Tag: NJPW

New champion crowned at NJPW Sakura Genesis

Posted on by Bryan Rose

History was made at Sakura Genesis.

Callum Newman, 23, defeated Yota Tsuji to become the youngest IWGP Champion of all time Saturday at Sumo Hall, scoring the pinfall after connecting with the Prince’s Curse and the make way. The shock win ends Tsuji’s reign with the championship, which he won back at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January.

Will Ospreay, who wrestled earlier in the show, was the first to embrace Newman following his title win and put the IWGP Championship around Newman’s waist. Newman cut a short promo telling the crowd that there was no doubt about him anymore and to kiss the crown. The show closed with all members of United Empire, including Ospreay, posing with the new champion.

Later, during backstage comments, Ospreay asked Newman if they could talk privately, seemingly hinting that he may need help in AEW where the Death Riders and Jon Moxley have been playing the numbers game against him.

After the match, a hooded figure arrived and laid out Tsuji with a piledriver, later revealing himself to be Gabe Kidd. Shingo Takagi came out for the save, but Kidd landed in a punch before exiting the area. Takagi recovered and eventually crossed paths with Newman, issuing the first challenge for the title.

NJPW reveals full lineup & blocks for Best of the Super Juniors 33

Posted on by Bryan Rose

This year’s Best of the Super Juniors lineup is finally complete.

After spending the last week revealing names for the upcoming tournament, NJPW revealed the final two during Saturday’s Sakura Genesis event, with Nick Wayne of AEW and Jun Kasai of FREEDOMS officially participating. Wayne, the current ROH Television Champion, recently returned from a foot injury that kept him out of action for months. This will be his second tournament after making his debut last year.

Kasai, meanwhile, got some buzz last year following a high-profile death match against El Desperado. They will team up during the Deathmatch Invitacional that will take place WrestleMania weekend to face Nick Gage & Matt Tremont and Rina Yamashita & Masashi Takeda in a three-way deathmatch.

Here are the blocks for this year’s tournament:

Block A:

  • DOUKI
  • Francesco Akira
  • Robbie X
  • Nick Wayne
  • Titan
  • Valiente Jr.
  • Kosei Fujita
  • Jun Kasai
  • Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Master Wato

Block B:

  • El Desperado
  • YOH
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • KUSHIDA
  • Robbie Eagles
  • Jakob Austin Young
  • Taiji Ishimori
  • Hyo
  • SHO
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru

The tournament begins on May 14 at Korakuen Hall and will conclude on June 7 in Ota.

NJPW Sakura Genesis live results: Yota Tsuji vs. Callum Newman

Posted on by Corey Michaels

New Japan Pro-Wrestling presents Sakura Genesis on Saturday, April 4, at Ryogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

Four championship matches and the return of Will Ospreay are advertised for the show.

The main event saw Yota Tsuji defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against 2026 New Japan Cup winner Callum Newman.

In the semi-main event, IWGP Tag Team Champions Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) defended their titles against Ryohei Oiwa and Zack Sabre Jr. of TMDK.

The full lineup is as follows:

  • IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Callum Newman defeated Yota Tsuji (c)
  • IWGP Tag Team Championship: The Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) (c) defeated TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa)
  • NJPW World Television Championship: Konosuke Takeshita (c) versus Shota Umino ended in a time-limit draw
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Oleg Boltin (c) defeated House of Torture (Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens)
  • United Empire (Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan & HENARE) defeated Yuya Uemura, Taichi & El Desperado
  • Tiger Mask, Aaron Wolf, YOH & Toru Yano defeated House of Torture (DOUKI, Don Fale, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
  • Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X) defeated United Empire (Jake Lee, Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young)
  • TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita defeated Togi Makabe & Master Wato
  • Pre-show: KUSHIDA & Masatora Yasuda defeated Tatsuya Matsumoto & Taisei Nakahara

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

Pre-show

KUSHIDA & Masatora Yasuda defeated Taisei Nakahara & Tatsuya Matsumoto

Nakahara defiantly struggled through KUSHIDA’s headlocks, eventually locking in one of his own. Matsumoto wasn’t so easy for KUSHIDA to pin down, slamming the veteran to escape a particularly stubborn armbar. Nakahara soon tapped out to Yasuda’s unrelenting Boston Crab.

Main Card

TMDK (Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita) defeated Togi Makabe & Master Wato

Jackson wore down an eager Makabe, allowing Fujita to engage Wato unimpeded; Wato fought back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to halt Fujita’s momentum. Makabe toppled Jackson via a King Kong Lariat. Jackson soundly put the veteran away with a Jagged Edge, earning the pinfall amid Wato and Fujita’s brawling.

Jackson’s best outing since that singles match against Oleg Boltin this year. He’s taking advantage of every opportunity given to him this year and has made the most of them to spectacular effect.

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

United Empire’s early ploy to disorient Unbound Co. at the start of this match paid off initially, yet a synchronized dropkick stunted further dominance. Lee and Akira mounted a front against Takagi, who singlehandedly downed them with a double-lariat. Young, though spirited, albeit dirty his fight was, inescapably fell on the sword of Takagi’s Last of the Dragon. Unbound Co. walked away with the victory.

Robbie X, during the Road to Sakura Genesis, especially the April 2 show, displayed exceptional athleticism and pacing, and throughout his brief flashes in this match, continued to do so. Young also made the most of his spots, at a couple of points, making him almost believable to stand toe-to-toe with Takagi.

Tiger Mask, Aaron Wolf, YOH & Toru Yano defeated House of Torture (DOUKI, Don Fale, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

After an awkward leg holding spot from YOH, SHO, and the referee, Yano stripped a turnbuckle of its pad and paid dearly in typical House of Torture madness. Fale pressed his full weight on Yano’s spine, which DOUKI and SHO exploited by shoving their boots into his ribs. Tiger Mask kicked his way out of a combined assault stemming from DOUKI and Kanemaru. Wolf crushed Kanemaru with a Landslide and a headlock choke, the latter of which the House of Torture member tapped out.

