-and-slam. Kojima quickly softened Matsumoto up for a series of kicks via Taichi. Goto charged in, and YOSHI-HASHI coordinated with him to clobber their fists onto Taichi’s back. Taichi endured Goto’s lariat, and he fired back with an Axe Bomber Lariat. Kojima and YOSH-HASHI traded their ruthless and infamous chops until the former rocked the latter with a DDT. Matsumoto equalized Kojima for YOSHI-HASHI so that the veteran could tap out Yasuda with a Butterfly Lock.

Fine six-man match, with the pulse beating its hardest with YOSHI-HASHI and Yasuda.

El Desperado, Master Wato & YOH defeated House Of Torture (DOUKI, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

Wato rescued YOH from the House of Torture’s reliable early match ambush. Kanemaru whittled Desperado’s legs with knee slams and a figure-four leglock. Desperado winced at his hurt knee, but saved himself with a spinebuster to SHO. Despite puncturing air out of DOUKI with a series of standing aerial moves, YOH nearly succumbed to his Italian Stretch. Narrowly avoiding a Whiskey Mist, YOH gained the pinfall over Kanemaru thanks to his Direct Drive finisher.

YOH’s main character performance throughout this bout was exceptional. He came through confident, as though he were a main event player in the heavyweight division.

United Empire (Francesco Akira, HENARE, Jake Lee & Jakob Austin Young) defeated Unbound Co. (Daiki Nagai, Drilla Moloney, Shingo Takagi & Taiji Ishimori)

Ishimori gained the advantage coming out of a heated, yet extremely agile lock-up that saw Akira catching his breath outside. The Italian sent the Bone Soldier to the ringside, where United Empire descended upon him like vultures hungry for the pecking. Ishimori eluded Young and Akira with a Superstar Elbow. Moloney and Takagi united for a powerbomb and Pumping Bomber to daze HENARE. Another team-up saw Takagi deliver a Dragonscrew Legwhip to Lee. Young sought to deliver a brainbuster to Nagai, only to fall victim to it himself. Thanks to an assist from Akira, Young finished off Nagai with Bites the Dust.

Post-match: Unbound Co. brawled with United Empire, with Lee sticking to Takagi and Moloney.

Halfway through this match, I had a suspicion that Callum Newman may walk away with the New Japan Cup (despite being firmly behind Oleg Boltin). Sticking to this match, however, I feel Ishimori glued it together nicely, with Young shining exceptionally well, particularly in the closing moments.

House Of Torture (Dick Togo, Don Fale & Ren Narita) defeated Aaron Wolf, Tomoaki Honma & Toru Yano 

Wolf ruthlessly dominated Togo, which Yano gleefully aided with. House of Torture denied Honma’s Kokeshi to Togo, instead keeping everyone planted outside. They stripped a nearby turnbuckle of its pad before flinging Yano’s panicked body into its bare steel. Wolf manhandled Fale in the corner with the exposed turnbuckle and used the Tongan’s weight and momentum to bowl over Togo. Narita snuck in and quickly fell flat to a Fireman Carry Drop. Honma finally landed a Kokeshi to Narita, unaware that Togo would surprise him with a chain that would choke him. Narita beheaded Honma with the Hell’s Guillotine, earning the pinfall.

Yet another match with Aaron Wolf facing defeat. Yippee. The match, to its credit, was paced nicely.

TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated Unbound Co. (Gedo, OSKAR, Yota Tsuji & Yuto-Ice)

Tsuji conserved energy amid heavy offense from Fujita until devastating him with a snapmare takedown. Gedo brought out a snapmare of his own and ground his boot on the junior heavyweight’s nose. Sabre momentarily entrapped OSKAR with a Cobra Twist and ducked him to annihilate him with a Penalty Kick. The towering German clotheslined Sabre and Oiwa with a double clothesline. Oiwa dodged Ice’s Bomboclat and landed a comeback by way of a senton. Jackson and Gedo became legal, and the girthy Australian taunted the former War Dog as the 20-count reached 19. Tsuji assisted Gedo to briefly dizzy Jackson, but not enough for him to triumph with a Jagged Edge.

Post-match: Fujita and Tsuji conversed outside before the former delivered a chop and asked for one in return; Tsuji walked away. Ice and Oiwa threatened a skirmish, with OSKAR, Sabre, and Jackson breaking it up.

As usual, Jackson has made the most of his matches in NJPW this year. Truthfully, TMDK and Unbound Co., despite being warring babyface factions, have some of my favorite collections of wrestlers.

New Japan Cup Semifinals

Yuya Uemura defeated Oleg Boltin

The Nagaoka crowd clamored for the equally matched competitors before waiting with bated breath until Boltin grappled Uemura to the mat with a headlock. Though Boltin’s taped-up shoulder highlighted a weak point, Uemura had to be careful of his deadly power, so he targeted his stronger arm. Fighting past the agony, the Kazakh wrestler swirled his opponent in his signature Boltin Shake. Uemura regained his bearings with a side suplex. Boltin promptly took it back with a slam once he caught Uemura mid-High Cross. Uemura locked in a hold on Boltin’s arm, which slipped due to struggles to leverage properly. Boltin took this moment to employ a Kamikaze, which landed weakly thanks to the damage sustained to his arms and shoulders.

