Category: NJPW

Tadao Yasuda, former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, passed away at the age of 62. New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced the news on its official website.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Yasuda first made his mark in sumo before transitioning to professional wrestling and MMA. He debuted for NJPW on February 24, 1992, bringing his unique background to the promotion.

His biggest achievement came when he defeated Yuji Nagata in a tournament final to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Yasuda also gained notoriety as a member of the Makai Club stable during his NJPW tenure

Yasuda retired from professional wrestling in February 2011 after nearly two decades in the business.

Fans remember him for his powerful style and crossover appeal from sumo and MMA competition.

The much-anticipated NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 event has sold out of all available tickets, though more seats are on the way. On NJPW\’s website, the news of the show selling out was shared.

\”Following the arena seats, all stand seats have now sold out, and we would like to express our sincere gratitude for the great response and expectations from everyone.\”

More seats will be added, and the statement shared that information regarding when these seats will be on sale and other details will be announced in the near future. New Japan apologised to fans for any inconvenience and asked fans for patience as they decide on the extra seats.

Wrestle Kingdom 20 will take place on January 4 and already boasts a stacked card. Arguably, the most important match of the show will see Hiroshi Tanahashi face AEW\’s Kazuchika Okada in Tanahashi\’s retirement match. Tanahashi is also New Japan’s President and will commit full-time to his office role after his retirement.

The show will also see a winner takes all match for the IWGP World and IWGP Global Heavyweight Championships. The IWGP Women\’s and NJPW Strong Women\’s Titles will also be on the line in a Winner Takes All match.

Olympic Gold Medalist Aaron Wolf will make his in-ring debut when he challenges Evil for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20.

Hiroshi Tanahashi will end his wrestling career by facing Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingom 20, it has been confirmed. During NJPW’s Road To Anjo event on November 8, Tanahashi bested Yuto-Ice. After the match, Okada appeared alongside Gedo and was revealed as Tanahashi\’s final opponent.

The match will be the fourth time that Tanahashi and Okada face off at New Japan\’s biggest event. Currently, Tanahashi leads 2-1 with victories in 2013 and 2015, while Okada triumphed in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 10 in 2016. Wrestle Kingdom 20 will be the pair\’s 18th match against one another.

Tanahashi first announced his plan to retire back in October 2024 and from the start, Wrestle Kingdom 20 was the goal. Tanahashi is also New Japan\’s President and will commit full-time to his office role after his retirement.

Tanahashi\’s career will end without him ever appearing in WWE, a promotion AJ Styles is confident he would have thrived in. Nevertheless, fans can expect a huge send-off when he faces Okada one final time at Wrestle Kingdo,.

Hiroshi Tanahashi will compete in his retirement match at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January 2026, ending an incredible in-ring career. With the end just two months away, it remains unclear who he will face in his final wrestling match.

New Japan Pro Wrestling recently held a press event featuring talent, including Tanahashi, who also serves as NJPW President. When the topic of his final opponent came up, Tanahashi asked fans to remain patient.

“Please wait a little longer. I’ve fought many different wrestlers throughout my career. I’ll make sure to announce who I want to be [facing].\”

At the recent Gifu tournament, Gedo shared that he intends to prepare an opponent for Tanahashi\’s final match. While Hiroshi remains in the dark, he is optimistic that Gedo will find the right person.

\”Gedo has a long career and a lot of connections. I don\’t know how he\’ll use them, but I\’m sure he\’s a player with whom I have some kind of relationship.\”

Tanahashi announced his retirement plans in October 2024, giving fans plenty of time to come to terms with his in-ring farewell. After his retirement, Tanahashi will commit full-time to his corporate role within New Japan.

Speculation remains rampant about Tanahashi\’s final opponent with some even suggesting WWE\’s Shinsuke Nakamura. At a recent WWE event in Japan, Nakamura made reference to Tanahashi, who responded on social media.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Hiroshi Tanahashi\’s retirement, including coverage of his final match.

