IWGP Women’s Title Match Set For NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo

Mayu Iwatani’s IWGP Women’s Championship defense is set for NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo. NJPW announced on Tuesday that Iwatani will defend her championship against Mina Shirakawa at the February 23rd show.

The announcement for the match reads:

IWGP Women’s Championship set for Sapporo!
STARDOM this weekend made it official that the IWGP Women’s Championship will be defended on February 23 at New Beginning in Sapporo, when Mina Shirakawa of E Nexus V will challenge the champion, STARD’ Mayu Iwatani.

Iwatani has held the IWGP Women’s title since April of 2023, when she defeated Mercedes Mone to become the third holder of the gold. Since then defences over Utami Hayashishita, Stephanie Vaquer and Syuri have folllowed over a title reign that is soon to surpass 300 days. Shirakawa is former Wonder of STARDOM Champion in her own right, and with desires to be the international face of the promotion, has issued a challenge to be the holder of the globally facing belt.

New Beginning in Sapporo now sees the first defence of the IWGP Women’s Championship in NJPW since Lonetsar Shootout in Texas this past November, and the first in a domestic NJPW event since Sakura Genesis 2023.

The updated lineup for the show is:

* IWGP Global Championship Match: David Finlay vs. Nic Nemeth
* IWGP Women’s Championship Match: Mayu Iwatani vs. Mina Shirakawa
* New Japan World Television Championship Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Matt Riddle
* NEVER Openweight Championship Match: EVIL vs. Shota Umino
* El Desperado vs. SHO
* Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Hiromu Takahashi, and BUSHI vs. SANADA, Taichi, Yuya Uemura, DOUKI, and Taka Michinoku
* Toru Yano & Tomoya vs. TBD