Another quarterfinal matchup set for New Japan Cup 2026
Hirooki Goto and Callum Newman are headed to the New Japan Cup 2026 quarterfinals.
The tournament continued on Friday with Goto and Newman winning their second-round matches. With respective wins over Jake Lee and Hartley Jackson, they’ve advanced to face each other in the next round. The Goto vs. Newman match will take place on March 17.
Goto, a mainstay of the NJPW roster, is looking to win his fourth New Japan Cup. He previously won the tournament in 2009, 2010, and 2012.
Newman has never won the tournament before. As one of the top young foreign wrestlers in the promotion, he’s become the leader of NJPW’s United Empire faction.
The quarterfinals are now almost fully set with Yuya Uemura vs. Shingo Takagi, Oleg Boltin vs. Ren Narita, and Goto vs. Newman confirmed. We’ll find out the last remaining matchup this Saturday when Yujiro Takahashi takes on Shota Umino and Zack Sabre Jr. battles Ryohei Oiwa in the second round.
New Japan Cup 2026 runs through March 21, with the winner receiving an IWGP Heavyweight Championship shot against Yota Tsuji at Sakura Genesis on April 4. Here is the updated schedule for the remainder of the tournament:
Second round —
Saturday, March 14:
- Yujiro Takahashi vs. Shota Umino
- Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Ryohei Oiwa
Quarterfinals —
Sunday, March 15:
- Yuya Uemura vs. Shingo Takagi
- Oleg Boltin vs. Ren Narita
Tuesday, March 17:
- Hirooki Goto vs. Callum Newman
- TBD
Semifinals —
Friday, March 20:
- TBD
- TBD
Finals —
Saturday, March 21:
- TBD
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.