NNew Japan Pro Wrestling

Thoughts on New Years Dash

  • January 8, 2026

I am a new watcher with some knowledge of NJPW.

WK 20 really seemed like the ending of an age of sorts. The last year was dedicated to Tanahashi retiring, and everything was seen through that lens of his last match. I feel like NJPW used New Years Dash as a true fresh start.

Match 1: Ishii, Taichi, Kojima vs Uemura, Umino, Murashima

  • Biggest takeaway is I can see Ishii-Gun or Taichi-Gun being a thing. Taichi has been slowly turning on Kojima for a little bit, and Ishii is just giving that bulldog mentality back and he looked really good this match.
  • I finally get all the people hyping Uemura. Him and Umino are stars. my Lord. The dropkick he hit on Ishii was a thing of beauty, reminds of Okadas.
  • Murashima looked great again after his WK 20 match. Ishii made him look strong, and Murashima can sell.

Match 2: Shoma Kato, ELP vs Takeshita, Romero

  • Takeshita looks like he took a couple of good ones at WK 20 with the bruise he has. He didn't go max for NYD, but he was a good foil for the Kato/ELP chemistry.
  • ELP was fun as always. I hope they do something interesting with him soon. Maybe jr heavyweight title run or jr tag run with Kato?
  • Kato is fun. I thought he did good work this match, and his development of chemistry with ELP is a funny to watch. This generation of Young Lions feels like it will have many stars in it.

Match 3: HoT (Kanemaru, SANADA, Takahashi) vs Bishamon (Goto, Yoshi-Hashi, Oleg)

  • Average HoT gimmick match.
  • Hope Sanada isn't gone for long.
  • Oleg looks great. Big strong boy, I just need to get to know him as a characrter.
  • Yoshi-Hashi has terrible looking kicks. twice you could see that it didn't even look like hge connected despite the sound of it connecting.

Match 4: Hiromu, Kidd, Connors vs El Idolo, Akira, Young

  • UE looks like to be taking over the roll of the foreign heel faction from BC, unless unfounded rumors are true.
  • Andade is HIM. NJPW needs a full time contract on him. Brother is in the best shape of his life and he looks like he has something to prove.
  • The Unaffiliated, BCWD group has great chemistry together.

Match 5: Wolf, Yano, YOH, Wato vs HoT (EVIL, Narita, Fale, Togo)

  • Gimmick Match, but I loved this.
  • Dick ToGo is hilarious, as is Yano.
  • Wish I saw more Aaron Wolf though. He has a lot to learn, but after WK I saw the vision with him.

Match 6: UNBOUND CO vs UE

  • v4 is BACK and I am here for it! I am happy they retconned the v5 title and continued the v4 line. the v5 should be made smaller and replace the TV title.
  • Shingo and Drilla making a Los Ingobernables faction would be fire. Bring Despy back in as jr heavyweight. Umino or Narita may be a good landing spot so they can flesh out who they are as wrestlers and not that they just play an assigned role.
  • Still do not get Jake Lee. He is borderline a comedy character for me, and if EVIL leaves, he sould be HoT head.
  • I am begging that Callum Newman is the one who restarts Bullet Club. He could make it a heel faction again and I NEED THIS. Newman is a top guy for me and he has World Champion written all over him.
  • Unbound Co is interesting. Wonder how it works out.

Match 7: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships- HoT vs El Desperado & KUUKAI vs TMDK vs War Dogs

  • Ichiban Sweet Boys win?! Down for it.
  • Kosei Fujita is a legend in the making.
  • Glad to see HoT shenanigans backfire.
  • Im guessing Jr Heavyweight are super fast paced?
  • Despy is coming for that title

Match 8: IWGP Tag Team Championships- TMDK vs KoB

  • Oiwa is amazing. I can't wait to see him in a singles run.
  • ZSJ to win the v4 some time this year.
  • KoB are monsters and I assume they turned the Fed down based on them keeping the titles.
  • OSKAR has to be my favorite wrestler now considering he has the 4 nations from Avatar tatooed on the back of his left arm.
  • Solid solid match. Oiwa doing the German into a bridge does scare me after Regal posted his thing about neck injuries.

Post Main Event:

  • Shot coming out wearing Shooter, and he seemed spicier than he did earlier in the evening. I want him to turn heel so bad. Revert back to when Mox was dragging him around and just live life like a rebel.
  • Taichii and Ishii coming out to solidify a match is what Im here for.
  • Yuto Ice strapped rockets on KoB's backs and these brothers are going off to be stars.
  • OSKAR going in on Shota by calling him a nepo baby is amazing.

Final Verdict:

  • Great show.
  • New Era is HERE.
  • Future stars were born.
  • Excite for what 2026 has for NJPW!

by Magikarp1883