Please, please let this be the end of Wolf’s rock bottom arc. Let him shine the way he opened the year. His finish and Tiger Mask’s spots were the highlights, poetically so, as one is still stepping through the door while another is on the way out.

Best of the Super Juniors Entrants Revealed

A-Block: Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi, DOUKI, Francesco Akira, Robbie X, Taiji Ishimori, Titan (CMLL), SHO, Kosei Fujita, & Jun Kasai (FREEDOMS)

B-Block: El Desperado, KUSHIDA, YOH, Robbie Eagles, Daisuke Sasaki (DDT), Jakob Austin Young, Nick Wayne (AEW), Hyo (Dragon Gate), Valiente Jr. (CMLL), & Yoshinobu Kanemaru

United Empire (Great-O-Khan, HENARE & Will Ospreay) defeated El Desperado, Taichi & Yuya Uemura

Still bearing the wounds suffered by AEW’s Death Riders (specifically PAC from the April 1 episode of AEW Dynamite), Ospreay weathered Desperado and Uemura’s coalesced offense. HENARE cleared the path for him to flatten Desperado with a Flying Crossbody out of the ring. Desperado collapsed following a meaty chop exchange with HENARE. United Empire linked up for a triple superkick to rock the masked wrestler further.

Uemura dished out dropkicks left and right to level the playing field, followed by a back suplex to Khan. Taichi met Ospreay in the middle of the ring, trading Kawada Kicks and backfists. A Dangerous Backdrop echoed through Ospreay, as did an Axe Bomber, yet Taichi’s efforts ultimately proved ineffective. Ospreay fired back with an Oscutter, therefore securing a comeback. He employed a Hidden Blade and Stormbreaker to cement his NJPW return at Taichi’s expense.

Post-match: Ospreay watched in dismay as Khan and HENARE bullied the defeated Taichi, Desperado, and Uemura.

This did its job in painting the picture of Ospreay coming back as the prodigal son of NJPW and United Empire favorite. The story of him opposing the new vision of the group under Callum Newman sets up the future conflict quite nicely, though I hope they address the possibility that he likely kept up to date with the group’s progress in his absence.

Bishamon (Hirooki Goto &YOSHI-HASHI), & Oleg Boltin defeated House of Torture (Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, & Chase Owens) for the NEVER Openweight Six Man Championship

YOSHI-HASHI started strong, but Owens and Takahashi took him outside and lashed him against the steel barricade. Goto withstood Owens, decapitating him with a lariat. Boltin nauseated Narita with a Boltin Shake. Dick Togo rang the bell to distract Boltin amid a Torture Rack. House of Torture took this moment to strike down Bishamon and convened with Togo for a Dick-to-Dick Contact. Narita flopped down on the mat after Boltin devastated him with The Verdict.

Takahashi saved himself from Bishamon’s dominance over him by way of a Fisherman Buster. Uncorking his patented Pimp Juice on YOSHI-HASHI, Takahashi fell foul of a full-steam Boltin rampage. Narita frantically tapped on Boltin’s Torture Rack while Bishamon finished Takahashi with a Shoto.

Boltin again excels in 2026. I greatly enjoy his pairing with Bishamon.

Konosuke Takeshita (c) versus Shota Umino for the NJPW World Television Championship ended in a time-limit draw

Champion and challenger shrugged off an early forearm exchange, but Umino would writhe on the apron after falling back first onto it from Takeshita’s shoulders. Umino broke Takeshita’s dominion with a Tornado-DDT and Fisherman Suplex. Mounting himself over the top rope, Umino planted Takeshita, skull-first, into the apron and gathered his thoughts as he gazed upon the golden sheen of the title nearby.

The DDTs continued, this time on the outside courtesy of Umino’s Tornado-DDT to the unforgiving floor. Takeshita took revenge, damaging Umino’s shoulder by swinging it against the top rope. Umino powerbombed his way back to control. Takeshita swiftly took it away with a Blue Thunderbomb. With less than two minutes of the NJPW World Television title time limit left, Takeshita hit a lariat and an Exploder. Ten seconds dwindled, with neither able to capitalize after a colliding lariat from both men.

Post-match: A figure in a peculiar mask caught Takeshita’s eye. Chase Owens from House of Torture ambushed Takeshita, but was chased off by Umino.

It took a moment for this to truly get going, with the final stretch becoming rather intense. Sadly, it didn’t live up to its potential, but a decent bout nonetheless.

Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) (c) defeated TMDK (Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship

Ice caught Oiwa off guard with a kick to the shin. Sabre came for the save, and he joined Oiwa in incurring OSKAR’s wrath by kicking him off the apron and into the barricade. The German released his anger by hurling Sabre across the cerulean mat. Precariously locking in OSKAR’s ankle, Sabre relied on Oiwa to drop an elbow to cripple the giant. The challengers kept OSKAR isolated from Ice, allowing Sabre to employ a Half-Boston Crab, subduing his opponent’s arms in the process.

Ice had the advantage as a fresher competitor, and he utilized it to obliterate Oiwa with a Bomboclat. Oiwa toiled in the Ice-inflicted misery, yet in a split decision, he twisted the champion’s arm. Commentary and Referee Marty Asami watched in concern as Oiwa mercilessly kept targeting the weakened limb. Relinquishing the tape from his arm, Ice fed feeling and adrenaline into it on the turnbuckle. Oiwa returned the arm to its maligned state, twisting and striking it. Ice swung a comeback with a lariat. Before he could exploit this moment, Sabre attacked him, leading Oiwa to strike Ice with a Chaos Theory. A Zack Driver and Oiwa’s bridged German suplex brought TMDK within grasp of the titles, but only just so. Ice took out Oiwa with a Cruella to retain the belts.

Post-match: Ice evicted Oiwa from the ring and took to the microphone. He celebrated the match’s result and asked Bishamon to come out so they could issue their challenge. United Empire’s HENARE and Great-O-Khan met them instead and stamped their place in the discussion. Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI of Bishamon joined them, also claiming their stake.

