New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced a collaboration with the upcoming live-action Street Fighter movie, bringing the film’s promotional campaign directly into one of the company’s biggest scheduled events of the year.
The partnership will be featured at NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2026, which takes place on Monday, October 12 at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. Promotional material for the movie will be present at the event, while the Street Fighter logo is also set to appear on the ring mat and the corner posts.
The collaboration carries a particularly direct NJPW connection through Hirooki Goto. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion is part of the film’s cast and portrays E. Honda, also known as Edmond Honda. Goto’s involvement gives the October 12 presentation a clear link between the wrestling ring in Tokyo and the movie arriving in theaters just days later.
Street Fighter is scheduled for a theatrical release on October 16. Alongside Goto, the film features WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes as Guile and WWE World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns as Akuma.
For more background on this topic, read The Knockout Brothers Win IWGP Tag Titles as Jeff Cobb Joins King of Pro-Wrestling Challenge.
Goto’s Movie Role Brings a New Spotlight to NJPW
Goto has long been one of NJPW’s most established names, with a career that includes a reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion. His casting as E. Honda places a recognizable NJPW performer in a major live-action adaptation and creates an unusual opportunity for the promotion to connect one of its own stars with a global entertainment property.
The October 12 event will arrive four days before the movie’s scheduled theater debut, making King of Pro-Wrestling an important part of the film’s final promotional stretch. Rather than limiting the partnership to a simple announcement, NJPW will visibly integrate the movie into the presentation inside Ryōgoku Kokugikan through branding on the canvas and turnbuckles.
That decision ensures the collaboration will be seen throughout the event, whether viewers are watching the matches in the building or following the show live on NJPW World. The logo placement is a prominent presentation choice for an NJPW card, and it places the Street Fighter campaign at the center of the visual identity for the show.
For Goto, the promotion also provides a timely way to recognize his involvement in the production ahead of its release. His role as E. Honda connects naturally with the wrestling setting, while his place on the NJPW roster gives the company a unique point of involvement that goes beyond a standard movie tie-in.
King of Pro-Wrestling Set for Ryōgoku Kokugikan
King of Pro-Wrestling 2026 is set for Ryōgoku Kokugikan, one of Tokyo’s most recognizable venues and a setting that gives the collaboration a fittingly major stage. NJPW will present the event on Monday, October 12, with the show available live through NJPW World.
The timing gives NJPW audiences an opportunity to see the movie branding in the same environment where Goto has built much of his career. While the announced details center on the event’s promotional materials and ring presentation, the company’s decision to feature the film at King of Pro-Wrestling underlines the importance of the connection.
NJPW has not announced additional details regarding the collaboration beyond the planned presence of promotional material and the Street Fighter logo on the ring mat and corner posts. Even so, the elements that have been confirmed will make the partnership difficult to miss during the live broadcast.
The canvas and corner posts are among the most frequently visible parts of a wrestling production. By using those spaces for the film’s logo, NJPW is making the collaboration part of the event’s presentation from the opening bell through the final match. It is also a straightforward way to spotlight Goto’s acting role without changing the focus of the card itself.
A Wrestling Cast Across Multiple Promotions
The new Street Fighter movie has assembled a cast that includes prominent wrestlers from more than one major promotion. Goto represents NJPW through his portrayal of E. Honda, while Rhodes is set to play Guile and Reigns will portray Akuma.
Rhodes remains one of WWE’s leading active stars, and Reigns enters the film while holding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Their involvement, combined with Goto’s role, gives the movie a notable professional-wrestling presence across NJPW and WWE.
For NJPW, however, the October 12 collaboration is specifically built around Goto and his connection to E. Honda. The event will serve as a home-promotion platform for the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion shortly before audiences can see him in the film.
There is a broader significance to that timing. Wrestling performers regularly bring skills in physical performance, character work, live presentation, and audience connection to projects outside the ring. In this case, NJPW is directly acknowledging one of its performers’ work in a theatrical release and incorporating that recognition into a major live event.
The presence of Rhodes and Reigns also means the movie’s cast has strong name recognition among wrestling viewers internationally. Yet the NJPW activation at King of Pro-Wrestling provides its own distinct perspective: a Tokyo event promoting a film that includes a current NJPW star in the role of Edmond Honda.
Four Days From the Ring to Theaters
The schedule is clear: NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2026 takes place October 12, and Street Fighter arrives in theaters October 16. The four-day gap makes the event an immediate lead-in to the movie’s release.
Fans attending Ryōgoku Kokugikan and those watching on NJPW World will see the film’s branding during the live presentation. Then, later that same week, Goto’s performance as E. Honda will reach theaters as part of the live-action feature.
The collaboration gives King of Pro-Wrestling another point of attention beyond its in-ring action, while keeping the focus tied to a performer with substantial history in NJPW. Goto’s former IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign remains an important part of his standing in the company, and his film role now adds another chapter to his public profile.
It also marks a significant promotional moment for the movie in Japan. Ryōgoku Kokugikan will host an NJPW event with the Street Fighter identity built into the ring setup itself, offering a high-visibility setting shortly before the theatrical launch.
NJPW King of Pro-Wrestling 2026 takes place Monday, October 12 at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo and streams live on NJPW World. The live-action Street Fighter movie opens in theaters on October 16.
What to Watch on October 12
The central point for viewers will be the way NJPW presents the confirmed movie integration throughout King of Pro-Wrestling. Promotional material, the branded ring mat, and the branded corner posts will all connect the October 12 show to the upcoming release.
Goto’s participation as E. Honda gives those visuals added meaning for NJPW fans. This is not simply a film campaign appearing at a wrestling show; it is a campaign connected to an active NJPW name with a major championship history in the promotion.
As the release date approaches, the partnership places NJPW within the promotional rollout for one of the month’s notable theatrical arrivals. King of Pro-Wrestling 2026 will therefore stand as both a major NJPW event and a visible pre-release stop for Street Fighter, with Hirooki Goto at the heart of the connection.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.