First New Japan Cup 2026 semifinal set
The first semifinal match in the 2026 New Japan Cup is now set.
The quarterfinals began on Sunday in Yamanashi.
In the main event, Yuya Uemura picked up the victory over Shingo Takagi with a Deadbolt to punch his ticket to the next round.
In the semi-main event, Boltin Oleg defeated Ren Narita. Oleg had to contend with Narita attacking him before the bell and interference from Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Don Fale, but ultimately picked up the win with the Kamikaze after 12 minutes and 23 seconds.
Uemura and Oleg will now face each other in the semifinals on Friday, March 20 in Niigata.
The tournament continues with the final two quarterfinals on Tuesday in Fukushima, with Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and Hirooki Goto vs. Callum Newman.
Quarterfinals —
Tuesday, March 17:
- Hirooki Goto vs. Callum Newman
- Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Shota Umino
Semifinals —
Friday, March 20:
- Yuya Uemura vs. Boltin Oleg
- TBD
Finals —
Saturday, March 21:
- TBD
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.