Spite. Pure spite. What levels are you willing to sink to, as a human, to hold onto or attain what you hold so dear, and will you act inhumanely to another person to get it? Both teams asked that of themselves, and they threw everything at it, sparing no expense. This is what can be expected of TMDK and The Knockout Brothers, and they rose to that in cathartic fashion at the crossroads between sports and theater.

Main Event

Callum Newman defeated Yota Tsuji (c) for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship -TITLE CHANGE

A Tope Tsuijicita broke Newman’s beginning offense, sending the challenger into the blue guardrails outside. Newman soon wrenched control with a Tiger Suplex. At his fastest, Newman can become almost unstoppable, yet Tsuji pulled out a lariat just in time to prevent that, leaving the Brit horizontal, at his own expense. A Curb Stomp from the champ plummeted the challenger frighteningly head-first on the floor; Referee Red Shoes allowed the match to continue.

Red Shoes fell unconscious amid another scuffle between champ and challenger. Newman exploited this with a Shining Wizard. Zane Jay offered Newman a steel chair, but Will Ospreay pleaded with Newman not to use it. Tsuji unleashed a Gene Blaster amid the kerfuffle while Jay and Ospreay loudly argued outside. Newman survived a Destroyer and Gene Blaster, instilling panic in the champion. Tsuji’s desperation cost him in a flash; Newman unsheathed Excalibur to puncture him to the mat. Marlowe Crash by Tsuji earned him a comeback. Newman landed inches within pinfall using his Prince’s Curse—victory barely eluding him. To the shock of everyone, Newman became the IWGP Heavyweight Champion with his MAKE WAY finisher.

Post-match: Newman and Ospreay tearfully embraced. Outside, a masked man in a jacket assaulted Yota Tsuji and revealed himself to be Gabe Kidd with an AEW shirt. Shingo Takagi came to Tsuji’s aid, but Kidd laid him flat. Kidd left with Tsuji’s IWGP Global Heavyweight belt. Takagi rolled into the ring and humorously slid in and out of the ring until he snatched the microphone. He issued a challenge for the belt and left, nursing his neck. At last, Newman had the chance to celebrate, which he did, by telling the crowd to “kiss the crown”. Posing with his newly acquired spoils of 2026, he and United Empire posed to end the night.

I can’t believe they actually did it. I’ve been a Callum Newman believer for a long time, but I wasn’t sure to what extent NJPW would push him. But they did it. The prince has been crowned. And the drama it took to get there, the inclusion of newbie Zane Jay and big name Will Ospreay, elevated this even further. Going into this, I expected a simple title retention, nothing too crazy, and this exceeded my expectations tenfold.

Final Thoughts

Sakura Genesis satisfied me. Several developments spun from the show, due to build into some exciting territory. The mystery of the masked man who confronted Konosuke Takeshita adds some intrigue. Will Ospreay’s return set forth some compelling narratives in the United Empire. And the Knockout Brothers cemented their place as the top tag team in the company right now. Furthermore, Aaron Wolf got his lick in on the House of Torture and more, standing tall over Don Fale in the post-match of his multi-man bout.

And with the shocking end to the night, NJPW confidently placed itself in special territory. The company, as it is right now, knows what it has to be, and it has to be forward. Don’t rest on laurels. Take risks. Trust in the young talent and follow through with them to build a future amid a rough economy. Especially right now, NJPW is insanely blessed to have huge stars rising: Knockout Brothers, Yuya Uemura, Shota Umino, Yota Tsuji, Callum Newman, and the various Young Lion graduates. Don’t let up on the gas, even for a second.

NJPW announces Sakura Genesis card change

Posted on by Joseph Currier

To help build toward an upcoming Junior Heavyweight title match, NJPW has made a slight change to the Sakura Genesis card.

Tiger Mask IV and Master Wato have swapped places on the April 4 lineup, with Tiger Mask now set to compete in an eight-man tag match opposite IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI. The match pits Tiger Mask, Aaron Wolf, YOH & Toru Yano against DOUKI, Don Fale, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru.

As for Wato, he will now team up with Togi Makabe against Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita.

The change comes after Tiger Mask confronted DOUKI earlier this week and challenged him to a title match. A date for that bout has not been set yet. Tiger Mask, who only has three months left before the end of his in-ring career, wants to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title and retire as champion.

Sakura Genesis is being held at Sumo Hall in Tokyo and will stream live overnight at 3 a.m. Eastern/midnight Pacific.

NJPW Sakura Genesis 2026 (Saturday, April 4) —

  • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji defends against Callum Newman
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions The Knock Out Brothers (Oskar & Yuto-Ice) defend against Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa
  • NJPW World Television Champion Konosuke Takeshita defends against Shota Umino
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin defend against Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan & HENARE vs. Yuya Uemura, Taichi & El Desperado
  • Tiger Mask, Aaron Wolf, YOH & Toru Yano vs. DOUKI, Don Fale, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X vs. Jake Lee, Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young
  • Togi Makabe & Master Wato vs. Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita
  • Pre-show: KUSHIDA & Masatora Yasuda vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto & Taisei Nakahara

Will Ospreay on NJPW return at Sakura Genesis: ‘Can’t wait to come home’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Will Ospreay has commented on his return to New Japan Pro Wrestling this weekend.

Ospreay will team with his former United Empire stablemates Great-O-Khan and HENARE against Yuya Uemura, Taichi, and El Desperado at NJPW Sakura Genesis on Saturday, April 4, at Ryogoku Sumo Hall.

This will be Ospreay’s first match in Japan since The New Beginning in Osaka on February 11, 2024.

On Thursday, Ospreay posted a statement to X that read:

“10 Years Ago. I boarded a flight to Tokyo to perform for @njpw1972. 22 years old I could barely speak English and I was so scared going to a country by myself that I couldn’t speak the language. I spent 8 years in Japan & it completely shaped me as a man. Japan taught me patience & etiquette. All I wanted to do was show my love & appreciation to a country that allowed me to be a kid & I got to grow up in a locker room full of men I had the utmost respect for. I’ve not stopped thinking about you since I left 2 years ago. Can’t wait to come home and wrestle in my favourite arena in wrestling.”

