New Japan Pro-Wrestling opened its 2026 Super Jr. Tag League tournament on October 24 at Kumagaya City Civic Gymnasium in Saitama Prefecture. The opening event featured matches from both the A Block and B Block, giving every listed team an immediate opportunity to establish its position in the early tournament standings.

Among the teams making a strong first impression were The Swirl, Lee Johnson and Blake Christian. The tandem defeated Hyo and YOH in B Block action to move to 1-0, while their opponents left the opening night at 0-1. With a league format placing major value on every early result, Johnson and Christian secured an important start in a competitive field.

The show also saw victories for United Empire, Ichiban Sweet Boys, HOUSE OF TORTURE’s Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI, Unbound Co., and the pairing of KUUKAI and Master Wato. Each winning side began the tournament with a 1-0 record, while the defeated teams will look to rebound as the Super Jr. Tag League continues.

The Swirl Start B Block at 1-0

Lee Johnson and Blake Christian entered the tournament as The Swirl and immediately collected a B Block victory over Hyo and YOH. The result gave The Swirl one win from one match and placed Hyo and YOH on the opposite side of the opening-night ledger at 0-1.

For more background on this topic, read El Desperado Withdraws From Super Junior Tag League With Spinal Canal Stenosis And Hernia.

It was a significant early outcome simply because the Super Jr. Tag League is built around cumulative results. A tournament-opening victory does not decide a block, but it provides momentum and ensures a team is not immediately forced into recovery mode. For Johnson and Christian, the win established their partnership as one that will have to be considered as B Block develops.

Hyo and YOH, meanwhile, have time to respond, but their next league appearances will carry additional importance. The first night did not settle the block race, though it did make the path clearer: The Swirl have created a foundation, while Hyo and YOH will need to turn their record around.

United Empire Defeat HOUSE OF TORTURE

B Block action also featured United Empire’s Jakob Austin Young and Francesco Akira against Dick Togo and SHO of HOUSE OF TORTURE. Young and Akira emerged victorious, opening their campaign at 1-0. Togo and SHO began at 0-1.

The result means B Block produced three winning teams on the opening card: United Empire, Ichiban Sweet Boys, and The Swirl. Each now owns a victory, and each has set an early standard for the teams still seeking their first league points.

For Togo and SHO, the loss places an immediate emphasis on their next outing. A single defeat is far from decisive at the start of a tag league, but tournament schedules can make quick responses essential. Their opening result also adds pressure to every subsequent B Block match against opponents who are attempting to separate themselves in the standings.

Ichiban Sweet Boys Earn Opening Win

Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles, competing as Ichiban Sweet Boys, defeated Daiki Nagai and Titán in another B Block contest. Fujita and Eagles moved to 1-0, while Nagai and Titán dropped to 0-1.

That victory put Ichiban Sweet Boys alongside United Empire and The Swirl among the successful B Block teams on October 24. While the tournament is only beginning, the block already has a defined early divide between the teams that have a win in hand and those that will be seeking to even their records.

Nagai and Titán will now aim to use the remaining league schedule to make up ground. The strength of a tag league is that an opening loss does not remove a team from contention, but it does mean future results become more consequential. Any team that begins 0-1 must eventually defeat opponents that have already gained an early advantage.

A Block Winners Take the First Step

The A Block portion of the card began with HOUSE OF TORTURE’s Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI defeating Nick Wayne and KUSHIDA. Kanemaru and DOUKI improved to 1-0, while Wayne and KUSHIDA opened at 0-1.

Unbound Co., the team of Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori, also began with a victory. Robbie X and Ishimori defeated Kazuma Sumi and Ryusuke Taguchi to claim their first A Block win. Unbound Co. stood at 1-0 after the match, with Sumi and Taguchi at 0-1.

The final listed A Block match saw KUUKAI and Master Wato defeat Masatora Yasuda and Místico. KUUKAI and Wato moved to 1-0, while Yasuda and Místico fell to 0-1.

As a result, A Block’s opening winners were Kanemaru and DOUKI, Unbound Co., and KUUKAI with Master Wato. The trio of victorious teams each gained valuable early momentum, though the standings remain in their infancy following just one night of tournament competition.

Opening Night Sets the Tournament Picture

The Super Jr. Tag League’s first event was structured around giving the participating teams their opening block matches, with three B Block matches and three A Block matches on the card. That format made the night particularly important for establishing the first records across both sides of the field.

In B Block, United Empire, Ichiban Sweet Boys, and The Swirl all sit at 1-0. Dick Togo and SHO, Daiki Nagai and Titán, and Hyo and YOH are each 0-1 following their opening contests. The early records leave the block tightly packed, but the winners have given themselves the strongest available start.

A Block is similarly defined by three teams beginning with victories. Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI, Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori, and KUUKAI and Master Wato all earned their opening wins. Nick Wayne and KUSHIDA, Kazuma Sumi and Ryusuke Taguchi, and Masatora Yasuda and Místico will be looking for their first wins in the matches ahead.

At this stage, no team has built an insurmountable lead, and no defeated team has been eliminated from the wider race. Still, the importance of the opening results should not be understated. In a tournament environment, the difference between 1-0 and 0-1 can reshape the urgency surrounding a team’s next match.

Tatsuya Matsumoto Wins Non-League Match

Outside the Super Jr. Tag League block matches, Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Taisei Nakahara. The singles contest opened the event before the tournament action took over the rest of the card.

The match gave the Kumagaya crowd a singles result before the focus shifted fully to the junior heavyweight tag tournament. From there, the show established the first set of records for both blocks and began the process of determining which combinations can maintain their momentum through the league schedule.

NJPW Super Jr. Tag League Results – October 24, 2026

  • Tatsuya Matsumoto defeated Taisei Nakahara.
  • Super Jr. Tag League B Block: United Empire’s Jakob Austin Young and Francesco Akira (1-0) defeated HOUSE OF TORTURE’s Dick Togo and SHO (0-1).
  • Super Jr. Tag League A Block: HOUSE OF TORTURE’s Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI (1-0) defeated Nick Wayne and KUSHIDA (0-1).
  • Super Jr. Tag League B Block: Ichiban Sweet Boys’ Kosei Fujita and Robbie Eagles (1-0) defeated Daiki Nagai and Titán (0-1).
  • Super Jr. Tag League A Block: Unbound Co.’s Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori (1-0) defeated Kazuma Sumi and Ryusuke Taguchi (0-1).
  • Super Jr. Tag League B Block: The Swirl’s Lee Johnson and Blake Christian (1-0) defeated Hyo and YOH (0-1).
  • Super Jr. Tag League A Block: KUUKAI and Master Wato (1-0) defeated Masatora Yasuda and Místico (0-1).

NJPW’s 2026 Super Jr. Tag League is now underway, with The Swirl, United Empire, Ichiban Sweet Boys, Kanemaru and DOUKI, Unbound Co., and KUUKAI with Master Wato all taking the first step with opening-night victories in Saitama Prefecture.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.