By Noah Leatherland
Pro Wrestling NOAH kicked off 2026 with The New Year in the Nippon Budokan, with the debut of Tetsuya Naito making waves across the Japanese wrestling scene. The following day, Pro Wrestling NOAH New Year Reboot got the ball rolling for what the promotion has ahead of them in the new year.
Heading into The New Year event, Pro Wrestling NOAH had only announced that BUSHI of Los Tranquilos de Japon as challenging KENOH and Naomichi Marufuji for the GHC Tag Titles. But, sure enough, Tetsuya Naito appeared to a rapturous reception. This marked BUSHI and Naito’s first match in Japan since leaving NJPW. It proved to be a memorable return, as the duo claimed the GHC Tag Titles.
Those were not the only championships to change hands at The New Year. Earlier in the night, the PROGRESS Wrestling Atlas Championship took the spotlight, with Saxon Huxley taking the British belt from Will Kroos. Later, the GHC National Championship was defended as Dragon Bane put the belt on the line against his brother, Alpha Wolf. In a shocking twist, Alpha Wolf stabbed his brother in the back, hitting him low to steal the title, and joining Team 2000X in the process.
The GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship also added a new champion into its lineage. Hiromu Takahashi walked into the Budokan as champion, but he would not leave with it. AMAKUSA managed to defeat the NJPW invader, bringing the belt back under the Pro Wrestling NOAH umbrella.
Elsewhere on the card, the GHC Junior Tag Titles were successfully defended by Los Intocables, Daga and Daiki Odashima, besting All Rebellion and Eita & Shuji Kondo. The main event also saw a champion keep their grasp on their prize. Yoshiki Inamura made his second defense of the GHC Heavyweight Championship against the recently returning OZAWA. Despite Team 2000X’s best efforts to underhandedly unseat the champion, Inamura emerged victorious, extending his reign on top of Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Then, Pro Wrestling NOAH arrived in Shinjuku FACE for New Year Reboot on January 2nd. The show saw future title challenges announced, as well as some incomings and outgoings.
Ulka Sasaki announced that he is heading to the United States on excursion. He will face stablemate KENTA in a send-off match on January 11th at Pro Wrestling NOAH Legacy Rise. In the opposite direction, Katsumi Inahata made his Pro Wrestling NOAH debut. Inahata had been on the JTO roster, wrestling under the name Fire Katsumi. At New Year Reboot, he faced Naomichi Marufuji in a losing effort. However, Marufuji handed Inahata a NOAH tracksuit in the aftermath, welcoming him to the promotion.
Looking ahead to Legacy Rise, AMAKUSA will defend his newly-won junior title against Daiki Odashima. Yoshiki Inamura will also defend the GHC Heavyweight Title against Masa Kitamiya. Even further ahead, Pro Wrestling NOAH have announced Los Tranquilos de Japon’s first defense. Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI are set to defend their GHC Tag Titles against KENTA and HAYATA on February 11.
Here are the full results for Pro Wrestling NOAH The New Year and New Year Reboot, courtesy of purolove.com:
Pro Wrestling NOAH The New Year
Pro Wrestling NOAH New Year Reboot
Date:
January 3, 2026
Category:
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