SANADA teases departure from NJPW
A former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion could be on his way out of NJPW.
Following Wrestle Kingdom 20, a new season for NJPW kicked off on Monday with New Year Dash 2026. SANADA — who competed in a six-man tag match on the show — indicated that he is leaving NJPW. He carried a guitar with the message “goodbye NJPW” and said he is going on a journey.
SANADA「俺は今日をもってこのリングを去るよ。……旅に出るよ（※画面に『Good Bye』と表示されたギターを示して）」
— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) January 5, 2026
1.5大田区大会のBSコメントを掲載中！https://t.co/uFo9GpwqKJ#njdash pic.twitter.com/Qqj8mbA4gt
“I’m leaving this ring for good today,” SANADA said in his post-match comments. “I’m going on a journey.”
House of Torture (SANADA, Yujiro Takahashi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) lost to Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Oleg Boltin at New Year Dash with Takahashi taking the pin.
There have also been rumors that House of Torture leader EVIL could potentially explore free agency. If this is not a storyline, one option that could make sense is SANADA and EVIL joining their former Los Ingobernables de Japon stablemates in Pro Wrestling NOAH. Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI just won the GHC Tag Team titles for NOAH on January 1.
SANADA has been with NJPW on a full-time basis since 2016, with his run including one IWGP World Heavyweight Championship reign and multiple reigns with the IWGP Tag Team titles.
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.
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