NJPW reveals bracket for New Japan Cup 2026
NJPW has revealed the full list of participants for New Japan Cup 2026.
The tournament begins on March 4 and runs through March 21. An IWGP Heavyweight Championship shot is at stake, with the winner set to challenge Yota Tsuji for the belt at Sakura Genesis this April.
In total, there are 24 participants in the tournament but only eight first-round matchups. Eight wrestlers — Drilla Moloney, Shingo Takagi, Tomohiro Ishii, HENARE, Hirooki Goto, Hartley Jackson, Yujiro Takahashi, and Zack Sabre Jr. — have randomly received first-round byes and have already secured their spot in the next round.
Here is the complete bracket and opening round schedule:
Left side —
- March 4: Yuya Uemura vs. Great-O-Khan (winner faces Drilla Moloney on March 10)
- March 4: Aaron Wolf vs. Don Fale (winner faces Shingo Takagi on March 10)
- March 5: Taichi vs. Ren Narita (winner faces Tomohiro Ishii on March 12)
- March 5: El Phantasmo vs. Oleg Boltin (winner faces HENARE on March 12)
Right side —
- March 6: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jake Lee (winner faces Hirooki Goto on March 13)
- March 6: OSKAR vs. Callum Newman (winner faces Hartley Jackson on March 13)
- March 8: Shota Umino vs. Chase Owens (winner faces Yujiro Takahashi on March 14)
- March 8: Yuto-Ice vs. Ryohei Oiwa (winner faces Zack Sabre Jr. on March 14)
The quarterfinals will then take place on March 15 and March 17, leading into the semifinals on March 20 and finals on March 21.
Tsuji won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 20 last month and has already successfully defended the title against Jake Lee. A double champion, Tsuji also holds the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship and is set to defend that title against Andrade El Idolo at NJPW New Beginning USA.
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.