New Japan Pro Wrestling 1/19/2026 Road to The New Beginning 2026 Day 1

New Japan Pro Wrestling 1/19/2026 Road to The New Beginning 2026 Day 1

Young Lion Cup 2026 First Round Match - Masatora Yasuda vs. Tatsuya Matsumoto

Tat takes him down and slaps him. Tat hammerlocks him then Msa reverses it. Masa side headlock takeovers him. Tat headscissors him and they stand off. They mat wrestle and Tat hammerlocks him. They each go for wrist holds. Tat pulls on Masa's ankle then Masa goes for the armbar. Tat leglocks him and Masa chops him while in the hold.  

Tat elbow drops the leg then leglocks him. Tat elbow drops his leg again then twists the foot. Masa dropkicks him. Masa hits forearms in the corner and foot chokes him. Masa stomps him and hits a big slam for 2. Tat rope breaks. They each hit forearms and slap each other. Tat leglocks him again. 

Tat kicks him in the knee, slams him and half-crab's him. Masa dropkicks him. Masa back body drops him then suplexes him. Masa does a bad standing moonsault for 2. Masa crabs him and Tat taps out.

Thoughts: It was an okay young lions match here. Tat worked the leg for most of this and Masa won with a crab. Masa got to do a new standing moonsault here but he didn't hit it clean.

Masa butts heads with Shoma Kato after and shoves him. 

Young Lion Cup 2026 First Round Match - Zane Jay vs. Daiki Nagai

They trade forearms and each of them hit a bunch. Zane hits some chops as well. Zane snpamares him and armbars him. Nagai rope breaks. They trade forearms. Zane yanks the arm and takes him over into an armbar. Zane slams him for 2. Nagai hits forearms. Zane thesz presses him and hits more forearms. Zane kimura's him.

They each hit forearms. Nagai twisting crossbodies him and dropkicks him. Nagai hits forearms on him in the corner and foot chokes him. Nagai corner dropkicks him for 2. Nagai slaps him and Zane dropkicks him. 

They trade more forearms. Nagai spinebusters him then crabs him. Callum Newman gets on the apron and Nagai hits him. Newman hits him with a forearm. Newman gives Zane a chair and tells him to use it. Zane hits Nagai with it and is DQ'd.

Thoughts: I didn't like the finish at all. Why would you get yourself DQ'd in front of the ref in a tournament match? I also just didn't like the idea of one of these tournament matches having something like this. I liked what we got up to that though as they stiffed each other with forearms and had a spirited bout. 

Shingo, Yota, Hiromu and others help out Nagai after then Zane leaves with Newman.

Aaron Wolf, El Desperado, Master Wato, Toru Yano & YOH vs. House Of Torture (Dick Togo, DOUKI, EVIL, Ren Narita & Yujiro Takahashi)

Despy wristlcoks Douki. Douki eye rakes him then wristlocks him. Despy side headlocks him and Douki pulls the hair. Togo kicks Despy from the apron and Douki knocks down Despy. Douki stomps Despy. Despy shoulders over Douki. 

Yano and Yoh get in and are hit. They then pull Evil and Yujiro down by the hair. Yano and Yoh then get hit from behind. Evil chokes Yoh. Yoh takes a double shoulderblock. Togo sentons Yoh for 2. 

Yujiro hits Yoh's back and throws him over. Ren chairs Yoh outside. Yoh double dropkicks Evil and Yujiro. Wolf gets in and shoulders over Ren. He corner lariats him then suplexes him. Wolf elbow drops him for 2. Ren rolls Wolf into a leglock and Wolf rope breaks.

Ren stomps on Wolf's knee. Wolf no sells a facekick then hits an AA on Ren. Wato comes in and chest kicks Ren down. Togo trips Wato from the outside then the heels knock the faces off the apron. Togo pushes the ref, the ref pushes him back and Togo flair flops. Togo blocks Wato's sunset flip. Wato trips him and Togo counters a la magistral. Togo rolls up Wato for 2. Wato then taps out Togo with the moss-covered three handed family gradunza.

Thoughts: It was a short tag match. Everyone got a short section in and Yano barely did anything but a quick hair pull. This wasn't much of note. 

United Empire (Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, Great-O-Khan, Jake Lee & Jakob Austin Young) vs. Unbound Co. (Gedo, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori & Yota Tsuji)

Unbound attacks UE before it starts. Yota sends Lee into the rails and Shingo stomps Khan. Shingo headbutts Khan and hits corner spears. Yota beats up Lee in the stands. Khan stomps Shingo's foot and hits mongolian chops. Shingo mongolian chops him back. Khan bites Shingo's head then Shingo bites him back. 

Shingo hits punches on Khan. He slams some of his opponents and back body drops Newman. Shingo punches Lee. Lee running knees him in the gut. Shingo is down and holding his rib and the match stops. Lee misses a facekick and Shingo tags out.

Yota and Jake trade forearms. Yota facekicks Lee and kicks him in the chest. Yota tilt-a-whirl backbreakers Akira and Young. He pop up drops Newman then flatliners him and curbstomps him. Yota topes Lee outside. Yota corner splashes Lee then misses a marlow crash. Lee rolls up Yota for 2. Lee knees Yota in the gut and hits a ddt.