Ospreay made his NJPW debut nearly 10 years ago at Invasion Attack on April 10, 2016. He unsuccessfully challenged KUSHIDA for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title on the show.

NJPW Sakura Genesis 2026 lineup for Saturday, April 4:

  • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji defends against Callum Newman
  • IWGP Tag Team Champions The Knock Out Brothers (Oskar & Yuto-Ice) defend against Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa
  • NJPW World Television Champion Konosuke Takeshita defends against Shota Umino
  • NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin defend against Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
  • Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan & HENARE vs. Yuya Uemura, Taichi & El Desperado
  • Aaron Wolf, YOH, Toru Yano & Master Wato vs. Don Fale, DOUKI, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X vs. Jake Lee, Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young
  • Togi Makabe & Tiger Mask vs. Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita
  • Pre-show: KUSHIDA & Masatora Yasuda vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto & Taisei Nakahara

Updated list of NJPW Best of the Super Juniors entrants

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The lineup for NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 is now almost fully set with 18 of the 20 entrants confirmed.

NJPW has announced that junior heavyweight mainstays KUSHIDA and Ryusuke Taguchi will be participating in this year’s tournament. Along with that, Dragon Gate wrestler Hyo has been added to the list of entrants as he makes his official NJPW debut.

KUSHIDA and Taguchi are both former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions and BOSJ winners, with KUSHIDA having won the tournament in 2015 and 2017 and Taguchi winning in 2012.

Though this is Hyo’s NJPW debut, he won the promotion’s bodybuilding contest in 2025. He’s a two-time Open the Brave Gate Champion, which is Dragon Gate’s version of a junior heavyweight title.

BOSJ 2026 begins on May 14 and runs through June 7. The final two entrants, along with the block lineups, are set to be revealed this Saturday at NJPW Sakura Genesis. A title shot will be awaiting the BOSJ winner — if current IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI does not win the tournament himself.

Here is the updated list of entrants:

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 —

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • YOH
  • Master Wato
  • Jakob Austin Young
  • Francesco Akira
  • Valiente Jr.
  • Robbie Eagles
  • Taiji Ishimori
  • Robbie X
  • Titan
  • KUSHIDA
  • Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Hyo

Tiger Mask sets NJPW retirement date

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Tiger Mask has set a date and revealed the location for his final NJPW show.

It was already known that the fourth iteration of Tiger Mask would be retiring from the ring this July. After competing at NJPW’s Road to Sakura Genesis event on Thursday, he revealed that his last NJPW date will be on July 7 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. It’s the same venue where this version of Tiger Mask made his official in-ring debut in July 1995.

An opponent for Tiger Mask’s retirement match is not yet known, with him saying he’s not sure if he’ll be wrestling at the show or if there will just be a retirement ceremony. It’s possible that he’ll be working some already scheduled indie dates overseas after this date, but July 7 will be his last NJPW event.

“I don’t even know if I’ll have a retirement match. It might just be a ceremony. If someone I want to face comes along, I might be able to make an announcement at that time,” Tiger Mask said. “My retirement is in July, but there were some overseas matches that were already scheduled after that, and I might not be able to cancel them, so there might be some matches overseas.”

Following in the footsteps of Satoru Sayama, Mitsuharu Misawa, and Koji Kanemoto, Yoshihiro Yamazaki is retiring as the longest-serving Tiger Mask. He is a six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, most recently holding the title in 2009-2010.

Thursday’s show saw Tiger Mask team up with Shota Umino for a victory over KUSHIDA & Masatora Yasuda. At the end of the night, Tiger Mask appeared again and issued a challenge to IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion DOUKI, wanting to win the title again before retirement.

While the future of the Tiger Mask character is unknown, it was recently announced that CMLL wrestler Magnus is taking over the “Black Tiger” gimmick. That character was initially introduced as a Tiger Mask rival and has been portrayed by the likes of Mark Rocco, Eddie Guerrero, and Rocky Romero.

Finn Balor ‘pictured spending his whole career in Japan’ before joining WWE

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

A former WWE Universal and NXT Champion, Finn Balor, recently opened up and reflected on his thoughts on leaving NJPW for WWE.

An NJPW veteran and often known as the inaugural leader of Bullet Club, Balor left NJPW in 2014 to begin a fresh career in WWE NXT. Speaking on Talk’n Shop Live, Balor recalled how he had pictured spending his entire career in Japan before starting with WWE.

“I think what we had in Bullet Club when I was there was a real special time. Leaving when it was that hot was kind of bittersweet. I had known for a long time that I wanted to move on, but it’s always bittersweet. And I cried, obviously, leaving New Japan. That was super emotional.

“I kind of always pictured my whole career in Japan up until that point. I just really wanted to roll the dice in WWE and give it one try. And if it’s gonna be a year, it’s gonna be a year, whatever, and then go back to Japan,” Balor said.

At NJPW, Balor was a 3-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, and even won the 2010 and 2013 editions of Best of the Super Juniors. He jumped ships to WWE in 2014 and has remained a vital part of the promotion since then.

NJPW Road to Sakura Genesis live results: DOUKI vs. YOH

Posted on by Corey Michaels

New Japan Pro Wrestling will present a Road to Sakura Genesis show at Korakuen Hall on Thursday.

Two title matches are scheduled for the event. DOUKI will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against YOH in the main event. DOUKI is seeking his seventh successful defense across two reigns, which would move him past Will Ospreay, Nobuhiko Takada, and Ryusuke Taguchi in that category. YOH will be looking to win the title for the first time.

In the semi-main event, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships will be on the line. Champions Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori will look to defend the titles for the first time since winning them at NJPW’s 54th Anniversary Show on March 6, when they defeated the Ichiban Sweet Boys (Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita).

Outside of the title bouts, the show will feature several multi-person tag matches and Konosuke Takeshita is also scheduled to face Tetsuya Matsumoto in singles competition.

