New Japan Cup 2026

[Chris]

New Japan Cup night 12 (March 21) Full card, preview​

First time Cup winner guaranteed

After some three weeks of intense single elimination action, the field of 24 has now shrunk to two. The New Japan Cup Final is coming up Saturday afternoon in Aore Nagaoka as one man will be determined the strongest of spring.
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Main event: New Japan Cup Final- Yuya Uemura vs Callum Newman
Singles record: 1-0 Uemura

It's a first time ever New Japan Cup final and a guaranteed first time New Japan Cup winner as Yuya Uemura and Callum Newman square off. With an average age of 27, the youngest New Japan Cup final in history sees Callum Newman seeking to become the youngest NJC winner.
'Youngest ever' has been an addendum to countless achievements for United Empire's Prince over the last two years, from joint youngest G1 entrant to youngest IWGP Tag Champion two times and youngest to ever challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight title. If he's to get another shot at that championship however, first he will have to defeat a man who beat him during last year's G1 in Yuya Uemura. Uemura's gripping victory over Boltin Oleg Friday further solidified the Heat Storm's brand of modern Strong Style, and the grit and determination needed to be a champion.

For Uemura, who spoke pre-tournament about resentment at being considered 'just another member of the roster', the New Japan Cup trophy represents a chance to break out into the top tier of NJPW wrestlers, and to get back in the ring with his career rival Yota Tsuji, this time for the IWGP Heavyweight title they dreamed of wrestling one another over. Two athletes with pride, conviction and, in their own ways, pronounced chips on their shoulders will throw all they have in the ring, and perhaps whatever resources they have to call on outside of it as well at one another in this Cup final. Who will walk away with the NJC trophy, and the label of strongest of the spring?

7th Match: Unbound Co. (Yota Tsuji, Yuto-Ice, OSKAR & Daiki Nagai) vs TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita)

For the second consecutive day, Unbound Co. face TMDK in tag competition for the last match before our tournament final. Friday saw Fujita in spirited exchanges with Yota Tsuji, while Ryohei Oiwa and Zack Sabre Jr. made a post match case to IWGP Tag Team Champions the Knockout Bros. Today, they'll be looking to make their point more forcefully.

6th Match: Boltin Oleg, Aaron Wolf & Toru Yano vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita, Don Fale & Dick Togo)

Boltin Oleg will look to get back on his feet after semifinal defeat last night against HOUSE OF TORTURE. One major result Boltin can point to in his Cup campaign is a pinfall victory over NEVER Openweight Champion Ren Narita; a former champion himselfm, Boltin will want to re-establish an already strong championship claim today, while Aaron Wolf has claims of his own to make after Narita stole away with the gold back at New Beginning in February.

5th Match: Unbound Co. (Shingo Takagi, Drilla Moloney & Taiji Ishimori) vs United Empire (Jake Lee, Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young)

A pair of openweight trios from United Empire and Unbound Co. square off as the War Dragons combine with one half of the IWGP Junior Tag Champions in Taiji Ishimori to face Jake Lee and the junior tag number one contenders Francesco Akira and Jakob Austin Young.

While the scales in weight and power are tipped in Unbound favour tonight, Akira in particular has been snapping at the heels of larger foes all the way through the tour this month in the absence of Robbie X, who is recovering from a neck injury sustained at the Italian's hands. Takagi and Moloney will happily join Ishimori in silencing the arrogant Akira and his partner this afternoon.

4th Match: Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs United Empire (Great-O-Khan & HENARE)

Less than 24 hours after his main event defeat to Callum Newman, Shota Umino must reset this afternoon, and will look to do so opposite Newman's United Empire compatriots. Great-O-Khan has become a fateful foe for Umino, having faced and beaten the Roughneck after Shota's most painful loss to date in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 19 in 2025. Umino doesn't want to suffer the same fate in the spring of 2026; meanwhile after HENARE made interesting comments about Shota's future in a pre tournament future, might there be an invitation on the table from the Mauler?