A new report has shed light on the reasons behind New Japan Pro-Wrestling\’s significant reduction in live events held in the United States in 2025. After a period of aggressive expansion into the American market, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the legendary Japanese promotion has notably scaled back its stateside presence this year.

This shift in strategy has been a topic of discussion among fans, and a new report from Fightful Select has provided insight into the factors that led to the decision. According to the report, the decision to run fewer shows in the United States stems from two key issues: declining ticket sales and a reluctance from some of the Japan-based roster members to make the long trip for the events.

“We’re told that declining attendance, and some NJPW roster members not wanting to make the trip for the shows is what led to their sudden decline.”

The data supports this report, as NJPW has only held three standalone events in the US so far in 2025, with their most recent being the Resurgence show in May. This is a significant drop from the six US shows they had run by this point in 2024 and the eight they presented in 2023. The company\’s US expansion was largely built around the NJPW STRONG brand, which was created during the pandemic to feature its US-based talent. While the weekly STRONG television show was discontinued in early 2023, its championships have remained active on the US shows.

AEW\’s Konosuke Takeshita has etched his name in the history books by winning the 2025 G1 Climax. Takeshita defeated EVIL in the finals of G1 Climax 35 at Ariake Arena, claiming the tournament trophy and a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Despite being a singles match, the bout was anything but one-on-one. EVIL\’s House of Torture allies would make themselves known often in the match, aiding their member. Rocky Romero rushed to ringside to help even the odds, while Zack Sabre Jr. physically removed Ren Narita from the equation.

In a post-match speech, Takeshita revealed that doesn’t just want to challenge at Wrestle Kingdom 20—he wants to walk into the Tokyo Dome as champion. Now, Takeshita intends to challenge for the gold, currently held by Zack Sabre Jr. before the January 2026 event.

Takeshita\’s victory capped off a career-defining G1 run, and his celebration was punctuated by a live performance from BALLISTIK BOYZ, the group behind this year’s tournament theme song. It remains to be seen if Takeshita can follow up this victory with an even bigger one when he challenges for the title.

NJPW star Gabe Kidd has officially withdrawn from the G1 Climax 35 tournament due to a right knee injury. The current IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion made the emotional announcement to fans during Friday\’s NJPW event in Tokyo.

Appearing in the ring on crutches, Kidd confirmed that he could not continue in the prestigious tournament. The injury was sustained during his opening night match against Konosuke Takeshita on July 19.

“I was really hopeful that I could come back and power through this and continue in this G1 Climax, but I’ve spoke to the doctors and there is no way I can be cleared, so I have no other choice [but] to withdraw from the G1 Climax,” Kidd announced. “And this is sh*t, man. It really f*cking sucks. It’s been a mental battle these past few days since I found out this information.”

Despite the setback, Kidd thanked the fans for their messages of support and made a promise for his eventual comeback. Further details about the specific nature of the injury and a potential return date have not yet been provided.

“I can only promise you one thing, is that when I am back fighting on this blue mat that it is going to be the best version of Gabe Kidd that you’ve ever f**king seen,” he declared.

The injury also puts the status of the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship in question. Kidd won the title from Yota Tsuji in June at Dominion and recently made his first successful defense against Hiroshi Tanahashi. New Japan Pro-Wrestling has not yet announced whether Kidd will be forced to vacate the championship due to his injury.

Olympians have been part of pro wrestling for decades and now New Japan Pro Wrestling has an Olympic Gold Medalist to its name. In a press conference, NJPW shared that Aaron Wolf has signed with the promotion. Wolf won the 2021 Olympic gold medal in judo at 100 kg as part of that year\’s games in Tokyo, Japan.

During the press conference, Wolf shared how his journey to New Japan Pro Wrestling came about:

\”I\’ve just come from my last judo tournament… I approached NJPW with the idea to come into professional wrestling. Since I was a college student, I always looked forward to seeing Pro-Wrestling and seeing how cool and aspirational these figures were. I realised this would be a new way to express myself outside of judo.\”

New Japan President Hiroshi Tanahashi was also at the press conference and was excited for Wolf to join. Not only is Wolf joining NJPW, but his debut will come at WrestleKingdom 2026.