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

Shota Umino & Tiger Mask defeated KUSHIDA & Masatora Yasuda

Tiger Mask started things out with Yasuda, eventually isolating him from KUSHIDA by use of kicks. Umino overwhelmed the Young Lion momentarily with forearms, but KUSHIDA grounded him with arm holds. Yasuda collapsed after a gnarly chop from Umino, giving way for a beheading lariat and stole Konosuke Takeshita’s Raging Fire to win the match.

Post-match: Tiger Mask thanked the Korakuen Hall crowd for attending the show. He confirmed his final show would be in the famed venue on July 7. The masked veteran declared he’d be giving his final performance his full effort. Umino nearly left but decided to sit in on Takeshita’s title defense, which was next.

KUSHIDA was the perfect glue to this; while Umino and Tiger Mask sold their respective stories and Yasuda played the part his part as a typical Young Lion. There were quite a few moving parts to latch onto in what was ultimately a simple opener, and that’s a win in my book.

Konosuke Takeshita defeated Tatsuya Matsumoto

Matsumoto grappled a stoic Takeshita to the ropes and swung for the fences with his chops. Takeshita responded by swiftly wrenching control to the point he scoop-and-slammed the Young Lion on the padding outside. Matsumoto unwisely sought to flip his opponent over on the hard, exposed wood floor, cursing himself with another scoop-and-slam by Takeshita. Despite an unearthly loud chop to Matsumoto, Takeshita found himself on the surprising receiving end of a comeback by way of a shoulder tackle. A series of forearms and a Blue Thunderbomb quelled Matsumoto’s hopes, as Takeshita gained the pinfall victory.

Takeshita did his duty in selling his dominance ahead of his bout with Umino, very well done. However, that wasn’t even my main takeaway from this. The way Matsumoto wrestled, even in kayfabe, made this match a great spotlight for Matsumoto. Being a Young Lion and bringing such a fiery fight to a current champion who is shared among various wrestling promotions, that’s going to give him something to puff his chest about, even in defeat.

El Desperado, Taichi & Yuya Uemura defeated Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) & Master Wato

Wato briefly dropped Desperado with a tijeras takedown, but Uemura and Taichi. A nasty leg hold from Taichi weakened Wato as Uemura kept him alienated from his veteran partners. Makabe rampaged through the opposing team but couldn’t keep Uemura down; a Flying Crossbody sent Makabe to the mat. A King Kong Lariat trounced another Uemura comeback attempt.

Desperado and Taichi caught Wato, tripping him up into an accidental Kokeshi to Honma. Makabe halted Taichi’s hold on Honma, who got his revenge by way of his own Kokeshi. Taichi avoided another Kokeshi, answering with a sliding lariat. Honma endured more Taichi offense to unleash a Rocket Kokeshi. Taichi threatened Honma with a Black Mephisto, which the veteran leveraged into a pin attempt that reversed into a deep-sinking jackknife pinfall.

Post-match: Uemura and Makabe had a brief spat, which Wato, Desperado, and a Young Lion had to separate.

Honma’s downright funny in some of these multi-mans these days. I enjoyed the team of Taichi, Desperado, and Uemura.

House Of Torture (Chase Owens, Don Fale, Ren Narita, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Yujiro Takahashi) defeated Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI), Aaron Wolf, Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano

Goto persevered after Owens tied him on the ropes. His comrades recovered from the traditional House of Torture opening beatdown to rain fists on the American. After Kanemaru and Takahashi weakened Goto further, Boltin entered the fray by decimating everyone, with a Double Suplex eliminating Takahashi and Owens. Narita fared little better, as he suffered a Boltin Shake and a Torture Rack. Kanemaru struck the Kazakh’s leg to help Narita sneak in a kneebar.

Wolf excited Korakuen Hall as his hot tag repeatedly dazed Fale. The massive Fale used his full weight to halt Wolf’s momentum, and a thumb jab to the midsection worsened things. Wolf unsheathed a suplex to the gargantuan Fale. Yano stripped a turnbuckle of its pad, which begat a House of Torture train steamrolling him in the opposite corner. Fale held the referee to the mat so that Owens and Kanemaru could overcome Yano with the latter’s whiskey bottle. An elbow drop secured victory for Fale and his cohorts.

Post-match: House of Torture ended things as they’d started, with yet another beatdown.

The only thing I found myself liking about this match was the comeback spots from Bishamon, Boltin, Wolf, and Yano. House of Torture did sell the offense of these five men well. As is well-documented by like-minded fans, I find that it isn’t necessarily heat I’m feeling towards House of Torture, but fatigue.

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

Ice subdued Oiwa, battering him with kicks and setting up a perfectly-placed Bomboclat. Oiwa battled his way out with a Tenzan Suplex. OSKAR caught Sabre immediately, denying any heated strike to permeate past his rage as he hurled the orange-clad Brit across the ring. Sabre worked on OSKAR’s knee, warranting a bodyslam to usurp his comeback. Jackson absorbed Gedo’s strikes like they were wads of paper thrown at him until he delivered a lariat. Missing a senton, Jackson found himself at the mercy of a headlock. Jackson took little time in recovering, finishing off TMDK with a Jagged Edge to Gedo for the win.

OSKAR and Sabre’s heat has built up so nicely that their confrontations in this match were earned, as were Oiwa and Ice. I liked this as a vehicle to get a Jackson pinfall victory, too. Not mind-blowingly spectacular, but a satisfactory and thoroughly entertaining match nonetheless.

United Empire (Callum Newman, Jake Lee & Zane Jay) defeated Unbound Co. (Daiki Nagai, Shingo Takagi & Yota Tsuji)

United Empire pulled a page out of House of Torture’s playbook and struck as soon as the bell rang. Newman faced Tsuji in the ring, with the latter raining down fists in the corner. Takagi and Nagai joined Tsuji as the two splashed on Newman’s midsection. Enduring a lariat, Tsuji retaliated with a Seventeen Cross. Nagai dropkicked Lee, to which Newman exploited with a lariat and Excalibur to end the match.

