While some series have been running in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump for decades, such as One Piece, others have either come to an end or been revived within the legendary manga publication. Luckily, even when a series ends, some stories can transcend their finales to continue having an impact on both the anime world and our own. In a surprising twist of fate, one of the hardest-hitting, wrestling-based series of Shonen Jump is planning a major event for later this year. Asking participants to live up to the manga’s characters, get ready to fight to honor the story of Ultimate Muscle.

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Kinnikuman has long been a big part of the anime scene, first landing as a part of Weekly Shonen Jump in 1979 and continuing via various printed stories and anime adaptations. In fact, last year saw the release of Production I.G.’s Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc to the small screen, giving the series a modern makeover. This August, The Kinnikuman Cup 2026 will ask participants to get their fighting skills ready, as a Jiu-Jitsu tournament will pit participants against one another in a winner-takes-all event. Luckily, to help push this upcoming tournament, the creator of Kinnikuman, Yudetamago, helped to promote the jiu-jitsu event.

Ultimate Muscle’s Return

Kinnikuman creator Yudetamago shared the following message regarding the upcoming tournament, “The jiu-jitsu tournament ‘Kinnikuman Cup 2026,’ scheduled to be held at Higashin Arena on August 15th and 16th, has been confirmed. Will I enter, too? Everyone from white belt to black belt jiu-jitsu practitioners, and all you kids’ jiu-jitsu folks too—please join in. No-gi will also be held, so grapplers, come on!!”

Following the release of the first two seasons of Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin, the reboot confirmed that a third season was on the way. Created by Production I.G., the studio responsible for such anime hits as Kaiju No. 8, Psycho-Pass, Haikyu, and Terminator: Zero, the re-imagining has yet to let anime fans know when the series will return. Though considering how many seasons the show has under its belt, it’s clear that the reboot has garnered quite a bit of attention.

Kinnikuman has long been a big part of the anime medium, spending decades following the story of an alien prince who must enter into the ring as part of a wrestling tournament. While the series might be jam-packed with action, it has managed to balance its high-octane battles with hilarity, routinely blending the two throughout the various animated adaptations that have hit the screen over the years. While the last manga series to arrive was a spin-off, Kinnikuman Lady, which dropped in 2008, it’s always possible that a new spin-off could arrive in the future. The chances of a new side story are made that much better thanks to creator Yudetamago remaining more than willing to hand the baton to new manga artists.

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Via Asian Sport Jiu-Jitsu Federation