Hiromu and Young trade chops. Taiji springboard la silla's Akira and Hiromu gets a 2 count off of it. Akira is kicked by Taiji and ends up powerbombing Young. We get some fast paced action and Hiromu lariats Young. Akira step up enzugiri's Hiromu. Hiromu pop-up sitout powerbombs Akira.

Gedo comes in and hits punches on Akira. Akira grabs him by the beard. Gedo jawbreakers Akira then takes a flying knee from Newman. Newman hits overkill on Gedo. Akira does something like an emerald flowsion on Gedo and pins him.

Thoughts: It had a lot of action and a lot going on. What we got was fine here. Shingo seemed to hurt one of his ribs during this and wasn't seen after. This wasn't bad.

UE call Yota into the ring after. Jake Lee goes up to Yota. Yota says he's not accepting his challenge. He says it's Jake's birthday and he must have something to say. Jake boots him and guillotines him while holding the mic in his face. Jake puts Yota's title on his face and bows like some kind of burial ceremony.

SHO talks on the mic before his match. 

SHO vs. Kosei Fujita

Ren hits KF as he poses on the ropes. Ren foot chokes him. Ren swing a chair at him but KF dropkicks the chair into his face.  

KF throws him out then throws him into the rails. KF kicks him against the rails. KF PK's him for 2. KF's arm is banged over the top rope then KF is sent into the rails. KF's arm is sent into the post. Sho then beats up Murashima. He chairs KF outside.

Sho elbows the arm inside then armbars him. KF step up enzugiri's Sho. KF springboard dropkicks him for 2. KF does a surfboard with a chinlock and Sho escapes. Sho puts the ref in KF's way then spears him. Sho grabs a wrench and the ref takes it. Sho pushes KF into the ref and low blows him. 

Sho misses a shot with a sign. The ref sees KF with the sign. KF hits Sho with it and gets DQ'd.

Thoughts: It wasn't much with Sho working the arm, cheating and KF eventually cheating back and being DQ'd.

Kanemaru comes out to beat up KF then Robbie Eagles follows him and fights him outside. 

Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Robbie Eagles

Rob chops him against the rails as KF takes Sho to the back. YK eye rakes him. Rob boots him out of the corner and flying headscissors him. Rob spinning heel kicks him. Rob double flying knees him in the corner then corner meteora's him for 2.

YK dropkicks Rob in the knee. YK yanks on the leg. Rob drops Yk on his knees. Rob 619's YK in the back of the legs. YK throws the ref into Rob and dropkicks him. YK reverse ddt's him. YK tries to spit whiskey at him and falls. YK holds the ref down and spits whiskey in Rob's eyes. YK flying headscissors Rob into a pin and wins.

Thoughts: It was short and not good. YK put his hands on the ref multiple times and won by cheating. The ref did nothing about the cheating as usual. 

NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Title Match - TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) (c) vs. Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Oleg Boltin

Zack and Goto fight. They go to the ropes. Goto side hedlocks him and shoulders him over. Goto misse an elbow drop. Zack hits euros on the ropes. Goto boots him off the ropes then Zack is hit with a double shoulderblock. Oiwa is suplexed onto Zack. Hart's back is clubbed on by Goto's crew.

Yoshi corner chops Zack. Zack pele kicks the arm. Oiwa armlocks Yoshi then shoulders him over. Oiwa armdrags him into an armlock. Oiwa hiptosses him into an armlock. Hart elbows Yoshi's arm. Hart chops him down and elbow drops him. Zack armbars Yoshi. Hart legdrops Yoshi's arm then chops him in the corner.

Oiwa slams and splashes Yoshi then armlocks him. Goto is thrown out. Yoshi dropkicks Hart in the knee. Oleg comes in and corner splashes Hart. Hart hits forearms and a corner splash. Hart lariats him over. Hart misses a senton. Oleg karelin's lift's him.

Oiwa and Hart lariat each other then chop each other. Hart sentons him. Zack comes in and hits kicks on a downed Oleg. Oleg hits chops on him. Zack hits euros then Oleg belly to belly suplexes him. Zack gets his knees up on a vader bomb and Zack gets a 2 count on him.

Oleg suplexes Zack. Zack then does a bridge pin on him for 2. Zack PK's Oleg. Zack tries a flying triangle and Oleg powerbombs him off of it. Goto and Oiwa collide. Goto GTR's him then lariats him. Oiwa suplexes Goto. Goto takes a lariat + enzugiri combo. Hart slams Goto and Oiwa top rope diving splashes Goto while Zack twists Goto's neck.

Oiwa suplexes Goto for 2. Yoshi superkicks Oiwa then Goto ushigoroshi's Oiwa off of it. Zack hits kicks on Oleg and Oleg F-5's him. Oleg belly to belly suplexes Hart. Oiwa germans Oleg then lariats him over the top.