\”I have seen first hand Wolf\’s passion for professional wrestling and welcome him to NJPW and have high expectations for him. I would like for Aaron to make his pro-wrestling debut on January 4 2026 at the Tokyo Dome. Please look forward to my retirement match as well as Wolf\’s debut.\”

Wolf isn\’t taking his impending debut lightly and made clear he\’s aware that the wrestling world\’s eyes will be upon him. As one era ends on January 4, fans will perhaps see the dawning of the Aaron Wolf era.

New tag team championships are coming to New Japan Pro Wrestling\’s Tamashii brand, which is based in the Oceania region.

The inaugural champions will be crowned in a one-night tournament at Tamashii: Cold War, taking place Friday, July 4, at the Mangere Arts Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. In a statement, NJPW hyped up the upcoming event.

\”In the rich tradition of tag team wrestling in Oceania, TAMASHII’s teams have been the cornerstone of the brand since its inception, with the Pretty Boys (Mark Tui & Richard Mulu), Ungrateful 1’s (Trent Hooper & TJ Illes), Jungle Fury (Johnny Gunn & Bruno Astro) and more being joined recently by the returning Youngblood (Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima) as they continue their international excursions.\”

Tamashii launched in 2022 to showcase talent from NJPW’s New Zealand Dojo, led by head trainer Bad Luck Fale. These titles will be the brand’s first official championships though NJPW previously held an Oceania Cup tournament in 2024, with Jack Bonza emerging as the inaugural winner.

Six matches are officially announced for NJPW Dominion 2025 on June 15 at Osaka-Jo Hall, with more potentially being added as the event approaches.

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Shingo Takagi

After a controversial double pin at NJPW Resurgence in Ontario, California, Goto retained his championship against Zack Sabre Jr. Now, Shingo Takagi steps up as the next challenger to the \”Goto Revolution.\”

IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship
Yota Tsuji (c) vs. Gabe Kidd
(A highly anticipated rematch after their previous classic ended in a double knockout)

IWGP Tag Team Championship
United Empire (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan) (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi

Dog Collar Chain Deathmatch
David Finlay vs. EVIL

NEVER Openweight Championship
Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Boltin Oleg

This rubber match follows their encounter at New Beginning in Osaka, where Takeshita emerged victorious. However, Oleg previously defeated Takeshita during last year\’s G1 Climax, making this a crucial deciding bout between the two powerhouses.

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuya Uemura

Part of Tanahashi\’s retirement tour, this match has been billed as a \”Connection\” bout between the veteran \”Genius of the Sun\” and Uemura, who many consider the \”sun\” of the next generation. It could represent the passing of a torch—or Tanahashi teaching the rising \”Heat Storm\” a valuable lesson.

NJPW Resurgence 2025 took place on May 9 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, showcasing high-profile matches, major title shifts, and notable returns.

In the night’s headline matches, AZM emerged as the new NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion, pinning Mina Shirakawa in a triple threat bout that also included Mercedes Moné. Moné nearly broke the fall but was a moment too late, allowing AZM to score a career-defining win.

The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Hirooki Goto and Zack Sabre Jr. ended in a no-contest after a double pinfall. As a result, Goto retained the title, leaving the championship picture unresolved.

United Empire’s Templario and TJP dethroned The World Class Wrecking Crew to capture the NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Titles, marking a key victory for the faction.

Tomohiro Ishii retained the NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship against Drilla Moloney, while Konosuke Takeshita successfully defended the NEVER Openweight Championship against El Phantasmo.

The Young Bucks teamed up with The Good Brothers to defeat BULLET CLUB War Dogs in an eight-man tag team clash. The match reinforced the dominance of the veteran duo in NJPW’s U.S.-based events.

Earlier in the night, Bea Priestley returned in a surprise pre-show appearance, defeating Viva Van. CJ Tino also picked up a win over Allan Breeze.

NJPW Resurgence 2025 continued the company’s push into the U.S. market, featuring title stakes and storyline developments that set the stage for upcoming events.