AEW Star Wins NJPW World TV Title at The New Beginning USA

Konosuke Takeshita defeats El Phantasmo in a title match in New Jersey

Mar. 3, 2026 at 6:55am

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AEW wrestler Konosuke Takeshita defeated El Phantasmo to become the new NJPW World Television Champion at The New Beginning USA event held at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, New Jersey on Friday. The match initially ended in a time limit draw, but Phantasmo challenged Takeshita to continue, and Takeshita won with a power drive knee strike and his raging fire finisher.

Why it matters

This victory marks another accomplishment for Takeshita, who has held several prestigious titles in New Japan Pro Wrestling, one of the top wrestling promotions in the world. The cross-promotional match between AEW and NJPW also highlights the growing connections between major wrestling organizations globally.

The details

Konosuke Takeshita, an AEW star, defeated El Phantasmo to capture the NJPW World Television Championship at The New Beginning USA event in Trenton, New Jersey. The match initially ended in a time limit draw, but Phantasmo challenged Takeshita to continue the bout, and Takeshita was able to hit a power drive knee strike and his raging fire finisher to get the pinfall victory.

  • The New Beginning USA event took place on Friday, February 28, 2026.

The players

Konosuke Takeshita

An AEW wrestler who is now the new NJPW World Television Champion, having previously held the IWGP Heavyweight, IWGP Intercontinental, and NEVER Openweight titles in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

El Phantasmo

The previous NJPW World Television Champion, who challenged Takeshita for the title at The New Beginning USA event.

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What they’re saying

“This is a huge win for me and I'm honored to be the new NJPW World TV Champion. I look forward to defending this title and representing both AEW and NJPW with pride.”

— Konosuke Takeshita

What’s next

Takeshita will likely make his first title defense at an upcoming NJPW event in Japan.

The takeaway

Takeshita's victory showcases the growing connections between major wrestling promotions globally, as AEW stars compete for titles in other organizations like NJPW. This cross-promotional match highlights the talent and versatility of wrestlers like Takeshita who can succeed at the highest levels across different promotions.