3rd Match: YOH, Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (DOUKI, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)

Just under two weeks away from DOUKI's next defence of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, he faces YOH once more tonight in Nagaoka. Friday night saw YOH standing tall thanks to an EVIL attack on Kanemaru preceding the Direct Drive; will he stay on top tonight?

2nd Match: Goto Revolutionary Army (Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Tatsuya Matsumoto) vs Taichi, Satoshi Kojima & El Desperado

For the second night in a row, Satoshi Kojima and Taichi take on the Goto Revolutionary Army. This time, it's El Desperado completing the trio for 'Team 101', former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Desperado reuniting with Taichi, on the same side since their Suzuki-Gun days ended way back at the end of 2022.

1st Match: NJPW World TV Championship Open Challenge- Konosuke Takeshita vs X

We get started on our main card for the afternoon with a title match right out of the gate. The NJPW World TV title will be on the line when Konosuke Takeshita makes his first defence. After winning the title in overtime at New Beginning USA in Trenton New Jersey, who will step up to the plate and face the Alpha?

Kickoff Match: Masatora Yasuda vs Taisei Nakahara
Singles record: 1-0 Yasuda

With a special early start, kickoff action will see Masatora Yasuda take on freshly debuted Young Lion Taisei Nakahara. Nakahara's third career singles bout is a rematch of his second, which ended in Korakuen Hall early in the month after six minutes and 51 seconds of action. Can Nakahara last closer to the ten minute time limit on this second go-around?​

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Uemura better win my God and Takeshita's Open Challenge sounds like a good Show to watch for me after work tomorrow.

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Sicky or not with tons of Meds in me as my Allegies are kicking my ass no way I'm going to not watch this Finale for the New Japan Cup.

 

[Kairi HoHo]

The people want Yujiro to get his ass kicked to Takeshita I can dig this.

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Takeshita is just the best man he just gave Yujiro his best Match in Years!

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Umino vs Takeshita for the TV Title give me a moment when I jerk in the Corner

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Taichi doesn't like to fly and I don't like bridges. I can imagine how bad his anxiety gets when he actually has to go on a Plane.

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Taguchi takes a Monkey Wrench up the ass and loses. I'm going to laugh my ass off if YOH beats Douki with Evil's finisher in the future for the Junior Title.

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Ayo Henare just kicked Shota point blank range across his head I would of snapped too!

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Not gotta lie with the feeling I have right now I need a Tongan Massage on my back right now.

 

[Kairi HoHo]

KOB vs Oiwa/Sabre JR sounds lovely to me

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Ayo Newman spit in Tana's direction brother don't try to get mugged out there

 

[Kairi HoHo]

Really you had Newman win the New Japan Cup over Uemura? In what reality has in a Year been given of such an opportunity.

It seems like me New Japan wants Ospreay vs Newman and they building up Newman to be as worthy as Ospreay. I also think New Japan's brass didn't want Uemura who more over than Tsuji outshining his goofy ass in a title Match. Whatever Newman will lose and we can head into the G1 Climax which you imagine is made for Uemura to win.

 

[Roy Mustang]

Really you had Newman win the New Japan Cup over Uemura? In what reality has in a Year been given of such an opportunity.

It seems like me New Japan wants Ospreay vs Newman and they building up Newman to be as worthy as Ospreay. I also think New Japan's brass didn't want Uemura who more over than Tsuji outshining his goofy ass in a title Match. Whatever Newman will lose and we can head into the G1 Climax which you imagine is made for Uemura to win.

I think it is more Uemura wins the G1 so they give Newman the win here to establish him as a heel and lose to Yota

 

[Kairi HoHo]

I think it is more Uemura wins the G1 so they give Newman the win here to establish him as a heel and lose to Yota

I mean he's already achieved that but whoever wins the G1 Climax is taking the title off of Tsuji and his snoozefest of a reign so far for me.