By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Anniversary Event”
March 6, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan, at Ota-City General Gymnasium
Streamed live on New Japan World
Chris Charlton provided commentary. The venue is a small arena with a standard seating capacity of 4,012.. The lights were low, but the ring was fairly well-lit.
* This year’s tournament is a 24-man field. So, eight wrestlers ‘randomly’ received first-round byes. Notably, Shingo Takagi, Zack Sabre Jr., and Hirooki Goto are among those who have byes. Eight first-round matches will take place over four shows this week. That will shrink the field to 16, and from there, it’s a normal elimination tournament. So far, Don Fale, Yuya Uemura, Boltin Oleg, and Ren Narita have advanced to the field of 16.
1. “The Unbound Co.” Daiki Nagai and Drilla Moloney vs. Yuya Uemura and Masatora Yasuda. Drilla and Yuya opened, and Moloney knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Drilla and Nagai hit a team shoulder tackle. Yasuda hit some chops on Nagai as the Young Lions traded offense. Daiki hit a dropkick on Uemura at 3:30. Yuya hit his own dropkicks. Drilla entered and hit a dropkick on Yuya. Yasuda got some rollups on Drilla. However, Moloney hit the Drilla Killa (swinging piledriver) out of nowhere for the pin. I’ll reiterate that no one ever in NJPW has kicked out of a Drilla Killa.
Daiki Nagai and Drilla Moloney defeated Yuya Uemura and Masatora Yasuda at 5:56.
2. “United Empire” Henare, Great-O-Khan, Jakob Austin Young, and Francesco Akira vs. Hirooki Goto, Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano, and Tatsuya Matsumoto. Oleg and Henare opened and immediately traded forearm strikes. No feeling-out process here! Oleg flipped him around in his arms, then hit a bodyslam. Yano entered at 1:30, but Henare dropped him with a shoulder tackle. Young tagged in to battle Yano. Goto entered at 4:00 and battled O-Khan. Matsumoto entered and battled Francesco, putting Akira in a Boston Crab. Oleg and Henare traded forearm strikes. Akira tied Tatsuya in a submission hold, and Matsumoto tapped out.
Henare, Great-O-Khan, Jakob Austin Young, and Francesco Akira defeated Hirooki Goto, Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano, and Tatsuya Matsumoto at 7:03.
3. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa vs. “The Unbound Co.” Yuto-Ice and Gedo. Yuto-Ice and Oiwa opened, and they too immediately traded forearm strikes. Yuya hit his running double knees in the corner at 2:00. Oiwa tied him in a half-crab that became an ankle lock. Sabre and Gedo entered at 4:00, and they traded several creative rollups until Sabre finally got the pin. That was fast and fun; it didn’t need to be longer than this.
Zack Sabre Jr. and Ryohei Oiwa defeated Yuto-Ice and Gedo at 4:38.
4. “The Unbound Co.” Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji vs. “House of Torture” Don Fale and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Shingo threw his shirt at Fale and attacked him, and we’re underway! They traded shoulder blocks. Kanemaru stomped on Shingo. Yota tagged in at 3:00 and hit a backbreaker over his knee on Kanemaru. Shingo and Yota hit a team back suplex at 5:00. The ref got bumped. Kanemaru hit an enzuigiri. He took a swig of whiskey, but he turned around and was cut in half by a Yota Tsuji Gene Blaster (spear) for the pin. The whiskey sprayed into the air as they landed. (That was perfectly done.) I don’t mind these quicker, more up-tempo matches today.
Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji defeated Don Fale and Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 5:34.
5. “House of Torture” Chase Owens, Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, Sho, and Dick Togo vs. Aaron Wolf, Leona, Yota Tsuji, Satoshi Kojima, and Tatsumi Fujinami. I see absolutely no value in allowing Leona and Fujinami to be in the ring. None. Fujinami opened, but Ren attacked him from behind. Fujinami dropped Ren with a slap to the face, then a Dragonscrew Legwhip. Fujinami thankfully tagged out to Satoshi, who hit his rapid-fire chops in the corner on Togo, then on Narita. The HoT began working over Kojima in their corner. Satoshi hit a Koji Cutter.
Wolf tagged in at 4:30. He climbed to the top rope and jumped off for absolutely no reason. (Does he have any clue what he’s doing in there?) He hit some bodyslams and Judo Throws. Sho hit a basement dropkick on Wolf’s knee. Shota battled Chase Owens. Chase went for a package piledriver, but Shota escaped, and those two traded forearm strikes. Shota hit a tornado DDT and a dropkick. Leona entered for the first time at 9:00 and battled Yujiro. Yujiro hit an inverted DDT. They traded rollups. Leona hit a double underhook suplex. Yujiro hit Leona with his cane and hit the Pimp Juice (implant DDT) for the pin.
Chase Owens, Ren Narita, Yujiro Takahashi, Sho, and Dick Togo defeated Aaron Wolf, Leona, Yota Tsuji, Satoshi Kojima, and Tatsumi Fujinami at 11:11.
6. Jake Lee vs. Yoshi-Hashi in a New Japan Cup first-round match. They played to the crowd before locking up. Jake just had a title shot against Tsuji, and quite frankly, no one wants to see a rematch. Jake rolled to the floor. There’s been a lot of stalling early on. They brawled to the floor. Jake slammed him face-first on the ring apron at 3:30. He rolled Yoshi-Hashi in the ring and stomped on him, and kept him grounded. This has been dull. Yoshi-Hashi hit a basement dropkick on the knee at 5:30, and they were both down. They fought into the crowd.