Oiwa lariats Goto down and doctor bomb's him for 2. Oiwa spinning lariats Goto for 2. Oiwa is german'd by Yoshi then Oleg rams Oiwa into the corner. Oiwa takes corner attacks then a double team reverse lifting ddt + splash combo. Goto GTR's Oiwa and wins.

Thoughts: I didn't like Oiwa losing here but this was a solid battle otherwise, just like the main. They kept things moving and had lots of hard shots. Oleg and Hart was fun as usual and Oiwa stiffed everyone. 

The Knockout Brothers head out to do commentary. 

IWGP Tag Team Title #1 Contendership Match -Taichi & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura

Yuya and Ishii go at it. They slap and forearm each other. Yuya armdrags him. Yuya dropkicks him down. Tai and Shota get in and trade shots. Tai facekicks him four times and then Shota shoulders him over. Shota takes shots at Ishii on the apron and Ishii no sells them. Shota hits chops and forearms on Tai in the corner. Tai high kicks him out of the corner.

Ishii chops Shota and they butt heads. Shota chops back and Ishii no sells them. Ishii hits more chops. Yuya and Ishii trade. Ishii sends him into the rails outside. Ishii boots Shota around inside. Shota chops him then is back elbowed down.

Tai boots Shota in the head and back. Tai hits Kawada kicks then chest kicks. Shota dropkicks him. Yuya top rope chops Tai then slams him. Yuya knocks Ishii off the apron. He armdrags Tai and sends Ishii into the rails out. Yuya bulldogs him for 2. 

Tai drops him with a side kick. Tai boots him out of the corner then enzugiri's him in the corner. Tai takes his pants off. Yuya kimura takeovers him. Tai sumo throws him then gamengiri's him. Yuya rolls on him to avoid a backdrop. Tai takes corner attacks. Shota enzugiri's Yuya when Ishii ducks. Tai facekicks Ishii when Shota moves. Shota tornado ddt's Tai.

Shota flying knees Tai in the corner from behind. Shota superplexes Tai and Yuya frogsplashes Tai off of it for 2. Ishii takes a double backdrop. Tai lariats Shtoa then Yuya germans Tai for 2.  

Tai blocks a sunset flip and gets a 2 count on it. Tai saito suplexes him for 2. Yuya enzugiri's Tai. Shota forearms Ishii then Ishii drops him with a forearm. Ishii superplexes Shota. Shota spinning forearms Ishii. Shota dropkicks him. Ishii shoulders him over then germans him. 

Ishii is hit with a double dropkick. Ishii forearms Yuya then suplexes Shota. Yuya double underhook supelxes Ishii. Tai head kicks Yuya. Shota lariats Tai down. Shota is caught in the corner with an enzugiri and a powerbomb. 

Ishii running lariats Shota for 2. Ishii tries to suplex Shota but takes a nasty looking ddt on his head off of it. Ishii then lariats Shota over. Yuya dropkicks Ishii then gets headbutted and forearmed. Yuya drops him with a headbutt.

Shota flyng knees Ishii then powerbombs him for 2. Ishii headbutts and forearms Shota. Shota lariats him twice for 2. Shota flying knees Ishii. Tai forearms Shota down. Shota enzugiri Tai, Tai sit out side slams him then Ishii sliding forearms Shota for 2.  Shota takes a kick to the gut + a piledriver for 2. Yuya hurricanrana's Ishii. Tai chops Yuya then back hands him. 

Yuya hits headbutts on Tai and hits a front suplex on him. Yuya dropkicks Ishii. Ishii enzugiri's Yuya. Ishii takes a lariat into a dragon suplex. Shota running lariats Ishii. Shota fisherman busters Ishii for the win.

Thoughts: They tried but I didn't quite think it was the classic they were shooting for. Something was missing here and I'm not sure what. I'd say they maybe stiffed each other too good but didn't really sell it enough or get meaning out of it. I think things also would have been better if the crowd liked Shota, which they really didn't here. It was okay but not quite great. 

Yuya and Shota talk to Tai after. Yuya puts him over and says the strong style of NJPW exists because of him. He says they need to face him again. Shota tells the Knockout Brothers they are next. Yuto and Oscar come in. Yuto says they got stronger and says let's get high together. He says you don't have to think but have to feel. They then leave. Yuya then butts heads with Shota and says he's frustrated about past losses to them. Shota says he doesn't feel the pain of past losses and says they should fight together. Shota thanks everyone for watching. Shota says he doesn't think he is cool and thinks the people who try and don't give up are the coolest. He says it's time to stop focusing on defeats and turn the energy into a weapon. 

Overall thoughts: The opener was an okay young lions match. Zane Jay stupidly got himself DQ'd in his Young Lions Cup match and lost. The HoT tag wasn't much of note but I liked UE vs Unbound. Sho/KF was the usual HoT match and wasn't that good and Kanemaru/Eagles sucked. I liked the two main events. They were similar matches though I didn't quite thing the main lived up to some of the hype. I'd give this a 6 out of 10 as the Zane Jay stuff sucked as did the House of Torture stuff. It was an okay show overall, propped up by the last 2 matches.