Tag: oskar

NJPW confirms next IWGP Tag Team title match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

IWGP Tag Team Champions OSKAR & Yuto-Ice now know the identity of their next challengers.

The belts will be on the line when Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI challenge OSKAR & Yuto-Ice at NJPW Wrestling Redzone 2026 this Saturday. To earn their spot in the match, Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated HENARE & Great-O-Khan in a number one contender’s bout today.

After sending HENARE out of the ring, Goto & YOSHI-HASHI hit a Shoto on O-Khan for the victory. A face-off between Goto & YOSHI-HASHI and OSKAR & Yuto-Ice then closed today’s show, with NJPW positioning this as a matchup between the most dominant team of the first half of the 2020s and the current champions who have now taken over the division.

Goto & YOSHI-HASHI are aiming for their fifth IWGP Tag Team title reign after most recently holding the belts in 2024.

Wrestling Redzone, airing live on NJPW World, is one of the promotion’s last stops before Wrestling Dontaku 2026. The Redzone card includes two tag team championship matches.

NJPW Wrestling Redzone (Saturday, April 25) —

  • IWGP Tag Team Champions OSKAR & Yuto-Ice defend against Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X defend against Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles
  • Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Gedo & Daiki Nagai vs. Callum Newman, Jake Lee, Jakob Austin Young & Zane Jay
  • Yuya Uemura & Tomoaki Honma vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson
  • Tiger Mask, Oleg Boltin, Aaron Wolf & Togi Makabe vs. DOUKI, Ren Narita, Don Fale & Dick Togo

IWGP Tag Team title match official for NJPW New Beginning in Osaka

Posted on by Joseph Currier

IWGP Tag Team Champions OSKAR & Yuto-Ice now know the identity of their next title challengers.

A number one contender’s match took place on Monday with Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura prevailing over Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi. With their victory, it’s now confirmed that Umino & Uemura will challenge The Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) for the IWGP Tag Team titles at the New Beginning in Osaka on February 11.

Umino & Uemura’s match against Ishii & Taichi headlined NJPW’s Road to New Beginning event at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo today. A lariat and Second Chapter finisher from Umino put Ishii away as Uemura stopped Taichi from breaking up the pin.

Following the match, Umino & Uemura got on the microphone and praised Ishii & Taichi before then turning their attention to the champions. Umino & Uemura said they’re frustrated about losing to The Knock Out Brothers in the past — and the only way they can get over that pain is to claim the titles this time.

The Knock Out Brothers were one of pro wrestling’s top tag teams of 2025. WWE was interested in signing them at the start of the year and there were rumors the two could be on their way out of NJPW, but OSKAR & Yuto-Ice have declared that they are not going anywhere.

Edion Arena in Osaka is hosting the February 11 event, which will air live on NJPW World. Only two matches are official at the moment, but the full card is set to be announced imminently.

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

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

Two title matches official for NJPW New Beginning in Osaka

Posted on by Joseph Currier

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday, January 19:

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

Tuesday, January 20:

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

Top NJPW tag team addresses contract rumors

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The Knock Out Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) are still the IWGP Tag Team Champions — and they have no plans on leaving NJPW.

In the main event of New Year Dash 2026, OSKAR & Yuto-Ice retained their IWGP Tag Team titles over Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa. There had been rumors going into the show that WWE is interested in signing the Knock Out Brothers. Without directly mentioning WWE by name, the champs addressed those rumors after their victory.

“Whatever rumors you might hear, we are never going anywhere,” Yuto-Ice said in his backstage comments.

The Knock Out Brothers — who have held the IWGP Tag Team belts since September — were one of pro wrestling’s standout duos of 2025, winning Best Tag Team in the Tokyo Sports awards. They retained by pinning Oiwa at New Year Dash.

Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura and Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi each made their way out to challenge the Knockout Brothers at the end of New Year Dash. The champions suggested that Umino & Uemura face off with Ishii & Taichi to decide which team gets the next shot at their titles. OSKAR & Yuto-Ice already own victories over both of those teams, including defeating Ishii & Taichi to begin their title reign.

Title match to headline NJPW New Year Dash 2026

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Gold will be on the line at NJPW New Year Dash 2026 when Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa get their shot at the IWGP Tag Team titles.

The main event of the January 5 show will see Sabre & Oiwa challenge OSKAR & Yuto-Ice for the belts. It’s a title shot that Sabre & Oiwa earned through winning NJPW’s World Tag League tournament. Though the winners traditionally get their title shot at Wrestle Kingdom, that won’t be the case this time.

NJPW explained Sabre & Oiwa waiting to get their title shot by highlighting how important of a position the New Year Dash main event is this time around. It’s a chance to help kickstart a new era for NJPW following the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi.

“Of course, I want to be in the Tokyo Dome match too,” Oiwa said in an interview. “But the main event of the next show after Mr. Tanahashi leaves is the one that will most impact New Japan’s future. I feel a sense of mission because I think it’s an absolutely crucial event we cannot fail.”

Tanahashi’s last match will headline the January 4 Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome. He’s facing off against longtime Kazuchika Okada at the event.

Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo will then host New Year Dash. The show — which is traditionally a mystery card with little announced in advance — will air live on NJPW World.

During World Tag League, Sabre & Oiwa lost to OSKAR & Yuto-Ice in block action. But both teams were able to make it to the semifinals out of B Block. Sabre & Oiwa went on to win the tournament, while OSKAR & Yuto-Ice fell to Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd.