Shota Umino got another win on the board for team NJPW on Sunday night.
Umino turned back Death Riders member PAC during this weekend’s Forbidden Door card, beating him in an 18-minute contest for the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.
In a nod to his time as the understudy for Jon Moxley, Umino connected with the AEW star’s Paradigm Shift move late in the match. He then followed that up with his own finisher, the Second Chapter, for the pinfall victory.
Umino survived loads of punishment against PAC throughout the match. He was most notably tossed over the top rope and to the outside at one point, sending him crashing through a table that was set up nearby. PAC followed that moment with a 450 Splash, but it only secured him a near fall.
Following his win, Umino had a face-to-face with Moxley. NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi made a surprise appearance during the post-match, showing up to wrap the title around Umino.
The showdown between Umino and PAC was the only match on this year’s Forbidden Door card that saw a non-AEW title be defended.
Umino’s reign as IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, his first-ever title run in wrestling, started just two weeks back when he pinned Andrade El Idolo at NJPW’s annual Dominion card.
It was noted on the broadcast that the Global Heavyweight title is one of NJPW’s newer belts. The championship only debuted in early 2024 and serves as a midcard title for the company.
