Time to turn up the heat!

The New Japan Cup is now down to the “Elite Eight!” Boltin Oleg or Ren Narita, Yuya Uemura or Shingo Takagi, who survives into the semifinals?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• YOSHI-HASHI & Taisei Nakahara VS Hartley Jackson & Kosei Fujita; Hartley & Fujita win.
• 8 Man Tag: Aaron Wolf, Toru Yano, Satoshi Kojima & Masatora Yasuda VS House of Torture; House of Torture wins.
• 10 Man Tag: The Unbound Company VS The United Empire; The United Empire wins.
• Hirooki Goto & Tatsuya Matsumoto VS Callum Newman & Zane Jay; Callum & Zane win.
• Shota Umino & Tomoaki Honma VS Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr; Oiwa & ZSJ win.
• 2026 New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Boltin Oleg VS Ren Narita; Oleg wins and advances.
• 2026 New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Yuya Uemura VS Shingo Takagi; Uemura wins and advances.

PLAY BY PLAY

2026 New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Boltin Oleg VS Ren Narita!

The dual NJPW Strong Openweight & NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Champion takes on the NEVER Openweight Champion in a battle to survive. Will Boltin put the Souled Out Son of Strong Style behind BARS? Or will the House of Torture never let that happen?

Well to start, Ren attacks Oleg during his entrance! The fans boo as Ren knocks Oleg down, stomps him around, then whips him into railing! Oleg slumps down while the fans boo again. Ren brings chairs out from under the ring while Yoshinobu Kanemaru distracts the ref! CON-CHAIR-TO to the leg!! Oleg writhes and the fans boo but the damage is done. Ren drags Oleg up and into the ring, and the ref calls for the bell. Kanemaru joins commentary as Ren stomps Oleg around. The fans rally but Ren kicks Oleg around. Oleg ROCKS Ren, but Ren KICKS the leg! Ren runs, RAMS Oleg, but Oleg doesn’t budge! Ren kicks the leg again, then runs, but Oleg RAMS him!

Ren CHOKES Oleg, but Oleg breaks free! Oleg CHOPS Ren, then manages to run, but Ren trips him up! Ren spins Oleg around to HAMMER away on the bad leg! Then Ren SMASHES the knee to the floor! Oleg writhes and clutches his knee while the ref reprimands Ren. Ren stalks Oleg, drags him up, and puts the leg around railing! The fans rally for Oleg but Ren pulls on the leg! The ref reprimands but Ren BOOTS the railing to jam Oleg up! The fans rally for Oleg while he hobbles and shakes out the bad leg. Oleg rests on the ground, but the ring count starts. Oleg stands up again at 8 of 20, hobbles over, and rolls into the ring at 10.

The fans applaud, but Ren stomps Oleg. Ren then drags Oleg to the corner and bends the leg against the post! The ref reprimands then counts, and Ren stops at 4, only to SLAM the leg against the post! Ren then rolls into the ring while the fans rally for Oleg. Ren drags Oleg up, runs the ropes, and DROPKICKS the legs out! Cover, TWO! Ren argues the count while the fans applaud Oleg’s toughness. Ren grabs the leg for a toehold! Oleg endures the twist while he fights around, even as Ren puts on the pressure. The fans rally, Oleg drags Ren along as he backstrokes towards the ROPEBREAK! Ren pulls on the leg, but lets go as the ref counts 4.

The fans rally harder for Oleg, but Ren SMASHES the knee on the mat! Ren paces, then he stands Oleg up. Oleg ROCKS Ren, and ROCKS him again! Ren snarls but Oleg ROCKS him again! Ren kicks the bad leg, then grabs it for a SHIN- NO, Oleg throws Ren away first! The fans rally up again as Oleg stands. Oleg shakes out the leg, only for Ren to kick it! Ren catches Oleg into the GUILLOTINE FACELOCK! Oleg endures while the fans rally again, and Oleg powers up with the good leg to stand up! Oleg then powers up again, and he BACKDROPS Ren away! The fans cheer Oleg on while he goes to the corner. Then he runs up and CLOBBERS Ren!

