Yota Tsuji Doesn’t Think NJPW Should Trust Wrestlers Who Claim the Promotion as Their Home

During a recent interview with NJPW1972.com, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji discussed his upcoming title defense against New Japan Cup 2026 winner Callum Newman at Sakura Genesis and more. He also addressed recent comments by Newman in February, declaring that NJPW was his home and that he “wasn’t going anywhere.”

According to Tsuji, he doesn’t trust people who make such claims. Below are some highlights:

His Thoughts on Callum Newman

“He’s been in a bit of a rebellious phase since the end of last year, right? Still young at 23. He came in at 21, got two years of experience, and then he started really thinking about his position in United Empire, and how the group was going as a whole. He started to take things into his own hands, and now here he is with the Cup. That’s incredible, his progress is really stunning.”

Yota Tsuji on Callum Newman Saying That NJPW Was His Home and That He ‘Wasn’t Going Anywhere’

“Hahaha, how many foreign wrestlers have said ‘this is my home’? I don’t think we can really trust that, and maybe you can say the same of our Japanese wrestlers as well. But, he’s free to speak his mind. … I said the same thing about Gabe Kidd. If Callum (Newman) goes off somewhere else, all that means is he changed his mind. Change is a form of growth. I don’t want to be all sanctimonious and say, ‘But you said this about NJPW!’ Just for right now, he thinks NJPW is number one, and that means we’re in agreement. I can see in his matches and in the way he wrestles that he means what he says, and that’s all good in my mind.”

On Newman’s ‘Whatever it Takes’ Approach

“Right, and I think that shows his resolve. Of all the ways there are to wrestle a match, he’s chosen his style, and if that’s the case, then that’s the style I want him to bring to Ryogoku. Just like when I wrestled EVIL, I want him to know that any approach he takes is fine, but he has to fully commit, because if he’s half-assed, I’ll eat him alive.”

Yota Tsuji defends the IWGP Heavyweight Title against Callum Newman in the main event of NJPW Sakura Genesis 2026. The event takes place on April 4 at the Ryogoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. It will stream live on NJPW World.