Andrade El Idolo challenges Yota Tsuji to IWGP Global title rematch
Andrade El Idolo is going to get another shot at the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.
The Road to Wrestling Dontaku began on Sunday at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. On the show, Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Daiki Nagai, and Gedo defeated Callum Newman, Francesco Akira, Jake Lee, and Zane Jay, with Tsuji pinning Jay after a Gene Blaster.
After the match, a video played on the screen with Andrade challenging Tsuji for an IWGP Global title shot. Andrade unsuccessfully challenged Tsuji for the belt at The New Beginning USA show on February 27.
In the video, Andrade said:
“Last time, I didn’t lose. That match was to study you, to figure out how to beat you. Everything happens for a reason. I don’t know what happened with Gabe Kidd, and I don’t care because I beat him.
So I challenge you for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.
But I want this match not in the United States, not in USA. I want this match in Japan because I want to embarrass you in front of your own people. Just tell me where, when, and at what time. See you there, because this title is mi destino.”
Tsuji responded by saying he would be waiting for him on May 3, which is the date for night one of Wrestling Dontaku in Fukuoka. Tsuji was originally scheduled to defend the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship against Gabe Kidd on the show. However, Kidd suffered a shoulder injury at AEW Dynasty, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced last week that he would not be cleared in time for Dontaku.
The updated lineup for next month’s shows in Fukuoka is below.
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2026 —
Night one (Sunday, May 3):
- IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji defends against Andrade El Idolo (Not yet official)
- NEVER Openweight Champion Ren Narita defends against Oleg Boltin
- Aaron Wolf vs. Don Fale
- Shingo Takagi, Drilla Moloney, Taiji Ishimori, Robbie X & Daiki Nagai vs. Callum Newman, Jake Lee, Francesco Akira, Jakob Austin Young & Zane Jay
- Konosuke Takeshita & Shota Umino vs. Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi
- Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Will Ospreay, HENARE & Great-O-Khan
- Yuya Uemura, Taichi, El Desperado & Mistico vs. Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson, Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita
- Tomoaki Honma & Masatora Yasuda vs. OSKAR & Yuto-Ice
- Toru Yano, YOH & Master Wato vs. Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & Taisei Nakahara
Night two (Monday, May 4):
- IWGP Heavyweight Champion Callum Newman defends against Shingo Takagi
- NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin defend against Will Ospreay, HENARE & Great-O-Khan
- Yota Tsuji, Drilla Moloney, Taiji Ishimori & Robbie X vs. Jake Lee, Francesco Akira, Jakob Austin Young & Zane Jay
- Yuya Uemura & Taichi vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Hartley Jackson
- El Desperado & Mistico vs. Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita
- Aaron Wolf, Toru Yano, Tiger Mask, YOH & Master Wato vs. Ren Narita, Don Fale, DOUKI, SHO & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
- Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma vs. OSKAR & Yuto-Ice
- Ryusuke Taguchi & Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Gedo & Daiki Nagai
- NJPW World Television Champion Konosuke Takeshita defends against Chase Owens
- Pre-show: Masatora Yasuda vs. Taisei Nakahara
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.