Desperation perspired amid the beads of sweat in Uemura, with inside cradles and German suplexes all failing him in the dire tempos of the match. Evicting Uemura from the turnbuckle, Boltin crushed him with a powerbomb. At last, Uemura secured a Deadbolt and two High Crosses. This was enough to stop Boltin once and for all.

This is what it’s about. Yes. All of this. Fighting past your limitations, far beyond what you were designed to do, just to achieve glory and stamp a legacy. Biology and psychology worked in tandem to heighten the drama to such palpable levels. Boltin’s weak shoulders were sold efficiently throughout, as was the desire apparent in Uemura to make it to the finals. Both men represented hope in its truest form and the bravery to see it through amid daunting circumstances.

Callum Newman defeated Shota Umino

Ever-so cautiously, Newman and Umino circled each other, clashing intermittently, more frequently. Umino shocked Newman with a shoulder tackle, taking the United Empire leader out of his game. Blood streamed from Umino’s nostrils courtesy of elbow strikes from Newman. Having taken callous bullying from Newman for some time, Umino set forth a flurry of chops and elbows to the Brit in the corner. 

Erecting the familiar, dangerous wooden tables outside, Newman’s best laid plans would go awry, as Umino fought back into the ring. Though he suffered from Newman’s control of his arm, Umino usurped the trajectory of the match with a Tornado-DDT. Back outside, Umino dropkicked Newman into and over the barricade, setting him up perfectly for a running knee and a DDT. Drunk with pain on the mat, Newman renewed his energy in the nick of time with a torrent of offense, finally powerbombing Umino through the tables he had set up earlier. Umino returned to the ring at the 19-count.

Unwisely removing his wrist-tape, Newman wasted time. Umino exploited this with a rejuvenated lariat. Newman unsheathed Excalibur to no avail. A one-two combo of a poisonrana and a lariat increased Umino’s chances but bore no fruit. Denying Umino’s Second Chapter, Newman instead printed the final page with a Prince’s Curse.

Post-match: Newman informed Umino he’s not on his level, but the door would always be open for him to join United Empire. The victorious Brit then beckoned to whom would be next to face. Yuya Uemura met him in the ring, setting the stage for the New Japan Cup finals on March 21.

My picks have paid off, it seems. Somehow, I knew it would come down to Boltin, Uemura, Newman, and Umino. The last two, though they didn’t live up to the heights of Uemura and Boltin’s emotional classic, put on a clinic. Newman’s ruthlessness and bitterness have felt earned, and he’s living so deeply in this role. The unlikely savior of the United Empire in its most uncertain era, Newman’s run with the group is a marked and mutual improvement. Umino, contrastingly, has done well for himself in 2026, with a refreshed view going forward. I attribute that to his time with Uemura.

Final Thoughts

The New Japan Cup semifinals are the ones I’d recommend as required viewing. Yes, everything leading up to it is fine. In fact, if you want a vision of what New Japan Pro Wrestling should be, you’ll find it in the vets like Taichi, Kojima, Goto, and the like. You’ll also see it in the youth movement, such as the Knockout Brothers, the Reiwa Three Musketeers, and Aaron Wolf.

For my money, Oleg Boltin put on a performance that should hopefully keep him escalating on the card. He had a phenomenal dance partner in Yuya Uemura, just as Callum Newman did against Shota Umino. Going into the tournament, and at this juncture, I felt this could be any one of these four men’s games to win. I’m thrilled that was the case. No veterans, no AEW influence, no House of Torture. Simply the best of this young crop. The Cup had a rocky start, especially with the elimination of Aaron Wolf early on, but they soundly found their footing with these four prospects.

New Japan Pro Wrestling presents The New Beginning in Osaka on Wednesday, February 11.

In the main event, Yota Tsuji is set to defend the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Jake Lee.

OSKAR and Yuto Ice, the Knockout Brothers, defend the IWGP Tag Team Championships against Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura.

The NEVER Openweight Championship will be defended when Aaron Wolf faces Ren Narita. Elsewhere on the card, David Finlay is scheduled to go one-on-one with Callum Newman.

A number one contender’s match for the IWGP Global Championship will see Gabe Kidd take on Andrade El Idolo.

NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Hiroki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, and Oleg Bolton defend their titles against TMDK’s Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson.

This year’s event will also feature the final match of Hiromu Takahashi as part of his deal with NJPW. He teams with Taiji Ishimori against Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young.

Live coverage of The New Beginning in Osaka begins at 1 a.m. Eastern Time.

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Quick Results

• Togi Makabe & Toru Yano defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato
• Unbound Co. defeated United Empire
• War Dragons defeated United Empire
• NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: Bishamon & Oleg Boltin (c) defeated TMDK
• Andrade El Idolo defeated Gabe Kidd
• Callum Newman defeated David Finlay
• NEVER Openweight Championship: Ren Narita defeated Aaron Wolf (c)
• IWGP Tag Team Championship: Knockout Brothers (c) defeated Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino
• IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji (c) defeated Jake Lee

Pre-Show

Togi Makabe & Toru Yano defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato

Murashima’s sturdiness knocked down Yano and Makabe upon each early collision; Kato joined him for a few. Yano took advantage of Makabe’s hurling of Kato, tossing the Young Lion into an exposed turnbuckle. The veterans bullied Kato for an extended period until he pulled out a dropkick. Murashima wore down Makabe to enable a Boston Crab.

Makabe quelled any hope for a comeback with a King Kong Lariat and Inside Cradle. He finished off Murashima with a King Kong Kneedrop for the three-count.

