NJPW Wrestling Redzone - April 26, 2025

[Chris]

New Tag Champions to be Decided at Redzone Hiroshima​

Bishamon, United Empire to decide tag titles

New IWGP Tag Team Champions will be decided at Wrestling Redzone in Hiroshima on April 26, as former four time champions Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI of Bishamon face recent champions as individuals in Callum Newman and Great-O-Khan from the United Empire.

Watch Wrestling Redzone LIVE in English on NJPW World!

Both O-Khan and Newman's respective runs as IWGP Tag Team Champions have ended as a result of vacancies, with the titles currently sitting vacant for the second time in five months. In December, a knee injury sustained by HENARE forced he and O-Khan to relinquish the titles that would be won by the Young Bucks at Wrestle Dynasty, and then Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi at New Beginning in Osaka this February.

Newman and Jeff Cobb took the titles from the LIJ duo as recently as April 5 at Sakura Genesis, but a sudden departure from NJPW on the part of Cobb has now seen the titles vacated. In the wake of that departure, an angered Newman declared that not only would he earn the belts back, but he would take the IWGP World Heavyweight title as well. Now the tag gold is on the line, and with Goto still in possession of the world title and O-Khan the recently crowned NJPW World TV Champion, someone will be leaving Hiroshima with double gold.

More tag team action in Hiroshima will see Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii teaming for the first time, after a shocking handshake between the two rivals at the New Japan Cup final. The Holy Emperor and the newly crowned NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion will be facing former IWGP Champions in Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito, and it could be the case that the new champions crowned at Redzone will not have to wait long for their first challengers to emerge.​

 

[Chris]

Wrestling Redzone (April 26) Preview​

New tag champions determined in Hiroshima

As Japan gets into the Golden Week national holiday spirit, Golden Week wrestling gets in full effect as we head to Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall for the very first Wrestling Redzone card. Amidst controversy, brand new IWGP Tag Team Champions will be crowned on a card full of intrigue.
Watch Wrestling Redzone LIVE in English on NJPW World!

Main event: IWGP Tag team Championship Decider- Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) vs United Empire (Callum Newman & Great-O-Khan)

New IWGP Tag Team Champions will be decided at Wrestling Redzone in Hiroshima on April 26, as former four time champions Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI of Bishamon face recent champions as individuals in Callum Newman and Great-O-Khan from the United Empire.

Both O-Khan and Newman's respective runs as IWGP Tag Team Champions have ended as a result of vacancies, with the titles currently sitting vacant for the second time in five months. In December, a knee injury sustained by HENARE forced he and O-Khan to relinquish the titles that would be won by the Young Bucks at Wrestle Dynasty, and then Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi at New Beginning in Osaka this February.

Newman and Jeff Cobb took the titles from the LIJ duo as recently as April 5 at Sakura Genesis, but a sudden departure from NJPW on the part of Cobb has now seen the titles vacated. In the wake of that departure, an angered Newman declared that not only would he earn the belts back, but he would take the IWGP World Heavyweight title as well. Now the tag gold is on the line, and with Goto still in possession of the world title and O-Khan the recently crowned NJPW World TV Champion, someone will be leaving Hiroshima with two titles.

7th Match: Tomohiro Ishii & Taichi vs Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi)

A tag team match that already had a lot of intrigue attached to it when first announced is now all the more interesting thanks to the events of the past week, as Tomohiro Ishii and Taichi tag together for the very first time against Hiromu Takahashi, and, for seemingly the last time in front of his adopted home Hiroshima crowd on the NJPW roster, Tetsuya Naito.

Former IWGP Tag team Champions Naito and Hiromu had held the IWGP Tag gold for a week while Naito was already under free agent status before the LIJ duo lost the titles to Callum Newman and Jeff Cobb. While the main event will see new champions crowned tonight, one has to wonder whether this semi main event could see new contenders being determined. Yet as Naito ends his current NJPW commitments on May 4 at Dontaku, what will his future be with Hiromu, and indeed Los Ingobernables De Japon as a whole?
Meanwhile one time fierce rivals Ishii and Taichi saw a sensational thawing of relations at the New Japan Cup finals, as the two shook hands and Just Four Guys were folded into Hontai. Now they tag as a duo for the very first time in Hiroshima and could set the stage to become a sensational tag team in their own right if they can overcome some fierce competition; after all, even as his future is uncertain, there is no way Naito wants his potential last bout in Hiroshima to end in a loss.

