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New Japan Pro Wrestling
1972
New Japan Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese promotion founded by Antonio Inoki in 1972. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it is the largest wrestling promotion in Japan and one of the largest in the world.
Michael Nicholls
Michael Nicholls is an Australian professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, known by the ring name Mikey Nicholls. He is best known for his work in the Pro Wrestling Noah promotion, where, as part of The Mighty Don't Kneel with partner Shane Haste, he is a former two-time GHC Tag Team Champion. Other promotions he has wrestled for include the WWE in their promotion WWE NXT as Nick Miller, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and Ring of Honor in the United States.
Daniel Moloney
Daniel Joseph Moloney is an English professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he performs under the ring name Drilla Moloney and is a member of the Unbound Company stable. A two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion alongside Clark Connors, Moloney transitioned to NJPW’s heavyweight division in 2025 and made his G1 Climax debut later that year. Outside NJPW, he has also competed for major British promotions including PROGRESS Wrestling, TNT Extreme Wrestling, and Revolution Pro Wrestling. Moloney debuted in 2013 on the British independent scene before gaining wider attention through PROGRESS Wrestling and appearances for WWE’s NXT UK brand. In 2022, he captured the PROGRESS Tag Team Championship alongside Man Like DeReiss as part of The 0121. His career took a major turn in 2023 after joining Will Ospreay’s United Empire faction before betraying Francesco Akira and TJP alongside Clark Connors to join Bullet Club War Dogs, leading to his transformation into Drilla Moloney. He quickly found success with Connors, winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships and establishing the duo as one of NJPW’s top junior tag teams. After moving up the card in 2025, Moloney scored notable victories over Shingo Takagi and Tomohiro Ishii, later forming the War Dragons tag team with Takagi and competing in the 2025 World Tag League. In 2023, he was ranked No. 222 in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI 500.
Kosei Fujita
Kosei Fujita is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of The Mighty Don't Kneel (TMDK). He is a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion and the winner of the 2025 Best of the Super Junior tournament, becoming the youngest wrestler to win the tournament in its history. Fujita joined the NJPW Dojo in 2021 and made his in-ring debut later that year against Ryohei Oiwa. After graduating from the Young Lions system in 2023, he joined Zack Sabre Jr.’s TMDK stable. Fujita and Robbie Eagles, known as the Ichiban Sweet Boys, won the 2024 Super Junior Tag League before capturing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for the first time at Wrestle Kingdom 19 in 2025. Outside NJPW, Fujita has competed for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Ring of Honor (ROH), and Major League Wrestling (MLW). Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked Fujita No. 70 in the PWI 500 in 2025.
Alex Coughlin
Alex Coughlin is an American professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he worked as a "young lion" in the LA Dojo.
Ryohei Oiwa
Ryohei Oiwa is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he debuted as a Young Lion on August 24, 2021 and is now a member of TMDK. After an excursion to Pro Wrestling NOAH, where he won the 2024 Victory Challenge Tag League with Kaito Kiyomiya, he returned to NJPW in 2025, made his G1 Climax debut that year, won the 2025 World Tag League alongside Zack Sabre Jr., and captured his first career championship at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in 2026 by winning the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Titles alongside TMDK members Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson.
Walker Stewart
Walker Stewart is the lead English broadcast commentator for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), making his debut at Fighting Spirit Unleashed on October 28, 2023, at just 21 years old. His commentary work includes Stardom, GCW, Reality of Wrestling, Mission Pro, and Future Stars of Wrestling, and he's often referred to as "The Velvet Voice" due to his smooth style.
