Yushin Hatazawa To Make NJPW Debut In September

New Japan Pro-Wrestling have announced that a new Young Lion is set to debut for the promotion at one of its Road to Destruction events at Korakuen Hall on September 9.

20-year-old Yushin Hatazawa is from Hokkaido Prefecture in northern Japan. He developed an interest in professional wrestling and began training in sumo, eventually earning the opportunity to compete at the national level. Some notable wrestlers who also have a sumo background include the Saito Brothers, Yuya Aoki, Kazusada Higuchi, and the grandfather of puroresu, Rikidōzan.

Having passed New Japan’s rigorous tryout in 2024, Hatazawa officially joined the promotion’s Noge Dojo in April 2025.

Hatazawa stands at 6 feet tall (184 cm) and weighs 210 pounds (94 kg). His first match will be a special singles bout against fellow Young Lion Tatsuya Matsumoto, after which he will hit the road with the promotion.

Elsewhere, G1 Climax 36 winner Ryohei Oiwa recently discussed his critically acclaimed bout with Yuya Uemura and the importance of stylistic differences in professional wrestling. You can read more about that here.

As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Yushin Hatazawa’s upcoming debut and all things New Japan Pro-Wrestling as soon as we hear more.