The fans fire up as Ren tumbles to the other corner. Oleg runs, but the leg slows him down! He still manages to SPLASH in the corner! Oleg gut wrenches Ren for the Shake, Shake, Shake, and THROW! Ren tumbles again, and Oleg kips up! The leg hurts but he’s fighting through the pain! Oleg goes up, up, and VADER BOMBS! Cover, TWO! Ren survives but the fans continue to cheer Oleg on. Oleg drags Ren up, goes to gut wrench, but Ren CLUBS the bad leg. Oleg lets go, then takes a swing, but into a clinch! Oleg fights the Blizzard suplex, then slips around to waistlock, but Ren fights the German Suplex! Ren mule kicks the bad leg!

Ren runs up, DOUBLE- NO! Oleg stops the facebuster to fireman’s carry! The fans fire up as Oleg goes to the corner, but Ren slips through the Verdict to have a TRIANGLE HOLD! Oleg stays up but Ren pulls on the bad arm! Oleg fights up and deadlifts Ren to POWERBOMB him! But Ren holds on! The fans rally for Oleg again as he powers back up, for another deadlift, and a SNAP KAMIKAZE! Both men are down but the fans fire up! Oleg rises and the fans rally again. Oleg crawls over to Ren, drags him up, and fireman’s carries again! But Ren fights free, and he CLAWS Oleg’s eyes! The ref reprimands but Ren SHOVES Oleg into him!

The ref tumbles out of the ring, Ren CHOP BLOCKS Oleg, and while Kanemaru jumps off commentary, Don Fale can be seen rushing down the ramp! The fans boo as Kanemaru stomps away on Oleg, then Fale hops in and adds on. Ren grabs the timekeeper’s table to bring it into the ring, where Kanemaru sets it up in the drop zone. Fale climbs the corner while Kanemaru stands Oleg up, but Oleg TOSSES Kanemaru away! Ren runs in, but Oleg fireman’s carries him! Kanemaru runs up, but Oleg adds him to the stack! DOUBLE SAMOAN DROP! Fale hops down so he can storm up on Oleg and BODY BLOW! The fans boo as Fale CLUBS Oleg down!

Fale drags Oleg up, but AARON WOLF  & TORU YANO are here! The fans cheer as they attack Fale! But Fale EXPLODES out! Fale runs up, but Yano dodges! Then sends Fale at Wolf for a TABLE SMACK! The fans cheer as Yano & Wolf get Fale and the table out of the ring, then round Fale up with Kanemaru. The fans cheer as Hontai ushers the House out of here! Then Oleg has Ren, but Ren shoves the ref! Oleg blocks the low blow! Oleg fireman’s carries, for the VER- NO, Ren sunset flips it! TWO!! Oleg escapes, but Ren has the KNEEBAR! The fans rally as Oleg endures and reaches out! Ren puts on the pressure, but Oleg fights around!

Ren drags Oleg from the ropes and right to center, but Oleg rolls through the kneebar! GERMAN SUPLEX! The fans fire up while Ren tumbles away! Oleg hobbles over, drags Ren up, but Ren KICKS the leg! DOUBLECROSSER!! Cover, TWO!! Oleg survives and Ren is furious! Ren argues the count but the fans are thunderous! Ren goes up the corner and he takes aim. Oleg rises, into the HELL’S- NO!! Oleg catches Ren in the fireman’s carry, then hits the VERDICT!! The fans are thunderous and Oleg roars as he fireman’s carries again! KAMIKAZE!! Cover, OLEG WINS!!

Winner: Boltin Oleg, by pinfall (advances to the semifinals)

Justice has been served! Ren is now behind BARS while Oleg is going to his first New Japan Cup Semifinals! Will Oleg soon take the Cup for his own?

2026 New Japan Cup Quarterfinals: Yuya Uemura VS Shingo Takagi!

The semifinals are fast approaching, but it’s going to take a lot to make it there. Will Yuya be able to slay the Rampaging Dragon? Or will Takagi be able to withstand the Heat Storm?