Yota Tsuji
Cast · Known for New Japan Pro Wrestling
Yota Tsuji is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) who previously competed in American football, baseball, and taekwondo before transitioning to wrestling. He debuted in 2018 through NJPW’s Young Lion system and later went on excursion with Yuya Uemura to Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) before returning to Japan in May 2023. After entering his first G1 Climax in 2023, winning the 2024 New Japan Cup, and reaching the finals of the 2024 G1 Climax, where he lost to Zack Sabre Jr., he defeated David Finlay at Wrestle Kingdom 19 to win his first singles championship. He is a two-time IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, having won the title for the first time at Wrestle Kingdom 20 in 2026 and regained it from Callum Newman at Dominion 6.14 in Osaka-jō Hall later that year, and a one-time NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champion alongside BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi. His match against Hirooki Goto on March 20, 2024 received Tokyo Sports’ Best Bout Award, and in 2026, he was ranked No. 7 in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500.
Hiroyoshi Yamamoto
Hiroyoshi Yamamoto is a retired Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), better known by his ring name Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Debuting for NJPW in 1991, Tenzan became one of the promotion's most decorated wrestlers, winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship four times, a record twelve IWGP Tag Team Championships and the G1 Climax three times, winning the tournament in 2003, 2004 and 2006. Tenzan is best known for his longtime partnership with Satoshi Kojima as Tencozy. The pair were named Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Tag Team of the Year in 2001 and in 2008 became the only team to win both All Japan Pro Wrestling's (AJPW) World's Strongest Tag Determination League and NJPW's G1 Tag League in the same year. Tenzan also held the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight and NWA World Tag Team Championships, competed internationally for promotions including World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Germany's Catch Wrestling Association (CWA), and was ranked No. 10 in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 in 2005. After 35 years in professional wrestling, Tenzan announced his retirement in May 2026. His final match took place on August 15, 2026, exactly 13,000 days after his debut, against his longtime tag team partner and rival Satoshi Kojima.
Taiji Ishimori
Taiji Ishimori is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he has competed since 2018 and is a member of Unbound Co. He is a former three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Robbie X, and one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion with Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa. Before joining NJPW, he spent 12 years with Pro Wrestling Noah, where he became one of the promotion’s most decorated junior heavyweights. He won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship three times, including a record-setting 405-day first reign, captured the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship a record six times, and won the Nippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag League a record four times. He also became a one-time Impact X Division Champion during his stint with Impact Wrestling and was ranked No. 83 in the 2022 PWI 500 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.
Shiro Koshinaka
Shiro Koshinaka is a Japanese professional wrestler who has competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Wrestle Association "R" (WAR) during the 1980s and 1990s. He was also the first IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.
Konosuke Takeshita
Konosuke Takeshita is a Japanese professional wrestler signed with DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a two-time AEW International Champion. He made his NJPW debut in the 2024 G1 Climax, reaching the quarterfinals, then in 2025 won the NEVER Openweight Championship in January, the G1 Climax 35 in August, and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in October, before adding his first NJPW World Television Championship in February 2026. He began his professional wrestling career with DDT in 2012 at the age of 17 and quickly rose through the ranks as one of the promotion’s top stars before expanding internationally. During his career in DDT, he has been a five-time KO-D Openweight Champion, four-time KO-D Tag Team Champion, five-time KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion, and four-time Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion. Frequently praised by fans, wrestling journalists, and fellow wrestlers, Takeshita is regarded as one of the most complete performers of his generation, known for his high match quality, physical intensity, technical precision, and ability to elevate opponents across multiple promotions and styles. He was ranked No. 5 in the PWI 500 in 2026, was voted Most Underrated by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in 2022 and 2024, and won Most Outstanding Wrestler in 2025. Takeshita is married to fellow AEW wrestler Yuka Sakazaki, with the couple announcing their marriage in May 2025.
Kevin Knight
Kevin Knight is an American professional wrestler who debuted with Pacific Pro Wrestling (PPW) in 2019 before joining New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) the following year. A graduate of the LA Dojo, he found success as one half of the Intergalactic Jet Setters with KUSHIDA, winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship twice while also appearing for Ring of Honor (ROH), Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) through NJPW's partnerships. Knight signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) in 2025, where he formed JetSpeed with "Speedball" Mike Bailey and was ranked No. 159 in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 that year. In 2026, JetSpeed won the AEW World Trios Championship twice before Knight captured the AEW TNT Championship, turned on Bailey to end the team, and joined the Don Callis Family.
Nobuo Yoshihashi
Nobuo Yoshihashi is a Japanese professional wrestler who debuted in 2008 with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he currently performs under the ring name YOSHI-HASHI. As one half of Bishamon with Hirooki Goto, he is a four-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, one-time STRONG Openweight Tag Team Champion, three-time World Tag League winner in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and co-winner of the Tokyo Sports Best Tag Team Award in 2023. He is also a one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion with Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii, with that trio holding the record for the longest reign at 454 days.
Shota Umino
Shota Umino is a Japanese professional wrestler who debuted in 2017 for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he trained as a Young Lion. The son of NJPW referee Hiroyuki “Red Shoes” Umino, he went on excursion to the United Kingdom before returning to Japan and making his G1 Climax debut in 2023. He was ranked No. 72 in Pro Wrestling Illustrated's PWI 500 in 2025 and won his first championship when he captured the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship at Dominion 6.14 in 2026.
Jeffrey Cobb
Jeff Cobb is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of Unbound Company. During his original NJPW run from 2017 to 2025, Cobb was a member of United Empire and became a one-time NEVER Openweight Champion, one-time NJPW World Television Champion and three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion. He made his G1 Climax debut in 2019 and competed in six editions of the tournament, notably opening the 2021 G1 Climax with eight consecutive victories, a feat unmatched in tournament history. He was ranked No. 23 in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 in 2019 and won the Tokyo Sports Best Tag Team Award in 2022 alongside United Empire stablemate Great-O-Khan. Outside of NJPW, Cobb wrestled in Lucha Underground from 2015 to 2018 as the masked Matanza Cueto, during which he held the Lucha Underground Championship. He also competed for Ring of Honor (ROH), winning the ROH Television Championship, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), where he captured the PWG World and World Tag Team Championships and won the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles. As an amateur wrestler, Cobb represented Guam at the 2004 Summer Olympics, serving as the nation's flag bearer and competing in the men's light heavyweight freestyle category before transitioning to professional wrestling in 2009. Cobb signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in May 2025 and performed on the SmackDown brand as JC Mateo as a member of The MFTs alongside Solo Sikoa, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga. He departed WWE in 2026 following the expiration of his one-year contract. On August 16, 2026, Cobb returned to NJPW at the G1 Climax 36 final show. Appearing after a match between his former United Empire stablemates and Unbound Company, Cobb confronted United Empire leader Callum Newman before attacking him and joining Unbound Company.
Callum Newman
Callum Newman is a British professional wrestler who debuted in 2018 and signed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 2023, where he is the leader of the United Empire stable. He made his G1 Climax debut in 2024 and, in 2026, won the New Japan Cup at just 23 years old, becoming the youngest winner in tournament history. At Sakura Genesis, he captured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at 23 years, 7 months and 4 days, becoming the youngest champion in history and breaking the record set by Shinsuke Nakamura in 2003. He is also a two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion and was ranked No. 14 in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI 500 in 2026. Before joining NJPW, Newman competed on the British independent scene under the names Tomar Vuelo and Dark Britannico, becoming a one-time RCWA British Tag Team Champion and two-time LLL Champion.
Yuto Nakashima
Yuto Nakashima is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist who entered New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a Young Lion in 2021. Following a European excursion in 2024 with Oskar Leube, he reemerged in Japan on August 17, 2025 under the name Yuto-Ice, aligning with OSKAR in Bullet Club War Dogs as The Knockout Brothers, a pairing that went on to win the IWGP Tag Team Championships within months. Following the dissolution of Bullet Club in January 2026, Nakashima and OSKAR joined the Unbound Co. faction.
