New Japan Cup 2026 semifinals set
New Japan Cup 2026 is down to its final four competitors.
The semifinals are now fully set after the completion of Tuesday’s event in Fukushima. Shota Umino and Callum Newman earned their spots in the next round of the tournament, joining Yuya Uemura and Oleg Boltin. Both semifinal matches will take place this Friday.
Umino pinned Zack Sabre Jr. to advance to the semifinals, while Newman used a low blow to help advance over Hirooki Goto. Uemura and Boltin had already secured their semifinal spots with respective victories over Shingo Takagi and Ren Narita.
Of the four semifinalists, none have ever won the New Japan Cup before.
The final two nights are happening this Friday and Saturday with both shows being held at Aore Nagaoka in Niigata. An IWGP Heavyweight Championship shot is at stake. The winner challenges Yota Tsuji for the belt in the main event of Sakura Genesis on April 4.
New Japan Cup 2026 schedule —
Semifinals:
Friday, March 20
- Shota Umino vs. Callum Newman
- Yuya Uemura vs. Oleg Boltin
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.