NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING
NEW BEGINNINGS 2026
NJPW New Beginnings 2026
The first major New Japan event after Wrestle Kingdom sets the stage for the entire year. New Beginnings traditionally delivers IWGP championship defences, signals who will be the top players as NJPW's calendar builds toward the G1 Climax, and often features jaw-dropping opener matches from the junior heavyweight and tag team divisions.
New Beginnings Deep Dive
🗓️
NJPW's January-February Run
After Wrestle Kingdom in early January, New Japan typically runs New Year Dash and then New Beginnings in late January or February. This series of events establishes which Wrestle Kingdom outcomes will shape the first half of the year. Championship stories get their first major chapter here. The New Beginnings events — often split across multiple cities including Sapporo and Osaka — give fans across Japan the chance to experience New Japan's top tier live.
🏆
IWGP Title Matches
The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship almost always features at New Beginnings — often in a rematch from Wrestle Kingdom or a first defence by the newly crowned champion. This gives the champion an opportunity to prove their reign is no fluke and sets up the narrative going into spring. Junior Heavyweight and Heavyweight tag team championships also typically receive major matches, giving New Beginnings a prestige level that rivals many promotions' biggest annual events.
🌍
US Tour Connection
New Japan's American arm — NJPW Strong — often runs events in the same window, allowing North American fans to catch NJPW action closer to home. The New Beginnings window has been used to build storylines that bridge NJPW Strong and the main Japanese circuit, with Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Lance Archer, and other US-based NJPW talents weaving into the New Beginnings narrative. 2026 continues that cross-Pacific storytelling tradition.