Post-match: A short moment of silence honored the late Tadao Yasuda, who passed away on February 8, 2026.

(Best of luck to Murashima during his excursion.)

Main Card

Unbound Co. (Hiromu Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori) defeated United Empire (Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young)

Young cut off Takahashi’s fanfare from the crowd. However, Ishimori joined Takahashi for dropkicks onto the young American. Akira punctured the wind from Ishimori’s lungs with a Missile Dropkick. Takahashi rebounded with a Flying Crossbody to Akira. He used the referee to disorient Akira via hurricanrana. Akira’s chest absorbed a series of chops before he bit Takahashi’s arm.

Takahashi dodged Akira’s Fireball Knees and used the Italian’s momentum against him courtesy a Pop-Up Powerbomb. Takahashi equalized Akira with a Dynamite Plancha. Ishimori centered Young with a Bone Lock, keeping him firmly in place to submit the American with a tap out.

Post-match: Akira assaulted Takahashi at the end of the match. Robbie X thwarted Akira’s Con-chair-to with a Cutter.

(Fantastic final NJPW showing for Takahashi (for now). He didn’t overstay his welcome in the match, hit all the notes he needed to, and let Ishimori pick up the win. Akira got some good moments here, an emphasis on his mean streak during United Empire’s new direction.)

War Dragons (Drilla Moloney & Shingo Takagi) defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan & HENARE)

United Empire spared not even a second when they isolated Takagi. It was for naught, as Takagi reconvened with Moloney to drop HENARE to the mat. Khan positioned Moloney to the corner and blasted his vulnerable arm with a chairshot and swung on Takagi. The Dragons slingshot their foes into one another and united for elbow drops on their carcasses.

HENARE unleashed hellish chops to Moloney and struck him with a Rugby Punt. Thanks to Takagi chopping away at HENARE, Moloney gored the New Zealander. The pair finished off HENARE with a War Dragon for the pinfall.

Post-match: An emotional Moloney announced he re-signed with NJPW.

(Nicely physical match. That’s two losses so far for United Empire, however. I imagine Andrade el Idolo, Callum Newman, and/or Jake Lee will probably get a win. They have to, to make the group look strong.)

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Oleg Boltin (c) defeated TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) for the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship

Jackson and Boltin resumed their heated “Road to” feud, with the former chugging through the Kazakh wrestler. Oiwa nearly edged over Boltin, but the latter’s Belly-to-Belly Suplex broke it. Goto suplexed Sabre onto Oiwa. Goto’s revolution faltered after Oiwa’s Discus Lariat planted him to the mat. Sabre torqued the arms of YOSHI-HASHI behind his back. Despite Sabre’s best efforts, YOSHI-HASHI powered through with a lariat to break his British dominance.

Jackson and Oiwa cleared the way so they could run a train on YOSHI-HASHI. Boltin usurped Jackson’s Senton to YOSHI-HASHI, but found himself outside the ring thanks to Oiwa. Jackson employed a Jagged Edge, nearly ending YOSHI-HASHI. A fired-up Boltin Kamikaze’d Oiwa but he and Bishamon were sent falling by Jackson’s lariats. Bishamon propped up Jackson for Boltin to Splash the massive Australian.

(The champs were incredible and strong here. I’m used to Sabre and Oiwa looking great, but Jackson was on another level. He felt like an actual threat to the title holders. Already the landscape of NJPW has changed so much that even lesser-positioned wrestlers are finding a refreshed spin on their runs. What’s more, is that I think Jackson is hungry for it too.)

Andrade El Idolo defeated Gabe Kidd

Kidd struggled a bit against Idolo, but found some space after a Powerbomb. He taunted the United Empire member with a Tranquilo pose. Idolo plummeted Kidd onto the apron and punctuated with a moonsault. Kidd fought back, driving Idolo’s face into the ring posts and clotheslining him. Idolo returned the match to his favor as he executed Three Amigos.

Kidd rebounded with a lariat, growing frustrated and barking as though to convince himself, hype himself up. Idolo regained control with a dropkick and double-knees into the corner. Kidd countered a DM for a Piledriver. Idolo ended Kidd with a spinning backfist and DM to win the match, therefore earning a shot at Yota Tsuji’s IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.

(About six months or so ago, Idolo was on nobody’s radar, just coasting along with Rey Fenix on WWE SmackDown. Yet on the independent scene, AEW, and NJPW, he’s another beast entirely and is a megastar in 2026. Had Kidd’s momentum not dwindled in 2025, this match would have been a bit more exciting. That said, this physical contest had me glued. These two delivered a high-octane and hard-hitting affair to get the adrenaline flowing.)

Callum Newman defeated David Finlay

No love was lost once these two squared up; they traded rights and lefts, bursting through the barricade, and spilled into the crowd. Finlay dragged Newman into the ring, slingshotting him into the corner. Newman chipped away at Finlay, draining him with a headlock. A Northern Irish Curse thwarted the Brit’s momentum. Finlay demolished Newman on the outside, dropping his spine on the apron. Zane Jay intervened, but was sent into the barricade. Newman’s bad luck continued as Finlay swung him directly into the ring post.

