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Callum Newman Sets Record By Winning IWGP Heavyweight Championship at NJPW Sakura Genesis

Callum Newman capitalized on the opportunity he earned after winning the New Japan Cup and became the new IWGP Heavyweight champion.
Aidan Chacon|
Callum Newman is the 2026 New Japan Cup winner.
Callum Newman is the 2026 New Japan Cup winner. | New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Callum Newman, 23, is on his way to superstardom in the pro wrestling world and his most recent win is indicative of that.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling held their Sakura Gensis pay-per-view last night inside Ryōgoku Sumo Hall, where Newman faced off against IWGP Heavyweight champion Yota Tsuji and walked away with the gold.

Tsuji had been the champion since this past January when he beat Konosuke Takeshita in a Winner Takes All match at WrestleKingdom 20 to unify the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship and IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Callum Newman stands over David Finlay
njpw1972.com

The Global Heavyweight belt was retired following Tsuji's win over The Alpha, and the IWGP World Heavweight Championship belt also reverted back to the previous title before Tetsuya Naito beat IWGP Intercontinental champion EVIL in the summer of 2020.

It now rests around the waist of Newman, making him the latest young superstar to ever carry the on the legacy of this historic championship.

Who is Callum Newman?

For those who aren't aware of who Callum Newman is, he is one of the fastest-rising young stars in the pro wrestling business. Newman will be turning just 24-years-old on August 31 this year and he is already leading one of the most storied pro wrestling promotions in history.

Newman is also a member of the United Empire faction. Along with Newman, the groups consists of Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Henare, Jake Lee, Francesco Akira, Jakob Austin Young, and Zane Jay. The entire faction accompanied Newman down to the ring and watched him reach the achieve the historic feat.

Newman sets a NJPW record

This win also makes Newman the youngest IWGP Heavyweight champion in history. Before Newman, NJPW legend Kazuchika Okada was the youngest world champion in the company's history. Okada was 24-years-old when he became champion in 2012. If history is any indicator of success, Newman is set for glory. This also means he has large shoes to fill and expectations to live up to.

Following the victory, Will Ospreay wrapped the belt around Newman and Shingo Takagi came down to the ring to make his intentions known. Takagi became the first person to challenge Newman after winning. Ospreay and the rest of the United Empire secured a win earlier in the card when they beat Yuya Uemura, Taichi, and El Desperado in six-man tag action.

Newman actually used Ospreay's "Hidden Blade" finisher to get the job done against Tsuji. Tsuji's reign with the IWGP Heavyweight championship came to an end at 90 days. Newman won the opportunity to face Tsuji after beating Yuya Uremura in the finals of the NJPW Cup, which is a single-elimination tournament for a world championship opportunity.

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Aidan Chacon
AIDAN CHACON

Aidan has been a contributor to The Takedown since July of 2025. He also currently writes for the Miami Heat & Orlando Magic on SIl. Before joining On SI, he reported for Caplin News and created content individually. He has a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media & Communications at FIU’s School of Journalism. Aidan has spent years producing pro wrestling content on social media and writing about pro sports. He’s a lifelong enthusiast of the business and continues to cover the global wrestling world with an unbiased, but passionate approach. His favorite pro wrestling memory is watching Triple H vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 28, and legend has it he is still chanting "move the palm trees" to this day.

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