Only one STRONG title was defended between The New Beginning USA event and Mania weekend. Alex Windsor challenged Syuri to a STRONG Women’s title match via video after Syuri retained her IWGP Women’s Championship against Athena at New Beginning. The match would be made official for Pro Wrestling EVE in Windsor’s home country of England, which is also the promotion in which Syuri defeated Windsor the previous year in an IWGP Women’s title bout.

NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship
Syuri vs. Alex Windsor
Pro Wrestling EVE 146: Wrestle Queendom VIII – London, England – 3.8.2026

Syuri has been champion since 1.4.2026 and this is her first defense. The story of this match was Windsor wanting so badly to get redemption from her previous loss to Syuri. It was not easy. Any offensive stride Windsor gained was cut off, and Syuri was able to counter some of Windsor’s counters as well. Syuri was also fighting for an arm submission, first a cross armbreaker, and then a modified shoulder lock. Any time Windsor was able to get momentum, it was due to her strength, which is why it was foolish for Syuri to put a bodyscissors on Windsor while she had her in a shoulder lock. Because Syuri put herself in that position, Windsor was able to suplex her way out of the hold. Just when it seemed Windsor had the better of Syuri during a strike and suplex exchange, Syuri cracked Windsor right under her jaw with a knee strike. Windsor absorbed Syuri’s chest kicks, firing herself up as she asked Syuri for more. She caught a kick from Syuri and delivered a headbutt. Windsor then swung Syuri into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two, and Syuri came back with a kick upside the head for her own two count. Windsor avoided an electric chair maneuver but took another kick to the head after Syuri escaped her sharpshooter attempt. Windsor rocked Syuri with three lariats before dropping her with Made In Japan for the pin and the title at 16:16. I am ambivalent about the title change. Windsor hopefully will defend the title more consistently and in more places than Syuri, and I think this was a feel-good moment in her home country. However, it’s yet another STRONG title change on a non-New Japan show, which does make the title feel as if it is not important to New Japan (and it’s easy to argue that it isn’t.) In a vacuum, though, this was wonderful. Windsor did a tremendous job emoting the importance of this match and it made her win feel significant. ***½

Las Vegas, NV – 4.16.2026

El Desperado, who has been delving more into deathmatch wrestling the past four or so years, held an Invitational event called the “Despe Invitacional” in June 2024. Due to the success of the event, a second event was held last June, selling out Korakuen Hall and providing another highly regarded main event between himself and Jun Kasai. That event was called the “Death Pain Invitational.” Desperado would be given the opportunity to produce a third event in Las Vegas for Mania weekend in 2026. Desperado invited wrestlers from all over Japan and the U.S. to be involved.

Commentary is provided by Jordan Castle & Veda Scott.

Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Fuminori Abe

Abe was a mystery opponent, handpicked by Hikaru Sato, who Sabre defeated on the inaugural Despe Invitational event in 2024. This is Abe’s NJPW debut. Sabre went after Abe’s knee, so Abe went after Sabre’s knee, and Sabre turned that around and did more damage to the knee. When Abe went after his arm, Sabre stomped Abe’s elbow into the mat. Sabre made the mistake of mocking Abe with a light pat to the face, and Abe showed that while Sabre may best him in grappling, one open handed strike showed Abe possessed the heavier hands of the two. It looked as if Abe had taken full control of the match on the floor with strikes and kicks, but Sabre caught him with a neck twist on the ring apron and went back to picking apart Abe’s appendages back inside the ring. When Abe attacked Sabre’s back, Sabre once again twisted his neck. Abe failed to out maneuver Sabre on the mat. During a strike exchange, he knocked down the former IWGP champion with an Irabu Punch to reset the contest. He looked for an Octopus Hold on Sabre, manipulating Sabre’s fingers in the process. Sabre countered into a horse collar, then a deep ankle lock. Abe used the ropes to try for yet another rolling Irabu Punch, but Sabre countered into a Clutch. Abe countered that and tried a rebound pin. Sabre rolled Abe onto his shoulders and delivered a PK. Abe fired up, but walked right into a Michinoku Driver, which gave Sabre the pin at 16:48. This is the exact kind of match that would make an on-the-fence New Japan fan pick up the show on replay. It was Sabre at his best – cocky counter wrestling seguing into intense body torture. Abe was able to give it as good as he took it, but unlike Sabre, he had no game plan. He threw everything at Sabre while Sabre was more deliberate in picking Abe apart. I think Sabre using Abe’s own momentum against him to deliver the finishing blow was a perfect way to conclude that story. If you like either of these two wrestlers, you will certainly dig this. ***¾