He ruined Newman with a Dominator, keeping him tender and grounded. Finlay endured a period of Newman-enforced dominance, capitalized with a Jackknife Powerbomb. Newman eluded an Overkill, employing rapid successions of fists and forearms. He stole his opponent’s Overkill and his own Excalibur. At last, Newman solidified himself with a Prince’s Curse.

Post-match: Finlay’s eyes welled up as he bowed to the crowd. He apologized to Hiromu Takahashi, who had been sitting on Japanese commentary. As he held aloft the “Too Sweet” hand gesture, Finlay reported that he still ran this business.

(Newman’s 2025 saw a drastic improvement in how he was received. His presence in January and this match continued that. New long-pants gear, a sword, and a dramatic, lyrical song has changed him entirely. As for whatever lies next for Finlay, I hope he finds what he’s looking for.)

Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Special Announcement

The Ace and President thanked the crowd, boasting huge numbers for the Wrestle Kingdom 20. He stated that Dominion in Osaka-Jo Hall would be broadcast from TV Asahi on network television on June 14.

Ren Narita defeated Aaron Wolf (c) for the NEVER Openweight Championship

DOUKI, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, and Dick Togo ambushed Wolf. They’d clobber him in the ring against challenger Narita, but Wolf little issue in overcoming them. Togo had to choke Wolf down to weaken him, allowing room for a Hell’s Guillotine. This was quick enough to dethrone Wolf for a short title reign.

Post-match: The House of Torture ganged up on Wolf, battering him completely. Various members of the NJPW roster came to his aid, but the victorious faction had already left.

(Did not like this one bit. My gut reaction is that this is a surefire way to ruin the goodwill the company gained these past two months. Wolf’s trajectory was simple and effective but shock booking put a stop to it. I feel as a fan that the winds have been taken out of my sails.

Now that’s out of the way, I’m hoping this leads to something bigger long-term for Wolf. Something that elevates him even further. I’m having to hope. Critical thinking-wise, I feel this might be the case because surely the company is smart enough to recognize what they have in Wolf. You don’t get that reaction for a debut at the Tokyo Dome just to flush it down the toilet. That said, Lyric Swinton said it best on X: Wolf is still a green rookie.)

Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) (c) defeated Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura

Ice and Uemura began things with a hot and angry start. Bomboclat from Ice further dazed Uemura. OSKAR chopped him down further. Umino swung a comeback with a DDT to Ice, followed by hurling him into the barricade. He dropkicked OSKAR over the guardrail, knocking a barricade into some fans. The towering German returned to the ring, but found no luck there as a spirited Umino struck him and downed him with a lariat.

OSKAR sent Uemura outside and rocked Umino with a scoop slam. Umino rebounded with a DDT. Uemura reunited with Ice in the ring, trading elbows. A dropkick and armbar gave Uemura leverage, as did a flying crossbody. Ice fired back, but collapsed in exhaustion the moment Uemura reached for a lariat. Ice gained the upper hand after a chop exchange but stumbled back into a corner when Umino dropkicked him. OSKAR was so out of it that the challengers devastated him with a Dragon Riot. Ice rescued his partner, and together they crushed Umino with a K.O.B. Uemura launched Ice away with a Deadbolt. OSKAR and Uemura elicited a rumble in Osaka, trading moves and pin attempts. One more K.O.B. sealed Uemura’s fate and earned the Knockout Brothers a title retention.

Post-match: The arena went dark and on a screen, AEW’s The Demand appeared. Ricochet challenged Taiji Ishimori to come after his AEW National Championship. Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun, meanwhile, opted for the Knockout Brothers’ IWGP Tag Team Championship. Both of these challenges were issued for New Beginning in USA.

(The exact type of match taht was needed after the hinted David Finlay departure and squashing of Aaron Wolf and title loss. This was action-packed and filled with the spirit that Yuto-Ice’s voice evoked at New Year’ Dash.)

Main Event

Yota Tsuji (c) defeated Jake Lee for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship

Tsuji and Lee locked up to a stalemate. Lee gleefully enraged Tsuji, leading to a Tsuji-cida into the guardrail. Lee danced and laughed like a jester, having kicked Tsuji after being whipped into the ropes. Adorning a black glove, Lee endured a series of hurricanranas. Lee’s smugness turned into panic as his rope break ended a Boston Crab attempt. A DDT wrenched control from Tsuji.

Spirit nested itself within Tsuji, empowering him to twist Lee’s knee, softening it against the hard apron. He’d continue to target that weak spot, the tender knee, with kicks of his own. Try as he might, Lee couldn’t instill much feeling but pain in his knee. Champion and challenger clashed and clashed, with Lee’s last-ditch effort of a kick lending him some room to gain his bearings. A vicious chop exchanged left a deep mark on Lee’s breast, yet that didn’t deter him from trading forearms and elbows.

Sensing Tsuji’s renewed targeting of the knee, Lee kicked in repetition to stop the champ. Subverting a Gene Blaster, Lee trapped him in a sleeper hold, squeezing the life out of him. Tsuji’s Guerrero Especial nearly secured a retention, just as Lee’s chokeslam almost saw a title change. A Gene Blaster punctured the air out of Lee. Kneeing Lee in the guts, Tsuji obliterated his foe with a Gene Blaster to at last retain his belt.

Post-match: Tsuji thanked Lee for the challenge as four Young Lions carried him to the back. Since he believed that the wrestlers give their lives to this medium, he asked the audience to continue walking with him. He beckoned Unbound Co. to join the ring, as everyone bade farewell to Hiromu Takahashi. Yuto-Ice, who had his back turned as though disinterested, embraced Takahashi in tears.