The bell rings and the fans rally for “TA-KA-GI! TA-KA-GI!” Yuya shrugs that off as he and Takagi feel out the grapple. They feel out the knuckle lock, but then tie up collar ‘n’ elbow. They end up on the ropes, go around, and Yuya lets off with pats on the shoulder. The fans applaud while the two reset. They feel things out again, knuckle lock this time, then Takagi drop toeholds. Takagi floats to the headlock, but Yuya fights up to roll Takagi, and now Yuya has the headlock. Takagi rolls to a cover, ONE! Yuya holds on, then shifts to the armlock. Takagi clasps hands to fight it, then stands up to put Yuya on the ropes.

Red Shoes calls the break, and Takagi lets off slowly, claiming clean break. But he takes a swing! Yuya ducks the chop to then headlock. Takagi powers up and out to headlock back. Yuya powers up and out, then drops down, hurdles over, only for Takagi to counter hip toss with an arm-drag! Things keep moving, Yuya RAMS Takagi, but Takagi rebounds to RUN Yuya over! The fans cheer while Yuya goes to a corner. Takagi is on Yuya and whips him corner to corner. Yuya goes up and over to then arm-drag, but Takagi avoids the dropkick to ELBOW DROP! Cover, ONE, but Takagi SENTONS! The fans cheer while Yuya sputters.

The fans rally, and there are some Yuya fans out there, but Takagi waits on Yuya. Yuya stands, and Takagi LARIATS him up and out! The fans applaud while Takagi goes out to fetch Yuya. Takagi drags Yuya up, whips him to railing, and the fans fire up. Takagi says one more time, and he whips Yuya hard into more railing! Yuya tumbles up and over into the front row, but Takagi opens the gate to fetch him. Takagi brings Yuya up, promising a clean fight. Takagi brings Yuya to the ring, but Yuya grabs for railing. Takagi stomps Yuya, then puts him in the ring. The fans applaud, and Takagi brings Yuya up.

Takagi suplexes Yuya high and hard! Cover, TWO! The fans applaud as Yuya stays in this, and Takagi looks to the camera. But Takagi says no, not yet. Takagi kicks Yuya around, drags him up, but Yuya fights the back suplex! Yuya CLUBS away on Takagi, but Takagi fires body shots! And an ELBOW! JAB! YUKON- NO, Yuya catches the arm for an ARMBAR DDT, then an ARM TWEAK! Takagi staggers but into the arm-drag! Yuya steps over to hook the arm, and SNAP LOCKS it! Takagi clutches the arm while the fans rally up again. Takagi rolls to the outside but Yuya eggs him on. Takagi says hold on, but Yuya rushes him!

Takagi BOOTS Yuya, then whips, but Yuya reverses! Takagi hits railing, then Yuya whips again, into more railing! Takagi slumps against the railing, but Yuya is right on him. Yuya grabs the bad arm, wraps it around the railing, and pulls! Then Yuya BOOTS the railing to jam the arm up! The fans rally while Takagi slumps to the floor. Yuya drags Takagi up, puts him in the ring, and the fans applaud. Yuya wrenches the arm, then snapmares Takagi so he can drop ELBOW after ELBOW on the bad arm! Yuya then clamps on with a double wristlock, but Takagi endures. Takagi fires knees into Yuya’s back but Yuya traps the arm in a leg scissor!

The fans rally as Takagi endures, and he reaches out for the ROPEBREAK! Yuya lets go, the fans rally, and Takagi shakes out the bad arm. Yuya stands Takagi up but Takagi fires forearms and JABS! Yuya WRINGS the bad arm! And WRINGS it again! And YANKS it! Yuya then tries the double wristlock again. Yuya shifts to a hammerlock, then a scoop, but Takagi fires knees to get free! Yuya ripcords Takagi for a BIG back suplex! Cover, TWO! But Yuya’s right back to the DOUBLE WRISTLOCK! Takagi endures, kicks around, but Yuya pulls the arm! Takagi still makes the ROPEBREAK! The fans cheer, and Takagi is free.

