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New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is one of the world’s leading professional wrestling companies and is looking to leverage its influence in the US with its upcoming show this week.
The New Beginning takes place on Friday in Trenton, New Jersey at the CURE Insurance Arena and fans eager to enjoy strong style professional wrestling will be able to see a loaded card.
Rocky Romero, a longtime NJPW wrestler and ambassador who also performs for AEW, told Pak Gazette Digital that having the show in central New Jersey was a perfect location due to its location between New York City and Philadelphia.
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New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s The New Beginning will take place on February 27, 2026. (New Japan Professional Wrestling)
“New Japan Pro-Wrestling has obviously been doing shows for the last seven years all over the United States. We usually hit New York and Philadelphia; we found a place right in the middle in Trenton, New Jersey,” he said. “I think it’s a good venue to appeal to both markets and I think overall the excitement of returning to the East Coast, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, is really an event like no other. The hard-hitting style of Japanese pro wrestling here on American soil. There’s nothing like it.”
There are several big names that will compete on the card.
David Finlay will face Fred Rosser in a singles match, Ricochet will defend the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) National Championship against Taiji Ishimori, NJPW World Television Champion El Phantasmo will defend his title against Kosuke Takeshita, International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) Women’s Champion Syuri will face Ring of Honor (ROH) World Women’s Champion Athena, and AEW star, Andrade El Idolo, will challenge the IWGP global heavyweight. champion Yota Tsuji for his title, just to name a few.
The set of matches in New Jersey is part of NJPW’s strategy to expand further in the U.S. It is the first time since July that the promotion has had a show in the U.S.
But growing interest in NJPW from American professional wrestling fans has been one of the company’s goals since the mid-2010s, Romero said.
“New Japan’s goal since 2017-2018 has always been to grow internationally,” he explained. “They are the number one wrestling promotion in Japan and all of Asia. So it makes sense to come to the United States and expand the product globally. A few years ago, maybe 10 years ago, there was no way to watch New Japan Wrestling, but now it’s very easy. NJPWworld.com, you can just log on and it’s like $9 a month and anyone can watch it from anywhere in the world.
“I think the mission now is to take New Japan even further on a global level. And not just in the United States, but we are looking at other places like now China, Australia is always there, the United Kingdom, possibly Germany. So, there are different markets around the world that I would be very interested in seeing the New Japan product.”
Rocky Romero enters the ring during New Japan Pro-Wrestling – Wrestle Kingdom 16 at the Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2022 in Tokyo, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
While Romero mentioned streaming as a way to expand how wrestling fans can access NJPW’s product, he emphasized that partnerships with AEW and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) have also been valuable for New Japan.
The menu of options for pro wrestling fans continues to grow each year. The average professional wrestling fan could watch a show at least six days a week. Romero said that while that is true, New Japan brings a different style of wrestling to the table.
“New Japan just brings something different,” he told Pak Gazette Digital. “I think the performance feels similar to a big boxing match. When I was a kid I watched a (Mike) Tyson PPV on HBO or something. It feels like that. I think it brings that flavor, and honestly, the athleticism of our talent is not comparable to anyone else’s. And also, the style is more focused on the ring. We have great characters too, but our guys just take it to the next level in physicality and emotion.
“I think the way it’s presented feels like, wow, this is something really cool. A lot of fans who I think are casual fans who are used to watching North American professional wrestling, the first time they see New Japan, they just get hooked – the energy of the crowd.”
Romero knows New Japan well.
He started in New Japan in 2010 after having appeared in CMLL, Ring of Honor and Lucha Libre AAA World Wide. He reminded Pak Gazette Digital of his New Japan debut, going from performing in gyms to a packed arena at just 20 years old.
“My first and greatest memory was my debut match at the Tokyo Dome in front of 50,000 people. And, you know, I’m just a kid. I’m a kid. And walking down the long ramp and seeing the sea of people, I remember someone telling me, ‘When you come out, don’t look too fast because you’ll see a ton of people and you’ll probably be scared.’
“And I couldn’t help but look up and there was a sea of people and I got scared. I was like, oh my God, this is really real and it’s really happening.”
Konosuke Takeshita and Rocky Romero celebrate victory by competing during New Japan Pro-Wrestling at Ota-City General Gymnasium on January 5, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
Romero has since strengthened his relationship with New Japan and is now a “bridge builder” between the company and other wrestling cultures in North America. In AEW, he partners with Trent Beretta and they are aligned with the Don Callis family faction.
He suggested to Pak Gazette Digital that he enjoys his roles in both professional wrestling companies.
“The good thing about this is that AEW, especially Tony Khan, has a lot of respect and a lot of love for New Japan and New Japan has always supported AEW,” Romero said. “I think it’s a partnership that really works and obviously it’s an essential partnership when you’re facing someone who has such a large market share in WWE. So, I think it’s very strategic and now that we’ve brought CMLL into the mix, these three big promotions really work together fluidly and work on storylines that cross all three promotions and feature talent from each company and champions.
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“I think the people who stand out the most in this are the fans because the fans get to see these dream matches and these dream situations. I think the fans are the ones who stand out the most in this.”
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