(Lee put in a good performance here, and really wore his scars. Sold well. That said, it felt like he should have had more to give. Tsuji, as impressive as he’s been since returning in 2023, seemed to struggle with his performance tonight. There seemed to be a lack of what brought him to this place in 2026. Not necessarily a bad match, but not one befitting a main event. I think the IWGP Tag Team Match could have taken this spot easily.)

Final Thoughts

New Beginning wasn’t the hot continuation from January I’d hoped it had been, nor from some of the incredible matches in the “Road to” tour. That said, it was solid. If this ends up being the worst NJPW has to offer this year, then 2026 will still be a success. Hiromu Takahashi had a great farewell, and David Finlay seemingly had one as well. The latter was noticeably absent from the Unbound Co. roll call, interestingly enough.

The best main players of tonight were undoubtedly Knockout Brothers, Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura, Hiromu Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori, Andrade El Idolo, Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, and Callum Newman. The show flew by quickly, another plus.

Despite my disappointment in the IWGP Heavyweight and NEVER Openweight matches, New Beginning was a solid show.

NJPW’s Road to the New Beginning continues on Tuesday at Korakuen Hall.

Two title matches headline the card. The Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita) will put the titles on the line against House of Torture’s Yoshinobu Kanemaru and SHO. It will be the first title defense for Fujita and Eagles since winning the belts at New Year’s Dash.

DOUKI will put the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on the line against El Desperado. It will be DOUKI’s first defense since beating Desperado for the title at King of Pro Wrestling last October. For Desperado, he has a chance to win the title for a sixth time, which would tie him for second all-time with Tiger Mask and KUSHIDA.

The Young Lion Cup also continues on Tuesday with two semifinal matches: Shoma Kato vs. Masatora Yasuda and Katsuya Murashima vs. Daiki Nagai.

Our live coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. Japan Standard Time, 4:30 a.m. Eastern, and 1:30 a.m. Pacific.

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Main Card

Shoma Kato defeated Masatora Yasuda

Kato abused Yasuda’s tender neck using his elbows. He followed with a couple of vertical suplexes, stomps to the knee, and a single-leg Boston Crab. Yasuda fought his way out with a dropkick. Kato tasted his own medicine as he too found himself in a Boston Crab. As his prey pivoted and crawled, Yasuda twisted his Crab and sank it deeper. Kato swung a comeback via an arm drag and turned it into an armbar, soon tapping out the once-dominant Yasuda.

(Solid work here, with each man selling quite well. The air of mutual respect was apparent throughout.)

Katsuya Murashima defeated Daiki Nagai

These two Young Lions wrestled to a standstill until Nagai had Murashima on the ropes. A casual chest tap and paintbrush to the cheek later, and Nagai incurred Murshima’s wrath. Wrapping around a headlock, Murashima released Nagai to shoulder-block him to the mat. Nagai would finally pick up some steam with a couple of dropkicks peppered into a flurry of offense. Surviving two submission attempts, Murashima regained composure with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and running powerslam. There, Murashima tapped Nagai out with a Boston Crab.

(The finals are set, and I see so much depth in Murashima; he’s my favorite Young Lion. Taking out Unbound Co.’s Nagai enforces how much NJPW believes in young Murashima. I feel he’s going to have a huge upside. He may even one day help sell out the Tokyo Dome, something I’d love to see across the ring from Aaron Wolf.)

Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) defeated Shota Umino & Tatsuya Matsumoto

OSKAR immediately took Umino out of the equation on the outside. He rejoined Yuto-Ice to bully Matsumoto. When Umino tried returning to the ring, OSKAR kicked him right back out. The Knockout Brothers proceeded to end Matsumoto with a KO, forcing Umino to watch, and the match was swiftly over.

(Without Yuya Uemura by Umino’s side, this match was exactly what it should have been.

Aaron Wolf, Master Wato, Toru Yano & YOH defeated House Of Torture (Dick Togo, EVIL, Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)

Yano promptly powered his way out of House of Torture’s usual ambush schtick, setting Wato up to usurp the band of heathens. Narita and Takahashi toppled YOH and Yano as EVIL worked on Wato. They assisted their leader with a chairshot on the vulnerable opponent. Narita drove a spike into Wato’s face. YOH slipped in a kick to Narita, breaking the weaponized attack.

YOH tagged in, employing Dragonscrew Legwhips to everyone on the opposing team. Wolf barged in, toppling Narita before delivering a Fireman’s Carry. House of Torture equalized Wolf’s allies before uniting a Dick-to-Dick Contact. Wolf’s teammates came in for the save. Shrugging off Narita’s push-up bar, Wolf sent him flying before tapping Takahashi out with an armbar.

(Nice. Very nice. Thrilling performance by Wolf. Wolf reminded everyone who he was at that Wrestle Kingdom 20 match, and at the right time, given New Beginning is around the corner.)

United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, Jake Lee & Jakob Austin Young) defeated Unbound Co. (Gedo, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori & Yota Tsuji)

Tsuji blasted Lee, throwing him every which way and loading his strikes with vitriol. Lee engaged him in a headlock, dragging him so Newman could deliver some punishment. Gedo planted Newman on the mat, choking him with pure hatred. Outside, Khan ripped open Takagi’s shirt and suffered the Last Dragon’s ribs.

