Surprises at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2026: Three shocking moments to take place at the latest New Japan major event

NJPW

On Monday, October 12, New Japan Pro Wrestling will present one of their biggest major shows of the year with King of Pro Wrestling 2026.

There will be several significant bouts that could have ripple effects on the entire landscape of the promotion.

Looking at the card and current stories, there is a chance for some shocking moments to take place in Ryogoku.

Here are three potential surprises at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2026.

MJF makes his debut to attack Ryohei Oiwa

On the Road to King of Pro Wrestling Day Two event, former three-time AEW World Champion MJF made a surprise appearance via video to challenge Ryohei Oiwa to a match.

However, Oiwa left this challenge unanswered, choosing to focus on his IWGP Heavyweight Championship match against Yota Tsuji at King of Pro Wrestling.

Whether he wins or loses, Oiwa may have to deal with “The Devil” one way or another.

MJF making a surprise debut in New Japan by attacking Oiwa following the main event would prove to be a jaw-dropping moment.

Jon Moxley accepts Shingo Takagi’s challenge

At NJPW Destruction in Kobe 2026, Shingo Takagi defeated Claudio Castagnoli in a first-time singles match.

After the win, Takagi issued a challenge to Claudio’s Death Riders stablemate Jon Moxley.

Since then, Shingo has been sending message to the current AEW Continental Champion, using his moves during matches.

Moxley making a surprise return to NJPW would surprise many fans at King of Pro Wrestling and set the stage for a tantalizing rematch with Shingo down the line.

Callum Newman & United Empire turns on Will Ospreay

Since the start of 2026, New Japan Pro Wrestling has been telling the story of dissension within United Empire between Will Ospreay and Callum Newman.

While Ospreay brought his mentee into the group years ago, Newman took the reigns of leadership when his mentor left NJPW in 2024.

From the depths of the faction falling apart to rising them up to the top of the company as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Callum has felt some resentment for Ospreay coming back and acting like the leader again.

After Ospreay chose to bring his version of United Empire to AEW, the battle lines have been drawn by Newman and could come to a head if the group lose the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Titles at King of Pro Wrestling 2026.

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• NJPW
• NJPW King of Pro Wrestling

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