Today’s show in Korayama features a pair of rematches of major championship matches from 2025. Have the younger former challengers come far enough in the past year to beat the former champions? Let’s find out.

New Japan Cup: Callum Newman [United Empire] vs. Hirooki Goto

In recounting the circumstances of last year’s Goto / Newman title match, Walker Stewart mentions that Jeff Cobb has retired from professional wrestling. Kayfabe lives, I guess. After a brief back and forth, Newman hits a knee to the midsection, which re-aggravates the injury Goto suffered in his second-round match against Jake Lee. After beating up Goto on the outside, Newman gets him in a wacky lucha submission in the ring, but Goto fights to the ropes. Goto turns the tables with a lariat, a spinning wheel kick in the corner and a back suplex, which gets two. After a striking battle, Goto tries the Ushigoroshi, but Newman slips out the back and hits a dropkick in the corner and a fisherman buster for two. Newman goes for the Prince’s Curse, but Goto fights back and eventually gets the Ushigoroshi. Goto goes for the GTR but is distracted by Zane Jay; he still maintains the advantage, however, and hits the GTW for two. Newman hits the Trash Panda (I guess David Finlay’s offense is up for grabs now) and Excalibur, but Goto kicks out at two. Newman misses another Excalibur, then tosses ref Kenta Sato into Goto, fouls him and hits the Prince’s Curse for the pin. YOSHI-HASHI and Tetsuya Matsumoto tell Sato what happened, but he’s disinclined to do anything about it. Newman tosses YOSHI-HASHI from the ring and celebrates his win. This was fine, although it felt like it was just getting going at the finish. The cheating with Newman is starting to get a bit out of hand – like, it’s obviously way less egregious than the House of Torture, but it’s still annoying that it feels like this is the only way NJPW knows how to book heels now.

New Japan Cup: Shota Umino vs. Zack Sabre Jr. [TMDK]

Hopefully this is better than the 44-minute snoozefest these two had at Wrestle Kingdom 19, although that did lead to “Punished Shota,” the least boring version of Umino there’s been thus far. It should be noted that Marty Asami, not Red Shoes, is reffing this main event, for obvious reasons. They start off fast with a pinfall reversal sequence that ends with Umino getting a near-fall. They do some more technical grappling that features Umino holding a cravat for some time, but Sabre takes control after his grounded neck-twist spot. Sabre goes after the neck and right arm with a hold sequence, but Umino gets to the ropes. Umino reverses a guillotine into a suplex, then maintains control with strikes in the corner. Umino gets two with a fisherman’s suplex, but Sabre goes back after the arm, tying Umino up with an inverted armbar in the ropes and a stomp to the elbow. Sabre attacks the arm with another hold, but Umino gets to the ropes and then hits a tornado DDT and his goofy over-the-top DDT on the apron thing that never looks good, but Sabre tries his best. On the outside, Umino hits an elevated DDT and then rolls Sabre back in and hits a power bomb for two. Sabre dodges the Strike Knee and grabs an armbar, which he transitions into a Fujiwara armbar and then the Rings of Saturn, but Umino gets to the ropes. Sabre gets the best of a striking battle, but Umino dodges a charge and hits Sabre with three Strike Knees. Umino goes for the Second Chapter, but Sabre reverses into an armbar, which nearly finishes the match; however, after a long battle, Umino gets to the ropes. Sabre kicks Umino in the chest a couple of times, but Umino catches Sabre with a Zack Driver and then gets two with a lariat. Sabre gets a near-fall with a Zack Driver of his own. The two engage in another fast-paced pinfall reversal sequence, after which Sabre takes the upper hand with a PK and a lariat, which bloodies Umino’s nose. However, Umino reverses another Zack Driver attempt with a DDT. Umino gets a near-fall with a DDT and then hits the Second Chapter for the win. This was really good – both guys gave each other a ton, and while it does seem like the veterans still have to remind Umino to fire up from time to time, he’s getting there. Umino thanks Sabre after the match and they have a mutual respect moment. It should also be noted that the crowd was solidly behind Umino here.

So, the semi-finals are set, with Umino vs. Newman and Yuya Uemura vs. Boltin Oleg on Friday in Nagaoka. See you then!