Cute? Sexy? Hardcore Three Way Match
Effy vs. ISHIN vs. Jimmy Lloyd

Everyone in this match is making their NJPW debut. ISHIN is a member of the Dragon Gate roster. This was not at all like the first match. There was thrusting humor, Effy had his oil checked by ISHIN while Lloyd shoved his fingers into his mouth and they also hit each other with and threw each other onto chairs. Effy introduced a table into the match, only for Lloyd to put him through it with a corner powerbomb. While Effy was indisposed, ISHIN covered Lloyd in chairs. Effy met ISHIN on the top turnbuckle. Instead of thwarting ISHIN, ISHIN smooched Effy and superplexed him onto the chairs and Lloyd. ISHIN then put away Lloyd with a top rope splash at 8:22. This was exactly what the tagline promised. **

Runway Rush & Crash – A Drop Dead Gorgeous Three Way Match
Alec Price & Jordan Oliver vs. KUSHIDA & YAMATO vs. MxM Collection (Mansoor & Mason Madden)

This is MxM Collection’s NJPW debut. One member from each team was legal throughout the contest. MxM were the centerpiece of this match, either showboating and reigning supreme, or being caught off guard by one of their opponents. YAMATO knew ball, striking his signature pose after taking out Mansoor, but then being spooked by Madden’s height. When the other two teams fought for a double suplex, Madden wiped all four of them out with a spear, and then also booted Oliver into a German suplex from Mansoor. This broke down into each wrestler or team hitting big moves and going for pins, while the third man ultimately broke up that pin. After he took out both Price and Oliver with chokeslams, KUSHIDA countered a chokeslam from Madden with a DDT, taking the big man out of the match. YAMATO caught Price flush with a dropkick in the corner, and KUSHIDA wiped out Oliver with a dive to the floor. KUSHIDA then pinned Mansoor with Back to the Future (small package driver) at 10:08. It is interesting that a first time tandem defeated two more experienced teams, however, YAMATO and KUSHIDA did work together very well and were more experienced in general than everyone else in the match. I would like to see them come back together for Jr. Tag League. I’d also like Price and Oliver in that tournament too. They had a really impressive offensive streak that got the crowd going. His was very fun. ***

High-Stakes Heartbreak Jackpot Match
El Phantasmo & Maika vs. Dragon Kid & Starlight Kid

Maika replaces the originally scheduled Maki Itoh, who could not make the event due to Visa issues. ELP and Maika bully the diminutive Starlight Kid to the crowd’s dismay. Starlight Kid has no qualms giving ELP a double nipple twister to try and escape, but when ELP teases doing the same, even Maika has to stop her partner. Maika misses two Kokeshi’s, and makes her try it a third time, this time holding Starlight Kid’s arms down. However, when Maika tries, SLK pulls ELP in the way. SLK then springboard crossbody’s onto Maika and lands a high speed dropkick to the chest before finally tagging Dragon Kid into the bout. He wipes out ELP with the Bermuda Triangle while SLK takes out Maika with a crossbody to the floor. Friendly fire once again thwarts Maika and ELP, leading to Dragon Kid putting Maika in Christo while SLK has ELP in a Stretch Muffler. They both use rope breaks to escape and ELP overpowers SLK into a brainbuster for two. When ELP takes SLKt to the top turnbuckle, Dragon Kid catches ELP off guard with a super reverse Frankensteiner. SLK follows up with a high crossbody, but Maika breaks up the pin. ELP evades a tiger feint kick and drops Dragon Kid with a cut-throat slam. Maika holds onto Starlight Kid in a sleeper as ELP sets up for the CR-II. Kid counters into a huracanrana. Maika savate kicks Kid, turning his huracanrana into a sunset pin from ELP, giving ELP and Maika the win at 12:29. This had a fun energy to it that kind of fell apart towards the end. Once the teams changed, I think it would’ve behooved them to give the Kid tandem a feel-good win. Still, this was an enjoyable match. ***

The Rigged Roulette: House Rules Hardcore Match
Gedo & Daisuke Sasaki vs. Gringo Loco & Joey Janela

