NJPW New Beginning in Osaka live results: Yota Tsuji vs. Jake Lee
New Japan Pro Wrestling presents The New Beginning in Osaka on Wednesday, February 11.
In the main event, Yota Tsuji is set to defend the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Jake Lee.
OSKAR and Yuto Ice, the Knockout Brothers, defend the IWGP Tag Team Championships against Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura.
The NEVER Openweight Championship will be defended when Aaron Wolf faces Ren Narita. Elsewhere on the card, David Finlay is scheduled to go one-on-one with Callum Newman.
A number one contender’s match for the IWGP Global Championship will see Gabe Kidd take on Andrade El Idolo.
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Hiroki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, and Oleg Bolton defend their titles against TMDK’s Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson.
This year’s event will also feature the final match of Hiromu Takahashi as part of his deal with NJPW. He teams with Taiji Ishimori against Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young.
Live coverage of The New Beginning in Osaka begins at 1 a.m. Eastern Time.
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Quick Results
- Togi Makabe & Toru Yano defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato
- Unbound Co. defeated United Empire
- War Dragons defeated United Empire
- NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship: Bishamon & Oleg Boltin (c) defeated TMDK
- Andrade El Idolo defeated Gabe Kidd
- Callum Newman defeated David Finlay
- NEVER Openweight Championship: Ren Narita defeated Aaron Wolf (c)
- IWGP Tag Team Championship: Knockout Brothers (c) defeated Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji (c) defeated Jake Lee
Pre-Show
Togi Makabe & Toru Yano defeated Katsuya Murashima & Shoma Kato
Murashima’s sturdiness knocked down Yano and Makabe upon each early collision; Kato joined him for a few. Yano took advantage of Makabe’s hurling of Kato, tossing the Young Lion into an exposed turnbuckle. The veterans bullied Kato for an extended period until he pulled out a dropkick. Murashima wore down Makabe to enable a Boston Crab.
Makabe quelled any hope for a comeback with a King Kong Lariat and Inside Cradle. He finished off Murashima with a King Kong Kneedrop for the three-count.
Post-match: A short moment of silence honored the late Tadao Yasuda, who passed away on February 8, 2026.
(Best of luck to Murashima during his excursion.)
Main Card
Unbound Co. (Hiromu Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori) defeated United Empire (Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young)
Young cut off Takahashi’s fanfare from the crowd. However, Ishimori joined Takahashi for dropkicks onto the young American. Akira punctured the wind from Ishimori’s lungs with a Missile Dropkick. Takahashi rebounded with a Flying Crossbody to Akira. He used the referee to disorient Akira via hurricanrana. Akira’s chest absorbed a series of chops before he bit Takahashi’s arm.
Takahashi dodged Akira’s Fireball Knees and used the Italian’s momentum against him courtesy a Pop-Up Powerbomb. Takahashi equalized Akira with a Dynamite Plancha. Ishimori centered Young with a Bone Lock, keeping him firmly in place to submit the American with a tap out.
Post-match: Akira assaulted Takahashi at the end of the match. Robbie X thwarted Akira’s Con-chair-to with a Cutter.
(Fantastic final NJPW showing for Takahashi (for now). He didn’t overstay his welcome in the match, hit all the notes he needed to, and let Ishimori pick up the win. Akira got some good moments here, an emphasis on his mean streak during United Empire’s new direction.)
War Dragons (Drilla Moloney & Shingo Takagi) defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan & HENARE)
United Empire spared not even a second when they isolated Takagi. It was for naught, as Takagi reconvened with Moloney to drop HENARE to the mat. Khan positioned Moloney to the corner and blasted his vulnerable arm with a chairshot and swung on Takagi. The Dragons slingshot their foes into one another and united for elbow drops on their carcasses.
HENARE unleashed hellish chops to Moloney and struck him with a Rugby Punt. Thanks to Takagi chopping away at HENARE, Moloney gored the New Zealander. The pair finished off HENARE with a War Dragon for the pinfall.
Post-match: An emotional Moloney announced he re-signed with NJPW.
(Nicely physical match. That’s two losses so far for United Empire, however. I imagine Andrade el Idolo, Callum Newman, and/or Jake Lee will probably get a win. They have to, to make the group look strong.)
Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) & Oleg Boltin (c) defeated TMDK (Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr.) for the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship
Jackson and Boltin resumed their heated “Road to” feud, with the former chugging through the Kazakh wrestler. Oiwa nearly edged over Boltin, but the latter’s Belly-to-Belly Suplex broke it. Goto suplexed Sabre onto Oiwa. Goto’s revolution faltered after Oiwa’s Discus Lariat planted him to the mat. Sabre torqued the arms of YOSHI-HASHI behind his back. Despite Sabre’s best efforts, YOSHI-HASHI powered through with a lariat to break his British dominance.