Back in the ring, Newman found vengeance on Gedo, mocking him in the process. Zane Jay, the second for United Empire (and no longer a Young Lion), provided additional damage to Gedo. Korakuen Hall cheered for Gedo while Young clobbered him. Lee delivered a kick to Tsuji to prevent his involvement in the match. Akira’s fleeting triumph over Gedo was met with an alliance of Ishimori and Takahashi. Takagi attempted a coup on Khan, but his ribs hindered his advances, leaving him susceptible to Khan’s Bear Hug. Khan obliterated Takagi with a chair shot to a stacked chair on his wounded foe. Newman and Khan held Tsuji down in the corner, helpless, as Lee kicked Takagi’s tender ribs and gained the pinfall.

Post-match: United Empire ravaged Unbound Co. Lee offered Tsuji a spot on the team if he gave up his IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Tsuji, enraged at what he’s seen the group do to his friend, rejected the offer, keeping the title match open for New Beginning in Osaka.

(I’m a sucker for matches like these. Progressing the United Empire versus Unbound Co. angle while advancing the nested storylines within was entertaining. Moreover, what we’re seeing with the heelish vision of United Empire against the remnants of Bullet Club and Los Ingobernable de Japon is a sort of changing of the guard as the group becomes a heel faction once more. Also, give me Akira/Young versus Ishimori/Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship sometime this year, please.)

Ichiban Sweet Boys (Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles) (c) defeated House Of Torture (SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship

House of Torture, as is their wont, ambushed the Sweet Boys. SHO wrapped his arm around the referee, obscuring him from the removal of a turnbuckle pad. Fujita used this to his advantage, spiraling his aggressor into the exposed steel of it and Slingblading him to the mat. Kanemaru dropped Eagles from the apron, exposing Fujita to the harsh isolation of their united front against him. Kanemaru propelled the enfeebled Fujita so that his partner could chip more of him into the post. Once more did Kanemaru eliminated Eagles from the apron to enforce further torment on Fujita.

Fujita, agonized and threadbare, gathered enough spirit to crawl away to a rope break to cut short SHO’s Boston Crab. Eagles took flight, his legs an albatross, dazed SHO in his righteous anger, pent up by his moral and physical injuries suffered at the hands of his opponents. SHO speared him out of his boots, and Kanemaru was all too gleeful to bear down on him once more; a DDT planted the champ to the cerulean mat. Fujita, newly recovered, returned fire to Kanemaru, flying in a Springboard Dropkick to puncture his challenger. Kanemaru devastated Fujita with a Superplex, followed in kind by SHO’s Powerbreaker and Boston Crab. Urged on by TMDK teammate Zack Sabre Jr., Fujita made the desperate crawl that broke the Crab. The Ichiban Sweet Boys deployed a Sweetbuster, nearly securing the win, had it not been for SHO evicting the referee from the ring. Fujita blasted Kanemaru with a Thrill Ride, nodding with the referee as the 3-count cemented a title retention.

(Ichiban Sweet Boys are a thrilling junior heavyweight tag team, and they had some damn good dance partners tonight. Easily reliable to provide excitement to an NJPW card.)

Main Event

DOUKI (c) defeated El Desperado for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

DOUKI maintained warrant over Desperado’s wrist and skull, gravitating him toward the ground. His challenger eked out momentum, enough to send him frustrated to the outside; House of Torture surrounded him like starving wolves, stomping him out while DOUKI distracted the referee. Young Lions dispersed the Tokyo crowd, permitting DOUKI’s teammates to send the challenger through the sea of chairs. Up the stairs, DOUKI choked Desperado with a pipe. Desperado nearly broke a 20-count en route to the ring, but EVIL caught him, causing him grief as DOUKI once more distracted the referee.

Though he secured a Darkness Stretch, DOUKI couldn’t make it count. Desperado slid in some low dropkicks to DOUKI’s legs, weakening his knees. House of Torture flocked like vultures to Desperado once DOUKI bought himself some time by shoving his challenger into the referee. Aaron Wolf and Master Wato rushed to Desperado’s defense, dispersing the House of Torture. They parted the sea of villains like Moses to the Red Sea, granting Desperado a fair advantage over DOUKI. Rather than mourn the presence of his allies, DOUKI instead reached for his Darkness Stretch. SHO emerged from the abyssal depths beyond the ring, distracting the referee until the official fought back. Behind him, Desperado’s Numero Dos failed to bring forth victory. Thanks to further SHO interference, DOUKI whacked Desperado with his ally’s Black Mirror. With no more fight left, Desperado lost via DOUKI’s Suplex de la Luna.

(Almost a subversion of the House of Torture’s formula of matches, it seemed that Desperado’s path to regaining the belt was clear. Not so, thanks to SHO. That said, this main event had Korakuen Hall on their feet, screaming and clamoring for a barn-burner performance.)

Final Thoughts

The show increasingly grew in quality. Aaron Wolf put on a strong performance, whereas Ichiban Sweet Boys delivered another exciting match. Though I’m glad Desperado didn’t take DOUKI’s title, I do hope a suitable challenger takes the gold soon. The United Empire and Unbound Co. bout developed several angles while furthering its overarching narrative. Last but not least, I loved that the Young Lion Cup is heating up.

NJPW so far is taking heavy consideration into the future of its card. I hope they continue this momentum as I still highly anticipate New Beginning in Osaka.

