Shota Umino will not have long to celebrate his latest successful title defense, as New Japan Pro-Wrestling has already confirmed the first challenger waiting for him.

Following his victory over PAC at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Umino is set to defend the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship against Gabe Kidd at Road to G1 Climax on July 6. The event takes place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and will stream live on NJPW World with English commentary.

Umino successfully retained the championship against PAC after Kidd was forced to miss Forbidden Door because of ongoing visa issues that prevented him from travelling to the United States. The reigning champion only recently captured the IWGP Global Heavyweight Title at Dominion, where he defeated Andrade El Idolo in a three way match, with Kidd immediately emerging as his first major challenger.

The post match drama at Forbidden Door also hinted at future battles, as Umino came face to face with former mentor Jon Moxley in a heated staredown before NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi stepped in to stop the situation from escalating.

The rivalry between Umino and Kidd will not end with their July 6 championship clash. Both competitors are part of the G1 Climax B Block and are also scheduled to meet during the tournament on August 8. The 2026 G1 Climax officially begins on July 11 and concludes on August 16, although Kidd is currently expected to miss opening night in Chicago because his visa issues remain unresolved.

NJPW Road to G1 Climax Card (July 6)

• IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: Shota Umino (c) vs. Gabe Kidd
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: YOH (c) vs. Francesco Akira
• G1 Climax A Block Play In Match: El Phantasmo vs. Ryohei Oiwa
• G1 Climax B Block Play In Match: OSKAR vs. Yujiro Takahashi
• Three Way Tornado Tag Team Match: Tiger Mask & Jado vs. Taiji Ishimori & Gedo vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Dick Togo
• Oleg Boltin, Aaron Wolf, Hirooki Goto & Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Yota Tsuji, Shingo Takagi, Yuto-Ice & Daiki Nagai
• Yuya Uemura, Taichi, El Desperado & Masatora Yasuda vs. Ren Narita, SANADA, DOUKI & SHO