This is Gringo Loco’s NJPW debut. There is no explanation as to what the “House Rules” are. It appears to just be a cute Vegas themed tagline for a standard hardcore match. It started fairly timid with chairs being the only weapons utilized in the first five minutes, outside of a fork which Gedo did not do much with. Then, he busted open both Loco and Janela with the fork, and even spiked Janela in the nether regions with it after putting Janela through his own door. Loco got revenge for his partner, forking both Gedo and Sasaki, and also putting Sasaki through a door with a Spanish Fly. Later, Janela would once again be hoisted by his own petard, setting up a pile of chairs that Sasaki ultimately superplexed him through. A battle of doors and chairs led to Janela giving Gedo a Death Valley Driver onto a chair for a very close nearfall. Janela then double stomps through a door onto Gedo to get the pin at 18:44. This was better than I anticipated. Gedo and Sasaki made for great antagonists and the crowd loved to see Janela and Loco take them to task. ***

Love & Pieces Three Way Death Match
El Desperado & Jun Kasai vs. Masashi Takeda & Rina Yamashita vs. Matt Tremont & Nick Gage

This is Tremont and Gage’s NJPW debut. There are panes of glass set up in two corners, and light tubes have been intricately placed upright on the ropes of three sides of the ring. They gave everyone exactly what they wanted from the start – Gage and Kasai interacting, ending with Gage tackling Kasai through one of the glass panes. Gage then was put through light tubes and a pane of glass thanks to tandem offense from Desperado and Yamashita. If you thought forks were bad, scissors were introduced by Takeda who dug them into Tremont’s head. He also gave Desperado a range onto a barbed wire board and ripped open his mask so that he can dig the scissors into his head unobstructed. Yamashita looked to put Tremont through a pane of glass with a super Frankensteiner, but Tremont instead super powerbombed her through the glass onto her own partner. Desperado and Kasai dug skewers into Tremont and Gage’s heads before giving them double DDT’s. It appeared as if they had Takeda and Yamashita pinned with double Pinche Loco’s, but Gage interrupted both of their pins by slicing them with a pizza cutter. After ridding of Gage, Desperado and Kasai double pinned Yamashita and Takeda after landing light tube assisted splashes, but only got nearfalls on the opposition. Gage dug a broken light tube into all four oppositions heads upon reentering the ring. Yamashita not only fires up after taking a Death Valley Driver from Tremont and a senton through lighttubes from Gage, but bites into the lighttube to make a statement. She also gives Kasai a sitdown belly-to-back piledriver onto broken glass. Tremont chokeslams Desperado through a fresh pane of glass, and Gage gives him a chokebreaker moments later, but Desperado fights free of Gage’s pin attempt. Gage piledrives Desperado twice and folds him up with a powerbomb to get the pin at 14:26. This is not my cup of tea, but this was quite the spectacle. If you bought this show specifically to see a deathmatch, this main event overdelivered. It was cool for Gage and Tremont to get the victory during “their” weekend, pinning the guy who produced the event in the process. Everyone got their time to shine and the crowd ate up everything from bell to bell. Again, I am not a deathmatch fan by any means, but this was a hell of spectacle. Gage and Kasai tease a singles match after the match and I hope we get it. ****

In the crowded space that is Mania weekend, I think New Japan going this route was a good idea. The show was different from everything else being offered that weekend, and with the variety of wrestlers featured, it could draw in many different types of fans visiting that weekend. It was also a relatively brisk match at under two and a half hours. If you’re a New Japan fan, I recommend checking out the opening match. If you’re a deathmatch fan, I recommend checking out the main event. If you’re just in the mood to watch a wrestling show with a variety of match types and characters, this certainly fits the bill.

The day after this event, in a different part of Vegas, Windsor made her first defense of the STRONG Women’s title at STARDOM:

NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship
Alex Windsor vs. Saya Iida
STARDOM American Dream 2026 – Las Vegas, NV – 4.17.2026

Windsor has been champion since 3.8.2026 and this is her first defense.Windsor attacked Iida’s knees at first, wearing her down for a sharpshooter. When Iida countered Made In Japan with a fisherman’s buster, this developed into a battle of power. Iida had the crowd convinced she had Windsor down for the count after a diving shoulder tackle, but Windsor got her shoulder up during the pin. Windsor escaped a brainbuster and delivered a headbutt to Iida. When Iida came at her, Windsor dropped her with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Windsor went back to the sharpshooter, and Iida crawled to the ropes to escape. Iida had Windsor rolled up after two lariats, but Windsor powered her way back to her feet. A superkick to the knee and chin led to Windsor successfully delivering Made In Japan for the pin at 11:59. This was a solid, meat and potatoes match. It lacked the emotional component that Windsor’s title win had, but was well wrestled and fun to watch. That’s really the only bar one needs to clear on a Mania weekend show. Iida is very good. ***