New Japan Pro Wrestling presents two back-to-back shows at Korakuen Hall on Monday and Tuesday this week.

Monday’s show will be headlined by a number one contenders match for the IWGP World Tag Team titles, currently held by Yuto-Ice & OSKAR, the Knockouts Brothers. Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi will face Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura, with the winners earning a shot at the titles at The New Beginning in Osaka on February 11.

The NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team titles will also be on the line Monday in Korakuen Hall, as Boltin Oleg, Hirooki Goto, and YOSHI-HASHI challenge TMDK’s Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa, and Zack Sabre Jr.

Also scheduled for Monday are Robbie Eagles vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Kosei Fujita vs. SHO, and two first-round matches in the Young Lions Cup.

In multi-person tag matches, Aaron Wolf, El Desperado, Toru Yano, and YOH will team up to take on House of Torture, while the new Unbound Co. faction will face The United Empire.

Our live coverage begins at 4:30 a.m. Eastern Time.

**********************************

Main Card

Masatora Yasuda defeated Tatsuya Matsumoto

These Young Lions wrestled to a standstill. Yasuda gained momentum for most of the match by targeting his opponent’s legs. Matsumoto fired back with a shotgun dropkick. Yasuda got the better of a chop exchange. Matsumoto weaponized the earlier damage incurred to Yasuda’s legs to quell most comeback attempts. However, Yasuda surprised the crowd with a standing Moonsault. He finished off Matsumoto with a Boston Crab.

Post-match: Yasuda and Shoma Kato butted heads as the ring announcer declared the former would battle the latter on the January 20 Road to the New Beginning show.

(Yasuda is definitely one of my picks to become a Young Lion Cup finalist this year. He and Katsuya Murashima.)

Daiki Nagai defeated Zane Jay via disqualification

Jay kept Nagai grounded with his legs, most notably with a Lou Thesz Press. A spirited Nagai retaliated with forearms and a Flying Crossbody. Nagai would control an extended portion of the match until Jay pulled out an elevated dropkick. Nagai shocked Jay with a Spinebuster + Boston Crab combo. United Empire’s Callum Newman distracted Nagai and Referee Red Shoes Unno before incapacitating both. He lent Jay a steel chair, which he struck against Nagai and rained down punches, ending the match.

Post-match: Newman collected him so they could flee from a rampaging Unbound Co.

(That was certainly a development. I’m guessing Zane Jay is with United Empire now. If so, good for him; he’s moving up pretty quickly.)

Aaron Wolf, El Desperado, Master Wato, Toru Yano & YOH defeated House Of Torture (Dick Togo, DOUKI, EVIL, Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)

DOUKI stole the upper hand after a kick assist from Togo with a kick of his own. YOH and Yano bickered about who could follow up before both halted EVIL and Takahashi’s advances. DOUKI took Desperado to the abyss of the crowd outside as EVIL and Togo tormented YOH back in the ring. YOH swung a comeback with a dropkick to EVIL and Takahashi.

Wolf tagged in, levelling the House of Torture to a pile of rubble with elbow strikes flying everywhere. Togo tripped Wolf up to end his momentum. Narita focused his efforts on Wolf’s knee, leading to a desperate tag-in for Wato. Togo got in the face of his argumentative referee, nearly succumbing to Wato’s pin attempts. The pair traded pin attempts, the last of which Wato countered with a Vendeval to earn his team the victory.

(NJPW’s method of saving up Wolf’s follow-up to Wrestle Kingdom 20 puzzled me at first, but I’m now seeing the vision. Once he lets loose at New Beginning, his upside will become all the more apparent.)

United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, Jake Lee & Jakob Austin Young) defeated Unbound Co. (Gedo, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori & Yota Tsuji)

Chaos erupted after the bell, bodies were thrown asunder in the depths of Korakuen Hall. In the ring, Takagi bore down on Khan, trading Mongolian chops and bites. Lee evened the odds with a Giant Killer Knee. Tsuji avenged Takagi with some knees to Lee. Two backbreakers by Tsuji to Young and Newman prevented additional United Empire coups from happening. Lee wrecked Tsuji at last with a DDT. Akira baited Takahashi during a chop exchange with a knee. Takahashi pinballed Young into Akira with an Ishimori assist. Gedo poked Akira’s eyes but ate a knee from Newman for his efforts. A modified Fireball from Akira put Gedo down for the 3-count as the rest of Unbound Co. recuperated outside.

Post-match: Tsuji offered Lee to say something ahead of their New Beginning match. The only response he gave the champ was a choke-out. Some Westerners in the otherwise Japanese audience booed Lee as he propped Tsuji’s belt across his face and propped him up like a body at the morgue.

(Hopefully, this angle with Lee doesn’t last long, and Tsuji’s reign can really take form. Definitely shouldn’t have gotten a main event title picture push this early from his return. Akira was in fantastic form.)

SHO took advantage of a seemingly unprepared Fujita. However, Tujita surprised him with a reactive response before snatching SHO’s steel chair. Outside, Fujita hurled SHO into the barricade. SHO returned the favor, doing much of the same, and assaulted a nearby Young Lion for extra measure. Fujita’s still-sore shoulder from 2025 suffered a chairshot and elbow courtesy of SHO.

SHO defeated Kosei Fujita via disqualification

The referee caught SHO sneaking in a wrench and seized it for contraband, opening him up for a low blow to Fujita. SHO suffered a few strikes from his own sheet by an enraged Fujita, despite the referee’s pleas. Fujita was then disqualified from the match.

