SANADA Returns To NJPW At Wrestling Dontaku 2026, Targets Konosuke Takeshita

SANADA is back in NJPW.

Kicking off the main card of NJPW’s Wrestling Dontaku night two show was Konosuke Takeshita defending the NJPW World Television Championship against Chase Owens

Takeshita was able to put Owens away despite involvement from HOUSE OF TORTURE.

After the bout, the lights in the venue went out. A video aired, and it was of a masked man — the same masked man who showed up and distracted Takeshita at Sakura Genesis to set up an attack by Chase Owens. The masked person never revealed themselves and just walked away.

When the lights came back on at Wrestling Dontaku, that masked individual was in the ring and attacked Takeshita. The individual revealed themselves to be former IWGP Heavyweight Champion SANADA.

SANADA is back!!!!!

From the profile URL#njpwworld #njDONTAKU pic.twitter.com/8oY6erKwaB

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) May 4, 2026

It was at New Year Dash in January that SANADA announced he was stepping away from the ring and ‘going on a trip.’ NJPW subsequently announced that he would be going on an indefinite hiatus from the company.