6th Match: War Dogs (David Finlay, Gabe Kidd ^ Drilla Moloney) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, SANADA ^ Ren Narita)

The war between the War Dogs and HOUSE OF TORTURE, which erupted earlier this year after EVIL denounced the War Dogs and their place in BULLET CLUB, has been nothing short of chaotic. Their past encounters have been violent and unpredictable—attacks before the bell and wild brawls spilling into the crowd have become the norm. SANADA’s shocking betrayal added more fuel to an already blazing rivalry, and it’s likely the War Dogs will have him marked for revenge. With both factions notorious for underhanded tactics and brutal ringside warfare, the referee will have their hands full. As the Dogpound Cage Match at Wrestling Dontaku looms, both sides will be looking to inflict as much damage as possible before the cage locks shut.

5th Match: Yuya Uemura & Shota Umino vs Los Ingobernables de Japón (Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi)

This tag team clash brings together three of the brightest hopes from the same generation—Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura, and Yota Tsuji—alongside the veteran powerhouse, Shingo Takagi. As they each carve their paths forward in New Japan, the stakes are rising: Yuya challenges Yota for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship on Night 2 of Wrestling Dontaku, while Shota continues his Second Chapter with a singles match against Shingo the night before. This tag bout isn't just a preview—it's a proving ground, testing LIJ’s unity with two members expected to depart soon.

4th Match: El Desperado, El Phantasmo & Ryusuke Taguchi vs United Empire (Templario, Francesco Akira & Jakob Austin Young)

Another team which has been in a lot of turmoil recently is the United Empire, but with Templario, who joined the group at the beginning of the year and challenged El Desperado for the title, and a strong Jr. lineup in Jakob Austin Young and Francesco Akira, who seems to be on the verge of his big breakthrough in 2025, the team of Desperado, ELP and Taguchi has to be on high alert. Just three days before Templario versus Desperado for the Junior gold in Saga, can challenger rattle the champion tonight?

3rd Match: War Dogs (Taiji Ishimori & Clark Connors) vs HOUSE OF TORTURE (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & SHO)

Before the heavyweights clash later in the evening, the juniors of both factions will set the tone in what’s expected to be a ruthless tag match. This is less about wins and losses and more about who can deal the most damage ahead of the Dogpound Cage Match. Given the players involved, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the action spills out of the ring—or starts before the bell even rings. The question isn’t if chaos will erupt, but when.

2nd Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Boltin Oleg, YOH & Master Wato vs TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, Hartley Jackson, Robbie Eagles & Kosei Fujita)

A loaded 10-man tag team match that sets the stage for Tanahashi’s continuing road to retirement and his upcoming clash with Zack Sabre Jr. Representing their respective units, Hontai and TMDK bring a blend of veteran presence and rising stars. Heavyweight power and Junior agility will both be on display, offering fans a look at the depth and talent both factions bring to the table ahead of Wrestling Dontaku, while we also see a prelude of Hizen no Kuni Tuesday, and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Championships on the line when Ichiban Sweet Boys face Master Wato and YOH.

1st Match: Katsuya Murashima vs Daiki Nagai
Singles record: 3-0 Murashima (at time of publication)

In the first match of the night young lions Katsuya Murashima and Daiki Nagai show their progress on how far they have come since joining the Noge Dojo. Murashima holds the upper hand in their previous encounters, extending his personal lead to three most recently in Ryogoku at the Sakura Genesis kickoff. With two more matchups to come on the Road to Dontaku before Redzone, that lead could well be up to five, but the fire in the brash Nagai is undeniable. With pride on the line and a chip on his shoulder, can Nagai finally turn the tide this series, and could this be less about closing the gap and more about drawing even?​