Post-match: Takagi flung Newman off of Nagai. Lee brawled with Takagi, with Jay and Newman taking cheap shots at Tsuji. Newman, believing himself to be carrying the company, expressed his confidence in the Ryogoku Sumo Hall show. Takagi returned with a steel chair to chase off United Empire.

Nagai is coming into fine form; the more he’s been giving these closing moments, even if he takes the pin or taps out, makes him easier to root for. Given their limited interactions thus far, I think Newman and Tsuji will have excellent chemistry at Sakura Genesis.

Unbound Co. (Robbie X & Taiji Ishimori) (c) defeated United Empire (Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship

Ishimori waited for an opening in Akira’s arm control to daze him with a hurricanrana and dropkick. Akira thwarted Robbie’s Ishimori-assisted escalara, granting Young an opening to stomp a mudhole into the Bone Soldier. Robbie gave Ishimori a moment of respite as he unleashed a spirited offense, which culminated in a Flying Crossbody that rendered Young and Akira horizontal.

Young hit a Brainrot, leaving Robbie clutching his head. Ishimori’s Superstar Quebrada disoriented Akira, allowing him to apply the Bone Lock. Engaging the Bone Lock once more, Ishimori pivoted to grapple his Italian prey in the middle of the ring. Although a Jakob’s Ladder undoubtedly left him with a headache, Robbie mounted a comeback, aiding Ishimori with a Bloody Killer. Two 450-Splashes later from Robbie and Ishimori were enough for the former to gain the pinfall over Young to retain the titles.

Post-match: Kosei Fujita congratulated Robbie and Ishimori on their first title defense. He then issued a challenge for their belts. Ishimori replied in confirmation, telling Fujita to bring Robbie Eagles so they could run it back.

Young and Robbie have come a long way. I extend this mostly to Robbie, who was in spectacular form tonight and had Korakuen Hall’s attendees loud and enthralled.

Main Event

DOUKI (c) defeated YOH for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

YOH surprised DOUKI by striking first, unrelenting, tauntingly so, as he flung the champion into rows of chairs. Speaking of, he adorned one onto the head of DOUKI and threatened to swing another onto it when Referee Red Shoes denied him. Taking advantage of this distraction, DOUKI struck YOH with a pole. They found in the stands, leaving YOH staggering back down to the ring after DOUKI banged his knee on the floor. DOUKI returned outside to swing YOH’s leg into the ring post and pulled him back to the mat for a knee hold.

YOH managed a comeback with a lofty forearm spot. He then sent DOUKI into a table, knocking over President Hiroshi Tanahashi in the wreckage. Resuming focus on YOH’s weak right knee, DOUKI torqued it as strictly as possible. War erupted, with its munitions being forearms. YOH employed a Dragon Suplex. DOUKI mule-kicked Red Shoes so he could carry out his black mirror. Testing it out on Master Wato on Japanese commentary before failing ot do so on YOH. Using EVIL’s Darkness Falls, YOH refocused with a Scorpion Deathlock. SHO charged in, ringing the bell and attacking an innocent Young Lion with the hammer.

Yoshinobu Kanemaru accompanied SHO for an assault, but the latter suffered a kick to the midsection. Taking a swig of Kanemaru’s whiskey, YOH pulled SHO in for a kiss to spit the whiskey in his mouth. Referee Marty Asami took Red Shoes’s place, and then Referee Kenta Sato replaced Asami. Dick Togo united with DOUKI for a Magic Killer. Placing YOH’s head in a chair, Togo swung another onto it. DOUKI attempted Everything is Evil, to no avail. A Suplex de la Luna did the trick, securing a title retention.

Post-match: DOUKI demanded Tanahashi wrap the belt around his waist. When he was set to oblige, Tiger Mask approached with a challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

There’s something poetic about matches where House of Torture’s interferences and dirty tactics are unable to get the job done, but rather rely on tried and true clean techniques to win.

Final thoughts

Overall, a decent go-home show. Everything was either average to great (mainly the Junior Heavyweight matches), with the ten-man tag being the only sour spot. The key points of Tiger Mask’s impending retirement, Newman versus Tsuji, Knockout Bros versus TMDK, and the ascensions of Tatsuya Matsumoto, Daiki Nagai, Robbie X, and Hartley Jackson were particular standouts.

Unbound Company part of updated NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 lineup

Posted on by Shounak Chakrabarti

With NJPW steadily rolling out the names for the Best of the Super Juniors 33 lineup, three more names have been announced as the latest additions.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced that Taiji Ishimori, Robbie X, and Titan of Unbound Company will now compete in Best of the Super Juniors 33.

The tournament is scheduled to begin on May 14 and conclude on June 7, 2026, at the Korakuen Hall. The winner of the tournament will get a future shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title.

Previously, NJPW had announced that Jakob Austin Young, Francesco Akira, and Robbie Eagles were also scheduled to be part of the BOSJ 33 lineup.

Updated list of NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 participants

Here is the updated list of participants for the upcoming NJPW BOSJ 33:

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • YOH
  • Master Wato
  • Jakob Austin Young
  • Francesco Akira
  • Valiente Jr.
  • Robbie Eagles
  • Taiji Ishimori
  • Robbie X
  • Titan

NJPW agrees to transfer Stardom shares to parent company

Posted on by Bryan Rose

NJPW has agreed to give shares of Stardom to its parent company.

The company announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to give their share of their sister company Stardom to Bushiroad, which is the parent company of both promotions.

“We hereby announce that at a Board of Directors meeting held on March 25, 2026, we resolved to transfer all of our shares in Stardom Co., Ltd. to our parent company, Bushiroad Co., Ltd,” they wrote on their website.

Bushiroad first acquired Stardom back in 2019. In 2024, it was announced that New Japan Pro Wrestling would fully acquire the company. One of Stardom’s original owners, Rossy Ogawa, was fired from the company in 2024 after being accused of poaching talent.

On Tuesday, Stardom announced the first matches for their event that will take place during WrestleMania weekend, American Dream 2026. These include Alex Windsor vs. Saya Iida for the NJPW Strong Women’s title,  Mei Seira, Starlight Kid, and AZM vs. Babes of Wrath and Kris Statlander, Athena vs. Rina, and Maika & Mina Shirakawa vs. Hanako and Yuria Hime.

