Title match to headline NJPW New Year Dash 2026
Gold will be on the line at NJPW New Year Dash 2026 when Zack Sabre Jr. & Ryohei Oiwa get their shot at the IWGP Tag Team titles.
The main event of the January 5 show will see Sabre & Oiwa challenge OSKAR & Yuto-Ice for the belts. It’s a title shot that Sabre & Oiwa earned through winning NJPW’s World Tag League tournament. Though the winners traditionally get their title shot at Wrestle Kingdom, that won’t be the case this time.
NJPW explained Sabre & Oiwa waiting to get their title shot by highlighting how important of a position the New Year Dash main event is this time around. It’s a chance to help kickstart a new era for NJPW following the retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi.
“Of course, I want to be in the Tokyo Dome match too,” Oiwa said in an interview. “But the main event of the next show after Mr. Tanahashi leaves is the one that will most impact New Japan’s future. I feel a sense of mission because I think it’s an absolutely crucial event we cannot fail.”
Tanahashi’s last match will headline the January 4 Wrestle Kingdom show at the Tokyo Dome. He’s facing off against longtime Kazuchika Okada at the event.
Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo will then host New Year Dash. The show — which is traditionally a mystery card with little announced in advance — will air live on NJPW World.
During World Tag League, Sabre & Oiwa lost to OSKAR & Yuto-Ice in block action. But both teams were able to make it to the semifinals out of B Block. Sabre & Oiwa went on to win the tournament, while OSKAR & Yuto-Ice fell to Yota Tsuji & Gabe Kidd.
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.