In the ring, Yoshi-Hashi hit a second-rope Blockbuster for a nearfall at 7:30. He hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. They got up and traded forearm strikes at 9:30. Yoshi-Hashi hit a clotheslline and they were both down at 11:00. This match feels like it’s going at three-quarters speed. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Dragon Suplex. He hit another clothesline that dropped Lee. Yoshi-Hashi hit a Swanton Bomb. (When has he done that?) He hit a backbreaker over his knee at 13:00. Lee applied a Koji Clutch on the mat, and he switched to a front guillotine choke. The ref checked on Yoshi-Hashi and called for the bell. That was brutal.
Jake Lee defeated Yoshi-Hashi at 14:04 to advance.
7. Callum Newman (w/Zane Jay) vs. Oskar in a New Japan Cup first-round match. They immediately brawled as Oskar entered the ring. Oskar dropped him with a chop. He hit a big backbody drop. They fought to the floor. Oskar whipped him deep into the crowd at 2:30, with chairs flying everywhere. They got back into the ring, and Callum took control, hitting some running penalty kicks for a nearfall at 4:30. He stomped on the right knee and slammed it repeatedly into the mat.
Oskar applied a sleeper at 7:30 and fell to the mat with it locked on. Newman hit an enzuigiri, then a jumping knee that sent Oskar through the ropes to the floor. They again fought into the rows of empty chairs. In the ring, Oskar applied a sleeper, and Newman tapped out at 10:30, but the ref was down and out on the floor. Zane rolled the ref into the ring. Callum hit a double stomp on the head and scored the pin!
Callum Newman defeated Oskar at 11:18 to advance.
8. “Ichiban Sweet Boys” Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita vs. “The Unbound Co.” Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles. All four brawled at the bell. Robbie X hit a springboard twisting press to the floor on ISB. In the ring, Robbie X beat down Eagles. He hit a slingshot senton for a nearfall at 2:00. ISB began working over Robbie X in their corner. They applied stereo submission holds on TUC. Ishimori put Eagles in a crossface on the mat, but Eagles reached the ropes at 8:00.
Kosei got in and battled Robbie X. Robbie Eagles hit a flip dive through the ropes onto Ishimori, as Fujita had Robbie X tied up on the mat at 10:00. Robbie X and Fujita got up and traded forearm strikes. Robbie Eagles hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread. Robbie X hit a powerbomb on Eagles. Fujita hit a German Suplex on Robbie X. ISB hit their team Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall. Robbie X hit a double Poison Rana! Robbie X hit a spin kick on Fujita at 14:00. Robbie X went to the top rope, but Eagles cut him off. Ishimori hit a moonsault to the floor. It allowed Robbie X to hit the X Express (top-rope corkscrew splash) for the pin! New champions! That was really good.
Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori defeated Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita to win the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles at 14:53.
9. Douki vs. Master Wato for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. Douki got into the ring wearing his mask and a cloak — but it was a swerve! The real Douki jumped in the ring from behind and attacked. It was Sho under that Douki mask and cloak! They brawled to the floor, and Douki whipped Wato into the rows of chairs. Douki crotched Wato around the ring post at 2:30. He dragged Wato into the ring and hit a series of DDTs for a nearfall, and he applied a leg lock around the neck, but Wato got a foot on the ropes at 4:30.
Douki applied a Darkness Stretch (Douki Chokey triangle choke). Wato got a backslide for a nearfall at 6:30. Wato hit a huracanrana that sent Douki to the floor, then he hit a flip dive onto Douki and Sho at 8:00. In the ring, Wato hit a top-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. He applied the Vendeval submission hold around Douki’s neck. The ref got bumped, and the rest of the House of Torture hit the ring and stomped on Wato. Dick Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Wato’s groin at 12:00. The ref was pushed in and made a two-count, but Wato kicked out.
Wato hit a neckbreaker, and he applied Vendeval again. Don Fale got in and set up for the Grenade, but Aaron Wolf jumped in and attacked Fale, and those two fought to the back. Wato swung and missed with a metal staff. Wato grabbed it but threw it to the floor rather than using it. Wato hit a spin kick to the head. A new ref ran to the ring! Wato hit a Sling Blade clothesline for a nearfall at 16:30.
Wato hit a top-rope diving European Uppercut for a nearfall. Douki hit a low blow, but it appears Wato blocked it. Wato hit a German Suplex with a high bridge for a believable nearfall at 18:00. This ref got bumped! Someone ran in (couldn’t see who from the camera angle) and hit a low-blow uppercut on Wato. Douki hit a DDT onto a metal sheet. Douki then hit his Dragon Suplex with a high bridge for the tainted pin. I can do without all the outside interference, but it was solid.
Douki defeated Master Wato to retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title at 19:41.
* Douki got on the mic and proclaimed himself the best-ever champion. Yoh came to the ring to confront him, and he wound up fighting Douki and Sho. Yoh made it clear he wants a title shot.
Final Thoughts: The main reason to tune in was the TMDK vs. Ishimori/Robbie X tag title match. That was a lot of fun, and I really didn’t expect the title change. No surprise that Newman-Oskar was really good for second.
However, Lee vs. Yoshi-Hashi was dull. I didn’t have high hopes for it, but they didn’t meet the low bar. It made me long for my VCR, when I could watch Big Show matches on ‘double-speed’ to make them go by quicker. I still haven’t bought into either Douki or Wato as top-tier juniors — I have never put them in the same tier as El Desperado, Hiromu Takahashi, and Taiji Ishimori. It was a good match, but as I noted, all the House of Torture interference was a bit much.
After an off-day on Saturday, the first round of the tournament wraps up with Chase Owens vs. Shota Umino and Ryohei Oiwa vs. Yuto-Ice. I have high hopes for that Oiwa match. (No way Shota loses, because then Owens would face teammate Yujiro Takahashi, and Gedo doesn’t want to put us through that torture and misery, right?)
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