NJPW Officials Excited About Aaron Wolf’s Pro Wrestling Debut at Wrestle Kingdom 20

Wrestle Kingdom 20 is stacked with dream matches, retirement showdowns, and title unifications—but it’s the pro wrestling debut of Olympic gold medalist Aaron Wolf that has people inside NJPW especially fired up.

According to Fightful Select, NJPW officials are thrilled with the response to Wolf’s announcement and the buzz surrounding his first-ever match. The backstage mood ahead of the Tokyo Dome event is reportedly optimistic when it comes to what Wolf brings to the table.

“There’s a lot of excitement within NJPW for the debut of Aaron Wolf. There was a lot of positivity from the company about the buzz around his announcement and debut.”

Wolf will face EVIL for the NEVER Openweight Championship in his debut bout—a massive spotlight for a first-time wrestler. It’s rare to see someone walk straight into a title match in New Japan, but Wolf’s Olympic judo background and star power in Japan make him a unique case. The company is clearly betting big on him, and fans will get to see whether he can translate his real-world credentials into pro wrestling success.

The match joins a loaded card that includes a retirement clash between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada, a double title match between Konosuke Takeshita and Yota Tsuji, and a long-awaited return from Andrade El Idolo.

Wrestle Kingdom 20 – Full Card:

• Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
• Winner Takes All: Yota Tsuji (IWGP Global) vs. Konosuke Takeshita (IWGP World)
• NEVER Openweight Championship: EVIL (c) vs. Aaron Wolf
• Winner Takes All – IWGP Women’s & NJPW STRONG Women’s Titles: Syuri vs. Saya Kamitani
• #1 Contender’s Match – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title: SHO vs. El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori vs. Kosei Fujita
• Tornado Ranbo – NEVER 6-Man Tag Titles
• 10-Man Tag: Bullet Club War Dogs vs. United Empire
• NJPW World TV Championship (Preshow): El Phantasmo (c) vs. Chris Brookes
• Shoma Kato & Tatsuya Murashima vs. Katsuya Murashima & Masatora Yasuda (Preshow)

Wrestle Kingdom 20 will air live from the Tokyo Dome on January 4, 2026, with the preshow beginning at 1 AM ET and the main show at 2 AM ET, streaming exclusively on NJPW World.

Will Aaron Wolf rise to the occasion in his pro wrestling debut? Or is EVIL too much for him in his first outing? Let us know what you think in the comments below.