SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NJPW CUP 2026 REPORT
MARCH 21, 2026
NIIGATA, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Announcers: Chris Charlton, Walker Stewart
The first match was announced as an open challenge with Konosuke Takeshita putting his NJPW World TV Championship on the line.
Takeshita came down to the ring first. House of Torture’s music played and Charlton said it could be any 1 of 25 people. Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi came out at the same time. The fans chanted that they wanted Takahashi to be in the match. Owens and Takahashi played a game of rock, paper, scissors and Takahashi won.
(1) KONOSUKE TAKESHITA vs. – YUJIRO TAKAHASHI – NJPW World TV Championship match
Takahashi took Takeshita down and the fans applauded. Charlton said this is the only part of Japan where Takahashi is shown any love. Takahashi held the ref while Owens ran in and gave Takeshita a neck breaker. Owens held Takeshita’s feet on the floor a short time later and he nearly got counted out. Takahashi hit the intercollegiate slam for a good nearfall. Despite all the help from the outside from Owens,Takeshita managed to win with Raging Fire.
WINNER: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA at 8:10. (*1/2)
(Radican’s Analysis: Not much to this one. I can’t believe they had Takeshita fly to Japan to have this match.)
Takeshita got on the mic after the match. He challenged Shota Umino to a match, as he’s looking to get revenge for his loss to Umino during the G1 Climax tournament in 2025.
(2) MASATORA YASUDA & EL DESPERADO & TAICHI beat TATSUYA MATSUMOTO & YOSHI-HASHI & HIROOKI GOTO at 8:26.
Desperado pinned Matsumoto with Pinche Loco.
(3) HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Sho & Douki) beat RYUSUKI TAGUCHI & & MASTER WATO & YOH at 8:26.
Douki pinned Taguchi with a rollup.
(4) UNITED EMPIRE (Great-O-Khan & Henare) beat TOMOAKI HONMA & SHOTA UMINO at 10:46.
Henare pinned Honma after hitting Ultima..
(5) UNITED EMPIRE (Jakob Austin Young & Francesco Akira & Jake Lee) beat UNBOUND CO. (Taiji Ishimori & Shingo Takagi & Drilla Maloney) at 8:42.
Akira beat Ishimori via submission with the Ground Tarantula.
(6) Oleg Boltin & Toru Yano & Aaron Wolf beat HOUSE OF TORTURE (Ren Narita & Don Fale & Dick Togo) at 7:14.
Wolf beat Togo via submission with a reverse triangle choke.
(7) TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita & Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson) beat UNBOUND CO. (Yota Tsuji & Yuto-Ice & Oskar & Daiki Nagai) at 8:44.
Fujita submitted Nagai with a hammerlock.
After the match, Ice and Oiwa went back and forth on the mic to set up a rematch for The Knockout Brothers to defend the IWGP Hvt. Tag Team Championship against Sabre & Oiwa at Sakura Genesis.
(8) CALLUM NEWMAN vs. YUYA UEMURA – NJPW CUP 2026 FINAL
The bell rang and the fans chanted Uemura’s name. Uemura went after Newman’s arm during the early going. Uemura continued to go after Newman’s arm. Newman finally cut him off with a big knee to the midsection. Newman also did damage to Uemura’s arm. Uemura hit a suplex and made the cover for a near and the fans applauded.
Newman fired back and hit a tiger suplex for a nearfall. Uemura ducked a kick and hit a suplex. Newman got right up and nailed Uemura with a kick. Uemura then caught Newman coming off the ropes and both men were down as the crowd applauded. Both men got to their knees and began trading blows. They got to their feet and began trading as the 15 minute mark in the match came and went.
Newman spit in Uemura’s face. Newman blocked his strike attempt and hit a Fireball Driver for a close two count. Newman went up top, but Uemura cut him off and went for a double wrist lock, but Newman quickly got to the ropes. They went to an exchange off the ropes and Newman caught Uemura with a giant clothesline for a nearfall. Walker said he wanted to make Uemura kiss the crown. Newman countered a Deadbolt attempt and hit a poison rana followed by Excalibur for a near fall.
Newman distracted the ref and Zane Jay slid a chair into the ring. Jay took over distracting the ref. Newman went for a double stomp on Uemura through a chair set up in the ring, but Uemura got out of the way. Uemura tossed the chair at Jay on the apron and wiped him out with a dropkick.
Uemura went for an arm bar on the mat. Newman got to his feet and Uemura went for the Deadbolt. Newman shoved Uemura at the ref and hit Prince’s Curse for a nearfall. He hit Excalibur and went for Prince’s Curse again and hit it again flush, but Uemura kicked out at the last second!
The fans exploded and chanted for Uemura. Uemura ducked a punch and hit a German with a bridge for a nearfall. He then hit a dragon suplex with a bridge for another nearfall. He set up for Deadbolt. He drove Newman into the corner and hit a deadbolt. Uemura went up top and hit Aces High for a nearfall. Uemura went up top again for Aces High, but Newman hit a superkick on him in midair. He hit Kiss the Crown, but Uemura kicked out! Newman then lifted him up and hit a modified Rock Bottom called Make Way for the win.
WINNER: Callum Newman at 25:52 to win the NJPW Cup 2026 Tournament. (****¾)
After the match, Tanahashi presented the NJPW Cup to Newman. They posed for a picture together in the ring.
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a brilliant match. Uemura looked so good here. He took everything Newman had and kicked out of Prince’s Curse twice. He then kicked out of Kiss the Crown and Newman had to resort to using a new move to finish him off called Make Way for the win.
Uemura did everything he could. He worked over Newman’s arm throughout the match to set up the Deadbolt, but ultimately he could never hit it properly, as the one time he did hit it, he had to let go. The near falls late in the match and Newman’s fighting spirit spots were put together were well done and the crowd just got hotter and hotter leading to the finish.)
Newman got on the mic after and said no one wanted to win this tournament more than Callum Newman. Newman said this is his company now.Yota Tsuji came down to the ring with this suit on.
Tsuji congratulated him on his win. He said on April 4, he had him next. He asked Newman if he was ready. United Empire surrounded the ring and Tsuji made his exit. He smiled and raised his belt as he left the ringside area. Newman said he wasn’t done yet. He told Tsuji he would ssee him at Sakura Genesis. He said everyone would make way for the Prince and kiss the crown. Newman slammed the mic and he was announced as the NJPW Cup winner as confetti filled the ring.
Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. Follow him on X @SR_Torch. Follow him on Bluesky @SeanRadican.
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