(This never left third gear despite both competitors being good. The screwy finish didn’t help things, that’s for sure.)

Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Robbie Eagles

Early on, Eagles gained control with his agility. Kanemaru, however, trounced him with underhanded tactics. Kanemaru countered a DDT with a Reverse-DDT. A Whiskey Mist and a Flying Headscissors later, and Kanemaru was the victor.

(A breezy match built upon playing dirty enough to win things quickly. About as quickly as a Kanemaru singles match should be this late into the card.)

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Oleg Boltin defeated TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) (c) for the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship – Title Change

Sabre began the title affair against Goto. Goto’s revolution came with YOSHI-HASHI as the pair laid challengers Oiwa and Sabre flat. YOSHI-HASHI couldn’t keep up the momentum, due to Oiwa’s strong control over his shoulder. Jackson made things worse with an elbow drop. Sabre kept a firm grip on YOSHI-HASHI’s right arm, maneuvering it however best he could to enforce dominance. Jackson and Oiwa threw their whole weight on YOSHI-HASHI’s weak arm, leading Goto to make a spirited save.

Jackson, alongside the fans in Korakuen, was astonished as Boltin picked up the gargantuan Aussie for a Boltin Shake. Sabre wisely targeted Boltin’s weak shoulder, and Oiwa’s mighty offense lent much to this siege. Boltin escaped Sabre’s Guillotine Choke with a vertical suplex. Nearly fading, Boltin thwarted a Triangle Choke with a miraculous powerbomb. Goto clashed with Oiwa, downing him with a GTR and a lariat. Jackson and Oiwa equalized Boltin and YOSHI-HASHI, respectively, setting Oiwa up for a splash. Boltin won a war of the Belly-to-Belly Suplex against the large Jackson. Oiwa crushed Goto with The Grip and a Doctor Bomb. Bishamon obliterated Oiwa with a Violent Flash. Goto finished him off with a GTR.

(A strong match. Everyone gave it their all, delivering a match that felt it belonged on New Beginning itself.)

Main Event

Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino defeated Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii for the IWGP Tag Team Championship Contendership

Uemura used Ishii’s speed against him with a flying crossbody. Umino repeatedly ran into Taichi’s boot before shoulder tackling him to the mat. He then battered Taichi in the corner with forearms. Taichi and Ishii flung their opponents into the blue guardrails. Ishii mockingly tapped Umino’s head with his shoes before unleashing a chop to the chest.

Uemura stepped over Taichi to elbow Ishii outside, where he’d hurl the Stone Pitbull into the barricade. Taichi accumulated some steam, but Uemura reeled him in for an Arm Drag, followed by a Hammerlock. Umino destroyed Taichi with a Superplex from the top rope. Taichi fought out of a Dragon Suplex + lariat from his opponents. Uemura narrowly escaped a 3-count following Taichi’s Dangerous Backdrop. Ishii rocked Umino with a loud and thunderous stiff elbow. Unfortunately for the Roughneck, the Stone Pitbull sent him to the mat with an explosive Superplex. Uemura employed a Butterfly Suplex to wear down Ishii. Taichi missed some Axe Bombers but laid Uemura down; an exhausted Umino collapsed after flattening Taichi with a dropkick.

Umino leveraged Ishii’s Vertical Drop Brainbuster into a DDT. Taichi saved his partner following Umino’s cacophonous Powerbomb to Ishii. Taichi kicked Umino’s chest ragged as Ishii unleashed a nasty piledriver. Taichi watched helplessly in the arms of Uemura when Umino secured a pinfall over Ishii by way of his patented Second Chapter.

Post-match: Uemura and Umino thanked Taichi, who shared the love with a handshake. Umino shifted his attention to the Knockout Brothers, beckoning them to the ring. The IWGP Tag Team Champions joined them in the ring, with Yuto-Ice accepting them as challengers. He ended the exchange with his signature catchphrase, “Let’s get high!” Uemura confronted Umino about their shared frustrations of 2025 in singles and tag team action. He urged his partner to keep that same frustration going into the match. They agreed to “fight together” and bring their best to New Beginning. Umino shared his feelings about how he’s gotten to where he is now, emotionally and nearly tearfully. Korakuen Hall ate it all up.

(Beloved as Taichi and Ishii may be to fans, this was absolutely the right call. Yes, they’re familiar faces, but there’s no need to pass the torch to this generation; that’s been done to death already. It’s do or die for Knockout Brothers and Uemura/Umino. The “now” has to put in the work to stand the test of time and show the world what the future will hold if they have a say in it. The future is now.)

Final Thoughts

A tiny nitpick here, but the Six Man Tag title change should’ve main evented the show. However, I can easily let it slide, given the quality of Ishii/Taichi versus Umino/Uemura, and what it means in this hot start of 2026. I’m also pleased to see how well the company is preserving Aaron Wolf rather than running him into the ground. Given that the company is doing its best to give a lukewarm Jake Lee some edge with this push, it’s a good thing for fans like me that they have supplemental things to sink our teeth into. A part of me wonders who will come out to challenge Yota Tsuji after New Beginning’s main event: a talent with steam behind them, or someone who would be a welcome surprise? I feel it has to be one or the other, not some other placeholder the bookers have resorted to in the past.