Next three participants set for NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33

Posted on by Bryan Rose

NJPW is slowly rolling out this year’s BOSJ participants.

On Monday, the company announced that Jakob Austin Young, Francesco Akira, and Robbie Eagles would take part in this year’s tournament which opens on May 14 at Korakuen Hall and ends on June 7 in Ota.

For Robbie Eagles, this will be his eight entry in the annual junior heavyweight tournament. Although he has had a positive win/loss streak in recent years, he has yet to make it past the block stage of the tournament. Akira, meanwhile, advanced far into last year’s BOSJ but a DQ loss prevented him from advancing. This year will mark the fifth time he’s participated.

Young is entering the tournament for the first time. A member of the United Empire alongside Akira, he is usually seen in tag matches and participated in last year’s Super Junior Tag League with Templario.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 confirmed participants:

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • YOH
  • Master Wato
  • Valiente Jr.
  • Jakob Austin Young
  • Francesco Akira
  • Robbie Eagles

Daily Update: Jay Robinson passes away, Nikki Bella, AEW & NJPW G1 Climax

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

Daily Update

Latest News

Latest Audio

Latest YouTube Video

This Week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Among the topics covered:

  • A look back at the career of Dennis Condrey of Midnight Express fame
  • Update on WrestleMania, both the matches, business update the ticket demand at the present time
  • An updated look at AEW’s All In on 8/30 at Wembley Stadium as well as a look at the Dynasty show and ticket demand for the show
  • Coverage of El Homenaje a Dos Leyendas, CMLL’s second biggest show of the year, with El Satanico’s retirement at 76, The Death Riders appear, the heavyweight title changes hands and Mistico returns
  • A look at the NCAA Division I tournament including a look back 79 years when future pro wrestling legends dominated the heavyweight division and how it ties into the most recent tournament. We also look at the rivalry that could define college wrestling for years to come between a coach and his former pupil, a guy who was in high school in December and wins the NCAA title in March, as well business notes on the show, both attendance and television ratings
  • A look back at Sid Vicious, Badnews Allen and Dennis Rodman’s pro wrestling days
  • Trying to explain the latest controversy in television ratings and how this related to pro wrestling
  • How ratings differ from a sports survey about wrestling fans
  • The most complete look at the ratings for all the pro wrestling television shows over the past week,including competition, demos and comparisons with one year ago, as well as competition in the time slot.
  • Notes on CMLL talent coming to WrestleMania week
  • Major injury to arguably CMLL’s best worker
  • Notes on the 83rd anniversary of pro wrestling in one of its most famous arenas
  • Notes on tentative plans for a major mask vs. mask match
  • Callum Newman and Yuya Uemura tear it up in the New Japan Cup finals
  • Next major New Japan show thoughts with Ospreay’s returnh
  • Tanahashi talks goals to turn the company around
  • Kazusada Higuchi retirement notes
  • Thoughts on Satoru Sayama and his impact on pro wrestling
  • Aja Kongs 40th anniversary show
  • Gable Stevesn and RAF
  • Ted DiBiase Jr acquitted in his case
  • The end of CBS News Radio and what former WCW announcer was an anchor there
  • Notes on the announcing at the orignal When Worlds Collide AAA show
  • Lots of WrestleMania week show notes
  • FantasticaMania comes to the U.K.
  • Update on WBD sale to Paramount Skydance
  • Update on Revolution PPV buys
  • Jeff Jarrett becomes co-owner of a sports franchise
  • Jericho talks about working today
  • More on the Ali Revival Act
  • A list of a lot of PPV buy numbers for UFC
  • Ari Emanuel’s role in getting President Trump to stop the case against Ticketmaster/Live Nation.
  • WWE star training for a bodybuilding contest soon
  • Jesse Ventura rants but his timeline makes sense

This Week’s Back Issue

FIRST TIME SUBSCRIBERS GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH

Sunday Update

Nikki & Brie WWE SmackDown

— Sorry for the late update today. My son and daughter-in-law had a musical performance several hours away so I’m just getting back.

— J Robinson, the legendary former University of Minnesota wrestling coach passed away today. The college announced his passing at the age of 79 with no further details. Robinson, who was the college roommate in the late 1960s with Hall of Fame pro wrestler, who remained friends with him which led to Brock Lesnar and Shelton Benjamin becoming pro wrestlers, coached at Minnesota from 1986 to 2016 after being an assistant at Iowa. His teams won three NCAA tournament tries in 2001, 2002 and 2007, and six Big ten titles. Robinson was fired in 2016 because of an alleged drug ring involving a number of wrestlers on the team and he wouldn’t cooperate in the investigation. Robinson placed fourth in the 1970 world championships and fifth in 1971, and went to the 1972 Olympics but didn’t place. He coached 14 national champions, including Lesnar.

— Nikki Bella suffered an ankle injury on Friday’s Smackdown show. We don’t have an update on Kyle Fletcher’s injury from last night’s Collision show.

— For Raw tomorrow they’ve added Penta vs Kofi Kingston for the IC title. With Penta vs. El Hijo del Vikingo already being announced as a title match in Mexico City, I don’t expect a title change here. PWInsider reported Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair to Raw tomorrow as well.

— New Japan is slowly rolling out the names for the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. The tournament will be 5/14 to 6/7. Names announced first are Master Wato, Yoh, Vaiiente Jr. from CMLL, Kosei Fujita, current IWGP jr. champion Douki and El Desperado.

— There is talk of a couple of AEW stars in G-1 this year. AEW is working with New Japan as Bryan Danielson, Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega have done ads for the 7/11 show in Chicago putting over how important and grueling the tournament is. Tickets were under 2,000 the first day they were put on sale.

— All In ticket sales at Wembley Stadium have topped 21,000.