Jackson and Oiwa cleared the way so they could run a train on YOSHI-HASHI. Boltin usurped Jackson’s Senton to YOSHI-HASHI, but found himself outside the ring thanks to Oiwa. Jackson employed a Jagged Edge, nearly ending YOSHI-HASHI. A fired-up Boltin Kamikaze’d Oiwa but he and Bishamon were sent falling by Jackson’s lariats. Bishamon propped up Jackson for Boltin to Splash the massive Australian.
(The champs were incredible and strong here. I’m used to Sabre and Oiwa looking great, but Jackson was on another level. He felt like an actual threat to the title holders. Already the landscape of NJPW has changed so much that even lesser-positioned wrestlers are finding a refreshed spin on their runs. What’s more, is that I think Jackson is hungry for it too.)
Andrade El Idolo defeated Gabe Kidd
Kidd struggled a bit against Idolo, but found some space after a Powerbomb. He taunted the United Empire member with a Tranquilo pose. Idolo plummeted Kidd onto the apron and punctuated with a moonsault. Kidd fought back, driving Idolo’s face into the ring posts and clotheslining him. Idolo returned the match to his favor as he executed Three Amigos.
Kidd rebounded with a lariat, growing frustrated and barking as though to convince himself, hype himself up. Idolo regained control with a dropkick and double-knees into the corner. Kidd countered a DM for a Piledriver. Idolo ended Kidd with a spinning backfist and DM to win the match, therefore earning a shot at Yota Tsuji’s IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.
(About six months or so ago, Idolo was on nobody’s radar, just coasting along with Rey Fenix on WWE SmackDown. Yet on the independent scene, AEW, and NJPW, he’s another beast entirely and is a megastar in 2026. Had Kidd’s momentum not dwindled in 2025, this match would have been a bit more exciting. That said, this physical contest had me glued. These two delivered a high-octane and hard-hitting affair to get the adrenaline flowing.)
Callum Newman defeated David Finlay
No love was lost once these two squared up; they traded rights and lefts, bursting through the barricade, and spilled into the crowd. Finlay dragged Newman into the ring, slingshotting him into the corner. Newman chipped away at Finlay, draining him with a headlock. A Northern Irish Curse thwarted the Brit’s momentum. Finlay demolished Newman on the outside, dropping his spine on the apron. Zane Jay intervened, but was sent into the barricade. Newman’s bad luck continued as Finlay swung him directly into the ring post.
He ruined Newman with a Dominator, keeping him tender and grounded. Finlay endured a period of Newman-enforced dominance, capitalized with a Jackknife Powerbomb. Newman eluded an Overkill, employing rapid successions of fists and forearms. He stole his opponent’s Overkill and his own Excalibur. At last, Newman solidified himself with a Prince’s Curse.
Post-match: Finlay’s eyes welled up as he bowed to the crowd. He apologized to Hiromu Takahashi, who had been sitting on Japanese commentary. As he held aloft the “Too Sweet” hand gesture, Finlay reported that he still ran this business.
(Newman’s 2025 saw a drastic improvement in how he was received. His presence in January and this match continued that. New long-pants gear, a sword, and a dramatic, lyrical song has changed him entirely. As for whatever lies next for Finlay, I hope he finds what he’s looking for.)
Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Special Announcement
The Ace and President thanked the crowd, boasting huge numbers for the Wrestle Kingdom 20. He stated that Dominion in Osaka-Jo Hall would be broadcast from TV Asahi on network television on June 14.
Ren Narita defeated Aaron Wolf (c) for the NEVER Openweight Championship
DOUKI, SHO, Yujiro Takahashi, and Dick Togo ambushed Wolf. They’d clobber him in the ring against challenger Narita, but Wolf little issue in overcoming them. Togo had to choke Wolf down to weaken him, allowing room for a Hell’s Guillotine. This was quick enough to dethrone Wolf for a short title reign.
Post-match: The House of Torture ganged up on Wolf, battering him completely. Various members of the NJPW roster came to his aid, but the victorious faction had already left.
(Did not like this one bit. My gut reaction is that this is a surefire way to ruin the goodwill the company gained these past two months. Wolf’s trajectory was simple and effective but shock booking put a stop to it. I feel as a fan that the winds have been taken out of my sails.
Now that’s out of the way, I’m hoping this leads to something bigger long-term for Wolf. Something that elevates him even further. I’m having to hope. Critical thinking-wise, I feel this might be the case because surely the company is smart enough to recognize what they have in Wolf. You don’t get that reaction for a debut at the Tokyo Dome just to flush it down the toilet. That said, Lyric Swinton said it best on X: Wolf is still a green rookie.)
Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice) (c) defeated Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura
Ice and Uemura began things with a hot and angry start. Bomboclat from Ice further dazed Uemura. OSKAR chopped him down further. Umino swung a comeback with a DDT to Ice, followed by hurling him into the barricade. He dropkicked OSKAR over the guardrail, knocking a barricade into some fans. The towering German returned to the ring, but found no luck there as a spirited Umino struck him and downed him with a lariat.
OSKAR sent Uemura outside and rocked Umino with a scoop slam. Umino rebounded with a DDT. Uemura reunited with Ice in the ring, trading elbows. A dropkick and armbar gave Uemura leverage, as did a flying crossbody. Ice fired back, but collapsed in exhaustion the moment Uemura reached for a lariat. Ice gained the upper hand after a chop exchange but stumbled back into a corner when Umino dropkicked him. OSKAR was so out of it that the challengers devastated him with a Dragon Riot. Ice rescued his partner, and together they crushed Umino with a K.O.B. Uemura launched Ice away with a Deadbolt. OSKAR and Uemura elicited a rumble in Osaka, trading moves and pin attempts. One more K.O.B. sealed Uemura’s fate and earned the Knockout Brothers a title retention.
Post-match: The arena went dark and on a screen, AEW’s The Demand appeared. Ricochet challenged Taiji Ishimori to come after his AEW National Championship. Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun, meanwhile, opted for the Knockout Brothers’ IWGP Tag Team Championship. Both of these challenges were issued for New Beginning in USA.
(The exact type of match taht was needed after the hinted David Finlay departure and squashing of Aaron Wolf and title loss. This was action-packed and filled with the spirit that Yuto-Ice’s voice evoked at New Year’ Dash.)
Main Event
Yota Tsuji (c) defeated Jake Lee for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Tsuji and Lee locked up to a stalemate. Lee gleefully enraged Tsuji, leading to a Tsuji-cida into the guardrail. Lee danced and laughed like a jester, having kicked Tsuji after being whipped into the ropes. Adorning a black glove, Lee endured a series of hurricanranas. Lee’s smugness turned into panic as his rope break ended a Boston Crab attempt. A DDT wrenched control from Tsuji.
Spirit nested itself within Tsuji, empowering him to twist Lee’s knee, softening it against the hard apron. He’d continue to target that weak spot, the tender knee, with kicks of his own. Try as he might, Lee couldn’t instill much feeling but pain in his knee. Champion and challenger clashed and clashed, with Lee’s last-ditch effort of a kick lending him some room to gain his bearings. A vicious chop exchanged left a deep mark on Lee’s breast, yet that didn’t deter him from trading forearms and elbows.
Sensing Tsuji’s renewed targeting of the knee, Lee kicked in repetition to stop the champ. Subverting a Gene Blaster, Lee trapped him in a sleeper hold, squeezing the life out of him. Tsuji’s Guerrero Especial nearly secured a retention, just as Lee’s chokeslam almost saw a title change. A Gene Blaster punctured the air out of Lee. Kneeing Lee in the guts, Tsuji obliterated his foe with a Gene Blaster to at last retain his belt.
Post-match: Tsuji thanked Lee for the challenge as four Young Lions carried him to the back. Since he believed that the wrestlers give their lives to this medium, he asked the audience to continue walking with him. He beckoned Unbound Co. to join the ring, as everyone bade farewell to Hiromu Takahashi. Yuto-Ice, who had his back turned as though disinterested, embraced Takahashi in tears.
(Lee put in a good performance here, and really wore his scars. Sold well. That said, it felt like he should have had more to give. Tsuji, as impressive as he’s been since returning in 2023, seemed to struggle with his performance tonight. There seemed to be a lack of what brought him to this place in 2026. Not necessarily a bad match, but not one befitting a main event. I think the IWGP Tag Team Match could have taken this spot easily.)
Final Thoughts
New Beginning wasn’t the hot continuation from January I’d hoped it had been, nor from some of the incredible matches in the “Road to” tour. That said, it was solid. If this ends up being the worst NJPW has to offer this year, then 2026 will still be a success. Hiromu Takahashi had a great farewell, and David Finlay seemingly had one as well. The latter was noticeably absent from the Unbound Co. roll call, interestingly enough.
The best main players of tonight were undoubtedly Knockout Brothers, Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura, Hiromu Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori, Andrade El Idolo, Gabe Kidd, David Finlay, and Callum Newman. The show flew by quickly, another plus.
Despite my disappointment in the IWGP Heavyweight and NEVER Openweight matches, New Beginning was a solid show.
Corey Michaels covers the play-by-play action of events hosted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Referenced by content creators and Wikipedia articles, he adds his prosaic voice with authority to the F4W/WON audience.
A content writer and wrestling fan, Corey has woven the stories of our great sport into literature. He cuts to the emotional core of characters, rivalries, and angles.