Takagi shakes out the bad arm but Yuya is on him again. Yuya CHOPS Takagi against the ropes. Yuya then wrenches Takagi into an ELBOW BREAKER! And ELBOW BREAKER! And ELBOW BREAKER! But Takagi gets a SLEEPER! Yuya slips through to put the SLEEPER on Takagi! Takagi endures, he pries at the hold, and the fans rally up. Takagi powers up to SAIDO Yuya away! The fans fire up while both men are down! Takagi storms up on Yuya, kicks him around, then HIP ATTACKS! Yuya takes a swing, but Takagi catches him to hook the arms. Yuya fights the backslide so Takagi spins him for a suplex, into the SWINGING NECKBREAKER!

The fans fire up behind Takagi while Yuya goes to the corner. Takagi runs in, blocks a boot, and he LARIATS through! The fans cheer Takagi on as he JABS and CHOPS away on Yuya! Then JAB, JAB, JAB! Yuya fires back up but Takagi JABS him back down! Takagi hoists Yuya up top, then he climbs up to join him! The fans cheer as Takagi goes to the very top! Takagi lifts Yuya for the SUPER DUPER PLEX! Both men are down and the fans fire up again! Takagi then gets moving, and SLIDING PUMPING BOMBER! Then he reels Yuya in for a POWERBOMB! High stack, TWO! Yuya survives the “Yukon Bomb” and the fans fire up again!

Takagi rallies the fans, and he looks to the camera. “TOKI GA KITA!” The fans fire up for Takagi, and he drags Yuya back up. Takagi pump handles, then half nelsons, but Yuya fires elbows! Takagi KNEES low, lifts, but Yuya arm-drags through! Yuya traps the arm again, for another SNAP LOCK! Yuya storms up on Takagi, wrenches and YANKS the bad arm again and again, then wrenches for an ELBOW- BODY BLOW from Takagi! ELB- NO! Yuya catches the arm for a takedown! FUJIWARA ARMBAR! Takagi endures, fights his way around, but Yuya puts on the pressure! Takagi still manages the ROPEBREAK! The fans cheer while Yuya lets go.

Yuya stalks Takagi, waistlocks, but Takagi fights the lift. Takagi RAMS Yuya back, but Yuya runs up again! Yuya goes for the arm, but Takagi rolls. Yuya KNEES low, then runs, but into an ELBOW! Yuya ROCKS Takagi in return! But Takagi JABS! Yuya ENZIGIRIS! Both men are down again and the fans fire back up! Yuya rises, he eggs Takagi on, then he waistlocks. Yuya half nelsons, then full nelsons, but Takagi breaks it! Only for Yuya to GERMAN SUPLEX! But Takagi’s right up, and he SAIDOS Yuya! But Yuya’s right up, to SAIDO in return! Both men stand, but Takagi slips around Yuya to SNAP HALF ‘N’ HALF!

Both men are down, but Takagi gets moving! Only for Yuya to DROPKICK! Both men are down again, and the fans rally up even harder. Yuya crawls to the ropes, then heads back to Takagi. Yuya half nelsons, then full nelsons, but Takagi fights it again! Takagi powers up, but so does Yuya! Yuya waistlocks, but Takagi ELBOWS free! And ELBOWS again! Then JABS! JABS! JABS! A flurry of JABS, then a flurry of HEADBUTTS! YUKON- NO, Yuya ducks to DRAGON SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO!! Takagi survives but Yuya roars! The fans fire up again as Yuya hobbles his way over to the corner. Yuya climbs up, takes aim, and HIGH FLY ATTACK FLOP!

The fans cheer as Takagi avoids the crossbody! Takagi then brings Yuya up and around to rain down HAMMER ‘N’ ANVIL ELBOWS! Then a BLINDSIDE PUMPING BOMBER! Takagi hauls Yuya up, pump handles, and SNAP MADE IN JAPAN!! Cover, TWO!! Yuya survives as Takagi couldn’t give it the full power! But Takagi just fires himself back up, and the fans are with him! Takagi rises up, stands Yuya up, and fires boxing elbows! Takagi ROCKS Yuya, but Yuya rises, only for Takagi to JAB! And HEADBUTT! Takagi winds up, but Yuya catches the lariat! Yuya has the cording holds! But Takagi fights the suplex!