— Yesterday’s UFC show from Seattle had 705,000 searches which is very high for a Fight Night show. It also did among the highest numbers of first-day viewers so far this year, I believe the third best number behind two PPV shows. The RAF show had 62,000 which shows that brand really picked up traction with this show while the PFL last night did 10,000. Nothing from pro wrestling made the top 500 in searches.

— Many have called the show in Seattle last night the best UFC show so far this year. Joe Pyfer’s second round finish of Israel Adesanya came after a great back-and-forth round. In the co-main, Alexa Grasso beat Maycee Barber with one of the most amazing finishes ever as far as quickness goes, essentially an incredible knockdown into a choke in the blink of an eye. This will be talked about as one of the best finishes of the year.

— The show did a $4.2 million gate, the largest gate in U.S. MMA history for a non-PPV show

— White said that they are hoping for Islam Makhachev to return in August and that nothing is remotely close to done regarding a return of Conor McGregor, but he is hoping for it to happen in July.

— Rich Ingling, the Executive Vice President and Treasurer for the Cauliflower Alley Club passed away on Friday at the age of 75. He was described as the heartbeat of the organization. CAC President Brian Blair, who was friends with him for 40 years, said that “He was a good man that worked hard for the CAC, as he saw how much good was done. Rich was honest and passionate about helping others. He will be deeply missed.” He started in wrestling as a referee out of the Monster Factory.

— Ed Loredo announced Podermania on 4/15 at 3 p.m., an all-women’ s show at the Horseshow in Las Vegas. He announced Billie Starkz vs. Charlie Evans will be at 2:30 and only for those in attendance live as the match won’t be streamed.

— Arman Tsuaryukyan beat Georgio Poullas 9-3 in the RAF main event last night in Tampa. But the real biggest matches saw Kyle Snyder beat 2024 Olympic gold medalist Akmed Tazudinov via criteria decision after a 3-3 even score, and Bo Bassett, a 19-year-old high school senior who is a phenom who placed 5th at worlds last year, beat Vlademir Khinchegashvili, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, via a 13-3 tech fall.

— Also at the show saw an angle where Wyatt Hendrickson, after beating Trent Hilger 6-2, called out Tristan Wirfs of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who has been an Pro Bowl offensive lineman the past five years. In the promo Wirfs, an All-American at Iowa who was a state champion in high school, said that he didn’t think there would be a problem in getting clearance for such a match,. Wrifs is 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds. They gave the impression they would be doing a match, but challenges in RAF like this often don’t lead anywhere.

— I didn’t hear a lot about great matches over the weekend, really more about the UFC show. Kazuchika Okada vs. Kevin Knight from last night and today’s TJPW matches with Sareee (there is that name again) & Takumi Iroha bating Miyu Yamashita & Arisu Endo as well as the Yuki Arai TJPW title match with Miu Watanabe where Arai won the title. The TJPW show at Sumo Hall drew the largest crowd for a women’s wrestling show in Japan so far this year, topping 3,000.

— Neon did his move, the double springboard Fosbury, for the first time in months on the Friday night show at Arena Mexico.

— Mistico & Mascara Dorada & Amazing Red vs. Trey Miguel & Zachary Wentz & Myron Reed was announced for the 4/17 Maple Leaf Wrestling show in Las Vegas.

— CMLL in Puebla tomorrow night as Flip Gordon & Neon & Templario vs. Cavernario Barbaro & Gran Guerrero & Soberano Jr., plus Xelhua vs. Averno.

— Arena Coliseo in Guadalajara announced that for ticket sales at the box office they will only allow each person to buy at most two tickets and they will not sell any tickets to people under 18. This is said to be a way to battle scalpers.

— Mickie James & Taryn Terrell & ODB vs. The Elegance Brand under Hardcore Country rules was announced for the TNA Rebellion PPV show.

— Roxanne Perez’s return should be imminent.

— Michael Hayes turned 67 today. Joe Stecher died 52 years ago today at the age of 80. Stecher was one of the biggest stars of the 1920s with Stranger Lewis and Jim Londos. Reid Flair passed away 13 years ago today at 25 from a drug overdose. (thanks to Tony Richerds)

— ONE canceled its planned 6/26 show in Denver. No surprise there at all.

Next three entrants announced for NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The next three entrants in this year’s Best of the Super Junior tournament have been announced.

It was confirmed on Sunday that YOH and Master Wato would be returning this year. In addition, CMLL’s Valiente Jr. will be making his tournament debut, which starts on May 14 and concludes on June 7 in Ota.

This will be Master Wato’s sixth entry, missing last year’s tournament due to injury. He recently challenged current IWGP Junior Champion DOUKI during NJPW’s Anniversary show earlier this month, but came up short after frequent interference from the House of Torture.

YOH meanwhile made it to the finals of last year’s BOSJ, but lost out to Kosei Fujita. Valiente Jr. made his debut for NJPW earlier this year, taking part of the annual Fantasticamania tour in Japan featuring CMLL talent.

Those already announced for the tournament include last year’s winner Fujita, DDT’s Daisuke Sasaki, DOUKI, and El Desperado.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 confirmed participants:

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki
  • YOH
  • Master Wato
  • Valiente Jr.

NJPW announces three more Best of the Super Juniors 33 entrants

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The next three participants have been announced for the 33rd Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

NJPW revealed on Saturday that House of Torture’s SHO and Yoshinobu Kanemaru, as well as DDT’s Daisuke Sasaki, will take part in this year’s event that begins on May 14 and runs through June 7. 

SHO has amassed a 4 win, 5 loss record in the last three Best of the Super Junior tournaments he has taken part in. Meanwhile, this will be Kanemaru’s 9th BOSJ, coming up short each time.

This year’s event will mark the first time in 14 years that Sasaki has competed in NJPW, last taking part in a tournament to crown the first-ever NEVER Openweight Champion back in 2012. He also participated in that year’s Best of the Super Juniors 19. He is a six-time KO-D Champion and a three-time DDT Universal Champion.

Here are the list of participants announced so far:

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 33 confirmed participants:

  • Kosei Fujita
  • DOUKI
  • El Desperado
  • Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • SHO
  • Daisuke Sasaki