NJPW wrestler announces he has re-signed with the company
Shota Umino is staying with NJPW.
The 28-year-old revealed on his social media on Friday that he has re-signed with the company for 2026, writing:
“I have signed a contract with New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co., Ltd. for the 2026 fiscal year. My beloved family is ‘New Japan Pro-Wrestling’ alone.”
Umino is coming off a difficult 2025. He started the year by losing to Zack Sabre Jr. in an IWGP World Heavyweight title match in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 20. In March, he lost to David Finlay in the finals of the New Japan Cup and the following month dropped an IWGP World title match to Hirooki Goto at Windy City Riot in Chicago. He finished second in the B Block during the G1 Climax, but was eliminated in the first knockout round by Yota Tsuji.
Umino is the son of NJPW referee “Red Shoes” Hiroyuki Umino and started in the company’s dojo system in 2017. His social media post announcing his re-signing is available below:
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has appeared in award-winning publications such as NOW Magazine and The Huffington Post. He joined the F4WOnline team in 2019 and was named managing editor in the summer of 2026. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Ian has covered professional wrestling for more than 15 years.