Takagi powers Yuya to the ropes, to then OVERHEAD BELLY2BELLY! Takagi runs up, but Yuya dodges! But PUMPING BOMBER finds him on the rebound!! The fans are thunderous as Takagi fireman’s carries with the pump handle, BURNING DRAGON! Cover, TWO!?!? Yuya survives and shocks everyone! Takagi is beside himself, but he refocuses and brings Yuya back up. Takagi pump handles and torture racks, but Yuya pops free! Yuya has one arm, but Takagi HEADBUTTS away on Yuya! Yuya PELES! Yuya roars, Takagi runs up, but Yuya RANAS! Yuya wants the arm but Takagi fights around! Takagi ends up in a TRIANGLE HOLD!

Yuya puts on the pressure while the fans rally harder and harder! Takagi endures, powers up, and he deadlifts Yuya, but Yuya slips free! Cording holds, and DEADBOLT SUPLEX! But Yuya couldn’t hold on, no bridging cover! Yuya goes to a corner and waits on Takagi. The fans rally as hard as they can as Yuya runs corner to corner! DROPKICK!! Takagi falls and Yuya roars! Yuya climbs up the corner, but Takagi stands! Takagi hits the ropes to trip Yuya up! The fans rally as Takagi climbs up after Yuya! Takagi HAMMERS and HEADBUTTS Yuya, but Yuya grabs an arm! DOUBLE WRISTLOCK! Red Shoes reprimands, Yuya lets go, and SUPER SUNSET-

NO, Takagi holds on! But the bad arms don’t last and Yuya pries Takagi from the corner for a POWERBOMB! Yuya goes back up top, and HIGH FLY FLOW!! Cover, TWO!??! But Yuya has the KIMURA!! Takagi endures, even as Yuya pushes on the arm! The fans are thunderous as Takagi fights around, and he pushes up to reach out! Yuya arm-drags Takagi, then cording holds! POINT-BLANK PUMPING BOMBER! Yuya stays up, and he wants the other arm! POINT-BLANK PUMPING BOMBER again! Yuya stays up, then catches the other arm! Takagi fights the lift, and both men HEADBUTT again and again and again!

Yuya HEADBUTTS harder, and he DEADBOLT SUPLEXES! With the bridging cover! YUYA WINS!!!

Winner: Yuya Uemura, by pinfall (advances to the semifinals)

Through the fire and the flames, these two battled with the burning passion of fighting spirit! But in the end, the Rampaging Dragon has been slain! Will Takagi ever return to the top of NJPW?

As for Yuya, well, he’s supposed to get the mic but Takagi takes it first! “Oi, Uemura! Now that you beat me in Yamanashi, you better win the Cup!” The fans cheer as the hometown hero wants Yuya to carry on the banner. As Takagi goes up the aisle, Yuya grabs the mic to tell him, “I finally beat you! Five years ago, we first wrestled, and you beat me over and over. But I finally beat you!” The fans do applaud that, too. Yuya says he won’t quite thank Takagi. But he does hope they fight even harder next time and tear it up! Thank you very much! The fans cheer that show of respect between two manly warriors.

Yuya then turns to the crowd to tell them he just won in the quarterfinals! The fans cheer that, and Yuya thanks everyone here and watching at home. The fans cheer again, and Yuya adds that this match fired him up even more. He’ll keep this heat going right into the finals. The fans cheer that, too, and Yuya promises they’ll keep the flames going in the New Japan Cup! OSHA! Yamanashi is fired up for the Heat Storm, but will this rising sun soon shine from the mountaintop?

My Thoughts:

A great start to the quarterfinal round, and perhaps a surprise result for Oleg VS Ren. The House of course tried cheating as they always do, but Oleg overcoming both that and the leg damage was great stuff. Oleg not only has two titles right now, but he is now in the Final Four, that is big for a young star like him. Then an awesome main event from Yuya VS Takagi. Obviously, Takagi being from Yamanashi, he had the crowd behind him in like an 80-20 split. But with how strong Yuya’s been going in this tournament, he was the right choice for story. Plus, seeing how Yuya is on the opposite side of the bracket as Shota Umino… There’s a good chance those tag team partners are forced to fight in the finals, thereby proving who is really stepping into the role of New Ace.

My Score: 8.9/10