Tomohiro Ishii
Cast · Known for New Japan Pro Wrestling
Tomohiro Ishii is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for his long-running career with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, while also making select appearances in All Elite Wrestling as part of The Conglomeration. Outside the ring, he has also been closely tied to the independent Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling, where he contributed behind the scenes as chairman. For much of his career, Ishii was viewed as a hard-hitting undercard mainstay rather than a title threat, but his relentless style earned him a devoted cult following and praise from critics, including Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, who famously called him one of the most underrated wrestlers in the business in 2013. That same year marked a turning point, as Ishii’s standing in NJPW steadily rose, leading to his first championship win with the NEVER Openweight Championship in 2014—a title he would go on to claim a record six times. He later added the IWGP Tag Team Championship once and the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship three times to his résumé. Thanks to NJPW’s partnerships with international promotions, Ishii also found success abroad, capturing the ROH World Television Championship once and becoming a two-time Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion in Revolution Pro Wrestling, further cementing his reputation as one of the most respected bruisers of his generation.
Hirooki Goto
Cast · Known for Street Fighter
Hirooki Goto is a Japanese professional wrestler who debuted in 2003 and has competed for New Japan Pro-Wrestling throughout his career. A former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, he has also held the NEVER Openweight Championship five times, the IWGP Intercontinental Championship twice, and both the IWGP Tag Team and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships once each. He also won the G1 Climax in 2008, the New Japan Cup in 2009, 2010, and 2012, and the World Tag League in 2012 with Karl Anderson, in 2014 with Katsuyori Shibata, and in 2021, 2022, and 2023 with YOSHI-HASHI. His partnership with YOSHI-HASHI as Bishamon earned the Tokyo Sports Best Tag Team Award in 2023, and he later received the publication's Best Bout Award in 2024 for his match against Yota Tsuji on March 20. Goto was also ranked No. 5 in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI 500 in 2025 and portrayed E. Honda in the 2026 film Street Fighter.
Tetsuya Naito
Tetsuya Naito is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for his 21-year run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) from 2004 to 2025, where he led Los Ingobernables de Japón and is widely seen as one of the greatest and most popular wrestlers in the company’s history. He now works as a freelancer, primarily appearing for Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) and Pro Wrestling NOAH (NOAH) alongside BUSHI, where the pair are one-time GHC Tag Team Champions. He started training in 2000 under Animal Hamaguchi and joined NJPW in 2004 as a Young Lion in the company’s dojo. In NJPW, he built a decorated career as a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and eight-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, while also holding the NEVER Openweight Championship. As part of No Limit with Yujiro Takahashi, he held the IWGP Tag Team Championship and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. He later added two more IWGP Tag Team Championship reigns with SANADA and Hiromu Takahashi. In tournament competition, he won the G1 Climax three times (2013, 2017, 2023), the New Japan Cup in 2016, and later the World Tag League in 2023 with Hiromu Takahashi. Over time, Naito grew into one of NJPW's most accomplished and decorated figures, earning Tokyo Sports MVP honors (2016, 2017, 2020, 2023), the Technique Award (2018), the Best Bout Award in 2020 for his match against Kazuchika Okada on January 5 at Wrestle Kingdom 14, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards for Best Gimmick (2017) with Los Ingobernables de Japón, Most Charismatic (2017, 2018), and Japan MVP (2020). He was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 2022 and was ranked No. 5 in the PWI 500 in both 2020 and 2024.
Toru Yano
Toru Yano is a Japanese professional wrestler who debuted in 2002 and is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), known for his comedic style and cunning tactics. A founding member of CHAOS until its disbandment in 2025, he is a seven-time NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion, four-time KOPW Champion, and three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion.
Matt Vandagriff
Matt Vandagriff is an American professional wrestler known for his work with Game Changer Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and a brief appearance for All Elite Wrestling.
Osamu Matsuda
Osamu Matsuda is a Japanese professional wrestler who is best known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and is better known by his stage name El Samurai.