Summary

Gabe Kidd made his return to NJPW at Sakura Genesis moments after Callum Newman defeated Yota Tsuji to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

After the main event, Newman shared a brief moment with Will Ospreay, who placed the title around the new champion's waist before the two embraced. While that was happening, Tsuji was attacked at ringside by a masked figure. The attacker revealed himself as Kidd, then removed his jacket to show an AEW shirt.

Kidd also dropped Shingo Takagi when Takagi tried to intervene. He then grabbed Tsuji's IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship and stood over the scene, shifting the focus away from the title change and onto his issue with Tsuji.

How the angle ties back to Yota Tsuji

Kidd's return immediately pulls Tsuji into another major program, even after Tsuji lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in the main event. That matters because Tsuji is still carrying the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship, which Kidd targeted directly by taking the belt after the attack.

The source also noted that Kidd and Tsuji met three times in 2025, with Tsuji holding a 2-1 edge in that series. That gives the post-match attack a clear history behind it, and it adds another layer to a Sakura Genesis card that had already been finalized earlier in the week, as seen in NJPW confirming the full Sakura Genesis lineup.

What Gabe Kidd's return sets up next

By attacking both Tsuji and Takagi, Kidd re-entered the NJPW picture as more than a surprise cameo. The immediate implication is a fresh collision with Tsuji over the Global title, while Takagi being laid out as well leaves room for the fallout to spread beyond one rivalry if NJPW follows up on the angle.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.